NEW YORK (AP) — Two Stanford University academics signed on to FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bail package, enabling him to live with his parents while awaiting trial on fraud charges, court papers revealed Wednesday. Unsealed papers in Manhattan federal court showed that Larry Kramer, dean emeritus of Stanford Law School, and Andreas Paepcke, […]
DOVER, Del. (AP) — The judge presiding over the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX has denied a request by the U.S. bankruptcy trustee to appoint an independent examiner in the case. The trustee, who serves as a government watchdog in Chapter 11 reorganizations, argued that the company’s financial affairs and business operations, including allegations of […]
Actor Robert Duvall was one of more than 100 speakers at a northern Virginia town’s council meeting opposing a proposed $550 million data center from Amazon. The Town of Warrenton voted 4-3 early Wednesday morning to approve a special use permit for Amazon, despite Duvall’s opposition. The 92-year-old “The Godfather” and “The Great Santini” actor […]
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s political leaders made their case Wednesday for moving the FBI’s headquarters from the nation’s capital to the state, arguing that the federal government would be wise to follow the steps of Amazon and other big companies that have come to the commonwealth. Gov. Glenn Youngkin, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Among sermon writers, there is fascination – and unease – over the fast-expanding abilities of artificial-intelligence chatbots. For now, the evolving consensus among clergy is this: Yes, they can write a passably competent sermon. But no, they can’t replicate the passion of actual preaching. “It lacks a soul – I don’t […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Electric car giant Tesla will, for the first time, make some of its charging stations available to all U.S. electric vehicles by the end of next year, under a new plan announced Wednesday by the White House. The plan will make at least 7,500 chargers from Tesla’s Supercharger and Destination Charger network […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Billionaire Elon Musk said Wednesday that he anticipates finding a CEO for Twitter “probably toward the end of this year.” Speaking via a video call to the World Government Summit in Dubai, Musk said making sure the platform can function remained the most important thing for him. “I think […]
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett’s company added to its already substantial Apple investment at the end of last year while slashing a new investment in computer chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor and two longtime bank holdings. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. revealed several changes to its stock portfolio in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange […]
NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was ordered to return to a New York courtroom this week after the federal judge assigned to his fraud case said he’s communicating with others in ways the government can’t monitor. His lawyers, however, say he was merely accessing postseason NFL football games. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is closing three tech hubs and asking hundreds of employees to relocate to keep their jobs. The closures will affect staff working at locations in Austin, Texas; Carlsbad, California; and Portland, Oregon, Walmart spokesperson Mischa Dunton said Tuesday. Dunton declined to say how many employees will be affected. The company […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla workers at a factory in New York are launching a campaign to organize a union in New York. In a letter to management Tuesday, the Tesla Workers United organizing committee said that the employees are seeking a voice on the job at the plant in Buffalo and want to “build […]
BOSTON (AP) — A Russian millionaire with ties to the Kremlin was convicted Tuesday of participating in an elaborate $90 million insider trading scheme using secret earnings information from companies such as Microsoft that was stolen from U.S. computer networks. Vladislav Klyushin, 42, who ran a Moscow-based information technology company associated with the Russian government, […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Zoox, a self-driving vehicle company owned by Amazon, says it has successfully carried passengers on public roads — a development that helps the California company inch closer to bringing the vehicle to the general public. The company conducted the first run of its four-person “robotaxi” with employees on board Saturday, the […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Craig Newmark talks about getting focused, even as he is momentarily distracted by his beloved birds flying away from the numerous feeders in his courtyard to go visit some of his Manhattan neighbors. “I’m trying to be a bit more focused, because a lot of what I do has to do […]
As the ranks of America’s super wealthy grow, the roster of major philanthropists is expanding to include not-so-typical megadonors — among them, a professional clarinetist, a Ph.D. in meat science, and a lawyer who regularly argues before the U.S. Supreme Court. That’s according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy analysis of giving by the country’s 50 […]
These are the donors who gave the most in 2022, according to The Philanthropy 50, an annual ranking compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. A searchable database with more information on the donors and their beneficiaries is available at philanthropy.com. 1. Bill Gates Microsoft co-founder $5.1 billion Biggest gift: $5.1 billion to Bill & Melinda […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s governor wants the state to require parental consent for kids under 16 to get new accounts on TikTok, Snapchat and other social media platforms. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year budget proposal would create a law that social media companies must obtain a parent’s permission for children to sign up for […]
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Under the fluorescent lights of a fifth grade classroom in Lexington, Kentucky, Donnie Piercey instructed his 23 students to try and outwit the “robot” that was churning out writing assignments. The robot was the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which can generate everything from essays and haikus to term papers within […]
NEW YORK (AP) — At a time when consumers are inundated with so-called social media influencers peddling the latest products online, a slew of TikTok users are leveraging their platforms to tell people what not to buy instead. The trend, called “de-influencing,” is a stark contrast to prior ones like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, when consumers were showing […]
BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) — Customers of wireless provider T-Mobile US Inc. reported widespread service outages in the U.S. late Monday, according to websites tracking service interruptions. Posts on Downdetector.com and Product-Reviews.net indicated T-Mobile service outages in multiple areas of the country. Many Twitter users also reported outages. Numerous posts by users said their service had […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Maybe they came from China. Maybe from somewhere farther away. A lot farther away. The downing of four aerial devices by U.S. warplanes has touched off rampant misinformation about the objects, their origin and their purpose, showing how complicated world events and a lack of information can quickly create the perfect conditions […]
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, thousands of volunteer software developers have been using a crucial Twitter tool to comb the platform for calls for help — including from people trapped in collapsed buildings — and connect people with rescue organizations. They could soon lose access unless they pay Twitter […]
MADRID (AP) — Greenpeace said Monday it will appeal a Spanish Supreme Court decision blocking public access, on national security grounds, to information on government export licenses for vehicle-mounted weapons systems sold to Saudi Arabia. The global environmental and human rights group argues that the Alakran 120 mm mortar system developed by the Madrid-based firm […]
When Tom Snyder coaches people in his church about how to budget, he starts by encouraging them to track their spending. “If we don’t track, we don’t know when to stop spending,” he says. The retired engineer and financial coach in Grand Rapids, Michigan, adds that it’s easy to be bumped off track by irregular […]