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☆ Scientists clone second species of monkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Meet Retro, a cloned rhesus monkey born on July 16, 2020. Retro is only the second species of primate that scientists have been able to clone successfully. He was not involved in the latest research but has collaborated with some members of the research team on other primate studies. However, a rhesus monkey was cloned in 1999 using what researchers consider a simpler cloning method. Cloned monkeys can be genetically engineered in complex ways that wild-type monkeys cannot; this has many implications for disease modeling.

Persons: Falong Lu, ”, Lu, haven’t, Dolly, Miguel Esteban, Esteban, ” Lu, Zhong Zhong, Hua Hua, Lluís Montoliu, wasn’t, “ Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, State Key Laboratory, Molecular, Biology, of Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, “, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine, Covid, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Royal Society for Prevention, National Center for Biotechnology Locations: Shanghai, Beijing, Spain

☆ 2 cicada broods are popping up together for the first time in 221 years — and they'll meet in Illinois
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Two broods of periodical cicadas are emerging simultaneously for the first time in 221 years. That's because two broods of periodical cicadas — Broods XIII and XIX — will emerge from their underground lairs simultaneously for the first time in 221 years. Brood XIX will predominantly appear in southern states, while Brood XIII will appear in a small section of the Midwest — mainly Illinois. Unlike annual cicadas, periodical cicadas spend years in their underground rooms like brooding teenagers (is that why they're called broods?) In the case of the next two emerging broods, Brood XIII emerges every 17 years, while Brood XIX emerges every 13 years.

Persons: —, Lewis, Clark, Thomas Jefferson, Hype, Instagram, Brood, Gene Kritsky, Jessee Smith, I've, Kritsky, they're, it's, cicada, you've Organizations: Service, Business, Joseph University, Southern Locations: Illinois, Chicago, Louisiana, Marbury, Madison, Lake, Mount St

☆ A 'lost valley of cities' built thousands of years ago has been found in the Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Scientists found a group of lost cities dating back thousands of years in the Amazon rainforest. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementArchaeologists discovered a group of cities that the Amazon jungle had hidden for thousands of years in Ecuador, The Associated Press reported. "It was a lost valley of cities," Rostain told The AP.

Persons: —, Antoine Dorison, Rostain, Dorison, Michael Heckenberger Organizations: Service, Associated Press, National Centre for Scientific Research, New, BBC, University of Florida Locations: Ecuador, France

☆ Huge network of ancient cities uncovered in the Amazon rainforest
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Archaeologists working deep in the Amazon rainforest have discovered an extensive network of cities dating back 2,500 years. The team also discovered monumental complexes with much larger platforms, which, they said, probably had a civic or ceremonial function. Even the most isolated complexes were linked by pathways and an extensive network of larger, straight roads with curbs. In the empty buffer zones between complexes, the team found features of land cultivation, such as drainage fields and terraces. These were linked to a network of footpaths, according to the study.

Persons: Stéphen Rostain, ”, ” Rostain, Rostain, Carlos Morales, Aguilar, Morales Organizations: CNN, Research, France’s National Center for Scientific Research, University of Texas Locations: Upano, Ecuador, France, Germany, Puerto Rico, Amazonia, Panama, Guatemala, Belize, Brazil, Mexico, Austin, ”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Archeologists have uncovered a cluster of lost cities in the Amazon rainforest that was home to at least 10,000 farmers around 2,000 years ago. A series of earthen mounds and buried roads in Ecuador was first noticed more than two decades ago by archaeologist Stéphen Rostain. “It was a lost valley of cities," said Rostain, who directs investigations at France’s National Center for Scientific Research. The largest roads were 33 feet (10 meters) wide and stretched for 6 to 12 miles (10 to 20 kilometers). “There’s always been an incredible diversity of people and settlements in the Amazon, not only one way to live,” said Rostain.

Persons: Stéphen Rostain, ”, Rostain, “, Antoine Dorison, Michael Heckenberger, José, Iriarte, “ There’s Organizations: WASHINGTON, France’s National Center for Scientific Research, University of Florida, University of Exeter, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Ecuador, —, Roman Empire, Europe, London, Amazonia, Bolivia, Brazil

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

☆ It Could Be a Vast Source of Clean Energy, Buried Deep Underground
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Liz Alderman | More About Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the rocky soil of Lorraine, a former coal mining region near the French-German border, scientists guided a small probe one recent day down a borehole half a mile into the earth’s crust. Frothing in the water table below was an exciting find: champagne-size bubbles that signaled a potentially mammoth cache of so-called white hydrogen, one of the cleanest-burning fuels in nature. “Hydrogen is magical — when you burn it you release water, so there are no carbon emissions to warm the planet,” said one of the scientists, Jacques Pironon, a senior researcher and professor at the University of Lorraine. “We think we’ve uncovered one of the largest deposits of natural hydrogen anywhere in the world.”The discovery by Mr. Pironon and another scientist, Philippe de Donato, both members of France’s respected National Center for Scientific Research, caused a sensation in France, where the government has vowed to become a European leader in clean hydrogen.

Persons: ”, Jacques Pironon, “, Pironon, Philippe de Donato, France’s Organizations: University of Lorraine, National Center for Scientific Research Locations: Lorraine, France

☆ 7 scientific breakthroughs that resulted from Napoleon's invasion of Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Then, after a series of defeats in Egypt, Napoleon returned to France in 1799 and left many of the scientists stranded. At the time of Napoleon's invasion, travelers had long known of Alexandria, Cairo, and other parts of Lower Egypt. Just 21 and a botanist by training when he arrived in Egypt, Savigny collected invertebrates like worms, bees, spiders, snails, and flies. The Rosetta Stone helped Champollion discover how to decipher hieroglyphsFor centuries, no one could read hieroglyphs, the pictorial writing that covered many Egyptian monuments. When the French found the Rosetta Stone during their invasion, they knew it could serve as a kind of translation key.

Persons: Napoleon, —, Napoleon Bonaparte, Egypt that's, Claude, Louis, Berthollet, natron, Werner Forman, savants, Sand, Dominique, Vivant, Denon, Karnak, he'd, Savigny, Jules, César Savigny, De Agostini, Getty Images Savigny, Etienne Geoffroy Saint, Hilaire, Geoffroy, Charles Darwin, Evon Hekkala, Crocodylus, John Vetch, Vetch, Rosetta Stone, Champollion, Rosetta, Jean, François, Nicolas, Jacques Conté Organizations: Service, Institut, West, Universal, Egypt wasn't, Art Media, Getty Images, Getty, Science, Society Picture Library, Europe, France's, British Museum, Fox, Cairo . Science Locations: Egypt, Cairo, France, Natron, Limestone, Wadi El Natrun, Upper, Lower Egypt, Alexandria, Edfu, Thebes, Esna, Paris, Egpyt, Europe

☆ Despite Pause, a Long-Term End to Israel-Hamas War Is Not in Sight
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Michele Chabin | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Its militants killed 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, most of them civilians, and fired thousands of rockets into Israel. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants or those killed by IDF airstrikes or errant Palestinian rockets. At the completion of a humanitarian truce that began on Nov. 24, Israel’s goal is to gain military control over northern Gaza and gradually ferret out Hamas in southern Gaza. The operation in the south “will require a very different mode of operation,” Novik said, because 2 million Palestinian civilians – half of them displaced from northern Gaza – live there. As long as Hamas remains a threat, most of the 200,000 Israelis evacuated from southern Israel cannot go home.

Persons: ”, Nimrod Novik, Israel, ” Novik, Jake Sullivan, Israel’s, “, ” Jonathan Rynhold, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeff Horwitt, Gilad Shalit, Sara Hirschhorn, “ Israel, ” Hirschhorn Organizations: Hamas, Israel, “, U.S, Israel Defense Forces, CBS, Bar Ilan University, NBC, Democratic, Hart Research Associates, Biden, Israel Democracy Institute, University of Haifa, Israel’s Finance Ministry, Palestinian Liberation Organization Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon

☆ 7 weird jobs that are well-paying but nobody knows about, according to a viral Reddit thread
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Aria Yang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Reddit user asked what are weird jobs nobody knows about but pay well. AdvertisementA Reddit user asked which jobs were relatively unknown but lucrative and the post went viral. Teeth designerA Reddit user said he makes teeth on a computer using CAD/CAM software for dental laboratories. Artificial flavor makerOne Reddit user wrote, "My dad was a master flavorist. Reddit user solarblack wrote, "My Aunt and her daughter both do seasonal work as hand pollinators and harvesters.

Persons: Redditors, —, IndependenceNo2060, Loreo1964, die_lahn, solarblack Organizations: Service, Business, Heineken

☆ Wolverines receive protections as threatened species
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The North American wolverine has officially been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and will receive long-anticipated federal protections, US officials announced Wednesday, as the climate crisis melts away their snowy mountain habitats. “Based on the best available science, this listing determination will help to stem the long-term impact and enhance the viability of wolverines in the contiguous United States.”Adding wolverines to the list triggers legal protections for the threatened species under various environmental laws, preventing the population from further declining. The last time the species had been sighted in the region was between 2008 and 2018, according to scientists, though they have already been listed as threatened species under California’s Endangered Species Act. Conservationists and scientists have been calling for federal protections for years now, with some environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity even taking legal action. Despite the new science and growing calls for federal protections, initial proposals to protect the species were rejected in 2020 under former President Donald Trump.

Persons: wolverine, ”, Hugh Morrison, Donald Trump, Biden, “ I’m, ” Andrea Zaccardi, they’re Organizations: CNN, wolverines, Wildlife Service Pacific Regional, ”, Yosemite National, Forest, Federal, Center for Biological, and Wildlife Service, Center for Biological Diversity, Fish and Wildlife Service Locations: United States, North America, Rocky, Alaska, Canada, Sierra Nevada, Yosemite, Inyo

☆ The Complicated Truth About Recycling - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Oliver Franklin-Wallis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

You probably throw a milk container in the recycling, put the bins out on collection day and forget about it. It is worth noting that the landfill-happy United States is far worse at recycling than other major economies. But just because recycling doesn’t work very well in the United States doesn’t mean it can’t be done well. Recycling steel, for example, saves 72 percent of the energy of producing new steel; it also cuts water use by 40 percent. Even anti-plastics campaigners agree that recycling plastics, like PET, is better for the climate than burning them — a likely outcome if recycling efforts were to be abandoned.

Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, University of Southampton Locations: United States, Canada, Mexico, India, Malaysia, America, States, England

☆ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says AI will be 'fairly competitive' with humans in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Wednesday that artificial intelligence is gaining on humans. In the interview Wednesday, Huang recalled delivering "the world's first AI supercomputer" to OpenAI, after Elon Musk, who co-founded the AI project before departing it in 2018, heard Huang speak about the device at a conference. "Elon saw it, and he goes, 'I want one of those' — he told me about OpenAI," Huang said. Huang was asked onstage to rank the success of various companies in the AI market. WATCH: Nvidia CEO says U.S. chipmakers at least a decade away from China supply chain independence

Persons: Jensen Huang, Huang, Elon Musk, Elon, Sam Altman, they're, we've, I'm Organizations: Nvidia, The New York Times, AIs, ChatGPT Locations: AGI, China

☆ Europe Should Not Shy Away From Working With China, Wang Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Europe should not be afraid of working with China because of competition, foreign minister Wang Yi said at a press briefing on Friday with his French counterpart in Beijing. "China's position is clear, we will adhere to our support of Europe's strategic autonomy," Wang said when asked about China's view of its relationship with Europe. China, facing trade issues with the European Union, has also been called out for its non-transparent laws on foreign businesses operating in the country. "We will listen to the voices of European businesses, earnestly solve problems of foreign investors in China," Wang said. Wang said China maintains normal friendly relations with all countries including Iran and Russia, as well as France.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Catherine Colonna, Premier Li Qiang, “, Laurie Chen, Ethan Wang, Bernard Orr, Christina Fincher Organizations: French, Premier, European Union Locations: BEIJING, Europe, China, Beijing, Iran, Russia, France

[1/2] Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, arrives for a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum for all U.S. senators hosted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023. The previously unreported letter and AI algorithm were key developments before the board's ouster of Altman, the poster child of generative AI, the two sources said. This could be applied to novel scientific research, for instance, AI researchers believe. In their letter to the board, researchers flagged AI’s prowess and potential danger, the sources said without specifying the exact safety concerns noted in the letter. Researchers have also flagged work by an "AI scientist" team, the existence of which multiple sources confirmed.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Chuck Schumer, Julia Nikhinson, Sam Altman’s, Altman, Mira Murati, I've, Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Reuters, Microsoft, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, OpenAI, San Francisco, Asia, New York

The previously unreported letter and AI algorithm were key developments before the board's ouster of Altman, the poster child of generative AI, the two sources said. An OpenAI spokesperson said that the message, sent by long-time executive Mira Murati, alerted staff to certain media stories without commenting on their accuracy. This could be applied to novel scientific research, for instance, AI researchers believe. In their letter to the board, researchers flagged AI’s prowess and potential danger, the sources said without specifying the exact safety concerns noted in the letter. Researchers have also flagged work by an "AI scientist" team, the existence of which multiple sources confirmed.

Persons: Sam Altman’s, Altman, Mira Murati, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Chuck Schumer, Julia Nikhinson, I've, Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Washington , U.S, San Francisco, Asia, New York

The last near-miss with shutdown led to the Oct. 3 ouster of Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy that left the chamber leaderless for three weeks. "No drama, no delay, no government shutdown," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said prior to the vote. McCarthy's successor, Speaker Mike Johnson, produced a stopgap funding bill that drew broad bipartisan support, a rarity in modern U.S. politics. But hardline members of Johnson's 221-213 Republican majority voiced anger at the compromise, saying they would try to rein in federal spending again when current funding expires. Funding for all other federal operations - including defense - would expire on Feb. 2.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Biden, Chip Roy, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Senate, Republican U.S . House, Democratic, Republican, Representatives, Republicans, Food and Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Washington, Iowa, U.S, Israel, Ukraine

That's our goal and we hope to have an agreement very soon," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said on the Senate floor. Leaders from both parties have said they support a stopgap spending bill that passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives by a wide bipartisan margin on Tuesday. 2 Republican, said a vote on the House bill later in the day was possible. More significantly, it would avoid a partial shutdown that would disrupt a wide array of government services and furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, John Thune, Rand Paul, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Republican, U.S . Senate, Food and Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Louisiana

REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday he would try to quickly pass legislation to keep the government funded, preventing a partial shutdown that would otherwise begin this weekend. That's our goal and we hope to have an agreement very soon," Schumer said on the Senate floor. Both chambers of Congress need to pass spending legislation and send it to Democratic President Joe Biden to sign into law before then in order to avoid disruption. Schumer said he will have to work out an agreement with the chamber's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, for a quick vote. Tuesday's House vote was a victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faced down opposition from some of his fellow Republicans who had pushed for deep spending cuts.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Tuesday's, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Senate Democratic, Democratic, Republican, Food and Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Louisiana

☆ US Senate takes up bill to avert partial government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday prepared to take up a stopgap spending bill that would avert a partial government shutdown, with little time remaining before funding runs out on Friday. Both chambers of Congress need to pass spending legislation and send it to President Joe Biden to sign into law before then in order to avoid disruption. More significantly, it would avoid a partial shutdown that would disrupt a wide array of government services and furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Tuesday's House vote was a victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faced down opposition from some of his fellow Republicans who had pushed for deep spending cuts. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday said he supported the bill and vowed to bring it up for a vote as quickly as possible.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Joe Biden, Tuesday's, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Senate, Democratic, Republican, Food and Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Louisiana

☆ Yellen says APEC finance ministers agree to expand output sustainably
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers (not pictured) hold a bilateral meeting during the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 12, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that finance ministers from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries on Monday affirmed their desire to expand their economies' potential output in a sustainable manner. "APEC members have affirmed a shared interest in pursuing policies that expand the productive capacity of our economies while also achieving outcomes like reducing inequality and protecting the environment," Yellen said in prepared remarks following a meeting of the ministers ahead of the APEC leaders' summit in San Francisco. She said that APEC countries are pursuing similar policies to the Biden administration's recent legislation to promote investment in infrastructure, semiconductors and clean energy technologies and scientific research. Yellen also said that the Treasury is actively engaged in "ongoing work" to reach substantial conclusion of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework talks with 13 other countries, most of them APEC member.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Jim Chalmers, Carlos Barria, Yellen, Biden, David Lawder, Sandra Maler Organizations: Treasury, APEC, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, San Francisco

☆ US Congress tries to overcome partisan logjam to avert government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to avert a government shutdown faces a key test on Tuesday, as he tries to overcome hardline opposition from his own Republican conference, even as some Democrats signal tentative support for the measure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Congress' top Democrat, gave a tentative welcome to the proposal on Monday. But House Republican hardliners are threatening to use procedural roadblocks to stop the bill from advancing. With a slim 221-213 majority, the Republican speaker can afford to lose no more than three party votes on legislation that Democrats oppose. They claim the bill also leaves in place policies favored by prominent Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Nathan Howard, Mike Johnson's, Johnson, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Chip Roy, Roy, bipartisanship, Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's, Andrew Clyde, Biden, McCarthy, David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Scott Malone, Richard Chang Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, ., Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Food and Drug Administration, House, Social Security, Total U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Mexico

☆ Chatbots just showed scientists how to make social media less toxic
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

AI bots, on the other hand, will do whatever you tell them to, practically for free. So researchers are starting to use chatbots as fake people from whom they can extract data about real people. In July 2020, Facebook introduced a walled-off simulation of itself, populated with millions of AI bots, to study online toxicity. His team created hundreds of personas for its Twitter bots — telling each one things like "you are a male, middle-income, evangelical Protestant who loves Republicans, Donald Trump, the NRA, and Christian fundamentalists." Scientists create experiments to be simpler than reality, to offer explanatory power uncomplicated by the messiness of real life.

Persons: chatbots, Donald Trump, Petter Törnberg, Törnberg, Emma, Terry Crews, mindlessly, we've, LLMs, Lisa Argyle, Joon, he's, Smallville's café, messier, it's, sims, Adam Rogers Organizations: ABC News, CNN, New York Times, Twitter, Institute, Logic, University of Amsterdam, Columbia University, Facebook, NRA, American, Election, Democratic, Chamber Twitter, Brigham Young University, Stanford University Locations: Alabama

WASHINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to avoid a partial government shutdown secured tentative support from top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer on Monday, even as some of Johnson's hardline Republican colleagues pushed back against it. Without changes, the Texas Republican said he would oppose efforts to bring the bill to the floor. The bill is intended to pressure the House and Senate to agree on spending bills for fiscal 2024 by the assigned dates. Johnson warned Democrats that House Republicans would impose a full-year CR for 2024 "with appropriate adjustments to meet our national security priorities" if Congress fails to reach agreement on full-year spending. Failure to hit that benchmark led to McCarthy's ouster, but some House Republicans suggested Johnson deserved more time.

Persons: Mike Johnson's, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Chip Roy, Roy, Hakeem Jeffries, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Johnson's, centrists, Mike Johnson, Elizabeth Frantz, Johnson, Good, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Warren Davidson, Scott Perry, Andrew Clyde, Republican George Santos, Perry, Karine Jean, Pierre, Biden, McCarthy, David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Steve Holland, Scott Malone, Andrea Ricci, Richard Chang Organizations: . House, Senate, Texas Republican, Republican, Democratic, U.S . House, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Food and Drug Administration, House, White, Caucus, White House, Republicans, Social Security, Total U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Hardline Republicans push back on US House speaker's plan to avert shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The bill is intended to pressure the House and Senate to agree on spending bills for fiscal 2024 by the assigned dates. Johnson warned Democrats that House Republicans would impose a full-year CR for 2024 "with appropriate adjustments to meet our national security priorities" if Congress fails to reach agreement on full-year spending. Democrats had worried that Republicans would put defense and other party priorities in the first tranche and then let the remaining programs shut down. Failure to hit that benchmark led to McCarthy's ouster, but some House Republicans suggested Johnson deserved more time. The brutal infighting among Republicans this year, including the party's own rejection of three seasoned nominees for House speaker, coincides with falling federal revenues and mounting costs for interest, health and pension outlays.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Elizabeth Frantz, Johnson, Bob Good, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Johnson's, centrists, Good, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Warren Davidson, Scott Perry, Andrew Clyde, Chip Roy, Republican George Santos, Perry, Chris Murphy, Biden, McCarthy, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Andrea Ricci, Richard Chang Organizations: U.S . House, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, . House, Republican, Democratic, Senate, Food and Drug Administration, House, White, Caucus, White House, NBC, Republicans, Social Security, Total U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Louisiana

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