DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ ‘Leon Russell:’ Review: Ringmaster of Rock ’n’ Roll’s Circus
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( David Kirby | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Most rock bios begin with 30 or 40 pages on their subjects’ early years and end with a look at what is often a retirement marked by neglect and what-ifs. Not this one. With “Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History,” Bill Janovitz gets right down to business, as did his subject: one of the most electrifying stage performers of his day, a chart-topping recording artist, and a singer/songwriter/keyboardist/guitarist/producer who worked with a pantheon that included many of the rock, pop, and country stars of our time. Leon Russell went to work early and never stopped. Never one to let his Brylcreemed good looks be marred by a piece of flying glass, Lewis told the frightened teens behind him to keep chooglin’ while he slipped out the back way and tore off into the night in his Caddy.

☆ UK to extend energy bill help for 3 months - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Government subsidies are scheduled to be scaled back from next month, meaning average annual bills would rise to 3,000 pounds ($3,600) from 2,500 pounds now. Hunt is due to deliver a budget statement on March 15, when any extension to the level of support could be announced. "The Chancellor has been clear that we will keep all our support under review... we are already doing all we can to support people struggling with high energy bills," a spokesperson for prime minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday. Hunt can count on a roughly 30-billion-pound windfall as he prepares his budget, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Keeping the current level of energy subsidies would cost 2.7 billion pounds until the end of June, based on current energy price forecasts, the IFS estimated this week.

Premiums can increase by almost 50% after an at-fault accident claim, according to an analysis by The Zebra, an insurance comparison website. If you run into a deer or other animal, your comprehensive car insurance would kick in. When you might not need to file a claimWhile filing a claim for damage caused to others is always encouraged, there are instances where you might consider not filing a claim. When your claim is less than the deductibleIf the repair cost is lower than your insurance policy's deductible, it's probably not worth filing a claim. "Even if you're not at fault, filing a claim could still increase your premium," says Cox.

LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - For all intents and purposes, financial markets think the brutal central bank tightening cycle is done. That may seem like a leap of faith after 36 hours in which three major central banks lifted their main policy interest rates yet again - and warned of more to come. Elsewhere, the Bank of Canada already signalled last month that it's pausing its rate rises. Jason Draho, head of asset allocation Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management, reckons "there's little investment value in over-analyzing a central banker's mindset." And if the central banks themselves seemed inclined to allow markets to do their own thing this time around, then it was left to the IMF to act as head teacher.

☆ In a health system in crisis, Britain's heart care suffers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Britain's cardiology departments are a microcosm of the problems that have spread through the system. In November, around 8,000 people like Cogan had been waiting more than a year for heart treatment, up from a couple of dozen pre-pandemic. Reuters GraphicsTeams were still trying to restore cardiac services to pre-pandemic levels, NHS England said. Pandemic disruptions to diagnosis and treatment, in addition to delays in emergency care, had an outsized impact on cardiological care, she said. On one visit to his local Colchester hospital, staff could not find a working ECG machine to read his heart's electrical activity when he felt a twinge.

The Act states the Fed should conduct monetary policy "so as to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates." On that basis, the average core PCE inflation rate since 2010 is exactly 2.0% - even after the recent scare and with the monthly rate ebbing again fast. At 1.25%, real 10-year yields - measured by market inflation expectations rather than prevailing inflation - are far above sub-zero post-pandemic troughs and are also some of the highest in over a decade. And hence the cat and mouse game between Fedspeak and market pricing - rather than a material change to investors' assumption that the Fed is nearly done. U.S. Fed has missed the mark on inflationThe opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.

By announcing an inflation goal, central bankers feel they build credibility for themselves and focus the planning of households and firms in ways that help keep inflation controlled. Those decades, up to the end of the first year of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, saw inflation largely contained. Achieving that target is just core to our overall monetary policy," Brainard said, a sentiment echoed in central bank headquarters from Frankfurt to London to Tokyo. "Let me be quite clear, there are no ifs or buts in our commitment to the 2% inflation target," Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said last year. Should inflation prove stickier than expected, achieving the central bank's 2% inflation goal could mean even more losses.

☆ What War Leaders Most Underestimate: Duration and Deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Michael O Hanlon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In most of American higher education and even most policy schools, military history is relegated to the sidelines. Rarely is it taught in its own right, with a focus on the technologies and tactics of war, the strategies and major campaign plans of the participants, the mistakes made and lessons learned, the great “what ifs?” of history. This is regrettable, not least because it impoverishes our own debates on issues of war and peace. Military history doesn’t provide lessons in simple cookbook style, as Richard Neustadt and Ernest May underscored in their classic 1986 book, “Thinking in Time.” It needs to be taken in, mulled over and discussed. Surveying the major wars of modern history, I would propose two general themes that have special relevance for today.

☆ Oil Prices Are Likely to Stay Steady This Year—With a Couple of Big Ifs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Collin Eaton | Benoît Morenne | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Oil prices generally aren’t expected to change dramatically this year, but two big questions loom over that outlook: Will China have the workers needed to rev up its economy as the country loosens its Covid restrictions? And will American energy companies focused on fracking stick to their recent reluctance to bankroll another expensive oil boom? Brent, the international oil standard, peaked above $127 a barrel last year but has since tumbled, trading around $84 a barrel Thursday. Around two-thirds of energy executives surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas late last year expected West Texas Intermediate oil prices—which tend to fluctuate a few dollars a barrel below Brent—to end 2023 between $70 and $90 per barrel. The forecast is based largely on the fact that analysts expect global oil supply to outpace demand this year as economic growth slows.

☆ ‘The Drop’ Review: An Accident’s Comic Aftermath
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

NBC’s “The Slap” of 2015, based on an Australian novel and TV series, was about a group of friends melting down after one of them slapped another’s child at a birthday party. A viewer might have felt like slapping the entire cast before the show had gotten very far, but the idea was provocative and the what-ifs abundant. “The Drop” is scary for other reasons, namely the state of film comedy and a certain kind of humor that won’t go away. But it begs comparison with the earlier show, even if the element of guilt has been drastically diluted: Instead of a dislikable man hitting a dislikable child on purpose, a woman drops a baby by accident. And whose reactions to the “incident” are meant to provide us access to their lives, and the shallowness within.

☆ Premarket stocks: These three big unknowns will drive markets in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And there are three big “ifs” that will determine the health of the economy: The strength of the labor market, the American consumer and the Federal Reserve. Will the labor market cool off? This is all happening as the Fed tries to actively cool the labor market. Policymakers fear that persistent wage growth in a tight labor market will keep already sky-high inflation levels elevated. Mortgage rates continue to soarMortgage rates rose again last week, beginning 2023 twice as high as they were a year ago.

☆ Boomers have more wealth ‘than any other generation,’ but millennials may not inherit as much as they hope
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

On the cusp of the greatest generational wealth transfer in history, baby boomers are set to pass more than $68 trillion on to their children. "It's a generation that has accumulated a greater percentage of wealth than any other generation ever has," said Mark Mirsberger, a certified public accountant and CEO of Dana Investment Advisors, referring to boomers. Studies show a growing disconnect between how much millennials expect to inherit in the "great wealth transfer" and how much aging boomers plan on leaving them. But 55% of baby boomers who plan to leave behind an inheritance said they will pass on less than $250,000. Tack on inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and fears of a recession, and boomers suddenly may be feeling less secure about their financial standing — and less generous when it comes to giving money away.

My family has a Thanksgiving tradition. Countless people who don’t — or can’t (or both) — eat traditional Thanksgiving food such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie will be the butt of the joke when families gather around the table on Thursday. Or what if the pumpkin pie is so good one slice isn’t enough? I’d love to start a new Thanksgiving tradition this year: sitting poolside in Palm Springs or getting sand between my toes as I hike at Malaga Cove would be great. I’ll be with my relatives and a punchline to a joke that never was funny, because that’s my family’s Thanksgiving tradition.

The cases were weeks apart and eerily similar: Two young men at popular New York City gay bars. Both of their bank accounts were drained. The New York City Police Department said that the city’s medical examiner is still determining the official causes of Ramirez’s and Umberger’s deaths. John Umberger was found dead in New York City in May and his bank accounts were drained. “It’s horrifying and infuriating that people are being preyed upon and victimized in New York City in this way,” Bottcher said.

Hunt, reminding lawmakers of his own past as an entrepreneur in marketing and publishing, made accelerating economic growth a priority in his budget speech to parliament on Thursday. Britain is badly in need of a growth fillip. It also cut its growth forecast for 2024 to 1.3% before a better couple of years thereafter with growth at 2.6% and 2.7%. It said Hunt's plan to cut public investment from 2024 would probably weigh on productivity growth - key to an economy's long-term prospects - beyond its five-year forecasts. "I have tried to avoid anything that damages long-term growth," Hunt told the BBC.

He froze until 2028 a threshold at which employers start to pay social security contributions, which will cost companies more. Public spending would grow more slowly than the economy but rise in overall terms, he said. It now expects gross domestic product to contract by 1.4% next year compared with its projection in March for growth of 1.8%. The OBR forecasts GDP growth of 1.3% in 2024 and 2.6% in 2025, compared with previous forecasts of 2.1% and 1.8% respectively. Thursday's forecasts by the OBR showed that target would be met in the 2027/28 financial year.

☆ 'Positive stress' can help you be happier and more productive at work, according to new research—how to harness it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

While too much stress can cause serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes, a moderate amount of the right kind of stress can actually help you be happier and more productive at work, according to new research. There's a "sweet spot" with stress that most people can tap into, Suzuki adds, where you feel alert but aren't debilitated — in this case, stress can be a positive, motivating force. Indeed's report also counts repeated conflicts or bad relationships with colleagues and managers, and managers who don't seem to care about how their employees feel, as contributors to negative stress. Think about your thinkingTo develop a positive stress mindset, it's important to first recognize the negative thought patterns or limiting beliefs you might be repeating to yourself. Metacognition, or "thinking about your own thinking," as Suzuki describes it, can help you re-write negative thought patterns that could be perpetuating your stress at work.

The first study ever to directly compare medication to meditation for anxiety finds the two methods work equally well at reducing symptoms. Just one side effect, increased anxiety, was reported in the mindfulness group, by about 15% of the participants. It's unclear why so many meditation participants appeared to drop off, she said. The time commitment to mindfulness throughout the study, however, was important for people to learn the proper techniques, Hoge said. The thinking behind mindfulness, Hoge said, is that it can make the thoughts that fuel anxiety less powerful.

☆ Jennifer Aniston reveals she tried IVF, but has no regrets now that 'the ship has sailed'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Jennifer Aniston said in a new interview she has "zero regrets" after going through in vitro fertilization, all while coping with intense media scrutiny about whether she wanted to have children. You just don't think it. Despite everything she went through, Aniston told Allure, "I have zero regrets." During the Allure interview, Aniston also reflected on how her private life was fodder for seemingly endless articles speculating on whether she wanted to have children. Aniston filed for divorce from Hollywood leading man Brad Pitt in 2005 after more than four years of marriage.

☆ Rishi Sunak is worth almost $850 million, making him Britain's richest prime minister. Here's why that could be a big problem.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Ryan Hogg | Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is worth about $850 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List. With wealth that rivals King Charles III, the former finance minister is the richest UK leader ever. The 42-year-old former chancellor (finance minister) has a net worth of £730 million ($847 million) according to the Sunday Times Rich List, and was ranked 222nd in May. Queen Elizabeth II was estimated to be worth about $440 million before her death, according to the Sunday Times. The ex-finance minister has a 19th century, Grade II-listed mansion in Yorkshire as well as a London home worth millions.

☆ London's $96 million cable car, which became an unlikely viral hit on TikTok, has been given a makeover
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

London's $96 million cable car system has a new look and name change. The cable car struggled to attract commuters but has proved a hit on TikTok. The transport system's rebrand was unveiled at a recent event as IFS Cloud Cable Car. While the cable car has struggled to attract commuters it has proved to be a popular hit on social media during that time. According to TfL's figures, about 15 million people have used the cable car in the decade since it opened.

Sunak, Britain’s third prime minister in seven weeks, took office on Tuesday with a pledge to fix the “mistakes” Truss made. Truss’ “mini” budget of September 23 crashed the pound and caused a rout in the bond market, sending UK borrowing costs — including mortgage rates — soaring. One area Sunak may be tempted to tap is the social welfare budget. That could save £7 billion ($8 billion) in 2023-24, according to the IFS, but would prove controversial. According to Hunt, the budget, when it comes, will set out how the government plans to reduce debt in the medium term.

☆ UK economy: Rishi Sunak only has unpleasant choices as prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There’s little appetite for government spending cuts after years of austerity in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. Plus, failing to help households deal with surging living costs could prove politically devastating and further weigh on the economy. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt got the ball rolling last week when he reversed £32 billion ($37 billion) in tax cuts that formed the bedrock of Truss’ plan to boost growth. Risk of a ‘doom loop’Investors and economists expect that the government will announce a mixture of tax increases and spending cuts shortly. No one wants to repeat the errors of the brief Truss era, when her gamble that unfunded tax cuts would jumpstart growth backfired spectacularly.

Yet he ultimately carried the can for an unwelcome fiscal plan that roiled bond markets, spooked investors and sparked a major backlash from governing Conservative Party lawmakers. Cutting his visit short, he flew back to London on Friday to "continue work at pace" for a medium-term fiscal plan due at the end of the month. Nor were further moves to re-embrace Treasury orthodoxy through the choice of Scholar's replacement and a decision to bring forward a medium-term fiscal plan and forecasts. In a reply to Kwarteng, Truss said she was deeply sorry to lose a long-standing friend from government. But a finance minister being ditched so quickly for his policies - especially when they were so closely aligned with the prime minister - is unprecedented in modern times.

☆ UK PM Truss says she will not cut public spending to fund tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

British Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Wednesday she would not cut public spending. British Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Wednesday she would not cut public spending after her government came under pressure to fund vast tax cuts that have roiled markets and sparked alarm over government finances. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) said this week that the government needed to find 62 billion pounds ($68.5 billion) of spending cuts or tax rises to stop the public debt growing. Truss was asked at her weekly parliamentary questions if she was still committed to a pledge she made during the Conservative Party leadership contest that she was not planning public spending cuts. "What we will make sure is that over the medium term the debt is falling, but we will do that not by cutting public spending but by making sure we spend public money well," she said.

Search resuls for: "IFS"

25 mentions found