RJR Empires

25 Free Performances Come to Bryant Park Starting in June

Once arriving at the park, patrons will have their temperatures checked and be shown to their seats, which will be arranged with room for social distancing. The park does not plan to require vaccinations or proof of negative virus tests, but it is considering those as options, according to Dan Fishman, the park’s director of public events. Among the other organizations participating in Bryant…

Biden vows to ‘act fast’ on US stimulus amid weak January hiring

President Joe Biden on Friday seized on feeble US employment data to argue the world’s largest economy needs his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, which cleared a key Senate hurdle without support from the Republican opposition. The closely-watched jobs data showed the unemployment rate dropped to 6.3 percent in January, but the economy added only 49,000 jobs, the Labor Department said. The…

Shake-up at Triller. TikTok rival replaces CEO and buys AI firm

TrillerNet, the parent company of a controversial social video app that sought to take on TikTok, has replaced its chief executive and acquired another business. The Los Angeles entertainment company on Wednesday named Mahi de Silva, who is currently its nonexecutive board chairman, to CEO. He succeeds Mike Lu, who will transition to be the company’s president, TrillerNet said in a…

WHO EMRO | Cutaneous leishmaniasis still highly prevalent in the Region | 2012

1 May 2012, Cairo – Cutaneous leishmaniasis is highly prevalent in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. The disease is endemic in 18 out of the 23 countries and, despite not being fatal, it causes immense stigma affecting the social and economic well-being of affected people and communities. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a potentially severe or disfiguring disease. Patients with  cutaneous…

A Hole in One Pushes Corey Conners Up the Masters Leaderboard

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The old man working near No. 2 knew. He had to have known, because everyone knew. The roar on Saturday afternoon had all the hallmarks of a classic moment being made at the Masters Tournament: the sharp lift of noise as something sensational unfolded somewhere on the 345 acres, the percussion when the possible became a certainty, and then the fading echoes among the pines. “Which…

Iran Talks Resume, Gingerly, After Attack on Nuclear Site

BRUSSELS — Iran and the other signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal resumed negotiations in Vienna on Thursday to revive the accord, though the atmosphere was fraught in the aftermath of the apparent Israeli attack on a major uranium enrichment site in Iran. Senior diplomats involved in the talks have agreed that the working groups meant to bring both Iran and the United States into compliance…

Some Male Birds Fly Under False Colors to Attract Mates, Study Suggests

“By this theory, a bright red bird is basically shouting, ‘Look how healthy I am,’ ‘My immune system is working,’ or ‘My metabolism is working,’ or ‘I’m so healthy that I’m able to invest pigments into my feathers,’” Ms. McCoy said. “This study was our attempt to say, well, is that true? Or have males found a clever way to cheat a little bit in the game of life?” For the new study, Ms. McCoy and…

Erin French Dishes About Writing, Survival and Takeout

COOKING A BOOK Erin French wrote her best-selling memoir, “Finding Freedom,” the same way she composes the prix fixe menu for her restaurant: one bite at a time. “My instincts from the kitchen helped me put things down on paper,” said the self-trained chef, who chronicles blossoming as a foodie, her struggle with addiction, the abusive relationship that led to the closing of her first restaurant…

After Snafu, Lululemon Beating the Pants Off S&P 500

They’re baaaaaack…. That is to say, yoga enthusiasts who had been mourning the absence of their favorite Astro and Groove yoga pants at Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) stores can rejoice, and open their wallets to replenish their wardrobes. Transparency is good when it comes to financial statements; less compelling when it involves unexpectedly sheer black yoga pants, it seems, and the…

Want to read your dog’s mind? Japan’s boom in weird wearable tech – CNN

Story highlights Japan’s innovative wearable devices includes Archelis, a “standing” chair designed for surgeons. Tokyo’s first Wearable Expo debuted in 2015 and was largest in the world. Japan’s wearable tech market is predicted to grow from 530,000 in 2013 to 13.1 million units in 2017. (CNN) —   What do Discman, Tamagotchi, and Game Boy have in common? They’re all landmark Japanese…

Indonesian Navy Submarine Goes Missing With 53 People on Board

The last contact came at 3 a.m. on Wednesday. Then the Indonesian Navy submarine disappeared, somewhere deep in the dark waters off the island of Bali in the Pacific Ocean. By evening, Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense had tracked down only one possible sign of the missing vessel, which carried 53 people on board: a broad oil slick found in the area where the submarine began its dive north of…

Opinion | Republicans Aren’t Done Messing With Elections

Combating efforts that can undermine the fair administration of elections and vote counting is especially tricky. Unlike issues of voter suppression, which are easy to explain to the public (what do you mean you can’t give water to voters waiting in long lines?!?), the risks of unfair election administration are inchoate. They may materialize or they may not, depending on how close an election is…

The Magazine That Invented Street Style

One of the most influential magazines most people have never heard of existed for the blink of a hair-covered eye in the Bay Area from 1970 to 1971. The brainchild of a pair of editorial refugees from glossy-land and a Rolling Stone photographer, Rags was the first publication to identify street style as a discrete fashion sector and call out the establishment for trying to manufacture trends.…

Is The New York Times Obama’s Publicity Agent?

It is unpleasant to close the year on a sour note. The wrangle over the short-term payroll tax-cut extension sums up this frustrating year: the policies being blocked by House Republicans are bad policies, but infuriated voters will blame them nonetheless for their intransigence. The Senate and the President are pushing for a two-month “fix.” Do we seriously believe that at the end of the next…

Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar review: High-end sound for a high-end price

A soundbar is an attractive alternative to a full-blown outboard speaker system. It offers better sound quality than a TV’s built-in audio, and it’s much more convenient to set up and use. On the other hand, a soundbar can’t reproduce a fully directional surround or immersive soundfield like a system with separate speakers located around the listening area. Or can it? That’s the goal Sennheiser…

Arizona Shocks UConn and Storms to the N.C.A.A. Title Game

From the very first possession on Friday night, Arizona’s national semifinal game against Connecticut was an exercise in slow, grind-it-out basketball, with a lot of missed shots and long, labored possessions. It was exactly what Arizona wanted. The Wildcats immediately established their strategy: suffocating defense with the steals to show for it, energetic rebounding and lots of 3-point shots.…

Opinion | Noam Chomsky on Anarchism, Human Nature and Joe Biden

ezra klein I’m Ezra Klein, and this is “The Ezra Klein Show.” [MUSIC PLAYING] The first political book I ever received was “9-11” by Noam Chomsky. My older brother gave it to me, just a little bit after 9/11. And I read it, and I reread it. And I argued with people over it. And then over the years, I would dip into the Noam Chomsky library. And just always its breadth is so astonishing. Noam…