Open Editor's Digest for freeRula Khalaf, editor of the Financial Times, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.European members of NATO need to find an additional 56 billion euros annually to meet the alliance's defense spending target, but the deficit has been halved in the past decade, according to research conducted by the German Ifo Institute for the Financial Times.The research showed that several of the EU countries with the biggest shortfalls in NATO's target for defense spending of 2 percent of GDP – including Italy, Spain and Belgium – also have the highest levels of debt and budget…
Author: ricardofrancois
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It's Saturday, March 16th. Here's what you need to know to start your weekend: the news Start your day right Sign up for Essential California to get news, features and recommendations from the LA Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. Enter your email address Involve me You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Where to Find Hidden Tree Hammocks Along SoCal Hiking Trails Do you remember this amazing activity from your youth? You sit on a bench (or old tire), grab two ropes…
Keeping up with a fast-moving industry like AI is difficult. So, so that AI can do it for you, here's a handy summary of recent stories in the world of machine learning, along with notable research and experiments that we didn't cover on our own. Last week, Midjourney, the AI-powered image (and soon video) creation startup, made a small, blink-and-you'll-miss-it change to its terms of service regarding the company's policy on intellectual property disputes. It essentially served to replace ridiculous language with provisions that were undoubtedly more legalistic and based on case law. But the change could also be seen…
Norway has had huge success in adopting electric vehicles, with 82% of new cars sold in the country in 2023 being electric, according to the Norwegian Road Association. This high adoption rate can be attributed to the Scandinavian country's generous subsidies for electric vehicle owners as well as its investment in charging infrastructure.Tesla Sales in the country may only represent a small slice of the 1.8 million vehicles the company delivered globally last year, but their importance to the electric car maker goes beyond revenue. Tesla's early foothold there has made Norway a pivotal proving ground for the company and…
Stay informed with free updatesSimply subscribe to the Capital Markets myFT Digest – delivered straight to your inbox.A closely watched measure of stock market sentiment has reached its highest levels since 2008, as options traders increasingly focus on making further gains in rising indexes rather than worrying about a potential sell-off. The nearly 25 percent rise in Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index since the beginning of November has caught traders who expected higher interest rates to lead to a recession wrong. Many are now picking up S&P index-linked options that pay dividends if the market continues to rise. Meanwhile,…
Beyoncé leaves the Luar fashion show at 154 Scott in Brooklyn during New York Fashion Week on February 13, 2024 in New York City. James Devaney | GC Photos | Getty ImagesCountry music, meet Cowboy Carter.Superstar singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles is taking country music by storm — embracing a genre that has excluded women of color for decades, and in the process proving that her listeners have a strong interest in black female artists. Her country music era, launched during a Super Bowl ad in mid-February and headlined by an upcoming album, has begun to expand the industry's listener base and…
The council member who placed first was 86 years old in office. Crescenta Valley City Councilman Chris Kilpatrick has resigned from his position after surveillance video showed him and another man urinating outside an LGBTQ+ bar in downtown Los Angeles. Kilpatrick and his friend were seen relieving themselves in the employee entrance to the Precinct Tavern on South Broadway, sometime around 2 a.m. Saturday, according to a video posted to the bar's Instagram account.According to the post, the two men left the bar carrying cocktail glasses before urinating on a set of glass doors. An employee approached the men and…
Victoria Kelsty | ReutersIn the United States, Wegovy is no longer just for weight loss.The blockbuster drug — one of the few weight-loss treatments to have skyrocketed in popularity over the past year — is now approved in the United States to treat heart health as well. But this may not translate into broader weekly insurance coverage. Drug injection from Novo Nordisk And similar obesity treatments so far.Some employers and other health plans are still hesitant to cover Wegovy because of its hefty $1,350 monthly price, which they say could significantly strain their budgets. They also have other questions, such…
Evidence is mounting that many Americans have reached their limit on higher prices, raising questions about the extent to which consumer spending will continue to fuel US economic growth this year.After spending freely with savings accumulated during the coronavirus pandemic and income fueled by a healthy job market, consumers are becoming more cautious, according to comments from consumer goods and retail executives and official data.Retail sales rose 0.6 percent in February from the previous month, missing economists' expectations for a 0.8 percent increase, according to Census Bureau data released this week. The increase reflected a 1.1 percent decline from December…
About half of Medicare Advantage members left their plans by the end of five years, according to a 2023 study from Brown University School of Public Health.Most of them switched to another Medicare Advantage plan but not necessarily because they liked Medicare Advantage. Going back to original Medicare can be difficult after you first enroll, because you may not be able to get a Medicare supplemental insurance plan, known as Medigap.But for people with serious or chronic health conditions who have Medicare Advantage, limited provider networks and prior authorization requirements may make it difficult or expensive for them to get…