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A cartoon of his face, showing him looking off into the distance like a superhero, hangs on a gallery wall in Scholastic headquarters, near portraits of Harry Potter and Clifford. Ms. Lucchese said that when the office was redesigned a few years ago, Mr. Robinson hadnt wanted any pictures of himself displayed but Ms. Lucchese said she sneaked that one in.

Mr. Robinson made it no secret that he wished Scholastic to remain an independent company, even as consolidation within the publishing business sped up around him. Penguin Random House, itself the product of a 2013 merger, is in the process of trying to buy Simon & Schuster. If approved by federal regulators, that deal would create a colossus far larger than any other publisher in the country.

But the remaining large houses will want to bulk up to compete, especially by acquiring rich backlists, catalogs of older titles that are reliable, long-term money makers which is sure to make Scholastic an attractive target.

The companys new leadership team appears to share what was perhaps Mr. Robinsons most precious goal: Ms. Lucchese and Mr. Warwick expressed no interest in selling.

Weve got the resources ourselves to go forward at the pace that we want to go, Mr. Warwick said.

Given Mr. Robinsons devotion to Scholastic, it was fitting that his memorial service was held there last month. A virtual event with just a few people in attendance, it included a video eulogy delivered by his son Reece. We will cherish the memories of the holidays and weekends we spent with him during Covid when he wasnt working 12-hour days, Reece Robinson said of his familys relationship with his father.

The service had all the star power of a Hollywood collaboration, with video messages from Goldie Hawn, Bill Clinton and J.K. Rowling punctuating remarks from former employees and board members. The final speaker, Alec Baldwin, described the friendship he had developed with Mr. Robinson as neighbors in a downtown apartment building and expressed his condolences to Mr. Robinsons family, the Scholastic community and Ms. Lucchese. He was the only speaker who mentioned her name.

Mr. Wallack, the portfolio manager for the companys second-largest shareholder, had twice contacted investor relations at Scholastic to request information about Mr. Robinsons funeral, he said. But no one alerted him to the memorial service, he said. I was hopeful to have been invited to that, he said, or at least sent a link. (In response, a company spokeswoman said the event was publicized on social media and the companys website.)

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Succession at Scholastic Seemed to Be a Shock, Even to the New Chairwoman - The New York Times

In this image taken from video by Taiwans EBC, firefighters battle a blaze at a building in Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. A fire engulfed a 13-story building overnight in southern Taiwan, the islands semi-official Central News Agency reported Thursday. (EBC via AP )

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) A building fire that raged out of control for hours overnight in a major city in southern Taiwan left 46 people dead and at least 41 others injured, authorities said Thursday.

Flames and smoke billowed from the lower floors of the 13-story building as firefighters tried to douse the blaze from the street and aerial platforms in the city of Kaohsiung. A fire department statement described the fire, which started about 3 a.m., as extremely fierce and said several floors had been destroyed.

The death toll rose steadily during the day as rescue workers searched the combined commercial and residential building. By late afternoon, authorities said 32 bodies had been sent to the morgue, while a further 14 people who showed no signs of life were among 55 taken to the hospital. In Taiwan, official confirmation of a death is made at the hospital.

After daybreak, firefighters could be seen spraying water into the middle floors of the still smoldering building from high aerial platforms. One woman, who was not identified, said on Taiwanese TV that her 60-to-70 year old parents were still inside.

The buildings age and piles of debris blocking access to many areas complicated search and rescue efforts, officials said, according to Taiwans Central News Agency.

Many of the residents of the 40-year-old building were elderly and lived alone in apartments as small as 13 square meters (140 square feet), local media said. The building had 120 residential units on the upper floors, as well as a closed movie theater, abandoned restaurants and karaoke clubs below them, the Central News Agency said.

Fire extinguishers had been installed last month, but only three per floor because the residents could not afford to pay more, the United Daily News, a major newspaper, reported.

The fire appeared to have started on the ground floor, Taiwanese media said.

The United Daily News said that investigators were focusing on a first-floor tea shop whose owner reportedly fought with his girlfriend earlier on Wednesday. They had not ruled out arson, the newspaper said.

A 1995 fire at a nightclub in Taichung, Taiwans third-largest city, killed 64 people in the countrys deadliest such disaster in recent times.

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46 dead in raging overnight building fire in Taiwan - WGN TV Chicago

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30. Powell's term expires early next year, and President Biden must decide whether to reappoint him. // UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Sarah Silbiger

The chair of the Federal Reserve has one of the most powerful economic jobs in the world, with the ability to move markets with a single phrase.

Under Jerome Powell's leadership, the Federal Reserve has been instrumental in steering the economy from the depths of the pandemic in a quest to claw back the 22 million jobs that were lost.

Now, President Biden has to decide whether Powell should keep his own job. It's a decision that has gotten more complicated as some progressives such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wage a fight against his reappointment as a stock trading controversy dogs the Fed.

Here are some key questions as Biden decides what to do.

Powell's four-year term as Fed chairman is set to expire in February. Traditionally, U.S. presidents have not changed Fed leaders, even when the party in control of the White House changes.

That's meant to insulate the central bank from partisan politics. But former President Trump ignored that tradition when he dumped then-chair Janet Yellen and nominated Powell in 2017 (Yellen is now the country's Treasury secretary).

Before the pandemic, Powell was steering an economy near full employment. The Fed raised interest rates, a decision that made Powell a frequent punching bag for Trump, who worried it would slow down the economy and hurt the then-president's reelection prospects.

But once the pandemic struck, the Fed quickly slashed rates to near zero to support the economy. Powell launched a series of emergency lending programs and pumped trillions of dollars into the economy in an effort to avert a long recession and speed the recovery. He has been especially focused in recovering the lost jobs.

Some of those efforts fell short, but Powell has generally received high marks for his economic stewardship.

Lately, however, Powell has come under scrutiny as inflation continues to stay high. Powell has argued that the surge in price pressures will prove "transitory" as pandemic-related disruptions to the supply chain ease.

But some economists worry that inflation could prove harder to reverse.

Some of the arguments against Powell have less to do with interest rates and monetary policy than another vital function of the Fed: supervising banks.

Sen. Warren, who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, is one of Powell's most outspoken critics. She accuses him of watering down the banking regulations that Congress adopted after the financial crisis.

"Over and over, you have acted to make our banking system less safe," Warren told Powell during a committee hearing last month. "And that makes you a dangerous man, to head up the Fed."

Former Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who authored the banking regulation law, have defended Powell and said he deserves a second term.

Still, Warren and other progressive Democrats want Biden to replace Powell with someone else. A top alternative candidate is Lael Brainard, a member of the Fed's board of governors who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Most recently, critics have also faulted Powell over allegations of unethical trading activity by other top Fed officials.

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported last month that two regional Fed bank presidents were actively trading stocks and other securities in 2020 while the Fed was heavily involved in financial markets.

In addition, a Fed vice chairman sold bonds and bought stocks worth at least $1 million just days before the Fed announced an emergency rate cut.

All three men have defended their trades as permissible under existing ethics rules. But Powell has acknowledged those rules need tightening, and he has ordered a review of the trades by the central bank's inspector general.

It's a critical time for the economy, and whether it's under Powell or somebody else, the Fed will be navigating a policy minefield.

Job growth has slowed sharply in the past two months as the delta variant of the coronavirus hit the economy after strong job gains over the summer.

Meanwhile, inflation is still running well above the Fed's long-term target of 2%.

Fed policymakers are preparing to gradually scale back the amount of money the central bank is pumping into the economy, but they don't want to move too quickly and see the recovery stall out.

As chairman, Powell has steered the central bank toward a policy that is more committed to full employment, even if that means tolerating somewhat higher inflation in the short run.

However, he has stressed that the Fed will use its tools (namely, higher interest rates) to crack down if prices appear to be spiraling out of control.

It's doubtful that an alternative nominee would be any more aggressive when it comes to promoting jobs or keeping interest rates low. Any policy differences are more likely to revolve around things like bank regulation and the Fed's role in battling climate change.

Powell would almost certainly win bipartisan backing in the Senate for a second term, while a more progressive-friendly nominee might face a tougher battle.

Biden has to weigh how much blowback he's willing to tolerate from the left wing of his party and how much political capital he wants to spend pushing a Fed nominee through the Senate.

Additionally, Biden is likely to take heat from Republicans over inflation next year if rapid price hikes continue through the midterm election.

Having a Republican like Powell in charge of the Fed which is the government's primary inflation watchdog could give the White House a measure of political cover at a time when Republicans are using surging prices as an attack line heading to the 2022 midterms.

Oddsmakers say Powell is still the prohibitive favorite to be nominated for a second term, but his chances are not quite so high as they were in early September.

The White House has not said when it will make a decision, but previous presidents have typically made the call no later than November, to allow time for Senate confirmation.

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What's at stake as Biden decides whether to stick with Jerome Powell as Fed chief | NPR - Houston Public Media

The editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, Lisa Davies, has resigned after five years in the role and will step down immediately.

Davies did not reveal her plans, telling staff only that the time feels right for me to look towards whats next and handing her editing tasks to her deputy Cosima Marriner from Tuesday.

The resignation leaves both the Herald and the Sun Herald without an editor, following Marriners move from editing the sister paper to deputy editor of the Sydney Morning Herald a fortnight ago. Both positions will be advertised.

It has been an immense privilege to lead this newsroom, which is full of talented and passionate individuals wholly committed to delivering news our readers can trust day in, day out, Davies said.

The last two years in particular have tested us all in ways we couldnt have imagined so as things return to a more even keel, the time feels right for me to look towards whats next. Im going spend the next month finishing up a few projects.

The sudden resignation of Davies from the helm of the Herald has surprised and saddened staff who say she is a straight shooter and a good manager of people.

Davies, and her equivalent at the Age, Gay Alcorn, have two layers of management above them and little control over the national editorial agenda under the editorial structure.

Davies and Alcorn report to Tory Maguire, who was promoted in July to executive editor of the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, WAtoday and Brisbane Times, by Nine managing director of publishing James Chessell.

Maguire, whose new role was not advertised, joined the Fairfax/Nine group after Fairfax Medias joint venture with the Huffington Post came to an end in 2017.

Davies led the celebration of the Sydney Morning Heralds 190th anniversary this year and drove the papers coverage of Indigenous affairs, including securing a partnership with the Judith Neilson Institute to hire more Indigenous storytellers.

Five years ago there were conversations about whether the print products would still be around in five years, Davies told industry publication Mumbrella on the papers 190th anniversary. They are, and they are still huge revenue drivers. I think its a really encouraging sign. I cant see a time when there wont be a print product.

Maguire paid tribute to Davies as someone who has put her heart and soul into the masthead.

Over her five years as editor she led her team through the major disruption of the restructure, held the newsroom together during the biggest challenges of the pandemic, and was a crucial part of the huge team effort to ensure the long term success of the Sydney Morning Herald, Maguire said.

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Sydney Morning Herald editor Lisa Davies resigns after five years in the role - The Guardian

October 18, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

Apple introduces HomePodmini in new bold and expressive colors

HomePodmini delivers impressive sound, works seamlessly with iPhone, features the intelligence of Siri, and is the foundation for any smart home

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIAApple today introduced HomePod mini in three bold new colors yellow, orange, and blue giving users more ways to express their personality and style in any space. At just 3.3 inches tall, HomePod mini offers a great music-listening experience, the intelligence of Siri, and smart home capabilities, with privacy and security built in. Its seamless integration across Apples products and services make HomePod mini the ultimate smart speaker for anyone with an Apple device. HomePod mini will be available in these new colors, along with white and space gray, with color-matched details throughout, including the tinted touch surface, mesh fabric, volume icons, and woven power cable, starting in November for just $99.

HomePod mini sounds incredible, and with access to more than 90 million songs in the global Apple Music catalog and deep integration with your Apple devices, its the must-have smart speaker for iPhone users, said Bob Borchers, Apples vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. With new vibrant colors, HomePod mini fits in even more places and delivers amazing sound, the power of Siri, and simple and secure smart home controls, all while protecting your privacy.

Big Sound in a Compact Speaker

HomePod mini uses computational audio to provide a rich and detailed acoustic experience and deliver peak performance. To achieve big sound out of such a compact design, the Apple S5 chip runs advanced software to analyze the unique characteristics of the music. It also applies complex tuning models to optimize loudness, adjust the dynamic range, and control the movement of the driver and passive radiators, all in real time. HomePod minis full-range driver, premium neodymium magnet, and pair of force-cancelling passive radiators enable it to produce deep bass and crisp high frequencies.

An Apple-designed acoustic waveguide directs the flow of sound down and out the bottom of the speaker for an immersive 360-degree audio experience. This design not only preserves richness and clarity, but makes it easy to place HomePod mini anywhere in a room and enjoy amazing sound from every angle. When placed in multiple rooms, HomePod mini speakers allow users to play the same music throughout the house, all in perfect sync, or a different song in every room. Placing two HomePod mini speakers in the same room creates a stereo pair for an even more immersive experience when listening to music. A three-microphone array listens for Hey Siri, and a fourth inward-facing microphone helps cancel out sound coming from the speaker to improve Siris ability to hear voice requests when music is playing.

Apple Music Voice on HomePodmini

HomePod mini is designed to work with Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, thousands of radio stations including the award-winning Apple Music 1 station, and popular music services like Pandora, Deezer, and others, providing entertainment for everyone.1 Apple Music offers more than 90 million songs, all curated by world-class experts and tastemakers; thousands of curated playlists, including hundreds created specifically for the Apple Music Voice Plan; and more than 25,000 exclusive radio episodes and other original content. With the introduction of this new subscription tier, even more people will have access to this incredible catalog, hands-free, just by asking Siri.2

Ultimate Smart Speaker for iPhone Users

When listening to music or podcasts, or taking a phone call, users can seamlessly hand off the audio without missing a beat by bringing their iPhone close to HomePod mini. The experience gets more magical with any U1-equipped iPhone with visual, audible, and haptic effects that make it feel like the devices are physically connected as sound flows from one to another. If nothing is playing on HomePod mini, personalized listening suggestions will automatically appear on iPhone when it is near the speaker, and instant controls are available without needing to unlock iPhone.3

Powerful Intelligent Assistant

With the intelligence of Siri, HomePod mini delivers a personalized and deeply integrated experience for iPhone customers. Siri can recognize the voices of up to six different household members, tailor music and podcasts to their preferences, and respond to personal requests, like reading their messages, reminders, notes, and calendar appointments, or making and answering phone calls.4 Siri also provides users a personal update for a quick snapshot of their day. Users can ask Hey Siri, whats my update? to hear the latest news, weather, traffic, reminders, and calendar appointments with a single request.

Effortless Smart Home Control

HomePod mini makes controlling smart home accessories effortless with simple voice commands for Siri to turn off the lights, change the temperature, lock the doors, set a scene, or control devices at specific times. Users can also get hands-free help by talking directly to various smart home accessories enabled with Siri. By design, Siri-enabled accessories will relay requests through a users HomePod mini on the same network, providing the level of privacy customers expect from Apple.

Intercom gives people a quick and easy way to connect at home. Users can send an Intercom message from one HomePod mini to another whether in a different room, a specific zone, or multiple rooms throughout the home and their voice message will automatically play on the designated HomePod mini. Intercom even works with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay, so everyone in the household can get Intercom notifications and send Intercom messages from the backyard, on their way home, or while out and about.

Designed with Privacy and Security in Mind

Privacy and security are fundamental to the design of Apple hardware, software, and services. With HomePod mini, only after Hey Siri is recognized locally on the device, or the user activates Siri by touch, will any information be sent to Apple servers. Requests are not associated with the users Apple ID, nor is personal information used for Apples advertising purposes or sold to other organizations. HomePod mini works with iPhone to complete requests for messages and notes on the device without revealing that information to Apple.

Additional Features

HomePod mini and the Environment

HomePod mini was designed with the environment in mind and supports Apples plans to have net-zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles, by 2030. HomePod mini utilizes 99 percent recycled rare earth elements, with the neodymium magnet in the speaker driver utilizing 100 percent recycled rare earth elements. The seamless mesh fabric is made with more than 90 percent recycled plastic, and all of the packaging wood fibers are from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources. HomePod mini is also free of mercury, BFRs, PVC, and beryllium.

HomePod mini uses power-efficient components and software that can intelligently power them down during periods of inactivity. For example, through optimized power management features and a high-efficiency power supply, HomePod mini has been designed to be efficient in its Low Power Mode, where the majority of time is spent. HomePod mini consumes 75 percent less energy than the stringent requirements for ENERGY STAR.

Pricing and Availability

About Apple

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apples five software platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apples more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Press Contacts

Jacqueline Roy

Apple

jacqueline_roy@apple.com

(408) 862-4386

Nadine Haija

Apple

nhaija@apple.com

Apple Media Helpline

media.help@apple.com

(408) 974-2042

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Apple introduces HomePod mini in new bold and expressive colors - Apple Newsroom