DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Wallace moved up three spots to ninth in the standings, still one below the cutoff line when this round is done. Byron finished 1.863 seconds ahead of Chastain for his sixth win of the season, the most in the Cup series. For the first time since Texas opened in 1997, the race wasn't scheduled for 501 miles, and was 100 miles shorter. He finished only 73 laps and was 34th in the 36-car field, dropping from sixth to 12th in the playoff standings. Blaney and Buescher finished second and third in that race that had 57 lead changes among 21 drivers.

Persons: — William Byron, Texas Motor Speedway, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Byron, Wallace, Ross Chastain, Chastain, Kyle Larson, Wallace hadn't, Larson, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Hendrick, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs, Ty Gibbs, Chris Bueshcher, Christopher Bell, BUSCH, Kyle Busch, didn't, Richard Childress, “, Something's, it's, ” Busch, Busch, Austin Dillon’s, Todd Gilliland, Ford, Blaney, Buescher Organizations: Texas Motor, NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Texas, Chevrolet, Talladega, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Talladega Superspeedway Locations: Texas, Charlotte

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — More Virginia Democrats on Tuesday cast the controversy surrounding a legislative candidate who livestreamed herself performing sex acts as a distraction from the stakes in this fall's elections, while stopping short of fully championing her continued campaign. Virginia Democrats, Gibson among them, have made protecting abortion access a top campaign priority. Gibson's campaign did not respond to an interview request or a detailed list of questions from the AP on Tuesday. The state party also maintained its silence on Tuesday, with spokesperson Liam Watson declining to comment. Among elected officials, Democratic state Sen. Louise Lucas has stood out for her early, clear and vocal support of Gibson.

Persons: livestreamed, Susanna Gibson, Gibson, MAGA, Amy Friedman, Don Scott, Del, Dan Helmer, David Owen, Owen, Glenn Youngkin's, Gibson's, Liam Watson, Sen, Louise Lucas, Abigail Spanberger, Spanberger, ”, Cassady Craighill, Bob Holsworth, “, Holsworth, ” Aaron Evans, David, Evans, Denise Lavoie Organizations: —, Virginia Democrats, House Democratic, MAGA Republicans, Virginians, ”, Democratic, Associated Press ., House Democrats, General Assembly, Republicans, Senate, Democrats, Republican, GOP Gov, Richmond Times, Dispatch, U.S . Rep, Clean Virginia, Republican Party of Virginia, “, Associated Press Locations: RICHMOND, Va, Richmond, Virginia, Glen Allen , Virginia

☆ Jules Melancon, Oyster Farmer Who Tried Something New, Dies at 65
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Clay Risen | More About Clay Risen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

His father, Loyman Melancon, said the cause was metastatic cancer. Mr. Melancon spent most of his life farming oysters the old-fashioned way, working a dredge across the bottom of the shallow, brackish waters of the lower Mississippi River Delta. He captained his own 65-foot steel-bottom boat, My Melanie, named for his wife and returned every evening sagging under the weight of the day’s catch. In his prime, the ursine Mr. Melancon would lug two 120-pound sacks of oysters onto a truck. But it was lucrative, too: He’d sell 400 of those bags in a day, at up to $15 a bag, to canneries and wholesalers that shipped worldwide.

Persons: Jules Melancon, Loyman Melancon, Melancon, Melanie Locations: Louisiana, New Orleans, Cutoff, La, Mississippi

☆ Abortion: These Virginia candidates could shape how both parties talk about abortion in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Simone Pathe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Every seat in both the GOP-led state House and the Democratic-controlled state Senate is up for election. People sign a poster that reads "Elect More Women" during the Democratic rally in Glen Allen, Virginia, on September 9, 2023. Virginia House Democrats have run an ad highlighting nearby states’ stricter abortion laws and featuring a comment by a state House Republican candidate during the primaries that he would support a “100% ban” on abortion. “The Dobbs decision completely changed what Virginia voters are thinking about,” Mamie Locke, the chair of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, said in a phone interview last month. Susanna Gibson, the Democratic nominee for Virginia House District 57, speaks to the crowd during the rally in Glen Allen, Virginia, on September 9, 2023.

Persons: Glen, Sen, Siobhan Dunnavant, Schuyler VanValkenburg –, –, Glenn Youngkin, Sue Geller, Schuyler VanValkenburg, Tim Kaine, Rebecca Wright, ” VanValkenburg, Roe, Wade, “ There’s, ” Virginia Sen, Abigail Spanberger, Donald Trump, Kaine, CNN Kaine, Mark Warner, Joe Biden, Biden, Dunnavant, – she’s, shouldn’t, “, Dobbs, ” Dunnavant, Ronna McDaniel, Mitch McConnell –, ” Liesl Hickey, Tammy Campbell isn’t, Glen Allen, ” “, ”, VanValkenburg, It’s, Campbell, we’re, ” Campbell, ’, “ MAGA, ” Mamie Locke, Scott Kozar –, VanValkenburg’s –, Eric Cantor, Dave Brat, Arnold Palmers, Susanna Gibson, CNN Gibson, CNN she’s, Gibson, David Owen, homebuilder, Owen, I’m, ” Owen Organizations: Virginia CNN, GOP, Republican, broach, OB, Democratic, GOP Gov, CNN, Democratic Rep, Democratic National Committee, Festival of India, Greater, Greater Richmond Convention, Virginia Senate, Festival of, Washington Post, Schar, Virginia voters, Republicans, Virginia, Democrats, “ MAGA Republicans, Virginia Democrats, Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, “, Virginia House District, Richmond Times, Dispatch Locations: Glen Allen, Virginia, Henrico County , Virginia, Richmond, “, Del, Glen Allen , Virginia, Roe , Virginia, Southern, Greater Richmond, Festival of India, Richmond , Virginia, Washington, Richmond want Virginia, Ohio, Spanberger

☆ German economic weakness belies France's outperformance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Leigh Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The European Commission said on Monday the two economies were on diverging paths this year with Germany forecast to be in a recession with a 0.4% contraction and France expected to grow 1.0%. With weak construction and declining construction investment weighing on Europe's biggest economy, Germany's outlook was slashed from a previous forecast for 0.2% growth while France was upgraded from 0.7%. The contrasting fortunes of the euro zone's two biggest economies can also be explained by tailwinds working against Germany and headwinds helping France. Germany's gas-hungry chemical industry has seen production fall 18% from 2019 levels while in France it is only 8%, Colombier said. That leaves few props to lend support to French growth going forward other than household savings.

Persons: Jean, Paul Pelissier, Germany's, Mathieu, tailwinds, headwinds, Charles, Henri Colombier, Colombier, Plane, Leigh Thomas, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, European, Germany, France's Finance, Thomson Locations: Marseille, Fos, Fos sur Mer, France, Germany, PARIS, Paris

☆ Companies withhold billions in wages annually through unpaid tips and overtime. Some lawmakers now demand stricter penalties.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Workers, especially in low-paid industries, have millions in wages stolen each year. Wage theft — when employers don't pay their workers the benefits they're entitled to — is incredibly prevalent across the economy. From 2017 to 2020, workers clawed back over $3 billion in stolen wages , according to the left-leaning nonprofit think tank Economic Policy Institute. Under Murray's proposed legislation, workers would get paid back fully what they're owed — not just minimum wage. Meanwhile, government agencies are also trying to take aim at firms not paying workers what they're owed.

Persons: Sen, Patty Murray, Rosa DeLauro, Bobby Scott, Murray, Murray's, —, they'll, they're Organizations: Service, Workers, Economic Policy Institute, Labor Department Locations: Wall, Silicon, DOL, —

There's co-owner Denny Hamlin, who has won at the track four times, more than anyone else. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesHamlin got a poor jump on the last restart, couldn't chase Reddick down and finished second. Then the bottom lane opened up there and it was crazy.”Even crazier: It was the third win for the No. 45 car of 23XI in the last four races at Kansas , and all with different drivers after Busch and Wallace won last year. Its owner, meanwhile, nearly pulled off the sweep after Hamlin won in the spring.

Persons: Tyler Reddick, There's, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Bubba Wallace, Reddick's, Billy Scott, ”, Reddick, Hamlin, couldn't, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, “, ” Reddick, Wallace, Joe Gibbs, It's, ” Hamlin, Chris Buescher, — Reddick, Martin Truex, Larson, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Elliott, Buescher, Logano, WHO’S, Truex, Kevin Harvick, Christopher Bell Organizations: KANSAS CITY, Kan, 23XI, Kansas Speedway, Kansas, NASCAR, Darlington, Busch, Bristol, Keselowski, Team Penske, RFK Racing, Daytona, Truex Locations: KANSAS, Denny, Kansas, Bristol, Talladega

☆ Ukraine rips Elon Musk for disrupting sneak attack on Russian fleet with Starlink cutoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — A Ukrainian official slammed Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for ordering engineers to shut off Starlink's satellite network over Crimea last year in order to thwart a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships. The book, titled "Elon Musk," will be released Tuesday. In Ukraine, Starlink has worked as the connective tissue for crucial battlefield communications. Musk, according to Isaacson, was also engaged in a texting conversation with Fedorov. The official pleaded with Musk to restore Starlink's connectivity so that Ukrainian submarine drones could carry out the attack on Russia's warship fleet.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, WASHINGTON, Musk, Walter Isaacson, Starlink, Isaacson, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, Mykhailo Fedorov, Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, Mark Milley, Fedorov Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter, Viva Technology, Porte de, WASHINGTON —, Ukrainian, Netflix, Russian, CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff U.S, Army Locations: Paris, France, Crimea, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Why Does Duke Have So Few Low-Income Students?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( David Leonhardt | Graphics Ashley Wu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +31 min

Duke students, she thought, seemed more well rounded than students on some other campuses. I think it was me being a little bit naïve.” Other Duke students who identify as F.G.L.I. At Duke — as well as elite colleges that admit more low-income students — their graduation rate tends to be similar to the overall graduation rate. Over the past decade, as other elite colleges paid more attention to low-income students, they wooed some who once might have attended Duke. “Duke students are really oriented to the world,” she said.

Persons: Ben Denzer, Perkins, Duke, ” Juliana Alfonso, DeSouza, ”, Stephany Perez, Sanchez, University of Chicago —, Pell, Duke Duke, Melinda French Gates, Adam Silver, ” Gary Bennett, Grant, Bates, Brown, Pell Grant, ” Bennett, we’re, Ithaka, Yale Conn, —, Juliana Alfonso, Juliana, Duke Rice, Austin U.N.C, “, Karen Dong, ” Dong, ” Randi Jennings, Dong, Duke’s F.G.L.I, Duke —, ” Jennings, Randi, Jennings, Alfonso, David M, Rubenstein, “ It’s, ” Alfonso, Colleges don’t, Bennett, Caroline Hoxby, Christopher Avery, Louis, Holden Thorp, ” Thorp, Ron Daniels, Johns Hopkins, ” Daniels, Catharine Bond Hill, Thorp, Hopkins, Michael Bloomberg, Johns, “ Duke Organizations: Duke University, Perkins, Ivy League, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Pell Grants, Duke, Pell Grants Harvard, Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown, Chicago, U.S . News, Colleges, Midwest, California Institute of Technology, Notre Dame, Bucknell, Georgia Tech, Oberlin, Reed, Tufts, Tulane, Wake, Universities, Wall Street Journal, University of California, University of South, College, Princeton N.J, Pomona Calif, Dartmouth N.H, Stanford Calif, Caltech Calif, Amherst Mass, Grinnell Iowa, Claremont McKenna, Vanderbilt, Opportunity, Elite, Spurs, Texas North, Southern Methodist University, Davidson, California Massachusetts, Stanford Harvard, Berkeley UMass Amherst, Amherst College Pomona, University of Texas, parka, Mardi Gras, Daily, West Union, LIFE, Uber, ” Colleges, Washington University, Hopkins, Vassar College, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, University Locations: San Antonio, South Carolina, M.I.T, United States, Durham, N.C, Georgetown, Georgia, California, San Diego, U.C.L.A, University of South Dakota, University of South Florida, America, Middlebury, Northwestern, Pomona, Swarthmore, Harvard, Texas North Carolina, Texas, Canada, Myrtle Beach, Dallas, China, New Orleans, Irish, Camden , N.J, “, St, Johns Hopkins, Wash

But it was justified in Musk’s mind because of his conviction that Twitter’s management had misled him. At 4:12 p.m. Pacific time, once they had confirmation that the money had transferred, Musk pulled the trigger to close the deal. But when his Twitter email was cut off, it took him a few minutes to get the document into a Gmail message. Hybrid work is winningChief executives aren’t letting up on their push to get workers back to the office. And even Zoom, a symbol of remote work, has ordered some of its employees to work in the office.

Persons: Twitter Elon Musk’s, Wall, Walter Isaacson, Isaacson, “, ”, Musk, Agrawal, Andy Jassy, Amazon’s, “ It’s, Organizations: Elon, Twitter Elon, Twitter, Wall Street, Mr, Meta, Labor Locations: ”

REUTERS/Seth Wenig/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 30 (Reuters) - The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday moved to extend mandatory overtime pay to 3.6 million salaried workers, going even further than an Obama-era rule that was struck down in court. The proposed rule would not affect overtime eligibility for workers who are paid hourly. Salaried workers who earn above the salary threshold may still be eligible for overtime pay if they do not primarily perform management-related duties. But a federal judge in Texas the following year said that ceiling was so high that it could sweep in some management workers who are exempt from overtime pay protections. Ben Brubeck, vice president of construction trade group Associated Builders and Contractors, on Wednesday called the proposed rule disappointing.

Persons: Seth Wenig, Joe Biden, Obama, Trump, Jessica Looman, Looman, Ben Brubeck, DOL, Brubeck, Daniel Wiessner, Bernadette Baum, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Brooklyn, REUTERS, U.S, U.S . Department of Labor, Labor Department, Workers, Associated Builders and Contractors, Thomson Locations: New York, California, Texas, Albany , New York

☆ Labor Department Proposes Vast Expansion of Overtime Eligibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Noam Scheiber | More About Noam Scheiber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a move that could affect millions of workers, the Biden administration announced Wednesday that it was proposing to substantially increase the cutoff below which most salaried workers automatically receive time-and-a-half overtime pay. Under the proposed rule, issued by the Labor Department, the cutoff for receiving overtime pay after 40 hours a week would rise to about $55,000 a year from about $35,500, a level that was set during the Trump administration. About 3.6 million salaried workers who fall between the current cutoff and the new one would effectively gain overtime pay eligibility under the proposed rule, the department said. Some employers may choose to raise workers’ pay above $55,000 to avoid paying overtime. Julie Su, the department’s acting secretary, said in a statement that the rule “would help restore workers’ economic security by giving millions more salaried workers the right to overtime protections.”

Persons: Biden, Trump, Julie Su Organizations: Labor Department

☆ At what age should kids become financially independent?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - At what age should American kids become financially independent? In almost every category, Baby Boomers expect people to become financially independent a year or two earlier compared to what Gen Z has to say. With health insurance, for instance, adult kids can typically stay on parent plans until the age of 26. BE STRATEGIC ABOUT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCEThe reality is the parents do indeed help adult kids out financially: 68% of them have made such a sacrifice, according to Bankrate. For instance, if such help has erased your own emergency fund, or depleted your retirement accounts, that is not going to help anybody – and, in fact, will boomerang on those kids later if you become dependent on them.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, ”, Ted Rossman, Amy McGahan, –, Lauren Young, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Boomers, Pew Research Center, Thomson Locations: Cleveland

☆ NY Fed defends cutoff of Puerto Rican bank after Venezuela-linked crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York building is seen in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., December 16, 2017. BSJI said it had improved compliance during a previous 22-month suspension of its master account between 2019 and 2020. In court papers on Wednesday, the New York Fed said BSJI processed transactions that had "multiple red flags for money laundering or other illicit activity." The New York Fed also said BSJI could still seek to access the U.S. financial system through a third-party correspondent bank. In 2019, the New York Fed said it would stop approving master accounts for some Puerto Rican banks because of U.S. sanctions aimed at ousting Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported at the time.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, BSJI, Marcelino Bellosta, Nicolas Maduro, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New, REUTERS, Banco San Juan Internacional, New York Fed, Venezuela's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Manhattan, New York, U.S, Puerto Rican, Venezuela, Curacao, Venezuelan, United States, Europe

Here are six takeaways from the first 2024 Republican presidential primary debate:Taking shots at RamaswamyWith Trump absent from Wednesday’s debate, the the early target of most of the debate participants was not DeSantis or South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott or any candidate who has ever held elected office before. DeSantis clarified: “Well, statewide.” Asked if he would support a federal six-week abortion ban, DeSantis talked about his electoral victory in Florida. And no one clearly stated they would sign a six-week federal abortion ban – even if they’d approved such laws as governors. At one end of the spectrum stood Haley, who sparred with Pence over the possibility of passing a federal ban. Ahead of the debate, Republican strategists argued that this was the approach Scott wanted to take because it’s his authentic self.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, – brawled, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, Ramaswamy brawled, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Trump, Ramaswamy, Christie, Asa Hutchinson, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, “ Vivek, can’t, I’ve, Vivek, Ramaswamy’s, ChatGPT, ”, DeSsantis, – DeSantis, DeSantis, “, Joe Biden, Hunter, Fox’s Brett Baier interjected, Roe, Wade, fides, Haley, Pence, ” Pence, Lindsey Graham, Scott, Doug Burgum –, Burgum, ” DeSantis, he’d, “ Mike, Pence “, ” Haley, Nice, ‘, Scott wasn’t, ” Scott Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, South Carolina Gov, New, New Jersey Gov, Trump, Former Arkansas Gov, Fox News, Wing, Ramaswamy, Republican, DeSantis, North Dakota Gov, South, United Nations, United, Ukraine Locations: New Jersey, Fulton, Georgia, Milwaukee, South Carolina, Pence, United States, America, Florida, Miami, Wisconsin, Texas, Russia, Ukraine, Ramaswamy

☆ Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft suffered engine issue during landing attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Roscosmos lost contact with the Luna 25 spacecraft on Saturday. But attempts to regain contact with Luna 25 over the weekend were unsuccessful, leading Roscosmos to conclude it crash-landed. A special commission will investigate the reasons for the loss of Luna 25, the Russian space agency said. The last Luna mission, Luna 24, landed on the moon on August 18, 1976. Russia’s Luna 25 was expected to land closer to the moon’s south pole than any mission in history.

Persons: Luna, Russia’s, Yury Borisov, ” Borisov, Roscosmos, Borisov, ”, Russia’s Luna Organizations: CNN, Roscosmos, Luna, TASS Locations: Russia, Russian, Russia’s, Soviet

President Biden escalated his confrontation with China on Wednesday by signing an executive order banning American investments in key technology industries that could be used to enhance Beijing’s military capabilities, the latest in a series of moves putting further distance between the world’s two largest economies. The order will prohibit venture capital and private equity firms from pumping money into Chinese efforts to develop semiconductors and other microelectronics, quantum computers and certain artificial intelligence applications. Administration officials stressed that the move was tailored to guard national security, but China is likely to see it as part of a wider campaign to contain its rise. “The Biden administration is committed to keeping America safe and defending America’s national security through appropriately protecting technologies that are critical to the next generation of military innovation,” the Treasury Department said in a statement. A series of expanding export controls on key technologies to China has already triggered retaliation from Beijing, which recently announced the cutoff of metals like gallium that are critical for the Pentagon’s own supply chain.

Persons: Biden, “, Richard M, Nixon, Henry Kissinger Organizations: Treasury Department, U.S . Locations: China, U.S, Beijing

☆ Is Trump Leaving an Opening in Iowa?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Nate Cohn | More About Nate Cohn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But unlike the national poll, our Iowa poll has revealed a few cracks in Mr. Trump’s armor. debate on Aug. 23 in our national poll earlier this week. One is that it’s about survey administration: In an online survey, you see a long list of candidates, read them over, and then you choose one. The Democratic primary, however, is a case where more sophisticated modeling of the primary electorate might make a huge difference. My guess: if we had done an elaborate Democratic primary poll — and we did not, in the absence of a competitive race — Mr. Biden’s lead would have grown.

Persons: DeSantis, Trump, Will Hurd, Hurd, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, YouGov, Biden, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Democratic leaners, Biden’s Organizations: Republican, Republicans, Democratic Locations: Iowa, Texas, Siena

☆ We can’t air-condition our way out of America’s heat crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Extreme heat in the summer has become America’s brutal new reality. It would also include building code changes that require multi-family homes provide cooling the same way they do heating. Heat waves and mirage create an impressionistic scene on Sierra Highway during a scorching day on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Cities are warmer than their surrounding areas, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, and they need to be better designed to keep people cool, researchers say. They were designed 40 years ago when summer temperatures were much cooler,” Mark Wolfe said.

Persons: haven’t, ”, Mark Wolfe, hasn’t, ” Wolfe, Myung J, Chun, Rushad Nanavatty, National Weather Service hasn’t, Kelly Turner, “, Turner Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Energy Assistance, ’ Association, Southland, Los Angeles Times, RMI, Cool Coalition, United, US Department of Energy, Centers for Disease Control, Low Income, Energy Assistance, nonpayment, LIHEAP, CDC, National Weather Service, Solutions, UCLA, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, United Nations, Washington, DC, Arizona, Maricopa, Yuma, York City, Miami, Dade County

☆ Activision, Microsoft extend deal deadline to secure UK approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Aditya Soni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 19 (Reuters) - Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) on Wednesday extended the deadline for the close of their $69 billion deal by three months to Oct. 18 as the American companies work to secure UK approval for the biggest gaming deal in history. The extension will "provide ample time to work through the final regulatory issues," Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a tweet. Strength in those titles helped Activision beat market estimates for second-quarter net bookings and adjusted profit in the second quarter, it announced on Wednesday. The deadline extension came after the companies had to contend with varying concerns from regulators in the UK and the United States. Microsoft responded to these concerns by offering 10-year licensing deals to rivals after the deal closes.

Persons: Brad Smith, Bobby Kotick, Chavi Mehta, Yuvraj Malik, Devika Organizations: Activision, Microsoft, Reuters, HK, Sony, Diablo, FTC, Nintendo, PlayStation, CMA, Sony Group, Xbox, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

☆ Biden's age is his 'superpower' in 2024, Jeffrey Katzenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Katzenberg, in a telephone interview, described Biden as "energetic" and "effective," and suggested Republican attacks on his age will backfire. "President Biden's age is, in fact, his superpower," Katzenberg said. Some Democrats expect such attacks on Biden's age and family will increase in 2024. Former Disney executive Katzenberg's opinion is likely to be reflected in Biden's campaign in the months to come. Biden's campaign had four members on the payroll and spent a total of $1.1 million in the first three months since launch.

Persons: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Katzenberg, Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz, Kamala Harris's, Biden's, Donald Trump, Simon Rosenberg, Barack Obama, Reid Hoffman, it's, Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Michael Perry Organizations: Republican, Republicans, Trump, Democratic, Disney, Katzenberg, Linkedin, Biden, Fund, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ Mike Pence, who is struggling with fundraising and might miss the debate cutoff, mocked rivals offering stunt kickbacks in exchange for donations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mike Pence said it's "challenging" to reach the Republican National Committee's debate stipulations. Some GOP presidential candidates are offering kickbacks in exchange for campaign donations to qualify for the debate. But even with his own troubles, on Tuesday morning he mocked his rival Republican candidates for offering kickbacks in exchange for donations. "We're not offering gift cards, we're not offering kickbacks, we're not offering tickets to soccer games. According to a New York Times report from July 14, he has still yet to qualify for the GOP presidential debate in August.

Persons: Mike Pence, We're, Pence, Steve Doocey, we're, Doug Burgum, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Lionel Messi's Organizations: Republican, GOP, Service, Fox News, New York Times, Committee, North Dakota Gov, Microsoft, Miami Mayor, Lionel Messi's Major League Soccer Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Jane Birkin: Decades of Effortless Elegance
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Guy Trebay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

There were the babydoll dresses that few besides the actress Mia Farrow ever wore with greater élan. “Her style was very different from American style,” Ms. Sui said, and it introduced “something new to our fashion vocabulary.” What exactly was it about that style, the designer was asked? Perhaps, in the end, the Hermès Birkin bag provides the best example. Before its invention, Ms. Birkin was often photographed toting a straw marketbasket crammed with makeup, keys and assorted paraphernalia. “I would love to have been a sort of neat person and wear a Kelly,” Ms. Birkin once explained, referring to a prim, boxy-style handbag created and named for the film star Grace Kelly.

Persons: Mia Farrow, she’d, Ms, Sui, Birkin, Jean, Louis Dumas, Kelly, ” Ms, prim, Grace Kelly, “, Courroies, Sotheby’s, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi Organizations: YouTube Locations: daises, French, Paris, London

☆ US inflation outlook brightening; consumer sentiment near two-year high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Data for May was revised to show import prices declining 0.4% instead of the previously reported 0.6%. Though consumer inflation remains above the Fed's 2% target, the pace of increase has slowed sharply since peaking in June 2022, giving consumers some relief. INFLATION EXPECTATIONS ANCHOREDThough the survey's inflation expectations increased this month, that was probably because most consumers were interviewed before the release of June's consumer price index report. "Import prices are subtracting from the pernicious trend of the goods inflation Americans have been paying." There were decreases in the cost of nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials as well as food, which canceled out rises in prices for capital goods, consumer goods and motor vehicles.

Persons: Jeffrey Roach, Joanne Hsu, Shannon Seery, Christopher Rupkey, Lucia Mutikani, Christina Fincher, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal Reserve, LPL Financial, Reuters, University of Michigan, University of Michigan's, Consumers, Treasury, Labor, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Charlotte , North Carolina, Wells, New York, United States, China

When asked to recount the events of June 4, 1989, the chatbot rebooted itself. On Taiwan, Ernie did not pull any punches:The People’s Liberation Army is ready for battle, will take all necessary measures and is determined to thwart external interference and “Taiwan independence” separatist attempts. According to historical records, Louis XV often uttered this phrase when he ruled France at the end of the 18th century. OpenAI released a plug-in this year that enabled its chatbot to surf the web through Microsoft’s Bing. researchers have used to gauge a chatbot’s human-level intuitions:“Here we have a book, nine eggs, a laptop, a bottle and a nail.

Persons: Ernie, chatbot, Vladimir V, Putin, “, ChatGPT, crackdowns, ”, Louis XV, Jean, Jacques Rousseau, Marie Antoinette, Linda Yaccarino, Jack Dorsey, OpenAI, Microsoft’s Bing Organizations: People’s, Army, Baidu, Twitter Locations: United States, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, France, French

Search resuls for: "Cutoff"

25 mentions found