Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell boosted U.S. stock markets on Wednesday when he said interest rates were “just below” estimates of a level that neither brakes nor boosts a healthy economy. Many took his comments as a signal that the Fed’s three-year tightening cycle is ending. The S&P 500 and Dow …
your ad hereChinese Photographer Missing Since Trip to Xinjiang
Chinese photographer Lu Guang has gone missing during a visit to China’s Xinjiang province. Lu’s wife Xu Xiaoli, who is in the United States, set up a Twitter account this week to spread information about the disappearance of the award-winning photojournalist, who covers sensitive issues in China, such as pollution, poverty, and …
your ad hereTrump: US Tariffs on More Foreign Vehicles Would Have Prevented GM Plant Closures
U.S. President Donald Trump touted the use of U.S. tariffs on foreign small trucks Wednesday, saying their placement on other foreign vehicles would have prevented the closure of several General Motors plants and the loss of thousands of coveted manufacturing jobs. Trump noted on Twitter that brisk U.S. small truck …
your ad herePowell: Fed’s Gradual Rate Hikes Balance Against Risks
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that while there was “a great deal to like” about U.S. prospects, the Fed’s gradual interest rate hikes are meant to balance risks as it tries to keep the economy on track. “We know that things often turn out to be …
your ad hereWith An Eye on Past Problems, Facebook Expands Local Feature
Facebook is cautiously expanding a feature that shows people local news and information, including missing-person alerts, road closures, crime reports and school announcements. Called “Today In,” the service shows people information from their towns and cities from such sources as news outlets, government entities and community groups. Facebook launched the …
your ad herePorsche Shows off New Edition of Mainstay 911 Sports Car
Porsche says its future is in electric cars but for now it is rolling out a more powerful version of its internal combustion mainstay, the sleek 911 sports car. Stuttgart-based Porsche, part of Volkswagen, is to show off the eighth version of its brand-defining model at the Los Angeles Auto …
your ad hereUS Charges 2 Iranians in First Online Ransom Case
In the first case of its kind, the U.S. Justice Department announced charges Wednesday against two Iranian hackers for allegedly launching so-called ransomware on the computer networks of U.S. municipalities, hospitals and other public institutions and extorting millions of dollars. Ransomware is a type of malware used by cybercriminals to …
your ad hereScientist Claiming Gene-edited Babies Reports 2nd Pregnancy
A Chinese researcher who claims to have helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies says a second pregnancy may be underway. The researcher, He Jiankui of Shenzhen, revealed the pregnancy Wednesday while making his first public comments about his controversial work at an international conference in Hong Kong. He …
your ad hereIkea Moving Into City Centers to Adapt to Consumer Changes
An airport worker drops by Warsaw’s newest Ikea store during her lunch break to finish up plans for a home refurbishment. Around her, people drift in and out of the shop, placing small houseware items in big yellow bags as cafe tables fill up with people just stopping in for …
your ad hereChinese Scientist Faces Firestorm Over Genetic Editing
A Chinese researcher has publicly defended his claim he has created the world’s first genetically-edited babies. He Jiankui addressed a crowd of fellow scientists Wednesday at a biomedical conference in Hong Kong, two days after he posted a video online claiming to have used a gene-editing technology dubbed CRISPR to …
your ad hereUN Report Says Fragile Climate Puts Food Security at Risk
Feeding a hungry planet is growing increasingly difficult as climate change and depletion of land and other resources undermine food systems, the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization said Wednesday as it renewed appeals for better policies and technologies to reach “zero hunger.” Population growth requires supplies of more nutritious …
your ad hereSeoul’s Telecom Outage Highlights Need for Redundancy in Connected World
Residents in Seoul discovered how fragile their telecommunications system was this past weekend when a fire disrupted service for millions. The government and the provider vowed to implement changes to avoid a repeat of the event, but the system failure demonstrated a need for greater redundancy and preparation for future …
your ad herePredator Cities Fight for Survival in Peter Jackson’s ‘Mortal Engines’
Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson is returning to the big screen with adventure fantasy “Mortal Engines,” a post-apocalyptic tale of survival in his first feature film project since his award-winning adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. The New Zealand-born director, known for his “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, …
your ad here200 Years of ‘Silent Night’: Singers Mark Carol’s Birthday
One of the most famous songs of Christmas was celebrated Tuesday as it approaches its 200th anniversary, with a concert at the New York City church where “Silent Night” is believed to have been sung in the United States for the first time and where a priest was the first …
your ad hereOcean Shock: Building a Silicon Valley of the Sea
This is part of “Ocean Shock,” a Reuters series exploring climate change’s impact on sea creatures and the people who depend on them. Norway has built the world’s biggest salmon-farming industry. But it wants to go bigger. With their lucrative oil fields now in decline, Norwegians have ambitious plans for …
your ad hereStevie Wonder Announces Plan to Help California Fire Victims
Stevie Wonder wants to raise money through his benefit concert for California fire victims impacted by the catastrophic wildfires. The R&B legend announced his plan Tuesday to also help firefighters and first responders who assisted with the fires through his 22nd annual House Full of Toys Benefit Concert on Dec. …
your ad hereAhead of G20, Trump Open to Deal with China
President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping will meet to discuss trade issues on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires this week. The head of the U.S. National Economic Council says there’s a good possibility a deal can be achieved to cool down the ongoing U.S.– …
your ad hereIn San Francisco, This Robot Barista Knows the Way You Like Your Latte
There are plenty of places to get a cup of coffee in San Francisco. But a new kind of café offers espressos and cappuccinos made by a robot. Michelle Quinn stopped by to see if a robot can make a good café latte. …
your ad hereNew Cases of HIV Rise in Eastern Europe, Decline in the West
More than 130,000 people were newly diagnosed with HIV last year in Eastern Europe, the highest rate ever for the region, while the number of new cases in Western Europe declined, global public health experts said on Wednesday. European Union and European Economic Area countries saw a reduction in 2017 …
your ad hereReport: Trump Says ‘Not Even a Little Bit Happy’ with Fed’s Powell
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday kept up his criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, saying rising interest rates and other Fed policies were damaging the U.S. economy, the Washington Post said. “So far, I’m not even a little bit happy with my selection of Jay,” the Post quoted …
your ad here‘The Rider’ Tops Gotham Awards, Kicking Off Awards Season
In the first major soiree of Hollywood’s awards season, Chloe Zhao’s elegiac, lyrical Western “The Rider” took best feature film at the 28th annual Gotham Awards. It was a surprising, but far from baffling conclusion to the Gothams, the New York-based gala for independent film, held Monday night at Cipriani’s …
your ad hereNational Board of Review Names ‘Green Book’ Year’s Best Film
The feel-good road-trip drama Green Book was named the best film of the year, and its star, Viggo Mortensen, best actor, by the National Board of Review in one of the first in a parade of awards season honors. The NBR awards, announced Tuesday, gave the Oscar hopes of Universal’s …
your ad hereGlobal Trade at Stake as Trump and Xi Come Face to Face
To hear President Donald Trump tell it, he was made for a moment like this: A high-stakes face-off. A ticking clock. A cagey adversary. The man who calls himself a supreme dealmaker will have the opportunity this week to put himself to the test. The question is whether he …
your ad hereUNICEF: Millions of Poor City Children Worse Off Than Rural Peers
Millions of poor urban children are more likely to die before their fifth birthday than those living in rural areas, according to a U.N. study released Tuesday that challenges popular assumptions behind the global urbanization trend. The UNICEF research found not all children in cities benefited from the so-called urban …
your ad hereTrump Threatens to Cut GM Subsidies in Retaliation for US Job Cuts
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to cut subsidies for General Motors after the largest U.S. automaker said it would halt production at five plants in North America and cut nearly 15,000 jobs. “The U.S. saved General Motors, and this is the THANKS we get! We are now looking …
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