Hong Kong’s recent wave of demonstrations appeared to reach a yesterday night (July 1) when a fringe group of protesters broke into the legislature. For several hours, they occupied the seats of power in an attempt to get the local government to address their demands, which include the complete withdrawal of .They destroyed the glass facade of the building. They , Hong Kong’s mini constitution that sets it apart from mainland China’s legal system. They spray-painted over the city’s , a , but only the part that read “People’s Republic of China.” They put up the British . They of several...…Hong Kong’s recent wave of demonstrations appeared to reach a yesterday night (July 1) when a fringe group of protesters broke into the legislature. For several hours, they occupied the seats of power in an attempt to get the local government to address their demands, which include the complete withdrawal of .They destroyed the glass facade of the building. They , Hong Kong’s mini constitution that sets it apart from mainland China’s legal system. They spray-painted over the city’s , a , but only the part that read “People’s Republic of China.” They put up the British . They of several...WW…

The impeachment inquiry into US president Donald Trump is based on a whistleblower’s report. It details Trump’s efforts to influence Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, his potential political rival in the 2020 presidential election. The whistleblower felt it was an “urgent concern,” arguing that in pressing a foreign power to interfere in a US election, the president was misusing his office for personal gain, and endangering national security. To understand the case, let’s look back at key moments leading to the impeachment inquiry, and what’s happened since it...…The impeachment inquiry into US president Donald Trump is based on a whistleblower’s report. It details Trump’s efforts to influence Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, his potential political rival in the 2020 presidential election. The whistleblower felt it was an “urgent concern,” arguing that in pressing a foreign power to interfere in a US election, the president was misusing his office for personal gain, and endangering national security. To understand the case, let’s look back at key moments leading to the impeachment inquiry, and what’s happened since it...WW…

We’re in an era of the cult of the entrepreneur. We analyze the Tory Burches and Evan Spiegels of the world looking for a magic formula or set of personality traits that lead to success. Entrepreneurship is on the rise, and more students coming out of business schools are choosing startup life over Wall Street. But what often gets lost in these conversations is that the most common shared trait among entrepreneurs is access to financial capital—family money, an inheritance, or a pedigree and connections that allow for access to financial stability. While it seems that entrepreneurs tend to...…We’re in an era of the cult of the entrepreneur. We analyze the Tory Burches and Evan Spiegels of the world looking for a magic formula or set of personality traits that lead to success. Entrepreneurship is on the rise, and more students coming out of business schools are choosing startup life over Wall Street. But what often gets lost in these conversations is that the most common shared trait among entrepreneurs is access to financial capital—family money, an inheritance, or a pedigree and connections that allow for access to financial stability. While it seems that entrepreneurs tend to...WW…

Among the millions of species that inhabit our planet, Homo sapiens is one of the most resilient. Since we first evolved some 200,000 years ago in Africa, we’ve created habitats for ourselves in every corner of the world: from the frozen depths of the Canadian Arctic to the scorching heat of the Australian desert. We’ve survived all those wild variations in the Earth’s climate because we are exceptionally good at changing our surroundings to fit our needs. To do that, humanity has looted the natural world. Over the past 250 years in particular, that pace has hastened as we have extracted...…Among the millions of species that inhabit our planet, Homo sapiens is one of the most resilient. Since we first evolved some 200,000 years ago in Africa, we’ve created habitats for ourselves in every corner of the world: from the frozen depths of the Canadian Arctic to the scorching heat of the Australian desert. We’ve survived all those wild variations in the Earth’s climate because we are exceptionally good at changing our surroundings to fit our needs. To do that, humanity has looted the natural world. Over the past 250 years in particular, that pace has hastened as we have extracted...WW…

In its pursuit of being “the Everything Store,” Amazon has been known to copy popular items and for cheaper.Allbirds now appears to be the latest target. Billing them as “the world’s most comfortable shoes,” Allbirds creates environmentally friendly footwear that has been unofficially recognized as part of the Silicon Valley tech worker and entrepreneur uniform. The five-year-old direct-to-consumer shoe startup has been , and doesn’t sell its goods on Amazon.Now the Amazon-brand have a striking resemblance to Allbirds’ popular shoe, the Wool Runners—at a much lower price. While Allbirds...…In its pursuit of being “the Everything Store,” Amazon has been known to copy popular items and for cheaper.Allbirds now appears to be the latest target. Billing them as “the world’s most comfortable shoes,” Allbirds creates environmentally friendly footwear that has been unofficially recognized as part of the Silicon Valley tech worker and entrepreneur uniform. The five-year-old direct-to-consumer shoe startup has been , and doesn’t sell its goods on Amazon.Now the Amazon-brand have a striking resemblance to Allbirds’ popular shoe, the Wool Runners—at a much lower price. While Allbirds...WW…

This post has been updated with additional information from Verdi. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos received a hostile reception when he arrived in the German capital to pick up an innovation award on Tuesday (Apr. 24).Trade union Verdi that “several hundred Amazon workers,” who are members of the powerful union, amassed outside the offices of publisher Axel Springer, where the awards ceremony was taking place, carrying placards reading “Make Amazon Pay.” Amazon workers from other countries, including Poland and Italy, also traveled to Berlin to join the demonstration.Verdi boss Frank Bsirske said:...…This post has been updated with additional information from Verdi. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos received a hostile reception when he arrived in the German capital to pick up an innovation award on Tuesday (Apr. 24).Trade union Verdi that “several hundred Amazon workers,” who are members of the powerful union, amassed outside the offices of publisher Axel Springer, where the awards ceremony was taking place, carrying placards reading “Make Amazon Pay.” Amazon workers from other countries, including Poland and Italy, also traveled to Berlin to join the demonstration.Verdi boss Frank Bsirske said:...WW…

Thanks to the modern electric grid, you have access to electricity whenever you want. But the grid only works when electricity is generated in the same amounts as it is consumed. That said, it’s impossible to get the balance right all the time. So operators make grids more flexible by adding ways to store excess electricity for when production drops or consumption rises. About 96% of the world’s energy-storage capacity comes in the form of one technology: pumped hydro. Whenever generation exceeds demand, the excess electricity is used to pump water up a dam. When demand exceeds generation,...…Thanks to the modern electric grid, you have access to electricity whenever you want. But the grid only works when electricity is generated in the same amounts as it is consumed. That said, it’s impossible to get the balance right all the time. So operators make grids more flexible by adding ways to store excess electricity for when production drops or consumption rises. About 96% of the world’s energy-storage capacity comes in the form of one technology: pumped hydro. Whenever generation exceeds demand, the excess electricity is used to pump water up a dam. When demand exceeds generation,...WW…

As the Chinese government continues its effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the country’s central bank at a press conference today (Feb. 15) it was going to begin literally cleaning its currency.It’s an extreme move that makes sense. Whether it’s dollars, pounds, euros, shekels, or in this case yuan, currency is notoriously dirty. (pdf) of $1 bills in New York found some 397 bacterial species living on the surface. And when someone with the flu handles it, that virus has been shown to survive for up to 12 days.The World Health Organization has said that it is how long the...…As the Chinese government continues its effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the country’s central bank at a press conference today (Feb. 15) it was going to begin literally cleaning its currency.It’s an extreme move that makes sense. Whether it’s dollars, pounds, euros, shekels, or in this case yuan, currency is notoriously dirty. (pdf) of $1 bills in New York found some 397 bacterial species living on the surface. And when someone with the flu handles it, that virus has been shown to survive for up to 12 days.The World Health Organization has said that it is how long the...WW…

Countless Americans are going online to buy their necessities as they hunker down in their homes to avoid interacting with other people.If there’s one company that was practically built to supply them, it’s Amazon.The company’s premise has always been to make nearly any item a shopper might want available with a single click from a computer or phone, and delivered as fast as possible to their door. With Americans around the country trying to halt the spread of the contagious new coronavirus by working from home and avoiding crowded public spaces, many are flooding Amazon with orders. to...…Countless Americans are going online to buy their necessities as they hunker down in their homes to avoid interacting with other people.If there’s one company that was practically built to supply them, it’s Amazon.The company’s premise has always been to make nearly any item a shopper might want available with a single click from a computer or phone, and delivered as fast as possible to their door. With Americans around the country trying to halt the spread of the contagious new coronavirus by working from home and avoiding crowded public spaces, many are flooding Amazon with orders. to...WW…

Before now news stories about pangolins, endangered ant-eating scaly mammals found in West and Central Africa and Asia, have focused on how China’s insatiable thirst for their meat and scales has led to a rapid decline in its global population. The recent news linking the animal to China may change this trend as pangolins have been reported to have likely transmitted to humans the novel coronavirus that has caused the death of over 1,300 people in mainland China. The pangolin was reported to be the most likely intermediate host from which humans contracted the novel coronavirus. The...…Before now news stories about pangolins, endangered ant-eating scaly mammals found in West and Central Africa and Asia, have focused on how China’s insatiable thirst for their meat and scales has led to a rapid decline in its global population. The recent news linking the animal to China may change this trend as pangolins have been reported to have likely transmitted to humans the novel coronavirus that has caused the death of over 1,300 people in mainland China. The pangolin was reported to be the most likely intermediate host from which humans contracted the novel coronavirus. The...WW…