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☆ In pioneering workshops, U.S. trains Cuban entrepreneurs to do business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Cuban entrepreneurs Maria Puga and Ana Torres pose for a photo at their atelier in Havana, Cuba, April 3, 2023. "Cuba's state-run economy has traditionally not delivered, and recently has delivered even less," Ziff said in an interview. The United States, which says it operates "transparently" in Cuba, is not alone in seeking to promote Cuba's fledgling private sector. Diplomat Ziff said the United States was seeking ways to ease the burden of U.S. sanctions on private business but in a way that would not inadvertently benefit the Cuban government. "The biggest impediment to doing business in Cuba is the Cuban government," Ziff said.

☆ In hard times, Corporate America looks out for its CEOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

See here: Recent filings illustrate the way CEOs are still lavishly compensated even when massive screw-ups happen on their watch. A Southwest representative told CNN that the December cancellations did factor into the bonuses paid out to employees. The boards that make decisions on CEO pay are usually stacked with executives or former executives from other companies who benefit from the system. Often, CEOs of distressed companies — rather than seeing pay cut — receive so-called retention bonuses to encourage leaders not to flee the sinking ship. “When all the numbers are crunched, 2022 is going to be a flat year for CEO pay,” said Reda.

Border of Steel is one of eight new storm brigades totalling 40,000 soldiers that Ukraine wants to use during a counter-offensive against Russian occupiers in coming weeks or months. Ukraine beat back Russian forces from Kyiv last year before liberating swathes of the northeast and of the southern Kherson region. But Russian forces still occupy tracts of the east, the strategically important south and the Crimean peninsula. "For them, the objective is to liberate Ukraine," Klymenko said of the recruits during an interview in Kyiv. He gave no clues as to when or where Ukraine would launch its counter-offensive.

☆ NATO just got hundreds of tanks, 62 fighter jets, and a whole lot of artillery after Finland joined the military alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Finland, Russia's neighbors, became a member of the NATO military alliance on Tuesday. It brings hundreds of tanks, 62 fighter jets, and lots of artillery and soldiers with it. Finland officially became a member of the military alliance on Tuesday, strongly motivated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland becoming part of NATO is seen as a nightmare for Russia, which considers the alliance a key threat. Alexander Stubb, Finland's former prime minister, told Axios that Russia's threats over it joining NATO can be dismissed due to the strength of Finland's military.

☆ A long-dormant lake has reappeared in California, bringing havoc along with it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Evan Bush | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

David Swanson | ReutersPeople have worked for a century to make California's Tulare Basin into a food grower's paradise. The Tulare Basin is at the southern end of California's San Joaquin Valley — and in essence, it's a massive bowl. Before irrigators dug canals and rerouted water for farming in the late 1800s, Tulare Lake filled the bowl's lower reaches. Today, the irrigation system is designed to "use every single drop of water" that flows into the basin, Mount said. Tulare Lake refilled in 1997 and 1983 during very wet seasons.

☆ After fatal Greek train crash, a campus simmers with rage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] A man stands next to flowers and messages for the victims of a fatal train crash, at the closed train station of Thessaloniki, Greece, March 24, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros AvramidisTHESSALONIKI, Greece, April 4 (Reuters) - A month after 12 students at Greece's largest university were killed in a train crash, messages of grief across the campus are tinged with rage. "This crime will not be forgotten," a note on a makeshift memorial at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki reads. Fifty-seven people died in the country's deadliest rail disaster on Feb. 28, when a passenger train and a cargo train travelling on the same track collided head-on. "This sadness, this anger, we tried - as students - to turn it into a fight," said Evangelia Grigoriou, a civil engineering student.

☆ Several people hurt after trains collide in southern Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 4 (Reuters) - Several people were 'seriously injured' and a potential fire was reported after a passenger train derailed following a collision with a freight train in southern Netherlands, local emergency services said early on Tuesday. Emergency services were at the scene rescuing those injured in the town of Voorschoten, a village between The Hague and Amsterdam, a notice from the local emergency services showed. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: What can Finland's armed forces and arsenal offer NATO?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HELSINKI, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland joined NATO on Tuesday, bringing the Western defence alliance significant military capabilities developed over the years. Finland's ground, naval and air forces are all trained and equipped with one primary aim - to repel any Russian invasion. Its most important anti-aircraft system is the NATO-compatible Norwegian-American NASAMS 2. AIR FORCEThe Finnish Air Force has a fleet of 61 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, which are being replaced by 64 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II jets, the delivery of which will begin in 2026. In addition to the jet fleet, the Air Force has dozens of training aircraft and surveillance radars, including ones that have a range of almost 500 km (300 miles).

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☆ She Trains for Ultralong Runs With Marathon Pool Sessions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Jen Murphy | Photographs Cooper Neill For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A broken ankle didn’t stop Maren Wiseheart ahead of her first ultramarathon. Determined to race, she logged her training miles in a pool. Now water workouts are central to her exercise routine. A self-described “average” runner, Ms. Wiseheart, 41, had previously completed a handful of half-marathons and two full marathons.

☆ High-profile tech leaders say AI is developing too fast and we should pause. Google's Bard says it's complicated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Josée Rose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A letter from tech heavyweights and researchers urging caution about AI should serve as a warning. To help address the fears, companies must set rules and be open how they use AI, execs told Insider. If you ask a group of high-profile tech leaders and researchers, they'll answer a firm "yes." That could involve companies coming up with standards and declaring how they are using or plan to use AI, business leaders told Insider. Bricker said business leaders need to work on improving the rules around AI systems and processes.

In the world of railroading, keeping the trains moving is paramount, and Norfolk Southern Corp. has little tolerance for late departures. Supervisors can be penalized for trains that are ready to leave but instead sit in rail yards, according to current and former employees of the Atlanta-based railroad. Train inspection time frames are tight. Employees who seek more-stringent reviews of rail equipment or slow down transport can face discipline.

☆ Norfolk Southern CEO more than doubled his pay last year after getting promoted
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw got $9.8 million in total compensation in 2022, more than double the $4.7 million he received in 2021. The plan to promote him to CEO in May of 2022 was also announced at that time. The combined pay for the two executives is equal to 70% of the $27.8 million that Norfolk Southern has committed so far to compensate the communities and its residents affected by the derailment. Thursday the US Justice Department sued Norfolk Southern for violations of the Clean Water Act caused by the derailment. Shaw has personally contributed $445,000 to set up a scholarship endowment fund for seniors at East Palestine High School.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems allow users to mirror their smartphone screens in a vehicle's dashboard display. GM is designing the on-board navigation and infotainment systems for future EVs in partnership with Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google. GM's Chevrolet brand in the past boasted of offering more models with CarPlay or Android Auto than any other brand. GM said the future infotainment systems will offer applications such as Spotify's (SPOT.N) music service, Audible and other services that many drivers now access via smartphones. GM plans to continue offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirroring systems in its combustion models.

ChatGPT has an "absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data" to "train" the chatbot, Garante said. OpenAI has 20 days to respond with remedies or could risk a fine of up to 4% of its annual worldwide turnover. ChatGPT was still answering questions posted by Italian users on the platform on Friday evening. Italy, which provisionally restricted ChatGPT's use of domestic users' personal data, became the first Western country to take action against a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence. The European Commission, which is debating the EU AI Act, may not be inclined to ban AI, European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager tweeted.

☆ The high-speed train in Saudi Arabia that connects Mecca and Medina
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia CNN —In the distant past, Muslim pilgrims came to the holy city of Mecca on foot. Haramain means “two sanctuaries” in Arabic, named for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina that sit on the line’s opposite ends. Business class passengers on the train can watch seat-back TVs. Even on a short journey like the one from Jeddah to KAEC, business class passengers are entitled to a full meal service. When it comes to high-speed railway, it seems as though the Haramain line is only the beginning in Saudi Arabia.

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☆ Airline, banking and rail oversight top U.S. progressives' wish list for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jim VondruskaWASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - Liberal Democrats in the U.S. Congress called on President Joe Biden on Thursday to take executive action to crack down on misconduct in the banking, airline and rail transportation industries. The caucus, made up of 101 U.S. House Democrats and independent Senator Bernie Sanders, has grown in influence in recent years under Representative Pramila Jayapal's leadership. "These are actions that we believe the White House and federal agencies have the authority and the ability to take now," Jayapal told reporters on Thursday. With the House of Representatives narrowly controlled by Republicans and the Senate narrowly controlled by Democrats, progress on legislation is increasingly rare, leading presidents to rely more heavily on executive action. Biden's Democratic administration has taken the caucus's advice on multiple occasions, most notably on canceling student debt through executive action.

☆ Europe's super-wealthy took over 300,000 very short private jet flights last year — including over 1,300 between London and an airport 30 miles away — study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A study from Greenpeace analysed a database of Europe's private jet flights over the last three years. It found that 55% of them were under 466 miles long, and launched a campaign to ban private jets. Over 1,300 flights on one UK route could have taken a 35-minute train for less than $20 instead. According to the Transport and Environment campaign group, private jets are 50-times more polluting than trains. The data also shows that over 1,300 private flights went between London and Farnborough, England – a 30 mile train journey which you could travel in 35-minutes for less than $20.

☆ Another cultish cost-saving formula gets off-track
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Despite its multiple interpretations and approaches, success is widely gauged by a railway’s operating ratio, a simple measure of how much it spends to make a buck. Union Pacific’s peers improved similarly, indicative of the antiquated ways the industry had been deploying resources. Union Pacific also found itself unable to bring back enough furloughed workers in areas where they were most needed. “In a significant departure from the railroad industry's recent past, we deliberately moved away from a singular focus on operating ratio,” he told lawmakers. “If we wanted to drive [operating ratio] lower over time, we could,” the board wrote in a letter to shareholders in late 2021.

☆ This coaching business wants to bring the 4-day workweek to Fortune 100 companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Another company is piloting a four-day workweek, and it could make a shortened week the norm within Corporate America. Exos is a coaching company that trains pro athletes and runs corporate wellness programs at 25% of the Fortune 100, including Intel, Capital One and Humana. One clear rule: You can't message other people or try to set up meetings for Fridays, Robb O'Hagan says. Exos, a coaching company that trains pro athletes and runs corporate wellness programs, will pilot a 4-day workweek in May. "At the end of the six months, we're committed to continuing with the four-day workweek unless there's such extreme negative results that we'd choose otherwise."

☆ With ChatGPT hype swirling, UK government urges regulators to come up with rules for A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In the white paper, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) outlined five principles it wanted companies to follow. Rather than establishing new regulations, the government is calling on regulators to apply existing regulations and inform companies about their obligations under the white paper. "When parliamentary time allows, legislation could be introduced to ensure regulators consider the principles consistently." On Monday, Secretary of State Michelle Donelan visited the offices of AI startup DeepMind in London, a government spokesperson said. Not everyone is convinced by the U.K. government's approach to regulating AI.

☆ How Trains Derail, Explained by an NTSB Investigator
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

How the U.S. Spent $1.4 Trillion in Debt Last Year, Explained With Pennies The U.S. relies on debt for much of its spending — but what would spending cuts look like? WSJ explains how much the Treasury relies on debt, where it goes and what happens when the Treasury hits the debt ceiling.

☆ New protests against Macron and his pension bill amid warnings of violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Ingrid Melander | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Protests against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to delay retirement age by two years to 64 had been largely peaceful so far. In the last nationwide day of protests on Thursday, "Black Bloc" anarchists smashed shop windows, demolished bus stops and ransacked a McDonald's restaurant in Paris, with similar violence in other cities. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin warned on Monday that there was "a very serious risk" of further violence on Tuesday, in the capital and beyond. The government says the pension bill is vital to ensure the system does not go bust. Macron responded that he is more than willing to talk to unions, but on other topics.

Berlin CNN —Nationwide strikes in Germany — the biggest the country has seen in decades — are causing disruption at the country’s biggest port, airports, and on public transport Monday. The walkouts have been called by two major transport unions in Europe’s biggest economy. Flights at eight major airports, including those in Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg, have been affected by the strikes. And some hubs such as Munich Airport closed their doors entirely, with 200,000 passengers impacted by the two-day closure that started Sunday. Sina Schuldt/dpa/picture alliance/Getty ImagesIn Munich, the local transport operator MVV has announced the suspension of nearly all trains, underground and tram lines.

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