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☆ Biden aides tap Google chair for chips research effort, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - The Biden administration picked the chairman of Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O), John Hennessy, and four other technology industry experts to help with research-and-development of next generation computer chips, U.S. officials told Reuters. Hennessy and the selected individuals are set to be announced by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, according to the officials, who declined to be identified. They will be responsible for picking a board of trustees to run the National Semiconductor Technology Center. That public-private partnership was authorized to lead research on next-generation chips as part of last year's bipartisan $52.7 billion semiconductor manufacturing and research law, which also subsidizes new chip plants. The nonprofit board is expected make politically sensitive decisions, including where in the United States to locate the center's research facilities.

Persons: Biden, John Hennessy, Hennessy, Joe Biden, Janet Foutty, Jason Matheny, Don Rosenberg, Brenda Wilkerson, Trevor Hunnicutt, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Google, Reuters, Commerce Department, National Semiconductor Technology, Stanford University, Deloitte, RAND Corp, Anzu Partners, Qualcomm, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Taiwan

☆ Hamish Harding, billionaire explorer and prominent Pakistani father and son are on board the missing sub
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While the names of those on board have not been released by the authorities, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood, and French diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet have been confirmed to be on board the craft. The company said in statement posted on social media that Harding was on board the submersible. From The Explorers ClubFather and sonShahzada Dawood and his son, Sulaiman Dawood, have also been confirmed to be among the five people aboard the submersible. Harding said in a social media post on Saturday that diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, was scheduled to be on the dive with him. He serves as the director of underwater research at RMS Titanic Inc., the company that has exclusive rights to salvage artifacts from the ship.

Persons: Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Sulaiman Dawood, Paul, Henry Nargeolet, Harding, Buzz Aldrin, Giles, ” Hamish Harding, Dawood, Hussain Dawood, Shahzada, Abdul Samad, Sabrina Dawood, Dawood Hercules Corporation’s, Henri Nargeolet, “, ”, Nargeolet’s, Nargeolet, David Gallo, … we’ve, we’re Organizations: CNN, Authorities, United Arab, Action Aviation, Explorers, OceanGate Expeditions, Club, Dawood Hercules Corporation, SETI, BFMTV, Titanic Inc, French Navy Locations: British, United Arab Emirates, New York, California

☆ Grammys add Best African Music Performance category
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Next year’s Grammys will feature three new categories, including Best African Music Performance, as the awards move to reflect the massive popularity of Afrobeats around the world. The category “recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent,” the organizers said in a statement published Wednesday. Throughout the year, the Recording Academy – the group of music industry professionals that presents the Grammy Awards – accepts proposals from its members for new categories. Those proposals are then reviewed by a committee and voted on by the academy’s board of trustees. At a meeting in May, the trustees voted to introduce the Best African Music Performance category, as well as awards for Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording, the statement said.

Persons: –, Harvey Mason Jr, Afrobeats, Mason Jr, ”, Beyoncé, Drake, Ed Sheeran, they’ve Organizations: CNN, Recording Academy, ” Recording, TikTok, Billboard, Company Locations: West Africa, Africa

☆ House Democrats, looking to renew plan to expand Social Security, say debt ceiling fight 'hurts seniors the most'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Social Security already faces funding risksIn order to prevent a Social Security funding shortfall, congressional Democrats and Republicans must agree on a solution. The Social Security 2100 Act that was introduced in the last Congress had broad support among House Democrats. Changes in the Social Security 2100 Actzimmytws | iStock | Getty ImagesThe Social Security 2100 Act aims to extend the program's solvency, though estimates are not yet available for how long it could prolong the program's funding. Social Security 2100 also calls for adding an additional 12.4% net investment income tax for taxpayers making more than $400,000. Max Richtman president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare

☆ A DeSantis-appointed board made this college ground zero for his education agenda. In less than 6 months, the college eliminated its diversity board and will now accept a Christian-focused SAT-alterna
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In January, DeSantis made new appointments to the New College of Florida's board of trustees. His target: New College of Florida, a liberal arts school with less than 700 students, outside of Sarasota, Florida. In January, DeSantis appointed six conservative education leaders to the school's board of 13 total trustees. New College of Florida is the first public school in Florida to accept the CLT as an alternative to other standardized tests. Representatives for Governor DeSantis and New College of Florida did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ What Number Comes Next? The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences Knows.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Siobhan Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Dr. Sloane is the founder of the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, a database of 362,765 (and counting) number sequences defined by a precise rule or property. In 1995, it became an “encyclopedia,” with 5,487 sequences and an additional author, Simon Plouffe, a mathematician in Quebec. A year later, the collection had doubled in size again, so Dr. Sloane put it on the internet. Dr. Pudwell writes algorithms to solve counting problems. “I found this perplexing,” Dr. Pudwell said.

☆ DeSantis defunds diversity programs at Florida public colleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Rich Mckay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 15 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday banning tax dollars from being used in state colleges for diversity, equity and inclusion programs (DEI) in a sweeping measure that also places restrictions on classroom discussion of race. While DEI programs are meant to assist in building racial, social and religious diversity among university faculty and students, the governor and other conservative critics have said they promote left-wing politics and sow racial divisions on campuses. "DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination," DeSantis said at the bill signing on the campus of New College of Florida, a public liberal arts college, on Monday. DeSantis, who is expected to launch a presidential bid later this month, has positioned himself as a leader in that fight. DeSantis said students who want to study diversity subjects should look at universities outside the state.

☆ As retirement age change sparks protests in France, here's what could happen in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Damien Meyer | Afp | Getty ImagesAn increase in pension retirement age to 64 from 62 in France has sparked ongoing protests. The U.S. could be poised for a similar change with the Social Security retirement age. Today, that higher retirement age is still getting phased in. People born in 1960 and later now must wait until 67 to receive their full "retirement age" benefits. For example, if you are eligible for a $1,000 monthly benefit at full retirement age, you would get just $700 per month if you started at age 62.

☆ The World Wide Web Turns 30: A History of the Internet Technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Matthew Riva | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Mosaic browserThe most popular early browser was released eight days before CERN unleashed the web's source code. The move enabled people for the first time to see text and photos side-by-side, and encouraged growth of the fledgling web. One of Mosaic’s developers was Marc Andreessen, who went on to co-found Netscape and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. National Center for Supercomputing Applications/University of Illinois Board of Trustees

☆ Opinion | This Is What the Right-Wing Takeover of a Progressive College Looks Like
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

SARASOTA, Fla. — When I first met Matthew Lepinski, the faculty chair of New College of Florida, he was willing to give the right-wingers sent to remake his embattled progressive public school a chance. Ron DeSantis of Florida appointed six activist conservatives, including the culture war strategist Chris Rufo, to New College’s board of trustees. He hoped the transformation would be proof of concept for his dream: a conservative takeover of higher education across the country. In the ensuing months, there was concern among Lepinski’s colleagues that he wasn’t doing enough to stand up to their new overlords. “I thought maybe there was a path forward with this board where we could focus on the things that unite us instead of the things that divide us,” he said.

☆ New York repatriates three antiquities to Yemen after seizing them from Met board member
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - New York will return three antiquities worth $725,000 to the people of Yemen, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Friday, as part of a criminal investigation into a Manhattan-based private collector. The investigation into White by the Manhattan Antiquities Trafficking Unit "has allowed dozens of antiquities that were ripped from their countries of origin to finally return home," Bragg said. "These are just three of nearly 1,000 antiquities we have repatriated over the past 16 months." In December, the Art Newspaper, a trade publication, reported that the Manhattan district attorney's office had seized $24 million worth of antiquities from White's apartment. The Yemeni pieces will be on temporary display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington until Yemeni authorities can safely repatriate them.

☆ A new bill in Florida would allow citizens to sue for damage to or removal of Confederate statues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new bill in Florida would allow citizens to sue for damage to or removal of historical monuments. The bill doesn't mention Confederate statues, but opponents say it is a response to it. The newly-elected state senator, endorsed by Ron DeSantis during his 2022 campaign, previously served on the Florida Southwestern State College Board of Trustees. Before being elected, the state senator had been investigated for battery but was cleared by prosecutors in August. Over the past few years, a national movement to remove Confederate statues took hold in the US, with proponents of these removals pointing to the statues' ties to slavery.

☆ As possible Social Security benefits cut looms, GOP senator says lawmakers are working on a 'big idea' fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty ImagesSocial Security's trust funds have a new projected depletion date that is about a decade away. The idea calls for creating an investment fund separate from Social Security and allowing the investment to earn returns over a period of 70 years, Cassidy said. It would target the Social Security trust funds' biggest weakness, which is that it has "the absolute worst investment strategy you could have right now," Cassidy said. 'Big idea' inspired by private pensionsThe idea for investing Social Security's funds in the market is inspired by private pension funds, which already buy securities outside of Treasurys. Possible changes to fix Social Security generally include tax increases, benefit cuts or a combination of both.

☆ Supreme Court takes up legal spat over public officials blocking people on social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 19: The Supreme Court of the United States, on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. But the legal dispute is the same: Can blocking someone on social media give rise to a free speech violation under the Constitution's First Amendment? It's a recurring question that has arisen at all levels of government as elected officials increasingly use social media to interact with voters. The appeals court concluded that the elected officials were acting in their official capacities and that social media accounts are akin to a public forum. The court also rejected the officials' argument that their social media pages were not official channels for members of the public to communicate with the government.

☆ Opinion | Harlan Crow Is Not a Nazi, but That’s Beside the Point
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Ben Shapiro is a right-wing media personality who does not appear to have any direct ties to Crow, but he defended him all the same. Harlan Crow, by his own testimony and according to his defenders, goes to get angry. I don’t think Crow is a Nazi or an admirer of dictators and authoritarians. But I don’t think we should take his explanation for his collection at face value either. A monument to Robert E. Lee stood for Robert E. Lee.

CompaniesCompanies Law Firms Conocophillips FollowApril 3 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by environmentalists to temporarily suspend the U.S. government’s approval of ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) multibillion-dollar oil drilling project in Alaska’s Arctic. Gleason said an injunction was inappropriate because the groups wouldn't be irreparably harmed by the construction that ConocoPhillips has scheduled for this month, which includes building roads and a gravel mine. Bridget Psarianos, an attorney challenging the approval, called the planned construction schedule "aggressive" and said the judge's decision is "heartbreaking." The approvals for the project in northern Alaska give ConocoPhillips permission to construct three drill pads, 25.8 miles of gravel roads, an air strip and hundreds of miles of ice roads. The 30-year project would produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, according to the company.

☆ New Zealand ex-PM Ardern becomes trustee of Prince William's Earthshot Prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William has named Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, as a new trustee for his multi-million pound environmental award, the Earthshot Prize. William, heir to throne, set up the prize in 2020 with the mission of finding solutions to the planet's biggest environmental problems through new technologies and ideas. Ardern joins Earthshot's board of trustees as it gears up to select finalists for the 2023 award. Last year, five winners were each awarded 1 million pounds ($1.24 million) at a ceremony in Boston, United States. Prince William said he was grateful that Ardern, who unexpectedly stepped down as New Zealand's leader earlier this year, was joining the team.

☆ Social Security is in jeopardy of cutting benefits in just a decade, and no one's stepping in to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The latest Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees report lays out estimates for both programs. The trustees find that Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits in about 10 years. Importantly, that doesn't mean that, past 2033 or 2034, there will be no Social Security benefits or the program will be bankrupt. "House Republicans are determined to cut Social Security and Medicare," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "With informed discussion, creative thinking, and timely legislative action, Social Security can continue to protect future generations."

☆ Raise retirement age, or hike payroll taxes? New tool lets you decide how to fix Social Security
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

You may have heard that Social Security's funds are running low. Now, a new virtual tool from the American Academy of Actuaries lets you explore Social Security's woes and decide exactly what changes you would make to restore its solvency. Based on the Social Security Administration Board of Trustees' annual 2022 report, the funds may be depleted in 2035. The urgency of Social Security's issues has caught lawmakers' attention recently. During the State of the Union address in February, President Joe Biden prompted leaders from both sides of the aisle to stand to show their support for protecting Social Security and Medicare.

☆ Ron DeSantis posed with a handmade snowflake. It had the word 'fascist' written all over it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis was given a framed snowflake at an event in Iowa, where he was promoting his new book. The word "fascist" was hidden in every branch of the snowflake. Every branch of the snowflake had the word "fascist" hidden in the design. "At a Republican political rally in Davenport, Iowa today someone gave @GovRonDeSantis and @IAGovernor Kim Reynolds a handmade 'snowflake' with the word 'Fascist' secretly embedded in it," Goffman tweeted. Read the snowflake," tweeted Laura Loomer, a pro-Trump, right-wing commentator.

☆ Ron DeSantis posed with a handmade snowflake. It had the words 'fascist' written all over it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis was given a framed snowflake at an event in Iowa, where he was promoting his new book. The word "fascist" was hidden in every branch of the snowflake. Ron DeSantis was photographed posing with a cutout of a white snowflake in Iowa. Every branch of the snowflake had the word "fascist" hidden in the design. Read the snowflake," tweeted Laura Loomer, a pro-Trump, right-wing commentator.

☆ Here’s our fourth-quarter earnings report card for all the stocks in our portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +20 min

Fourth-quarter earnings season is in the rearview mirror and most Club stocks reported results ahead of, or in line with, analysts' forecasts. Moreover, excluding foreign exchange fluctuations, this marked the ninth quarter in a row of 20% or better annual earnings growth. Nvidia (NVDA) reported a very strong quarter and better-than-expected guidance for the current quarter . Eli Lilly 's (LLY) fourth-quarter results came up a bit short on revenue but delivered a strong bottom line. Despite missing on top-line expectations, Wells Fargo 's (WFC) earnings came in better-than-expected, as the bank realized the benefits of higher interest rates .

☆ Biden wants to make sure Medicare lasts the next 25 years by raising taxes on people making over $400,000 and pushing on big pharma to lower drug prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

His budget would slightly raise taxes on those earning over $400,000 to help fund Medicare. His proposal would bring down prescription drug prices, with those savings helping bolster the fund. Altogether, the White House said, that will keep the Medicare Trust Fund solvent for at least 25 years. Currently, according to the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees, Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund is set to be insolvent by 2028. The future of Medicare and Social Security are currently being hotly debated, as Democrats and Republicans prepare to square off over the budget.

☆ Florida bill would ban gender studies majors, diversity programs at universities
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would gain more influence in the state's public university system, and majors involving gender studies or critical race theory would be eliminated if a bill filed this week wins support from the Republican-controlled legislature. The wide-reaching legislation represents a new front in the Republican war against the "woke" agenda many conservatives believe liberals are trying to push on public education across the country. Earlier this month, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott told state agencies and public universities that such practices violated labor laws. The Florida bill would also prohibit spending on programs or campus activities that promote DEI and what it calls "Critical Race Theory rhetoric." Critical race theory is an academic concept that asserts that racism is woven into the U.S. legal system and ingrained in its primary institutions.

☆ The University of North Carolina Fight Escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The kerfuffle we reported two weeks ago over a new school for free expression at the University of North Carolina keeps getting more complicated, and not in a good way. Opponents are now suggesting that UNC’s accreditation could be in jeopardy over the board of trustees’ plan to create the new School of Civic Life and Leadership without the blessing of the faculty. At a meeting Tuesday of the Governor’s Commission on the Governance of Public Universities in North Carolina, accreditation official Belle Wheelan declared that the UNC board would be getting a letter from her agency. Ms. Wheelan is president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS), which accredits UNC, and she referred to “a news article that came out” on the plan to create a new school.

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