California moves to consider adoption and regulation of digital currencies

 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order for state agencies to move in tandem with the federal government to craft regulations for digital currencies

California, which would have the world’s fifth-largest economy if it was a country, on Wednesday became the first US state to formally begin examining how to broadly adapt to cryptocurrency and related innovations, following a path laid out by President Joe Biden in March. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order for state agencies to move in tandem with the federal government to craft regulations for digital currencies. It also calls for officials to explore incorporating broader blockchain computer coding into the government operations of the state where much of the world’s technological innovation is born.

Evolving blockchain and cryptocurrency technology is potentially an explosive creator of new companies and new jobs and new opportunities, said Dee Dee Myers, a senior advisor to Newsom and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. So there are a lot of opportunities, she said. There’s also a lot of unknowns in the industry and so that’s another reason we want to engage early. Newsom’s order says the state home to Silicon Valley and financial innovators like PayPal and Square should be out front in figuring out how to adapt to new technologies.

California accuses Cisco of caste discrimination against Indian employee

Like other large Silicon Valley employers, Cisco’s workforce includes thousands of Indian immigrants, most of whom were born Brahmins or other high castes

California regulators sued Cisco Systems Inc on Tuesday, accusing it of discriminating against an Indian-American employee and allowing him to be harassed by two managers because he was from a lower Indian caste than them. U.S. employment law does not specifically bar caste-based discrimination, but California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing contends in the lawsuit that the Hindu faith’s lingering caste system is based on protected classes such as religion.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Jose, does not name the alleged victim. It states he has been a principal engineer at Cisco’s San Jose headquarters since October 2015 and that he was born at the bottom of caste hierarchy as a Dalit, once called “untouchables.” Like other large Silicon Valley employers, Cisco’s workforce includes thousands of Indian immigrants, most of whom were born Brahmins or other high castes.

Former Cisco engineering managers Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella also are defendants in the lawsuit, which accuses them of harassment for internally enforcing the caste hierarchy. Cisco spokeswoman Robyn Blum said the network gear maker followed its process to investigate employee concerns in this case and would “vigorously defend itself” against the lawsuit…Read More

Coronavirus update: Key developments in the last 24 hours and takeaways

Yesterday, in a video conference with chief ministers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated the nationwide lockdown could be extended beyond May 17, but with eased restrictions for businesses

The total number of Covid-19 cases in India has reached 70,765, with more than 3,600 cases being reported in 24 hours. Here are some key takeaways: Delhi has added 319 new cases in a day. It has consistently added more than 200 cases for 11 days. Total cases added on these days comes to 3718, which is 51.5% of all case tally of 7233.

Also Read: Centre releases Rs 6,195 crore to 14 states to fight coronavirus crisis

Gujarat has added 347 new cases in 24 hours. It has consistently added more than 300 cases on each of the past 13 days. Total cases added during this period, 4767, is 56% of its case tally of 8541. Maharashtra has added 1230 new cases in 24 hours. The state has consistently added more than 1,000 cases on seven of the past eight days. Its addition of cases in the past eight days is 10427, which is 44.5% of its case tally of 23401…

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Sacred Games 2 to Leila: Here’s what Indians are watching on Netflix

Five of the ten most popular shows such as Bard of Blood, Delhi Crime, and Typewriter are Indian

The second season of Sacred Games was the most popular series on Netflix in India in 2019. The $15.8-billion Netflix, which is available in 160 million homes across 190 countries, rarely shares viewership data. This week, the firm released a list of the most popular series and movies released on its platform in India.

Five of the ten most popular shows such as Bard of Blood, Delhi Crime, and Typewriter are Indian. The rest are an eclectic mix of international shows. There is science-fiction horror show Stranger Things (Season 3) and the witty Sex Education, among others. On the other hand, four of the top ten films are Netflix movies — Drive, House Arrest, 6 Underground, and Chopsticks. Not surprisingly,

as percentage of the overall time spent on Netflix globally, film viewing in India is the highest. About one-fourth of the television time is spent on watching movies. The ranking is based on the “number of accounts choosing to watch at least two minutes of a series, movie or special during its first 28 days on Netflix in 2019,” says a Netflix release. The same methodology is used to calculate its daily Top 10 lists in the UK and Mexico.

Infosys fined $800,000 for worker misclassification, tax fraud in US

California initiated legal actions against Infosys after a compliant was filed by whistleblower Jack ‘Jay’ Palmer, a former Infosys employee

Infosys, India’s top IT major, has agreed to pay $800,000 to settle allegations of misclassification of foreign workers and tax fraud, officials announced Tuesday. Infosys will pay California $800,000 (nearly Rs 56 crore) to resolve allegations that between 2006 and 2017, approximately 500 Infosys employees were working in the State on Infosys-sponsored B-1 visas rather than H-1B visas, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said.

This misclassification resulted in Infosys avoiding California payroll taxes such as the unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and employment training taxes. H-1B visas also require employers to pay workers at the local prevailing wage, an official statement said. “Today’s settlement shows that attempting to evade California law doesn’t pay. Infosys brought in workers on the wrong visas in order to underpay them and avoid paying taxes. With this settlement, California has been made whole,” Becca said.

In the settlement, Infosys, however, denied the allegations and asserted of no wrongdoings. In 2017, Infosys had agreed to pay the State of New York $1 million to settle allegations of submitting wrong documents to federal authorities. The Californian settlement that was carried out in November was released to the media on Tuesday…

G20 to tackle ocean plastic waste as petrochemical producers expand in Asia

Such moves are setting up a showdown with the oil industry, which is pouring billions into new facilities to produce more plastic

Japan wants to make reducing the glut of plastic waste in the oceans a priority at the Group of 20 summit it is hosting this month as governments around the world crack down on such pollution. Images of plastic debris-strewn beaches and dead animals with stomachs full of plastic have sparked outrage, with many countries, including more than two dozen in Africa, banning plastic bags outright.

The EU has voted to outlaw 10 single-use plastic items, including straws, forks and knives, by 2021. It has also set targets for all plastic packaging, the top source of plastic waste, to be recyclable by 2030. Such moves are setting up a showdown with the oil industry, which is pouring billions into new facilities to produce more plastic and other petrochemical products, particularly in Asia.

Refiners such as India’s Reliance Industries and China’s Sinopec are seeking new revenue sources as electric cars become more popular and gasoline and diesel demand slows. “If the world goes the direction of European targets, some markets can go from high growth to low growth or no growth. Profits could suffer,” said Jeff Brown, president of energy consultancy FGE in Singapore.

Tackling plastic pollution has been less of a priority in Asia, which is the world’s biggest producer of the material — and its waste. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, which is hosting the G20 summit, says he wants his country to lead the world in reducing marine plastic trash, including developing biodegradables and other innovations.

The June 28-29 meeting in Osaka, assembling 20 major economies, including China, Brazil, France and the United States, won’t yield an agreement on targets or concrete steps, two officials involved in preparations told Reuters, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to speak to the media. A more likely outcome is for G20 environment ministers, gathering this weekend in the mountain town of Karuizawa, to propose ways to enact a vaguely worded “action plan” on marine plastic waste introduced at the 2017 summit in Germany.

California wildfire kills 74, at least 1,000 missing and 9,700 homes gutted

More than 98,000 acres have been burned since the blaze began the same day as Camp Fire on November 8

International News: The destructive California wildfires have so far killed at least 74 people with over 1,000 reported missing, authorities said.

Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory Honea said on Friday evening that the number of people missing due to Northern California’s Camp Fire, deemed as the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history, was 1,011, CNN reported.

Of the 74 victims, 71 were killed in Northern California while the three others died in the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. As of Friday, the Camp Fire has destroyed about 9,700 homes and scorched 146,000 acres. President Donald Trump is expected to visit the region on Saturday. Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom plan to accompany him.|California Wildfire

Meanwhile, the Woolsey Fire in Southern California has destroyed 548 structures in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, said Cal Fire, the state’s forestry and fire protection agency. More than 98,000 acres have been burned since the blaze began the same day as Camp Fire on November 8, while over 3,300 firefighters were making progress against the massive wildfire, which was 67 per cent contained as of Friday.

More than 230,000 acres burned in California in the past week — larger than the cities of Chicago and Boston combined. In 30 days, firefighters have battled more than 500 blazes, Cal Fire said.

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With diamond-finish wheels, this Ferrari car packs a 720-horsepower punch

Here's the bad news: The roof adds 200 pounds to the superlight Pista, which you'll notice around corners

Today on the Pebble Beach Golf Course in California, Ferrari unveiled the 50th convertible model it has ever made, the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider.

This 488 Pista Spider is the continuation of Ferrari’s top-selling 488 line. It has the most powerful Ferrari V8 engine ever—720 horsepower on twin-turbos—and a unique barking rev sound thanks to the fact that it now packs a retractable rooftop. The Pista Spider can go to 62mph in 2.8 seconds; top speed is 211mph. (Pista is Italian for “track,” after all, which signifies just where this car is best suited to live.)

But there’s not much to see here that is new from the 488 Pista, except for that folding roof.

Besides the bold blue racing stripe down the front of the car, the most notable changes to this 488 Pista Spider are its new diamond-finish 20-inch alloy wheels with a novel 10-spoke star-effect and the optional one-piece carbon-fiber wheels that offer a 20-percent weight reduction over the forged alloys that come standard with the car. Launch control is still there, actuated by a button on the LaFerrari-like carbon-fiber outcropping, as are the dynamic traction control settings and a chassis firm enough to make you feel like a true speedracer—even on your way to Malibu Kitchen.

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