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☆ Ex-Bon Appétit editor Marissa Ross says the wine world ruined her. Now she's back and ready to give it hell.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

Her rise was tied to a period of reinvention for the wine world during which natural wine conquered millennial taste buds and became ubiquitous on menus across the US. Marissa Ross, Bon Appétit's wine editor from 2016 to 2020, often posted pictures of herself chugging straight from the bottle — a technique she called "The Ross test." "Natural wine," a nebulous term that generally refers to wine made with minimal intervention and without additives like sulfites, was tentatively entering the American wine world. Many in the wine world took the idea that you didn't have to be educated to know about wine as a personal insult. When she first told BA that she planned to cover only natural wines, Ross said, Rapoport called to try to change her mind.

☆ Inside the 'Wormhole,' Relativity Space's monster factory 3D-printing reusable rockets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The exterior of "The Wormhole" factory. The inside of "The Wormhole" factory in Long Beach, California. A closeup look at one of the company's "Reaper" printers at work. The scale of one of the Stargate "Reaper" printers. A pair of the company's "Reaper" 3D-printers.

☆ Imane Ayissi adds African touch to Paris haute couture fashion week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A model presents a creation by designer Imane Ayissi as part of his Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 collection show in Paris, France, January 26, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYPARIS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Imane Ayissi wove African textiles into his haute couture collection shown in Paris on Thursday, mixing raffia-lined garments in bright colours with dresses coated in sequins or airy silk fringes. "This is a window to show techniques of African artisans," said Ayissi. The Cameroon-born designer, who is based in Paris, is currently featured in the Victoria & Albert Museum exhibit "Africa Fashion" in London. Haute couture fashion week in Paris, which wound up on Thursday, features some of the most prestigious fashion houses, including Christian Dior (DIOR.PA) and Chanel.

☆ Google employees scramble for answers after layoffs hit long-tenured and recently promoted employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Google employees are scrambling for answers from leadership and from colleagues as the company undergoes a massive layoff. On Friday, Alphabet -owned Google announced it was cutting 12,000 employees, roughly 6% of the full-time workforce. Some of the laid-off employees had been long-tenured or recently promoted, raising questions about the criteria used to decide whose jobs were cut. The company provided an FAQ for the layoffs, which CNBC has seen, but employees have complained that it doesn’t give much detail on many answers. The scramble highlights the challenges Google could face in maintaining a supportive and productive company culture for its restive workforce of more than 160,000 full-time employees.

☆ Hong Kong businesses cheer China reopening, but warn there’s a long way to go
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Kiki Yang brought an empty green suitcase from Shenzhen to Hong Kong this week to load up on new purchases for her family and friends. On Sunday, residents of Hong Kong and mainland China were permitted to resume two-way, quarantine-free travel after three years, albeit in limited numbers. Sa Sa, which counts Hong Kong and Macao combined as its top market, has seen sales roughly halve since 2019. The move is the latest effort by Hong Kong to rebuild its status as a global business hub. Currently, as part of a gradual reopening, Hong Kong has a quota of 60,000 visitor arrivals from mainland China each day.

☆ Rep. Mike Rogers lunged at Rep. Matt Gaetz after Kevin McCarthy failed to win a 14th vote for House speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed to be elected speaker for the 14th time this week on Friday evening. The House floor descended into disorder after McCarthy and Rep. Matt Gaetz had a tense exchange. Rep. Mike Rogers appeared to lunge at Gaetz and was held back by Rep. Richard Hudson. The vote was coming down to the wire when Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who led the charge against McCarthy all week, finally voted "present" — which would again leave McCarthy short, by one vote, of being elected speaker. Towards the end of the exchange, which lasted about a minute and a half, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama could be seen confronting Gaetz as McCarthy walked away.

The 45-year-old had spent hours walking to the district of Cugenang where his relatives lived until disaster struck on Monday. The death toll from the quake in Indonesia's most populous province of West Java was 252 and expected to rise, officials said. Everything was buried," Aris said, gesturing at a huge mound of brown earth where his brother's home had stood. The shallow quake that struck in a mountainous area early on Monday afternoon triggered a landslide that authorities say has buried at least one village. Indonesia rescue members carry a victims body from the site of a landslide caused by the earthquake in Cugenang, Cianjur, West Java province, Indonesia, November 22, 2022.

CNN —Some people attending 2022 World Cup matches have said they have experienced difficulties in Qatar when trying to enter stadiums wearing clothing in support of LGBTQ rights. “So, despite fine words from @FIFAWorldCup before event, @Cymru (Wales) rainbow Bucket hats confiscated at stadium, mine included,” McAllister tweeted of the incident. The hat in question is sold by The Rainbow Wall, a self-described LGBTQ+ Supporters Group for the Wales national teams. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also criticized the sport’s world governing body for its stance on the armbands. CNN has reached out to FIFA and the World Cup organizers for comment, and to clarify the World Cup’s official dress code.

☆ Kyrie Irving's 'sorry' to Jews shows how celebrity apologies have become meaningless
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lux Alptraum | Lux Alptraum Is A Writer | Producer Who Served As Development Producer For Fusion S Peabody-Nominated Show | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Are we really supposed to believe that it’s a genuine change of heart and not a response to a pressure campaign from his employers? Like most Instagram apologies, Irving’s felt a bit perfunctory and performative, not least because it came the same day he was suspended indefinitely by the Nets over the controversy. Are we really supposed to believe that Irving underwent such a massive amount of personal growth in the span of hours? Are we really supposed to believe that it’s a genuine change of heart and not a response to a pressure campaign from his employers? And if they’d actually done that, well — who knows, they might have even spared us from having to read yet another celebrity apology on Instagram.

☆ In bankrupt Lebanon, locals mine bitcoin and buy groceries with tether, as $1 is now worth 15 cents
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +32 min

Others arrange clandestine meetings via Telegram to swap the stablecoin tether for U.S. dollars in order to buy groceries. In Jan., police raided a small crypto mining farm in the hydro-powered town of Jezzine, seizing and dismantling mining rigs in the process. But mining crypto tokens to earn a living is not for everybody. Younes tells CNBC that he initially moved 15% of his money into bitcoin, and he kept the remaining balance in cash. Lebanon has six bitcoin ATMs — one in Aamchit and five in Beirut, according to metrics offered by coinatmradar.com.

☆ ‘Dying Inside’: Chaos and Cruelty in Louisiana Juvenile Detention
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Megan Shutzer | Rachel Lauren Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +47 min

But inside the walls at Ware, one of the state’s largest juvenile detention facilities, children have been trying to kill themselves with stunning regularity. In Louisiana, where brutal conditions prompted juvenile justice reform two decades ago, the system is again in crisis. Most Ware guards are Black, as well, though nearly all of its leaders are white, as are the local judge, sheriff and district attorney. “Of course, they still do.” In reports to the state, Ware’s nurses described carpet burns on children’s faces and head-to-toe bruises from restraints. In fact, of the four guards convicted of sexually assaulting children at Ware, Mr. Peace would be the only one imprisoned.

☆ Lindsey Graham says there are 'gonna be people jumping off bridges in San Francisco by the thousands' if Jim Jordan becomes chair of the House Judiciary Committee
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

During a speech at a Republican Party dinner in Lima, Graham riled up a crowd of the party faithful. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is set to chair the House Judiciary Committee if the GOP retakes the chamber. Graham speaks at a Republican dinner in Lima, Ohio as Jordan looks on. Attendees listen as Republican Senate candidate JD Vance speaks at the Republican dinner in Lima, Ohio. Republican Senate candidate JD Vance speaks at a Republican dinner in Lima, Ohio.

☆ Mercedes CEO says Europe’s gas crisis will accelerate its shift to renewables
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN Business —Europe’s gas crisis will be “a catalyst” for Mercedes-Benz to push deeper into clean energy, says its CEO. The German government had already set in motion a crisis management plan that could see rationing gas to businesses if that happened. The group has also signed on to use a wind energy facility in the Baltic Sea that will “add another 25%” of capacity, said Källenius. “We’re going to diversify, we’re going to make ourselves more resilient, and of course we’re going to go carbon-free,” he added. The company unveiled the electric vehicle Sunday at the Paris Motor Show, as part of efforts to further diversify its lineup.

Warnock defended his votes on a sweeping climate and health care bill and gun violence prevention legislation during his two years in the Senate. Heading into the debate, Walker called himself a “dumb country boy,” setting low expectations against Warnock, the eloquent pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. used to minister. Walker’s debate goal was simple: Go on offense, tie Warnock to unpopular President Joe Biden, rising gas prices and high inflation. Warnock hammered Walker for opposing the Inflation Reduction Act to defend himself against attacks that his votes fueled inflation. Walker appeared flat-footed when asked if he favors Medicaid expansion, saying that "people have coverage for health care" and that he wants Georgians to "get off the government health care and get on the health care he’s got," gesturing toward Warnock.

From Tuesday, Japan will reinstate visa-free travel to dozens of countries, ending some of world's strictest border controls to slow the spread of COVID-19. Just over half a million visitors have come to Japan so far in 2022, compared with a record 31.8 million in 2019. GHOST TOWNNarita Airport, Japan's biggest international airport some 70 kilometres from Tokyo, remains eerily quiet, with about half of its 260 shops and restaurants shuttered. Whether overseas visitors wear face masks and abide by other common infection controls in Japan is another concern. "From the start of the pandemic until now, we've had just a few foreign guests," said Tokyo innkeeper Sawa.

☆ Pennsylvania Democrat says having all-octogenarian House leadership has put him at ease about the president running in 2024: 'To me, Joe Biden is young'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle said he's fine with having an 80-plus year old Biden running in 2024. To me, Joe Biden is young," Boyle said, referring to aging House leaders. House Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn are all in their early 80s. To me, Joe Biden is young," the 45-year-old Pennsylvania Democrat told CNN, gesturing towards the House chamber run by 82-year-old Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 83-year-old House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and 82-year-old Majority Whip Jim Clyburn. —US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) November 1, 2020

☆ A NYFW show that couldn't quite bridge the chasm between the 'insular, and male' world of web3 and fashion
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Caroline Haskins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

At New York Fashion Week, veteran designer Vivienne Tam showcased a metaverse-themed collection featuring various NFT characters. Kerry Chrapliwy — CEO of a marketing agency representing Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange platform that co-sponsored the show — said web3 world has a reputation for being geeky, insular, and male, which needs to change. A divide became clear, though, despite the overlap between the fashion world and the NFT world — like being environmentally disastrous and needing disposable income to participate — their communities do not easily merge, even in a space dedicated to facilitating just that. They didn't seem to know about the NFT element of Tam's collection, didn't care, or both. Their jobs involve a combination of working with the clothes, with models, and in the case of this collection, with people in the NFT world.

☆ Biden says the 'pandemic is over' despite the US maintaining one of the highest death rates worldwide with nearly 400 Americans dying of COVID-19 daily
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden said the COVID-19 pandemic was over in an interview with CBS News on Sunday. "We're still doing a lot of work on it, but the pandemic is over," said Biden. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our top stories based on your reading preferences — delivered daily to your inbox. "The pandemic is over," Biden said, but acknowledged the virus is still a problem. In May, the President told Americans to not grow numb as the country's death toll rose to 1 million people.

☆ Biden's comments about pandemic widen public health split over how US should respond to Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Some public health experts worry that political motives are driving the President's desire to declare the pandemic over, rather than protection of the public's health. It's a 9/11, week after week after week," said Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health. The World Health Organization recognizes a global health threat as something different: a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC. The US also recognizes a public health emergency. Covid-19 is still considered to be a public health emergency both domestically and around the world.

☆ No stamps today: Why one NY post office can't get them
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Alexandra Peers | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He asked, "I can't buy stamps at the post office?" "When will I be able to buy stamps at the post office?" "I cannot tell you that at this moment," the post office worker replied, gesturing tiredly at a handwritten sign noting the facility didn't have stamps, or money orders. As for the Park West Post Office? After about two weeks of scarcity, it has sheets of tiger, elephant, hearts, tulips and mariachi band commemorative stamps.

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