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☆ What causes someone to become a serial killer? Criminology experts explain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Alaa Elassar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —For decades, criminologists and true crime documentaries have attempted to understand what causes serial killers to commit the atrocities they do. CNN spoke with three forensic psychologists and serial killer experts to better understand what causes people to become serial killers. Scott Bonn: Not all psychopaths are serial killers, and not all serial killers are psychopaths. In the case (of a serial killer who) is a psychopath, their brain functions differently than a normal human brain. Are all serial killers serial sexual murderers?

Persons: Dennis Rader, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo, Ted Bundy, Rex Heuermann, Heuermann, he’s, Long, Scott Bonn, Psychopaths, Louis Schlesinger, Katherine Ramsland, DeSalvo, Joe Dennehy, Scott, –, you’re, they’re, Bundy, There’s, BTK, Jack, who’ve, They’re, Marny Malin, Sygma, William Heirens, ”, Ted Bundys, John Wayne Gacys, Dennis, they’re chameleons, it’s, He’s, there’s, Jeffrey Dahmer's Organizations: CNN, University of Michigan, John Jay College of Criminal, DeSales University, Boston, Boston Globe, Des, Des Plaines Police Department, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Getty, Lutheran Church, Boy Scout, Suffolk County Sheriff's, Scott Bonn Locations: United States, New York, Shore, criminologist, Scott Bonn, Chicago, Des Plaines, Milwaukee, Suffolk County, Long

☆ Wesleyan University ends legacy admissions after Supreme Court decision on affirmative action
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

More Americans disagree with legacy admissionsToday, fewer Americans agree with legacy admissions. "This preferential treatment overwhelmingly goes to white applicants and harms efforts to diversify color," added Michael Kippins, litigation fellow at Lawyers for Civil Rights. The NAACP called on more than 1,600 U.S. public and private colleges and universities to commit to increasing the representation of historically underrepresented students and end the practice of legacy admissions. The reality is we've reached a pretty good consensus on the use of identity in college admissions. Legacy admissions 'could be deemed unconstitutional'Since the practice of legacy admissions has indirect racial implications, these challenges may have legal merit, according to Jeanine Conley Daves, an attorney at New York-based firm Littler.

Persons: Wesleyan University Joanne Rathe, Ivan Espinoza, Madrigal, Michael Kippins, Ivory Toldson, Alvin Tillery, Don Harris, Harris, John Roberts, Jeanine Conley Daves Organizations: Wesleyan University, Boston Globe, Harvard University, Civil Rights, Pew Research, Harvard, NAACP, Northwestern University's Center, Diversity, Diversity and Democracy, Supreme, Temple University School of Law Locations: Massachusetts, New York

☆ Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Relatives Condemn His Comments Once More
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Maggie Astor | More About Maggie Astor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Several members of the Kennedy family have condemned a bigoted conspiracy theory from the Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suggested that the coronavirus was “ethnically targeted” to spare Jews and Chinese people. In comments at a recent event in New York City, a recording of which was first published by The New York Post, Mr. Kennedy said: “Covid-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” He added, “We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not.”His sister Kerry Kennedy called his remarks “deplorable and untruthful” and said they did not represent the principles espoused by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the organization she leads — named after their father, the former attorney general and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. His brother Joseph Kennedy II issued a similar statement, telling The Boston Globe: “Bobby’s comments are morally and factually wrong. His remarks in no way reflect the words and actions of our father, Robert F. Kennedy.”

Persons: Kennedy, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, “, ”, Kerry Kennedy, —, Joseph Kennedy II Organizations: Democratic, The New, Kennedy Human Rights, Boston Globe Locations: New York City, The New York

Alphabet shares were outperforming the broader market, with the S&P 500 (.SPX) up 0.6%, boosted by data showing signs of cooling inflation. Clearly they've been able to reassure European regulators about those issues, which just paves the way for further advantage really," said Hewson. Alphabet shares, which have seen a huge boost from investor excitement around generative artificial intelligence since February, are up around 41% so far this year. Microsoft shares are up 42% so far in 2023. Also on Thursday, TD Cowen raised its price target for Alphabet shares to $140 from $130 citing expectations of better growth in its search business.

Persons: Bard, watchdogs, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell, they've, Hewson, Art Hogan, Riley, TD Cowen, Bansari Mayur, Sinéad Carew, Conor Humphries Organizations: Inc, European Union, Google, Microsoft Corp, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Europe, Brazil, Bengaluru, New York

About Ally Invest Robo PortfoliosAlly Invest Robo Portfolios is an Ally Financial-affiliated automated account offering investing without fees for US residents. Ally Invest Robo Portfolios FeesAlly Invest Robo Portfolios doesn't charge trading fees, advisory fees, annual fees, or rebalancing. Methodology: How We Reviewed Ally Invest Robo PortfoliosAlly Invest Robo Portfolios is a robo-advisor that was reviewed using Personal Finance Insider's rating methodology for investing platforms. How Ally Invest Robo Portfolio ComparesAlly Invest Robo Portfolios vs. Fidelity GoIf you're a hands-off investor in search of automated portfolio management, Ally Invest Robo Portfolios and Fidelity Go are both popular robo-advisors. Ally Invest Robo Portfolios vs. Schwab Intelligent PortfoliosAlly Invest Robo Portfolios and Charles Schwab's most basic automated account, Charles Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, both offer competitive automated investing services.

Persons: Ally, Ally Invest's, Ally Invest, it's, It's, you'll, Roth, Charles Schwab, Schwab, Charles Schwab's, brokerages, Rickie Houston, Rickie, He's, Read, Elias Shaya, Elias, Tessa Campbell Organizations: Reading Chevron, Financial, Ally Invest, Better, Bureau, BBB, Financial Inc, Invest, IRS, Roth IRA, Investment, Vanguard, Fidelity, Finance, Schwab, Business, Boston Globe, Yahoo News, Boston University, Boston University News Service, CUNY College of, New York Presbyterian Hospital Locations: New York City, CUNY College of Staten Island, Lebanon

☆ Should public buses be free?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

New York CNN —More major cities in the United States are letting public transit riders hop on board for free. Boston is piloting three zero-fare public bus routes, and New York City is expected to test free buses on five lines. Fares made up, on average, 12.5% of transit agencies’ operating expenses in 2021, down from 31.4% in 2019, according to the American Public Transit Association. “By offering free public transport, we are not really attracting car drivers in large volumes,” said Mohamed Mezghani, secretary general of the International Association of Public Transport. “There’s no such thing as free transit,” he added.

Persons: Michelle Wu, “, ”, Lane Turner, Stephanie Lotshaw, American Public Transit Association . Massachusetts Sen, Edward Markey, Ayanna Pressley, Wu, Matt Stone, Henry Bendon, ” Bendon, Fares, Pat Greenhouse, Mohamed Mezghani, Sarah Kaufman, There’s, Boston Mayor Wu, Olivier Douliery, Richard Jarrold, Jarrold Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boston, CNN, Boston Globe, American Public Transit Association . Massachusetts, US, MediaNews, Boston Herald, Getty, Richmond, Agency, American Public Transit Association, Kansas City, International Association of Public Transport, “, Rudin Center, Transportation, New York University, Boston Mayor, Getty Images Washington, Transportation Authority Locations: New York, United States, Kansas City, Raleigh, Richmond, Olympia, Tucson, Alexandria, Virginia, Denver, Boston, New York City, America, Tallinn, Estonia, Dunkirk, France, Luxembourg, Washington ,, AFP, Kansas

☆ A Tragic Act of Gun Violence Repeats Itself in a Small Southern Town
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Lauren Leblanc | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Threaded through her consciousness is a steady reference to nursery rhymes and folklore, the vehicles by which she carries her shame. Ghost stories and folksy tales, as well as novels, embody a history worth exploring. If the truth is subject to debate, perhaps we’re only left with stories to set us free. “Inside the Wolf” is a vital Southern novel that speaks to a violent American legacy. Lauren LeBlanc is a book critic whose writing has appeared in The Times, The Boston Globe and The Atlantic, among other publications.

Persons: Rachel reconnects, ” Rowland, Palmer, Rachel, Rowland, Lauren LeBlanc Organizations: The Times, Boston Globe Locations: Southern, American

☆ 5 surprising travel deals you can get at Costco: From car rentals to African safaris
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Car rentalsJonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesCostco Travel offers members exclusive rates on car-rental brands including Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise. You can search by brand or find the best deal using the retailer's low price finder search tool, which allows you to narrow down search results by car type, number of passengers, and luggage amount. Costco's rental car program also features additional member perks like the ability to book an additional driver at select locations, "book now, pay at the counter" options, zero cancellation fees, and an annual 2% award for executive members.

Persons: Jonathan Wiggs Organizations: Boston Globe, Getty, Costco Travel, Alamo, Budget Locations: Avis

☆ Publishers Clearing House to refund customers $18.5 million in FTC settlement for 'deceptive' practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Publishers Clearing House offices in Jericho, New York on Jan. 30, 2019. Bill Perlman/Newsday RM via Getty Images)How 'dark patterns' can trap consumersSara Adair shows off the oversized check for $1 million her husband Mark received from the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol in South Boston, Massachusetts, on April 1, 2022. Dark patterns are a "manipulative" and unlawful design trick, examples of which include pre-checked boxes, hard to find and read disclosures, and confusing cancellation policies, the FTC said. When it included disclaimers or clarifying information, the text was in small, light font and overlooked by consumers, the FTC claimed. In addition to sweepstakes, PCH also sells merchandise and magazines.

Persons: Bill Perlman, Sara Adair, Mark, Craig F, Walker, Samuel Levine, PCH Organizations: Clearing, Newsday, Getty, Publishers, Boston Globe, FTC, Amazon, Consumer, Firms Locations: Jericho , New York, South Boston , Massachusetts, FTC's

☆ Bloomberg conducts a rare layoff in an ongoing restructuring of its media operation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bloomberg has laid off a handful in the newsroom as it shifts resources around in the organization. Bloomberg has done a rare layoff of a handful of people in its newsroom of 2,700, as it shifts resources around in the organization. In audio, Bloomberg shuttered its afternoon Boston radio program in June and replaced it with its Bloomberg Businessweek show. But Bloomberg Media is protected by its ownership by Michael Bloomberg's much larger financial information giant Bloomberg LP, whose key product, the Bloomberg Terminal, is widely used on Wall Street. Bloomberg Media CEO Scott Havens said the company grew revenue 16% in 2022, marking its 10th quarter of advertising growth.

Persons: David Merritt, Julie Alnwick McHale, Luke Morano, I've, Kim Carrigan, Tom Moroney, Joe Shortsleeve, Anthony Mancini, Michael Bloomberg's, Scott Havens, John Micklethwait Organizations: Bloomberg, Bloomberg Media Editorial, Boston, Bloomberg Businessweek, Boston Globe, Media, Bloomberg Media Locations: downturns

☆ If you're looking for a last-minute trip to Cape Cod during the 'busy' season, you might be in luck. Summer rentals are sitting empty.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's not too late to book a short-term vacation rental on Cape Cod this summer. Even as the vacation hot spot enters its busy season, locals are seeing the demand for vacation rentals soften. The occupancy rate is down 20% from last year, according to The Cape Cod & Islands Association of Realtors. After listing those homes on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, the supply of vacation rentals is through the roof. The real estate group says the average daily rate has climbed to $619 up from $525 last summer.

Persons: It's, —, Airbnb, Insider's, Vrbo, Beth Teitell, Ryan Castle, John Greim, Annie Blatz Organizations: Service, Islands Association of Realtors, Boston Globe, Globe, Getty, Kinlin Grover Compass Locations: Cod, Cape Cod

Separately, state agencies said late Thursday that millions of people in Louisiana and Oregon had their data compromised in a security breach. The cyberattack has targeted federal and state agencies. No other federal agencies have confirmed being impacted. And on Thursday, state agencies said 3.5 million Oregonians with driver’s licenses or state ID cards had been impacted by a breach as well as anyone with that documentation in Louisiana. But much of the responsibility now lies on businesses and federal agencies rather than individuals, according to Cattanach.

Persons: “, ” Robert Cattanach, Dorsey, you’re, ”, Clop, Brett Callow, Emsisoft, ” Callow, Aon, they’ve, ” CISA, Allan Liska Organizations: CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, Whitney, Department of Justice, The Department of Energy, BBC, British Airways, Boston Globe, Sydney Phoenix, US Department of Homeland, Johns Hopkins University, University of Georgia, –, Progress Software Locations: Russian, Louisiana, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, Arlington , VA, Baltimore, Georgia’s

☆ Amazon cloud services back up after big outage hits thousands of users
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Samrhitha A | Chavi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Amazon.com said cloud services offered by its unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS), were restored after a big disruption on Tuesday affected websites of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Boston Globe among others. FILE PHOTO: 3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the AWS (Amazon Web Service) cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. The outage also affected services at the U.S. securities regulator’s EDGAR system, Southwest Airlines, the Verge and AP for Students. United Airlines said that its operations were minimally affected, adding “we’re out of impact.”Other Amazon services like Amazon Music and Alexa were also impacted, according to Downdetector. Amazon had its last major outage in December 2021, when disruptions to its cloud services temporarily knocked out streaming platforms Netflix and Disney+, Robinhood, and Amazon’s e-commerce website ahead of Christmas.

Persons: Dado, Downdetector.com, Downdetector, EDGAR, Alexa won’t Organizations: Reuters, Amazon Web Services, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Boston Globe, REUTERS, Services, Lambda, AWS Lambda, Southwest Airlines, Twitter, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Amazon Music, Alexa, Netflix, Disney

☆ Amazon Web Services briefly hit by wide-ranging outage, impacting major websites
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Amazon Web Services was briefly hit by a wide-ranging outage on Tuesday afternoon that impacted a large number of major websites, including the Boston Globe and New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority. Other news outlets such as The Verge also publicly confirmed that their websites were temporarily hit by the AWS outage. There were some 12,000 reports of issues accessing AWS services on outage-tracking site DownDetector at around 3 p.m. ET, the dashboard reported that, “Many AWS services are now fully recovered and marked Resolved on this event. ET, the dashboard stated that, “The issue has been resolved and all AWS Services are operating normally.”

Persons: Donald Trump’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Amazon, Services, Boston Globe, New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority, Globe, York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Twitter, Southwest Airlines, Service Locations: New York City’s, Miami, York’s, Northern Virginia

☆ Sales of metallic boots and sequin dresses are soaring as fans dress up for Taylor Swift's Eras tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Taylor Swift's Eras tour has pushed up demand for metallic boots and sequin dresses, CNN reported. Taylor Swift fans arrive at Gillette Stadium for her concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Bipty has compiled a collection of Taylor Swift Eras looks. BiptyAnd online fashion retailer Hazel & Olive have started selling a $129 sequin fringe dress in various colors named for Swift's Eras tour. A pair of women take a selfie while riding on the commuter line to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to see Taylor Swift in concert.

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Revisit some of the predominant trends in music that came to define a mercurial decade, from pop-rap and boy bands to aesthetic sadness and protest anthems. Rap goes the viral pop routeAt the beginning of the 2010s, rap stars had trouble scoring their own No. Dark and dreary pop blows upLana Del Rey helped to usher in a new era of downbeat and dark pop. Karl Walter/Getty ImagesBoth the Weeknd and Del Rey have pivoted since their debuts, with their images becoming more complicated than their indie origins belie. Del Rey, meanwhile, has only burrowed deeper into her niche, crafting intensely personal records that have matured with her listeners.

The tally of U.S. companies that have gone bankrupt so far in 2023 is higher than the first four months of any year since 2010, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence showed. There were 54 corporate bankruptcy petitions in April, down from 70 in March, S&P Global said. Still, the year-to-date count more than doubled to 236 from a year ago. Consumer discretionary companies logged a higher number of bankruptcies than any other sector in 2023, according to S&P Global, with the once high-flying retailer Bed Bath & Beyond among the latest victims. Largest bankruptcies of 2023 (with more than $1 billion in liabilities):Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Refinitiv EikonReporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

In the years that followed, male athletes treated their first sub-four-minute mile as a watershed moment – a rite of passage on the way to becoming a top middle-distance runner. “Back then, getting under that four-minute mile was a big thing, especially for milers,” he added. Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay had become the first people to summit the world’s highest peak the year before, and the first four-minute mile duly became running’s own Everest summit, expanding perceptions of human potential. Wes Santee, seen here competing in a three-mile cross-country race, came close to running a sub-four-minute mile during his career. “It still has some mystique,” Magness says about the status of the four-minute mile today.

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☆ John Stobart, Celebrated Maritime Painter, Dies at 93
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Alex Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

John Stobart, a British-born artist whose evocative, meticulously researched oil paintings of 19th-century harbors and tall ships earned him a reputation as one of the world’s foremost maritime painters, as well as millions of dollars, died on March 2 in Wellesley, Mass. His death was confirmed by his wife, Anne Fletcher. A product of Britain’s Royal Academy of Art, Mr. Stobart moved to the United States in 1970, when conceptual art, Op Art and Minimalism were riding high in the wake of Abstract Expressionism. Affable, unassuming and unfailingly candid, Mr. Stobart would have none of it. “I’ve never bought it, and the general public has never bought it either,” he said of abstract art in an interview with The Boston Globe in 1986.

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☆ Price hikes are double whammy for pet owners who are crushed by inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Minneapolis CNN —As head of PAWS Atlanta, Joe Labriola can get a good sense of the region’s economic well-being from the day-to-day activity of the city’s oldest no-kill animal shelter. And the shelves at PAWS Atlanta’s Pet Food Pantry quickly go bare. She said her pet food costs for Lola, her Australian Shepherd mix, and for Phoebe, her Golden Retriever, have doubled to $250 per month. Josh Fiala, Animal Rescue League of Iowa's Pet Support Services Manager, helps load pet food into a vehicle during a Pet Food Pantry in January 2022. Courtesy Animal Rescue League of IowaARL gave out about 40,000 pounds of pet food in both 2020 and 2021.

☆ Why it’s impossible to find an open squat rack at the gym
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

You’ll have much better luck finding an open elliptical machine than a bench press, squat rack or 30-pound dumbbells. The pandemic led more people to take up weight training, gym owners and industry experts say. Post-pandemic, the surge in the popularity of weight training has helped the gym industry recover. Paul/Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesThe arrival of Nautilus and Universal strength training equipment in the 1970s and 1980s made weightlifting more attractive to a broader range of people. Genesis clubs have added more squat and dumbbell racks to keep up with demand for strength training and downsized cardio areas.

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