DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Longer Commutes, Shorter Lives: The Costs of Not Investing in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( David Leonhardt | More About David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The stagnation of investment does not stem only from the size of government. But the United States has effectively starved programs focused on the future at the expense of those focused on the present. For decades, incomes and wealth have grown more slowly than the economy for every group other than the very rich. Net worth for the typical family shrank during the first two decades of the 21st century, after adjusting for inflation. The trends in many noneconomic measures of well-being are even worse: In 1980, life expectancy in the United States was typical for an industrialized country.

Persons: Eugene Steuerle, “, —, Biden, Eisenhower Organizations: Republicans, Democrats, Social Security, Urban Institute, Democrat, Republican, Republican Party Locations: United States, Washington, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, China

Following the deadly Hamas rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,300 people, Israel ordered an immediate cut-off of the country’s water supplies to the Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Ahmed ZakotOn Sunday, Israel’s energy minister said that a decision to renew water supplies to parts of southern Gaza was agreed on between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden. On Monday, Hamas said that Israel had yet to resume water supplies for the Gaza Strip despite pledging to do so, while an Israeli official responded that some water was being provided to an area in the south of the enclave. Bar chart comparing the daily water consumption in litres per capita in Gaza and Israel. Map showing 3 desalination plants and 6 wastewater plants in the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Khan Younis, Ahmed Zakot, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Israel, ” Organizations: United Nations, REUTERS, U.S, Health, WHO, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Water, Palestinian Water Authority, Records, UNSCO Atlas, Sustainable, Resources, Israeli Information Center, Human Rights, World Bank Locations: Gaza, Israel, Sinai, Egypt, B’Tselem, Territories

☆ The Great China Boom is going bust
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Unless dramatic action is taken, the future of China's economy is looking less like a young dynamo and more like an old, slow-moving blob. AdvertisementAdvertisementChinese President Xi Jinping has shifted the country's priorities from economic growth to a "technology and national-security race with the US." A faltering Chinese economy will suppress demand for commodities like oil seeds and grain, hitting US farmers especially hard. For the US economy, China as a workshop is much more important than China as a consumer. Now that China's economic supercycle is over, that may be the cycle we're about to witness.

Persons: We've, Xi Jinping, Lee Miller, it's, Xi's, —, Xu Jiayin, Charlene Chu, Chu, Chu —, Victor Shih, Shih, that's, they're, Zhang, Beijing's largess, Miller, It's, they'll, Chinese Communist Party that's, Anne Stevenson, Yang, isn't, Stevenson, Linette Lopez Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Trust, Autonomous Research, Bloomberg, Autonomous, Century China Center, University of California, J Capital Research, Japan, Nike, Starbucks, WSJ, China, Companies Locations: China, Beijing, Cities, Shanghai, It's, Shenyang, metropolises, Shenzhen, Europe, Wall, —, University of California San Diego, Middle Kingdom, Mexico, Vietnam, New York City

☆ It’s official: The era of China’s global dominance is over
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

We've reached the end of an era for the Chinese economy. Unless dramatic action is taken, the future of China's economy is looking less like a young dynamo and more like an old, slow-moving blob. A faltering Chinese economy will suppress demand for commodities like oil seeds and grain, hitting US farmers especially hard. For the US economy, China as a workshop is much more important than China as a consumer. Now that China's economic supercycle is over, that may be the cycle we're about to witness.

Persons: We've, Xi Jinping, Lee Miller, it's, Xi's, —, Xu Jiayin, Charlene Chu, Chu, Chu —, Victor Shih, Shih, that's, they're, Jinping, Zhang, Miller, It's, they'll, Chinese Communist Party that's, Anne Stevenson, Yang, isn't, Stevenson, Linette Lopez Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Trust, Autonomous Research, Bloomberg, Autonomous, Century China Center, University of California, J Capital Research, Japan, Nike, Starbucks, Companies Locations: China, Beijing, Cities, Shanghai, It's, Shenyang, metropolises, Shenzhen, Europe, Wall, —, University of California San Diego, Middle Kingdom, Mexico, Vietnam, New York City, United States

☆ Gaza Strip: devastated by conflict and Israel's economic blockade
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Palestinians look at the destruction of a house in the aftermath of a strike amid the conflict with Israel in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 12, 2023. The Palestinian Gaza Strip has been a frontline of conflict with Israel for decades and cut off from much of the outside world for 16 years. Egypt held Gaza for most of the following two decades, until Israel seized it during a 1967 war. Egypt, which shares a 12-km border with Gaza, has largely supported the blockade, viewing Hamas as a threat to its own stability. More than 90% of water in Gaza is unfit for drinking, the Palestinian Water Authority says.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, Egypt's, Cross, Tom Perry, Crispian Balmer, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, THE, Watch, Humanitarian Affairs, Palestinian Water Authority, West Bank, Palestinian Central Bureau, Statistics, International Committee, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, GAZA, Gaza City, Egypt, Rafah

☆ As the U.S. birth rate falls, immigration reform may be 'the answer hiding in plain sight,' analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But immigration policy reform could be one solution, some experts say. In 2022, foreign-born U.S. residents — including legally admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents and undocumented immigrants — represented about 18% of U.S. workers, up from 17.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants would offer eligible workers better education and employment opportunities while boosting federal tax revenue, Vimo said. Reform could offer 'huge benefits' to tax baseDepending on the scope of changes, immigration policy reform could provide "huge benefits" to the U.S. tax base and economy, said Silva Mathema, director for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress. In a 2021 report, the organization modeled the economic impact of four scenarios involving a pathway to legalization and citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Persons: Nicholas Kamm, Lea, Jackie Vimo, —, Vimo, Silva Mathema, Steven Camarota Organizations: AFP, Getty, Social Security, Centers for Disease Control, National Immigration Law Center, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Center for American, American Immigration, Immigrants, National Immigration Law, Center for Immigration Studies Locations: U.S

☆ Nvidia cancels AI Summit in Tel Aviv following Hamas attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nvidia canceled its AI conference in Tel Aviv next week due to safety concerns, as Israel ordered a siege of Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend. Nvidia had scheduled its in-person AI summit, with a keynote by CEO Jensen Huang, for Oct. 15 and 16 in Tel Aviv, billing the event as "the #1 conference for developers, business leaders, and AI researchers." Nvidia, the world's largest AI chipmaker, can't keep up with industrywide demand for its chips. Most of the summit's planned speakers are key figures at Nvidia, such as Kimberly Powell, vice president of health care; Deepu Talla, vice president of embedded and edge computing; and Gilad Shainer, senior vice president of networking and high-performance computing. "We regret to inform you that due to the current situation in Israel, we have decided to cancel AI SUMMIT," Nvidia announced on the event's website.

Persons: Jensen Huang, Kimberly Powell, Deepu Talla, Gilad Shainer Organizations: Nvidia, Revenue, CNBC, supercomputing, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Lenovo Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza

☆ America’s political turmoil hampers its capacity to lead through yet another global crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But no one could foresee just how quickly the paralysis in Washington would test the country’s reaction to a major global crisis. A situation this dangerous requires a calm, united and thoughtful US response, supported across the political spectrum. This means, at best, the United States will spend the coming months preoccupied by its own political plight. As president, I will once again stand with Israel,” Trump said. A growing sense abroad that America’s political problems are limiting its ability to lead globally could also have a devastating effect on its power.

Persons: –, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “ Joe Biden, Israel, ” Trump, Biden, autocrats, doesn’t, Michael McCaul, Xi, Michael Lawler, “, ” Lawler, CNN’s Dana Bash, McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Trump, Steve Scalise, Ukraine –, America’s, Russia –, Antony Blinken, ”, Nikki Haley, Blinken, ” Haley, GOP Sen, Tim Scott of, Biden – Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Israel, Republican, Trump, Hamas, House Foreign Affairs, Texas Republican, GOP, Senate, Democratic, White, Russia, Republican Party, US Treasury Department, Union, United Nations, Press, Washington Locations: Israel, United States, Washington, Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China, “ State, Texas, New York, Kyiv, Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, Gaza, Islamic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Tim Scott of South Carolina

☆ China's domestic tourism is finally back to pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Both figures were lower than what Chinese state media had earlier cited the ministry as predicting: 896 million trips and 782.5 billion yuan in domestic tourism revenue. Golden Week domestic tourism revenue was 753.43 billion yuan ($103.24 billion) — a 1.5% increase from that in 2019, according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism . The number of domestic tourist trips rose by 4.1% from 2019 to 826 million during the latest eight-day holiday, the ministry said. BEIJING — China's big "Golden Week" holiday saw domestic tourism rebound to around pre-pandemic levels, while overseas travel had yet to fully recover, according to official figures. That was also below earlier predictions, reported by state media, which forecast nearly 1.6 million trips across the border a day.

Persons: Morgan, Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley, Trip.com, Jane Sun, CNBC's Eunice Yoon Organizations: China, Golden, China's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, BEIJING, National Immigration Administration, China's Labor Locations: China, Beijing, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, France, Europe

[1/2] Police detain suspects as they patrol along the German-Polish border to prevent illegal migration near Klinge, Germany, September 20, 2023. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser urged Germany's 16 states on Wednesday to provide asylum seekers with material benefits rather than cash, to reduce the country's pull factor. Migration analysts say much of the tougher stance is electioneering ahead of elections in Hesse and Bavaria on Sunday and in three eastern German states next year. Vorlaender noted that even if tougher controls worked, Germany risked creating a bigger problem for transit countries by bottling in migrants there. Germany's tougher stance on migration isn't so much a policy reversal as an evolution, said Susan Fratzke at the Migration Policy Institute.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Nancy Faeser, Germany's, Olaf Scholz, Angela Merkel, Scholz, Russia's, Hannes Schammann, SHAM, Merkel, Friedrich Merz, “, ” Merz, Merz, Alberto ‑ Horst Neidhardt, Hans Vorlaender, Vorlaender, Ludovit, Susan Fratzke, Schammann, Sarah Marsh, Riham, Jan Lopatka, Alan Charlish, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Police, REUTERS, Authorities, EU, EU's Agency for Asylum, University of Hildesheim, Christian Democratic Union, European, Faeser, Migration Policy Institute, Berlin, Thomson Locations: Klinge, Germany, Berlin, BERLIN, Hesse, Bavaria, Europe, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Ankara, Prague, Warsaw

☆ Indonesia must be prudent with military spending, president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view of Indonesian Special Air Force personnel in action during a ceremony to mark the Indonesian Air Force's 77th Anniversary at the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 9, 2023. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday emphasised the importance of military hardware modernisation but warned any spending should be done wisely as the state budget was limited. The archipelago nation of 270 million people, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, is seeking to modernise its military but has lagged its regional peers in recent years. "Spending for military hardware must be done wisely, in terms of the amount or allocation," Jokowi, as the president is known, said during an armed forces parade. Jokowi in July also warned his cabinet to maintain a "healthy" budget as he highlighted outsised spending by the security agencies, including the defence ministry.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto, Ananda Teresia, Martin Petty Organizations: Indonesian Special Air Force, Indonesian Air Force's, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Dassault Rafale, Turkish Aerospace, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Locations: Halim, Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Southeast, Stockholm

☆ Asia's edge isn't just cheap labor, whether it's China, India or Japan, KKR says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Now, whether it's China, India or Japan, the region's edge lies in industrial services, KKR's heads of global and Asia macro said in an October note. That investment conclusion comes after a recent trip to Singapore, China and Japan by New York-based Henry H. McVey, chief investment officer of KKR Balance Sheet. "The bid for infrastructure and logistics could accelerate even more meaningfully, we believe, in key markets such as India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and even Japan," the KKR report said. That includes a $2 billion acquisition of a Mitsubishi-backed real estate manager in spring 2022.watch now"I think there are two big megathemes in Japan," KKR's McVey said in an interview Thursday. The other big trend in Japan, McVey said, is corporate reform that's boosting shareholder returns.

Persons: Henry H, McVey, Frances Lim, KKR's McVey, Fumio, haven't, Warren Buffett, Lim didn't, There's, Nisha Awasthi, Lim Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, KKR, Mitsubishi, Hitachi Transport System, Logisteed, Hyatt Regency, Gaw Capital Partners, Wednesday, China Locations: China, Haikou, Hainan, India, Japan, Asia, Singapore, New York, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Hyatt Regency Tokyo, Gurugram, BlackRock, Mumbai, Pacific, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo

He suggested the more immediate reason for the unrest was less long-time grievances related to the Palestinian national cause and more Gaza's economic misery. "The protests are about money," said the Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the topic's sensitivity. FRAGILE CEASEFIREA recent International Monetary Fund report said that for any stable long-term economic recovery in Gaza, "lifting of the blockade and easing of the Israeli-imposed restrictions are essential". With an official unemployment rate in Gaza of over 46%, Hamas itself has faced rumbling discontent over its economic management although for its part, the movement blames the Israeli blockade for the enclave's economic woes. Last month, Israel imposed a brief blockade on exports from Gaza after inspectors said they uncovered an attempt to smuggle explosives into the West Bank.

Persons: Gaza's, Al, Bassem Naim, Bilal Al, Najar, Bashir Al, Nidal al, James Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, Monetary Fund, Unipal Company, Thomson Locations: Israel, GAZA, Gaza, Al Aqsa, Egypt, Jerusalem, Lod, Gaza's

☆ Our crisis of loneliness, the new bet investors are going after
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Not long after founding the startup, Gaon shared his vision with famed venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. It was notable to Gaon at the time that Andreessen — "one of those investors who's known for seeing where the market is going" — appeared to have pinpointed loneliness as its own market. That moved her parents, Cindy and Anne Jordan, who had sold their first healthtech company years before, to found the Arizona company Pyx Health. "The loneliness crisis is bigger, and more urgent, than anything I've worked on before," Nyborg wrote in a blog post. Inspired debuted a thesis in 2020 that identified loneliness as a key focus for the firm to invest in.

Persons: Benjamin Gaon, Boaz Gaon, Benny, Gaon, Marc Andreessen, Andreessen, Wisdo, —, Anne Wojcicki, Marius Nacht, Andreessen Horowitz, Vivek Murthy, Betsy Hoover, Bumble, Rylie Sarabia, Cindy, Anne Jordan, policyholders, Dawn Owens, it's, Owens, Julie Rice, Elizabeth Cutler, Rice, Peoplehood, Phil Levin, Levin, Culdesac, Renate Nyborg, I've, Nyborg, Hugo Amsellem, He's, Ava, Catalyst, Nate Tepper, Tepper, Adam Besvinick, Frances Haugen, Hoover, Alexa von Tobel, von Tobel, David Spinks Organizations: Pyx, Labs, verve, Investors, Pyx Health, TT Capital Partners, New, Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capita, AI Fund, NEA, AIs, Looking Glass, Anonymous, Glass, Facebook, Bloomberg Locations: Arizona, Minneapolis, New York, Ava, France, Peoplehood, Hopscotch

☆ The 10 states with the most single homeowners
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The largest number of single homeowners per capita are in the Deep South, a new report shows. These single homeowners are likely to live in the Deep South , according to new analysis of 2021 census data by home construction company All Star Homes. "There are states that are in the Deep South that are high on the list, and then there are states that you could consider more progressive that are in the middle." AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to All Star Homes, researchers at the company analyzed homeowner data from the 2021 American Housing Survey to figure out the per capita total of single homeowners in each state. Below, the 10 states with the most single homeowners per capita, along with median home price as of August, according to Redfin, and median per capita income, according to 2021 census data.

Persons: —, Jennifer Tracy, Manny Garcia, Zillow's Organizations: Service, Pew Research Center, Star, Star Homes, Survey, Rocket Mortgage Locations: Alabama , Mississippi, Louisiana

NEW DELHI (AP) — South Asia is expected to grow by 5.8% this year, making it the fastest-growing region in the world even as the pace remains below pre-pandemic levels, the World Bank said on Tuesday. At almost 6% this year, the region is growing faster than all other emerging markets, said Franziska Ohnsorge, the organization's chief economist for South Asia. “While high inflation and interest rates have bogged down many emerging markets, South Asia seems to be forging ahead,” the World Bank noted in its report. Per capita incomes in South Asia are around $2,000 — one-fifth of the level in East Asia and the Pacific region. Ohnsorge said that governments in South Asia could improve fiscal conditions by seizing on opportunities for energy transition, which could create jobs, reduce reliance on energy imports and cut pollution levels.

Persons: Franziska Ohnsorge, ” Ohnsorge, Ohnsorge Organizations: DELHI, World Bank, IMF, Bank Locations: South Asia, Asia, East Asia, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South

[1/5] Palestinian workers enter the reopened Erez crossing to Israel, after Israeli ends a ban on workers from Gaza, in Gaza City September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing RightsGAZA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Israel reopened crossing points with Gaza on Thursday, allowing thousands of Palestinian workers to get to their jobs in Israel and the West Bank, after nearly two weeks of closure prompted by violent protests along the border. Cogat, the Israeli Defence Ministry agency that coordinates with the Palestinians, said security assessments would determine whether the border remained open. Israel blocks many goods from entering Gaza with Egyptian backing, citing security concerns, and also reserves the right to restrict exports. According to IMF figures, per capita income in Gaza is only a quarter of that of Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Israel, Khaled Zurub, Cogat, Hazem, Nidal Organizations: REUTERS, West Bank, United, Reuters, Israeli Defence Ministry, Hamas, Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Gaza City, Egypt, United Nations

☆ Swedish PM summons army, police chiefs as gang violence rocks nation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Johan Ahlander | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

View of the damage after an explosion occurred early Thursday morning in a housing area in Storvreta outside Uppsala, Sweden, September 28, 2023. His coalition won the election partly on a promise to stem growing gang violence, and it has launched a series of initiatives, such as greater powers to police and harsher punishment for gun crimes. Earlier on Thursday, the opposition Social Democrats, the biggest party in parliament, called on the government to change the law, allowing the military to help stop the gang violence. Kristersson said he had summoned the national police commissioner and the supreme commander of the armed forces to evaluate the options. The police estimate that about 30,000 people in Sweden are directly involved with or have ties to gang crime.

Persons: Anders Wiklund, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, Magdalena Andersson, Anders Thornberg, Johan Ahlander, Bill Berkrot, Leslie Adler Organizations: TT News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Sweden Democrats, Social Democrat, Social Democrats, National Police, Thomson Locations: Storvreta, Uppsala, Sweden, Rights STOCKHOLM, Stockholm, Sandviken

☆ Birthplace of the atomic bomb braces for its biggest mission since the top-secret Manhattan Project
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Los Alamos was the perfect spot for the U.S. government's top-secret Manhattan Project. The mission calls for modernizing the arsenal with droves of new workers producing plutonium cores — key components for nuclear weapons. James Owen, the associate lab director for weapons engineering, has spent more than 25 years working in the nuclear weapons program. Alexandra Martinez, 40, grew up in nearby Chimayo and is the latest in her family to work at Los Alamos. The film put the spotlight on Los Alamos and its history, prompting more people to visit over the summer.

Persons: James Owen, Owen, Alamosans, Greg Mello, Alexandra Martinez, chuckles, Martinez, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, watchdogs, What's Organizations: U.S, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Associated Press, Los Alamos Study, Alamos, PF, Manhattan, —, Trinity Test, Independent Locations: Alamos, Manhattan, New Mexico, Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Peñasco, Taos County, Chimayo, selfies

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Los Alamos was the perfect spot for the U.S. government’s top-secret Manhattan Project. The community is facing growing pains again, 80 years later, as Los Alamos National Laboratory takes part in the nation's most ambitious nuclear weapons effort since World War II. The mission calls for modernizing the arsenal with droves of new workers producing plutonium cores — key components for nuclear weapons. Alexandra Martinez, 40, grew up in nearby Chimayo and is the latest in her family to work at Los Alamos. Some of the hand-written notes touch on the complicated legacy left by the creation of nuclear weapons.

Persons: James Owen, Owen, Alamosans, ” Greg Mello, Alexandra Martinez, chuckles, ”, Martinez, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer, watchdogs, “ What's Organizations: ALAMOS, U.S, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Associated Press, Los Alamos Study, Alamos, PF, Manhattan, —, Trinity Test, Independent Locations: N.M, Los Alamos, Manhattan, New Mexico, Albuquerque, Alamos, Peñasco, Taos County, Chimayo, selfies

☆ Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin travels the globe to keep crypto alive as the U.S. cracks down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

Today, the biggest challenge for Buterin and the ethereum community is making sure that it provides actual value to people. Buterin was named the world's youngest crypto billionaire at age 27 as the crypto market swelled to its peak in 2021. And he isn't, according to his own estimation, the be-all and end-all authority on the ethereum network. About the ethereum network, he says, "On the other hand, you've got your laptop. In terms of what's next for ethereum — Buterin says a big priority is focusing on privacy and scalability through zero-knowledge rollups.

Persons: Vitalik Buterin, Buterin, coder, doesn't, Czech Republic Pavel Sinagl, that's, clasped, Buterin wasn't, cryptocurrencies, Sam Bankman, Luna, they're, Dmitry, Vitalik, Dmitry Buterin, ethereum blockchains, you've, Satoshi Nakamoto, ethereum, — Buterin Organizations: CNBC PRAGUE, CNBC, Canadian, U.S . Tornado, Buterin, U.S, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, CFTC, People's Bank of China, tinker, Ethereum, Ethereum Foundation Locations: Prague, Russia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Netherlands, Paralelní Polis, Holešovice, China, U.S, Africa, Argentina, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, CBDCs, Moscow, ethereum, Denver, Paris

The Canadian central bank had expected productivity, or output per hour worked, to improve as the economy recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, it has fallen in eleven of the last 12 quarters, taking it back to its 2016 level. It also stands to add to unit labor costs, a key measure of inflation pressures coming from higher wages. "Our own forecast is that productivity growth will turn around, but that is a risk to the outlook and if productivity growth continues declining it will make it more difficult to get inflation back to target," Macklem said. The central bank has forecast that inflation will return to its 2% target in the middle of 2025.

Persons: Macklem, Derek Holt, tightens, Holt, Dennis Darby, Doug Porter, Fergal Smith, Steve Scherer, Deepa Babington Organizations: Bank of Canada, Reuters Graphics Reuters, BoC, Scotiabank, Federal Reserve, Canadian Manufacturers, Fraser Institute, BMO Capital Markets, Thomson Locations: Canadian, Canada, freefall, United States, Toronto, Ottawa

☆ Condom-shy India arouses interest of global contraceptive makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Kashish Tandon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Such is the trend that the market is set to more than double to $1.7 billion by 2030, showed data from GrandView Research. By contrast, 19% of U.S. men use condoms every time they have sex, showed data from the National Center for Health Statistics. World Bank data showed that, in 2021, per capita gross domestic product crossed $2,000 - a threshold at which, in China in 2006, consumption jumped. Britain's Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT.L) has launched new products under its Durex brand and expanded its "Birds and the Bees" rural marketing campaign. SOCIAL MEDIAIndia's market leader is domestic manufacturer Mankind Pharma (MNKI.NS) with a 33% share, ahead of Reckitt Benckiser at 14%, TechSci data showed.

Persons: Kazuhiro Kamio, Okamoto, Arvind Singhal, Miah Kiat Goh, Dwight, Mankind, Ashita Aggarwal, Kashish Tandon, Sumit Khanna, Rocky Swift, Dhanya Skariachan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: GrandView Research, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Okamoto Industries, National Center for Health Statistics, Technopak Advisors, Reuters, United Nations, Benckiser, ., Mankind Pharma, Social, Jain Institute of Management & Research, HDFC Securities Institutional, View Research, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Europe, Japan, China, U.S, S.P, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Rocky, Tokyo

☆ Lina Mukherjee: Indonesia jails woman who recited Muslim prayer on TikTok before eating pork
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lina Lutfiawati, known as Lina Mukherjee on social media, was tried on Tuesday in the Palembang district court on Sumatra island. Speaking to reporters outside court on Tuesday after the trial, Mukherjee expressed shock at the sentence. “I know I was wrong but I really did not expect this punishment,” she said, in comments carried by CNN affiliate, CNN Indonesia. It is possible that she will file an appeal, CNN Indonesia added. Photos and videos taken of Mukherjee throughout the trial and carried by CNN Indonesia often showed her in tears and accompanied by a heavy security presence.

Persons: Lina Lutfiawati, Lina Mukherjee, Mukherjee, ”, Allah, babi, crackling, “, Andreas Harsono Organizations: CNN, TikTok, Indonesian Ulema Council, Watch’s Locations: Bali, Palembang, Sumatra, CNN Indonesia, Indonesia, Watch’s Indonesia, Chinese Indonesian

☆ This Montana college town ranks No. 1 as the most fun city for young people—what it's like to live there
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The metro area around Missoula, Montana, ranked No. Tucked away in western Montana is America's most fun city for young adults. "There are so many big names, it doesn't make sense for how big the area is," Tong says. Don't miss: These are the top 10 states for young workers to find jobs, live affordably and have funMissoula ranks No. Tong says one big misconception of living in Missoula is that college students are everywhere, but she hasn't found that to be the case.

Persons: DeJohn, Jaclyn DeJohn, Sturgell, Tong, Brandon Sturgell, Summer Tong, Bon Iver, Jimmy Eat, Elton John, hasn't, we've Organizations: University of Montana's, MIT, Wilma Theatre downtown, Missoula, CNBC Locations: Missoula, Missoula , Montana, Montana, U.S, Tulsa, Okla, Mont, Portland ,, Denver

Search resuls for: "capită"

25 mentions found