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☆ Exclusive: Xi Jinping tells Bill Gates he welcomes U.S. AI tech in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates delivers his speech at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, August 16, 2022. Xi also discussed Microsoft's (MSFT.O) business development in China during their meeting in Beijing, one of the sources said. When asked for comment, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation directed Reuters to the post. His meeting with Gates comes as U.S.-China relations are at their lowest point in decades, with AI a key flashpoint. Microsoft is a backer of OpenAI, whose chatbot ChatGPT ignited a global AI buzz last year that has spread to China.

Persons: Bill Gates, Kim Hong, Xi Jinping, Xi, Gates, Melinda Gates, Jason Neely, Jan Harvey Organizations: Microsoft Corp, National Assembly, REUTERS, U.S, Microsoft, Melinda Gates Foundation, Reuters, Information Office, chipmaker Micron, LinkedIn China, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, HONG KONG, China, Beijing, China's, U.S, Hong Kong

☆ China's Xi tells Bill Gates he hopes US-China friendship will continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

I place my hopes on the American people," a video published by state broadcaster CCTV showed Xi as saying." The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates was in 2015, when they met on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter to Gates thanking him and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for pledging assistance to China, including $5 million for the country's fight against COVID-19. Apart from meeting Xi, Gates has given a speech at the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute about the need to use technology to solve global health challenges during his visit. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Beijing municipal government, which founded the institute with Tsinghua University, also pledged to each provide $50 million to bolster the institute's drug discovery capacity.

Persons: Xi's, Gates, Xi Jinping, Bill Gates, Xi, We've, couldn't, Melinda Gates, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Qin Gang, Qin, Christopher Cushing, Edwina Gibbs, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Microsoft, Reuters, Melinda Gates Foundation, COVID, U.S, Daily, Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, United States, American, Beijing, Hainan province, U.S

☆ China's President Xi to meet with Bill Gates in Beijing - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, June 16 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping will meet with Bill Gates in Beijing on Friday, Chinese state media CCTV reported. The Microsoft (MSFT.O) co-founder tweeted on Wednesday that he had landed in Beijing for the first time since 2019 and that he would meet with partners who had been working on global health and development challenges with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates was in 2015, when they met on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter to Gates thanking him, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for pledging assistance to China including $5 million for the country's fight against COVID-19. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Gates, Xi, Christopher Cushing, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, Melinda Gates Foundation, COVID, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Hainan province

☆ Bill Gates, in First Visit to China Since 2019, Meets With Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Chang Che | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Xi told Mr. Gates that he was “the first American friend I met in Beijing this year,” according to People’s Daily, the Communist Party newspaper. Mr. Xi also said he wanted to build stronger ties with Mr. Gates’s philanthropic organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to help with aid to developing countries. The Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. Gates’s trip to China, his first since 2019, overlaps with a visit by Antony J. Blinken, his first since becoming secretary of state. It was unclear if Mr. Blinken, who arrives Sunday, would meet with Mr. Xi.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Bill Gates, Xi, Gates, I, Melinda Gates, Antony J, Blinken Organizations: Communist Party, Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates Foundation, Mr Locations: American, Washington, Beijing, China, U.S

☆ Bill Gates visits China, hot on the heels of Elon Musk, and meets with President Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, during the EEI 2023 event in Austin, Texas, US, on Monday, June 12, 2023. Microsoft 's co-founder Bill Gates met President Xi Jinping on Friday, state media reported without offering any details. Their meeting comes a day after the billionaire philanthropist met Beijing's mayor to discuss a drug discovery partnership with China. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — which Gates is the co chair of — announced Thursday a $50 million donation over the next five years into the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute established by his foundation. China can play an even bigger role in addressing the current challenges, particularly those facing African countries," Gates said.

Persons: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Xi Jinping, Gates, —, Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, Antony Blinken, Biden Organizations: Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft, Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, SpaceX, JPMorgan, Apple Locations: Austin , Texas, China, Beijing

☆ FDA advisors recommend that new Covid vaccines target an omicron XBB variant this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The committee unanimously voted that the new jabs should be monovalent — meaning they are designed to protect against one variant of Covid — and target a member of the XBB family. Those strains of Covid are descendants of the omicron variant, which caused cases to surge to record levels early last year. Advisors also generally agreed that the new shots should specifically target a variant called XBB.1.5. There is also uncertainty about which age groups the FDA and CDC will advise to receive the updated shots this fall. But it's unclear how many Americans will roll up their sleeves to take the updated shots later this year.

Persons: Melinda Wharton, Novavax, John Jacobs, Peter Marks, David Kaslow Organizations: . Food, Centers for Disease Control, Advisors, Pfizer, Moderna, National Center, FDA, CDC, Novavax, omicron Locations: U.S, Novavax

☆ Microsoft's co-founder Bill Gates will reportedly meet China's Xi this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, during the EEI 2023 event in Austin, Texas, US, on Monday, June 12, 2023. Microsoft 's co-founder Bill Gates will be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, Reuters reported Wednesday citing two sources familiar with the matter. CNBC reached out to China's ministry of foreign affairs but did not hear back at the time of publication. They discussed views on enhancing public health service and poverty reduction, according to China's foreign ministry. In March, Cook met China's minister of commerce Wang Wentao to discuss China's reopening and broader supply chain issues.

Persons: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Xi Jinping, Gates, Antony Blinken, Qin Gang, Blinken, Tim Cook, Elon Musk —, Cook, China's, Wang Wentao, Musk, Ding Xuexiang Organizations: Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft, Reuters, CNBC, U.S, Foreign, U.S ., U.S . State Department, Apple, Tesla Locations: Austin , Texas, China, Hainan province, Beijing, U.S

☆ Bill Gates in China: Microsoft co-founder to meet Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Julie Zhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, June 14 (Reuters) - Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) co-founder, is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday during his visit to China, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The meeting will mark Xi's first meeting with a foreign private entrepreneur in recent years. The last reported meeting between Xi and Gates was in 2015, when they met on the sidelines of the Boao forum in Hainan province. In early 2020, Xi wrote a letter to Gates thanking him, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for pledging assistance to China including $5 million for the country's fight against COVID-19. Several foreign CEOs have visited China since it reopened early this year but most have mainly met with government ministers.

Persons: Bill Gates, Xi Jinping, Gates, Melinda Gates, Xi, Premier Li Qiang, Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Ding Xuexiang, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Qin Gang, Qin, Julie Zhu, Greg Roumeliotis, Brenda Goh, Alex Richardson, Sumeet Chatterjee, Nick Macfie, William Maclean Organizations: Microsoft, Melinda Gates Foundation, Information Office, COVID, Premier, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Beijing, Hainan province, U.S, United States, Hong Kong, New York

☆ Washington Post publisher, CEO Fred Ryan to depart after overseeing growth under Jeff Bezos
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

From left, Washington Post Publisher Fred Ryan, Executive Editor Marty Baron, and National Security Editor Peter Finn, applaud as investigative reporter Tom Hamburger speaks to the newsroom after The Washington Post wins two pulitzer prizes, Monday, April 16, 2018, in Washington. Washington Post publisher and CEO Fred Ryan announced on Monday that he will step down from the helm of the newspaper in August. In a statement, the Washington Post said that it saw multiple years of profitability and a dramatic jump in digital subscriptions under Ryan. Read Fred Ryan's memo to employees here:Subject: Message for Washington Post ColleaguesDear Washington Post Colleagues,Nine years ago, I was honored to be selected by Jeff Bezos to be Publisher and CEO of The Washington Post. Read Jeff Bezos' memo here:Subject: Message for The Washington Post TeamDear Washington Post Team,I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Fred for his dedicated service to The Washington Post as our Publisher and CEO.

Persons: Fred Ryan, Marty Baron, Peter Finn, Tom Hamburger, Ryan, Jeff Bezos, Ronald Reagan, Jeff, Bezos, Patty Stonesifer, Melinda Gates, Read Fred Ryan's, We've, we've, Fred, Read Jeff Bezos, he's, I'm, She'll, Patty, You'll Organizations: Washington Post, National Security, Washington . Washington Post, Amazon, Foundation, Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft, The Washington Post, Innovative Media, Fast Company, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, The Washington Post Team, Washington Post Team Locations: Washington .

☆ Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan steps down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Fred Ryan, the publisher and chief executive of The Washington Post who oversaw the newspaper through several tumultuous years, announced on Monday that he will step down from his position after nearly a decade at the helm. “Nine years ago, I was honored to be selected by Jeff Bezos to be Publisher and CEO of The Washington Post,” Ryan wrote in a memo to staff on Monday. Ryan’s handling of the matter angered much of the newsroom and pushed high-profile reporters to join the newspaper’s union, including some who had previously resisted joining the union, known as The Washington Post Newspaper Guild. Ryan said that he will continue in his position as publisher of the newspaper until August 1 to help with the transition. Patty Stonesifer, the founding chief executive of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and an Amazon board member, will serve as interim chief executive of The Post.

Persons: Fred Ryan, Ryan, Ronald Reagan, Jeff Bezos, ” Ryan, Jeff, Donald Trump, “, We’ve, Patty Stonesifer, Melinda Gates, “ I’m, Fred, we’ve, ” Bezos, ” Organizations: CNN, The Washington Post, Foundation, Employees, Washington Post Newspaper, Melinda Gates Foundation, The, Amazon

☆ These Bill Gates-backed startup founders turn water from the shower drain into beer: 'Rest assured with the science'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Take, for example, Epic OneWater Brew: a Kölsch-style ale made from purified shower, laundry and sink water. It's the brainchild of Epic Cleantec, a San Francisco-based water reuse technology company born from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge." The company primarily creates wastewater reuse and treatment systems, not beer. Epic Cleantec can't sell its beer, made in partnership with Devil's Canyon Brewing Company, due to strict federal and state laws. But it can give the ale away for free to spread awareness and "showcase the untapped potential of water reuse," Aaron Tartakovsky, the company's CEO, tells CNBC Make It.

Persons: Melinda Gates, — Ilan Levy, Oded Halperin, Igor, Aaron Tartakovsky —, Aaron Tartakovsky Organizations: Gates Foundation, Devil's, Brewing Company, CNBC Locations: States, San Francisco

☆ The Truth About ‘Nature’s Ozempic’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the demand for Ozempic — the injectable diabetes medication that has become coveted for inducing weight loss — continues to intensify, people across TikTok are posting about alternatives. Some gush about other diabetes drugs, like Mounjaro; some tout so-called “generic” Ozempic from compounding pharmacies. And some are trumpeting what they claim is a cheaper option, readily available in pharmacies and online: “nature’s Ozempic,” better known as berberine. Experts say that while berberine has proven metabolic effects on the body, whether it can actually induce weight loss remains murky. “Generally, it’s a really good compound that has some good evidence behind it,” said Dr. Melinda Ring, an integrative medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine.

Persons: ”, berberine, Melinda Ring Organizations: Ozempic, Northwestern Medicine Locations: Asia

☆ I’m Traveling in Both the City and the Country. What Shoes Should I Pack?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I have a trip planned for summer — half in cities and half in the countryside, walking every day. I’m planning to buy new shoes for the trip. I have bulky gym sneakers, but I’m looking for a more stylish alternative, particularly for city wear. After all, shoes are bulky, so you don’t want to take too many, which means each pair has to play multiple parts. The goal being not to have your shoes act like a neon sign that blares “tourist,” no matter where you are.

Persons: — Melinda Organizations: Far Locations: Far Hills, N.J, galoshes

☆ Many in Guam Lack Power and Water a Week After Typhoon Mawar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Josie Moyer | Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thousands of people across the island of Guam remained without power, water and cellphone service on Friday, more than a week after the U.S. territory was pummeled by the strongest typhoon in at least two decades, which flooded homes, downed coconut and mango trees, and disrupted basic services. “Losing water has been the hardest part,” said Melinda Sanchez, 50, whose family lives in central Guam. “We just go back to what we’ve learned to do during these times. We get through it.”The typhoon, Mawar, brought widespread flooding and 140 mile-per-hour winds, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, when it struck the island of 150,000 people in the South Pacific on May 24, knocking out power across much of the territory. Now a tropical storm, Mawar forced the evacuation of 1.2 million people as it approached Japan on Friday.

Persons: ”, Melinda Sanchez, we’ve, Mawar Organizations: South Pacific, U.S . Navy, Air Force Locations: Guam, U.S, South, Japan

☆ Should Some Criminal Records Be Wiped Clean After 7 Years?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Grace Ashford | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Melinda Agnew has done a lot in the 25 years since she got in trouble with the law: She earned an associate degree, followed by a bachelor’s and a master’s. To answer it truthfully — she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault — is to be denied jobs she is otherwise qualified for and apartments she can afford to rent. To lie is to undercut the person she has fought so hard these past decades to become. Lawmakers in Albany are considering legislation aimed at lifting that burden for Ms. Agnew and millions of others. Known as the Clean Slate Act, the bill would automatically seal the criminal records of people who have paid their debt to society and remained out of trouble for a specified number of years — three for misdemeanors, seven for most felonies.

☆ Fact Check-Video of Bill Gates endorsing Ron DeSantis was digitally created
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A clip that seemingly shows Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the presidency was digitally created but has been shared online as if authentic. In the video, Gates can partly be heard saying the following: “We simply have to push forward with the great reset, or everything will be lost. That’s why I support Ron DeSantis as our next president” (here), (here), (here). The video circulating online was seemingly created by Twitter users @C3PMeme and @Ramble_Rants, whose handles are included in the graphics at the bottom of the video. There is no evidence Gates has endorsed or expressed support for DeSantis as of this article’s publication (tinyurl.com/4rtaddcb).

☆ Bill Gates says A.I. could kill Google Search and Amazon as we know them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates reacts during a visit with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the Imperial College University, in London, Britain, February 15, 2023. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes the future top company in artificial intelligence will likely have created a personal digital agent that can perform certain tasks for people. Gates said there is a fifty-fifty chance that this future AI winner will be either a startup or a tech giant. Until then, companies will continue embedding so-called generative AI technologies akin to OpenAI's popular ChatGPT into their own products. Watch: Bill Gates says OpenAI's GPT is the most important tech advance since the 1980's

☆ Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of The Flower Moon’ gets raucous applause at Cannes premiere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Longtime collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese continue to create magic at the movies. Their latest project, true-crime drama “Killers of The Flower Moon” starring DiCaprio and De Niro, premiered at the swanky Cannes Film Festival on Saturday and the post-screening reception was instantly impressive with a minuteslong standing ovation. A video posted to the Cannes Film Festival’s YouTube channel shows the audience inside the Grande Theatre Lumiere exuberantly applauding the movie for at least seven minutes, with more applause coming after director Scorsese thanked the audience. (From left) Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorese's 'Killers of the Flower Moon.' The cheers and applause grew louder for DiCaprio, De Niro and Lily Gladstone, who were all in attendance at the premiere.

☆ Shell company stock hijacker Mark Miller sentenced to year in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Lengeling told Doty it "felt like we got punched in the gut, quite frankly" when he recently learned prosecutors were asking that Miller spend a year in prison for the penny stock scheme. In addition to his prison term, which Miller is expected to start serving in August, Doty sentenced Miller to two years of supervised release after he completes his time locked up. Miller and Jaberian, as well as an unidentified person related to Miller, became the nominal CEOs and presidents of the targeted companies, prosecutors say. Miller voluntarily dropped a suit related to efforts to take over New World Gold soon after CNBC reported his involvement with that company. Doty sentenced him on May 10 to two years of probation.

☆ Russian missiles hit home town of Ukraine's Eurovision contestants
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 13 (Reuters) - As the Eurovision song contest was underway in Britain late on Saturday, Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which is home to the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, this year's contestants from Ukraine. Local authorities, writing on Telegram, said the strike had hit warehouses owned by commercial enterprises and a religious organization, injuring two people. Melinda Simmons, Britain's ambassador to Kyiv, praised Tvorchi for their Eurovision 2023 entry. And poignant as their university home town of Ternopil was targeted by Russian missiles this evening," she tweeted. Tvorchi said this week they hoped to shine a spotlight on their country's fight for freedom.

☆ Bill Gates: Here are ‘the 5 things I wish I was told at the graduation I never had’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Bill Gates never finished his undergraduate degree — the billionaire dropped out of Harvard University after three semesters to start Microsoft. Not much, personally, to be honest," Gates told students at Northern Arizona University's commencement ceremony on Saturday. If Gates had finished college, these are "the five things I wish I was told at the graduation I never had," he said. Gates did work at Microsoft for a long time: He was the company's CEO until 2000, and board director until 2014. 'Don't underestimate the power of friendship'One of Gates' biggest college regrets, he told Harvard students in 2018: Not being sociable enough.

☆ Fact Check-Chelsea Clinton did not say ‘It’s time to force-jab every unvaccinated child in America’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chelsea Clinton did not say that it is time to “force-jab” every unvaccinated child in the U.S., contrary to claims being shared online. The posts misrepresent Clinton’s comments about the “Big Catch-Up,” an authentic initiative to increase childhood vaccinations that were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinton did speak at the conference on April 25, 2023 in a session about the initiative and importance of childhood vaccines (here). In the video, she does not say vaccines should be forced on children, with or without parental consent. Chelsea Clinton did not call for forced vaccines on children.

☆ How Do I Get Rid of Skin Tags?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Melinda Wenner Moyer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Q: As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed more and more skin tags sprouting in odd places on my body. And is there anything I can (and should) do to get rid of them? They can pop up in unusual places: on your neck, under your arms, maybe even around your groin. Research suggests that more than half of adults will develop at least one skin tag during their lifetime. The good news, said Dr. Angela Lamb, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai in New York City, is that they are harmless.

☆ Buffett’s imprint on Berkshire reaches its limit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Warren Buffett gives off a zen vibe about Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) after his time is up. They’ll have over a decade to wind down the inheritance, in effect insulating Berkshire’s new leaders while they leave their own imprint. The succession planning has been possible because of Buffett’s iron grip, and not everyone is happy about it. One shareholder, Peter Flaherty, proposed separating the chairman and CEO roles at Berkshire. Berkshire security may be able to shut down such dissent at its own shareholder meeting, but it can’t stifle the doubts about life after Buffett.

☆ Fact Check-Compounds in Apeel’s edible food coating deemed safe by FDA
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Edible food coatings from U.S. company Apeel Sciences are made of monoglycerides and diglycerides that are not “toxic” to humans, contrary to posts on social media. The company received funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but is not owned by Bill Gates, as also claimed online. This is a Bill Gates founded company using toxic mono & diglycerides to make you SICK!” alongside a photo of an avocado with an Apeel label (here). Reuters has debunked posts conflating the edible food coating with a UK-manufactured cleaning product (here). The edible food coating known as Apeel is made of monoglycerides and diglycerides, compounds that are generally recognized as safe by the FDA and a nutritional expert in the quantities proposed by the company.

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