submitted by /u/vinnie_chapman [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/35Pl06c

submitted by /u/_main_chain_ [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2HhB5HD

submitted by /u/wmredditor [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/35RK0K8

submitted by /u/Aussiehash [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3kDK4Br

submitted by /u/AssociateNegative
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3mDEil2

submitted by /u/LowLebenSteezin
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3cgVeZM

submitted by /u/MokebeBigDingus
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/32NNL1k

Donald Trump approved Oracle’s bid for the U.S. operations of TikTok “in concept,” a deal forced by the president’s orders last month declaring the popular video-sharing app a national security threat.

“I have given the deal my blessing. If they get it done that’s great. If they don’t, that’s OK too, ” Trump told reporters Saturday as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C. “I approved the deal in concept.”

The new company, which will be called TikTok Global, has agreed to donate $5 billion to an education fund, which Trump said would satisfy his demand that the government receive a payment from the deal. “They’re going to be setting up a very large fund,” he said. “That’s their contribution that I’ve been asking for.”

Under terms of the deal, Oracle and Walmart will control 20% of the new TikTok Global, according to a person familiar with the matter. Sequoia Capital and General Atlantic, already investors in TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance, are also expected to take stakes in the new company, the person said.

TikTok said in a statement that it was “pleased that the proposal by TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the U.S. administration and settle questions around TikTok’s future in the U.S.”

The company confirmed Oracle will host all its U.S. data and secure its computer systems. TikTok said it is working with Walmart on a commercial partnership and it, along with Oracle, will take part in a TikTok Global pre-IPO financing round in which they can take as much as a 20% cumulative stake in the company.

The deal was forced by a pair of bans Trump issued in August citing national concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership. The Commerce Department on Saturday delayed by a week a ban that would have forced Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google to pull the TikTok video app from their U.S. app stores on Sunday.

TikTok Global will likely be headquartered in Texas and will hire “at least” 25,000 people, Trump said. TikTok will need to hire thousands of content moderators, engineers, and marketing staff that were previously located in China and around the world.

To sweeten the deal for Trump, TikTok promised to hire an additional 15,000 jobs more than the 10,000 positions the company already pledged to fill earlier this year. It’s unclear if there’s a timeline to achieve that target, or any guarantees that it will follow through. Facebook Inc., the largest U.S. social media company, employed about 45,000 people in 2019, while Twitter Inc. employed only 4,900, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Trump is ramping up pressure on Chinese-owned apps in the weeks before the Nov. 3 presidential elections, citing national security concerns about the data U.S. citizens provide to them and the potential for Beijing to use them for spying. The president is trailing his opponent Joe Biden in polls and has sought to portray himself as tougher on Beijing than the Democrat.

While the Chinese government must now sign off on the transaction for it to go forward, as of earlier this week, ByteDance was growing increasingly confident that the proposal would pass muster with Chinese regulators, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

Under the terms of the agreement reached early in the week, ByteDance would retain a majority of TikTok’s assets and control over the algorithm, with Oracle and other U.S. investors taking minority stakes.

Trump seemed to contradict that on Saturday. “It will have nothing to do with China, it’ll be totally secure, that’ll be part of the deal,” he said. “All of the control is Walmart and Oracle, two great American companies.”

Trump spoke with Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and Walmart Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon on Friday, telling them he still expected the U.S. government to receive a cash payment as part of the transaction, according to people familiar with the matter. They agreed to the educational donation as a way to satisfy Trump’s demand, one of the people said.

The new U.S. company intends to hold an initial public offering in about a year, according to people familiar with the matter. TikTok plans to use the proceeds from the listing for the $5 billion educational grant, one of the people said.

Oracle will get full access to review TikTok’s source code and updates to make sure there are no back doors used by the company’s Chinese parent to gather data or to spy on the video-sharing app’s 100 million American users, according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal came together last weekend, the result of high-level negotiations between ByteDance, Oracle and top Trump administration officials after ByteDance rejected a bid from Microsoft Corp. and Walmart to buy the U.S. TikTok service outright.

Beijing has signaled it would greenlight a deal as long as ByteDance doesn’t have to transfer the artificial intelligence algorithms that drive TikTok’s service, Bloomberg has reported.

The Treasury Department said the deal is subject to a security agreement that requires approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or Cfius. The term sheet that’s been negotiated between Cfius and the companies will now have to be formalized in a document that details the mechanics for implementing the terms of the deal.

That document would likely include requirements related to the establishment of the new company, arrangements governing its relationship with ByteDance, whether an IPO is part of the deal, whether ByteDance will have to divest its entire stake in the IPO and what would happen if for some reason the IPO doesn’t occur, said Aimen Mir, a lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and a former deputy assistant secretary for investment security at Treasury.

More must-read tech coverage from Fortune:

• Everything announced at Apple’s “Time Flies” event
• Microsoft hails success of its undersea data center experiment—and says it could have implications on dry land, too
• One country is now paying citizens to exercise with their Apple Watch
• Fortune’s 2020 40 Under 40
• Verizon plans to offer indoor 5G networks by year end

from Fortune https://ift.tt/33IfGPo

submitted by /u/D1verboy [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2RI020O

submitted by /u/GreatDare
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2RJ2Ric

submitted by /u/welton_rs
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3hOyfGB

submitted by /u/AbleDraft
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3kxroD7

submitted by /u/Sobutie
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/32IW8uX

submitted by /u/cryptoanalyticatech
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3iKoSJl

submitted by /u/whitelabelcrypto [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3mzwnFk

submitted by /u/abcdefgcode
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/35QUtWg

submitted by /u/knifemastA21
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3mBzKM0

submitted by /u/siddude11 [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3cd6Soj

submitted by /u/rafnasc
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2HfLoMk

submitted by /u/banana_turtles
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3iLCMLk

submitted by /u/FTL_Ian [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/32GRDRB

submitted by /u/fjkcdhkkcdtilj
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3hRfIJW

submitted by /u/Nobert07 [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2H84iEI

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sent waves of shock across the country on Friday evening, leading to mass mourning on what would typically be a day of celebration, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. But the news also comes just 46 days before the 2020 presidential election and immediately became politicized. 

Within hours of reports of Ginsburg’s death, the donation ticker on ActBlue, a nonprofit organization that enables left-leaning nonprofits, Democrats, and progressive groups to raise money online, began increasing rapidly, with about $100,000 in donations each minute.  

One group, Get Mitch or Die Trying, a fund created by Crooked Media which donates to 13 close Senate races in an attempt to flip the Congressional body from Republican-majority to Democratic-majority saw a huge increase in funding. The group reported at least $1.5 million in donations in the hour after Ginsburg’s death was made public. 

Hey reporters wondering if this SCOTUS news is motivating Democrats. Here is a chart of donations to our fund to help elect Democrats to the Senate. Donate (or watch the number go up) here: https://t.co/KGWmpELi2L pic.twitter.com/XCEk21Wnyh

— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) September 19, 2020

The donations came in as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear that he would attempt to replace Ginsburg with a Supreme Court Justice who was vetted and approved by President Donald Trump. “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate,” said McConnell in a statement Friday evening. 

After Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia’s death in 2016, McConnell refused to appoint then-President Barack Obama’s Justice pick, Merrick Garland, to the court, saying that it was an election year and thus unfair. 

“In the last midterm election before Justice Scalia’s death in 2016, Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president’s second term. We kept our promise,” McConnell said in his statement Friday. “Since the 1880s, no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president’s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year.”

Democrats, meanwhile, are saying that a vote to appoint a Supreme Court Justice would be unfair and should wait until after the election on November 3. Logistically, it is unlikely that McConnell would be able to nominate and schedule a vote for the next Justice before the election. If Democrats are able to flip the Senate and potentially the White House, McConnell’s argument would become invalid, thus fueling donations for Democratic candidates. 

Even some Republicans question the timeline. “I’d like to fill a vacancy. But we’d have to see. I don’t know how practical that would be,” Senator Lindsey Graham hypothetically told CNN in July. “Let’s see what the market would bear.”

More politics coverage from Fortune:

• Trump’s prolonged assault of WTO means its ruling against Chinese tariffs is essentially moot
• Quantum computers threaten to end digital security. Here’s what’s being done about it
• To win in November, Trump would need to pull off an even bigger upset in 2020 than he did in 2016
• Could a TikTok shutdown cost Trump at the polls?
• Commentary: Voting by mail is more secure than the President says. How to make it even safer

from Fortune https://ift.tt/3iFFyl8

submitted by /u/imskykru
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/ivjz9m/day_trader_é_corno_isso_é_coisa_de_gente_burra/

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, at the age of 87, brought a close to one of the most distinguished lives and careers in the history of the American judiciary.

It will also likely spark a contentious debate over the fate of Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court, which now sits vacant with less than two months to go until the 2020 presidential election. In the days before her death, Ginsburg reportedly dictated a statement to her granddaughter expressing her own thoughts on the matter: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”

Given her role as one of the leaders of the Supreme Court’s liberal wing, Ginsburg’s wish may not come as a surprise to many conservatives. But her words set the stage for what’s poised to be a fierce political battle over how she should be replaced—and who will have the right to do so.

Ginsburg’s death comes 46 days before this November’s presidential election, and four years after Senate Republicans succeeded in stopping President Obama’s election-year nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court—an appointment that would have seen conservative jurist Antonin Scalia replaced by a lame duck Democratic president.

The bitter, protracted fight over Garland’s nomination—and the obstinate tactics employed by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—has lived long in the memory of congressional Democrats. So perhaps it’s not surprising that McConnell’s counterpart, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), took to Twitter to echo McConnell’s words from four years ago in calling for Ginsburg’s vacancy to “not be filled until we have a new president.”

The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 18, 2020

At this early stage, it appears that there may be some bipartisan support for holding off on Ginsburg’s replacement until after the election; Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has reportedly committed to doing just that, while her Senate colleagues Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have previously voiced similar sentiments.

But that may not matter to the powers-that-be in the White House and the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill. By Friday evening, it was reported that President Trump is set to announce his nominee to succeed Ginsburg in a matter of days, while McConnell released a statement that committed to giving Trump’s nominee a vote on the floor of the Senate:

The Senate and the nation mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the conclusion of her extraordinary American life.

My full statement: pic.twitter.com/NOwYLhDxIk

— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) September 19, 2020

Still, it remains to be seen whether Trump and McConnell will be able to rally their troops—and beat off what will surely be fierce opposition—to nominate and confirm a new Supreme Court justice before November’s election. As some observers have noted, it would require a historically speedy process.

FYI, the fastest Supreme Court confirmation in the past 30 years took 42 days.

That was for Justice Ginsburg, in 1993.

The average confirmation, since 1975, takes 67 days.

We are now 54 days from the presidential election.

— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) September 9, 2020

The average number of days to confirm a SCOTUS justice, per CRS, is 69.6 days. Even if Trump nominated someone tomorrow, that is late November https://t.co/C3sKEvLp5E

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 18, 2020

With the Trump administration having just released an expanded list of potential Supreme Court justices, the groundwork has been laid for a contentious battle over the future of the highest court in the land. Having already appointed two justices (Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh), the President and his allies will be keen to further reshape the court in their image, while congressional Democrats will surely fight tooth-and-nail to ensure the court doesn’t swing even further to the right.

Whatever happens, one thing is certain: a historic, unprecedented election year has somehow just become even more unpredictable.

More politics coverage from Fortune:

• Trump’s prolonged assault of WTO means its ruling against Chinese tariffs is essentially moot
• Quantum computers threaten to end digital security. Here’s what’s being done about it
• To win in November, Trump would need to pull off an even bigger upset in 2020 than he did in 2016
• Could a TikTok shutdown cost Trump at the polls?
• Commentary: Voting by mail is more secure than the President says. How to make it even safer

from Fortune https://ift.tt/35Sv8uS

Americans mourned the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, with numerous politicians and scholars pointing to her legacy involving some of the most pivotal legal cases in the nation’s history.

Ginsburg leaves a legacy in which her status as a high-profile member of the court helped score major victories for Democrats and liberals on numerous hotly contested issues. Since her 1993 appointment to the Supreme Court by former president Bill Clinton, Ginsberg participated in landmark cases that covered issues ranging from abortion rights to same-sex marriage. 

Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 19, 2020

Here’s a small sample of some of the key cases in which Ginsburg played a significant role:

United States v. Virginia, 1996

In United States v. Virginia, Ginsberg wrote the majority opinion that would serve as a milestone moment for women’s rights and university admission policies. The case challenged a policy by the Virginia Military Institute that barred women from being admitted to the institution. Although the state of Virginia said it would create a separate educational program for women for the military institute, Ginsberg questioned its merits, writing that “Women seeking and fit for a VMI-quality education cannot be offered anything less, under the Commonwealth’s obligation to afford them genuinely equal protection.”

“Neither federal nor state government acts compatibly with equal protection when a law or official policy denies to women, simply because they are women, full citizenship stature-equal opportunity to aspire, achieve, participate in and contribute to society based on their individual talents and capacities,” Ginsberg wrote.

Olmstead v. L.C., 1999

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Olmstead v. L.C. proved a victory for the rights of people with disabilities. In the case, two women with mental disabilities were ordered to remain in psychiatric facility even though some medical professionals believed they could live healthy lives in a “community-based program.” 

Ginsberg wrote:

States are required to place persons with mental disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions when the State’s treatment professionals have determined that community placement is appropriate, the transfer from institutional care to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by the affected individual, and the placement can be reasonably accommodated, taking into account the resources available to the State and the needs of others with mental disabilities. 

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 2007

Ginsberg famously dissented from the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co, which ended up making it more difficult for workers to sue their employers over allegations of wage discrimination. 

The decision was so troubling to Ginsberg, she chose to read her dissent from the bench, which The Washington Post reported at the time was “a usually rare practice that she has now employed twice in the past six weeks to criticize the majority for opinions that she said undermine women’s rights.”

“In our view, the court does not comprehend, or is indifferent to, the insidious way in which women can be victims of pay discrimination,” Ginsberg said. 

Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015

The outcome of Obergefell v. Hodges was a major moment for same-sex couples and the rights of LGBTQ Americans. In the case, a number of same-sex couples sued their respective states over bans against same-sex marriages and not recognizing their legal marriages. Ginsberg’s vote helped overturn the marriage bans; legalizing same-sex marriage in every U.S. state. 

“We have changed our idea about marriage,” Ginsberg said during oral arguments. “Marriage today is not what it was under the common law tradition, under the civil law tradition.” 

Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, 2016

In the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the Supreme Court’s decision helped strike down the contentious H.B.2 law in Texas that imposed a number of regulations on abortion clinics, seemingly designed to deter women from obtaining the procedure, among other critiques. Ginsberg said at the time that “it is beyond rational belief that H. B. 2 could genuinely protect the health of women, and certain that the law ‘would simply make it more difficult for them to obtain abortions.’”

She added: “When a State severely limits access to safe and legal procedures, women in desperate circumstances may resort to unlicensed rogue practitioners, faute de mieux, at great risk to their health and safety.”

More politics coverage from Fortune:

• Trump’s prolonged assault of WTO means its ruling against Chinese tariffs is essentially moot
• Quantum computers threaten to end digital security. Here’s what’s being done about it
• To win in November, Trump would need to pull off an even bigger upset in 2020 than he did in 2016
• Could a TikTok shutdown cost Trump at the polls?
• Commentary: Voting by mail is more secure than the President says. How to make it even safer

from Fortune https://ift.tt/2FTV0vG

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will hold a vote on President Donald Trump's nominee to fill the vacancy left by the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. 

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2EfszI3

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died, the Supreme Court said Friday.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2RE4KNd

Some of her biggest cases include women at the Virginia Military Institute, equal pay for women and men, and Bush v Gore.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/33HNkod

Justice Ginsburg's death comes less than seven weeks before the election between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/32HngdB

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87.

Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer, the court said.

Ginsburg announced in July that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lesions on her liver, the latest of her several battles with cancer.

Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court’s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers. Young women especially seemed to embrace the court’s Jewish grandmother, affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG, for her defense of the rights of women and minorities, and the strength and resilience she displayed in the face of personal loss and health crises.

Those health issues included five bouts with cancer beginning in 1999, falls that resulted in broken ribs, insertion of a stent to clear a blocked artery and assorted other hospitalizations after she turned 75.

She resisted calls by liberals to retire during Barack Obama’s presidency at a time when Democrats held the Senate and a replacement with similar views could have been confirmed. Instead, President Donald Trump will almost certainly try to push Ginsburg’s successor through the Republican-controlled Senate — and move the conservative court even more to the right.

More politics coverage from Fortune:

• Trump’s prolonged assault of WTO means its ruling against Chinese tariffs is essentially moot
• Quantum computers threaten to end digital security. Here’s what’s being done about it
• To win in November, Trump would need to pull off an even bigger upset in 2020 than he did in 2016
• Could a TikTok shutdown cost Trump at the polls?
• Commentary: Voting by mail is more secure than the President says. How to make it even safer

from Fortune https://ift.tt/3iLljm2

NBCUniversal reached a deal to have its Peacock service carried on Roku Inc. devices, adding potentially millions of viewers after agreeing to share advertising revenue.

Earlier Friday, NBC had threatened to stop delivering content to more than 11 of its apps on Roku by Saturday morning, escalating a standoff with the company over its refusal to carry Peacock.

But on Friday afternoon, an NBCUniversal spokesman said the two companies had reached an agreement that would keep NBC’s apps on Roku and ensure that Peacock will gain a spot on the platform. A representative for Roku confirmed the truce, calling it “an expanded, mutually beneficial relationship.”

Terms weren’t disclosed, but Roku said the deal included “a meaningful partnership around advertising” — a key element of the dispute. Roku had been seeking, among other things, a cut of the advertising inventory on those apps to sell on its own. Comcast Corp.’s NBC and AT&T Inc.’s HBO Max — another service that has been frozen out from Roku — rejected demands to share space for advertising on their streaming services.

Peacock and HBO Max, which both launched earlier this year, also have been kept off Amazon.com Inc.’s Fire TV. The situation prevented them from reaching millions of Roku and Fire customers, which use those platforms to watch TV.

“We are thrilled millions more will now be able to access and enjoy Peacock along with other NBCUniversal apps on their favorite Roku devices,” an NBC representative said. “Roku’s incredible reach will not only help us ensure Peacock is available to our fans wherever they consume video but continue to expand NBCUniversal’s unrivaled digital presence across platforms.”

The blackout threat had weighed on Roku shares Friday, with the stock closing down 2.6% at $160.47 in New York trading. It had been up 23% this year through the previous close.

The standoffs have been a sign of how Roku, which has about 40 million active users, is flexing its muscles as the largest platform in the U.S. for aggregating streaming services.

Roku and Amazon together control about 70% of the U.S. streaming-device market, limiting the growth of any video apps that aren’t available on them.

Ad Conflict

In exchange for hosting an app with advertising, Roku typically takes 30% of the ad inventory to sell on its own. NBC has promised to keep the number of commercials on Peacock under five minutes per hour, leaving little airtime to share with Roku.

The threatened blackout involved NBC-owned apps that come free to pay-TV subscribers who can log in to watch NBC News or Bravo. NBC’s deal with Roku for those apps had ended last week.

More than 15 million users have signed up for Peacock, which launched nationwide July 15.

In an interview with Bloomberg News this week, AT&T Chief Executive Officer John Stankey said he is “optimistic” that one of HBO Max’s disputes with either Roku or Amazon “will resolve itself in relatively short order.”

More must-read tech coverage from Fortune:

• Everything announced at Apple’s “Time Flies” event
• Microsoft hails success of its undersea data center experiment—and says it could have implications on dry land, too
• One country is now paying citizens to exercise with their Apple Watch
• Fortune’s 2020 40 Under 40
• Verizon plans to offer indoor 5G networks by year end

from Fortune https://ift.tt/3ku9dy5

submitted by /u/BashCo [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3ks1K2L

submitted by /u/patriceac
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3iMA5ch

submitted by /u/BashCo [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/35PSJfC

More nations are inviting travelers to trade their home offices for the chance to live and work abroad during the global pandemic.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/33DwdnN

Grenke said it has convened a task force to deal with the detailed rebuttal of the accusations.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2RxsVwG

The Chinese yuan strengthened sharply against the U.S. dollar this week, following gains seen in recent months as the country's economy recovers and the greenback weakens.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3ktLC0u

The newly created lender, which will keep the CaixaBank brand, will have assets of more than 664 billion euros, the companies said.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3ktNTsA

New Zealand fell into a steep recession — two consecutive quarters of negative growth — after GDP shrank 12.2% on-quarter between April to June.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2HfHoeV

The new U.S. company that TikTok’s owner Bytedance Ltd. plans to form with Oracle Corp. intends to hold an initial public offering in about a year, according to people familiar with the matter.

The new company, which would be called TikTok Global, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, will be the result of a transaction forced by President Donald Trump last month because of national security concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Bloomberg News reported earlier that the Treasury Department, Bytedance and Oracle agreed to terms for the deal late Wednesday.

Mnuchin sent Bytedance a revised terms sheet late Wednesday and the company and Oracle accepted it. People familiar with the matter described the government’s changes as addressing national security concerns about the transaction and asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Subscribe to Eastworld for weekly insight on what’s dominating business in Asia, delivered free to your inbox.

An administration official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations, said Thursday night that Trump had been briefed on some of the parameters of the deal and that the president didn’t want China to retain a controlling interest in TikTok that would imperil Americans’ personal information.

‘Situation Is Very Fluid’

As he left the White House for a campaign trip to Wisconsin, Trump told reporters that administration officials had spoken with the companies involved in the deal on Thursday but didn’t elaborate.

“We spoke today, to Walmart, Oracle, I guess Microsoft is still involved, we’ll make a decision but nothing much has changed.”

ByteDance rejected Microsoft Corp.’s bid for the U.S. operations of TikTok last weekend, and a person familiar with the company said Thursday night that it was no longer involved in talks related to TikTok.

During the trip to Wisconsin, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said, “The situation is very fluid. There’s no definite proposal that the president’s being asked to consider or reject at this point. And obviously he’ll need to weigh in before the deadline” on Sept. 20.

In a sign that the deal may go through, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, who held some of the strongest reservations about the agreement, had since softened his opposition and told Trump so on Wednesday morning, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Bytedance is trying to win U.S. approval for a transaction with Oracle that would leave the Chinese-headquartered parent company with majority ownership of TikTok.

Any deal must be approved by both Trump — who could still reject the transaction — and the Chinese government. Beijing is unlikely to oppose an arrangement that doesn’t involve the transfer of ByteDance’s technology, especially if the Chinese parent retains majority control of TikTok, another person close to the negotiations has said.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is aware of the revised terms but hasn’t reviewed the latest details in depth and hasn’t weighed in on whether Trump should sign off on the deal, one person familiar with the matter said.

The White House, Treasury and TikTok declined to comment.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged the U.S. to “provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for foreign companies operating in the U.S.” during a briefing.

Meadows said earlier Thursday that he’s concerned that Oracle’s bid for TikTok may be a “repackaging” that won’t meet the president’s goals.

“We’re still looking at the potential details of the deal, and whether it meets the national-security thresholds, the American-interest thresholds,” Meadows said. “My big concern is if all we’re doing is repackaging it and still keeping it as a predominantly Chinese-government run company, that would not sit well with the original goal the president outlined.”

Under the plan, Oracle would acquire a minority stake in a newly formed TikTok that would be headquartered in the U.S. with an independent board approved by the U.S. government.

The new terms, which are designed to protect the data of U.S. citizens from falling into Chinese hands, include 20 pages of detailed provisions over data and national security, the people said. Under those terms, the board of directors would have to consist entirely of U.S. citizens and would include a national security committee.

That body would be led by an American data-security expert who would be the primary contact with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which would oversee any issues of concern to the U.S. government. The previous terms hadn’t included language on the formation of that committee.

Terms of the proposed deal would give Oracle full access to TikTok’s source code and updates to make sure there are no back doors used by the company’s Chinese parent to access data on the video-sharing app’s 100 million American users, Bloomberg reported.

At least three shareholders in TikTok’s Chinese parent company — General Atlantic, Sequoia Capital and Coatue Management — would take stakes in the new business, Bloomberg has reported.

Walmart Inc., which had previously partnered with Microsoft Corp. to make an outright bid for TikTok’s U.S. business, remains interested in investing as well, and could also end up with a seat on the board, according to one of the people. With Oracle, Walmart and the continued involvement of existing U.S. investors, the new company, TikTok Global, would have a strong contingent of American investors, some of the people said.

More must-read international coverage from Fortune:

• Europe’s leaders want to create a “new Bauhaus” as part of its Green Deal. But what does that even mean?
• Trump’s prolonged assault of WTO means its ruling against Chinese tariffs is essentially moot
• China’s controversial emergency-use program for COVID vaccines is going global
• One country is now paying citizens to exercise with their Apple Watch
• Microsoft hails success of its undersea data center experiment—and says it could have implications on dry land, too

from Fortune https://ift.tt/3mA5EIu

China began combat drills near the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the same day a senior U.S. official began high-level meetings in Taipei, as Beijing denounced tightening ties between Chinese-claimed Taiwan and the United States.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3c8TDFj

submitted by /u/simplelifestyle [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3mx4Rbp

submitted by /u/mungeprincess
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/33CYhYq

"Jobs that can be done over the internet can be done anywhere in the world and because of this, white-collar jobs will no longer have the geographical insulation it used to have," said Singapore's Trade Minister Chan Chun Sing.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/35Qnrp1

Joe Biden embraced his blue collar roots and his political centrism on Thursday night during a town hall hosted by CNN in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/32EoPsL

Governments should continue to make investments that combat climate change even while they are focusing on coping with the coronavirus pandemic, said Judith Rodin, President Emerita at the University of Pennsylvania.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3ccedo4

submitted by /u/LightningHosted [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2FvtcOn

submitted by /u/TecuaniTec [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2Hc82Fn

submitted by /u/Cryptrix
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2ZOiv07

Japan's new prime minister Yoshihide Suga will likely pull out all stops to revive the coronavirus-hit economy but still maintain Shinzo Abe's policies.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3cbndKn

Overnight stateside, the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.3% to close at 10,910.28.The tech-heavy benchmark briefly dipped back into correction territory, down 10% from its all-time high.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2Hfg2pf

Infineon is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world and is a top player in automotive, power and security chips.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2FJGYN4

submitted by /u/PerpetualTurbulence
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2ZODWOG

submitted by /u/Bitcoin_Magazine [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/33Hlokz

"I think there's already plenty of evidence of political interference in science, so if that has happened up to now, why would it not happen again?" said Dr. Carlos del Rio of Emory University.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/33G8Zx8

Unity is set to wrap up a big week for tech IPOs on Friday, and investors showed bullishness, pricing the stock above its expected range.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3hJYHky

submitted by /u/BernardMarxx
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2RBJ6cf

OPEC and non-OPEC allies will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to review the oil market and discuss compliance with deep production cuts.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/32Inbqp

The number of new daily infections is reaching record highs in some countries.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3c4qf35

U.S. stock futures were lower early Thursday morning as traders digested the Federal Reserve's pledge to keep rates low over the next few years.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/32DRmPj

submitted by /u/simplelifestyle [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2RButFL

submitted by /u/kryptotrayder
[link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2ZL4RL6

submitted by /u/LightningHosted [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3c8CT0J

submitted by /u/simplelifestyle [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2ZJ44dR

Pandemic-related movement restrictions stopped people from commuting and traveling, drastically reducing oil usage.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/32DFwF2

Geopolitical tensions between China and other countries can present new challenges for businesses, but the Asian giant's role in the world has not diminished, said Douglas Flint, chairman of Standard Life Aberdeen.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2Rw5jsc

submitted by /u/BlockChainGang99 [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3iF6Zvx

The U.S. government's filing said that using and downloading the app to communicate won't be a banned transaction, although messaging on the app could be "directly or indirectly impaired" by the ban.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2FF3TZY

The Middle East will benefit from the normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, said Abdulla bin Touq, the UAE minister of economy.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/3iD6XnX

submitted by /u/ziggyzago [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2EbL93K

submitted by /u/simplelifestyle [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2RA2beQ

submitted by /u/SandwichOfEarl [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3mshDba

submitted by /u/TucsonBlockchain [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/2H0s9pM

Debt default risks are growing, especially in sectors hit hard by the pandemic, but there are still pockets of investing opportunities, said William Bohnsack, president of investment firm Oak Hill Advisors.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2ZIQPKb

Investor reaction to recent announcements from the Fed was watched, as members of the U.S. central bank's policymaking committee indicated the overnight rate could stay close to zero for years to reach its 2% inflation target.

from Top News and Analysis (pro) https://ift.tt/2RBeibH

submitted by /u/probotika [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3mwG2w6

submitted by /u/HotAsianTeen [link] [comments]

from Bitcoin - The Currency of the Internet https://ift.tt/3c6MZPO

Sony said the latest version of its gaming console, the highly anticipated PlayStation 5, will go on sale Nov. 12 in the U.S. for $500, matching the price on Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Series X as the two companies prepare to battle for market share this this holiday season.

Sony will also release a digital edition of the PS5 for $400, the Tokyo-based company said at a virtual event Wednesday. That version doesn’t have a disc drive and requires customers to purchase and download games digitally.

Price tends to be a significant factor in the success of a video game console. Historically, the less-expensive systems sell more units, driving an increase in revenue from games.

Console games have been priced at $60 since the early 2000s, but that appears to be changing. Take-Two Interactive Software had previously announced that the next entry in its NBA 2K series would retail for $70 on Xbox Series X and PS5. In a blog post on Wednesday, Sony said that the PS5 games it develops and publishes will sell for between $50 and $70. The PS5 games Demon’s Souls and Destruction All Stars, which will launch alongside the console, will both cost $70.

Sony also announced that Final Fantasy XVI, the next entry in the popular role-playing game series, will be a console exclusive for PlayStation, a significant coup for the Japanese publisher. The previous game, Final Fantasy XV, was released for PlayStation and Xbox.

Other games showcased for PlayStation 5 included Hogwarts Legacy, an open-world role-playing game based on the Harry Potter franchise, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which will be released this fall alongside the console for $50. A package including Miles Morales and a remastered version of the PlayStation 4’s Spider-Man will cost $70. Sony also teased a sequel to the PlayStation 4’s God of War to be released in 2021.

More must-read tech coverage from Fortune:

• Everything announced at Apple’s “Time Flies” event
• Microsoft hails success of its undersea data center experiment—and says it could have implications on dry land, too
• One country is now paying citizens to exercise with their Apple Watch
• Fortune’s 2020 40 Under 40
• Verizon plans to offer indoor 5G networks by year end

from Fortune https://ift.tt/3iyCAil

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

They have killed dozens of Americans and destroyed hundreds of homes, but the biggest threat of the wildfires raging on the U.S. West Coast may be invisible. The tiny airborne particles of ash and chemicals generated by the fires can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, and can cause not only short-term symptoms like flareups of asthma or watery eyes, but serious longterm cardiovascular damage that increases the risk of death for potentially millions of people.

The guidelines for staying healthy while big fires burn has long been simple: stay inside and, when possible, use air filters to capture those dangerous microparticles. But the coronavirus pandemic has caused shortages of key air-quality supplies, and is forcing some difficult tradeoffs on indoor air safety.

Both fine smoke particles and the coronavirus can be captured by a class of air filters known as MERV-13, which can be installed in many existing heating and air conditioning systems. But because these filters weren’t in wide use before the pandemic, a sudden surge in demand has created ongoing MERV-13 shortages.

Mike Gallagher, president of HVAC contractor Western Allied, believes that’s going to catch commercial building managers by surprise once the current wave of fires dies down.

“Once the smoke clears, it smells okay outside, but you walk into the building and it smells like smoke. That’s when they realize they need new filters,” says Gallagher. But with waiting lists for MERV-13 filters as long as two months, Gallagher expects many buildings in smoke-affected areas will be forced to temporarily resort to MERV-8 filters, which are not capable of clearing the coronavirus from the air. That could increase the infection risk in shared spaces including offices, restaurants, and movie theaters.

The coronavirus is forcing a second difficult choice as the fires rage: whether to let in outside air to reduce the risk of infections, or seal buildings up tight to keep out smoke particles.

“For [protection against] COVID, you want to get the [outside air] ventilation rate as high as possible,” says HVAC veteran Tom Javins. “But with wildfire smoke, you want to have the ventilation rate as low as possible. Because the pollutant is in the outside air, not the inside air.”

Javins sits on a committee of the American Society of Heating Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which is developing best practices for heating and ventilation under wildfire conditions. Though the double-bind of the coronavirus and smoke is challenging, his bigger concern is widespread indifference: “Most [commercial] building managers don’t do anything” to adjust for dangerous outside air quality, he says, and he frequently finds that the vents controlling outside air flow for big buildings have broken down entirely. Most often these vents, known as air dampers, are stuck closed, helping keep out fire particles but increasing COVID-19 risk for occupants.

A separate set of challenges comes with trying to protect private homes from wildfire smoke. According to Sarah Coefield, an air quality specialist with the Missoula, Mont. county government, many homes in the west and Pacific Northwest don’t have central HVAC systems capable of filtering out smoke particles. That leaves them reliant on portable air filtration devices, which are often effective but can also be hard to find right now due to coronavirus-driven demand.

Even when they’re available, portable air filters can be expensive, easily costing up to several hundred dollars for a device big enough to clean the air in a single room. That highlights a larger issue: As seen with the coronavirus, the well-off are more able to protect themselves from the health impacts of wildfires. On top of the cost of filters, lower-end homes or apartments may have more leaks around windows and doors that let in contaminants. And, again as with COVID-19, not all workers are equally able to protect themselves—farmworkers, for instance, can’t work from home to get away from smoke.

That’s one reason that, despite his professional background, Javins is uneasy with focusing on better air filtration to combat the health risks of wildfire pollutants. “We’re talking about how to deal with the symptoms,” he says, “and we’re not really talking about how to deal with the problem”—the accelerating rate and intensity of wildfires. Experts blame the wildfire surge on a combination of poor forest management and human-caused climate change. Those are problems no air filter can solve.

More coronavirus coverage from Fortune:

• Hong Kong’s citywide COVID-19 testing has become a barometer of public trust
• How this year’s 40 Under 40 are surviving the pandemic
• Why the coronavirus pandemic has made 5G more essential than ever
• There’s now even more evidence that restaurant dining sharply increases COVID spread
• Commentary: 6 questions that must be answered in the race for a vaccine

from Fortune https://ift.tt/2ZJHt0I