DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

In trying to keep inventories low through the cycle, OPEC+ risks worsening any global recession, and overtightening the market during the next upturn. Chartbook: Global petroleum inventoriesSEVERELY DEPLETED INVENTORIESThe extreme backwardation in Brent futures prices is a symptom global petroleum inventories have become uncomfortably low. BALANCING RISKS AMID UNCERTAINTYWhen spare capacity and inventories are both low, the volatility-reducing course is to put whatever spare capacity there is into production immediately to accumulate inventories pre-emptively. But the timing, duration and depth of the next downturn remains uncertain as does any reduction in oil consumption, either in absolute terms or relative to trend. Related columns:- OPEC+ cut draws hedge funds back into the oil market (Reuters, Oct. 10)- Oil investors ready for recession (Reuters, Oct 3)- Recession will be necessary to rebalance the oil market (Reuters, Sept. 22)- Oil prices and financial markets brace for recession (Reuters, Sept. 15)- John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

SEOUL, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Renault (RENA.PA) Chief Executive Luca De Meo said on Tuesday the automaker was looking to find a partner for a carve-out of its combustion-engine business that would bring scale and drive down costs on technology, including hybrids. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterDe Meo said Renault was in talks with the French government over its evolving strategy. De Meo has said Renault needs new partnerships because of the scale of the investment needed to shift toward battery-powered cars and charging. In exchange for investing in the EV venture, Nissan is looking to Renault to reduce its stake in the Japanese automaker, a person familiar with the talks said. Renault currently owns about 43% of Nissan, which in turn has a 15% stake in its long-term partner with the French state holding another 15%.

At an election office in Flagstaff, Arizona, voters will encounter bulletproof glass and need to press a buzzer to enter. Election officials around the country said they were coordinating more closely with local law enforcement to respond quickly to disturbances. The Justice Department says it has investigated more than 1,000 messages to election workers since the 2020 election, including more than 100 that could warrant prosecution. PROTECTIVE MEASURESMany election officials blame disinformation, such as Trump's baseless claims about election fraud in the 2020 election, for the surge in threats. In Michigan, Republican candidates for governor, attorney general and other positions have questioned the outcome of the 2020 election.

☆ Treasury Lays Groundwork for Ownership Registry, but Questions Remain
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Providing ExemptionsAnother key issue addressed by FinCEN’s rule relates to which companies will have to submit beneficial ownership information. Lawmakers reasoned that ownership information for such companies already would be readily available, but the large carve-outs have sparked questions from some quarters. They will be given 30 days to report beneficial ownership information. The road aheadFinCEN’s work establishing the beneficial ownership database is far from done. The beneficial ownership law requires companies to certify their reports are accurate and imposes penalties for people who willfully provide false information.

On Wednesday, OPEC+, the oil cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed to slash production by 2 million barrels per day, twice as much as analysts had predicted, in the biggest cut since the Covid-19 pandemic. “Saudi Arabia is looking to head off a repeat of 2008 when the market crash sent the global economy into a recession and oil prices suddenly plummeted, requiring emergency action by OPEC,” said Wald. Analysts also say Saudi Arabia cannot afford to let oil prices go below a certain level for budgetary reasons. For its budget to break even, global oil prices must be at around $79 a barrel, according to the International Monetary Fund. That was a warning sign for Saudi Arabia and other oil exporters, who depend on oil for a majority of their revenue.

☆ Credit Suisse to buy back $3 billion in debt, sell landmark hotel as credit fears persist
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Signage hangs over the entrance of a Credit Suisse Group AG branch in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. Troubled bank Credit Suisse offered to buy back up to 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.03 billion) of debt securities Friday, as it navigates a plunging share price and a rise in bets against its debt. The offers on the debt securities will expire by Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, respectively. Credit Suisse shares were trading more than 7% higher following the news Friday, however they remain down around 50% year to date. Credit Suisse is the only major bank for which the curve has recently flattened," MSCI Research Executive Directors Gergely Szalka and Thomas Verbraken noted.

☆ Higher-income Medicare beneficiaries may face smaller premium surcharges in 2023. Here are tips for reducing or avoiding those extra amounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Shapecharge | E+ | Getty ImagesIf you're a higher-income Medicare beneficiary, you may be paying less in extra premium charges in 2023 than you were this year. The higher your income, the higher the charge. "You pay a little more now to avoid higher tax brackets or IRMAA brackets later on," Meinhart said. RMDs are amounts that must be withdrawn from traditional IRAs, as well as both traditional and Roth 401(k) accounts, once you reach age 72. For investments whose sale you can time, it's also important to remember the benefits of tax-loss harvesting as a way to minimize your taxable income.

☆ Steve-O from ‘Jackass’ talks about his craziest stunt yet: Self-help author
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —It’s not that Steve-O wants to die. And I say he was young, he looked great, he’d never been in any financial distress, he was on top of the world,” Steve-O explains. And I was mad at the idea of dying – like, not only am I gonna die young having failed, but like, everybody’s gonna die,” he says. “It’s a book of wisdom, which I’ve gleaned from clearly a lifetime of terrible decisions,” he says, laughing. The idea at work in the book, he says, is to help, but also poke fun and the ridiculousness of him being a self-help author.

There is “no better time to be a young woman of color” than right now, Pierre-Bravo emphasized, “because the tide is shifting. In 2019, Pierre-Bravo teamed up with her mentor Mika Brzezinski to co-author “Earn It!” a book aimed at helping young women navigate their careers. During the pandemic, Pierre-Bravo created Acceso, an online platform dedicated to opportunity and mentorship for young women. According to Maria Chávez, professor of political science at Pacific Lutheran University, it is not uncommon for professional Latinas to feel stress both in the workplace and at home. With “The Other,” Pierre-Bravo hopes that young women can benefit from her journey and learn how to move ahead.

☆ How AI service startup Aisera is helping companies embrace machine learning to automate tasks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

His startup, Aisera, uses machine learning and natural language processing to resolve customer service, IT, sales, and operations problems by integrating with a host of enterprise applications like Zendesk, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, and ServiceNow. The startup also offers a conversational AI service, or a chat service, in multiple languages that is meant to quickly resolve certain issues. Funding for AI, machine learning, and data analysis grew to $115 billion in 2021, according to PitchBook data. For example, Dave uses Aisera's conversational AI for its around-the-clock customer service, allowing the startup to resolve customer questions before handing off to a human if the question is more complicated. "Thanks to Shelly, Chegg's global service desk technicians can better focus on solving complex issues and proactive support."

☆ I almost quit a great job because I started to resent it. Here are 4 things I should've done sooner to feel less frustrated at work.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Shana Lebowitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

At the time, I wrote about self improvement, especially as it related to work and careers. I wrote about my experience adopting the daily routines of successful and powerful people like Tim Ferris and Donald Trump. Nothing ended up panning out — fortunately, because it was around that time that things changed for me at work. My editor wrote back almost immediately: She'd take these comments into account when generating assignments. Adapted with permission from the book Don't Call It Quits: Turn the Job You Have into the Job You Love by Shana Lebowitz Gaynor.

☆ Florida officials urge residents to prepare for coming storm Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Officials in Florida urged residents of vulnerable coastal regions to prepare for the expected arrival of a potentially dangerous storm named Ian, but no evacuations have been ordered. The storm could begin hitting southern Florida late on Monday or Tuesday morning. It is first expected to hit Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Sarasota Mayor Erik Arroyo told CNN that the city had been in touch with Florida Power & Light, and urged residents to prepare for a storm. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Diane Bartz Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The American right’s future involves waging a 'religious battle' against the left, leaders say at a conservative conference
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Allan Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

MIAMI — In a luxury Miami resort earlier this month, leading conservative politicians, influencers and academics gathered to formulate a grand path forward for the American right. Meanwhile, the broader American left was repeatedly denounced as the “enemy” and a “regime” with “evil” ideas. The conference was backed by substantial donations from conservative advocacy groups and think tanks that included the Common Sense Society, The Heritage Foundation and the Conservative Partnership Institute. One panel featured a presentation titled “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Christian Nationalism,” though some attendees saw a more clear distinction between the two nationalist ideologies. “Sometimes people get swept up in the ideas of Christian nationalism,” Jordan Esrig, a senior at Vanderbilt University who attended the conference, said.

☆ Scammers are using stolen credit card data to set up fake websites that charge a small monthly fee that you may never notice. Here's how to protect yourself.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers have uncovered a widespread credit card scheme that has gone undetected since 2019. Typical of many sites in the adult dating industry, the charges showed up on credit card bills with generic or official-sounding names, obscuring their origin. Newman said the scammers processed refunds in order to avoid raising alarm bells with legitimate credit card companies. He advised people to be proactive about analyzing their credit card statements for unfamiliar charges. If people suspect a charge is fraudulent, they should contact their credit card companies directly because the companies can open internal investigations, Newman said.

☆ Costco exec says some costs are falling and he sees a 'light at the end of the tunnel'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Áine Cain | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Richard Galanti said that there is now a "light at the end of the tunnel" in regards to inflation. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our top stories based on your reading preferences — delivered daily to your inbox. Cowen and Company analyst Oliver Chen asked specifically about the "light at the end of the tunnel," regarding the initial signs that inflationary pressures are weakening. He said that once freight and raw material costs started to decline, Costco was proactive about asking suppliers for price reductions. "But all in, pressures from higher commodity prices, higher wages and higher transportation costs and supply chain disruptions, they're still present, but we are seeing just a little light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

☆ Millennials and Gen Z want to stop a climate catastrophe. But first they have to get elected.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, told young climate activists in 2019, "You didn't vote for me." AP Photo/Gemunu AmarasingheBut most policy debates aren't genuinely existential in the way climate change is. "Younger Democrats tend to have a much more friendly relationship and response to the party's activist class than older Democrats do." Fossil-fuel interests have played a central role in stymieing progress on climate change for decades. Nearly a decade later, Trump ran for and won the presidency — with Gingrich's early and staunch support — while calling climate change a "hoax."

☆ Adam Levine denies having an affair, but admits he ‘crossed the line’
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Following allegations that he cheated on wife Behati Prinsloo and wanted to name their child after his alleged mistress, Adam Levine is speaking out. “A lot is being said about me right now and I want to clear the air,” the Maroon 5 frontman wrote in a statement on his verified Instagram stories on Tuesday. “I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner,” Levine wrote. I’m having another baby and if it’s [a] boy I really wanna name it Sumner,’” she said, reading the alleged message aloud. “In certain instances it became inappropriate; I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family,” Levine wrote in his statement.

☆ Why planes are repainted so often
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Anthony Dinardo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Narrator: Over the course of a 20- to 30-year life span, commercial planes are completely repainted as often as every seven to 10 years, depending on the size, accumulated flight time, and the climate of the plane's route. On top of that, for larger planes, the process can take two weeks, meaning airlines take a financial hit every time a plane in their fleet needs a touch-up. After covering windows and other sensitive areas to avoid damage, workers sand down logos by hand and apply a heavy paint thinner that melts the paint away overnight. That's why a greenish-yellow compound containing zinc chromate is sprayed to cover the plane's bare aluminum body. Additionally, planes are typically painted light shades, like white or gray, to reflect heat from the sun.

The logo for Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew KellyMUMBAI, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google has been asked by the Indian government and the central bank to introduce more stringent checks to help curb the use of illegal digital lending applications in India, according to sources. Indian regulators have already asked lenders to step up checks against illegal lending apps, which became popular during the pandemic. While India's central bank requires that any lending apps listed on app stores be backed by regulated entities, it is up to Google to enforce this and monitor compliance. The policy says that in order to show financial services ads in India, advertisers need to be verified in the country.

The logo for Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 17, 2021. Indian regulators have already asked lenders to step up checks against illegal lending apps, which became popular during the pandemic. While India's central bank requires that any lending apps listed on app stores be backed by regulated entities, it is up to Google to enforce this and monitor compliance. Starting from next month, Google will roll out a new advertising policy for financial services in India, a blog post on its website shows. The policy says that in order to show financial services ads in India, advertisers need to be verified in the country.

☆ While inflation causes many workers and consumers to panic about the economy's future, author and financial planner Roger Ma tells his clients not to panic. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( A.J. Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Proactive planning is about keeping your eye on goals and being flexible if circumstances change. In addition to the rising cost of goods, inflation also forces the Federal Reserve to hike up interest rates in an attempt to slow it down. Higher interest rates can make it more difficult for people to buy homes or take out new loans. When you have the Fed raising interest rates, they're trying to control inflation and put the brakes on a red-hot economy," Ma said. Once you've done that, you can go full steam ahead into proactive financial planning.

☆ I'm a law student who managed to snag 2 job offers from prestigious firms before on-campus recruiting even began. Here's how I did it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-12 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A former pro athlete and first-gen law student, he started networking before school started. David Ako Abunaw III is a former professional athlete and a student at the University of Pennsylvania's law school. But I feel like it's common for law students to be very type A, so that's never going to be me. Networking with law firms was key to getting early interviews and offersI started networking before law school. I spoke with people at several law firms, either UPenn graduates or people I had something else in common with.

☆ China had a plan to dominate tech and become the world's most powerful country. It's all gone wrong.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Semiconductor chips are the tiny brains that power our technological world, from cars and cellphones to fighter jets and advanced missile systems. Right now China is awash in money for tech, but you need the right people and customers that trust you. Why China needs the chipsThe Chinese economy is big, but it isn't wealthy. In other words, China needs a more lucrative line of business the same way someone with credit-card debt needs a raise. The Made in China 2025 plan lays out a goal for domestically manufactured chips to meet 70% of China's semiconductor needs within three years.

☆ Former MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe looks back on the mistakes that led to the startup's collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-06 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

Mitch Lowe, who has been a leader at Netflix, Redbox, and MoviePass, is releasing his book "Watch and Learn" on September 6. (L-R) MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe and Helios and Matheson Chief Executive Ted Farnsworth. I never tried to quiet people internally, if they said something wasn't going well I always embraced it. Like you wrote that you "didn't know jack shit" when you first started at Netflix. When I was offered to be CEO of MoviePass, I felt my whole career had led up to this moment.

☆ Here's how to know if you might be on your manager's layoff list — and what to do about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-19 | by ( Rebecca Knight | Catherine Henderson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Experts say there are warning signs that your job may be on the line — and some are harder to spot. Insider spoke with career experts about how to prepare for layoffs in an uncertain economy. Prepare for the worstThere are ways to prepare for a layoff — or even turn things around at your job. If it's clear you're in danger of losing your job, research your severance benefits and reduce your spending. "There's a saying that you need to put on a new roof when the sun is shining," she said.

Search resuls for: "PROACTIVE"

25 mentions found