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☆ Fani Willis Affair Claims Are Nothing More Than Bad Optics: Experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Associated Press | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Allegations have surfaced of an affair between Fulton County DA Fani Willis and an attorney she hired. AdvertisementFulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hired attorney Nathan Wade to lead the Georgia prosecution of Donald Trump and 18 others over efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The lawyer is seeking to get the indictment tossed and to remove Willis and Wade from the case. Outside of any effect on this case, Willis, an elected Democrat, is up for reelection this year, and this could become a campaign issue depending on how she ultimately responds. Records show Wade billed for what he described as "travel to Athens; conf with White House Counsel" in May 2022.

Persons: Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Willis, Donald Trump, —, Wade, Wade —, Trump, vies, it's, Rahmani, Anthony Michael Kreis, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, unseal, Joycelyn Wade, Joycelyn, Jeff DiSantis, John Floyd, Anna Cross, Wade's, Thurbert Baker, Baker, It's, Neil Warren, foreperson, Georgia —, There's, Peter Strzok, Robert James, that's, I've, James Organizations: Service, Trump, West, Trial, Georgia State University, Associated Press, White, Caribbean, AP, Defense, White House, Records, DC Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Napa Valley , Florida, Caribbean, Wade's, San Francisco, Belize, Panama, Australia, Miami, Cobb County, Athens, Russia, DeKalb County , Georgia

☆ Liquor lockers are revolutionizing how the elite have a nightcap
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Priya Raj | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewLiquor lockers, also known as bottle keeps, are popping up in bars and members' clubs across the globe. They allow patrons to buy a bottle of alcohol and store it at the establishment to be consumed at a later date. AdvertisementLiquor lockers provide a home away from homeThe Whiskey Locker at The Other House resident's club in South Kensington, London. "We've had members buy some exclusive bottles, come in and do exactly that — show off," he added. Though the venue has 120 spaces for bottles, Gow told BI they have been extremely popular and they're quickly running out of space.

Persons: —, Priya Raj, James Semenowycz, Liam Simmons, Tom Dixon keyring, Simmons, Kyle Gow, they've, Gow, We've, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Soho House, Co Inc, Pan, BI Locations: South Kensington, London, Pan Pacific London, Edinburgh, Scotland, San Francisco, New York

☆ Cities to watch in 2024: Las Vegas is drawing movers who want glitzy, big-city perks — with an affordable price tag
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Too said groceries, gas, and even movie tickets are less pricey in Las Vegas. Katz, a big sports fan, said some of his favorite things to do in the city are watching the Las Vegas Knights and the Las Vegas Aviators, a Minor League baseball team (an affiliate of Major League Oakland Athletics, who are moving to Las Vegas in the near future ). With the 2024 Super Bowl taking place in Las Vegas, Hamrick argued that the city has recently become a sports "mecca." AdvertisementTo receive that kind of hospitality, you don't have to venture far from the bustling parts of Las Vegas. Too said he lives only three miles from the Strip but feels worlds away from the flashy Las Vegas people envision.

Persons: —, Richard Katz, Katz, Vegas , Nevada Allan Baxter, Andrew Arevalo, Bob Hamrick, Michael Too, Arevalo, that's, I've, Paolo Becarelli, Hamrick, Strip Katz, He's, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Sin City —, Las Vegas, Census, Coldwell Banker, Las Vegas Knights, Las Vegas Aviators, Minor League baseball, Major League Oakland Athletics, Strip Locations: Virginia, West, Sacramento, Seattle, Florida, Texas, . Colorado, Reno, California, Las Vegas, Vegas , Nevada, Sin, Vegas, Nevada, Sin City, Texas , Arizona, Washington, Utah, San Francisco, Bay, Redfin, Mount Charleston, Fire, Summerlin, Indiana, Western, it's

☆ SailGP: $5 million boats and courses across the world. Welcome to the ‘fastest race on water’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

When you think of race weekends in Abu Dhabi, Formula One comes to mind. The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix is new to the global 13-race calendar. “So, our racing’s a short format packaged into a 90-minute broadcast window.”SailGP CEO Russell Coutts discusses the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council. “We have almost 1,200 kids sitting in Abu Dhabi Sports Club for a whole week being excited about this,” said Al Shimarri. The sailors were tested by challenging light winds in Abu Dhabi, where Van der Velden and Spain finished runners-up behind the dominant New Zealand team.

Persons: Abu, it’s, “, Russell Coutts, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Coutts, He’s, ” Coutts, ”, ” It’s, It’s, ” SailGP, Nicole van der, Van der, CNN's Becky Anderson, CNN Abu, ” Homaid Al Shimmari, Al Shimarri, Mubadala, SailGP, Van der Velden, Taylor Canfield Organizations: CNN, Kiwis, Formula, United, Abu Dhabi Sail, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, New Zealand, Abu, Impact League, Abu Dhabi Sports Club, NYU, Spain, Australia Locations: Zayed Port, Persian, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, – SailGP, San Francisco, Sydney, United States, Spain, New York, inclusivity

Kyle Juszczyk remembers the different feel when he took the field for the first time in the playoff rivalry between his San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. That rivalry of San Francisco and Green Bay is always a big one. Favre followed with two quick touchdown passes as Green Bay rolled to a 27-17 win. Green Bay won the first playoff matchup 23-10 against Mariucci the following year as the frustration mounted in San Francisco. Kaepernick braved the cold of Green Bay the following year and played without long sleeves or gloves.

Persons: Kyle Juszczyk, “, ” Juszczyk, ”, Aaron Rodgers, Mike Holmgren, Steve Young, Brett Favre, Favre, Holmgren, Reggie White, Adam Walker, Francisco’s, Craig Newsome, Desmond Howard, Young, Sean Jones, George Seifert, Steve Mariucci, “ It’s, ” Young, Terrell Owens, Owens, ” Owens, ” Favre, Rodgers, Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Smith, Charles Woodson, SHANAHAN, LAFLEUR, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Shanahan, Raheem Mostert's, Robbie Gould, Deebo Samuel Organizations: San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Packers, 49ers, NFC, Niners, Super, Candlestick Park, Dallas, ’, ”, Green Bay, Mariucci, Favre, didn’t, San Francisco, Super Bowl Locations: San Francisco, Green, warmups, Atlanta, Francisco’s, Francisco, Green Bay

☆ A Redditor discovered that a San Francisco pizzeria operates over 70 brands on DoorDash from its kitchen, selling pasta, wings, desserts, and halal food
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A San Francisco pizzeria appears to operate more than 70 virtual brands on DoorDash selling falafel, pasta, and wings. AdvertisementA pizzeria in San Francisco appears to operate more than 70 different virtual brands on DoorDash. Restaurants sometimes design their own virtual brands, but they can also host other virtual brands. Uber Eats removed 8,000 last spring and summer and DoorDash says it will remove brands that virtual brands quality requirements. Reddit users didn't seem surprised to discover that the Polk Street address operates a network of virtual brands.

Persons: Redditor, —, N'Sert, Hoodline, We're, Fresco, DoorDash, Uber, they've, Philly, Polk Organizations: San, Service, DoorDash, Business, Polk, Fresco Inc, Google, Cupid's Locations: San Francisco, Burger, DoorDash

☆ Keith Lee cut his food tour of the Bay Area short, saying it's 'not a place for tourists right now'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Anneta Konstantinides | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Keith Lee cut his Bay Area food tour short, saying it wasn't "a place for tourists right now." AdvertisementKeith Lee was not impressed with Bay Area cuisine. Lee — who's become a TikTok sensation for the honest food reviews he shares with his 15.6 million followers — revealed on Thursday night that he was ending his food tour in Northern California early. AdvertisementLee revealed that the second reason he decided to cut the food tour short was due to multiple disappointing dining experiences. Lee said his third "and probably the most important" reason for cutting his Bay Area trip short was an allergic reaction that sent him to the hospital.

Persons: Keith Lee, Lee, —, Lee — who's, I've, Lee didn't, Hayward, Mama T's, y'all Organizations: Area, Service, Bay, Business, Oakland, San, Greens Restaurant Locations: Northern California, San Francisco, Bay, Gotham, San Jose, Mateo, Oakland

☆ These 8 affordable US cities have the most home-price appreciation potential in the years ahead, according to a broker at Sotheby's International Realty
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Remote workers may also seek out cities with cultures they enjoy more, those that are walkable, and those that are well-connected via a major airport, she said. All of them have median home prices relatively close to, or below, the national median of $408,573, according to Redfin data. And they are all significantly less expensive than median prices in New York or Boston, which hover near $800,000, or San Francisco and Los Angeles, which both have median prices over $1 million. The eight cities also have below-average costs of living, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index. We've listed the eight cities below, their median home prices, populations, cost of living index scores, and major airports.

Persons: Nicole Beauchamp, we've, Beauchamp Organizations: Sotheby's, Business, Council for Community Locations: New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles

The San Francisco skyline is seen behind a self-driving GM Bolt EV during a media event where Cruise, GM's autonomous car unit, showed off its self-driving cars in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 28, 2017. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Friday ordered Cruise to appear at a Feb. 6 hearing for "misleading the Commission through omission regarding the extent and seriousness of the accident" and "making misleading public comments regarding its interactions with the commission." Cruise's troubles are also a setback for an industry dependent on public trust and the cooperation of regulators. GM had told investors Cruise and its technology could generate $50 billion a year in revenue by 2030. Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco and David Shepardson in Washington, Additional reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Richard Chang and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Cruise, Kyle Vogt, Daniel Kan, Jose Alvarado, Ashlyn Kong, Kong, ”, Tim Piechowski, Waymo, John Reynolds, Gavin Newsom, Mary Barra, Hyunjoo Jin, David Shepardson, Abhirup Roy, Richard Chang, Nick Zieminski Organizations: San, GM Bolt, REUTERS, General Motors, GM, California Public Utilities Commission, CPUC, Cruise, Capital Research, California's Department of Motor Vehicles, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, San Francisco , California, U.S, California, United States, Washington

☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman went on an 18-month, $85 million real-estate shopping spree — including a previously unknown Hawaii estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Katherine Long | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementYears before the recent drama at OpenAI turned CEO Sam Altman into a household name, the former Y Combinator president went on an extraordinary 18-month, $85 million real-estate shopping spree, according to records reviewed by Business Insider — including a previously unreported $43 million Hawaii estate on land that locals describe as historically significant. AdvertisementSam Altman's Hawaii estate is immediately adjacent to the reconstruction of the royal temple of King Kamehameha I. Maxar TechnologiesA $43 million estate in HawaiiIn July 2021, Altman bought a twelve-bedroom estate in Kailua-Kona, on the big island of Hawaii, for $43 million. Altman's purchase of the Hawaii property has not been previously reported. AdvertisementAnnie had been unaware that her oldest brother owned property in Hawaii until Business Insider asked her about it, she said. A $27 million San Francisco homeAltman's weekday residence is a home on San Francisco's Russian Hill that was once described — inaccurately — as the most expensive home in San Francisco.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, —, OpenAI, he's, He's, Sam Altman's, King Kamehameha I, King Kamehameha, Jennifer Serralta, Serralta, Jack, Max, — Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Marc Benioff, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, Annie Altman, Annie, Sam's, Napa Altman, Cade Metz, Bob Dickinson Organizations: Service, Business, Bloomberg Tech Summit, Wall Street Journal, YouTube, Altman, LinkedIn, Apollo, Opportunity Fund, Silicon Valley, Business Insider, San, SEC, 9Point Ventures, Uncommon Ventures, New York Times, Capital Management, San Francisco Chronicle, New Yorker, Israeli Defense Force, Tesla Locations: San Francisco, Napa, Hawaii, Napa , California, Sam Altman's Hawaii, Kailua, Kona, wakesurfing, Kauai, Lanai, San, Russian, California, Hollywood, Big Sur

☆ Insight: Defying Pope's calls for climate action, US Catholic bishops cling to fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Richard Valdmanis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The ongoing investments in the U.S. reflect a long-running rift between U.S. Catholic bishops and the pope on how to address global warming. The pope's Laudato Si encyclical urged immediate action against climate change, declaring that "highly polluting fossil fuels need to be progressively replaced without delay." The Vatican bank, which is separate from APSA, also does not invest in fossil fuels, a bank official said. A CCF official said energy and fossil fuels stocks make up between 3.5% and 6% of archdiocese investment funds, and that CCF uses its shareholder status to press for corporate environmental improvements. He called the enormous financial gains by oil companies "immoral profits."

Persons: Pope Francis, Dan DiLeo, Peter Marlow, Remo Casilli, Anne, Marie Welsh, William Lori, Bernard Hebda, Saint, Joshtrom Kureethadam, Chieko Noguchi, Noguchi, USCCB, Sabrina Danielsen, Danielson, Richard Valdmanis, Philip Pullella, John Mair, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: Catholic, drillers, U.S . Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Church, Reuters, Justice, Peace, Creighton University in, Vatican, Opportunity Fund, Collective Investment, Archdiocese, Minneapolis, Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota, CCF, Development, American Petroleum Institute, Christian Brothers Investment Service, Investment, BP, Shell, Creighton University, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Dubai, Creighton University in Nebraska, U.S, APSA, Vatican, Ireland, Germany, Archdiocese, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Erie , Pennsylvania, Texas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth . Erie, Erie, Baltimore, Saint Paul, Paris, Saudi Aramco, PetroChina, India, Vatican City, Berlin, Sydney

General Motors is slowing the expansion of its Cruise automated driving division and significantly cutting spending at the unit after suspending operations in response to growing safety concerns about its driverless cars. The company had been planning to roll out a ride service in San Francisco and three other cities and begin testing Cruise vehicles on the streets of several other markets. It now plans to focus on only one city as it works to improve the operation of its fleet of driverless vehicles it has been testing. “We expect the pace of Cruise’s expansion to be more deliberate when operations resume, resulting in substantially lower spending in 2024 than in 2023,” G.M.’s chief executive, Mary T. Barra, said Wednesday at an investor conference. “We must rebuild trust with regulators at the local, state and federal levels, as well as with the first responders and the communities in which Cruise will operate.”Last month, California regulators suspended Cruise’s license to operate in the state after an incident in which a Cruise self-driving vehicle in San Francisco ran over a pedestrian who had been hit by another car and dragged her for 20 feet.

Persons: ”, ’, Mary T, Barra Organizations: Motors, Cruise Locations: San Francisco, California

☆ Defying Pope's calls for climate action, US Catholic bishops cling to fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Richard Valdmanis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The ongoing investments in the U.S. reflect a long-running rift between U.S. Catholic bishops and the pope on how to address global warming. The pope's Laudato Si encyclical urged immediate action against climate change, declaring that "highly polluting fossil fuels need to be progressively replaced without delay." The Vatican bank, which is separate from APSA, also does not invest in fossil fuels, a bank official said. Notably absent are any dioceses in the U.S.Reuters reviewed the financial reports published by two dozen of the nation's more than 170 Catholic dioceses, including several of its largest, and found that few provide details on specific investments. He called the enormous financial gains by oil companies "immoral profits."

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Dan DiLeo, Peter Marlow, Anne, Marie Welsh, William Lori, Joshtrom Kureethadam, Chieko Noguchi, Noguchi, USCCB, Sabrina Danielsen, Danielson, Richard Valdmanis, Philip Pullella, John Mair, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: Catholic, drillers, U.S . Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Church, Reuters, Justice, Peace, Creighton University in, Vatican, Opportunity Fund, Collective Investment, Archdiocese, Development, American Petroleum Institute, Christian Brothers Investment Service, Investment, BP, Shell, Creighton University, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, Dubai, Creighton University in Nebraska, U.S, APSA, Vatican, Ireland, Germany, Archdiocese, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Erie , Pennsylvania, Texas, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth . Erie, Erie, Baltimore, Paris, Saudi Aramco, PetroChina, India, Vatican City, Berlin, Sydney

An aerial view of the San Francisco city skyline in California, U.S., October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Videogame software provider Unity Software (U.N) will eliminate 265 jobs or 3.8% of its global workforce and end an agreement with a digital video effects company founded by the "Lord of the Rings" director as part of a "reset," the company said on Tuesday. Tuesday's announcement includes termination of the professional services piece of an agreement Unity struck with movie director Peter Jackson's visual effects company Weta FX in 2021 after Unity purchased the technology and engineering division of Weta FX. As a result, 265 employees whose jobs are related to the agreement will be laid off, the company said. Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Barria, John Riccitiello, Jim Whitehurst, Roelof Botha, Peter Jackson's, Whitehurst, Anna Tong, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Unity Software, San, Unity, Sequoia Capital, FX, Weta, Reuters, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, Berlin, Singapore, Bellevue , Washington

☆ Why Congress gave $174,000 to Dianne Feinstein's wealthy daughter as part of a recent bill to avert a government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's a tradition known as a "death gratuity" that's been in place for at least 140 years. They were also handing over $174,000 to Katherine Feinstein, the daughter of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. But Katherine Feinstein, a former judge in San Francisco and the only child of the recently-deceased California Democrat, almost certainly does not need that money. AdvertisementIn 2021, NTUF calculated that gratuity payments have cost taxpayers more than $5.1 million since 2000. AdvertisementBusiness Insider reached out to Katherine Feinstein via her lawyers but did not receive a response.

Persons: Dianne Feinstein's, It's, that's, —, Katherine Feinstein, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Katherine Anne Feinstein, Katherine —, National Taxpayers Union Foundation —, Alfred Lay, Republican Sen, John McCain of, Democratic Sen, Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Richard Shelby, Feinstein, Frank Lautenberg, Bill Posey, Posey Organizations: Service, Treasury, State of, California Democrat, National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Rep, Missouri Democrat, Republican, Democratic, ABC News Locations: State, State of California, San Francisco, California, —, Missouri, John McCain of Arizona, New Jersey, Florida

☆ Solving the Puzzle of Gift Giving
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Tim Donnelly | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2021, I made my first word puzzle as a gift for my girlfriend for the same reasons many people did things during the pandemic: a lack of cash and an abundance of free time. We quickly ran out of games during long locked-in weekends, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I created puzzles based on our inside jokes and shared language, including one that required unwinding words themed around a “twisted” summer tea we enjoy. I still buy presents, even though I have this newfound crossword-making superpower, but there are some occasions when a puzzle is more than enough. When he kept procrastinating, she decided to try it herself and surprise him with a gift.

Persons: Joni Binder, procrastinating Locations: San Francisco

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks are broken offensively in a way that could not have been anticipated during training camp or even a couple of months ago. He came as close as he ever does to calling out a member of his coaching staff with his comments about Seattle’s offense on Friday. Seattle’s offense was overmatched in its blowout loss to Baltimore and didn’t have counters after the opening drive last week against the Rams. Cornerback Riq Woolen should start against Dallas after being benched against San Francisco due to a shoulder issue. Then the Seahawks have a trip to San Francisco and a home game against Philadelphia.

Persons: Pete Carroll, “, ” Carroll, Shane Waldron, ”, Jordyn Brooks, DK Metcalf, Geno Smith, Waldron, “ I’m, we’re, Jaxon Smith, Njigba, Smith, San Francisco, Carroll, Abraham Lucas, Lucas, Jason Peters, Peters, Riq, Kenneth Walker III, it’ll, ___ Organizations: The Seattle Seahawks, San, Seattle, 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seahawks, Detroit, Rams, Dallas, Cowboys, Philadelphia Locations: RENTON, Wash, San Francisco, Carolina, Seattle, Baltimore

[1/2] Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, arrives for a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum for all U.S. senators hosted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023. The previously unreported letter and AI algorithm were key developments before the board's ouster of Altman, the poster child of generative AI, the two sources said. This could be applied to novel scientific research, for instance, AI researchers believe. In their letter to the board, researchers flagged AI’s prowess and potential danger, the sources said without specifying the exact safety concerns noted in the letter. Researchers have also flagged work by an "AI scientist" team, the existence of which multiple sources confirmed.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Chuck Schumer, Julia Nikhinson, Sam Altman’s, Altman, Mira Murati, I've, Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Reuters, Microsoft, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, OpenAI, San Francisco, Asia, New York

The previously unreported letter and AI algorithm were key developments before the board's ouster of Altman, the poster child of generative AI, the two sources said. An OpenAI spokesperson said that the message, sent by long-time executive Mira Murati, alerted staff to certain media stories without commenting on their accuracy. This could be applied to novel scientific research, for instance, AI researchers believe. In their letter to the board, researchers flagged AI’s prowess and potential danger, the sources said without specifying the exact safety concerns noted in the letter. Researchers have also flagged work by an "AI scientist" team, the existence of which multiple sources confirmed.

Persons: Sam Altman’s, Altman, Mira Murati, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Chuck Schumer, Julia Nikhinson, I've, Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Washington , U.S, San Francisco, Asia, New York

[1/2] Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, arrives for a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum for all U.S. senators hosted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023. The previously unreported letter and AI algorithm was a catalyst that caused the board to oust Altman, the poster child of generative AI, the two sources said. The sources cited the letter as one factor among a longer list of grievances by the board that led to Altman’s firing. According to one of the sources, long-time executive Mira Murati told employees on Wednesday that a letter about the AI breakthrough called Q* (pronounced Q-Star), precipitated the board's actions. OpenAI defines AGI as AI systems that are smarter than humans.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI, Chuck Schumer, Julia Nikhinson, Sam Altman’s, Altman, Mira Murati, ChatGPT, Anna Tong, Jeffrey Dastin, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Intelligence, Senate, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Reuters, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, San Francisco, New York

Bret Taylor, formerly co-CEO of Salesforce, and Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, will join Quora CEO and current director Adam D'Angelo, OpenAI said. Altman said in a post on X, "i'm looking forward to returning to openai." In a statement on X, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella welcomed the changes to OpenAI's board. In a post on X, Shear celebrated the late-night outcome Tuesday, which he said followed "~72 very intense hours of work." Following this show of solidarity, Altman wrote on X: "we have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before."

Persons: Sam Altman, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, OpenAI, Altman, Satya Nadella, Altman's, OpenAI's, Emmett Shear, Sam Altman's, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Shear, Greg Brockman, Brockman, Jeffrey Dastin, Tanna, Bansari, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Sam Holmes Organizations: Microsoft, U.S . Treasury, Quora, Hargreaves, Reuters, Thomson Locations: openai, San Francisco, Bengaluru

☆ Houston Shows How to Tackle Homelessness - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | Rahim Fortune | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dallas and Houston are two Democratic bubbles in Texas that have long faced the familiar urban ache of homeless people slumped on sidewalks and camping in parks. In Dallas, homelessness worsened for years, and that city now has the most unhoused people in Texas. Meanwhile, the Houston region has slashed homelessness by more than 60 percent since 2011. Delegations from around the country now troop to Houston to seek lessons, with the mayors of Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver traipsing through this summer. Houston achieved its results on the cheap, spending very little of its own money even as West Coast cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Ore., have each poured hundreds of millions of dollars into efforts to address homelessness without much to show for them.

Organizations: Dallas, Houston Locations: Houston, Texas, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, West Coast, San Francisco, Portland

"i'm looking forward to returning to openai," Altman said in a post on the X social media platform late on Tuesday. Sam Altman attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. OpenAI's previous board consisted of Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner and OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and Quora CEO D'Angelo, who is part of the revamped board. In a post on X on Tuesday, Shear said he worked "~72 very intense hours" to bring stability - and ultimately Altman - back to OpenAI. When he was out of a job, CEO Nadella said Altman could head a new research team alongside Brockman and other colleagues departing from OpenAI.

Persons: Bret Taylor, Brockman, FRANCISCO, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, D'Angelo, Altman, Danni Hewson, AJ Bell's, Satya Nadella, Kyle Rodda, Carlos Barria, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Ilya Sutskever, Steve Jobs, Greg Brockman, Sunday Altman, Emmett Shear, Shear, Nadella, Jeffrey Dastin, Aditya Soni, Shivani Tanna, Bansari, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Sam Holmes, Jane Merriman Organizations: U.S . Treasury, Microsoft, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: openai, U.S, OpenAI, Asia, San Francisco , California, Valley, San Francisco, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNov 20 (Reuters) - OpenAI's board of directors approached rival Anthropic's CEO about replacing chief Sam Altman and potentially merging the two AI startups, according to two people briefed on the matter. The news, reported earlier by The Information on Monday, follows various reported calls to find Altman's successor days after OpenAI's board ousted him. OpenAI declined to comment and board member Adam D'Angelo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Sunday the board offered ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to be its interim chief, who accepted. By Monday, nearly all of the startup's more than 700 employees threatened to quit, including one of its executives on OpenAI's now four-person board.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, OpenAI's, OpenAI, Adam D'Angelo, Emmett Shear, Altman, Anthropic, Claude, Jeffrey Dastin, Urvi, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Sunday, Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Bengaluru

Microsoft (MSFT.O) owns 49% of the for-profit operating company, according to sources familiar with the matter. Other investors and employees control 49%, with 2% owned by OpenAI's nonprofit parent, according to Semafor. OpenAI's board fired Altman on Friday after a "breakdown of communications," according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. Venture capital investors usually hold board seats or voting power in their portfolio companies but OpenAI is controlled by its nonprofit parent company OpenAI Nonprofit, which according to OpenAI's website was created to benefit "humanity, not OpenAI investors." Nonprofit boards have legal obligations to the organizations they oversee.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Altman, Minor Myers, Paul Weitzel, Weitzel, Steve Jobs, Anna Tong, Krystal Hu, Jody Godoy, Tom Hals, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Microsoft, Venture, OpenAI Nonprofit, University of Connecticut, Nonprofit, University of Nebraska, Apple, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, San Francisco, New York

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