DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ I rented clothes instead of buying new, and saved $53 a month—here's the No. 1 reason I'll keep doing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

I started renting used clothes in January, saving me an average of $53 per month so far. Balancing my vanity with an awareness that I needed to budget more effectively, I started renting clothes from Nuuly — a sister company to Urban Outfitters — in January. It hasn't curbed my shopping habits as much as I predicted, but it has saved me money: I spend $53 less per month, on average. But I didn't start renting clothes for my self-esteem. Why I'll keep renting clothes — but not forever

☆ Sen. Bill Cassidy says reaction to mifepristone dispute is 'totally alarmist' and insists abortion remains a state's rights issue – even as GOP colleagues call for nationwide limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy said the concern over mifepristone and the FDA's authority is "totally alarmist." Cassidy said the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision returned decisions on abortion laws back to the states. The Louisiana senator also insisted that decisions on abortion laws had been returned to the states after last year's Supreme Court decision. "I think Dobbs is the uncomfortable middle ground, where people will confront that there is a diversity of opinion. In September, after weeks of arguing that individual states "should decide the issue of abortion," Sen. Lindsey Graham said abortion was "not a states' rights issue" and proposed a national abortion ban that would bar the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

☆ Taliban aim to boost Afghan security forces, anti-aircraft capacity -army chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Mohammad Yunus Yawar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In his remarks on Tuesday, Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, a Taliban commander from the northern region of Badakhshan and the chief of army staff, condemned incursions by foreign drones into Afghan airspace. Fitrat said a major defence focus was securing Afghan airspace against drones and other incursions. He also stopped short of naming Pakistan, against which the Taliban administration has regularly protested, accusing its neighbour of allowing drones to enter Afghanistan. Ties between the neighbours have occasionally been tense as as Pakistan has accused the Taliban administration of allowing Afghan territory to be used as a haven for militant groups. The Taliban administration denies allowing its territory to be used for attacks on others, however.

☆ ChatGPT is better at predicting how stocks will react to news headlines than traditional models, new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Florida researchers asked ChatGPT to analyze the sentiment of news headlines to forecast resulting stock moves. They said their study "demonstrates the value of ChatGPT in predicting stock market returns." They used this sentiment analysis to compute a numerical "ChatGPT score" and analyzed whether these scores were predictive of the company's stock market performance the next day. The researchers found a statistically significant positive correlation between these scores and the next-day stock performance for the companies they analyzed. "In short, our study demonstrates the value of ChatGPT in predicting stock market returns," the researchers wrote.

When we've been awake for a long time, our sleep drive kicks in and tells us we need to sleep. During REM sleep, the cortex – responsible for cognition and emotion-processing – is activated in some regions and deactivated in others. After cycling through non-REM and REM sleep around 4 to 5 times, the basal forebrain and other structures receive signals to start exiting sleep. WHEN SLEEP GOES WRONGIn the U.S. alone, 50 to 70 million people experience some type of chronic sleep disorder, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). In the United States, a list of board-certified sleep medicine physicians and accredited sleep disorders centers is available from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

☆ Why fighting the urge to sleep may be bad for our health
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

What happens when we sleep Sleep itself has cycles, in which the brain and body move through phases, marked by varying brain activity. Moving into REM sleep A region in the upper brainstem kickstarts the move into REM sleep. Waking up After cycling through non-REM and REM sleep around 4 to 5 times, the basal forebrain and other structures receive signals to start exiting sleep. Then we transition back to lighter sleep, into REM sleep and back down again, and so on until we wake up. Tips for better sleep Good sleep habits can contribute to better sleep, studies have found.

☆ These 10 fairly priced stocks are well off recent highs. Here's where we stand on them
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

52-week high date: April 5, 2022 Percent below 52-week high: 68.4% Forward P/E: 2.1 We continue to view troubled Bausch Health as a wait-and-see situation. CTRA 1Y mountain Coterra's stock performance over the past 12 months. 52-week high date: May 31, 2022 Percent below 52-week high: 26.94% Forward P/E: 9.5 Our view on Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) is similar to Coterra. 52-week high date: June 8, 2022 Percent below 52-week high: 24.46% Forward P/E: 10.4 Like our two other energy stocks, we want to see another pullback in Halliburton shares before we'd add to our position. 52-week high date: Jan. 27, 2023 Percent below 52-week high: 18.26% Forward P/E: 13.4 Caterpillar is a beaten-down stock worth buying.

☆ Call it the Great Cash Out: Almost half of job switchers are making the mistake of cashing out their retirement savings when they go
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Americans are rushing to cash out their 401(k)s, and it's not just about being strapped for money. Cashing out when you leave a job can mean you miss out on major long-term savings, experts say. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyAmericans have been cashing out their retirement savings at an "alarming" rate. That's despite the IRS's 10% penalty, under most circumstances, for those under the age of 59.5 who choose to cash out. Of the workers withdrawing from their funds after a job separation, only 27% were fired or laid off.

☆ Chicago mayoral election live results: Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas face off in runoff election
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas are facing off in the Chicago mayoral runoff election. The winning candidate will succeed Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was the third-place finisher in the initial Feb. 28 mayoral election behind Vallas and Johnson, respectively, missing her chance to compete in the runoff. Garcia came in fourth place in the February mayoral election; in 2015, he was also a mayoral candidate, forcing then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel into a runoff election, which he eventually lost. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, Vallas raised $6.4 million in the lead-up to the initial February mayoral election and has raked in at least $10.9 million since March 1. Johnson raised nearly $4 million before the February election and has taken in at least $5.8 million since March 1.

☆ US consumer confidence rises; house price inflation slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 104.2 this month from a reading of 103.4 in February. Housing affordability, which deteriorated as mortgage rates surged in response to the Fed's fight against inflation, is starting to gradually improve as house price gains continue to moderate. Annual house price growth remained strong in the Southeast, with double-digit gains in Miami and Tampa. The region had experienced rapid house price increases in prior years. Goods trade balanceThe Commerce Department also reported that wholesale inventories rose 0.2% in February after falling 0.5% in January.

☆ US consumer confidence improved in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The business group’s Consumer Confidence Index increased to 104.2 in March from an upwardly revised reading of 103.4 the month before. The March headline index saw a boost from consumers’ improved levels of confidence for the six-month-ahead time frame. The Expectations Index increased to 73 from 70.4 in February, while the Present Situation Index dipped to 151.1 from 153. The Conference Board’s confidence index and the University of Michigan’s twice-a-month consumer sentiment index are two leading gauges of consumers’ attitudes toward the current and future strength of the economy. Although the two indexes typically track similarly over time, the consumer confidence index is more influenced by employment and labor market conditions, while the Michigan sentiment index has a greater emphasis on household finances and the impact of inflation.

☆ Medical debt can be 'a bit of a surprise,' expert says — and 21% who have it owe $5,000 or more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Antonio_diaz | Istock | Getty ImagesThe largest bills are mostly owed to hospitalsThe Urban Institute study found that 73% of adults with medical debt owe hospitals at least some of it. Almost two-thirds, or 63%, of adults with past-due medical debt incurred it when they had insurance, the research found. An estimated 100 million adults have medical debtOverall, an estimated 41% of people — or about 100 million adults — face medical debt, ranging from under $500 to $10,000 or more, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. watch nowNo Surprises Act is reducing unexpected billsOne of the biggest causes of unexpected large medical bills historically was out-of-network providers being involved in your care — often at a hospital — without you realizing it. Some medical debt is dropping off credit reports

☆ Factbox: Ernie vs ChatGPT on global leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Eduardo Baptista | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

These were some of the summarized answers to questions Reuters posed to Ernie in Chinese, and ChatGPT in English, about world leaders:WHAT POLICIES HAS PRESIDENT XI JINPING INTRODUCED THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO CHINA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? WHO ARE U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S RELATIVES? Ernie: "A relative of U.S. President Joe Biden is Valerie Biden Owens." ChatGPT: "President Joe Biden has a large and close-knit family," it says before naming Jill, Hunter, Ashley and Beau Biden and providing brief descriptions. "Joe Biden also has several grandchildren."

☆ Meet some of the 'hot rodders' making classic gas-powered cars run on electric motors and batteries — see their coolest conversions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"We're seeing that more and more, as the next generation of hot rodders come up, that they do want to do an EV conversion. 1974 BMW 2002 5-Speed electric conversion Bring a TrailerThe proof? Gadget, who was featured in the "Revenge of the Electric Car" documentary, starts by taking batteries out of crashed Teslas. "You'll see electric cars actually beat gasoline cars with the same horsepower out of the gate, but when they're absolutely quiet, you'll lose some people," Drewry said. 1966 VW Bus 21 Window with a Netgain Hyper 9 motor and EV West’s bolt-in “6 pack” Tesla battery EV WestFor Bream, it's actually about prolonging legacy.

☆ Founders swarmed SVB’s Bay Area branches looking for answers after bank's historic failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A Brinks armored truck sits parked in front of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. In Santa Clara on Friday morning, SVB customers arrived frustrated and angry, many donning blank and tired faces. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Toward the end of the day, startup founders trickled in less and less to the Menlo Park office promenade in hopes of catching a representative. ‘I'm trying to get a check!’In Menlo Park, Teslas filed into SVB's Sand Hill Road parking lot Friday. At the Menlo Park branch, one person, wearing a Patagonia jacket, posed for a picture in front of the SVB logo.

How much you pay (or don't) in taxes has the potential to shift what's possible in your overall plan. When it comes to your taxes, making mistakes can mean losing money. Thankfully for my financial planning clients, I catch some common missteps before they are made — that's one of the benefits of working with a certified financial planner. Using tax software can be a great solution that saves money when your financial situation is very simple and straightforward. Using a CPA can help you avoid mistakes that would cost far more than the fee you pay to retain them.

☆ A Japan Airlines flight was turned away and had to fly 550 miles back to Tokyo after missing an airport's closing time by 10 minutes, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Japan Airlines flight was turned back after missing a curfew, per a Japanese newspaper. Fukuoka Airport does not allow flights to land after 10 p.m. due to noise concerns. The flight, JL331 by Japan Airlines, was turned back just outside Fukuoka Airport on Sunday February 19 after just missing the curfew for landing, The Asahi Shimbun reported. A Japan Airlines flight was turned back. In an email to Insider, Japan Airlines said it covered cab fares and hotels for everyone on board.

[1/2] People stand in line to use an ATM money machine in Saint Petersburg, Russia February 27, 2022. For the majority, who bank in roubles with huge retail lenders, such as Sberbank (SBER.MM), the answer is: not much. "Nothing has changed for me at all," said Vyacheslav Fatikhovich, a taxi driver in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. "The only thing is that customers are paying less by card and more often in cash," he said. "I quickly opened three UnionPay cards at different Russian banks," Andrey, who now works outside Russia, said.

☆ China’s property crash is prompting banks to offer mortgages to 70-year-olds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Some banks in the cities of Nanning, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Beijing have extended the upper age limit on mortgages to between 80 and 95, according to a number of state media reports. China’s property market is in the midst of a historic downturn. The mortgage borrower’s age plus mortgage length should not usually exceed 70 years, according to previous rules published by the banking regulator. Separately, a branch of Citic Bank has extended the upper age limit on its mortgages to 80, the paper said, citing a bank client manager. Other than Beijing, some banks in Nanning, the provincial capital of Guangxi province, have raised the upper age limit on mortgages to 80, according to the city’s official newspaper Nanguo Zaobao.

☆ China, U.S. to participate in first meeting of new debt roundtable on Feb. 17
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Officials from China, India, Saudi Arabia and Group of Seven wealthy nations will participate in a first virtual meeting of a new sovereign debt roundtable on Friday, three sources familiar with the plans said on Monday. Creation of the body comes amid growing frustration about the slow pace of discussions on debt relief for Zambia, which first requested help two years ago. Organizers say the roundtable could help resolve issues in principle, including cutoff dates for debt treatments, and will not focus on Zambia or other individual cases. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other G7 officials see China, now the world's largest sovereign creditor, as the main stumbling block for quicker work on debt treatments. “The majority of countries support expanding these policies to middle-income countries, but China is the biggest challenge,” LeCompte said, adding that Europe had gone through a similar period of reluctance on debt relief in the 1990s, but eventually came around.

☆ Millions of Americans are about to be forced to cut up to $258 a month out of their grocery budgets as emergency food stamps suddenly end in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Come March, millions of Americans will see their SNAP benefits drop drastically, some by over $200. As seen in the map, around 30 states and Washington, DC, would be affected by the abrupt cutoff of SNAP benefits. Based on figures from FRAC, 393,341 households in Alabama for instance would receive emergency allotments of SNAP in February 2023. Now, Plata-Nino said, states are scrambling to get the word out to residents that their benefits are being dramatically reduced. Are you worried about your SNAP benefits shrinking?

☆ Fact Check-No evidence for claims FAA updated its pilot ECG guidelines due to COVID-19 vaccine injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Very concerned.”“After the vaccine rolled out, the FAA secretly widened the EKG parameter range for pilots so they wouldn’t be grounded. A PR interval between 120 and 200 milliseconds (ms) is considered normal, according to standard medical practice (here ). A PR interval greater than 200ms is considered to be a first degree atrioventricular block (AV block), which means that the signals are delayed (though not blocked), as explained (here). According to the American Heart Association (here), "A first-degree heart block occurs when the electrical impulse moves through the heart’s AV node slower than normal. First-degree heart block rarely causes symptoms and may not require treatment."

☆ Natural gas prices hit lowest since April 2021 and have crashed 70% from highs as demand weakens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US natural gas prices slumped 8% Thursday to hit the lowest level in nearly two years. At $2.80 per million British thermal units, the latest price represents a plunge of more than 70% from highs reached in August. Gas traded just below $2.81 per million British thermal units, the lowest level since April of 2021. The latest natural gas price represents a plunge of more than 70% from the high of $10.03 reached in August. Hedge funds have turned the most bearish on US natural gas in almost three years, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission show, according to Bloomberg.

☆ Visits to Zambia by Yellen, IMF reflect concern over stalled debt talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Frustrated by the delays, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva arrived for separate visits in Zambia on Sunday. Both see a new sovereign debt roundtable - introduced late last year - as a way to make progress on long-stalled debt restructuring processes. Yellen told Reuters en route to Zambia she supported the roundtable as a forum for discussing general principles of debt relief. Yellen, however, noted rates were nowhere near those seen under Volcker and inflation was not out of control. "We're in a higher interest rate environment, and that's something that's linked to the strong dollar, and weaker currencies for many emerging markets, but also Japan and other countries," Yellen said.

☆ The purple Wiggle responds to his TikTok heartthrob status: 'It's opened up a new world of followers'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

On TikTok, parents and nonparents alike have been thirsting after a member of one of the biggest children's acts in the world — the new purple Wiggle from The Wiggles. — likely stems from a video Pearce posted this week in which he participated in a trend that stems from the movie "Zoolander." Originally, Pearce wanted to film the clip with the original purple Wiggle, Jeff Fatt, while the two were on a recent tour together. In the clip, Pearce's purple Wiggle persona bumps into his everyday self dressed in a cutoff T-shirt, revealing his toned and tattooed arms. He added that he's looking forward to meeting his newest slew of fans when The Wiggles tour later this year.

Search resuls for: "Cutoff"

25 mentions found