Daily Archives: August 6, 2022

Does Life on Earth Have a Purpose to Ancient Ghost Tracks of the West (Planet Earth Report) – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel

Posted: August 6, 2022 at 8:00 pm

Posted on Aug 4, 2022 in Planet Earth, Science

Todays stories range from NASA Seeks the Science behind UFOs to The Origins of the Universe may be Hidden in the Voids of Space, and much more. The Planet Earth Report connects you to headline news on the science, technology, discoveries, people and events changing our planet and the future of the human species.

Does life on Earth have a purpose? The answer is both disappointing and exciting, reports Marcelo Gleiser for Big Think. Is the incredible diversity of species a random accident? Or does life on Earth follow a plan of becoming ever more complex? Those who think there is such a plan believe the apex of this process would, of course, be us. The answer is both disappointing and exciting, given that we are the ones asking the question.

Footprints Discovery Suggests Ancient Ghost Tracks May Cover the WestThe set of 88 prints is about 12,000 years old, scientists say, and was found in the militarys Utah Test and Training Range, reports The New York Times.

Why We Need to Study Nothing -The origins of the universe may be hidden in the voids of space, reports Paul Sutter for Nautil.us.

Chinese and US scientists build bridges with cutting-edge Hale telescope project, reports South China MOrning Post. Work to build an advanced spectrograph which will help explore distant corners of the universe is a rare example of cooperation between the two countries

With New Study, NASA Seeks the Science behind UFOs Although modest in scope, a NASA research project reflects shifting attitudes toward the formerly taboo subject of UFOs, reports Scientific American.

When Will the Next Supernova in Our Galaxy Occur? -Scientists have new tools at their disposal to detect and study the dramatic explosion of a star, reports The Smithsonian. Its been a long wait418 years since weve seen a star explode in our galaxy. So are we overdue for a bright, nearby supernova?

Earth is spinning faster than usual and had its shortest day ever, reports CBS News. Since 2016 the Earth started to accelerate, said Leonid Zotov, who works at works for Lomonosov Moscow State University and recently published a study on what might cause the changes in Earths rotation. This year it rotates quicker than in 2021 and 2020.

Gigantic jet lightning is a mystery. These researchers are solving it--The extreme electrical discharges can tower 50 miles above a thunderstorm, reports the Washington Post.

This Map Lets You Plug in Your Address to See How Its Changed Over the Past 750 Million Years, reports The Smithsonian. The interactive tool enables users to home in on a specific location and visualize how it has evolved between the Cryogenian Period and the present.

A China-Taiwan conflict could lead to a catastrophic semiconductor shortage in the world Taiwan manufactures roughly 50 percent of all the worlds semiconductors, reports Interesting Engineering.

Horror stories of cryonics: The gruesome fates of futurists hoping for immortalityFor decades people have arranged to freeze their bodies after death, dreaming of resurrection by advanced future medicine. Many met a fate far grislier than death, reports Big Think.

How the secrets of ancient cuneiform texts are being revealed by AI--Much of the worlds first writing, carved into clay tablets, remains undeciphered. Now AI is helping us piece together this ancient Mesopotamian script, revealing the incredible stories of men, women and children at the dawn of history, reports New Scientist.

Hubbles Future in the Webb Era -We believe that we can keep Hubble doing the ground-breaking science it is known for through the latter part of this decade and possibly into the next, says public affairs officer Claire Andreoli (NASA Goddard).

Citizen future: Why we need a new story of self and society, reports BBC Future. Are you a subject, a consumer or a citizen? The authors Jon Alexander and Ariane Conrad argue that our societies need a new narrative, and it starts by ditching the stories sold by authoritarianism and consumerism.

The Crypto Market Crashed. Theyre Still Buying Bitcoin Hard-core Bitcoin evangelists are making the case that Bitcoin differs from the unstable crypto projects that sent the market into a tailspin, reports The New York Times. Cory Klippsten started issuing warnings about the cryptocurrency market in March. The digital coin Luna, Mr. Klippsten tweeted, was a scam, run by an entrepreneur with major Elizabeth Holmes vibes. The newfangled crypto bank Celsius Network was a massive blowup risk, he said.

Semiotics of dogs In all its baroque and sometimes cruelly overbred forms, the dog is a paramount symbol of both human hopes and foibles, reports Aeon. After millennia of domestication, we gave our pets family trees, and named them as breeds. They acquired an identity reflecting human projection, and symbolized our own increased focus on lineage and breeding. Lady is purebred, Tramp is a mutt.

New algorithm aces university math course questions Researchers use machine learning to automatically solve, explain, and generate university-level math problems at a human level, reports MIT News. a multidisciplinary team of researchers from MIT and elsewhere, led by Iddo Drori, a lecturer in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), has used a neural network model to solve university-level math problems in a few seconds at a human level.

North Korea-backed hackers have a clever way to read your Gmail, reports Ars Technica. SHARPEXT has slurped up thousands of emails in the past year and keeps getting better.

Curated by The Daily Galaxy Editorial Staff

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Does Life on Earth Have a Purpose to Ancient Ghost Tracks of the West (Planet Earth Report) - The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel

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The Organization | [Deck Recipes] July 31st, 2022 – YGOrganization

Posted: at 7:59 pm

Warrior + Cyborg for Rush Duel; Salmon Monarch, and Kshatri-La + SPYRAL!

[RUSH DUEL] Warrior + Cyborg Deck

3 Yamiruler the Dark Delayer3 Kimeluna the Lunar Dark Raider1 Semeruler the Dark Summoner3 Valkyrian Sewkyrie2 Mezame the August Awakener3 Imaginary Actor3 Magic Juggler2 Serpainter2 Sword Dancer1 Snake Crown1 Gracesaurus3 Amazing Dealer

3 Fusion3 Star Restart2 Yamata-no-Tsurugi2 Magical Stone Exacavation1 Secret Sword Technique! Refined Ruler Render1 Imaginary Ark Tower1 Graceful Charity (LEGEND)

2 Metallion Asurastar2 Metallion Vritrastar2 Metallion Eraclestar2 Metallion Ladonstar2 Metallion Kingcobrastar2 Yamiterasu the Divine Delayer1 Semeterasu the Celestial Summoner2 Kimeterasu the Rising Luna

New Product Deck: Monarch Deck Featuring Infernalqueen Salmon

3 Infernalqueen Salmon3 Ehther the Heavenly Monarch1 Erebus the Underworld Monarch1 Mobius the Mega Monarch2 Terrorking Salmon2 Eidos the Underworld Squire3 Edea the Heavenly Squire2 Crystal Girl

3 Pantheism of the Monarchs3 Return of the Monarchs3 Tenacity of the Monarchs3 The Monarchs Stormforth3 Foolish Burial Goods2 Domain of the True Monarchs1 One for One

3 Fish Depth Charge2 Ice Barrier1 The Prime Monarch1 Escalation of the Monarchs

New Product Deck: Kshatri-La + SPYRAL Deck

3 Kshatri-La Unicorn3 Kshatri-La Fenrir3 Kshatri-La Ogre3 SPYRAL Super Agent1 SPYRAL Quik-Fix3 SPYRAL GEAR Drone1 SPYRAL Tough3 SPYRAL Master Plan1 SPYRAL Sleeper

1 SPYRAL GEAR Last Resort3 Kshatri-La Berth2 SPYRAL Resort3 SPYRAL GEAR Big Red1 Monster Reborn1 Harpies Feather Duster1 Terraforming1 One for One1 Reinforcement of the Army2 Sacred Sword of Seven Stars2 Where Arf Thou?

2 Kshatri-La Prepare2 SPYRAL MISSION Rescue

3 Kshatri-La Shangri-La2 Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker2 SPYRAL Double Helix1 Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk1 Number 11: Big Eye1 Black Luster Soldier Soldier of Chaos1 Knightmare Cerberus1 Knightmare Phoenix1 Knightmare Unicorn1 Steel Star Regulator1 Accesscode Talker

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The Organization | [Deck Recipes] July 31st, 2022 - YGOrganization

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Twenty-Five Years After My House Call To Dolly: What Have We Learned About Cloning And How Did We Learn It? – Forbes

Posted: at 7:56 pm

Twenty-five years ago, the scientific breakthrough of mammalian cloning marked a monumental moment in medicine and science. Anticipating the collision it would have with ethical decision making in medicine, I, the only physician-scientist in the U.S. Senate at the time, journeyed to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland to personally visit Sir Ian Wilmut at his research lab at the Roslin Institute.

My house call to Dolly in 1997: I stand with Dolly, the first ever mammal to be cloned from an adult ... [+] somatic cell, during my journey to visit her creator and caretaker, Sir Ian Wilmut.

Professor Wilmut just months before in 1996 had cloned a sheep from an adult somatic cell, shocking the world. This was the first successful attempt of its kind. All over the world people were wondering: would we be cloning a human being next? We talked science, we talked ethics, and we talked about his creations potential impact on altering the course of human history. I also met and examined the cloned sheep, Dolly, in her stall.

Dolly, named after Tennessees own Dolly Parton, was a Finnish Dorset sheep cloned from a single, adult mammary gland cell. Her creation, birth, and short life were scientific feats that immediately sparked global concern and discourse on the increasingly complex moral and ethical dilemmas posed by a sudden discovery of life-manipulating science.

Wilmut and colleagues published their achievement in February 1997, having kept Dolly secret for seven months. We, as a society, were quickly forced to answer difficult, probing questions. A few months later on the Senate floor, I borrowed a question that the Washington Post editorial board had posed a few years before: Is there a line that should not be crossed even for scientific or other gain, and if so where is it?

Here are my remarks in the Senate chamber in 1998:

So it is vital that our public debate and reflection on scientific developments keep pace, and even anticipate and prepare for new scientific knowledge. The moral and ethical dilemmas inherent in the cloning of human beings may well be our greatest test to date. We do not simply seek knowledge, but the wisdom to apply that knowledge. As with each of the mind-boggling scientific advances of the last century, we know that there is the potential for both good and evil in this technology. Congressional Record February 2, 1998

Years removed, I now reflect back on the confusion, questions, and status quo that Dolly challenged.

Dolly was the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult somatic cell, which is any type of bodily cell that is not a reproductive germ cell. The process Wilmut developed is technically called somatic cell nuclear transfer, colloquially known as cloning. It is the process of transferring the nuclear DNA of a donor somatic cell into an enucleated oocyte, followed by embryo development and then transfer to a surrogate recipient, followed by live birth.

Dollys creation in a test tube and eventual birth marked a major milestone in scientific research, suggesting that an animal could be cloned to create an exact replica using genetic material derived from theoretically any type of body cell. It opened the world to staggering new possibilities in reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning.

Soon after Dollys birth, another parallel and similarly monumental finding was made: in 1998 embryonic stem cells were discovered. These cells are a highly unique type of unprogrammed somatic cell with the exceptional ability to both reproduce unlimited exact copies of themselves and develop into more specialized cell types, such as heart, lung, kidney or skin cells. And though seemingly miraculous in potential, these cells could not be created or programmed from any other type of cell and could only be collected from embryos an ethical dilemma because collection for research required destruction of the embryo itself.

Dolly changed this. Her successful creation paved the way for future scientists to develop a technique to independently produce equally powerful pluripotent stem cells by reprogramming other adult somatic cells, revolutionizing genetic therapy, and completely nullifying the ethical dilemma of collecting embryonic stem cells from embryos. Similarly, Dolly also highlighted the potential for scientists to create new tissues and organs for diseased patients, and to preserve the genetic material of endangered species.

But, along with these positive contributions came widespread concern about the ethics of cloning, especially around potential attempts to clone another human being. Many, including myself, feared this type of technology, if left unregulated, would be misused and abused. Indeed, cloning evoked great scientific power that demanded even greater ethical responsibility, and there were no established ethical guardrails at the time to monitor this duty.

In retrospect, these fears have diminished in part due to proactive measures and to the inherent complexities of the human genome (cloning an entire human being is, after all, a large jump from cloning a sheep). Importantly, legislative and scientific communities have been resolute and unified in their opposition to cloning human beings.

Though a human embryo was indeed successfully cloned in 2013, no known progress has been made when it comes to attempts to clone a human being. Yet the technique to create Dolly has been repurposed widely and has led to numerous scientific innovations.

In 2003, six years after her birth, Dolly became sick and was euthanized. Her decline in health was due to the development of tumors in her chest; some examinations of her cells suggested that she was also aging prematurely.

Despite her relatively short life (the average sheep lifespan is ~10-12 years), Dollys influence on the scientific community has been profound. Not only did she force scientists and researchers to redefine the ethics of their field, but she also laid the foundation for other significant scientific advancements in the fast-evolving new field we know today as regenerative medicine.

One powerful example is gene therapy and editing, where specific genes are targeted, edited, and repaired to protect against disease, cancer, autoimmune disorders, and even rewiring immune system cells for treatment-resistant cancer patients. This revolutionary innovation is made possible by CRISPR technology (the same technology that enabled rapid vaccine development for COVID-19), which is currently celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

Genetic cloning was also made possible thanks to Dolly. This is a type of cloning where scientists create copies of genes within DNA segments to combine with plasmid DNA, or self-replicating genetic material, and then place this new plasmid into a host organism, such as a bacterium, yeast, or mammal cell. This process is used to develop vaccines and antigen tests and is also used to identify useful genetic traits in plants, which can be replicated on a larger scale through the genetic modification of seeds.

Further, cloning techniques have also helped to advance agricultural practices. Farmers can use cloning technology to quickly introduce favored characteristics of prize livestock (such as the ability to produce large amounts of high-quality milk) into a herd by cloning and breeding. These livestock will then further reproduce using traditional breeding or assisted reproductive technology.

Despite advances in genetic cloning and agricultural practices, cloning especially the additional attempts at cloning whole organisms remains variable and highly inefficient.

Successful attempts have been made by companies like Sooam Biotech Research and ViaGen Pets to clone dogs and kittens for wealthy pet owners. But, even today, the success rate of animal cloning is estimated to be less than 30%. In fact, many animal rights activists oppose the practice citing animal welfare. In 2015, the European Union banned the practice of livestock cloning.

Overall interest in cloning slowed as advances in adult stem cell research gained traction in the 2000s. This resulted primarily from scientists newfound ability to take adult human cells, for example skin cells, and reprogram them back into an earlier, more primitive but more powerful embryonic-like, pluripotent cells.

This technique was pioneered by Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka in 2006, for which he was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Yamanakas discovery of reprogramming already specialized adult cells to create induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS) took the ethical issue of destroying embryos for research off the table. Some scientists continue to look to cloning as a way to develop genetically unique stem cells that can be used to reduce the risk of triggering an immune response.

Notes taken shortly after my visit with Dolly: "She has been seen by 2.5 billion people."

We have come a long way since my exploratory journey from the Senate floor in Washington, DC, to the stall and research laboratory that housed Dolly in Edinburgh in 1997.

For all the controversy that Dolly sparked during her short life, her contributions to society have been nothing short of remarkable. She forced thought leaders, researchers, and policymakers around the world to confront the ethics of cloning. And, she encouraged us, as a society, to weigh in and engage on the ethical considerations of increasingly frequent scientific discoveries.

On all of these fronts, we worked tirelessly to instill and adhere to a strong scientific code, focusing on the bettering of science, innovation, and technology for societal good. Cloning gave us that first glimpse into the future.

As I said on the floor of the Senate on February 3, 1998:

This cloning debate, I think, maybe for the first time in the history of this body [the US Senate], forces us to address what is inevitable as we look to the future, and that is a rapid-fire, one-after-another onslaught of new scientific technological innovation that has to be assimilated into our ethical-social fabric. Congressional Record February 3, 1998

What I said then still holds true today, Science and ethics must march hand in hand. Congressional Record February 11, 1998

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Twenty-Five Years After My House Call To Dolly: What Have We Learned About Cloning And How Did We Learn It? - Forbes

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Crypto Threat: Malware Infiltrates Github Cloning Thousands of Repos – BeInCrypto

Posted: at 7:56 pm

The developer platform Github has been inundated with malware which has infiltrated tens of thousands of repositories.

As many as 35,000 Github repositories have been cloned with malware according to a security researcher.

The widespread malware attack did not target crypto repositories (repos) specifically, but they have been among those impacted.

Software engineer Stephen Lacy alerted the crypto community to the incursion on Aug. 3.

Tech portal Bleeping Computer reported that the repos were not hacked but had been copied with their clones altered to include the malware. Cloning open source code is a common practice among developers, however, the attackers have injected malicious code and links into legitimate projects to target unsuspecting developers.

Several projects from crypto, Golang, Python, JavaScript, Bash, Docker, and Kubernetes have been affected by the attack, the researcher noted.

While reviewing a project he had found from a Google search, the engineer noticed a malicious URL in the code. Scanning Github repos for this URL returned more than 35,000 results.

Bleeping Computer said that more than 13,000 search results were from a single repository called redhat-operator-ecosystem. The malicious URL exfiltrated a users environment variables but additionally contained a one-line backdoor, the report added.

These environment variables can contain sensitive data such as API keys, tokens, Amazon AWS credentials, and crypto keys. The malware also allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the systems of all those who install and run the clones.

The majority of the cloned repos had appeared within the past month, the report stated.

Github confirmed that the original repositories were not compromised and it had cleaned up or quarantined the clones.

Last month, BeInCrypto reported that a new strain of malware written in Rust was doing the rounds. Luca Stealer targets Windows operating systems and steals sensitive information such as crypto wallet information. The malware was also distributed on Github.

DeFi researcher Miles Deutscher pointed out that it has not been a great week in crypto. Earlier this week the Nomad bridge was exploited for $190 million and a few hours after, around 8,000 Solana wallets were hacked resulting in the theft of an estimated $8 million.

Markets appear to be unaffected though as total capitalization has gained 1.7% on the day to reach $1.12 trillion at the time of writing.

DisclaimerAll the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.

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Anne Heche hospitalized with severe burns after crashing car into a house: Reports – Yahoo Entertainment

Posted: at 7:55 pm

Anne Heche was reportedly involved in a fiery car crash on Friday morning in Los Angeles and is in critical condition. The 53-year-old actress was taken away on a stretcher in photos captured by TMZ and hospitalized for severe burns. She's intubated but expected to live, according to the outlet.

Yahoo Entertainment reached out to a rep for Heche, but did not immediately receive a response.

The LAPD confirmed to Yahoo that officers responded at an incident in the Mar Vista neighborhood at 10:55 a.m. as a vehicle crashed into a residence. A spokesperson says the driver was transported to the hospital for treatment by firefighters, but did not disclose the person's identity.

The driver is in critical condition, according to the LAFD.

The DMV confirmed to KTLA the vehicle is registered to the Six Days Seven Nights actress. A witness told the local news station they believe the driver of the car was going around 60 mph and blew through a stop sign in the quiet neighborhood before the crash. The vehicle, a blue Mini Cooper, went through some bushes and into a house, which also caught on fire. The homeowner was inside at the time of the incident, but is OK.

TMZ, which broke the news on Friday afternoon, posted a photo of Heche behind the wheel. There is a bottle near her in a cup holder with a red cap.

Witnesses told the outlet that Heche first crashed into the garage of an apartment complex in Mar Vista. Residents tried getting the actress out of the car and that appears to be when the photo was taken. She apparently put the car in reverse and then sped off, crashing into a nearby home shortly after.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Related video: Person later found to be actress Anne Heche rescued from Mar Vista crash

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Anne Heche hospitalized with severe burns after crashing car into a house: Reports - Yahoo Entertainment

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Where some of Warren Buffett’s magic, and money, goes: Morning Brief – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 7:55 pm

Warren Buffett knows philanthropy.

Hes pledged to give away more than 99% of his wealth (during his lifetime or after his death) through the Giving Pledge, a program he created with his buddy Bill Gates to encourage the worlds billionaires to donate at least 50% of their wealth to charity.

Buffett also supports a couple of charities with which he has deeply personal connections, and often does so by unconventional means. In particular: auctions. (For Buffett, seeing how these pan out must be half the fun.)

Buffett's latest charitable endeavor is the sale of a cutting-edge piece of digital art, featuring his likeness and wisdom, to benefit the Omaha chapter of Girls Inc., a non-profit which supports girls.

Much more on that, but first lets look at these two charitable efforts writ large.

Youve likely heard about the "lunch with Buffett" auctions for a meal with the Oracle at New York steakhouse Smith & Wollensky. The proceeds from this go to GLIDE, a San Francisco church that is a center for fighting poverty. Buffetts late wife Susan connected him to GLIDE in 2000, Susan passed away in 2004, and Buffett did these "Power Lunch" auctions for 21 years.

Hedge fund manager Zhao Danyang (L) and his son Zhao Ziyang (age 5 1/2) stand with billionaire investor Warren Buffett after placing the winning bid in a charity auction for lunch with Buffett in New York, June 24, 2009. REUTERS/Chip East

The last of these was held two months ago, with the winning bid fetching a cool $19 million. In total, Buffett raised more than $53 million from these auctions, a remarkable haul for GLIDE and, more importantly, for its constituents.

Then theres Girls Inc., the other beneficiary of Buffetts auctioneering largess, including that digital art piece. Girls Inc. is also connected to Susan Buffett, as well as his daughter Susie. We used to gang up on him, Susie told me.

"I've been a supporter of Girls Inc. of Omaha for many years, Buffett wrote in an email. This wonderful organization is creating a brighter future for women and girls.

Buffetts late wife founded the Girls Inc. predecessor organization in Omaha in the 1970s, and Susie Buffett had been on the national board for many years; Susie's good friend Roberta Wilhelm is the president of the Omaha chapter.

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My dads always been super impressed with Roberta and thinks highly of the organization, says Susie Buffett. There's all kinds of fun connections with Girls Inc. and my dad. Starting with the upcoming auction.

Later this month, Girls Inc. of Omaha will be selling a Buffett-signed piece of digital artwork created by Motiva, an Israeli company headed Ronen Shiloh. The work is a little difficult to describe see video here but basically its a digital portrait of Buffett with lettering behind him which lights up, spelling out some of his famous quotes.

The digital art of Warren Buffett being auctioned off for charity. (Source: Motiva)

Susie Buffett tells me a businessman named Danny Moskovitz showed her the piece at Allen & Co.s Sun Valley conference last year and asked about auctioning it off. My dad was fine with it, Susie said. He just said he would like it to go to Girls Inc. We'll check back on August 31st, one day after Buffett's 92nd birthday, to see how much it fetches.

Though of course, this is just one entry in Buffett's long-time auction history. You may recall that in 2008, Buffett made a million dollar bet with a hedge fund, wagering that an index fund would outperform the hedgie's picks over ten years. Buffett won in the end, and in 2018, $2.2 million in proceeds went to Girls Inc.

But wait theres more!

In 2015, Buffett auctioned off his 2006 Cadillac DTS and raised $122,500 for Girls Inc. of Omaha, or roughly $111,300 more than the car's estimated value and $49,300 more than he raised when he auctioned off his Lincoln Town Car back in 2006. (Buffett once drove me around Omaha in that Caddy. Lets just say Im glad he parted with it.)

Then there was the time back in 2009 that Buffett bought 17 Hilo ukuleles for Girls Inc. Buffett threw in $344.23 and a lesson.

Reuters did a great write up, but heres my favorite part: "Buffett spent about an hour with 13 girls at the groups building, trying to teach them the songs 'Red River Valley' and 'Happy Birthday.' It had to be pointed out to some of the girls who Buffett was.

"After the fact, one girl came to the office and asked, 'Our ukulele teacher is the second-richest man in the world?' [Roberta] Wilhelm recalled. 'And I said thats true. And she said, 'The first-richest doesnt play?''

"In fact, the first richest, Bill Gates, does play. Buffett taught him.

In 1999, Buffett auctioned off his wallet, replete with a stock tip tucked inside to John Morgan, who was on the board of Girls Inc., for $210,000 which went to Girls Inc.

Morgan had the idea to raise even more money by selling the name of the stock for $1,000, which he did to some 30 people.

Morgan, whos gone on to be a poker player of some renown, also bought a portrait of Buffett for $100,000, with the proceeds again going to Girls Inc. Morgan later donated the portrait to the University of Nebraska, Omaha.

In 2011, Morgan, bought a childhood home of Buffetts, and surprise! donated it to Girls Inc.

It was a house Warren lived in when he was pretty young, says Wilhelm. There's a mark on one of the doors where he attempted to hit a sister with a hammer and it left a dent that's still there today.

Buffett has also supported Girls Inc. by appearing at its annual charity luncheon, along with the likes of Barack Obama, Desmond Tutu, and Billie Jean King. Then, there was the time Buffett himself spoke.

My Dad doesnt do speeches, but this time he did, says Susie Buffett. Maya Angelou was supposed to come and she ended up canceling at the very last minute. The girls were devastated.

Susie marched over to her Dads office and "asked" him in no uncertain terms to come over right away and speak. "And he did. He spoke all about girls and their potential and how the sky's the limit. The message for the girls was amazing."

Speaking of messages, theres a Buffett quote on the Motiva piece that caught Roberta Wilhelms eye.

"'Women make me optimistic about America,' that's our favorite," Wilhelm says. "But it also speaks about who [Buffett] is and how he feels about women and the potential of young girls. It's magic."

Magic and a little bit of money have been just the ticket for GLIDE and Girls Inc.

This article was featured in a Saturday edition of the Morning Brief on Saturday, August 6. Get the Morning Brief sent directly to your inbox every Monday to Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. Subscribe

Follow Andy Serwer, editor-in-chief of Yahoo Finance, on Twitter: @serwer

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Where some of Warren Buffett's magic, and money, goes: Morning Brief - Yahoo Finance

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Why the jobs report could tank the stock market, according to a big Wall Street bear – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 7:55 pm

The July jobs report was so out-of-the-blue hot on Friday coming in at more than double expectations that it may spur the Federal Reserve to be way more aggressive on interest rate hikes than market goers thought just one day earlier.

If so, would that set the table for a potential swift downdraft in stocks?

"I think it does at the S&P level for the index," Wall Street's biggest bear strategist Mike Wilson of Morgan Stanley told Yahoo Finance (video above) when asked if on if the jobs report is a sell-the-news type of event.

Wilson added that the overall conditions ranging from slowing corporate earnings growth to rising rates to bruising inflation are in place for the S&P 500 to take out the June lows sometime by the fall.

Such a move predicted would see the S&P 500 lose at least 8% from current levels.

Wilson continues to guide clients into more defensive areas of the market and isn't opposed to holding more cash than normal. If the sell-off happens, according to Wilson, we could witness the start of a new bull market in 2023.

In any case, investors will have to endure trying to figure out otherwise confusing economic data and what it means to Fed policy.

The U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in the month of July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, amid expectations of 250,000 jobs added. This staggering increase in jobs completes a milestone for the U.S. economy in that pre-pandemic employment is now fully restored.

Employment gains were broad-based and paced by a 96,000 increase in leisure and hospitality jobs underscoring the strong demand for travel as revealed by Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano on Yahoo Finance Live this week. Furthermore, average hourly earnings rose a solid 5.2%.

"I personally don't think it is," U.S. Labor Secretary Mary Walsh told Yahoo Finance Live on whether the economy is currently in a recession.

A polar bear near Hudson Bay, Churchill area, Manitoba, Northern Canada (Photo by: Dennis Fast / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Morgan Stanley's Wilson offered up one final warning to the bulls that emerged in July: Bear markets don't end kindly.

Story continues

"The last part of these bear markets are usually kind of the most vicious because you finally get that capitulation, which we really haven't seen yet," Wilson added.

Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.

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Why the jobs report could tank the stock market, according to a big Wall Street bear - Yahoo Finance

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2 reasons the ‘risk of recession is getting higher and higher: Mohamed El-Erian – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 7:55 pm

The risk of a recession is getting higher and higher, says veteran economist Mohamed El-Erian.

My definition of a recession is a holistic definition. It goes well beyond two quarters of negative GDP, said the chief economic advisor of Allianz and former CEO of PIMCO.

The labor market is too strong. Consumer spending is too strong. Business balance sheets are too strong. We simply are not in a recession. Is the risk of recession high? Yes, it is high and getting higher, El-Erian said on Yahoo Finance's "Influencers with Andy Serwer."

He highlighted the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy into a slowing economy. The International Monetary Funds recent forecast shows all major areas of the global economy are slowing, calling conditions gloomy and uncertain.

El-Erian said in order to stop the U.S. from slipping into a recession there are four measures in particular tht need to be taken.

First and foremost, we've got to get control of the inflation beast, said El-Erian.

That is a Fed that needs to act in not only tightening its monetary policy, but also regaining credibility. Its forward guidance right now is almost meaningless, he said.

In July, the Federal Reserve announced a 75 basis point rate hike. Fed chair Jerome Powell said the central bank would be data dependent with its next steps essentially ditching forward guidance. Markets rallied on Powell's unscripted comments.

El-Erian also said the government needs to target fiscal policy more to protect the most vulnerable segments of our society. That has massive economic, social, and political consequences.

He also suggested pro-growth, pro-productivity reforms that need to be done, including to increase labor force participation, in order to improve supply chains.

Finally, let's not forget financial stability. Let's not forget how risk has not only morphed and migrated from banks to non-banks, but non-banks have been encouraged, by years of zero interest rates and massive and predictable liquidity injections, to go well beyond the native habitat in taking risk, said El-Erian.

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So the non-banking sector is still offside. And we have to keep an eye on the financial stability risk because that could come back and harm the economy, he added.

Ines is a markets reporter covering equities. Follow her on Twitter at @ines_ferre

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Inflation Reduction Act: What’s in the (now Sinema approved) bill aimed at lowering costs for Americans – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 7:55 pm

Its a deal set that is set to use hundreds of billion dollars over the coming decade to reshape the fight against climate change, how Obamacare works, the price of prescription drugs, and the U.S. tax code's treatment of big corporations.

Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) surprised the world on July 27 when they released their sweeping bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Then on August 4, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) propelled the deal closer to the finish line when she announced she would support the bill after of course making a few tweaks.

The so-called IRA which still has plenty of hurdles to overcome before it becomes law is a far cry from some early Democratic ambitions but nonetheless marks a potentially giant win for Biden and Democrats just a few months before November's midterm elections.

The rapid turnaround on the bill has left Democrats celebrating and Republicans shell-shocked. On August 4, Biden said in a statement that Sinema's support was "another critical step toward reducing inflation and the cost of living for Americas families."

Republicans are expected to line up en masse against the proposal but it can pass with only the votes of all 50 Democratic senators because of the rule of reconciliation.

The bill has gained the support of figures like former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who notably predicted the Biden administration's post-pandemic stimulus efforts would stoke inflation. He reportedly helped shape this deal and said in a recent Yahoo Finance interview, "I think that the total effects of this bill could very likely be positive."

Here's what the IRA will do:

The centerpiece of the bill is a giant allocation toward climate change and energy efforts. Schumer has noted repeatedly that this bill will be the largest action on climate change ever passed by the Congress.

If enacted, it will spread money all around the green economy, from $9 billion toward a program to retrofit homes to $20 billion to manufacture more electric vehicles. Automakers like GM (GM), Tesla (TSLA), and Toyota (TM) are expected to benefit from the money as well as the expansion of a $7,500 EV tax credit included in the deal.

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Approximately $385 billion in total will fund clean manufacturing, agriculture efforts, and other sectors.

Advocates for the package say it will reduce U.S. carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030. The news has climate activists, who had largely given up on the chances of action from Washington D.C. this year, ecstatic. As one example, Evergreen Action Executive Director Jamal Raad said in a statement that the bill could mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, reduce energy costs for working families, and save countless lives.

The bill also has provisions that would impact the energy industry more widely, including new rules around federal land sales that may lead to oil drilling and a fund to permanently extend the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. That will help many former coal miners in Manchins home state of West Virginia. In total, the bill has many provisions that even the oil industry has gotten behind.

Late in the process, according to multiple news reports, Sinema secured an additional $5 billion in the bill to combat droughts around the country. The provision will be welcomed in her home state of Arizona and others in the Southwest that are suffering a drought that, by one measure, is the worst in 12 centuries.

Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV). and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) on Capitol Hill in Nov. 2021. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The bill also makes significant changes to the health care system. One key provision will allow Medicare to negotiate for prescription drug prices. Current law prohibits Medicare from intervening in the talks between drug makers and health plan sponsors. The new rules would allow the government to weigh in to push down prices and save consumers and the government billions.

The bill also would add an inflation cap on drug prices to stabilize monthly costs and cap out-of-pocket drug expenses through new rules on rebates. All told, budget experts expect the combined changes will bring $320 billion into the U.S. Treasury in the coming decade.

The IRA also extends subsidies for health insurance costs that began in the 2010 Affordable Care Act for an additional three years. That provision comes with a price tag of about $64 billion. The subsidies had previously been extended in the American Rescue Plan and are currently set to expire this fall. If the bill doesn't pass, millions of Americans could see price increases in the fall.

A cherry on top for advocates of the package is that the bill will reduce the deficit by over $300 billion over the coming decade through a series of pay fors (more on that below).

Manchin made deficit reduction a must-have portion of the bill to earn his support and noted it is past time for America to begin paying down our $30 trillion national debt in announcing his support for the deal.

Questions have been raised about the actual inflation-fighting powers of the bill, most notably in the Penn Wharton Budget Model. Their first estimate of the bill and found little inflation impact. It would very slightly increase inflation until 2024 and decrease inflation thereafter," it stated.

During his conversation with Yahoo Finance, Summers cited deficit reduction as the key reason he expects the bill will reduce inflation and push back hard on the Wharton analysis, saying it "takes no account of lower prescription drug prices [and] takes no account of increased energy supply" but, even then, he noted "the Wharton analysis acknowledges that this legislation is doing great things for the environment, great things for health access, great things for fairness, without contributing to inflation."

Other estimates have found slightly higher inflation impacts, leading to partisan sniping on the issue and whether the bill is misnamed.

To pay for it all, in addition to health care savings, the bill makes three changes to the tax code.

There is a new minimum corporate tax that would apply to corporations that have made over $1 billion in book profits in recent years. That idea was initially projected to raise $313 billion, but a change from Sinema around rules about depreciation that manufacturers had loudly complained about is expected to lower the returns by about $40 billion.

The deal also will put aside billions to help the IRS chase down tax dodgers. Experts predict a hefty return on investment: The $80 billion added to the IRS budget is expected to bring in $203 billion in taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service headquarters in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Finally, the deal would reportedly add a new 1% excise tax on stock buybacks. That provision, another late addition to gain Sinema's support, will reportedly bring in $73 billion to the U.S. Treasury. Removed from the deal was a plan to lessen the so-called carried interest loophole, which wealthy money managers can use to pay lower taxes on their capital gains.

Some figures, including the investor Kevin O'Leary, contend that things like the new minimum corporate tax could make the U.S. less competitive. Thats not a good move because you want to keep our economy competitive," he told Yahoo Finance,

But from the perspective of Democrats in Washington, the overall tax effort will "begin to restore fairness to the tax code," as Biden put it recently.

He and others note that the minimum tax would target the biggest companies in America, including the 55 members of the Fortune 500 that paid no federal income tax in 2020.

Ben Werschkul is a writer and producer for Yahoo Finance in Washington, DC.

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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Why you should suddenly care about the Nationals – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 7:55 pm

The MLB trade deadline rocked the fantasy world, altering the rest-of-season value of so many players. Todays edition of waiver wire tips is full of those who saw their value increase at the deadline. And I managed to sneak in a few other players who are included due to favorable upcoming schedules. One note before we start: while MLB fans mostly focus on the acquisitions by contending teams who loaded up at the deadline, wise fantasy managers know that the best values in early August are typically players on losing teams who now have an enhanced role due to the departure of certain teammates.

Voit has undeniable power, having led the Majors in long balls during the shortened 2020 season. He had some success with the Padres (13 HR) but could fare better now that he is the regular cleanup hitter on a losing team that will likely face many mediocre relievers late in games down the stretch. At the very least, those who need power numbers should give Voit a bench spot.

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Segura returned from the 60-day IL just in time to for a weekend series against a Nats pitching staff that ranks last in the Majors with a 5.17 ERA. The 32-year-old has a balanced skill set (6 HR, 8 SB, .272 AVG in 169 AB) that is needed to contribute in multiple ways down the stretch, and pretty much anyone from Philadelphias lineup is set up for short-term success.

Wong is swinging a hot bat in the second half (.429 AVG) and has fleet feet (11 SB in 2022). He should score plenty of runs this weekend when the Brewers take on a Reds team that ranks 29th in ERA and traded their two best pitchers at the deadline.

Kolten Wong is being overlooked in fantasy leagues for anyone who needs.a speed boost. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Pham has the power-speed blend that fantasy managers covet, although he didnt show his best form in his final weeks with the Reds. Still, there is plenty of potential when combining the 34-year-olds skill set with a premium lineup spot on a Red Sox squad that features some of baseballs premier hitters. At the very least, Pham is worth a short-term addition until we see how his new role shakes out.

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One of four Nats in this article, Robles is getting another opportunity to work as the teams leadoff hitter. There are legitimate questions as to whether he has the plate skills to hold a prominent role, but the Nats have nothing to lose by giving him an extended look down the stretch. And his speed is undeniable, as Robles is one of 13 players to swipe at least six bags since July 1.

I promise you that my account has not been overtaken by a Nats fan! Hernandez is yet another interesting option in a revamped Washington lineup, as he should now have a full-time role in the absence of Juan Soto. Since the outset of 2021, the 34-year-old has hit .274 with 17 homers and five steals in 537 at-bats, which shows that he can be a replacement-level asset in 12-team leagues.

Garrett has been one of baseballs best strikeout pitchers of late, accumulating 37 whiffs across his past four starts. And punchouts havent been the left-handers only contributions, as he has posted a 3.03 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP across six outings since the outset of July. Overall, Garrett looks like a long-term contributor in all formats.

Since being recalled on June 25, Watkins has logged a 1.85 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP across six starts. And his resume doesnt stop there, as he has pitched at least six innings in three of those contests, while enjoying his success without unsustainable batted ball luck (.282 BABIP). Im not ready to fully endorse Watkins just yet, but Id happily start him in any league for his Sunday home start against the Pirates.

Ill combine two Seattle streaming options for this weekend, as both players are in the 25-30% range for roster rate and will make starts against an Angels squad that ranks 29th in baseball in OPS since July 1. Flexen (3.73 ERA) can be streamed on Saturday, with Gonzales (3.95 ERA) ready to help on Sunday.

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These three Cubs pitchers are the NL version of Flexen and Gonzales weekend streamers who are set to face the lineup (Marlins) that has been the worst in baseball since July 1. All three are less than 15 percent rostered, making them strong deep-league options. Ill rank them in this order: Sampson (Sunday), Steele (Friday), Smyly (Saturday).

The Os are in a great spot to produce a new fantasy closer down the stretch, as they are good enough to have a winning record thus far but dealt their ninth-inning man (Jorge Lopez) at the deadline. Bautista has been their best reliever this year (1.81 ERA, 0.87 WHIP) and has a bright future in the organization. He could lead a closer committee and eventually have the ninth inning all to himself.

Finnegan was in this column a week ago, and he is now much more valuable after staying with Washington through the trade deadline. In comparing him to Bautista, Finnegan has been less effective this year (3.38 ERA, 4.21 FIP, 1.10 WHIP) but has the advantage of already being confirmed as the closer by his manager. For this reason, he is the safe route for managers who need saves right now.

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