DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Maryland police are using drones from a Chinese company that were banned in four states
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Police agencies across Maryland are using drones from DJI, a Chinese technology company. DJI was added to a US investment blacklist after officials say they sold drones to Chinese police for Uyghur surveillance. Several law enforcement agencies across Maryland are using drones made by a Chinese company that was added to a US investment blacklist in 2020 and is banned in four states. Maryland police are using drones from DJI, a Chinese technology company that dominates the global drone market, local station WBAL TV reported. Furthermore, officials with Maryland state police say they have not found another supplier that lives up to the quality of DJI drones.

Persons: DJI, Adam Welsh —, DJI —, WBAL, Michael Wilsinski Organizations: Morning, US Treasury Department, Washington Post, United Nations Locations: Maryland, Chinese, Xinjiang, Arkansas, United States

☆ Texas just raised the price of bottled water in prisons by 50% amid one of the state's most extreme heat waves yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice raised the price of bottled water for incarcerated people by 50%. This further limits access to water, as the tap water is often "simply filthy," one prison reform advocate told KVUE. Amid this punishing heat — which is even still milder than last year, during which at least 306 people died of heat-related illness in Texas — the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has raised the price of bottled water available in prisons by 50%, local outlet KVUE reports. Prison reform advocate Amite Dominick told KVUE that adds financial pressure on families where the breadwinner is incarcerated. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment about water quality in state prisons.

Persons: KVUE, Amite Dominick, Chivas Watson Organizations: Texas Department, Criminal, Service, Texas Tribune, The Texas Department Locations: , Texas, Texas, El Paso , Texas, McAllen , Texas

☆ Trump is likely scrambling to pay legal fees as he diverts more and more donations towards his bills, New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump is likely facing financial trouble over legal fees accumulated in the last two years. This NYT analysis came after his Save America PAC requested a $60 million refund. Save America has served as a legal fund for Trump, contributing over $40 million to legal bills. Meanwhile, Save America has already spent upwards of $40 million on Trump's legal fees, the outlet reported. Trump has been making notably expensive payments towards legal fees for several months.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Trump, Maggie Haberman —, Haberman, Stormy Daniels, Jack Smith — Organizations: Save America PAC, Trump, Service, New York Times, Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida, Georgia

☆ The remains of long-lost climbers are appearing as climate change melts glaciers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Swiss officials found the body of a climber missing for 37 years after portions of a glacier melted. Glaciers melting, driven by climate change, may result in extreme sea-level rise, experts say. He went missing in 1986 at 38 years old. This is not the first time melting ice has helped solve a cold case. Back in 2015, Swiss officials found the remains of two Japanese climbers who went missing in 1970 after a portion of the Matterhorn glacier melted, CNN reported at the time.

Organizations: Service, CNN, Science Locations: Switzerland

☆ The US told several Afghans to await relocation in Pakistan after escaping Taliban rule. Two years later, many are facing deportation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Several Afghan refugees in Pakistan who were promised relocation to the US are now facing deportation, CNN reports. For Afghans who served the US military, returning to a Taliban regime could be a death sentence. One expert told CNN many Afghans have yet to receive visas because the US has not established a processing center in Pakistan. One former US military contractor told CNN the Taliban "will punish me, they will put me in jail. Meanwhile, the State Department told the outlet in a statement that staff in Pakistan are actively working to expand their processing capacity.

Persons: —, Afghanistan Immigrants Refugees Council — Organizations: CNN, Service, Pakistan —, US State Department, Support Center, Afghanistan Immigrants Refugees Council, State Department Locations: Pakistan, Wall, Silicon, Afghanistan

☆ Starlink has become the 'blood' of Ukraine's communication infrastructure, but officials are reportedly growing concerned about relying on Elon Musk's tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukrainian official told The New York Times that Starlink satellites are vital to their communication systems. His fears stem from several months of back-and-forth with Musk about the use of Starlink internet in the war against Russia. Mykhailo Fedorov told The Times that Starlink has become the "blood" of Ukrainian communication infrastructure. Starlink satellites, then, are invaluable resources — but also ones that Fedorov told The Times he's worried Ukraine has become overdependent on. In September 2022, Ukrainian officials revealed Musk had blocked Starlink internet access in Russian-occupied Crimea, citing concerns about escalating the conflict.

Persons: Musk, Mykhailo Fedorov, Starlink, Fedorov, he's, Mykhailo Podolyak, SpaceX — Organizations: New York Times, Russia, Service, Elon, The New York Times, Times, Pentagon, SpaceX Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea

☆ Barely any of the doctors accused of spreading COVID-19 misinformation were ever disciplined, the Washington Post found
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly 500 doctors had complaints filed against them over spreading COVID-19 misinformation. But only 4% received disciplinary action from state medical boards, the Washington Post reports. And state medical boards only disciplined 4% of those doctors, a Washington Post investigation revealed. From January 2020 to June 2023, the Post identified at least 480 complaints against physicians, related to spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of the 20 doctors disciplined for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, five of them lost their medical licenses, the Post reported.

Persons: Donald Trump, Axios Organizations: Washington Post, Service, COVID, US Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, Wisconsin Department of Safety, Professional Services Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington, Florida

☆ Climate change is killing off a vital ocean current system and it could spark permanent droughts and extreme winters, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A key system of Atlantic Ocean currents may collapse anytime between 2025 and 2095, a new study found. Potential impacts include permanent drought in Western Africa and extreme winters in Western Europe. In 2019, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted the stream would collapse sometime after 2100. The effects of such a collapse could include permanent drought in Western Africa, extreme winters in Western Europe, and disruptions to monsoon patterns in India, South America, and Western Africa, CNN reported in 2021. The authors of the study included recommendations to mitigate the collapse of the system, including immediate moves to eliminate planet-warming pollution.

Persons: Peter Ditlevsen —, —, Peter de Menocal Organizations: CNN, Service, United Nations, Oceanographic Institution Locations: Western Africa, Western Europe, India, South America

☆ Worms that contain the same lethal neurotoxin as puffer fish are invading the East Coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Hammerhead worms are turning up all over Washington, DC and northern Virginia, the Washington Post reported. The worms carry the same toxins as puffer fish though a single worm probably couldn't kill a human. The Hammerhead worm population will only grow as the climate continues to warm, researchers say. Researchers have spotted the hammerhead worm hundreds of times in the area of Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia over the last 15 years, the Washington Post reported. However, experts told the Post to ensure you're wearing gloves and to freeze the worms inside the bag before throwing them away.

Organizations: Washington Post, Service Locations: Washington, DC, Virginia, East Coast, Washington ,, United States

☆ A brewery is making beer with recycled wastewater, purified using a process developed by NASA
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A brewery in California is using recycled wastewater to make beer, the New York Times reports. The company is using technology designed by NASA for astronauts to recycle water in space. Recycled wastewater tends to actually be cleaner than the water breweries can get on-site, multiple brewery owners told the Times. Last year, Stanford professor William Mitch published a study showing that wastewater recycled using reverse osmosis resulted in a product as clean as groundwater, sometimes even more so. Just last month, NASA reported that scientists on the International Space Station had successfully recycled 98% of their wastewater for the first time.

Persons: William Mitch, Chris Garrett Organizations: New York Times, NASA, Breweries, Service, Policy Breweries, Brewing Company, Times, Stanford, Space Station Locations: California, United States, , California

☆ A 16-year-old boy died while working in a Mississippi poultry plant. An unscrupulous hiring agency may be to blame, a workplace expert says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tomas Duvan Perez, 16, died after becoming trapped in equipment while working at a Mississippi poultry plant. Perez is the third minor in the last month to die in a US workplace, the Huffington Post reported. Now, six years later, he is dead because of a workplace accident at a poultry plant that should've never hired him. Perez, 16, died on July 14 at the Mar-Jac poultry plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, NBC News reported. A spokesperson for the Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi claims an outside hiring agency misled the company by misrepresenting the boy's age, the Huffington Post reported.

Persons: Tomas Duvan Perez, Perez, Duvan Tomas Perez, should've, Jac, Jordan Barab, Barab, They're, Joe Colee, Michael Schuls, Will Hampton Organizations: Huffington, Service, NBC News, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, PBS Locations: Mississippi, Wall, Silicon, Guatemala, United States, Hattiesburg , Mississippi, Wisconsin, Missouri, Wisconsin , Ohio, Iowa

☆ The women behind the Manhattan Project that Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer' completely ignored
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Nolan's "Oppenheimer" fails to highlight the women who helped make the Manhattan Project possible. Here are the stories of just six of the hundreds of women that made essential contributions to the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. Hornig first arrived at Los Alamos after Manhattan Project officials tapped her husband to join the effort. Los Alamos National LaboratoryCharlotte SerberCharlotte Serber first went to Los Alamos with her husband, a physicist, in 1942. Los Alamos National LaboratoryMaria Goeppert MayerTheoretical physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer contributed to the development of nuclear fission while working at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, and visiting Los Alamos from time to time.

Persons: Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Lilli Hornig, Charlotte Serber, Nolan, Hornig, Lilli Hornig's, Alamos National Laboratory Charlotte, Serber, Charlotte Serber's, Alamos National Laboratory Floy Agnes, Naranjo Stroud, Lee Floy Agnes, Lee, — Lee, Louis Slotin, Joan Hinton Joan Hinton, Hinton, Harry Daghlian, Joan Hinton, Reuters Elizabeth Graves Elizabeth Graves, Graves, Henry Barschall, Elizabeth Graves, Alamos National Laboratory Maria Goeppert Mayer, Maria Goeppert Mayer, Sarah Lawrence, Mayer, Edward Teller, Sharon McGrayne, Marie Curie Organizations: Manhattan, Service, Manhattan Project, Trinity Test, Hornig, Alamos National Laboratory, Sun, University of New, University of Chicago, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, University of Wisconsin, Los Alamos, Trinity, New York Times, Reuters, US Department of Energy, Columbia University, Sarah, Sarah Lawrence College Locations: Wall, Silicon, Los Alamos , New Mexico, Los Alamos, United States, Berlin, Germany, New Mexico, Japan, Santa Fe, University of New Mexico, Santa Clara Pueblo, Hiroshima, Nagaski, China, Beijing, Alamos, Los, —

☆ The science you should understand before seeing 'Oppenheimer'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Fission vs. fusionWhile fission and fusion are both key components of nuclear technology, the two processes are very different — and central to the plot of "Oppenheimer." The hydrogen bomb — promoted by Lewis Strauss, a member of the US Atomic Energy Commission — relies on fusion, making it far more powerful than the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer led a group of physicists who advocated for the United States to export radioactive isotopes to researchers abroad. However, Strauss pushed back while serving as chair of the US Atomic Energy Commission, advocating for a US monopoly on the materials. He argued that exporting them would be the equivalent of sharing nuclear information, an act forbidden by the 1946 Atomic Energy Act.

Persons: Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, —, Earnest O, Lawrence, Radiochemists Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassman, Lise Meitner, Lewis Strauss, Strauss Organizations: Manhattan, Service, US Atomic Energy, US Atomic Energy Commission, 1946, Energy Locations: Wall, Silicon, Berlin, United States

☆ Officials are using drones and infrared cameras in a full-scale hunt for a possible lion loose on the streets of Berlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Two pedestrians in Berlin filmed a large cat — believed to be a lion — hunting a wild boar. The search started on July 20, with officials using helicopters, drones, and infrared cameras. Berlin officials warned residents to keep their animals and children inside during the search. German officials told The Guardian there are no nearby zoos or animal sanctuaries that have reported a missing animal. As a precaution, officials warned families to keep their children and farm animals inside until the search is complete.

Persons: — Organizations: Berlin, Service, Guardian, Associated Press Locations: Berlin, Wall, Silicon

☆ Wesleyan University is getting rid of legacy admissions. The school's president called the controversial practice 'embarrassing' and an 'unearned privilege.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wesleyan University has ended legacy admissions, the practice of favoring applicants related to alumni. The university's president told The New York Times the practice is "embarrassing" and an "unearned privilege." The end of legacy admissions at Wesleyan comes after the Supreme Court's decision last month to end affirmative action, the practice of considering an applicant's race in college admissions. Meanwhile, donor-related applicants were almost seven times more likely to be admitted, whereas legacy applicants were nearly six times more likely, Insider reported. However, a Pew Research Center study showed 75% of participants disapproved of legacy admissions.

Persons: Michael Roth, Roth, Johns Hopkins Organizations: Wesleyan University, New York Times, Service, Wesleyan, MIT, Harvard University, Pew Research Locations: Wall, Silicon, California

☆ In the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson, there has been a 100% increase in calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline about reproductive coercion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The National Domestic Violence Hotline has reported a 100% increase in reproductive coercion reports. Reproductive coercion includes abusive behavior like hiding birth control or sabotaging contraception. Since the Supreme Court decision, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has seen a 100% increase in calls about reproductive coercion, a form of domestic violence in which an abuser attempts to control their partner's body and reproductive agency, according to PBS News Hour. Reproductive coercion includes things like hiding a partner's birth control or sabotaging their contraception, PBS reported. To contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline, call 1-800-799-7233, text "START" to 88788, or visit their website.

Persons: Dobbs, Jackson Organizations: Service, PBS Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Americans are building natural disaster-proof homes shaped like domes that cost roughly the same as the average US house
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The dome homes can cost just $350,000. The domes are designed to resist extreme weather events, which displaced 3.3 million Americans last year. They are constructed from fire-proof materials and their shape allows them to withstand extreme wind, architects say. Johnson told the Times he expects to sell 40 dome homes by the end of the year, doubling his company's sales from 2022, the Times reports. The homes are often built out of fire-resistant materials like steel, and the dome shape provides resistance against extreme winds that standard square homes do not.

Persons: That's, Dennis Odin Johnson, Johnston, Johnson Organizations: Service, New York Times, Guardian, Times Locations: Minnesota

☆ Your next iPhone might be able to roll into a cylinder, a recent Apple patent suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The patent, filed by Apple in November and published on July 13, shows a rollable electronic display. Apple appears to be joining Samsung, Motorola, and LG in the quest to bring to market a rollable smartphone. Your next device could get quite the upgrade: Apple has filed a patent for a device that's capable of rolling up. Apple would be joining Samsung, Motorola, and LG in the quest to bring to market a rollable smartphone. LG too has advertised a rollable phone that they have yet to release.

Organizations: Apple, Samsung, Motorola, LG

☆ A former Afghan interpreter for the US military escaped Taliban rule only to be shot and killed in Washington, DC
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Nasrat Ahmad Yar, 31, was shot and killed in Washington, DC while working as a Lyft driver. Then, on July 3, Ahmad Yar was fatally shot in Washington, DC while driving for Lyft. Ahmad Yar was just one of hundreds of Afghan interpreters scrambling to flee the country after the Taliban takeover. Amid the chaos, Ahmad Yar's wife was also pregnant with their fourth child. Ahmad Yar worked for a towing company and as a rideshare driver.

Persons: Nasrat Ahmad Yar, —, Ahmad Yar, Ahmad Yar selflessly, Matthew Butler —, Butler, Ahmad Yar's, Butler —, CNN —, Jeramie Malone, Malone, Admad, Ahmad Yar —, Nasrat Organizations: Service, Taliban, Lyft, Army Special Forces, LA Times, CNN, US State Department Locations: Washington , DC, Wall, Silicon, Afghanistan, United States, Kabul, Washington ,, That's, Abu Dhabi, Pennsylvania

☆ DeSantis lays off staffers as his campaign burns through nearly half its funds for the Republican primary
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis' campaign has spent nearly half of its raised funds for the Republican primary. Now, the DeSantis campaign has roughly $9 million left for the primaries, the New York Times reports. Ron DeSantis' campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is burning through cash, campaign finance documents reveal, forcing his team to lay off staffers. With only a little more than half his funds left, DeSantis' campaign laid off several employees. While the Times reports the exact number is unknown, one staffer told the outlet it was fewer than 10 people.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Donald Trump Organizations: Republican, New York Times, Service, Gov, Times, NBC, NBC News Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ The Labor Department only fines businesses on average $8,500 when a worker dies from a heat-related illness
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The average federal fine for a US employer, when a worker dies from heat-related illness, is $8,539.98. The three-year average of heat-related worker deaths has doubled since 1990, a 2021 report from NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations revealed. According to federal data reported between 2017 and 2022, the Department of Labor fines businesses governed by federal OSHA regulations an average of just $8,539.98 if an employee dies because of heat-related illness. Gleason also noted that federal OSHA fines for worker deaths are significantly smaller than that of other federal agencies. "The average Environmental Protection Agency penalty is 10 times that of federal OSHA for a worker that dies," Gleason said.

Persons: Eugene Gates Jr, Felipe Pascual, Richard Gleason, Gleason, West Virginia —, Thomas Linkous, — Farrell, — Organizations: Service, NPR, Columbia, Investigations, US Postal Service, University of Washington, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Department, Labor, OSHA, Environmental, Agency, The Department Locations: United, Wall, Silicon, United States, Dallas, Houston, West Virginia, Wisconsin, California, Washington, Oregon

☆ Texas construction workers protest after Greg Abbott axed mandated water breaks, calling it 'the law that kills'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Greg Abbott signed a law nixing mandated water breaks across the state. Now construction workers and their allies are protesting the move, calling it "the law that kills." As a result, construction workers and their allies are calling it "the law that kills," the Texas Tribune reports. "We really need to be allowed to work without problems, without any barriers," Luz Martínez, a Texas construction employee who was at the protest, told the Texas Tribune. There have been 42 heat-related workplace deaths in Texas since 2011, the most of any state, according to the Texas Tribune.

Persons: Greg Abbott, —, Luz Martínez, Abbott, Felipe Pascual, Pascual Organizations: Texas Gov, Service, Privacy, Workers, Gov, Texas Tribune, ABC, CNN, Occupational Health, Safety Administration, New York Times Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon, Houston

☆ The number of views for Tucker Carlson's new show on Twitter has dropped by 86% since its launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tucker Carlson first launched Tucker on Twitter after Fox News ousted him in April 2023. Earlier this year, Tucker Carlson went from Fox News' most popular primetime host to a fired ex-employee. His first show garnered more than 26 million "video views," a Twitter metric that counts a view as anyone who watches a video for more than 2 seconds. His most recent show, for instance, only got 3.8 million video views. Tucker Carlson did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Tucker Carlson, Tucker, It's, That's, Matt Binder, Carlson, Carlson's, Elon Musk Organizations: Twitter, Fox News, Morning, . Fox News, Dominion Voting, Fox, Dominion, New York Times, Elon

☆ The internet's biggest fake news producers are gaining traction through Twitter Blue accounts promoting their disinformation about Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The BBC identified four major fake news stories about Ukraine viewed by millions. These fake stories were perpetuated by accounts that paid for Twitter Blue to promote their posts. Some of these falsehoods can be traced back to Russian propaganda and Kremlin-controlled media. The BBC identified four major falsehoods posted by several accounts with blue checkmarks — that is, accounts that paid for Twitter Blue so their content is promoted to other users — about Ukraine that garnered millions of views. The BBC determined that several Twitter Blue accounts promoted the claim, garnering hundreds of thousands of views.

Persons: —, Elon Musk Organizations: BBC, Twitter, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, France

☆ Mark Zuckerberg hides his kids' faces on social media, and tech experts say you should do the same
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mark Zuckerberg recently posted a family photo with two of his kids' faces covered with emojis. Tech experts say more parents need to follow in his footsteps to protect their childrens' privacy. Posting your kids on social media may even put them at risk for identity theft, one expert told CNN. Presumably a step to protect their privacy, Zuckerberg isn't the only one thinking about how parents' use of social media can impact their children. She says keeping kids' faces off social media is not only essential for their safety, but also for their sense of agency as they grow older.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Leah Plunkett —, —, It's, –, Plunkett Organizations: Tech, CNN, Morning

Search resuls for: "Katie Hawkinson"

25 mentions found