News

Biden to Discuss Risks of AI in Tuesday Meeting with Science Advisers

U.S. President Joe Biden will discuss the “risks and opportunities” that artificial intelligence poses for people, society and national security during a meeting with science and technology advisers at the White House on Tuesday, an official said. Biden, a Democrat, is scheduled to meet with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) […]

Asia Stocks Down on Inflation, Growth Concerns; RBA Hits Pause

Asian stocks slipped on Tuesday as investors grappled with inflation concerns in the wake of the surprise cuts to the OPEC+ group’s oil output targets, while treasury yields fell after frail U.S. manufacturing data renewed anxiety about the economy. An announcement on Sunday of output target cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries […]

Cryptoverse: Bitcoin Traders Like Their Options

Even as bitcoin flies high, investors are keeping their options open, judging by a record race to derivatives. Open interest for bitcoin options and futures has spiked over the past month as fear has stalked global banking, hitting an all-time high of 433,540 contracts on March 23 on Deribit, a leading exchange for crypto-focused derivatives […]

Australia Bans TikTok on Government Devices Over Security Concerns

Australia banned TikTok on Tuesday from all federal government-owned devices over security concerns, becoming the latest U.S.-allied country to take action against the Chinese-owned video app. The ban underscores growing worries that China could use the Beijing-based company, owned by ByteDance Ltd, to harvest users’ data to advance its political agenda, undermining Western security interests. […]

Rising Rates Put Pressure on U.S. Insurers’ Reserves, Fitch Says

 Rising interest rates are eating into the reserves that U.S. life insurers must hold to deal with rate fluctuations, ratings agency Fitch Ratings said on Monday, creating an accounting issue that could impact insurers’ income. Interest maintenance reserves (IMRs) smooth insurers’ balance sheets by showing interest-related capital gains and losses on fixed-income assets, and amortizing […]

Exclusive-US to Build $300 Million Database to Fuel Alzheimer’s Research

The U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) is funding a 6-year, up to $300 million project to build a massive Alzheimer’s research database that can track the health of Americans for decades and enable researchers to gain new insights on the brain-wasting disease. The NIA, part of the government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), aims […]

NASA Names Woman, Black Astronauts to Artemis II Crew in Lunar First

NASA on Monday named the first woman and the first African American ever assigned as astronauts to a lunar mission, introducing them as part of the four-member team chosen to fly on what would be the first crewed voyage around the moon in more than 50 years. Christina Koch, 44, an engineer who already holds […]

US Manufacturing Near Three-Year Low; Casts a Shadow over Economy

U.S. manufacturing activity slumped in March to the lowest level in nearly three years as new orders plunged, and analysts said activity could decline further due to tighter credit conditions. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) survey on Monday showed all subcomponents of its manufacturing PMI below the 50 threshold for the first time since […]

EU Car Data Access Rules in Progress but No Timeline

The European Commission is working on rules to ensure fair access to valuable car data for companies and industry but does not know when they will be ready, a spokesperson said on Monday as industry groups fret about unfair competition from U.S. and Chinese tech companies. The huge potential of the connected car market, which […]