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☆ Antisemitism and Israel: 13 Jewish Americans Discuss - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Adrian J. Rivera | Allison Benedikt | Ms. Benedikt Is Opinion S Editorial Director. Mr. Rivera Is An Editorial Assistant In Opinion. | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When we first thought about convening a focus group of Jewish Americans, antisemitism was very much at the center of the national conversation. We wanted to understand how antisemitism was affecting American Jews whose daily lives did not necessarily intersect with these high-profile incidents. Many of the people we spoke to expressed fear about rising antisemitism, going so far as to hide their Jewish identities in certain circumstances. When we asked the group about Israel, few had specific thoughts on Israeli politics or policy. Almost all of the participants, however, expressed great pride in the country.

☆ Pennsylvania governor: Norfolk Southern have been 'bad actors' following Ohio train derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Dasha Burns | Dasha Burns Is An Nbc News Now Correspondent Who Covers Politics | Social Issues. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Josh Shapiro criticized Norfolk Southern — the rail company that had a train carrying toxic chemicals derail in East Palestine, Ohio — as "bad actors" who "failed miserably." They have a lot of work to do, and the cost will come out of their pocket." "And then, I think they have a responsibility going forward to make sure something like this never happens again," he added. “We have been paying for the cleanup activities to date and will continue to do so. And Shapiro's office announced earlier this month it filed a criminal referral in response to the crash.

☆ Food banks, already struggling with high demand, are bracing themselves for an onslaught once emergency food stamps wind down: 'This is really, really going to hurt some of the most vulnerable populat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Food banks are bracing for an onslaught amidst reduced resources and high prices. The food bank has already been up against high food and gas costs and increased demand. And it's not just the food banks themselves that will be affected but also the programs and partners the food banks work with. "A lot of people aren't really thinking in terms of that, that this is really, really going to hurt some of the most vulnerable populations." And while demand continues, there isn't as much food available as during the pandemic when food banks were given assistance.

☆ Here's the bear case for artificial intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Now that ChatGPT unleashed a firestorm of interest in artificial intelligence investing, it may be time to urge some calm for investors. AI YTD mountain AI software provider C3.ai has seen its stock more than doubled as investors look to hop on the artificial intelligence trend. Here's the bear case for artificial intelligence. That's about seven times more than the cost to run a typical Google search, which Nowak estimated to be $0.003, or not even half of one cent. Separately, the lack of proper citation from generative AI could mean future lawsuits for AI companies.

☆ Wonya Lucas is making big changes at the Hallmark Channel
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

And she's done it all while staying true to the Hallmark brand, which Lucas said is always on her mind. Courtesy: Hallmark MediaUnder Lucas, Hallmark's "Countdown to Christmas" movie slate has increasingly changed. When Lucas became CEO of Hallmark Media, which also includes the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries network, it had also been coming out from under a firestorm of controversy. There needed to be more diversity in both casting and storylines," Hamilton Daly said. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Three Wise Men and a Baby Hallmark Media

☆ Florida Drops Plan to Require High-School Athletes to Provide Menstrual Histories
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Florida High School Athletic Association board of directors voted 14-2 to remove questions on menstrual health from a new physical-education form. A Florida school-sports board reversed course on a plan to require female high-school athletes to provide information about their menstrual histories on a new physical-evaluation form after the proposal set off a firestorm of criticism. A medical committee advising the board had argued that the form was vetted by national medical organizations and would provide important health information about prospective athletes.

☆ Banning Gas Stoves by Regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When progressives can’t pass their agenda through the front door in Congress, they sneak it through a regulatory back window. That’s what the Biden Administration is doing with gas stoves, as the Energy Department this week proposed new rules that amount to a gradual de facto ban. A Biden appointee on the Consumer Product Safety Commission ignited a firestorm last month by threatening to ban gas stoves. After criticism from West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and others, the CPSC chairman rejected the idea, and White House officials said they didn’t support banning gas stoves.

☆ Timeline: Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda to step down after 14 years at the helm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here's a chronology of key events and milestones in Toyota's history under Toyoda, the 66-year-old grandson of the company's founder. "CRISIS AFTER CRISIS"In June 2009, Toyoda became the president of the company his grandfather Kiichiro founded in 1937, replacing Katsuaki Watanabe. Akio was the first member of Toyoda family to take the helm since 1995. The safety crisis, which forced Toyoda to testify before Congress in 2010, threatened Toyota’s reputation and continued success in its most profitable market. Toyoda said on Thursday his term at the helm started with "crisis after crisis."

☆ Wall Street Journal: WWE's Vince McMahon settles with another ex-employee
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Journal reported Thursday that McMahon completed a settlement last month with Rita Chatterton, its first female referee, who accused him of raping her in 1986. And he settled the case solely to avoid the cost of litigation,” said Jerry McDevitt, a lawyer for McMahon, told the Journal. In addition, Chatteron’s lawyer didn’t respond to CNN’s request for comment and the lawyer declined to comment to the Journal. McMahon has previously paid more than $12 million to four women to cover up “allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity,” according to a July 2022 Wall Street Journal report. WWE (WWE) shares were up slightly Thursday.

[1/7] Abortion rights campaigners participate in a demonstration following the leaked Supreme Court opinion suggesting the possibility of overturning the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision, in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2022. The report detailed an eight-month investigation conducted by Supreme Court marshal Gail Curley at the direction of Chief Justice John Roberts. The report did not identify a specific source of the leak, noting that none of the 97 court employees interviewed by investigators confessed to the disclosure. It was critical of some of the court's internal security protocols, and made clear that investigators would continue to pursue any new leads. "In time, continued investigation and analysis may produce additional leads that could identify the source of the disclosure," the report stated.

☆ White House aides were reportedly blindsided by AG Garland's appointment of a special counsel to investigate Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many in the White House were blindsided when AG Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate Biden, WaPo reported. The GOP has accused the special counsel Robert Hur of being partisan, but a former Trump lawyer disagreed, saying he's "smart and experienced." That's why many in the White House were blindsided, according to The Washington Post, when Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate Biden's mishandling of classified information. Republicans and Democrats alike have criticized the Biden White House for failing to disclose the existence of the DOJ's investigation for two months, despite having known about it since November. But Ty Cobb, who once served as Trump's White House counsel, dismissed those concerns.

☆ ChatGPT used by mental health tech app in AI experiment with users
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

But for a few thousand people, the mental health support they received wasn’t entirely human. About 4,000 people got responses from Koko at least partly written by AI, Koko co-founder Robert Morris said. Academics, journalists and fellow technologists accused him of acting unethically and tricking people into becoming test subjects without their knowledge or consent when they were in the vulnerable spot of needing mental health support. “There are millions of people online who are struggling for help.”There’s a nationwide shortage of professionals trained to provide mental health support, even as symptoms of anxiety and depression have surged during the coronavirus pandemic. In June, the World Health Organization included informed consent in one of its six “guiding principles” for AI design and use.

☆ Chef Alison Roman loves her induction stove. Twitter has so many questions.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Those questions and comments rolled in for the celebrity chef Alison Roman on Wednesday after she tweeted that she owns an induction stove "by choice." Induction units are five to 10% more energy efficient than conventional electric stoves, and three times more efficient than gas stoves. Copper or aluminum cookware won't work on an induction stove — magnetic metals like cast iron and some stainless steels are best. The majority of US homes already use conventional electric stoves, while about 38% use gas stoves, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The Inflation Reduction Act authorized an $840 rebate for low- and middle-income households that don't already have an electric stove.

☆ We’re not taking away your gas stove, regulator tells CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The federal government isn’t going to take away your gas stove, a top consumer regulator told CNN on Wednesday. Trumka confirmed to CNN that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to gas stoves, but stressed that any ban would apply only to new gas stoves, not existing ones. That study found almost 13% of current childhood asthma in the United States is attributable to gas stove use. “I’ll NEVER give up my gas stove,” Jackson tweeted on Tuesday. If the exhaust is not vented outside the home, Trumka said gas stove users should open a window or turn on a fan to clear the air.

☆ China’s wolf warriors start 2023 in retreat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Jan 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Beijing has taken the mic away from combative foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian. His transfer follows other de-escalatory moves, thawing relations with major trading partners including Australia, Japan and the United States. It will still take years to undo the diplomatic and economic damage his pack of “wolf warriors” has done to Chinese interests. loadingChinese moderates have criticised the wolf warriors’ competence. With the Western democracies demonstrating the durability of their power in Ukraine without firing a shot, Chinese pandemic policy in shambles and its economy reeling, it’s unsurprising if the wolf warriors are quieting their howl.

☆ Inside the turmoil at Cheddar News, where an editorial 'identity crisis' and misfired social media strategy divided the newsroom and drove staffers to the exits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Reed Alexander | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

16 insiders described unrest and discord partly fueled by the site's revamped social media strategy. Malaspina's plan was for Cheddar to look and feel like a social media platform and to position its stars as influencers. Concerns inside Cheddar intensified when Malaspina, a newcomer to journalism, refocused its coverage on social media content. Multiple segments and even an entire show — "Trending" at 7 p.m. — centered on social media trends and TikTok challenges. It's very troubling to think that news professionals would inflate or distort their social media followings.

☆ Ginni Thomas told the Jan. 6 committee she 'regret' texting Mark Meadows about a 'coup' and pushing Sidney Powell's 'Kraken' plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas she regrets her text messages and posts sent in the wake of the 2020 election. "I regret all of these texts," Thomas, who goes by Ginni, told the panel during a closed-door deposition in September. The closest Ginni Thomas came to acknowledging any political conversation with Justice Thomas was a reference to her "best friend" bucking her up on November 24th. "I wish I could remember, but I have no memory of the specifics," Thomas told the panel of the conversation with her husband. The Washington Post and CBS' publication of Ginni Thomas' texts with Meadows in March caused a public firestorm, especially among Democrats.

☆ Crumbling tech stocks and recession fears have cratered the fortunes of the wealthiest Americans including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Britta Pedersen-Pool/Getty Images; Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Getty Images; KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/Getty Images; Mike Cohen/Getty Images; Yuqing Liu/Business Insider1. Besides the fallen crypto king, many of these shrinking fortunes can be chalked up to this year's bloodbath in the tech stocks. How has Elon Musk's involvement with Twitter impacted your outlook for Tesla stock? Tesla stock price on December, 29, 2022 Markets Insider10. Tesla stock climbed Wednesday as dip-buyers poured into the EV maker.

☆ Trials, pardons, prison time: How Trump's legal woes could play out and what it means for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

The warrant also indicated that the Justice Department was investigating whether Trump violated three federal laws, including the Espionage Act, related to the handling of national security information. Here are some possibilities:The investigations conclude with no charges filedIn the US's 250-year history, no ex-commander in chief has ever faced criminal charges. In all, the former president, if convicted, would be facing up to 33 years of incarceration, according to legal experts. That begs the question: If Trump is charged, convicted, and winds up in prison, can he still run for president in 2024? He made headlines during his presidency for wondering why he couldn't have "my guys" at the "Trump Justice Department" do his bidding.

☆ Elon Musk is 'asleep at the wheel' at a pivotal moment for Tesla and has lost credibility, Wedbush's Dan Ives says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ives wrote in a Friday note that Musk is now viewed as "asleep at the wheel." He added that "Musk has lost credibility with the broader investment community." "Need a leader at this time for Tesla, not Ted Striker," Ives said, referring to a character in the movie "Airplane." Tesla stock is in its worst sell-off since going public in 2010 and plunged below $150 per share on Wednesday, bringing the company's valuation below oil giant Exxon. But Ives put the responsibility on Musk and attributed 70% of the Tesla's sell-off to worry over his focus on Twitter.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried loved playing 'League of Legends' in meetings. Now the game's maker wants out of its $96 million FTX sponsorship deal.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Riot Games wants out of a roughly $96 million agreement with bankrupt crypto firm FTX. Last week, the company cited "reputational harm" in a court filing, in which it outlined the terms of the deal. But now Riot wants to terminate the agreement amid FTX's collapse and its cofounder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest earlier this month for numerous fraud-related charges. "Media outlets and Twitter commentators splashed images of Mr. Bankman-Fried playing 'League of Legends' — Riot Games' game — at the same time that FTX was crashing." Riot Games and FTX did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Informant warned FBI weeks before Jan. 6 that the far-right saw Trump tweet as 'a call to arms'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The email, which has not been previously reported, warned that the Trump tweet was “gaining hold” on social media. The confidential human source has provided information that the FBI has used in Jan. 6 cases before. The FBI confidential source said that they had “put together hundreds of pages of reports over the two weeks proceeding Jan. 6” for the bureau leading up to the attack. Months after the attack, FBI Director Chris Wray created the position of intelligence analyst in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, giving an intelligence analyst a leadership title typically reserved for FBI special agents. They said they were in regular communication with the bureau in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6.

☆ The Masters Says It Will Allow LIV Golfers to Compete in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Andrew Beaton | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Augusta National Golf Club, the famous institution that hosts the Masters, said Tuesday it would allow any eligible golfers to compete—ending speculation that those who have bolted from the PGA Tour to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf could be banned. The chairman of the notoriously secretive body issued a rare statement on its plans, which he indicated had been shaped by the firestorm over the future of the game. No entity has been left untouched by the rift between the PGA Tour and the upstart circuit, and Augusta National is at the center of the fight.

☆ The Biggest Debates and Opinions in 2022 - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +30 min

Opinion The 22 Debates That Made Us Rage, Roll Our Eyes, and Change Our Minds in 2022Debating is what we do here at Times Opinion. To many, she was an icon: She ruled for 70 years, presided over the transition from empire to commonwealth and served as a living link to the generation that won World War II. (Though Ben Bernanke, a former Fed chairman himself, wrote in The Times that that wasn’t going to happen.) The United States and its European allies poured weapons and aid into Ukraine, but how was this going to end? As 2022 draws to a close, the fighting continues and peace talks look as distant as ever — which probably means that the debates will continue.

☆ Wells Fargo ordered to pay $3.7 billion for ‘illegal activity’ including unjust foreclosures and vehicle repossessions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Federal regulators fined Wells Fargo $1.7 billion on Tuesday for “widespread mismanagement” over multiple years that harmed over 16 million consumer accounts. Chopra described Wells Fargo as a “repeat offender” and said Tuesday’s fine is just an “initial step” towards holding the bank accountable. That suggests Wells Fargo may not be out of the penalty box with regulators anytime soon. Those failures caused Wells Fargo to wrongfully repossess some borrowers’ vehicles, to improperly charge fees and interest and to fail to refund certain fees, regulators say. Regulators said Wells Fargo has also been ordered to pay almost $200 million in refunds to those harmed by the bank’s mortgage servicing accounts.

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