2 days ago
This summer, a 28-year-old digital content marketer packed up his suitcases and duct-taped boxes and fled Russia, leaving behind his family and friends and not knowing when he'll be able to return.
"It is very sad to leave Russia," he said in the southern city of Krasnodar before heading for the border with Georgia.
He blamed "the political situation" in Russia and complications over authorities restricting internet access as his reasons for leaving. Otherwise, "I never would have left for more than several months," he told The ******* ociated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
He is one of a number of people who either left or are contemplating a move amid recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia and persistent rumors of a coming mobilization of troops for the 4 1/2-year-old war.
The attacks this summer caused an unprecedented fuel crisis and dealt crippling blows to the booming e-commerce sector. Since last year, the government has cited the attacks to justify harsh restrictions on connecting to the internet.
#Russia #year #otherwise
"It is very sad to leave Russia," he said in the southern city of Krasnodar before heading for the border with Georgia.
He blamed "the political situation" in Russia and complications over authorities restricting internet access as his reasons for leaving. Otherwise, "I never would have left for more than several months," he told The ******* ociated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
He is one of a number of people who either left or are contemplating a move amid recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia and persistent rumors of a coming mobilization of troops for the 4 1/2-year-old war.
The attacks this summer caused an unprecedented fuel crisis and dealt crippling blows to the booming e-commerce sector. Since last year, the government has cited the attacks to justify harsh restrictions on connecting to the internet.
#Russia #year #otherwise
19 days ago
The race to build the infrastructure behind artificial intelligence is creating a new boom for America's blue-collar workforce, as construction firms scramble to fill jobs building data centers, power systems and the facilities that keep the technology running.
The rapid buildout is putting a new premium on skilled trades, with data centers requiring armies of workers to prepare sites, pour concrete, install electrical systems and handle the infrastructure needed to bring them online.
"For many years, there's been a lack of focus just in general from what is the benefit of a career in the trades," explained Cole Renken, general manager of Merlo America, the U.S. division of Italian construction equipment manufacturer Merlo Group.
"It's a very stable income, very stable lifestyle that you can provide for," he added.
One Of America's Oldest Manufacturers Says Ai Is Creating Jobs — Not Replacing Them
#Jobs #construction #systems #trades
The rapid buildout is putting a new premium on skilled trades, with data centers requiring armies of workers to prepare sites, pour concrete, install electrical systems and handle the infrastructure needed to bring them online.
"For many years, there's been a lack of focus just in general from what is the benefit of a career in the trades," explained Cole Renken, general manager of Merlo America, the U.S. division of Italian construction equipment manufacturer Merlo Group.
"It's a very stable income, very stable lifestyle that you can provide for," he added.
One Of America's Oldest Manufacturers Says Ai Is Creating Jobs — Not Replacing Them
#Jobs #construction #systems #trades
22 days ago
By Amina Niasse
NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - About 14% of employers in the United States have already or plan to drop GLP-1 drugs in 2027, as companies see rising healthcare costs, according to a survey released on Tuesday by the Business Group on Health.
Healthcare costs are set to increase 9.2% if employers do not make changes to manage costs in 2027, up from 8.5% in 2026, the group said. Two-thirds of employers surveyed said they saw rising utilization of the drugs.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Foundayo, help people lose weight by mimicking a hormone that keeps the stomach feeling full. Zepbound and Wegovy cost $499 and $1,349.02, respectively, per month according to list prices on manufacturer websites.
"This represents an unfortunate new reality for employers, who now face growing difficulty in budgeting and forecasting," said Ellen Kelsay, president of the Business Group on Health. "It's a call to take a more disruptive approach and rethink how to deliver value and improved health outcomes."
#group #drugs
NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - About 14% of employers in the United States have already or plan to drop GLP-1 drugs in 2027, as companies see rising healthcare costs, according to a survey released on Tuesday by the Business Group on Health.
Healthcare costs are set to increase 9.2% if employers do not make changes to manage costs in 2027, up from 8.5% in 2026, the group said. Two-thirds of employers surveyed said they saw rising utilization of the drugs.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Foundayo, help people lose weight by mimicking a hormone that keeps the stomach feeling full. Zepbound and Wegovy cost $499 and $1,349.02, respectively, per month according to list prices on manufacturer websites.
"This represents an unfortunate new reality for employers, who now face growing difficulty in budgeting and forecasting," said Ellen Kelsay, president of the Business Group on Health. "It's a call to take a more disruptive approach and rethink how to deliver value and improved health outcomes."
#group #drugs
1 month ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Two drivers of Mercedes AMG cars have filed a class action lawsuit against the luxury car company, claiming that the AMG logo on their driver's seat gets so hot that it literally brands them and causes burns.
Gabriel Lahijani and Karendeep "Karina" Bath allege the front seats of certain Mercedes AMG vehicles have a design defect where the raised metallic AMG logo is "reasonably expected to contact an occupant's upper back, neck, or shoulder," according to the court document filed earlier this week in the U.S. District Court of California's Western division.
The plaintiffs want Mercedes to compensate them for any medical expenses, as well as any pain, suffering and emotional distress they can prove at trial. They also want Mercedes to pay for other owners to have the logo removed from their cars.
Mercedes-Benz couldn't be reached immediately for comment.
Lahigani, a Los Angeles resident, had leased a new 2026 Mercedes-AMG E-Class vehicle from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership in Los Angeles, according to the suit. He reported receiving second-degree burns on his back on May 31, after entering his vehicle wearing a tank top. A board-certified dermatologist subsequently documented first- and second-degree burns, describing the injury as "AMG inscribed."
#class
Gabriel Lahijani and Karendeep "Karina" Bath allege the front seats of certain Mercedes AMG vehicles have a design defect where the raised metallic AMG logo is "reasonably expected to contact an occupant's upper back, neck, or shoulder," according to the court document filed earlier this week in the U.S. District Court of California's Western division.
The plaintiffs want Mercedes to compensate them for any medical expenses, as well as any pain, suffering and emotional distress they can prove at trial. They also want Mercedes to pay for other owners to have the logo removed from their cars.
Mercedes-Benz couldn't be reached immediately for comment.
Lahigani, a Los Angeles resident, had leased a new 2026 Mercedes-AMG E-Class vehicle from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership in Los Angeles, according to the suit. He reported receiving second-degree burns on his back on May 31, after entering his vehicle wearing a tank top. A board-certified dermatologist subsequently documented first- and second-degree burns, describing the injury as "AMG inscribed."
#class
1 month ago
By Jarrett Renshaw and Ernest Scheyder
WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. government will invest $3 billion in critical minerals and battery projects as part of a push to increase domestic production and boost national security and industrial policy, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
"We're reclaiming America's rightful place as the minerals superpower of the world," Trump told more than 200 mining executives, educators, investors and fellow politicians at a roundtable at the State Department aimed at supporting the industry, which he said had not received enough attention from Washington in recent years.
He announced a slew of investments during his speech, including a $1.4 billion conditional loan from the Defense Department's Office of Strategic Capital for Sila Nanotechnologies, which makes lithium-ion battery parts.
The OSC also extended a $400 million conditional loan to scandium miner Sunrise Energy Metals and a $150 million conditional loan to magnet developer Niron Magnetics.
#battery
WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. government will invest $3 billion in critical minerals and battery projects as part of a push to increase domestic production and boost national security and industrial policy, President Donald Trump said on Friday.
"We're reclaiming America's rightful place as the minerals superpower of the world," Trump told more than 200 mining executives, educators, investors and fellow politicians at a roundtable at the State Department aimed at supporting the industry, which he said had not received enough attention from Washington in recent years.
He announced a slew of investments during his speech, including a $1.4 billion conditional loan from the Defense Department's Office of Strategic Capital for Sila Nanotechnologies, which makes lithium-ion battery parts.
The OSC also extended a $400 million conditional loan to scandium miner Sunrise Energy Metals and a $150 million conditional loan to magnet developer Niron Magnetics.
#battery
2 months ago
Former U.S. Women's National Team star Megan Rapinoe said Tuesday that efforts to bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports amount to "an attack on women in society," arguing the debate extends far beyond questions of fairness in athletic competition.
Appearing on ABC's "The View," Rapinoe dismissed arguments that restrictions on transgender athletes are primarily about protecting girls and women's sports.
Instead, she argued, opponents are using the issue as part of a broader campaign against women's empowerment.
"They're going after trans people in sports, and they're using this as a wedge issue because we love sports. And, you know, we don't want our little girls to be unsafe in sports. And it's like, 'Unsafe from who? But OK,'" Rapinoe said.
California Billionaire Tom Steyer Defends Trans Athletes In High School Sports As Governor's Race Heats Up
#sports #using
Appearing on ABC's "The View," Rapinoe dismissed arguments that restrictions on transgender athletes are primarily about protecting girls and women's sports.
Instead, she argued, opponents are using the issue as part of a broader campaign against women's empowerment.
"They're going after trans people in sports, and they're using this as a wedge issue because we love sports. And, you know, we don't want our little girls to be unsafe in sports. And it's like, 'Unsafe from who? But OK,'" Rapinoe said.
California Billionaire Tom Steyer Defends Trans Athletes In High School Sports As Governor's Race Heats Up
#sports #using
