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Amazon to cut 18,000 jobs, CEO says

January 5, 2023 Published by

(NEXSTAR) – Amazon has become the latest U.S. technology company to announce major job cuts after hiring “rapidly over the last several years” in the face of the COVID pandemic.

In a message shared with employees Wednesday, CEO Andy Jassy confirmed Amazon plans to “eliminate just over 18,000 roles.” Several areas of the business will be impacted, he noted, but most cuts will happen at Amazon Stores, including Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go, and in its People, Experience, and Technology organization.

It’s the largest set of layoffs in the Seattle-based company’s history, although just a fraction of its 1.5 million global workforce.

“[We] are deeply aware that these role eliminations are difficult for people, and we don’t take these decisions lightly or underestimate how much they might affect the lives of those who are impacted,” he wrote. “We are working to support those who are affected and are providing packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support.”

According to Jassy, the announcement wasn’t expected to be released this early but was done so after an Amazon teammate reportedly leaked the information. Amazon employees impacted by these job cuts will be informed as early as January 18.

“Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so,” Jassy said. “These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure.”

In November, Jassy told staff that layoffs were coming due to the economic landscape and the company’s rapid hiring in the last several years. Wednesday’s announcement included earlier job cuts that had not been numbered. The company had also offered voluntary buyouts and has been cutting costs in other areas of its sprawling business.

Business software maker Salesforce also announced job cuts Wednesday. The company plans to lay off about 8,000 employees, or 10% of its workforce.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Texas A&M basketball game delayed after Aggies forget uniforms at hotel

January 5, 2023 Published by

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The Texas A&M men’s basketball team were set to tip off against the Florida Gators in Gainesville at 7 p.m. ET, but it was delayed for a reason we may never see again.

The Aggies’ uniforms were left at the team hotel, and no one noticed until just a few minutes before the game started.

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Texas A&M warmed up in practice uniforms and then realized their game jerseys were missing.

Because of the mishap, Florida guard Will Richard was granted a technical free throw. He knocked it down, and Florida was winning 1-0 because the game even started.

NC STATE BROADCASTER GARY HAHN SET TO RETURN TO THE BOOTH AFTER ‘ILLEGAL ALIENS’ REMARK

“We’re not quite sure how long this delay is going to be. What we do know is they ruled out playing shirts and skins, so we’ll wait,” Tom Hart jokingly said to open the broadcast.

“Ninety-five percent of teams in college basketball warm up in a shooting shirt with an undershirt underneath it. They don’t go back and put their jersey on until they clear the floor for the last time before the national anthem,” fellow announcer Jimmy Dykes added.

The visiting Aggies led 34-23 at halftime and won the game 66-63. So, the extra point didn’t affect them, but surely the Aggies were thinking about it late.

OutKick’s Trey Wallace contributed to this report.

 

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[World] Pope Benedict XVI: Around 200,000 attend lying in state

January 5, 2023 Published by

BBC News world 

EPA

People paid their respects in St Peter’s Basilica
By Alys Davies
BBC News

Almost 200,000 people paid homage to former Pope Benedict XVI during his lying in state over the last three days, the Vatican says.

His body has been sealed in a coffin ahead of his funeral on Thursday.

Pope Francis will preside over the funeral – the first time a sitting Pope has led his predecessor’s funeral in over 220 years, the Vatican says.

The former Pope died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 95, almost a decade after standing down because of ill-health.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the funeral in St Peter’s Square, in front of St Peter’s Basilica, at 9:30 local time (8:30 GMT).

The event will be marked by simplicity, in line with what Benedict had asked for, the Vatican says.

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Watch: Pope Francis expresses thanks for the life and service of Benedict XVI

Because Benedict was no longer a head of state when he died, only official delegations from Italy and Benedict’s native Germany will attend.

Other leaders will be there in unofficial capacities – including King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Letizia of Spain, as well as the leaders of Poland and Hungary, the Catholic news agency reports.

The Pope Emeritus will be laid to rest in the tombs beneath the Basilica after his funeral, according to his final wishes.

Before being laid in the crypt, his body will be sealed in a zinc coffin, which will then be put in a wooden case. Items symbolising his time in the papacy will also be placed alongside his body.

Pope Benedict was a powerful presence

In 2013, Benedict became the first Pope in more than 600 years to step down.

But he was still a “powerful presence” in the Vatican after his retirement, according to the most senior British figure there, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Observers of Vatican affairs suggest that whether Benedict courted it or not, he became something of a lightning rod for internal criticism of Pope Francis.

“Obviously there have been, in the Church, people who have looked to Benedict to contrast certain decisions that have been made by Pope Francis,” Archbishop Gallagher told the BBC. But he added that the two pontiffs had had an excellent relationship.

Archbishop Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign secretary, also acknowledged that events of the past week had changed the equation to potentially allow Pope Francis to consider his own retirement more freely.

“If we had three Popes, that would be a little bit difficult to manage. But now that Pope Benedict has gone to the Lord, I think that Pope Francis will stick to those principles that he has established – that he will continue in this ministry as long as he believes that he is capable,” he said, adding that he did not think a decision about stepping down was in any way imminent.

Read Aleem’s report in full.

During the past three days of lying in state, mourners travelled from all over the world to pay their respects to the former Pope.

One Catholic pilgrimage organiser who travelled to Rome with his family to pay his respects described the experience of entering the basilica as “beautiful” and “humbling”.

Speaking to the BBC, Mountain Butorac described Benedict as a “very gentle” and “humble” man, who had been like a “papal grandfather” to him.

EPA

Benedict XVI’s body lay in state in St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing
EPA

Other mourners paid their respects in their own countries, such as at this Mass in the Dominican Republic

Another mourner, Father Callistus Kahale Kabindama, a priest from Zambia, told Reuters news agency Benedict had been “a great Pope, a marvellous Pope”.

But Benedict was a controversial figure who was criticised by some for failing to adequately tackle allegations of clerical sexual abuse.

 

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Costco Brings a Big Name in Growing Area to its Warehouse Clubs

January 5, 2023 Published by

While the plant-based meat market continues to expand and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.30% by 2030, Beyond  (BYND) – Get Free Report specifically started out the year on a massive downturn.

The alternative meat company started out of Los Angeles in 2009 and quickly became a well-known name after a number of partnerships with major food players like Denny’s  (DENN) – Get Free Report, McDonald’s Canada  (MCD) – Get Free Report, and Yum! Brands’  (YUM) – Get Free Report KFC.


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Republican military veterans urge support for McCarthy: ‘It’s actually becoming detrimental to our nation’

January 5, 2023 Published by

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A group of Republican military veterans held a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to urge holdouts in the GOP to throw their support behind Rep.-elect Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, arguing that the delay is 

“The people standing behind me have regularly, consistently, over decades proven that they’re willing to put something greater than themselves above themselves,” Rep.-elect Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., said at the briefing, noting that the group collectively has 291 years of military service between them. 

“A minority of our party has decided that they want to continue with this obstructionism and it’s actually becoming detrimental to our nation,” Van Orden added. “I will not stand for that.”

McCarthy failed to garner the 218 necessary votes to become speaker in six ballots between Tuesday and Wednesday. About 20 members of the House Freedom Caucus have so far refused to support the GOP leader. 

THE VOTE FOR HOUSE SPEAKER: LIVE UPDATES

Until Republicans agree on a speaker, they cannot pass a rules package to determine how the House will operate, consider legislation, or begin the oversight of the Biden administration that candidates promised on the campaign trail. 

Rep.-elect Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., said that he was supposed to be meeting with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs about “matters in the Indo-Pacific.” 

“But I’m informed by House security, that technically, I don’t have a clearance,” Gallagher said at Wednesday’s briefing. 

“It’s up to this Congress to restore deterrence, to restore peace through strength, but we aren’t able to do that vital work until we actually get past the speaker vote, populate our committees, and start getting to work.”

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The House is set to reconvene on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. 

 

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Stretchy sensor works for health and video games

January 5, 2023 Published by

Researchers have developed a stretchable strain sensor that has an unprecedented combination of sensitivity and range.

That allows it to detect even minor changes in strain with greater range of motion than previous technologies.

The researchers demonstrated the sensor’s utility by creating new health monitoring and human-machine interface devices.

Strain is a measurement of how much a material deforms from its original length. For example, if you stretched a rubber band to twice its original length, its strain would be 100%.

“And measuring strain is useful in many applications, such as devices that measure blood pressure and technologies that track physical movement,” says Yong Zhu, corresponding author of a paper on the work and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University.

“But to date there’s been a trade-off. Strain sensors that are sensitive—capable of detecting small deformations—cannot be stretched very far. On the other hand, sensors that can be stretched to greater lengths are typically not very sensitive. The new sensor we’ve developed is both sensitive and capable of withstanding significant deformation,” says Zhu.

“An additional feature is that the sensor is highly robust even when over-strained, meaning it is unlikely to break when the applied strain accidentally exceeds the sensing range.”

The new sensor consists of a silver nanowire network embedded in an elastic polymer. The polymer features a pattern of parallel cuts of a uniform depth, alternating from either side of the material: one cut from the left, followed by one from the right, followed by one from the left, and so on.

“This feature—the patterned cuts—is what enables a greater range of deformation without sacrificing sensitivity,” says Shuang Wu, who is first author of the paper and a recent PhD graduate.

The sensor measures strain by measuring changes in electrical resistance. As the material stretches, resistance increases. The cuts in the surface of the sensor are perpendicular to the direction that it is stretched. This does two things. First, the cuts allow the sensor to deform significantly. Because the cuts in the surface pull open, creating a zigzag pattern, the material can withstand substantial deformation without reaching the breaking point. Second, when the cuts pull open, this forces the electrical signal to travel further, traveling up and down the zigzag.

“To demonstrate the sensitivity of the new sensors, we used them to create new wearable blood pressure devices,” Zhu says. “And to demonstrate how far the sensors can be deformed, we created a wearable device for monitoring motion in a person’s back, which has utility for physical therapy.”

“We have also demonstrated a human-machine interface,” Wu says. “Specifically, we used the sensor to create a three-dimensional touch controller that can be used to control a video game.”

“The sensor can be easily incorporated into existing wearable materials such as fabrics and athletic tapes, convenient for practical applications,” Zhu says. “And all of this is just scratching the surface. We think there will be a range of additional applications as we continue working with this technology.”

The paper appears in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Support for the work came from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the US Department of Defense.

Source: NC State

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Prince Joachim of Denmark's four children lose royal titles after Queen Margrethe's decision, website updated

January 5, 2023 Published by

Four grandchildren of Queen Margrethe of Denmark, who officially lost their royal prince and princess titles on New Year’s Day, have had their new titles of count and countess updated on the official royal family website. 

Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, are the children of the queen’s youngest son Prince Joachim, 53. 

The children will keep their place in the succession after their father, who is sixth in line to the throne. 

Joachim shares Nikolai and Felix with ex-wife Alexandria, Countess of Frederiksborg, and Henrik and Athena with his current wife Princess Marie. 

IS KING CHARLES WATCHING? QUEEN MARGRETHE’S CHOICE TO STRIP ROYAL TITLES FROM GRANDKIDS ISN’T PERSONAL: EXPERT 

Queen Margrethe announced in September that her son Prince Joachim's four children would lose their royal titles. 

Queen Margrethe announced in September that her son Prince Joachim’s four children would lose their royal titles. 
(Photo by Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)

The decision to remove their titles was announced in September and went into effect in the new year. 

While the queen said she made the decision in her grandchildren’s and the monarchy’s best interests, the stripping of their titles has caused tensions within the royal family. 

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Prince Joachim with son Nikolai in 2001. 

Prince Joachim with son Nikolai in 2001. 
(Getty Images)

In an October statement, the queen said she was “sorry” after she “underestimated the extent to which” Prince Joachim and his children felt affected by her decision. 

She explained that “holding a royal title involves a number of commitments and duties that, in the future, will lie with fewer members of the royal family. This adjustment, which I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy, I want to take in my own time.”

In September, the palace announced that the royal titles would be “discontinued” and that they would be referred to as excellencies rather than royal highnesses. 

The grandchildren inherited their prince and princess titles upon birth and the queen bestowed their count and countess of Monpezat titles in 2008. 

INSIDERS CLAIM KING CHARLES STILL OPEN TO RECONCILIATION WITH SON PRINCE HARRY: REPORT 

“The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years,” the September statement added. 

Prince Joachim has said his children feel "mistreated" by the decision. 

Prince Joachim has said his children feel “mistreated” by the decision. 
(Sergei Gapon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The queen sought to give her grandchildren more freedom to “shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves.”

Joachim told a Danish publication after the announcement that his family “are all very sad,” according to Entertainment Tonight. 

“It’s never fun to see your children being mistreated like that. They themselves find themselves in a situation they do not understand,” he said.

Alexandria likewise said that her children feel “ostracized” by the queen. 

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The four children of the queen’s oldest son, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, who is first in line to the throne, were not affected by the decision and maintain their HRH titles. His children are second to fifth in line. 

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Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw blasts anti-McCarthy Republicans: ‘tired of your stupid platitudes’

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News 

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, on Wednesday blasted his Republican colleagues who are refusing to support Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker. 

“I’m tired of your stupid platitudes that some consultant told you to say on the campaign trail, alright,” Crenshaw said of the 20 Republican defectors, according to the Washington Post’s Dylan Wells. “Behind closed doors tell us what you actually want, or shut the f— up.” 

Crenshaw’s fiery comments come as House Republicans flailed through a second day of fruitless balloting, unable to elect McCarthy as House Speaker or come up with a new strategy. 

The ballots were producing almost the same outcome: 20 conservative holdouts still refusing to support him, and leaving him far short of the 218 typically needed to win the gavel. 

HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS NOMINATES BYRON DONALDS FOR HOUSE SPEAKER

Crenshaw said the holdouts, “need to be men and adults and say what they want, instead of playing these little games, that’s what we’re asking.” 

“That’s what I’ve asked of them. Some of them are my friends. Stop saying platitudes like, ‘Washington is broken. We can’t do the status quo,” he said. “They want to pull the pins on the grenades and lock the doors.” 

McCarthy, the California Republican, vowed to fight to the finish for the speaker’s job despite the grueling spectacle, unlike any in modern times, that threw the new majority into tumult for the first days of the new Congress.

Crenshaw accused the holdouts of showing themselves to be “unbelievably serious” and not having a plan. 

“It’s almost like they want to make the point that they don’t have a plan,” he said. “They have zero ability to articulate what they want that would cause them to vote yes. It is utterly confusing, and then they get mad at us for criticizing, it’s actually quite hilarious the self-victimization that occurs.” 

Crenshaw said he was willing to “hold out forever” noting that McCarthy would have to resign from Congress for him to consider an alternative. 

“[B]ut I’ll tell you what, whoever that 20 wants, I will never vote for that person,” he said. “I do not care who it is. They want to play this game, we’ll play the game.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

 

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Model Paulina Porizkova poses topless in new year photo: ‘Nothing to hide’

January 5, 2023 Published by

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Model Paulina Porizkova posed topless on Wednesday in a social media post about the new year, saying she has “nothing to hide.”

“The New Year is yawning wide open,” the 57-year-old wrote in an Instagram post along with a photo of her hugging her bare chest in an elegant room wearing nothing but black underwear. 

“I’m greeting it bare. Because I have nothing to hide. I’m finally comfortable in my own skin. I don’t need armor when I’m already armed with my experiences and the wisdom they’ve brought.

She hashtagged the post, “#betweenjloandbettywhite #greypride #betterontheinside.”

PAULINA PORIZKOVA POSES TOPLESS ON THE BEACH SHARES HER SUPERPOWER: ‘YOU MAKE OTHER WOMEN FEEL BEAUTIFUL

Porizkova has been frank about her difficult marriage to the Cars lead singer Ric Ocasek and being cut out of his will after his death in 2019.

In November, she published a memoir called “No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful.” 

The 57-year-old continued in her post, “All the really good stuff is crammed into this body and invisible on the outside. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It’s what keeps me standing tall and proud – even when undressed.”

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On New Year’s Day, she posted an “unretouched, unfiltered” of herself without makeup, writing that she had a “slight hangover from a wonderful night with my closest friends and son.”

“In 2023, my hopes are to be able to let go of the past,” she wrote. “To quit trying to live in it for comfort – even though it hurts and will keep hurting as long as I sit there.”

She added, “Here is to a new year and the unknown. Here’s to embracing change. Getting wiser, getting older, getting bolder.”

 

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Matt LaFleur speaks on Packers mindset after Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News 

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur began his meeting with the media Wednesday with a long opening statement about Damar Hamlin.

LaFleur said Green Bay Packers players will have access to specialists after practices during the week if anyone needs assistance coping with the situation.

The coach said he was not watching the Monday night game but quickly learned what happened and started discussing the situation with other Packers coaches.

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Hamlin’s situation is impacting teams across the league. While acknowledging injures are a part of football, LaFleur said he had “never witnessed anything quite like” what happened to Hamlin.

“What we all witnessed Monday night,” LaFleur said, “it was a sad deal. It was very traumatic and kind of puts what we do into perspective and how that supersedes anything in life, is just these players’ health and safety, and everybody’s health and safety. That was tough to watch. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with Damar Hamlin and his family and the Buffalo Bills.”

SAQUON BARKLEY SAYS IT’S ‘TOUGH’ TO PREPARE FOR UPCOMING GAME FOLLOWING DAMAR HAMLIN’S COLLAPSE

Hamlin has shown “signs of improvement” since he was rushed to the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during a game, the team said Wednesday.

“Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight,” the team said in a post on Twitter.

“He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him.”

As the Packers met Wednesday morning to start their preparation for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, a game the team must win to advance into the playoffs, LaFleur spoke with players about what happened to Hamlin. 

The Packers have not missed the postseason during LaFleur’s tenure.

While the team is preparing to play, Hamlin remains on the minds of the Packers players, LaFleur said. He said it was a “very, very quiet” room, everyone still trying to process the severity of Hamlin’s medical condition.

LaFleur noted that he asked one of the Packers’ team trainers to address the players in Wednesday’s morning meeting. The fourth-year head coach then put things into perspective by sharing his priorities with players.

“I just tried to speak from my heart,” LaFleur said, “in terms of just how serious, and how tough it was to watch. You knew something was not right with the amount of time that it took to get him into an ambulance. And how often do you ever see an ambulance on the field? It definitely supersedes the importance of any kind of game. You’re talking about life.”

BIDEN DOESN’T BELIEVE NFL IS GETTING TOO DANGEROUS: ‘DON’T KNOW HOW YOU AVOID IT’

LaFleur said he sent Bills coach Sean McDermott a text message Monday and spoke with Bengals coach Zac Taylor. LaFleur worked on the same coaching staff with Taylor in 2017 when they both worked for the Rams.

The NFL has announced that Week 18 games will proceed as scheduled.

“I’ve had a couple coaches ask [about delaying games]. … It’s whatever the league decides,” LaFleur said. “I do think the league decided, obviously, the correct decision the other night to postpone or cancel [Monday Night Football].”

The coach acknowledged playing a game on Sunday will be a challenge.

“It’s not easy,” LaFleur said, “but you’ve got to do the best job you can. I think the thing about it is, I think every team is dealing with this right now. I mean, we all are. And it speaks to the brotherhood of this league, and how important these guys are to one another and the compassion that we have for one another.”

 

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