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☆ Ivy League acceptance rates 'may have bottomed out,' expert says — here's what that means for getting into schools like Harvard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Harvard Yard, on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This year's high school graduating class faced one of the toughest college-application seasons on record. "Acceptance rates may have bottomed out." Harvard University, for instance, received more than 56,000 applications and admitted just 3.4% to the Class of 2027. Other universities, including Princeton, Yale and Columbia, also had acceptance rates below 5%.

Persons: it's, Hafeez Lakhani, Lakhani Organizations: Harvard, Harvard University in, Ivy League, Finance, SUNY, Harvard University, Princeton, Yale Locations: Harvard University in Cambridge , Massachusetts, New York, Columbia

☆ US National Spelling Bee finalists vie for championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Competitors are adjusted by a person who is off camera as they celebrate moving to the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in National Harbor, Maryland U.S., May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoJune 1 (Reuters) - Eleven of the sharpest young spellers in the U.S. will compete on Thursday in the finals of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee, having survived three early rounds by nailing words like "zwitterion" (a type of molecule) and "polissoir" (a polishing tool). The finalists, who range from 11 to 14 years old, beat out a field of 220 other competitors who participated in the three-day contest, held in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Scripps Co (SSP.O), the bee's sponsor, plus further monetary prizes and reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster. Last year, Harini Logan, 14, from San Antonio, Texas, correctly spelled 22 words during a 90-second spell-off to claim the top prize.

Persons: Leah Millis, Webster, The Merriam, Aryan Khedkar, Vikrant Chintanaboina, Harini Logan, Brendan O'Brien, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Scripps, Spelling, National Harbor , Maryland U.S, REUTERS, Scripps Co, Encyclopedia, The, Webster, ION, ESPN, Thomson Locations: National Harbor , Maryland, U.S, Washington ,, Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam, Waterford , Michigan, San Ramon , California, San Antonio , Texas, Chicago

☆ Chinese tech entrepreneurs keen to 'de-China' as tensions with US soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( David Kirton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But he's dismayed by the U.S.-China trade spats and the restrictions on a growing number of Chinese companies that have been imposed, or are being proposed, by U.S. lawmakers. "It's very unfair," he said, lamenting that competitors from other countries did not face similar issues when trying to expand into the United States. Reuters spoke to seven tech entrepreneurs from mainland China, most of them educated overseas, who would like to expand their businesses in the United States. Geopolitical tensions have meant a far less friendly atmosphere for mainland Chinese companies wanting to operate or gain funding in the United States, the entrepreneurs and consultants say. The U.S. Commerce Department did not respond to a request for comment on attitudes towards Chinese companies within the United States.

Persons: Florence Lo, Ryan, Trump, Joe Biden, Major flashpoints, James McGregor, Xi, Wilson, Chris Pereira, Shein, PDD, Pereira, Tommy, David Kirton, Eduardo Baptista, Casey, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Huawei, U.S ., U.S, Micron Technology, Washington DC, Chinese Communist Party, Greater, APCO Worldwide, U.S . Commerce Department, Reuters, of Information, American Ecosystem Institute . Companies, PDD Holdings, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: China, SHENZHEN, U.S, Washington, United States, Shenzhen, East Asia, North America, Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Montana, Greater China, Beijing, China's, Shanghai, Dublin

loadingWhile major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have made efforts to prohibit and remove deepfakes, their effectiveness at policing such content varies. In total, about 500,000 video and voice deepfakes will be shared on social media sites globally in 2023, DeepMedia estimates. Jon Smith, Republican chair for Michigan's 5th Congressional district, is holding several educational meetings so his allies can learn to use AI for social media and ad generation. Political consultancies are also seeking to harness AI, further muddying the line between real and unreal. Democratic polling and strategy group Honan Strategy Group is meanwhile trying to develop an AI survey bot.

☆ Can the ‘California Effect’ Survive in a Hyperpartisan America?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Conor Dougherty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For a while this winter, seemingly every text message that Buffy Wicks received asked if she was running for Congress. This decision by Lee, who is 76, created a rare opportunity for the next generation of California Democrats to vie for federal office. Soon enough, however, Wicks put out a statement that, humbled as she was by the suggestion, she wouldn’t be seeking the seat. “I pass big bills here,” Wicks told me. California has been so successful at bending national policy in its direction that academics have taken to calling the phenomenon the California effect.

☆ Turkey's Erdogan urges voters to turn out, rival sees 'last exit'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Ezgi Erkoyun | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a rally, ahead of the May 28 presidential runoff vote, in Istanbul, Turkey May 27, 2023. The two candidates are aiming to attract some 8 million voters who did not go to the polls in the first round. Erdogan got a boost earlier this week when Sinan Ogan - a nationalist politician who came third with 5.2% - endorsed him. Kilicdaroglu, who is chair of Turkey's biggest opposition party, the CHP, meanwhile secured the endorsement of the anti-immigrant Victory Party for the runoff. Polls will open at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and close at 5 p.m. (1400 GMT) for more than 60 million voters.

☆ Quito: Ecuador’s underrated capital city was the first to become a UNESCO site
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Sandra Macgregor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. Singular churchesInside the Spanish colonial church of San Francisco in the city center of Quito. The museum even puts on a variety of shows, including a karaoke night of traditional Ecuadorian song. It’s especially busy at lunchtime when it fills to capacity with locals looking to indulge in affordable traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. Guided toursMetropolitan Touring’s “Live Quito Like a Local” walking tour is great for visitors with only a day or two to explore Quito.

☆ US and Papua New Guinea poised to sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for influence in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The United States and Papua New Guinea are poised to sign a new bilateral defense cooperation agreement – a move that has sparked controversy in the Pacific Island nation and comes as Washington and China jostle for influence in the region. Those concerns were heightened last year after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands – and tried, but failed, to win support for a sweeping, regional trade and security communique with Pacific Island nations. “Papua New Guinea does not have enemies but it pays to be prepared. Blinken is expected to meet with leaders of the Pacific Island Forum regional body in Port Moresby on Monday, the forum has said, taking Biden’s place at the gathering. That bid has included opening embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga this year, while Biden hosted Pacific Island leaders in Washington for a summit in September and released the first-ever national strategy on engaging the Pacific Islands.

☆ Podcast: Assad in Saudi to talk drugs and money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Saudi Arabia to attend the Arab League summit. His appearance seals his return to the regional fold after years of civil war. But Arab leaders are seeking a price for re-engagement and potential financial assistance – action on Syria’s flourishing drugs trade. G7 leaders are set to unveil new sanctions against Russia and welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a summit in Hiroshima. Plus, Greek politicians vie for struggling youth vote, New York pitches for the World Cup 2026 final and debunking misinformation at the U.S./Mexico border.

☆ As Greek elections loom, parties vie for votes of 'lost generation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"What I imagined at 18 is a long way away from what I'm living at 28," the physics student said. "I don't know how we cannot be called a lost generation. "Pension income is a fiscal problem," said Vlassis Missios, an economist at the Greek Centre of Planning and Economic Research. For many young Greeks, finding suitable work is tough. "Even if they can't win the votes of the young people, they don't want to have them as opponents.

☆ French Resistance Fighter Goes Public About Execution of German P.O.W.s
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Shortly after D-Day during World War II, French resistance fighters took 47 captured German soldiers to a small wooden area in southwest-central France. “We were ashamed,” the witness, Edmond Réveil, who is now 98 and was part of the resistance group, told the French newspaper La Vie Corrézienne. “We knew that we should not kill prisoners.”French historians have confirmed the general outlines of his story, but his version of events could not be independently verified. His public statements have sent shock waves through the Limousin, a rural area in central France that has long prided itself on its history of resistance during the war and paid a heavy price for it. German Nazi officers from the military arm of the SS, the Waffen-SS, slaughtered hundreds of civilians there in retaliation.

☆ Sudan one month on: Why cease-fires are failing, and what global leaders are missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

KHARTOUM, Sudan - May 6, 2023: Sudanese Army sodliers walk near armoured vehicles stationed on a street in southern Khartoum, amid ongoing fighting against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. AFP via Getty ImagesOne month after fighting between Sudan's two military factions broke out in the capital, Khartoum, internationally-brokered peace talks in Saudi Arabia have yielded no solution. Almost a million people have fled their homes, both to locations within Sudan and across the border to neighboring countries. The World Bank and several global powers froze aid to the country after the military takeover, honoring calls from civilians not to legitimize its leadership. Targeted and collaborative efforts by the international community to exert pressure on the countries supporting Sudan's military factions were needed, Abdel-Magied said.

☆ America’s Snacking Binge Shows No Sign of Slowing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jesse Newman | Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. consumers are gorging on snacks, fueling boom times for cookie and candy giants while other packaged-food companies vie for bigger shares of the snack aisle. Nearly half of U.S. consumers are eating three or more snacks a day, up 8% in the past two years, according to Circana Group, a market-research firm. U.S. snack sales rose to $181 billion last year, up 11% from the year prior, the firm said.

☆ America Is Binging on Snacks, and Food Companies Are Eating It Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jesse Newman | Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ 'We're in a marketplace that is fighting for attention', says GroupM CEO McDonald on the media space
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'We're in a marketplace that is fighting for attention', says GroupM CEO McDonald on the media spaceCNBC's Alex Sherman and Kirk McDonald, GroupM CEO, join 'Last Call' to discuss the state of the media space as major media companies vie for ad dollars and others declare bankruptcy.

Spain has one swimming pool for every 37 residents, and these, too, are now in the spotlight. While her swimming pool has been empty for five years since her children grew up, Garcia, 61, said the town has been stigmatised unfairly for its pools. Pools are being used as a scapegoat for a lack of coherent water policy in Spain, she said. It is a sentiment shared by Gonzalo Delacamara, director of the IE Centre for Water & Climate Adaptation in Madrid. While the use of water to fill swimming pools during a drought is irresponsible, the bulk of Spain's water resources are taken by the agriculture sector, accounting for 70% of water usage, he said.

☆ Taiwan's wind industry braves cross-strait risks in clean energy boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sarah Wu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

With large swathes of Taiwan's territorial waters restricted due to defense, shipping and other uses, offshore wind developers will soon run out of space. It's a question of whether you want to pay the price," insurance broker Clive Lin told offshore wind developers in a packed lecture hall in Taipei. Political risk insurance is typically not covered in mainstream insurance policies, so developers have to buy it additionally. The risk of a military confrontation and its impact on Taiwan's wind farms are hard to quantify, analysts say. "In a kinetic conflict invasion, Taiwan's going to have so many other problems, offshore wind is going to be way down on the list," Cancian said.

ETImage Trumpet, a bloodhound, was named best in show last year after outlasting some terrific competition. Credit... Hiroko Masuike/The New York TimesThere are around 3,000 dogs at Westminster, and all of them are such good, good boys and girls. The 210 breed winners then advance to compete in the group finals. The seven group winners (four of which have already been decided) then vie for the big prize. Last year’s winner was Trumpet, a bloodhound.

☆ James Harden Finds His Old Groove and Gets the Sixers Back on Track
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Scott Cacciola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Quite frankly,” Harden said, “today was do or die.”The 76ers have been a staple of the N.B.A. playoffs over the past six seasons, making five appearances in the conference semifinals. The last time they made the conference finals was in 2001, when Allen Iverson led them past the Milwaukee Bucks and into the N.B.A. The challenge for the 76ers, of course, is that the Process was never about winning individual honors, though those are nice. The mandate now, on players like Embiid and Harden, but also on Rivers and Daryl Morey, the team’s president of basketball operations, is to vie for a championship.

OMAHA, Neb.—Every year, tens of thousands of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders make the pilgrimage to Omaha to hear the legendary investors Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger speak. Most are middle-aged. Some are college students.

☆ The South Korean Chefs Redefining the Art of Pastry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Elyse Inamine | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At the Park Hyatt hotel in Paris, Narae Kim combines the Nashi pear she grew up eating in Dangjin, South Korea, and the Williams pear often used in eau de vie into an eye-catching dessert: a fan of Williams wedges, some marinated in jasmine tea and others cooked in bergamot oil, alongside quenelles of pear-and-cassava sorbet, all topped with tiny orbs of Nashi pear liqueur. Ms. Kim had wanted to study pastry in France since she was young, taking pastry and baking classes in middle school and participating in grueling pastry competitions in college in South Korea. When Ms. Kim brainstorms desserts, she always begins with fruits like apricots, melons and cherries, which she would pluck from her family’s yard as a child, and builds on her ideas using the French pastry skills she has developed throughout her career.

Within weeks of her arrival in Sudan, fighting broke out in the country, leading to a rushed evacuation of diplomats and rapidly deteriorating conditions. “The State Department has evacuated mainly diplomats and … American citizens that have been working in Sudan,” Kaila said. “But in terms of the rest of the American citizens that are living here, we haven’t received any direct evacuation plans. Her concern now is being able to travel safely to either the capital city of Khartoum or to Port Sudan for any chance of being evacuated. Kaila is hoping to begin the dangerous journey to Port Sudan to make it on an evacuation ship in the coming days.

REUTERS/Marco BelloNEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon sent a clear message to employees this month: get back to the office. The largest U.S. lender's employees inundated an internal messaging forum with criticism after its operating committee posted an edict entitled, "The importance of being together." JPMorgan first called employees back to the office on a rotational basis in mid-2021 after months of pandemic shutdowns. "We don't want to punish everybody because of that, but people agreed to do three days a week; we expect three days a week." Many branch employees, building staff and other workers have reported to offices throughout the pandemic without the option to work remotely.

☆ China's Xi is trying to play the role of peacemaker in Ukraine, but won't even acknowledge publicly that Putin started the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Xi and Zelenskyy spoke for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Chinese leader spoke a lot about peace, even as he continues to support Putin in numerous ways. The Chinese government has claimed neutrality in the Ukraine war, while maintaining close ties with Moscow throughout. Along these lines, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader in March. Xi visited the Russian leader in Moscow shortly after, offering Putin an opportunity to tout his relationship with his Chinese counterpart.

☆ Opinion | Tim Scott Faces Long Odds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Scott is obviously not the first Black person to vie for the Republican presidential nomination. That distinction goes to Frederick Douglass, who received one vote at the 1888 Republican convention. Alan Keyes ran for the Republican nomination in 1996, 2000 and 2008; Herman Cain ran and withdrew in 2011; and Ben Carson ran in 2016. Tim Scott, however, would be the first Black Republican officeholder to run for the party’s presidential nomination, should he move past the exploratory phase. Even then, there were few Black people elected to national office, with a total of eight serving between 1914 and 1965.

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