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☆ 'It’s corn!,' 'Dark Brandon' and 'girl explaining': A look at the most notable memes of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Here's NBC News' roundup of the 10 most notable memes of 2022. 'Dark Brandon'The meme, which started on Twitter in early 2022, depicts President Joe Biden as a laser-eyed edge-lord. 'Girl explaining'The "girl explaining" meme actually began going viral in 2019 in Spanish-speaking circles, according to Know Your Meme. Whether it's explaining what the Inflation Reduction Act is or why the Brooklyn Library is "fine free," the most shouty memes of 2022 were conveyed through the "girl explaining." That's because the corn kid, a 7-year-old named Tariq, became one of the year's most viral memes.

☆ Child workers found throughout Hyundai-Kia supply chain in Alabama
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

Hyundai and Kia now have dozens of suppliers in Alabama, according to the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, a business group. The agency, they said, hired underage workers while they worked there. “It was my first job in the United States and this is not what you would expect to see here.”Six other former workers told Reuters they, too, saw underage workers at Ajin’s two factories in Cusseta. Herrera said he raised concerns about the underage workers with managers at SMART, but was brushed off. The officials, wearing shirts that bore Hyundai logos, inspected the assembly line even as underage workers labored there, Herrera said.

☆ Meteor shower: Mark your calendar for the strongest one of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The best chance to see the strongest meteor shower of the year is on its way this week. “If you had to pin one (meteor shower) as being the best of the year, year in and year out, it would be the Geminids,” said Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the society. The biggest and brightest Geminids meteors are often said to appear greenish in color. The moon’s Illumination has affected Geminids watching for the past two years, but the meteor shower is expected to occur around a new moon in 2023, creating perfect viewing conditions. To the casual observer, they’re a nice firework (display) — meteor showers are nature’s fireworks.”The next and final major annual meteor shower of 2022 will be the Ursids, which peak the evening of December 22, according to EarthSky.

☆ Fact Check-Lengthier Artemis I trajectory toward Moon compared to Apollo 11 is not proof that space travel is a hoax
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Artemis I mission took a different, less direct route toward the Moon compared to the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. The Artemis I lengthier trajectory is not proof of inferior technology, nor is it proof that space travel is a hoax, despite claims made online. Social media users shared a meme claiming to show the number of days it took for the Apollo 11 spacecraft to reach the Moon compared to the November 2022 Artemis I mission. A graphic released by NASA showing the Apollo 11 flight trajectory can be viewed (here), with the Artemis I trajectory viewable (here). “The Apollo 11 mission had a very direct path to a low lunar orbit to deliver the crew to the lunar surface.

☆ I run a Christmas-tree farm. This is how I built it as a business after a life-changing accident ended my previous career.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Laura Cooke | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

While in the hospital, he decided to build a business planting Christmas trees. At forestry school, we used to talk about growing Christmas trees as one way of making money. When the trees come to the yard for collection, I can get around easily and simply. But it's necessary as I spend about 50% of my time on the Christmas trees. I've always thought the Christmas tree is the biggest present at Christmas.

But now the states' motion sets the stage for a protracted legal battle that throws the future of the policy in doubt. A record number of migrants have been apprehended at the border since Biden took office in January 2021 and Republicans say ending Title 42 will draw even more crossers. After Sullivan's ruling, the Biden administration said it was making plans to manage the border without the order. The states said in their motion to intervene in the case that border states like Arizona and Texas would face "increased migrant flows" and that wherever migrants end up, "they will impose financial burdens on the states involuntarily hosting them." The states could also take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, where there is a majority of conservative justices.

☆ I'm a Chicago school teacher making hundreds per week doing nails as a side hustle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Rasha Aly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I'm a Chicago public-school teacher, focusing on middle-school special education. My side hustle is working as a nail technician, and I'm certified to teach cosmetology. I want to get out of working in the classroom, but I'm not sure of my next move. I'm a teacher at Chicago's John W. Cooke Elementary, a public school on the city's South Side. I've also partnered with someone and become certified to teach cosmetology in Illinois.

☆ Republicans grill Biden homeland chief in possible preview of next Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Republicans at a congressional hearing on Tuesday chastised U.S. While Tuesday's hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee was titled "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland," Republicans focused intensely on the southwestern border. [1/6] A general view of a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2022. Higgins said there were rumors that Mayorkas would resign before the start of the new Congress on Jan. 3. Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller, Kristina Cooke and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chinese brands outnumber foreign names among Singles Day best-sellers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A delivery worker wearing a protective mask rides an electric scooter across a street ahead of Alibaba's Singles' Day shopping festival, following a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, November 10, 2022. Alibaba said Singles Day sales were in line with last year, when gross merchandise value rose 8.5%, the lowest since the company started the shopping event in 2009. For the first time, Alibaba did not announce sales data this year. Alibaba rival JD.com said that in the 28 hours from 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, Chinese brands accounted for 80% of the sales of the top 20 brands. ($1 = 7.1066 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes marked a historic moment for women's tennis, and sport. It’s their job now to step up, lead and shape the future.”Billie Jean King worked with fashion designer Tory Burch on the Billie Jean King Cup's 'winner's jacket.' Magazine IAnd inside the jacket, to remind the champions of the Billie Jean King Cup of the ‘fight’ and their place in it, is a message from King herself. “Congratulations on winning the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup,” King reads aloud. Billie Jean King, be bold.”

☆ Rescue efforts in full swing as Australia's inland towns brace for flood peaks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Australia's east is in the grip of the fourth major flood crisis this year due to a multi-year La Nina weather phenomenon, typically associated with increased rainfall. Across New South Wales (NSW) state there were 103 flood warnings on Saturday. "We've had a couple of flood rescues…right now I am at a property east of Forbes helping move some horses. Along the Murrumbidgee River near the town of Wagga Wagga floods peaked on Friday at the highest level since 2010. All four of Australia's eastern states, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania have been hit with floods this year.

Some sponsors are U.S.-based relatives of Venezuelans eager to flee political and economic turmoil back home. Diaz, a Venezuelan-American advocate who has lived in the United States for the past 25 years, got in touch with Venezuelans seeking sponsors via social media. Around 7,000 Venezuelans have been approved for the new program since the Oct. 18 launch, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. U.S. sponsors do not need to be related to Venezuelans to support their applications, but they must have permission to reside in the United States. A week after the new program was announced and the Mexico return policy was enacted, U.S. authorities saw an 80% decrease in Venezuelan border encounters.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - A man who clubbed U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband over the head with a hammer, shouting, "Where is Nancy? ", faced charges of attempted murder and other felonies a day after the violent break-in at the couple's San Francisco home. She flew to San Francisco to be with her husband. Police identified the man arrested at the scene by officers who intervened in the attack as David Depape, 42. Formal charges were expected to be filed by the San Francisco district attorney's office.

☆ Jerry Lee Lewis, rock ’n’ roll pioneer who sang ‘Great Balls of Fire,’ dies at 87
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Brandon Griggs | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And I’ve been on one all my life,” Lewis said in “Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,” a 2014 biography by Rick Bragg. Jerry Lee Lewis performs on stage at the Country Music Festival held at Wembley Arena, London in April 1982. In 1989 “Great Balls of Fire!”, a biopic starring Dennis Quaid as Lewis, brought new attention to Lewis’ life and music. Jerry Lee Lewis speaks at the Country Music Hall of Fame 2022 inductees presented by CMA at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on May 17, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. Well, forget about it, let me hear that song.’”Lewis is survived by his wife, Judith Coghlan Lewis, his children Jerry Lee Lewis III, Ronnie Lewis, Pheobe Lewis and Lori Lancaster, sister Linda Gail Lewis, cousin Swaggart and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews, according to his representative’s statement.

☆ Women's basketball influencers are the most engaging college athletes for brands, according to new data. Here are the top creators.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Colin Salao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Data shows the top 10 women's basketball athletes include the Cavinder Twins and Paige Bueckers. The apparel giant's signings show that major companies are embracing NIL deals with women's basketball student-athletes, and data shows why. Women's basketball athletes posted the highest engagement rate with a 9.4% engagement rate on TikTok, which is nearly 10 times higher than standard influencers. The company averaged the engagement rates of individual athletes to determine the overall engagement rate for each subset of athletes. Here are the top 10 women's basketball athletes and their engagement rates during the first year of NIL:

☆ Women's basketball players get the highest engagement rates as influencers, according to new data. Here are the top 10 creators.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Colin Salao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Southeast Australia braces for more rain, residents told to evacuate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Australian authorities warned on Tuesday that flood-affected areas in the country's southeast were set for more rain, as emergency services issued a fresh batch of evacuation orders. Authorities overnight told hundreds of residents to evacuate from the New South Wales (NSW) town of Narrabri, home to 12,000 and about 550km northwest of Sydney, as water released from a full dam nearby worsened flooding. "Clearly the flood risk and the threat remains across NSW today and will do so for some days to come. "Even the smallest amount of rain falling can cause an elevated risk of flash flooding and riverine flooding." Flooding is also expected on several river systems in the adjacent states of Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.

"House of the Dragon" will air its season one finale on October 23 on HBO and HBO Max. The "Game of Thrones" prequel series focuses on the Targaryen civil war. The season one finale will air on HBO and HBO Max on October 23. How to watch 'House of the Dragon'You can watch "House of the Dragon" exclusively on HBO and HBO Max. That said, many of the characters in "House of the Dragon" are ancestors of the characters we meet in "Game of Thrones."

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - A group that works with union pension funds is pressing Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) to respond to reports of child labor at U.S. parts suppliers, warning of potential reputational damage to the Korean automaker. In addition, the letter cited a recent federal and state investigation into children working at another Hyundai supplier in the state. Reuters first documented child labor practices at Hyundai-owned SMART Alabama LLC earlier this year. "Hyundai will continue to closely review the labor operations of its suppliers to ensure full compliance with all local, state and federal laws," Gabriel said in an email. "I think investors like us need to step out and say, 'the value of the fines is not capturing your risk even remotely.

A Reuters investigative report in July documented children, including a 12-year-old, working at a Hyundai-controlled metal stamping plant in rural Luverne, Alabama, called SMART Alabama, LLC. read moreFollowing the Reuters report, Alabama's state Department of Labor, in coordination with federal agencies, began investigating SMART Alabama. The executive also pledged that Hyundai would push to stop relying on third party labor suppliers at its southern U.S. operations. Munoz told Reuters: "Hyundai is pushing to stop using third party labor suppliers, and oversee hiring directly." SL and Smart Alabama did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

☆ Australia's Star says regulator-named manager to run Sydney casino
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Star's Sydney casino license to be suspended on Oct. 21Manager appointed for Sydney casino for 90 daysFine after Star failed to prevent money laundering, criminal activityStar fined $62 million as part of disciplinary actionSYDNEY, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Australia's Star Entertainment Group (SGR.AX) said on Monday a regulator-appointed manager would be stepping in to run its Sydney casino after an investigation by an independent commission found it had failed to prevent money laundering and criminal activity. The firm was fined A$100 million ($62 million) by the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC), which also suspended its license to operate the casino in Sydney, effective Oct. 21, Star said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe suspension period will be crucial for Star to prove its merit to hold a casino license. Weeks' authority as a manager of Star's assets are limited to the operational needs of the casino. Australia's gambling industry has been in the spotlight in recent years, with public inquiries lashing its biggest casino operators due to lapses in money laundering protections.

☆ Australia casino firm Star to be fined $62 million following inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Australian casino firm Star Entertainment Group (SGR.AX) was fined A$100 million ($62 million) on Monday following an independent inquiry which found it failed to prevent money laundering and criminal activity in its Sydney casino. The New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) also cancelled Star's licence to operate the Sydney casino effective Friday, and will appoint a person to manage the casino pending the return of its licence. "The appointment of the manager means that the Star Casino will remain open and all staff will remain employed," NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said during a media conference. The decision to slap Star with the maximum fine possible comes on the first day on the job for Star's new chief executive, Robbie Cooke. Australia's gambling industry has been in the spotlight in recent years, with public inquiries lashing its biggest casino operators due to lapses in money laundering protections.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have left their troubled homeland for Mexico this year to get to the United States. Up to 1,000 Venezuelans per day could be expelled to Mexico under the new agreement, two U.S. officials told Reuters. "We've been overwhelmed by the news," said Lizbeth Guerrero, director of an aid group for Venezuelan migrants in Mexico City. She forecast many people would press on with plans to reach the United States because they had nothing to return to. Those who could not enter the United States or find work quickly risked becoming prey for violent gangs, she said.

In August, authorities accused Alexander City, Alabama-based SL Alabama in federal court of violating child labor laws. The action against SL Alabama, which supplies lights and mirrors for Hyundai and Kia assembly plants in the U.S. South, came following a July Reuters article that documented child labor practices at another auto parts supplier in the state, Hyundai-owned SMART Alabama LLC. SL Alabama agreed to implement new monitoring and training programs, the federal regulator said. "Our investigation found SL Alabama engaged in oppressive child labor," said Kenneth Stripling, DOL's Wage and Hours Division Director in Birmingham, Alabama, in the statement. Regulators said plant operators are accountable for child labor violations even when unauthorized employees are brought in by third-party recruiting firms.

☆ U.S. whistleblowers aiding migrant children feared retaliation -watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - U.S. government workers feared retaliation for raising concerns last year about the treatment of unaccompanied migrant children on a Texas military base, where children have been held amid record arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a watchdog report released on Tuesday. There are currently 589 children at the base, the official said, and children stay, on average, for 13 days before being released to parents or other sponsors. ORR's parent agency agreed with all the report's recommendations, including ensuring that employees and contractors are aware of whistleblower protections. In a letter to the inspector general, the agency pledged to more explicitly specify the protections in contractor agreements and trainings. To alleviate overcrowding in border stations, HHS opened several emergency shelters to house unaccompanied children until they could be placed with sponsors in the United States.

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