Labor Dispute Sparks Supply Chain Snarl At Top US Container Port A standoff between dockworkers and port operators at the largest import gateway in the US has caused delayed departures or increased waiting times for berth of container ships.  "Basically, every container vessel is having their schedule pushed back by about a day or two," Richard Palmer of the Marine Exchange of Southern California told Bloomberg in an emailed update about port operations. He said the primary cause of the disruption was the lack of longshoremen who secure containers aboard vessels.  Terminals at Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland -- some of the largest gateways for container ships that bring goods from Asia have closed or slowed this week as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association, which represents port operators, are locked in discussions about new labor contracts.  "Until now, the PMA and ILWU have been quiet as they negotiate and port operations have been running relatively smoothly, with the exception of a few regional flareups during slow cargo periods that were brief and contained," Bloomberg said.  "Before the last 48 hours, we were seeing a lot of progress," Port of Long Beach Executive Mario Cordero said in an interview on Bloomberg Television Tuesday. He said: "Obviously there is an issue there that has caused some pause in the discussions." The disruptions are nowhere near the magnitude of the supply chain snarls that rocked the economy during the era of Covid. Apollo's chief economist Torsten Sløk pointed out last week that supply chains have returned to normal.  Cordero said labor disputes causing delays at Long Beach terminals are a "bump in the road" before both sides eventually find a resolution.  ... let's hope so.  Tyler Durden Thu, 06/08/2023 - 12:45.....»»

Taibbi: Does Anyone Believe American Propaganda Anymore? Authored by Matt Taibbi via Racket News Substack, A new Washington Post article about Nord Stream throws Ukraine overboard and absolves the United States, offering another version of reality we'll have to strain to take seriously This is getting silly now. The Kakhovka dam just exploded in Ukraine, flooding a huge territory and causing another insane ecological disaster. Russia and Ukraine spent yesterday trading accusations, while the U.S. leaked it was “leaning towards Russia as the culprit of the attack.” The synchronicity was uncanny, with the media’s dam freakout coming exactly as public panic about the previous lunatic infrastructure attack came full circle, moving from certainty Russia blew up the Nord Stream pipeline to belated claims we knew all along Ukraine did it. It’s as if officials want the world to take American intelligence assessments more as Gilbert Gottfried routines than truth. At 10:52 a.m. yesterday, the Washington Post published an exclusive called, “U.S. had intelligence of detailed Ukrainian plan to attack Nord Stream pipeline.” The story contended the United States learned from a “European intelligence service” in June, 2022 that Ukraine was planning a “covert attack” on Nord Stream, using divers who “reported directly to the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces,” General Valery Zaluzhny. Apparently, U.S. and European allies knew about the Ukrainian plan and were impotent to stop a move they worried “risked a severe Russian response.” The only people in the country who didn’t roll eyes or laugh at these latest anonymous contortions were reporters. “Americans Were Aware of Intelligence Warning of Ukrainian Pipeline Attacks,” wrote the New York Times, while Rolling Stone declared, “The U.S. Knew Ukraine Was Planning to Attack Russia’s Nord Stream Pipelines,” and so on. My favorite was the Godfather-themed header on the site of former Mother Jones writer Kevin Drum, “Ukraine was behind the Nord Stream bombing all along”: Who blew up Nord Stream? Look at Matt Orfalea’s damning video made last October for a refresher on how absolutely certain we’ve been in these situations before, only to completely change our tune later. If you’re keeping track, this new Nord Stream piece is about the seventh or eighth theory that the Washington Post alone has posted since September, which puts the Kakhovka story in perspective. ... Specialists in “anti-disinformation” insist a goal of foreign fake news artists is to assault the reasoning process itself, making populations distrust once-reliable sources, leaving them susceptible to conspiracy theories. If that’s true, how is it not provably the case that domestic officials are playing the same game, moving goalposts on everything from the origin of the coronavirus to vaccine efficacy to Nord Stream? The Nord Stream narrative has now gone from “No one thinks anyone but Russia did it” to “It’s a mystery!” to “There’s no evidence Russia did it” to “pro-Ukraine saboteurs may have done it” to “The U.S. and its allies have known for nearly a year Kyiv did it, but said otherwise the whole time.” What are we supposed to think next time officials make statements after a disaster? Are we supposed to forget all this background? Subscribers can real Matt's full article here... Tyler Durden Thu, 06/08/2023 - 13:00.....»»

#MeToo Comes To Wall Street: Odey Hedge Fund In Peril After 13 Women Accuse Billionaire Of Sexual Assault, Harassment And "Toxic Workplace" The FT has published a lengthy #MeToo style hit-piece on "eccentric" bearish billionaire hedge fund manager Crispin Odey (who, by way of background, "used his wealth and influence to boost the country’s Conservative party, back Brexit and cultivate friendships with former prime minister Boris Johnson" all unforgivable transgressions for the ultraliberal FT), and accusing him of sexual assault and a hostile workplace environment (in other words, of running a hedge fund). The report cites thirteen women "who have worked for Odey Asset Management or had social or professional dealings with Odey" and who claim that the billionaire hedge fund manager "abused or harassed them; eight alleged he sexually assaulted them." It gets better: the various incidents - which occurred between 1998 and 2021 - also "include masturbating on a female entrepreneur" (we assume this means stripper) after a business meeting and "forcing a friend’s hand on to his penis" (supposedly female friend). To bring totality to what are otherwise a bunch of unconfirmed allegations similar to those that crushed countless careers during the peak of the MeToo era, the FT says that "it has corroborated accounts of an abusive workplace culture through interviews with more than 40 former employees of Odey Asset Management at every level." In other words, the FT corroborated that Odey Asset Management was a hedge fund. Of course, as the FT is quick to point out, this is not the first time Odey - about whom the FT just can't run out of descriptives and calls him "a self-styled maverick and gentleman rebel" - has faced serious misconduct accusations... In 2021, he defended himself against a sexual assault claim made by a female banker in British courts and won. Allegations in Bloomberg, The Sunday Times and a Tortoise Media podcast have done little to hurt his standing. UK regulators still consider Odey “fit and proper”, the standard senior management at financial firms must uphold, and he continues to be quoted in Britain’s most influential newspapers. ...which is why the FT's accusations had to be truly memorable. This is how the article's author, FT reporter Madison Marriage describes her process: 1/5 This is a story about money, power, and greed. It is about how one of Britain’s most celebrated financiers -- a self-styled maverick and gentleman rebel -- compulsively harassed and assaulted the women he came into contact with over 30 years. 2/5 We have forensically examined how Crispin Odey - known as ‘the big man’ to some staff, or ‘the octopus’ to others - behaved at work at his eponymous firm and with business contacts and social acquaintances. He  disputed our reporting, calling the allegations "rubbish". 3/5 Thirteen women agreed to speak to the FT about the abuse they encountered. Eight of these women said they were sexually assaulted by Odey. Five described harassment, including unwanted massages in the workplace and comments about their appearance and sex lives. 4/5 This story raises wider questions. How should colleagues react when a powerful boss behaves inappropriately? How should regulators assess the suitability of senior financiers? Should newspapers continue to court high profile sources facing serious misconduct claims? 5/5 We are immensely grateful to the women who entrusted us with their stories and the sources who shed light on Odey’s broader workplace behaviour. For all the colorful allegations, read the full FT piece. With that in mind, we can't wait until the FT brings its extensive investigatorial skills to the next hedge fund down the street and finds that - gasp - the boys club is that for a reason, and a trading floor is not exactly a place for budding feminists, the same feminists that joined without a gun to their head, knowing very well the treatment they would be subject to in pursuit of a much (as in much) higher compensation. And if said compensation fails to materialize, well the fund is then subject to the same #metoo treatment that swept across Hollywood several years ago much to the horror of its faux-progressive population. It's probably why when the FT reached Odey "briefly by phone" the hedge fund manager said the unsubstantiated allegations were “rubbish” and hung up. "A week later, a law firm representing him said he “strenuously disputed” the allegations and claimed the FT had a “preordained agenda" the FT reports, while pursuing its preordained agenda. And just like every other #MeToo accusation, "nine of the women who spoke to the FT have never told their stories publicly before" because - drumroll - "most requested anonymity for fear of social, professional or financial retaliation." The women said they were speaking out because Odey continues to preside over a large, highly regarded company, where he wields power over young female employees. Their accounts paint a picture of a domineering executive holding court over a company culture that could be as intoxicating as it was toxic. Again, it's called working in a hedge fund. Which, however, is irrelevant and the same flailing witch hunt that put a premature end to so many careers in Hollywood in recent years, has now moved to Wall Street, and following the FT report - which may or many not have a "preordained agenda" - the wheels of finally canceling Odey are in motion and the UK’s top financial regulator was said to be investigating Odey Asset Management,  while Morgan Stanley on Thursday severed Prime Brokerage ties with the firm. JPMorgan was also said to be reviewing its prime broking relationship with Odey Asset Management in light of the allegations in the FT. We expect that by the end of the day Odey won't have a single Prime Brokerage relationship left now that the "cancel hedge fund" model has been successfully tested. Expect this to repeat on many more occasions as disgruntled female employees of hundreds of other hedge funds also "suddenly" decide to speak out "for the first time" having kept their mouths shut for years over "fear of social, professional or financial retaliation" but realizing that the financial gain from accusing someone of sexual misconduct now far outweighs the lack of upside from keeping one's mouth shut (especially when one has been already fired). As to whether anything improper actually happened - like men acting like men often do in the middle of a trading floor - the answer is about to cost the world's richest men billions as they find out what happens when #MeToo moves to Wall Street. Tyler Durden Thu, 06/08/2023 - 13:25.....»»

White House Says Report US, Iran Are Near Deal On Sanctions Relief Is False Update: Earlier, when reporting on this, we said that "we, for one, are quite skeptical: a story of this magnitude would have been leaked to some deep state conduit like WaPo if it had legs and there was a chance for a favorable outcome, not what is at best a B-grade regional outlet; instead what may be happening is that an opportunistic oil bear is taking advantage of a gullible market to test a rehashed narrative using a friendly media outlet." We were right: WHITE HOUSE SAYS REPORT THAT IRAN, UNITED STATES NEARING DEAL ON IRANIAN URANIUM ENRICHMENT, SANCTIONS RELIEF IS FALSE Of course, whoever wanted to send oil lower, however briefly, by spreading fake news on sketchy regional media has succeeded and long ago closed out of whatever trade they had on. On the other hand, despite the denial oil is now well below where it was before the fake news first leaked, so Biden is also happy, if only until Saudi Arabia gets really pissed off at the senile White House occupant, and shuts down all output for a few days, sending oil in the triple digits. * *  * With the proverbial well of bearish oil news running dry, the market has had to resort to some "old faithful" narratives like for example, pariah state Iran preparing to flood the market with oil any minute. Sure enough, moments ago oil crashed more than $4 because the Middle East Eye, of all places, reported that "Iran and the United States are nearing a temporary deal that would swap some sanctions relief for reducing Iranian uranium enrichment activities, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told Middle East Eye." We have, of course, seen hundreds of such reports in recent years, only to have them all promptly denied, but it's been at least a few weeks since the last iteration, and the algos have forgotten about this particular story ark so they were quick to pounce and short oil which crashed from $73 to $69 in minutes. The MEE cites an Iranian official and "a person close to negotiations" (who may or may not be short oil) who claim that the talks have taken place directly on US soil "marking a notable development in the diplomatic process"; however, it adds, there is still reluctance on the US side to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal known as the JCPOA (because that won't happen). Leading the Iranian delegation is Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's recently appointed ambassador to the United Nations, who also played a pivotal role in the initial stages of the Iran-Saudi Arabia reconciliation talks in Baghdad. On the American side, Robert Malley, the US special envoy on Iran, has engaged in several face-to-face meetings with Iravani. Negotiations have reportedly made significant headway and the two sides have reached an agreement on a temporary deal to take to their respective superiors, the sources said. Under the terms of the deal, Iran would commit to ceasing its 60 percent-and-beyond uranium enrichment activities and would continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the monitoring and verification of its nuclear programme. In exchange, the sources claim, Tehran would be allowed to export up to a million barrels of oil per day and gain access to its income and other frozen funds abroad. The MEE further hedges by admitting that it is up to Iran to decide if such a deal materializes: While the progress seems promising, the ultimate decision lies with senior Iranian officials. Iravani has conveyed the details of the agreement to the senior decision-makers in Tehran for their approval. However, it remains uncertain whether the supreme leader and the national security council will give their consent. Historically, Iranian authorities have been opposed to interim deals such as this, a former diplomatic official told MEE, especially during the 2017-2021 second presidential term of Hassan Rouhani. We, for one, are quite skeptical: a story of this magnitude would have been leaked to some deep state conduit like WaPo if it had legs and there was a chance for a favorable outcome, not what is at best a B-grade regional outlet; instead what may be happening is that an opportunistic oil bear is taking advantage of a gullible market to test a rehashed narrative using a friendly media outlet. That said, look for official denials in the next few minutes: if none comes, then the emerging picture would  be one of Washington folding on sanctions with Iran (just like it did with Venezuela) to offset the growing anti-US sentiment - and production cuts - within OPEC+. Tyler Durden Thu, 06/08/2023 - 13:43.....»»

Soros Predicts Ukrainian Victory In Counterattack, Says Russia Is A "Paper Tiger" Authored by Denes Albert via Remix News, American oligarch of Hungarian origin George Soros believes Ukraine will win the war, and it will be a “positive shock” for global relations. The billionaire made the predictions in a new column in Project Syndicate, which is partly funded by his own Open Society Foundations. In the column, Soros borrows a term from U.S. economic historian Adam Tooze, writing of a “polycrisis” in the world and pointing to the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence, climate change and the war in Ukraine. Regarding Ukraine, the controversial billionaire states that: “the actual outcome (of the Ukraine war) is much better than could have been expected. The Ukrainian army put up heroic resistance and, with strong support from the U.S. and Europe, turned things around. The Russian army proved to be a paper tiger, badly led and thoroughly corrupt.” With regard to Ukraine’s expected counter-offensive, according to the billionaire, Ukraine is ready to launch a counterattack as soon as the promised Western weapons — in particular the F-16 fighter jets authorized by U.S. President Joe Biden — arrive. According to the article, Soros believes the counterattack will be a success and he outlines why: “I believe the counterattack will be successful. The target will be the Crimean Peninsula, the home base of the Russian Navy. By destroying the already damaged land bridge with Russia, Ukraine could turn a strategic asset into a strategic liability, because Crimea has no water. With the land bridge destroyed, Crimea will depend on Ukraine for water,” he writes. He further states that “the end of the war in Ukraine will come as a positive shock for the world,” arguing that “(a) Russian defeat in Ukraine, and a lessening of Sino-American tensions, may create room for world leaders to focus on fighting climate change, which is threatening to destroy our civilization.” But he also muses on the emergence of AI and its potentially malicious powers, admitting he does not have a solution to the problem: “I am instinctively opposed to AI, but I don’t know how it can be stopped,” he writes, adding that regulating AI is becoming a pressing issue ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections. “There will be general elections in the United States in 2024 – and, most likely, in the United Kingdom as well – and AI will undoubtedly play an important role, one which is unlikely to be anything but dangerous. AI is very good at producing disinformation and deep fakes and there will be many malicious actors. What can we do about that? I don’t have the answer, but I hope this issue will receive the attention it deserves,” Soros writes. He ends his column with the cryptic remark that given the “narrow and winding path” to a positive outcome, “it is appropriate to use a question mark in asking whether democracy can survive the polycrisis.” Tyler Durden Thu, 06/08/2023 - 13:45.....»»

Manhattan Apartment Rents Soar To New Highs As Summer Rush Begins.....»»

Oil Crashes On Rehashed Report US, Iran Near Deal Allowing Tehran To Export 1MM Barrels For Reduced Uranium Enrichment With the proverbial well of bearish oil news running dry, the market has had to resort to some "old faithful" narratives like for example, pariah state Iran preparing to flood the market with oil any minute. Sure enough, moments ago oil crashed more than $4 because the Middle East Eye, of all places, reported that "Iran and the United States are nearing a temporary deal that would swap some sanctions relief for reducing Iranian uranium enrichment activities, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told Middle East Eye." We have, of course, seen hundreds of such reports in recent years, only to have them all promptly denied, but it's been at least a few weeks since the last iteration, and the algos have forgotten about this particular story ark so they were quick to pounce and short oil which crashed from $73 to $69 in minutes. The MEE cites an Iranian official and "a person close to negotiations" (who may or may not be short oil) who claim that the talks have taken place directly on US soil "marking a notable development in the diplomatic process"; however, it adds, there is still reluctance on the US side to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal known as the JCPOA (because that won't happen). Leading the Iranian delegation is Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's recently appointed ambassador to the United Nations, who also played a pivotal role in the initial stages of the Iran-Saudi Arabia reconciliation talks in Baghdad. On the American side, Robert Malley, the US special envoy on Iran, has engaged in several face-to-face meetings with Iravani. Negotiations have reportedly made significant headway and the two sides have reached an agreement on a temporary deal to take to their respective superiors, the sources said. Under the terms of the deal, Iran would commit to ceasing its 60 percent-and-beyond uranium enrichment activities and would continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the monitoring and verification of its nuclear programme. In exchange, the sources claim, Tehran would be allowed to export up to a million barrels of oil per day and gain access to its income and other frozen funds abroad. The MEE further hedges by admitting that it is up to Iran to decide if such a deal materializes: While the progress seems promising, the ultimate decision lies with senior Iranian officials. Iravani has conveyed the details of the agreement to the senior decision-makers in Tehran for their approval. However, it remains uncertain whether the supreme leader and the national security council will give their consent. Historically, Iranian authorities have been opposed to interim deals such as this, a former diplomatic official told MEE, especially during the 2017-2021 second presidential term of Hassan Rouhani.   We, for one, are quite skeptical: a story of this magnitude would have been leaked to some deep state outlet like WaPo, not what is at best a B-grade regional outlet; instead what may be happen is that an opportunistic oil bear is taking advantage of a gullible market to test a rehashed narrative. That said, look for official denials in the next few minutes: if none comes, then the emerging picture is that Washington will fold on sanctions with Iran (just like it did with Venezuela) to offset the growing anti-US sentiment within OPEC+. Tyler Durden Thu, 06/08/2023 - 12:09.....»»

How A Fed Rate Pause Is Likely To Morph Into A Cut Authored by Simon White, Bloomberg macro strategist, The Federal Reserve’s next move after an anticipated pause is more likely to be a cut than a hike due to already restrictive rates, falling inflation and a recessionary economy. Pause talk is in the air – with the market pricing in only a ~30% chance of a rate rise at next week’s Fed meeting – before further hikes. But the world, and the Fed, could look sufficiently different even by late summer that the risk calculus starts to favor looser monetary policy. There are three main factors that could alter the Fed’s decision-making framework and prompt it to step back from its hiking cycle after a hiatus: The Fed very rarely raises rates again after pausing when policy is already restrictive Inflation will keep falling in the coming months, while labor-cost pressures are being revised significantly lower The jobs market is weakening fast It might be a surprise, but it’s rare indeed for the Fed to re-tighten policy after pausing. It’s even rarer for it to do so when rates are already restrictive. Moreover, as the chart below shows, the instances of this in the early 80s occurred when rates were in a longer-term downtrend, unlike today. It would thus be almost unprecedented (albeit not impossible) for the Fed to raise rates again after pausing. By several measures, rates are already very restrictive. Real policy rates are about to be above r*, the estimate of neutral. It’s an imperfect measurement with many assumptions. But inflation-fixing swaps see the real Fed rate at 2%-2.5% through summer, well enough above the latest r* estimate of about 0.6% to indicate policy is indeed restrictive. This is underscored by the yield curve’s inversion, which is giving us a transparent read on how restrictive rates are. The 3m-10y curve is almost a facsimile of the degree of restriction in the real policy rate. It’s no wonder some banks went under. The heavily inverted curve is a barometer of rate stress building up in the system, and a reminder that other unexpected grenades could go off and upend the Fed’s current outlook. The inflation backdrop will also look very different in the coming months, with headline CPI set to fall to near 3%, according to fixing swaps. Core CPI should also keep falling for now, based on leading indicators. The Fed is focused on wage growth for inflationary signs. But real wages are either still negative or barely positive, depending on what measure of compensation you use. Furthermore, wage pressures are not nearly as high as they were thought to be. Last week’s release of employment data saw significant downward revisions to real hourly compensation and unit labor costs for the last quarter of 2022, as seen in the last two columns in the table below. Source: BLS The jobs situation may look very different soon too. Remember that unemployment is one of the most lagging indicators. Typically, the labor market looks in reasonable shape when a recession is already underway. It’s also not unusual to see some unexpectedly high payrolls numbers at this time (even if they may well be subsequently revised much lower). It’s prudent instead to focus on the most forward-looking employment indicators. Two of these are temporary help and average weekly hours worked. Employers are likely to cull temp workers and cut full-time employees’ hours before they move to sacking people. This is also why more lagging measures of employment tend to hold up until after the recession has begun. Both temp help and hours worked are falling quickly. The jobs situation – and therefore the Fed’s risk-reward for hiking rates again – could look sizably different in the coming months, especially as a near-term recession looks exceedingly likely. The megacap-styled elephant in the room is the stock market. Can the Fed cut rates when there is a veritable buying frenzy in a few corners of the market? You might expect the market to bounces the Fed into a rate cut by selling off first. But that’s not what has happened on average over the last 30 years. As the chart below shows, the S&P tends to rally into the first Fed cut of the cycle. Moreover, the chart also shows this is the same for the largest stocks, which are driving today’s market higher. The Top 5 Index rallies into the first rate cut and continues to do so afterward. Canada and Australia’s recent rate hikes are adding a dose of uncertainty to the Fed’s outlook. This may add more volatility to anticipated policy rather than policy itself. Nevertheless, the Fed will have an increasing number of off-ramps allowing it to refrain from further hikes. And the longer it does so, the more the backdrop will favor policy loosening. The pause that refreshes may end up being the prelude to a cut. Tyler Durden Thu, 06/08/2023 - 12:25.....»»

Kavanaugh allowed the Alabama maps, which diluted Black votes, to stand for the 2022 election. Now he says they violated the Voting Rights Act. Brett KavanaughTom Williams-Pool/Getty Images In 2022, Brett Kavanaugh let Albama use racially gerrymandered maps in its midterm elections. But more than a year later, the Supreme Court Justice switched sides. Kavanaugh joined the liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts in ruling against the maps. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh flipped sides in a pivotal voting rights case, ruling on Thursday that Alabama district maps that diluted Black votes violated the Voting Rights Act.It was a shocking reversal given that Kavanaugh ruled a year prior that the racially gerrymandered maps could still be used while the case wound its way through the courts.On Thursday, the Supreme Court struck down the maps — redrawn by Alabama's GOP-led legislature to concentrate Black voters in a single congressional district — in a 5-4 decision.In a ruling backed by the court's three liberal justices, Chief Justice John Roberts shot down Alabama's attempt to completely gut the Voting Rights Act of its ability to stop racial gerrymandering."We have applied [section 2 of the Voting Rights Act] to States' districting maps in an unbroken line of decisions stretching four decades," Roberts wrote. "Congress is undoubtedly aware of our construing [Section 2] to apply to districting challenges. It can change that if it likes." Kavanaugh added his own perspective on Thursday, writing in a concurring opinion that "the constitutional argument presented by Alabama" to allow racial gerrymandering "is not persuasive in light of the Court's precedents." His opinion backed up the other liberal justices and Roberts, proving to be the crucial vote in the narrow decision.The court's four other conservative justices dissented, saying they would have left the maps in place.Kavanaugh sided with those justices in February 2022, allowing Alabama to use the maps for the 2022 election.At the time, Kavanaugh said he'd allow the maps temporarily so it wouldn't disrupt the elections in November."When an election is close at hand, the rules of the road must be clear and settled," Kavanaugh wrote. "Late judicial tinkering with election laws can lead to disruption and to unanticipated and unfair consequences for candidates, political parties and voters, among others."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Google's chief people officer emailed all staff Wednesday about cracking down on its hybrid work plan for three days in the office a week. Google's campus in Mountain View, California.Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images Google told staff Wednesday its hybrid work policy is getting stricter. It's going to include attendance rates in performance reviews. Employees who want to work remotely full-time will be considered "by exception only," Google said. Google is getting stricter about in-office work, telling staff that the company will factor office attendance as part of their performance reviews, according to an email sent to staff on Wednesday, which was reviewed by Insider.Google's Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi told employees in the memo that employees who want to work remotely full time will now be considered "by exception only," reversing a pandemic policy that had previously allowed thousands of staff members to relocate away from company offices.The company previously said that from April 2022 employees would be expected back in the office at least three days a week, which Cicconi in the note said most staff members were adhering to.But Cicconi said the new policy will make in-office attendance a factor when it comes to Googlers' performance reviews. She added that managers will send reminders to employees who are "consistently absent from the office."The tech giant will also track turnout through badge data, according to additional documents seen by CNBC.The changes reflect a changing attitude to remote work among the big tech companies. Meta told employees last week that they will be expected in the office three days a week.Cicconi on Wednesday told staff that there was "no substitute for coming together in person." "We've heard from Googlers that those who spend at least three days a week in the office feel more connected to other Googlers, and that this effect is magnified when teammates work from the same location," she said.For staff already approved to work remotely full time, Cicconi said that the company hopes they will consider switching to a remote schedule.Google did not comment on the memo when contacted by Insider but confirmed that fully remote work would be limited to exceptions only. In February, Google Cloud staff were told to start sharing desks and attend the office on alternate days, as part of its hybrid plan. It also recently announced a pullback on perks as part of broader cost-saving measures.According to a survey from real estate agents Knight Frank, half the world's biggest companies – those with over 50,000 employees – plan to reduce their office space by 10% to 20% by 2026.Salesforce has also been trying to lure its staff back to the office, but by donating $10 to charity for every appearance, rather than a crackdown, per Fortune.Got a tip about Google? You can reach Hugh via encrypted email (hlangley@protonmail.com) or encrypted messaging apps Signal/Telegram (+1 628-228-1836). Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The decision comes as a surprise to court watchers who expected the Supreme Court to gut the Voting Rights Act. Demonstrators gather in front of the US Supreme Court.OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Thursday that Alabama violated a ban on racial gerrymandering. The decision comes as a surprise to court watchers who expected the court to gut the Voting Rights Act. Chief Justice John Roberts, who often rules against voting rights, wrote the majority opinion. The Supreme Court held the line against racial gerrymandering on Thursday in a surprise 5-4 decision holding that Alabama violated the Voting Rights Act by creating congressional districts that discriminate against Black voters.Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the court's three liberal-leaning justices in the decision, which held that the voting map used in the 2022 congressional elections in Alabama was illegal.The ruling agreed with the findings of a lower federal court that "Alabama's extensive history of repugnant racial and voting-related discrimination is undeniable and well documented" and "Black Alabamians enjoy virtually zero success in statewide elections," noting that the state of Alabama hasn't challenged that conclusion in its arguments before the Supreme Court."The Court sees no reason to disturb the District Court's careful factual findings, which are subject to clear error review and have gone unchallenged by Alabama in any event," Roberts wrote in the majority opinion.The decision comes as a surprise to many court watchers, who expected the Supreme Court to gut the Voting Rights Act entirely. Right-wing justices currently have a firm 6-3 grip on the court. Roberts, who is often viewed as the most moderate justice appointed by a Republican president, has historically chipped away at voting protections previously enshrined by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In this case, he and Kavanaugh — an appointee of former President Donald Trump — joined Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in upholding the part of the law that forbids racial gerrymandering.This story will be updated.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Having lost the confidence of his staff and his Warner Bros. Discovery bosses, CNN CEO Chris Licht is out. Here's who'll lead while WBD searches for his replacement. Amy Entelis.WarnerMedia Warner Bros. Discovery announced CNN CEO Chris Licht's exit after his rocky tenure damaged ratings and staff morale.  Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley, and Eric Sherling have been tapped as interim leaders. These 14 CNN leaders will keep CNN running while WBD CEO David Zaslav looks for Licht's replacement. CNN boss Chris Licht is exiting the network after a disastrous year, having struggled to win over viewers and staff with his new vision for the news network — as was laid bare in a scathing profile in The Atlantic.The profile shocked media insiders and had insiders doubting Licht could survive in his role, especially with some journalists outraged by his criticism of their work under his predecessor, Jeff Zucker. CNN's own media reporter, Oliver Darcy, wrote that the CEO had "lost the room."Top CNN anchors were critical of Licht's leadership, and even Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's faith in Licht's ability to right the ship was faltering, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, and early this morning the company announced the network chief's exit.WBD named a team of CNN execs to replace Licht while a search is conducted for his replacement: Seasoned editorial leaders Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley, and Eric Sherling will run news and programming, with David Leavy, who was named chief operating officer last week, on the commercial side.Leavy, a top WBD exec and Zaslav consigliere, wasn't officially due to start till June 20, but had been already working the phones to connect with staff. While most of the network's leadership team was made up of CNN veterans, some of whom Licht had elevated, his hand-picked hires like Chris Marlin, head of strategy and business operations, will likely exit. Variety reporter Brian Steinberg tweeted that Kristine Coratti Kelly, the global communications chief who joined CNN from the Washington Post in 2022, is said to be leaving, citing two sources familiar.Licht came in for some serious barbs while trying to move Ted Turner's news network to the political center. In his year on the job, he revamped the look of CNN, shook up the morning lineup, and moved Kaitlan Collins, the network's former White House correspondent, to primetime. Many familiar faces such as Barbara Starr and Ana Cabrera exited. But ratings continued to flounder, and tensions arose on the morning show set after host Don Lemon said Nikki Haley wasn't a viable presidential candidate because she wasn't "in her prime." The episode was followed by a Variety report alleging Lemon had a history of misogynistic behavior. He was fired soon after.Here are the top CNN execs, listed alphabetically, who were leading the network's news and operations under Licht and are expected to carry the network forward while WBD searches for his replacement.This article was originally published at 5 a.m. ET as a list of top executives working under Chris Licht. It has been updated to address the news of his exit and related changes.Adam Cohn, EVP & Chief Financial Officer, CNN WorldwideCohn, who joined CNN in 2008, was named to the top finance position in 2022 after predecessor Neal Chugani left, seven months into the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Cohn is in charge of the financial underpinning of the huge global CNN business, including CNN International and CNN Digital as well as CNN en Español.He was formerly the SVP, head of finance for all the streaming operations of the parent company, and was part of the Turner team that in 2010 acquired rights to NCAA March Madness and the NBA. Cohn was previously at JPMorgan.  Johnita P. Due, EVP, Integrity and Inclusion, CNN WorldwideJohnita P. Due.CNNBefore Warner Bros. Discovery came into being, Due, a former First Amendment rights attorney, was chief diversity and inclusion officer at WarnerMedia News and Sports. Her parents were prominent civil rights activists, and Due has worked for greater diversity and inclusion at CNN throughout her 20-year tenure. Due's job goes beyond making sure CNN prioritizes diverse representation on air, across the newsroom, and in its news coverage; she also looks at potential conflicts of interest and reviews reporting about sensitive topics.Amy Entelis, EVP, Talent & Content Development, CNN WorldwideAmy Entelis.WarnerMediaOne of the four tapped to lead CNN until Licht's replacement is found, Entelis is a quiet legend in TV and film, ushering CNN original series from "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" to "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy," as well as documentary films such as "Julia," about the unlikely '70s star chef Julia Child. CNN Films, which is under her purview, won its first Oscar for best documentary feature earlier this year for its documentary "Navalny," about the Russian dissident.While CNN made the decision to stop funding original series and films made with outside production partners, it is still making long-form shows internally. At its upfront in May, the company announced new series on topics such as NASA, pop culture, and cold war spying. Entelis also developed and launched in April "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper," which goes deep on character-driven news narratives.In the talent lane, Entelis is responsible for developing decades' worth of star journalists and producers at the network over the years including Cooper and Jake Tapper. Entelis, who has been with CNN since 2012, started out at ABC News as a producer on "World News Tonight" with the late Peter Jennings.Ramon Escobar, SVP Talent Recruitment & Development, CNN WorldwideEscobar is in charge of all on- and off-air hires at CNN's TV networks, and he's the guy who's tasked with developing the careers of anchors, correspondents, contributors, and producers. He works closely with colleague Amy Entelis; both had previous stints with Sucherman Consulting Group.Escobar is based in New York and joined CNN in 2012 from Telemundo. Sam Feist, SVP & Bureau Chief, CNN WashingtonFeist has one of the biggest jobs inside the network — keeping ahead of the always-heavy politics news cycle for CNN and its array of shows including "Inside Politics," now hosted by Dana Bash. Feist's been in the role since 2011 and has covered all the debates, inaugurations, town halls, and special event programming that come with being a key player in the nation's capital. Feist has spent 32 years at CNN and has been the executive producer of countless political shows. He's a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, The Washington Economic Club, and the Bar of the District of Columbia.Ken Jautz, EVP, CNN, CNN WorldwideIn the mid-90s, Jautz was busy pushing CNN into lanes such as business and helping launch financial network CNNfn, which later shuttered, and CNN Money. More recently, he has been in charge of HLN and was one of a trio of executives in charge of the network after the departure of CNN CEO Jeff Zucker.Jautz also oversees business affairs and Newsource for affiliates. He joined Turner Broadcasting, Europe in 1995 as a development executive, and moved to CNN in 2001. David Leavy, COO, CNN WorldwideDavid Leavy.Warner Bros. DiscoveryLeavy, who's one of four execs tapped to lead CNN until Licht's replacement is found, wasn't officially meant to start his new role as chief operating officer till June 20. But as one of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's kitchen cabinet, he's already been working — according to a New York magazine report by CNN alum Brian Stelter — to smooth over some of the internal concerns stemming from the Trump town hall and other aspects of Licht's leadership.Leavy will need all the diplomacy skills he honed in Washington, DC, as the onetime deputy press secretary for Foreign Affairs at the Clinton White House. Along with his CNN role, he will continue his public policy and social responsibility duties at WBD.    Mike McCarthy, EVP & General Manager, CNN InternationalCNN International has a very different flavor from its US counterpart. It's distributed in 350 million homes worldwide, with feeds catering to various parts of the world. In some locales, CNN shows up through franchise agreements with other entities.McCarthy is responsible for overseeing this global output, which has received multiple prestigious awards for its journalism under his watch. He's been CNN's point person for coverage of events such as the war in Ukraine and King Charles III's coronation.McCarthy has been with the network for 24 years and is based in Atlanta. Virginia Moseley, EVP, Editorial, CNN USVirginia Moseley.CNNMoseley, one of the four tapped to lead CNN until Licht's replacement is found, is in charge of breaking news coverage and domestic newsgathering from bureaus in LA, Denver, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, DC. Elevated to her current role by Licht a year ago, she also oversees CNN's White House, Congressional, and Defense coverage, and more. Moseley, like so many top news industry executives, cut her teeth in Washington where she was a producer for CBS News. The Harvard grad went on to spend 18 years at ABC News, joining CNN in 2012. She also has close personal ties to DC power — her husband Thomas Nides was executive assistant to then-House Speaker Thomas Foley and went on to become ambassador to Israel in 2021. Lisa Reeves, SVP Talent Negotiations, CNN WorldwideAtlanta-based Reeves is in charge of CNN's many talent deals, which can range from the appointment of Kaitlan Collins into CNN's vaunted primetime slot at 9 p.m. to bringing on a former government official or an expert as a contributor.Reeves works with a host of lawyers and talent agencies to manage staff contracts. She was previously assistant general counsel at Turner Broadcasting. Ellen Russ, SVP, People and Culture, Warner Bros. DiscoveryRuss oversees people and culture responsibilities for CNN from her perch at Warner Bros. Discovery. She has eyes on the company's execution of talent strategy globally, including at CNN US, CNN International, and other outlets like the company's sports divisions and Bleacher Report. She started in the Washington bureau of CNN in HR.Eric Sherling, EVP, US Programming, CNN WorldwideEric Sherling.CNNSherling's job is to oversee live programming out of New York, Washington, and Atlanta for US shows across all hours. The CNN veteran won his promotion in May. One of the four execs tapped to lead CNN until Licht's replacement is found, he also manages bookings and special projects and live event programming.Sherling took over parts the role performed by former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker's longtime EVP US programming, Michael Bass, who left in late 2022. Sherling was at the forefront of creating "CNN News Central," a six-hour block of programming which features anchors such as Kate Bolduan, John Berman, and Sara Sidner.Athan Stephanopoulos, EVP & Chief Digital Officer, CNN WorldwideAthan Stephanopoulos.CNNStephanopoulos joined CNN in October to shake up and refresh its digital offerings around the world. He replaced CNN's previous chief digital officer, Andrew Morse, who left the company.Stephanopoulos previously was president of Ben Lerer's venture focused on bite-sized video, NowThis, which counted Discovery as an investor before it was sold to Vox Media and later spun off. He worked on all aspects of the business during his eight-year tenure.He oversees the editorial, business, and technology of CNN Digital, which includes mobile, OTT and SmartTV offerings. David Vigilante, EVP & General Counsel, CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery SportsVigilante is on the front lines of defending CNN's journalism against legal threats. In 2021, he wrote for the network's site about a gag order that had prevented him from speaking about a federal government order seeking emails from then-CNN Pentagon reporter Barbara Starr. Vigilante fought the order until courts narrowed its requirements. Atlanta-based Vigilante also occasionally contributes to CNN — he picked up the national Edward R. Murrow award for writing in 2013.  Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Pedophiles were able to operate accounts on the social media app to openly share sexual content of minors, The Wall Street Journal reported. Meta has set up an internal task force to crack down on child-sex content.Getty Images Meta has set up a taskforce to counter child exploitation following a Wall Street Journal report. An investigation by the newspaper and academic researchers found Instagram promoted child-sex material. It highlighted the failings of Big Tech firms in regulating the spread of illicit content online. Meta has set up a taskforce to counter child exploitation after a news report said Instagram helped promote networks of accounts trading child-sex content. The photo and video sharing app owned by Mark Zuckerberg's Meta allowed pedophiles to operate accounts that were openly sharing sexual content of minors, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.An investigation by the newspaper and researchers at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that the algorithms underlying Instagram's content recommendation system helped to spread the material while guiding users to them.Users were able to use Instagram to search for explicit terms through hashtags that grouped content with the same label, The Journal reported. Some hashtags found included "#pedowhore" and "#preteensex," per the report. Meta acknowledged that it had problems in cracking down on such content in response to the findings, claiming that 27 pedophile networks had been removed in the past two years. The company confirmed that it had set up an internal task force to tackle the issues.The findings highlight the serious failings Big Tech firms have had in regulating the spread of illicit content online, with Instagram's challenges removing child-sex material being just the latest case of that.An investigation by The New York Times in 2019 found that some of the biggest tech platforms were struggling to deal with the volume of sexual material of minors being posted online, with 45 million photos and videos flagged in just one year. Twitter owner Elon Musk has also identified sexual content of children online as a serious problem. In November, he said it was "Priority #1."Meta told Insider in a statement: "Child exploitation is a horrific crime. We work aggressively to fight it on and off our platforms, and to support law enforcement in its efforts to arrest and prosecute the criminals behind it. Predators constantly change their tactics in their pursuit to harm children, and that's why we have strict policies and technology to prevent them from finding or interacting with teens on our apps, and hire specialist teams who focus on understanding their evolving behaviors so we can eliminate abusive networks. "We're continuously exploring ways to actively defend against this behavior, and we set up an internal task force to investigate these claims and immediately address them. We're committed to continuing our work to protect teens, obstruct criminals, and support law enforcement in bringing them to justice."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Matt Mikka of the YouTube channel Warped Perception didn't have to stop to charge during his unusual experiment — but he did have to stop for gas. YouTuber Matt Mikka and his "Cordless" Tesla Model S.Warped Perception A YouTuber wanted to take long road trips in his Tesla without having to stop and plug in.   Matt Mikka, the man behind the channel Warped Perception, built a Model S powered by a gasoline generator.  He was able to travel 1,800 miles without stopping at a charger, but the trip wasn't hassle-free.  This story was originally published in October 2022. One of the biggest reasons more people don't own electric cars is the charging. They're afraid of running out of juice and are concerned about the lack of charging locations in the US as compared to gas stations. One YouTuber came up with an unconventional antidote to range anxiety in the form of an experimental Tesla Model S that's powered by a gasoline generator. His mission: Take a 1,800-mile road trip around the Midwest without stopping to plug in."I really like my Tesla, but what I don't like is stopping to charge, especially on a road trip. I don't even like stopping to fill up my gas-powered car and that's way faster than charging," Matt Mikka, who runs the YouTube channel Warped Perception, said in a video published earlier in October. Matt Mikka's "Cordless Tesla."Warped PerceptionRated by the Environmental Protection Agency to travel up to 405 miles on a single charge, a new Model S is one of the longest-range electric cars you can buy. But that's not enough for Mikka.He told Insider he'd been planning the project for five years and spent over a year and a half designing the system detailed in the video. It charges the Tesla not only when parked but also while the car is moving, he said in the video. He calls it the "Cordless Tesla." Teslas are among the easiest electric vehicles to live with because the company operates an extensive network of fast-charging stations exclusively for its owners. Availability of other charging stations is improving, thanks in part to a recent boost from the Biden administration. In the end, Mikka said he was able to finish the journey without plugging into a charging station and called it a success. (He did have to stop for gas.)But the trip was far from hassle-free.Since the car consumed more energy than the generator could produce while driving, Mikka had to stop for 5-6 hours per day while the Tesla sat and charged. At hotels, he left the noisy generator running overnight in the parking lot so he could have a nearly full battery by morning. During one highway stint, he was pulled over for driving too slowly as he tried to keep energy consumption down. The modifications eliminated the environmental and cost-saving benefits of owning an electric car. Fuel economy during the trip ranged from 14 mpg at 80 mph to 24 mpg at 50 mph. "This was a cool build but to me it was basically useless. It just didn't have enough energy," Mikka said in the video. "My goal is to drive at road-trip speeds for as long as I want until I get tired, not until the car needs to be charged."He told Insider he's working on a new generator-powered Tesla that improves upon the original design. "I believe with version 2 I will be approaching the perfect car overall and definitely the ultimate road trip car," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Former ByteDance executive Yintao Yu said Communist Party members accessed data on US users as well as protesters in Hong Kong. Former ByteDance executive Yintao Yu said Communist Party members accessed data on US users as well as protesters in Hong Kong.SOPA Images / Contributor/Getty Images ByteDance's former head of engineering in the US is speaking out. Yintao Yu said Communist Party members accessed data on US users as well as protesters in Hong Kong. The access was possible due to a "superuser" or god credential, he alleged. ByteDance called the allegations "baseless." HONG KONG (AP) — A former executive at ByteDance, the Chinese company which owns the popular short-video app TikTok, says in a legal filing that some members of the ruling Communist Party used data held by the company to identify and locate protesters in Hong Kong.Yintao Yu, formerly head of engineering for ByteDance in the U.S., says those same people had access to U.S. user data, an accusation that the company denies.Yu, who worked for the company in 2018, made the allegations in a recent filing for a wrongful dismissal case filed in May in the San Francisco Superior Court. In the documents submitted to the court he said ByteDance had a "superuser" credential — also known as a god credential — that enabled a special committee of Chinese Communist Party members stationed at the company to view all data collected by ByteDance including those of U.S. users.The credential acted as a "backdoor to any barrier ByteDance had supposedly installed to protect data from the C.C.P's surveillance," the filing says.Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous region in China with its own government. In recent years, following mass protests in 2014 and 2019, the former British colony has come under more far reaching control by Beijing.Yu said he saw the god credential being used to keep tabs on Hong Kong protesters and civil rights activists by monitoring their locations and devices, their network information, SIM card identifications, IP addresses and communications.ByteDance said in a statement that Yu's accusations were "baseless.""It's curious that Mr. Yu has never raised these allegations in the five years since his employment for Flipagram was terminated in July 2018," the company said, referring to an app that ByteDance later shut down for business reasons. "His actions are clearly intended to garner media attention."We plan to vigorously oppose what we believe are baseless claims and allegations in this complaint," ByteDance said.Charles Jung, Yu's lawyer and a partner at the law firm Nassiri & Jung, said Yu chose to raise the allegations because he was "disturbed to hear the recent Congressional testimony of TikTok's CEO" when Shou Zi Chew, a Singaporean, vehemently denied Chinese authorities had access to user data."Telling the truth openly in court is risky, but social change requires the courage to tell the truth," Jung said. "It's important to him that public policy be based on accurate information, so he's determined to tell his story."TikTok is under intense scrutiny in the U.S. and worldwide over how it handles data and whether it poses a national security risk. Some American lawmakers have expressed concern that TikTok's ties to ByteDance means the data it holds is subject to Chinese law.They also contend that the app, which has over 150 million monthly active users in the U.S. and more than a billion users worldwide, could be used to expand China's influence.During the combative March House hearing, lawmakers from both parties grilled Chew over his company's alleged ties to Beijing, data security and harmful content on the app. Chew repeatedly denied TikTok shares user data or has any ties with Chinese authorities.To allay such concerns, TikTok has said that it would work with Oracle to store all U.S. data within the country.In an earlier court filing, Yu accused ByteDance of serving as a "propaganda tool" for the Chinese Communist Party by promoting nationalistic content and demoting content that does not serve the party's aims. He also said that ByteDance was responsive to the Communist Party's requests to share information.Yu also accused ByteDance of scraping content from competitors and users to repost on its sites to exaggerate key engagement metrics. He says he was fired for sharing his concerns about "wrongful conduct" he saw with others in the company.In mainland China, ByteDance operates Douyin, which is targeted at the domestic market. TikTok is its global app that is available in most other countries. It was also available in Hong Kong until TikTok pulled out of the market in 2020 following the imposition of a sweeping national security law.Anyone who tries to open TikTok from within Hong Kong will see a message that reads "We regret to inform you that we have discontinued operating TikTok in Hong Kong."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

You can now watch "Avatar: The Way of Water" with a Disney Plus or Max subscription. It's also available to buy from multiple digital retailers. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.Jake Sully teaches his son Neteyam in "Avatar: The Way of Water."Disney/20th Century StudiosJames Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" is now available to watch online. The blockbuster sequel revives the franchise 13 years after the first "Avatar" became the highest-grossing film of all time. You can stream the movie with a Disney Plus or Max subscription, or buy it from digital retailers like Amazon."Avatar: The Way of Water" picks up over a decade after the events of "Avatar," following Jake and Neytiri as they raise their children on Pandora. When the Sully family is forced to leave their home and explore new regions of the planet, an ancient threat resurfaces and Jake must once again gear up to fight the humans.'Avatar: The Way of Water' streaming quick linksUS subscription: Disney Plus ($8/month), Max ($10/month)Digital purchase: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu ($20)Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana reprise their roles from "Avatar" as Jake Sully and Neytiri, respectively. Sigourney Weaver also returns, but this time she's playing a new character named Kiri. Other new roles in "Avatar 2" include Kate Winslet as the free diver Ronal, Cliff Curtis as Ronal's husband Tonowari, and Britain Dalton as Jake and Neytiri's second son Lo'ak.Like the original movie, "Avatar: The Way of Water" is directed by James Cameron ("Titanic"). The film was nominated for best picture at the 2023 Oscars and Golden Globes.How to watch 'Avatar: The Way of Water'You can now watch "Avatar: The Way of Water" from the comfort of your couch on Disney Plus or Max. The movie made its subscription streaming debut on June 7. It's also available to buy from digital retailers like Amazon.The cheapest way to watch "Avatar: The Way of Water" is with a Disney Plus subscription. Ad-supported plans cost $8 a month, while ad-free streaming is $11 a month. Both plans include access to "The Way of Water" in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR for the most immersive viewing experience on a 4K TV. The ad-free plan also adds Dolby Atmos audio support. Due to existing licensing deals between 20th Century Studios and HBO, "Avatar: The Way of Water" is also available on the Max streaming service. Max is a bit more expensive than Disney Plus, however, especially if you want the best streaming quality. Subscriptions cost $10 a month for ad-supported HD streaming, $16 a month for ad-free HD streaming, or $20 a month for ad-free 4K streaming with Dolby Atmos.  If you'd rather pay a one-time fee to watch "Avatar: The Way of Water" rather than sign up for a subscription service, you can also buy a digital copy of the movie from Amazon, Vudu, and Apple TV. "The Way of Water" costs $20 to buy in up to 4K quality with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio.  Once you buy a digital copy of the film, you can stream it whenever you like with no restrictions. A rental option is not currently available, but will likely launch later this year.Will there be more 'Avatar' sequels?Disney already has three more "Avatar" sequels in development and scheduled on its upcoming release slate. Although it took 13 years for the first "Avatar" sequel to arrive, rest assured that the additional sequels will be released in a timelier manner. "Avatar 3" is set for December 2024, "Avatar 4" for December 2026, and "Avatar 5" for December 2028.Depending on the box office and critical successes of the next several "Avatar" sequels, James Cameron could decide to expand the franchise even more.Is 'Avatar: The Way of Water' worth watching?Critical reactions to "Avatar: The Way of Water" indicate that it's well worth a watch. The movie holds a "76% Certified Fresh" score on the review-aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. It was also nominated for best picture at the 2023 Oscars.While the film's story is basic, the striking visuals make it an immersive experience tailored especially for theatrical viewings. The sequel repeats one of the biggest draws of the first "Avatar" movie in terms of being a groundbreaking visual spectacle.For those who enjoy James Cameron's direction, sci-fi epics, and visually immersive experiences, "Avatar: The Way of Water" should be worth a watch. Where can I watch the first 'Avatar' movie?Neytiri and Jake in "Avatar" (2009).20th Century FoxThe first "Avatar" movie is now streaming on Disney Plus for all subscribers to watch.If you don't have a subscription to Disney Plus, you can rent ($4) or buy ($15) the first "Avatar" movie from digital retailers like Amazon.Check out the trailer for 'Avatar: The Way of Water'Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Everyone knows Icelanders are tall — just look at Hafþór Björnsson, who plays "The Mountain" on "Game of Thrones" — but are they the world's tallest? Some of the world's tallest men: Sergey Ilin, 226 cm (7 feet 4 inches), Dave Rasmussen, 221 cm (7 feet 2 inches), and Robert Steven, 219cm (7 feet 1 inch), wait to cross the street in Paris on June 1, 2018.Getty Height varies a lot around the world, but some countries have a significant lead.  Medical data from 2019 showed the average height of 25 of the world's tallest countries. The data skews heavily towards nations in Europe. Both the world's tallest man and woman clocks are from Turkey. Sultan Kösen is 251 cm (8 feet 3 inches) tall while Rumeysa Gelgi is 215.16 cm (7 feet 0.7 inches) tall.But despite their commanding size, their compatriots don't quite make the list of countries with the tallest people on average.Insider used average height data from a medical database run by NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a project linked to Imperial College London, to compile this list. The data was published in 2019 and as of June 2023 is still the latest available.It lists separate figures for male and female height in each country — we took an average of these two figures to give a rough idea of how tall the average person is in the country, and also listed the separate male and female figures.Scroll down to see the 25 countries which (literally) came out on top.25. New Zealand — 171.34 cm (5 feet 7.45 inches)New Zealander and Oklahoma Thunder basketball player Steven Adams is 213 cm (6 feet 9 inches) tall.Getty ImagesAn average person from New Zealand is 171.34 cm (5 feet 7.45 inches) tall.The average Kiwi man is 177.73 cm (5 feet and 9.9 inches) tall, while the average woman is 164.94cm (5 feet 4.93 inches) tall. 24. Bulgaria — 171.52 cm (5 feet 7.52 inches)The Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov is 190 cm (6 feet and 2 inches) tall.Julian Finney/Getty ImagesAn average Bulgarian is 171.52 cm (5 feet 7.52 inches) tall.A Bulgarian man is 178.24 cm (5 feet 10.17 inches) tall on average, while the average Bulgarian woman is 164.79 cm (5 feet 4.9 inches) tall. 22. Montenegro —171.56 cm (5 feet 7.54 inches)Montenegrin Nikola Peković played basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves and is 211 cm (6 foot 11 inches) tall.YouTube/CaineLovesCaliAn average Montenegrin is 171.56 cm (5 feet 7.54 inches) tall.Men in Montenegro are on average 178.27 cm (5 feet 10.18 inches) tall.Women in Montenegro are on average 164.85 cm (5 feet 4.90 inches) tall.22. Ireland — 172.02 cm (5 feet 7.72 inches)Irishman and former One Direction singer Niall Horan is 173 cm (5 foot 6 inches) tall.CraSH/imageSPACE / MediaPunch/APThe average Irish person is 172.02 cm (5 feet 7.72 inches) tall.The average Irishman is 178.92 cm (5 feet 10.44 inches) tall.The average Irishwoman is 165.11 cm (5 feet 5 inches) tall.21. France — 172.31 cm (5 feet 7.83 inches)The French wrestling star André the Giant was 224 cm (7 foot 5 inches) tall.EKavet, FlickrThe average person in France is 172.31 cm (5 feet 7.83 inches) tall.The average French man is 179.73 cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall.The average French woman is 164.88 cm (5 feet 4.91 inches) tall.20. Belarus — 172.39 cm (5 feet 7.87 inches)Minsk, Belarus.karp5/ShutterstockThe average person in Belarus is 172.39 cm (5 feet 7.87 inches) tall.An average Belarusian man is 178.44 cm (5 feet 10.25 inches) tall.The average Belarusian woman is 166.35 cm (5 feet 5.49 inches) tall.19. Ukraine — 172.39 cm (5 feet 7.87 inches)Ukrainian former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko is 198 cm (6 feet 4 inches) tall.Photo by Getty ImagesUkrainians are an average 172.39 cm (5 feet 7.87 inches) tall.The average Ukrainian man is 178.45 cm (5 feet 10.26 inches) tall, and the average Ukrainian woman is 166.33 cm (5 feet 5.48 inches) tall. 18. Australia — 172.53 cm (5 feet 7.92 inches)Australian "Wolverine" actor Hugh Jackman is 188 cm (6 foot 1 inch) tall.Kevin WinterAustralians are 172.53 cm (5 feet 7.92 inches) tall on average.Australian men are 179.20 cm (5 feet 10.55 inches) tall on average. Australian women are 165.85 cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall.17. Norway — 172.65 cm (5 feet 7.97 inches)The 170.1 cm (5 feet 6.9 inches) Norwegian chess maestro Magnus Carlsen.Alastair Grant/APAn average Norwegian is 172.65 cm (5 feet 7.97 inches) tall.Norwegian men average out at 179.74 cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall.The women measure out at 165.56 cm (5 feet 5.18 inches) tall.16. Sweden — 172.71cm (5 feet 7.99 inches)Former Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 195 cm (6 feet 3 inches) tall.Michel Euler/APSwedish people are an average 172.71 cm (5 feet 7.99 inches) tall.Swedish men are 179.73 cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) tall on average, while Swedish women are 165.6 cm (5 feet 5.23 inches) tall.  15. Finland — 172.74 cm (5 feet 8 inches)A man holds up a Finnish flag.Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/ReutersAn average Finn is 172.74 cm (5 feet 8 inches) tall.Males in Finland are an average 179.59 cm (5 feet 10.70 inches) tall.Females in Finland are 165.89 cm (5 feet 5.31 inches) tall. 14. Lithuania —172.82 cm (5 feet 8.03 inches)A woman takes a photo in Vilnius, Lithuania.Flickr/needopticThe average Lithuanian is 172.82c m (5 feet 8.03 inches) tall.An average Lithuanian man is 179.02 cm (5 feet 10.48 inches) tall.The average Lithuanian woman is 166.61 cm (5 feet 5.69 inches) tall.13. Germany — 172.87 cm (5 feet 8.06 inches)The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.s4svisuals/ShutterstockThe average German is 172.87 cm (5 feet 8.06 inches) tall on average.The average German man is 179.88 cm (5 feet 8.81 inches) tall while the average German woman is 165.86 cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall.12. Slovenia — 172.92 cm (5 feet 8.07 inches)Lake Bled, Slovenia.borchee/Getty ImagesThe average Slovenian is 172.92 cm (5 feet 8.07 inches) tall.The average Slovenian man is 179.80 cm (5 feet 10.78 inches) tall while the average Slovenian woman is 166.05 cm (5 feet 5.37 inches) tall.11. Croatia — 173.20 cm (5 feet 8.18 inches)Dubrovnik, Croatia.Wojtek Chmielewski/ShutterstockAn average Croatian is 173.20 cm (5 feet 8.18 inches) tall.An average Croatian man is 180.78 cm (5 feet 11.16 inches) tall.The average Croatian woman is 165.63 cm ( 5 feet 5.20 inches) tall.10. Iceland — 173.21 cm (5 feet 8.19 inches)Icelandic Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who plays The Mountain on HBO's "Game of Thrones" is 206 cm (6 feet 9.1 inches) tall.Instagram/thorbjornssonIcelandic people have an average height of 173.21 cm (5 feet 8.19 inches.)Icelandic women are 165.94 cm (5 feet 5.15 inches) tall on average, while Icelandic men are an average of 180.49 cm (5 feet 11.05 inches) tall.9. Bosnia and Herzegovina — 173.35 cm (5 feet 8.24 inches)Mostar, Bosnia.Vlada Photo/ShutterstockBosnians are 173.35 cm (5 feet 8.24 inches) tall on average.Bosnian men are 180.87 cm (5 feet 11.20 inches) tall on average.Bosnian women are 165.84 cm (5 feet 5.29 inches) tall on average.8. Slovakia — 173.48 cm (5 feet 8.29 inches)Slovakian downhill alpine skier Petra Vlhova is 180 cm (5 feet 9 inches) tall.ReutersSlovakians are 173.48 cm (5 feet 8.29 inches) tall on average.Slovakian men are 179.50 cm (5 feet 10.66 inches) tall on average, while Slovakian women are 167.46 cm (5 feet 5.92 inches) tall on average.7. Belgium — 173.59 cm (5 feet 8.34 inches)A glass of Belgian beer.PixieMe / ShutterstockBelgians are 173.59 cm (5 feet 8.34 inches) tall on average.The average Belgian man is 181.69 cm (5 feet 11.53 inches) tall.The average Belgian woman is 165.49 cm (5 feet 5.15 inches) tall.6. Serbia — 174.13 cm (5 feet 8.55 inches)President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic is 199 cm (6 feet 5 inches) tall.Thierry Monasse/Getty ImagesSerbians are 174.13 cm (5 feet 8.55 inches) tall on average.Serbian men are 180.57 cm (5 feet 11.09 inches) tall on average, while women are 167.69 cm (5 feet 6.01 inches) tall on average.5. Czech Republic — 174.28cm (5 feet 8.61 inches)Prague, Czech Republic.Getty ImagesThe average Czech measures an average 174.28 cm (5 feet 8.61 inches) tall.Czech men measure an average of 180.10 cm tall (5 feet 10.9 inches) tall while an average woman measures 168.45 cm (5 feet 6.31 inches) tall. 4. Denmark — 174.29 cm (5 feet 8.61 inches)Danish teenagers walk through the Rådhudspladsen plaza in the snow in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 2, 2018.Kristoffer Trolle/FlickrThe average Dane is 174.29 cm (5 feet 8.61 inches) tall.The average Danish man is 181.38 cm (5 feet 11.40 inches) tall, while the average woman is 167.21 cm (5 feet 5.83 inches) tall.3. Estonia — 175.13 cm (5 feet 8.94 inches)Professional tennis player Anett Kontaveit of Estonia is 174 cm (5 feet 7 inches) tall, which is just over the average height for Estonian women.Robert Prange/Getty ImagesAn average Estonian is 175.13 cm (5 feet 8.94 inches) tall.Estonian males are an average 181.59 cm tall (5 feet 11.49 inches) tall while Estonian females are an average 168.67 cm (5 feet 6.40 inches) tall.2. Latvia — 175.61 cm (5 feet 9.13 inches)Riga, Latvia.ShutterstockLatvians are an average of 175.61 cm (5 feet 9.13 inches) tall.Latvian men are an average of 181.42 cm tall (5 feet 11.42 inches) tall while Latvian women are an average of 169.79 cm (5 feet 6.84 inches) tall.According to research released by scientists from Imperial College London in 2016, Latvian women are the tallest in the world. The research tracked the height among young adult men and women around the world between 1914 and 2014.1. The Netherlands — 175.62 cm (5 feet 7.96 inches)The King and Queen of the Netherlands are both within the average height range. King Willem-Alexander is 183 cm tall (6 feet), and Queen Maxim is 178 cm (5 feet 8 inches) tall.ReutersDutch people are the world's tallest, with an average height of 175.62 cm (5 feet 7.96 inches).Dutch men are an average 182.53 cm (5 feet 11.86 inches) tall while Dutch women are an average 168.72 cm (5 feet 6.42 inches) tall. The Netherlands did not always hold the title of tallest nation: a study published by the Royal Society of London in May 2015 found that in the mid-1800s, Dutch men were among the shortest people in Europe.A popular explanation as to why Dutch people are so tall is that they have a diet rich in meat and dairy products.Other possible reasons include the country's world-leading healthcare system and excellent social welfare system, experts told the BBC."[In the Netherlands] everything is geared towards producing high-quality babies that then don't suffer any of the kinds of things that reduce height," Professor Louise Barrett of the University of Lethbridge, who contributed to the Royal Society of London study, told the BBC. The world's tallest living man and woman, though, don't hail from any of those countries. Coincidentally, they both come from Turkey.World's tallest living man, Sultan Kösen, on September 25, 2022 (left), and the world's tallest living woman, Rumeysa Gelgi, (right) on October 14, 2021Mustafa Seven/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images/The world's tallest living man, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the 251 cm (8 feet 2.5 inches) Turkish giant Sultan Kösen.Kösen, who is a part-time farmer, told the Guinness Book of World Records that the best thing about being tall was that he could help his mother change a broken light bulb or hang up curtains.The world's tallest living woman is another Turkish native, Rumeysa Gelgi, who is 215.16 cm (7 feet 0.7 inches) tall, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.Rumeysa is so tall due to a very rare genetic condition called Waver Syndrome. She has since become a vocal advocate for the condition.This article was originally published in June 2019, and was updated in June 2023 to include more information.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The S&P 500 could notch 4,750 this year, rallying 20% to retest its all-time-high, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee. Cindy Ord/Getty Images Investors should buy the dip and can expect stocks to keep rising, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee. Lee said extreme bearishness means most are underinvested in stocks.  He predicts the index will hit 4,750 this year, retesting an all-time-high of 4,800. Investors should buy any dip in stocks and can expect the market to keep moving higher from here, according to Fundstrat's head of research Tom Lee.Lee, who has been bullish on stocks through most of the past year's bear market, pointed to the S&P 500's strong performance relative 2023, with the benchmark index rising 12% from levels in January. Market breadth, a measure of stocks in the market that are gaining, is also increasing, with tech, small-cap, industrial, and regional bank stocks all moving up in the past month.That momentum could carry through the rest of the year, Lee suggested, particularly if easing inflation leads the Fed to pause its interest rate hikes. Markets have priced in a 71% chance the Fed will pause rate hikes in June.Meanwhile, Lee has forecast the S&P 500 to notch 4,750 by year-end, retesting its all-time high of around 4,800."This really strengthens the case to buy the dip and expect stocks to continue to rise – that is, if the national and consensus view is caution, then that means most are underinvested," Lee said in a note on Wednesday. He added that a "trifecta of bearishness" has been coming from sell-side strategists, institutional investors, and retail investors, who are all showing overall pessimism towards stocks. But high levels of pessimism could be a contrarian indicator for the market: the S&P 500 saw gains over the next 12 months 94% of the time when investors were this bearish in the past, according to research from Bank of America.Lee is among the most bullish voices on Wall Street, making the case for investors to enter the market despite fears of a coming recession. Previously, he predicted the S&P 500 would notch an all-time high in 2022, though the index ultimately finished 20% lower.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Whoever takes Chris Licht's former role as CNN CEO will face an impossible situation. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is smiling, but not about CNN's long term future…Warner Bros. DiscoveryCNN CEO Chris Licht stepped down on Wednesday.Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is already on the hunt for his replacement. Whoever gets the gig will likely also face inevitable doom because cable news is dying. CNN chair and CEO Chris Licht is out and the search is on for his replacement. Why would anyone want the gig?Licht joined the company last year around this time, hoping to return it its centrist, objective roots – and away from the partisan skew the network adopted during the Trump years.The idea, supposedly, was that such moderation would attract middle-of-the-road viewers who tuned the network out during the Trump and pandemic years.It didn't work, and CNN ratings are terrible right now. Plus, Licht managed to alienate his staff with a combination of bravado and being reclusive.So he's gone, and his old boss, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav says he's already searching for a replacement.I haven't seen the job description, but a fair one would say that the gig comes with enormous pay, immense influence, and a nightmare-like promise of almost inevitable doom.Why?Because no matter who takes this job, cable news is almost certainly going to be less popular in a year than it is today.(You have to be careful with certainty around these things because, even as the cable news audience ages and dies, sometimes there are such giant ongoing news stories – like COVID or the Trump presidency – that the rest of us reluctantly blow the dust off our cable boxes and figure out how to switch to the right HDMI input or whatever.)Todd Spangler at Variety painted a very bleak picture for the entire cable ecosystem in early May. He wrote that "total pay-TV penetration of occupied U.S. households (including for internet services like YouTube TV and Hulu) dropped to 58.5% — its lowest point since 1992, two years before DirecTV launched as a new rival to cable TV. As of the end of Q1, U.S. pay-TV services had 75.5 million customers, down nearly 7% on an annual basis."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Osan and Kunsan air bases joined forces for the airpower display, lining up F-16s, A-10s, U-2s and C-12s belonging to squadrons in South Korea. F-16 Fighting Falcons, A-10C Thunderbolt IIs, U-2 Dragon Ladys, and C-12 Hurons taxi stand parked on the runway at Osan Air Base during the Mammoth Walk training event on May 5, 2023.Master Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia/US Air Force The Pacific Air Forces' 7th Air Force staged a large aircraft generation training event at Osan Air Base. All the aircraft shown in the photos are armed with live weapons, showing different configuration of missiles and bombs. Osan and Kunsan air bases joined forces for the display of airpower, lining up on the runway F-16s, A-10s, U-2s and C-12s belonging to the units permanently forward-deployed in South Korea.The Pacific Air Forces' 7th Air Force staged a large aircraft generation training event at Osan Air Base with the participation of all the subordinate units from Osan and Kunsan air bases, where the 51st and 8th Air Wings are based. The "Mammoth Walk," as the photos' captions called it, happened on May 5, 2023, but it was only disclosed few days ago.The photos of the event on the runway show 53 aircraft, which include two U-2 Dragon Ladys of the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, three C-12 Hurons of the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 12 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs of the 25th Fighter Squadron and 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 35th, 36th, and 80th Fighter Squadrons. While the 5th RS (part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing) and the U.S. Army's 2nd CAB are not subordinate unit of the 7th AF, they are stationed at Osan AB and joined the event as they are integral part of the aviation activities in Korea.An A-10C Thunderbolt II and an U-2 Dragon Lady stand parked on the runway at Osan Air Base during the Mammoth Walk training event on May 5, 2023.Master Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia/US Air ForceAll the aircraft shown in the photos are armed with live weapons, showing different configuration of loadouts with AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 air-to-ground missiles and AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, and GBU-38, GBU-54, GBU-31(V)1 (standard Mk-84 body) and GBU-31(V)3 (BLU-109 penetrator body) JDAM bombs. Some F-16s were also seen equipped with the HARM Targeting System pod, a rare occurrence for Block 40 Vipers, but it allows them to perform SEAD missions just like the Block 50 aircraft that are usually assigned this mission set.The brief press statement released by the 7th AF says the large aircraft generation training event demonstrated the wings' rapid generation capabilities and response readiness. "The combined ability of 7th Air Force and our partner units at Osan Air Base to generate combat airpower at a moment's notice affirm that our commitment to the Republic of Korea remains ironclad and ensure regional stability throughout the Indo-Pacific," continued the captions.U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and a F-16 Fighting Falcon wait to taxi down the runway during a Mammoth Walk training event at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, on May 5, 2023.Airman 1st Class Aaron Edwards/US Air ForceWhile not specified, it is possible the "Mammoth Walk" (which was usually called an Elephant Walk in other occasions) was one of the events of Exercise Beverly Midnight 23-1, which was hosted by Osan AB from May 4 to 12, 2023. The exercise is one of the yearly training events of the 8th FW, which allows the unit to "maintain the level of readiness required to accomplish the 'Fight Tonight' mission and are an opportunity to practice contingency response, evaluate performance and sharpen critical skills."Since April 1, 2023, the 8th FW is deployed to Osan AB, as Kunsan's runway is closed for repairs until August. The move enabled many side-by-side training opportunities between the 51st and 8th FWs, including Beverly Midnight 23-1, allowing F-16s from Kunsan's 35th and 80th Fighter Squadrons to conduct sorties alongside F-16s and A-10s from the Osan's 25th and 36th Fighter Squadrons.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»