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☆ Ukraine keeps patching up its power grid. But Russia’s barrage could force more Ukrainians to flee as winter bites
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Tim Lister Olga Voitovych Victoria Butenko | Tim Lister | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The result is a grinding battle of attrition: Barrages of Russian missiles fly across Ukraine, and Ukrainian power engineers work for days in freezing temperatures to restore power. “By the nature of the attacks we see that Russian missiles are directed by Russian power engineers,” says Tymoshenko. 15 gigawatts of Ukraine’s power capacity have been taken out, compared to the pre-war capacity of 56 gigawatts (GW) of power, according to Ukrenergo. Tymoshenko told CNN that Ukraine’s power system has been part of the continental network since March after synchronization of the systems. “And this, of course, will encourage us to further technological development of the power system after victory,” he says.

☆ Canceled lectures, no grades: University of California students face chaotic finals as academic workers strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Alicia Victoria Lozano | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of thousands of undergraduate students at the University of California face a chaotic finish to their fall term as a strike by academic workers grinds through its fourth week. It’s definitely a weird situation.”University of California academic workers walk the picket line at the University of California, Los Angeles, on Nov. 28. Some campuses, including UCLA, have pushed back deadlines for submitting grades because faculty members rely so heavily on teaching assistants to assess student performance. Alicia Victoria Lozano / NBC NewsHernandez, a freshman, said teaching assistants help him with assignments and show him how to better tackle complicated subjects. Teaching assistants are integral to UCLA's "cluster" program that gives first-year students an opportunity to immerse themselves in smaller learning groups led by faculty and teaching assistants, he said.

☆ Many security lapses led to escape of Texas inmate accused of killing 5 while on the run, reports find
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or TDCJ, conducted an internal review of the escape and also hired an outside firm to do an independent review. Texas Department of Criminal JusticeAdditionally, two officers had falsified search logs indicating Lopez’s cell had been searched when it had not. Attorneys for the Collins family have notified the Texas agency that they plan to file a lawsuit against it over the deaths. CGL also made several recommendations, including suggesting TDCJ reconfigure transport buses to improve security and develop strategies to reduce its staff vacancies. In the month before Lopez’s escape, 43% of correctional officer jobs at the Hughes Unit were vacant.

☆ World Cup 2022: how many migrant workers have died in Qatar?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Here is a look at migrant workers' rights issues in Qatar, which is hosting the 2022 World Cup from Nov. 20-Dec. 18:WHAT IS QATAR'S RECORD ON MIGRANT WORKERS' RIGHTS? * Britain's Guardian reported last year that at least 6,500 migrant workers -- many of them working on World Cup projects -- had died in Qatar since it won the right to stage the World Cup, according to the paper's calculations from official records. * Qatari World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said that there have been three work-related fatalities and 37 non-work-related deaths among workers at World Cup 2022 sites. * In September, England's FA said families of migrant workers in Qatar who were injured or killed while constructing the infrastructure for this year's World Cup should be compensated. * The shirts worn by the Netherlands team during the World Cup will be auctioned to support migrant workers in Qatar, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said this month.

☆ Broadcom faces EU antitrust probe into $61 bln VMware deal - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO.O) is set to face a setback in its $61 billion bid for cloud computing company VMware (VMW.N) with EU antitrust regulators poised to open a full-scale investigation into the deal, people familiar with the matter said. The company had a so-called state of play meeting with European Commission officials earlier this week, the people said. The EU competition enforcer, which is scheduled to finish its initial scrutiny of the deal on Dec. 20, declined to comment. Broadcom said it anticipates that the time-line for the review process would be extended in other key regions due to the size of deal. "Having said that, we're still confident that this transaction will close and be completed in our fiscal 2023," the company said.

☆ Bahamas attorneys file emergency motion in FTX case for access to databases with client information
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Attorneys in the Bahamas filed an emergency motion on Friday asking a Delaware bankruptcy judge to compel U.S. leaders of failed crypto firm FTX to give them access to databases as part of the proceedings. The emergency motion claims that despite "many attempts to obtain access," FTX employees and counsel have stymied Bahamian regulators in their effort to get critical financial information located in Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Portal databases. They're seeking data on FTX international customers that is stored on AWS servers, including "wallet addresses, customer balances, deposit and withdrawal records, trades, and accounting data." FTX filed for bankruptcy protection last month after a liquidity crunch at the crypto exchange, which was intermingling assets with sister hedge fund Alameda Research. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who had an estimated net worth of $16 billion before the collapse, will appear before U.S. lawmakers next week.

☆ Gen Z founders are changing the way many employers address their workers' mental health
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Many Gen Z founders are creating better workplaces for themselves and their staff. They're placing a large emphasis on supporting their employees' mental health and wellness. The generation is "leading the way to so many dramatic transformations around how we as a society are addressing mental health," she said. Samantha SyboWhile the young generation has made waves in mental health, Gen Z founders aren't immune to the emotional damage that comes with promoting a business online. Gen Z employees expect this progress in the workplaceYan and his two cofounders launched Simplify in 2020 to help job seekers land roles.

☆ Full ‘cold moon’ shines bright and eclipses Mars in a rare event
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —December’s full moon, also known as the “cold moon,” will shine bright in the night sky this Wednesday, peaking at 11:08 p.m. December 7 also marks the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 17 mission launch — the last time humans set foot on the moon. Moon observingThe full moon will make its way across the sky starting at sunset. It was the final mission of NASA’s Apollo program and brought the number of humans who have walked on the moon to a grand total of 12. Apollo 17 was the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program.

☆ Ava DuVernay becomes the first Black woman featured on Ben & Jerry's pint
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Ava DuVernay has become the first Black woman to have her image on a Ben & Jerry’s pint. directed by Ava DuVernay,” which will feature a mix of vanilla ice cream with salted caramel swirls, graham cracker swirls and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough. DuVernay personally curated the flavor creation, which will be available in both milk-based and non-dairy versions. “Partnering with Ben & Jerry’s, a company that I’ve long admired for their commitment to social justice, has been a thrill ride. “Framing this up as a new flavor for the first Black woman to be a featured partner on our pints doesn’t do Ava justice,” Matthew McCarthy, Ben & Jerry’s CEO, said in a statement.

“No one will investigate IDF soldiers and no one will preach to us about morals in warfare, certainly not Al Jazeera,” Lapid said. The ICC confirmed Tuesday that it had received a submission from Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera said Tuesday: “The claim by the Israeli authorities that Shireen was killed by mistake in an exchange of fire is completely unfounded. The evidence shows that this deliberate killing was part of a wider campaign to target and silence Al Jazeera,” the network added. Abu Akleh’s family also submitted an official complaint to the ICC earlier this year to demand justice for her death, Al Jazeera reported.

☆ Here's the exclusive 14-slide pitch deck that Veriti used to raise a $12 million Series A for its AI-cybersecurity platform
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Veriti uses AI to strengthen companies' cybersecurity defense. But even with multiple security tools, the coverage can be incomplete, and that's where Veriti comes in, Veriti CEO Adi Ikan said. Investors are also interested in Veriti's mission of finding holes in companies' cybersecurity coverage. Veriti says that its technology works with other popular cybersecurity tools in the market from Microsoft, Crowdstrike, and others. See the pitch deck that Veriti used to raise its $12 million Series A round.

☆ Gen Z wants equality, diversity, and flexibility at work, but it may cause them to sacrifice financial security
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Alexandra York | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some Gen Zers are focusing on a company's mission and job security during their job searches. As a recession looms, Gen Zers might want to consider their financial futures when applying for their next role. Additionally, over half of Gen Z could enter retirement without sufficient savings due to savings challenges and rising costs, Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff previously told Insider. In fact, the typical annual salary for Gen Z employees was $32,500 in 2021, according to research from the personal finance site GoBankingRates. To be sure, plenty of Gen Zers understand the financial pressures to come and are prioritizing salary in their job search.

☆ LGBTQ students wrestle with tensions at Christian colleges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

“It’s kind of a tightrope,” said John Scarano, campus ministry director at John Carroll University, a Jesuit school near Cleveland with “safe zone trainings” as part of its ministry to LGBTQ students. Last year, 33 LGBTQ students or former students at federally funded Christian schools filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, claiming the department’s religious exemption allows schools that receive federal dollars to unconstitutionally discriminate against LGBTQ students. In May, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights launched a separate investigation for alleged violations of the rights of LGBTQ students at six Christian universities — including Liberty University. A high-stakes clash between students, faculty and the school’s board of trustees over hiring LGBTQ faculty is unfolding at Seattle Pacific University, a 131-year-old school affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. “I find that tragic.”To students like Fisher in Minnesota, concrete actions will show if LGBTQ people can truly be welcomed on Christian campuses.

Bankman-Fried could face a host of potential charges – civil and criminal – as well as private lawsuits from millions of FTX creditors, legal experts told CNBC. There are three different, possibly simultaneous legal threats that Bankman-Fried faces in the United States alone, Levin told CNBC. He told CNBC, "prosecutors would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bankman-Fried or his associates committed criminal fraud." (Carter was not an FTX investor, and told CNBC that his fund passed on early FTX rounds.) "People should not jump to the conclusion that something is not happening just because it has not been publicly disclosed," Levin told CNBC.

☆ Shopify told employees not to engage with tweets about its hosting of the controversial Libs of TikTok store, leaked messages show
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Shopify told employees not to engage with tweets about its business ties with Libs of TikTok. They were told not to engage with tweets about the Libs of TikTok store or discuss details of any store except with the owner of that store. CEO Tobi Lütke also appeared to block people who posted or engaged with tweets about the Libs of TikTok store and its use of Shopify's platform. "I personally don't condone this business making a profit by using the Shopify platform," another employee said. Lucas Jackson/ReutersShopify's policies have been criticized beforeIt's not the first time that Shopify's acceptable-use policy has been a topic of intense discussion.

CNN —A top Iranian official has said that the nation’s mandatory hijab law is being reviewed, as state media played down the same official’s claim that the country’s much-feared morality police force had been “abolished” amid ongoing protests. Montazeri was also quoted as saying on Saturday that Iran’s morality police had been “abolished,” but Iranian state media strongly pushed back on those comments, saying the interior ministry oversees the force, not the judiciary. The wearing of a hijab in public is currently mandatory for women in Iran under strict Islamic law that is enforced by the country’s so-called morality police. Her death on September 16 touched a nerve in the Islamic Republic, with prominent public figures coming out in support of the movement, including top Iranian actor Taraneh Alidoosti. “But no official of the Islamic Republic of Iran has said that the Guidance Patrol has been shut,” Al-Alam said Sunday afternoon.

☆ Japan cautious on capital gains tax; must stick to increasing defence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Japan should avoid rushing into raising capital gains tax as doing so could send a wrong message to markets when Japan is encouraging financial investment, a senior government official said on Sunday. "Strengthening taxation could send a wrong signal that runs counter to our aim of expanding investment," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said in a programme on broadcaster FNN, referring to capital gains tax. The tax has been contentious since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida swept to power last year pledging to review what is seen an unfair tax that favours the rich earning hefty financial investment income. In Japan, differences between the income tax and capital gains tax rates causes what is known as the wall of 100 million yen, at which the effective tax rate on financial investment income starts to decline. "We must do what we should do regardless of whether there are funding sources or not," Kihara said.

His children's school expenses are mostly covered by a charity and a portion of his medicine is subsidised by the state. Before, we used to plan for a month or a year or two ... now, we've lost that ability," he said. The government says it remains committed to implementing reforms that would pave the way for an IMF deal. While Lebanon had long relied on remittances, the flow has increased as some 200,000 people had emigrated since 2019, he said. Meanwhile, basic state functions are increasingly propped up by international donors seeking to prevent total state failure.

☆ Caught in 'the green beam': How US Air Force gunship crews let a target know they have it in their sights
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US Air Force's AC-130 gunship has a reputation for delivering firepower to the battlefield. The green beamAn AC-130J crew identifies a target with green light during an exercise in Florida in May. Ridge ShanWhile discussing the performance of Air Force special-operations crews during the Kabul evacuation, Slife referred to a targeting technology that Air Commandos use and affectionally call "the green beam." AC-130 crews use the green beam — which Slife called a "giant green laser pointer" — both to point things out to friendly forces and to deter adversaries by letting them know that they're in the gunship's sights. Hitting something is not as simple as seeing it, since gravity, elevation, speed, and atmospheric conditions affect the trajectory of the AC-130's artillery and cannon fire, but having those aids is still invaluable for gunship crews.

☆ Yale sued over 'systemic discrimination' against students with mental health disabilities
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Yale University is being sued over what students say is "systemic discrimination" against students with mental health disabilities. The officials never discussed alternate accommodations with her that would have allowed her to stay at Yale while she sought mental health treatment, the lawsuit says. The advocacy group, which is led by Yale alumni and current students, fights for better mental health accommodations at the school. Its policies are harshest "on students with mental health disabilities from less privileged backgrounds, including students of color, students from poor families or rural areas, and international students," it says. "The need for student mental health and wellness support continues to increase, and Yale remains committed to responding to this need," Peter Salovey said.

☆ Salesforce loses another top executive a day after Bret Taylor's departure as Tableau CEO quietly exits. Here are the top execs who left the company recently.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Matt Lynley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tableau CEO Mark Nelson is leaving the Salesforce-owned software company. The news came the day after Salesforce announced co-CEO Bret Taylor's resignation. Here's a list of top Salesforce execs who left the company recently. "Today marks my last day Tableau after an amazing 4 ½ years," Nelson wrote on Twitter. Here are some of the top executives who left Salesforce in the past year:Are you a Salesforce employee or do you have insight to share?

The estate of Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands more than $105 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that he used the territory as the base of an extensive sex trafficking operation. "We are sending a clear message that the Virgin Islands will not serve as a haven for human trafficking." The estate also agreed to pay $450,000 to repair environmental damage around Great Saint James, the other Epstein-owned island. Jeffrey Epstein's estate on Little Saint James in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Epstein bought Little Saint James, off St. Thomas, for $7.95 million in 1998, NBC News reported.

☆ EU rules would stop practices seen at crypto exchange FTX, says European Commission
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The "questionable practices" at now collapsed crypto exchange FTX would not have been allowed to happen under European Union rules now being finalised, a senior European Commission official said on Wednesday. "All these failures are very serious. We don't see them as failures of blockchain or crypto assets per se," added Alexandra Jour-Schroeder, deputy director general at the Commission's financial services unit told a hearing in the European Parliament. Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ CDC will test sewage for polio outside New York to see if it's circulating elsewhere in nation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Public health officials subsequently confirmed the virus was in fact spreading widely after sewage samples from five other New York counties tested positive. The virus spreading in the New York area is related to a strain used in the oral polio vaccine. Other countries do still use the oral polio vaccine because it is cheap, effective, easy to administer and generally safe. The U.S. uses an inactivated polio vaccine administered as a series of shots. The oral vaccine is very effective at blocking transmission and is typically used to crush outbreaks.

Companies U.S. Virgin Islands FollowNEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Jeffrey Epstein's estate has reached a nine-figure settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands to settle claims the disgraced late financier used the territory as a base for his decades-long sex-trafficking operation. George also said Epstein bought the nearby Great St. James in 2016 to keep people from monitoring him and victims from escaping there. Epstein had also been accused of sexual abuse at his homes in Manhattan, New Mexico and Palm Beach, Florida. His former associate Ghislaine Maxwell is appealing her conviction and 20-year prison sentence for enabling Epstein's abuse of girls. The government's share of Little St. James sale proceeds will go toward counseling and other services for sexual abuse victims.

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