DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Family of Amir Locke files wrongful-death lawsuit in Minneapolis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The casket of Amir Locke, a Black man who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police, is brought to the hearse at the Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., February 17, 2022. REUTERS/Ben BrewerFeb 3 (Reuters) - The family of Amir Locke, a Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police during a no-knock raid on an apartment last year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the officer who fired the fatal gunshots. The city of Minneapolis said it would review the complaint once it has received the document. When Locke reached under a cover for the gun, Hanneman shot him three times, the suit said. "Hanneman failed to give Amir any such opportunity even though Amir never pointed the handgun at Hanneman or put his finger on the trigger," the suit said.

☆ Arkansas Gov. Huckabee Sanders to give Republican response to Biden's State of the Union
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under Donald Trump, will deliver the Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address next week, party leaders announced on Thursday. Huckabee Sanders, who describes herself as a conservative reformer, will speak from the state capital Little Rock after Biden's remarks on Tuesday before a joint session of Congress. It will be Biden's first State of the Union since Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in November's election. "Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the youngest governor in the nation and a powerful advocate for the popular, commonsense conservative principles that will put our country back on a better course," McConnell said in the statement. Huckabee Sanders, 40, served as then-President Trump's second press secretary from mid-2017 to mid-2019.

☆ Tyre Nichols funeral draws civil rights leaders, U.S. vice president
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Alyssa Porter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Al Sharpton will eulogize Nichols, and another prominent civil rights leader, attorney Ben Crump, will deliver a "call to action" during a funeral at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Nichols' adopted hometown of Memphis. Among those planning to join the mourners was U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Crump said the Nichols family invited. Harris spoke with Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, in a private telephone call on Tuesday, he said. Two other officers implicated in the events leading to Nichols' death have been relieved of duty - effectively suspended - and are under investigation. "What happened to Tyre Nichols here is a disgrace to this country," Sharpton told reporters, flanked by Nichols' mother and his stepfather, Rodney Wells.

☆ Factbox: Four ex-Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols death were disciplined in past
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Justin Smith and Desmond Mills were disciplined once during their careers, according to the files. Emmitt MartinThe department suspended Martin without pay on Feb. 5, 2021, for violating policy on domestic dispute calls. The department suspended Martin without pay from June 16-18, 2019, for violating policy after a loaded revolver was discovered in a police vehicle. Desmond MillsThe department reprimanded Mills for not filing a required report after he was called by other officers for backup on a traffic stop. The department reprimanded Mills after he accidentally dropped his personal digital assistant while conducting a traffic stop on March 12, 2019.

☆ Flight Attendant Uniforms Ditch Gender. How Does That Fly in the Air?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Rory Satran | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When Tyler Curry joined JetBlue in 2022, he was surprised to learn that the airline offered its employees the choice to wear whichever uniform they wanted, regardless of gender. The New York-based in-flight crew member had not worn dresses before, but, intrigued, he asked a female colleague if he could try hers on. He liked the way it looked, so he “took a leap of faith” and ordered the dress. “I used to be one of those people that would walk through work with my head down, just keeping to myself, and when I wear the dress, it makes me feel more confident,” he said. “Now I walk through the airport with my head up.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan 27 (Reuters) - The police department in the city of Memphis was set on Friday to release body-camera video of a violent confrontation between a Black motorist and five police officers charged with murder in his death earlier this month. Nichols succumbed to injuries he sustained from his encounter with police and died while hospitalized on Jan. 10, three days after he was pulled over while driving. The last words heard on the video were Nichols calling out for his mother three times, Crump said. Two members of the Memphis Fire Department involved in the response have been relieved of their duties pending a separate inquiry. PUBLIC OUTRAGE EXPECTEDAdditional Memphis police officers remain under investigation for policy infractions, Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Thursday in a message posted to YouTube.

The five officers have been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping and official misconduct, Mulroy said. Other Memphis officers remain under investigation for policy infractions, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Wednesday. "I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels. The Nichols family viewed the police footage on Monday with their attorney, Ben Crump. The last words heard on the video were Nichols calling for his mother three times, Crump said.

☆ Virginia school warned before 6-year-old shot teacher, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This tragedy was entirely preventable if the school administrator responsible for school safety had done their part and taken action when they had knowledge of imminent danger," said Toscano. She did not say what damages she would seek on behalf of the teacher, who was wounded in the chest. Toscano said another student told a third teacher that the boy showed him a gun during recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anyone. A fourth employee who learned of the threat asked for permission to search the boy, but was denied by the same school safety administrator, the lawyer said. Tragically, almost an hour later, violence struck Ridge Elementary School," Toscano said.

☆ Shooting at Washington state convenience store kills 3, suspect at large
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Three people were killed in a shooting at a convenience store in central Washington state early Tuesday, police said, and the suspect is at large and considered armed and dangerous. Police were called to a Circle K in Yakima, Washington, about 3:30 am local time when three people, who have not been identified, were found dead, Chief Matt Murray told reporters. Two victims were shot inside the store in what authorities said appeared to be a random act of violence, and a third was shot outside. The suspect was identified as Jarid Haddock, a 21-year-old resident of Yakima County. After opening fire in the store, the suspect ran across the street and shot into a vehicle, forcing the driver to move to the passenger seat.

Jan 23 (Reuters) - The video of Memphis police beating a Black man who died after a traffic stop on Jan. 7 reminded civil rights attorney Ben Crump of the assault on Rodney King, Crump said after viewing the police bodycam recording with the man's family on Monday. Crump said the video reminded him of how Los Angeles police repeatedly beat King in video captured by a witness in 1991, sparking protests and reforms in the department. "Regrettably, it reminded us of (the) Rodney King video," said Crump, who previously represented the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. "Regrettably, unlike Rodney King, Tyre didn't survive." Nichols was less than 100 yards (meters) from home during the traffic stop and called out for this mother three times at the end of the video, Crump told a news conference.

☆ Two students and adult fatally shot at Iowa school program
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 23 (Reuters) - Two students were killed on Monday and an adult was seriously wounded in a "targeted" shooting at a nonprofit educational center for at-risk youth in Des Moines, Iowa, local police said. The students died at a hospital, while a staff member of Starts Right Here, a learning facility for young people, was in surgery, Sargent Paul Parizek said at a press conference. Parizek said the police department works closely with the program, which was designed to help underserved students who have a variety of "troubles and challenges." Des Moines Public Schools interim Superintendent Matt Smith said the district partnered with Starts Right Here to help "re-engage students." "We are saddened to learn of another act of gun violence, especially one that impacts an organization that works closely with some of our students," Smith said in a statement.

☆ An AI rival to ChatGPT passed a university level law and economics exam, and did better than many humans, professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An AI received a marginal pass in a law and economics exam, economics professor Alex Tabarrok said. Tabarrok, a professor at George Mason University, said the AI's answer was "better than many human responses." The AI, known as Claude, was built by Anthropic, a company part-funded by Sam Bankman-Fried. Tabarrok said the exam was graded blind and that he considered Claude "a competitor" and "improvement" to OpenAI's GPT3, the tech underlying viral sensation ChatGPT. There has been an explosion of interest in AI capabilities since the launch of OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT in November.

☆ Eight dead, more casualties expected after tornadoes rip through U.S. Southeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows damage after a tornado ripped through Selma, Alabama, U.S. January 12, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Seven deaths have been reported in Alabama's Autauga County, emergency management director Ernie Baggett said on MSNBC. The National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in the central Alabama region on Thursday, according to meteorologist Jessica Laws. On Friday, the weather service said it had dispatched multiple damage survey teams to the field. As many as 50 properties were damaged by the storms in Autauga County, according to the local sheriff's office.

☆ Fire rages at Illinois chemical plant, residents ordered to shelter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - A chemical plant in northern Illinois went up in flames on Wednesday morning, sending up plumes of black smoke and prompting officials to advise nearby residents to shelter in place as emergency crews responded to the blaze. The fire broke out at the Carus Chemical Company complex in LaSalle, a city of less than 10,000 residents located about 100 miles southwest of Chicago. [1/4] Firefighters tackle a large blaze at the Carus Chemical Plant in LaSalle, Illinois, U.S. January 11, 2023 in a still image from video. A shelter order remained in place for residents north and west of the incident, Janick said. Reporting by Tyler Clifford; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Influential rock guitarist Jeff Beck dies at 78, family says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 11 (Reuters) - Jeff Beck, the influential, genre-bending English guitarist who rose to fame with The Yardbirds before later embarking on a solo career, has died at the age of 78, his family announced on social media on Wednesday. Beck is a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee - in 1992 for his work with The Yardbirds and as a solo performer in 2009. In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Beck as the fifth greatest guitarist of all time, one spot ahead of blues icon B.B. "Jeff was such a nice person and an outstanding iconic, genius guitar player - there will never be another Jeff Beck," Iommi wrote. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, also a former Yardbirds member, paid tribute to Beck, saying his technique was unique and imagination limitless.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene and Dr. Dre are feuding
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a video on Twitter using the instrumental of Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E." She later lashed out at Dr. Dre in a statement to TMZ. Howard E. King, Dr. Dre's attorney, sent Greene a cease-and-desist letter for her use of "Still D.R.E.," alleging copyright infringement. Prior to receiving the letter from his attorney, Greene addressed Dr. Dre in a statement to TMZ. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) January 9, 2023

☆ California doctor who drove Tesla off cliff to be charged with attempted murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | Thomson Reuters Institute | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Patel was transported to hospital with serious injuries on Monday, the California Highway Patrol said. The children, who had minor injuries, were the first to be rescued, after which a helicopter hoisted the adults, who had more serious injuries, Pottenger said. "The children were secured properly in proper car seats, and the car seats were secured properly into the vehicle," Pottenger said. "The car seats saved the lives of those two kids, in our opinion." The Tesla driven by Patel was traveling on the main part of the roadway before it veered off the cliff, he said.

As the storm took shape over the Great Lakes on Thursday, a weather phenomenon known as a bomb cyclone was likely to develop from a "rapidly deepening low-pressure" system, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. The cyclone could spawn snowfalls of a half inch (1.25 cm) per hour and howling winds from the Upper Midwest to the interior Northeast, producing near-zero visibility, the weather service said. "It's dangerous and threatening," President Joe Biden said at the White House, urging Americans with travel plans to not delay and to set off on Thursday. Hundreds of Texans died in February 2021 after the state's power grid failed amid wintry storms, leaving millions without electricity. Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the NWS Weather Prediction Center in Maryland, said freezing or below-freezing cold would bisect central Florida, with temperatures about 25 degrees below normal.

☆ Deep freeze grips U.S. as winter 'bomb cyclone' looms ahead of holiday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Numbing cold intensified by high winds was expected to extend as far south as the U.S.-Mexico border. The NWS map of existing or impending wintry hazards, stretching from border to border and coast to coast, "depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever," the agency said. The bomb cyclone could unleash snowfalls of a half inch (1.25 cm) per hour driven by gale-force winds, cutting visibility to near zero, the weather service said. Power outages were expected from high winds, heavy snow and ice, as well as the strain of higher-than-usual energy demands. The weather service said relief from the deep freeze was in sight for the northern Rockies and High Plains, where the arctic blast first materialized on Thursday.

☆ Massive winter storm threatens holiday travel for millions of Americans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In its wake, the cyclone could spawn snowfalls of a half inch an hour and winds of more than 50 mph (80 kph) in the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast, the weather service said. "This will lead to dangerous, to at times impossible, land and air travel leading up to the holiday weekend," the agency said on its website. Temperatures in parts of the Southern Plains and Southeast could stay below freezing -- 30-plus degrees less than normal -- for multiple days, the weather service predicted. The weather service also warned of freezing rain in parts of Oregon and Washington in the Northwest, where the storm originated, late Thursday. That would be the biggest daily drop in output since the freeze of February 2021 when a winter storm cut gas supplies from Texas and forced the Texas electric grid operator to impose rolling power outages.

☆ Sprawling U.S. storm threatens holiday travel as 'bomb cyclone' looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"It's a pretty powerful, powerful system." The storm, fed by moisture from the Great Lakes, could dump up to a foot (0.3 meter) of snow on the Upper Midwest between Wednesday and Friday, with blizzard conditions stretching from the Northern Plains states to the Great Lakes region. By Thursday night, a so-called "bomb cyclone" will likely form along the strong arctic front across the Great Lakes, sending pressure sharply lower in a 24-hour period. The holiday travel season is shaping up to be the third-busiest in decades as nearly 113 million people could pack up and journey more than 50 miles from home beginning Friday, according to motorists group AAA. While beefed-up airline staffing and other improvements since Thanksgiving will make travel easier during the holiday season, "nobody can control the weather.

Dec 19 (Reuters) - U.S.-based manufacturer Honeywell International Inc (HON.O) on Monday said it has agreed to pay about $200 million to settle criminal and civil corruption investigations in the United States and Brazil. Those bribes involved Monaco-based oil consultancy Unaoil, which has previously been charged by global authorities over a 17-year scheme to pay bribes to officials in nine countries. About $160 million of the total amount Honeywell said it will pay will go to pay U.S. civil and criminal penalties. Later on Monday, Brazil's government confirmed Honeywell's statement by saying the company would pay about 638 million reais ($120 million) to settle the case, with around 70% destined for Petrobras. Honeywell agreed to pay another $81 million civil penalty to resolve the SEC's charges, though almost half is expected to be offset by payments made to Brazilian authorities, the SEC said.

☆ Honeywell agrees to pay more than $81 million to settle SEC charges of bribery
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | Thomson Reuters Institute | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Honeywell International Inc FollowDec 19 (Reuters) - Honeywell International Inc (HON.O) has agreed to pay more than $81 million to settle charges of bribery schemes in Algeria and Brazil in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Monday. Reporting by Tyler CliffordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Blizzard, cold temperatures threaten to disrupt U.S. travel before Christmas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It does not look like a good day to be traveling across the Midwest on Friday," said Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the NWS Weather Prediction Center. The biggest risk exists in the states of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, as well as parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Southern states could have rainfall and thunderstorms through Thursday, after which temperatures could drop significantly. The NWS also warned of "bone-chilling" cold in parts of Washington state through the Northern Plain states, including Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas. Parts of Montana could see the thermometer register below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 C) on Tuesday, according to the NWS.

Companies Honeywell International Inc FollowDec 19 (Reuters) - Manufacturer Honeywell International Inc. (HON.O) on Monday said it has agreed to pay about $200 million to settle criminal and civil corruption investigations related to bribery schemes in the United States and Brazil. The SEC charges also relate to payments Honeywell's Belgian subsidiary made to an Algerian government official in 2011. Those bribes involved Monaco-based oil consultancy Unaoil, which has previously been charged by global authorities over a 17-year scheme to pay bribes to officials in nine countries. About $160 million of the total amount Honeywell said it will pay will go to U.S. civil and criminal penalties. Honeywell agreed to pay another $81 million civil penalty to resolve the SEC's charges, though almost half is expected to be offset by payments made to Brazilian authorities, the SEC said.

Search resuls for: "Tyler C"

25 mentions found