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☆ China leads tech race, highlighting need for AUKUS sharing, says think-tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. leads quantum computing - the next generation of computers expected to solve once unsolvable problems and enable faster communication. Quantum sensors could be used in threat detection for defence, ASPI said. The combined strength of AUKUS nations made them competitive with China in half of the technologies, it said. The transfer of nuclear-powered submarine technology -- an area where the U.S. holds a capability edge over China -- to Australia is the highest-profile AUKUS project. The legislative proposals are "necessary steps for the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines program," Conroy said in a statement.

Persons: Read, ASPI, for Defence Industry Pat Conroy, Conroy, Joe Biden, Kirsty Needham, William Maclean Organizations: National Congress, Communist Party of, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, China, for Defence Industry, U.S . Congress, U.S . Navy, Thomson Locations: Communist Party of China, SYDNEY, China, Australia, Britain, U.S, Beijing, Russia, Germany, Baltic, The U.S, Moscow, . Virginia, Virginia, Sydney

☆ A history of Mike Pence's Harley-Davidson motorcycle rides
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Rebecca Harrington | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former VP Mike Pence rode a Harley-Davidson for the "Roast and Ride" event in Iowa on Saturday. US Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, right, and former Vice President Mike Pence ride motorcycles on the way to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa., Saturday, June 3, 2023, during Ernst's Roast and Ride. Former Vice President Mike Pence rides a motorcycle during US Sen. Joni Ernst's Roast and Ride, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Mike Pence participates in the Annual Governor's Motorcycle Ride to benefit the Indiana National Guard Relief Fund in Fountaintown, Ind., Friday, July 29, 2016. Trump and Pence stand next to a Harley Davidson motorcycle on the South Lawn of the White House after meeting with company executives, February 2, 2017.

Persons: Mike Pence, Davidson, He's, Pence, —, Sen, Joni Ernst, Ron DeSantis, US Sen, Joseph Cress, Harley, Joni Ernst's, Michael Conroy, Donald Trump's, Trump, Harley Davidson, Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pence didn't Organizations: White, Service, Florida Gov, US, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Iowa City Press, Citizen, AP, Harley, Indianapolis Star, Indiana cornfields, Republican, Indiana Gov, Indiana National Guard Relief Locations: Iowa, Indiana, Des Moines , Iowa, Fountaintown, Ind, Milwaukee , Wisconsin, America

☆ Modi, Blinken to meet Pacific Island leaders in Papua New Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 22 (Reuters) - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken have arrived in Papua New Guinea ahead of meetings with Pacific Island leaders to discuss trade, climate change and regional security on Monday. Modi, who was met at the airport on Sunday evening by PNG Prime Minister James Marape, will hold a bilateral meeting on Monday morning, before hosting a regional summit with 14 Pacific Island leaders. Blinken is expected to sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement between the United States and PNG, and also hold a Pacific Island leaders meeting in the afternoon. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Vanuatu Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, and New Caledonia President Louis Mapou were among the Pacific island leaders to arrive on Sunday. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Australia's Pacific Minister Pat Conroy will also join the meetings.

INVESTMENT HELPSThe company based in Hove on Britain's south coast was one of 61 firms - most with 25 or fewer employees - to take part in the world's biggest four-day week trial last year. The experience of some companies in the first trial suggests that moving to a four-day week might help, if it prompts firms to spend more on equipment and training. It piloted a four-day week for its 80 New Zealand staff over 18 months, and has since extended it to 500 workers in Australia, a move it hopes will attract new talent. British recruitment agency Reed.co.uk said it had seen a rise in the number of job advertisements offering a four-day week since the start of the year. Allcap, a supplier of industrial components with 36 employees in western England, tried a four-day week after its staff had worked flat out during the pandemic to supply protective equipment and ventilator parts.

Middle-income households are less likely to have access to resources like Medicaid and food stamps. The report, by Drexel's Autism Institute, looked at the intersection of poverty, race, and health outcomes for autistic youth. Children with autism from middle-income households, or households at 200% to 399% of the federal poverty line, actually had the worst health outcomes out of all income classes. The first, Dr. Anderson pointed out, was that middle-income households are less likely to be eligible for Medicaid. While some states offer waivers for kids with autism from middle-income households, it's far from a universal practice.

☆ Tyson Foods to Cut 10% of Corporate Jobs, Eliminate Some Senior Leadership Roles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Logansport, Ind. Photo: Michael Conroy/Associated PressTyson Foods Inc., the largest U.S. meat supplier by sales, is eliminating 15% of its senior leadership positions and 10% of corporate roles, according to a memo sent to employees. “This is not an easy day,” Tyson Chief Executive Donnie King said Wednesday in a note to employees, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Discussions with the majority of affected employees will take place this week, Mr. King said.

☆ Australia aims to start making guided missiles within two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 26 (Reuters) - Australia said on Wednesday it would start domestic manufacture of guided missiles by 2025, two years sooner than expected, in a wide-ranging shakeup of defence arrangements to focus on long-range strike capability. read moreThe timetable for domestic manufacture of guided weapons, originally set for 2027, will be hastened to within two years by allocating A$2.5 billion to the project, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in media interviews. The government was already in talks with missile manufacturers Raytheon (RTX.N) and Lockheed (LMT.N) about establishing production in Australia, Marles added. Discussions were also being held with Kongsberg (KOG.OL), the Norwegian manufacturer of the naval strike missile Australia had already agreed to purchase, he said. Pat Conroy, the minister for defence industry, said the review recommended acquiring Kongsberg's joint strike missile which would "allow us to look at manufacturing the Strike Missile family of missiles in Australia".

☆ Australia to Reshape Military Amid Growing U.S.-China Rivalry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Mike Cherney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Australia’s defense minister said the country’s navy needed enhanced lethality. Photo: roslan rahman/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesSYDNEY—A wide-ranging review of Australia’s military found that the key U.S ally needs to quickly overhaul its armed forces and focus more on capabilities such as long-range missiles, amid concerns that rising tensions between the U.S. and China could increase the chance of a conflict in the region. Australian officials said they agreed with the review’s conclusion that the country’s military isn’t fully fit for purpose in the current strategic environment. The defense industry minister, Pat Conroy, said the revamped army will eventually be able to fire weapons that can hit targets some 300 miles away, versus 25 miles now.

☆ Australia to prioritise long-range strike capability in defence shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/6] Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy and Chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Angus Campbell speak to the media at a news conference after the release of the Defence Strategic Review at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia April 24, 2023. AAP/Lukas Coch/via REUTERSCANBERRA, April 24 (Reuters) - Australia's government will prioritise long-range precision strike, domestic production of guided weapons, and diplomacy - key points of a review released Monday recommending the country's biggest defence shakeup since World War Two. Australia must also strengthen defence cooperation with Japan, India, Pacific and South East Asian nations, the review said. The review found Australia's defence force was "not fit for purpose", he said. The navy needs more smaller vessels with long-range strike weapons, with details decided after an independent analysis this year, the report said.

☆ Elevance Health Earnings Rise With Uptick in Premiums, Enrollment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Elevance Health, which owns Blue Cross Blue Shield, is dealing with double-digit growth in costs. Photo: Michael Conroy/Associated PressElevance Health Inc. reported stronger revenue and earnings in the first quarter as growing premiums continued to outpace rising costs. The health insurer and Blue Cross Blue Shield owner, formerly known as Anthem Inc., said operating revenue grew more than 10% to $41.9 billion. Analysts had been expecting $40.92 billion, according to FactSet.

☆ Cheap new cars are going extinct while $60,000 SUVs and trucks flood the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The $60,000 car is having a moment — and may be here to stayIn 2018, 44% of new vehicles sold were under $30,000, per an Edmunds release. Some of this has been going on since before COVID, especially as many automakers discontinued sedans several years earlier. Profit, as Jominy pointed out, is also a key factor — and automakers are even willing to sacrifice market share for it. "There is definitely a void happening in the market for those vehicles," Kunes added. "If they focus purely on luxury cars and high-end SUVs that cost $100,000, there are only so many people that can afford those."

Prosecutor Chris Conroy said: "The defendant Donald J. Trump falsified New York business records in order to conceal an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 presidential election and other violations of election laws." SOCIAL MEDIA POSTSProsecutors during the arraignment said Trump made a series of social media posts, including one threatening "death and destruction" if he was charged. "They can't beat us at the ballot box so they try to beat us through the law," Trump said. The false records included invoices from Cohen, entries in a ledger for Trump maintained by the Trump Organization, and check stubs, according to the indictment. "Under New York state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime.

☆ Donald Trump's arraignment: key takeaways include 2 warnings from the judge that he behave himself
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Takeaways from Tuesday's arraignment include two separate times the judge warned Trump to behave. The judge also nixed Trump's hope of just staying home on his next court date, December 4. Prosecutors had just handed the judge a thick packet of examples of what Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy called Trump's "threatening rhetoric." "May we ask that President Trump, his presence be waived just for that date?" The defense and prosecution are hoping to reach an agreement on the protective order, Trump attorney Susan Necheles said.

☆ Read about the moment a judge warned Trump not to 'incite violence,' 'create civil unrest,' 'or jeopardize the safety or well-being of any individuals'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Prosecutors brought up Trump's social media posts, saying he "threatening" statements in them. Judge Juan Merchan said he would not issue a gag order but expected compliance from Trump. During his arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan warned Trump not to "incite violence or civil unrest," per a copy of the court hearing transcript obtained by Insider. "Please refrain from making comments or engaging in conduct that has the potential to incite violence, create civil unrest, or jeopardize the safety or well-being of any individuals," Merchan said. Merchan's comments came after prosecutor Chris Conroy mentioned Trump's social media posts in court after outlining the 34 felony charges against Trump.

☆ How women are re-defining ambition to build happier, more successful careers: It isn’t ‘worth sacrificing my mental health for’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Women continue to face alarmingly high levels of burnout — the extreme circumstances of working and surviving during a pandemic, some workplace experts warn, has cost women their ambition. Overall, nearly half (48%) of women describe themselves as "very ambitious" when it comes to their career, and ambition among women of color is even higher, according to a Momentive/CNBC poll of over 5,000 women conducted last month. Women aren't losing their ambition — they're rejecting a narrow definition of ambition as the pursuit of money and power and writing a new one. But after spending the first 10 months of the pandemic working 85-hour weeks at a pharmacy in Los Angeles, Ismail realized her dream career wasn't sustainable. "I realized the career markers I used to strive so hard to achieve aren't worth sacrificing my mental health for."

☆ Automakers abandoned the 'starter car' — and it's raising prices for everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many car companies are prioritizing high-profit vehicles over starter cars. Though those figures are averages, it's clear that lower-end vehicles are more costly than they used to be — a direction automakers have been moving in for years. "There is definitely a void happening in the market for those vehicles," Kunes added. What car buyers can look out forThe used market isn't much better, Kunes noted — the average used vehicle transaction price was $29,226 last month, per J.D. Power — "which really puts a lot of pressure on that lower-end market, and there's no manufacturers really stepping up to fill that void."

☆ Defence contractors target Australia as it gears up to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The firms are pushing for billions of dollars' worth of purchases expected after Australia's long-awaited defence strategic review (DSR) is made public next month, setting out the force structure and equipment required over the next decade. The government's aim is to "speed up the acquisition cycle" and move as quickly as possible once the review is public, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy told reporters on Wednesday. Australia ranked 12th globally in military spending in 2021 at $31.8 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Lockheed was selected last year alongside Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N) to accelerate the manufacture and delivery of guided weapons to Australia. In-country assembly, and eventually manufacturing, are a focus of the project that aims to build local stockpiles, said Ken Kota, vice president of Lockheed's Australian defence strategic capabilities office.

☆ It's not just the chip shortage — other supply chain disruptions are wreaking havoc on automakers and helping keep prices high
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The pandemic, the shift to EVs, and supply chain problems are all to blame. GM's Bowling Green plant will stop Corvette output this week due to a "parts supply issue." Despite tailwinds like huge profits, high demand, and low inventory, automakers are bracing themselves for more disruptions. The relationship between automakers and their parts companies has never been perfect, but it's especially challenging of late even as the two remain codependent. Now, parts companies are struggling amid macroeconomic concerns, inflation, in addition to the transition to EV components (or risking becoming defunct), and that will impact the automakers they supply to.

☆ Indiana's Senate race will show the depths of the fault lines within the GOP. Early signs show it's still Trump's party.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Mitch Daniels would have been an ideal GOP Senate candidate. Daniels' decision offers a look at the obstacles that the party continues to face headed in 2024. Mitch Daniels would have been seen by most traditional conservatives as an ideal candidate to run for the Senate. Eric Holcomb is a potential candidate in the 2024 Indiana Republican Senate primary. AP Photo/Manuel Balce CenetaIndiana could drive the GOP Senate roadmapAhead of the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans anticipated making major gains in Congress, which eventually didn't come to pass.

☆ Delphi murder suspect appears in court as judge rules trial will remain in county, gag order continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Judge Frances C. Gull issued a gag order in December, after Allen's lawyers shared a press release defending his name. On Friday, Gull ruled that gag order will stay in place, John McGauley, Court Executive of Allen County said. Gull also ruled that the trial will not be moved to another county, but instead a jury pool from another county can be selected. Gull gave the prosecution and defense one week to agree on a county to elect a jury from and bring it to Carroll County. Their bodies were found the next day in woods area near the Delphi Historic Trail, a half-mile upstream from the bridge.

Here are four climate and environment lawsuits that are likely to make headlines in 2023. The oil companies in the nation's high court are hoping to upend a series of circuit court decisions saying the cases belong in state courts where they were filed. If the court takes the appeal and rules for the oil companies, then the cases would be moved to federal court, the preferred venue for the industry defendants. (Bellwether trials are chosen as test cases and are used to work through common legal and factual issues.) "I think it will be a huge year for this issue," Conroy said of 2023.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Pacers vs Warriors: Steph Curry to get an MRI after suffering shoulder injury in Golden State's 125-119 loss to Indiana
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Golden State fans wait anxiously for a verdict on Steph Curry as the superstar guard will get an MRI after he suffered a shoulder injury in the Warriors’ 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Late in the third quarter, Curry was injured when trying to defend against the Pacers’ Jalen Smith. As the Indiana forward drove to the basket, Curry reached out an arm that was bent backwards. “The trainers told me he was out midway through the fourth quarter. It was a night to forget for Golden State which is already missing Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins to injuries.

☆ A Silicon Valley biotech just showed a simple blood test can detect a hidden and deadly type of cancer. But the results fell short of investors' hopes.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Leah Rosenbaum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Guardant Health said that its blood test to screen for cancer caught 83% of colorectal cancer cases. On Thursday, Silicon Valley-based biotech Guardant Health announced that its blood-based cancer screening test correctly caught colorectal cancer cases in 83% of people who had the disease. The company already has several products on the market, including Guardant360CDx, an FDA-approved blood test to test cancer genomic markers that could help show what treatments the cancers are susceptible to. Colonoscopies are still the gold standard of colorectal cancer screening, despite involving sedation and hours of unpleasant physical preparation. And while colorectal cancer is the first cancer that is being studied for a blood-based screening, it certainly won't be the last.

☆ Australia's Wong to visit Pacific in bipartisan effort to boost ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The group comprises Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, senior government minister Pat Conroy, and their opposition counterparts, the politicians said in a joint statement on Sunday. Discussions would cover development objectives, the "existential threat" of climate change, and key regional security issues, the politicians said in their statement. The group, while in Vanuatu, would attend a ceremony for the handover of a new wharf and police boat "as part of Australia’s enduring cooperation on shared regional security interests". "I am pleased we are ... demonstrating Australia’s enduring commitment to strengthening our Pacific partnerships and addressing regional challenges,” Wong said. It is the first government-led bipartisan visit to Pacific island countries since 2019, they said.

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