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Bill Gates speaks at US Chamber of Global Forum

During the pandemic lockdown and now in the middle of a high-profile, very public divorce, billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates still hits the books and hopes you do as well.

"I hope at least one of these books sparks your interest this summer," Gates said as he rolled out his annual reading recommendations.

"When I finish one book and am deciding what to read next, there usually isnt always rhyme or reason to what I pick," Gates wrote in a blog post on Monday. "Sometimes Ill read one great book and get inspired to read several more about the same subject. Other times I am eager to follow a recommendation from someone I respect."

Gates says he has recently been drawn to books about "the complicated relationship between humanity and nature" while reflecting upon the impact of the global pandemic. "Maybe its because everyones lives have been upended by a virus," Gates writes. "Or maybe its because Ive spent so much time this year talking about what we need to do to avoid a climate disaster."

Here's the top five list

BILL GATES IS A POTATO FARMER, HOEING FOR MCDONALDS FRIES

Kicking off Gates' list is Lights Out: Pride, Delusion and the Fall of General Electric.

Lights Out: Pride, Delusion and the Fall of General Electric by Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann (Photo courtesy of Amazon)

According to Gates, Wall Street Journal reporters Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann give an "unflinching look at the mistakes and missteps made by GEs leadership."

"GE is a mythic corporation. It was at one time the largest, most powerful company in the world," Gates writes. "When GE started using Microsoft software in our early days, that gave us a huge boost in the market, because GE was such a bellwether company."

However, he notes that the GE ended up "crashing to Earth in one of the greatest downfalls in business history."

Gates said that his first big takeaway from Lights Out was that one of GE's greatest apparent strengths turned out to be one of its greatest weaknesses.

"For many years, investors loved GEs stock because the GE management team always "made their numbers"that is, the company produced earnings per share at least as large as what Wall Street analysts predicted," Gates explains. "It turns out that culture of making the numbers at all costs gave rise to "success theater" and "chasing earnings."

His other takeaway was that GE "did not have the right talent and systems to bundle together a dizzying array of unrelated businessesand manage them well."

Ultimately, he believes Lights Out is an essential read for anyone in a leadership role who wants to avoid the mistakes made by GE.

BILL GATES' NEXT GENERATION NUCLEAR REACTOR TO BE BUILT IN WYOMING

For an "enjoyable read" Gates recommendsUnder a White Sky: The Nature of the Future by Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer at The New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert, which he says is the "most straightforward examination of "humanity versus nature" on this list."

The book covers a variety of topics, from attempts to save coral reefs and control flooding in southern Louisiana to the concept of gene drive and geoengineering.

While Gates believes Under a White Sky is a "good reminder that we need to watch out for the unforeseen effects of our actions," he claims he is "more of an optimist" than Kolbert.

BILL GATES AND MELINDA FRENCH GATES EXPLORE CHANGES TO FOUNDATION

The autobiography of the 44th president, A Promised Land by Barack Obama, covers the author's life up through the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.

Gates called the book a "terrific read, no matter what your politics are" which "captures how complex the job of running the country is."

"Obama makes it clear the positives of the jobespecially the opportunity to make lives betteroutweigh the negatives," Gates notes. "But overall, the memoir left me with a surprisingly melancholy impression of what its like to be the president."

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In what some may see as an unusual read on Gates' list, The Overstory by Richard Powers follows the lives of nine people and examines their connection with trees. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2019.

"Even though the book takes a pretty extreme view towards the need to protect forests, I was moved by each characters passion for their cause and finished the book eager to learn more about trees," Gates said.

Gates warned in his review that The Overstory isn't a book where everything "gets tied up with a bowand adds, "I didnt mind the lack of clarity, but some other people might. If you are in the mood for something that stimulates your thinking instead of providing answers, though, youll love The Overstory. Its very well-written and takes twists you wouldnt expect."

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Rounding out his top five picks, An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives, written by Pulitzer Prize-winningNew York Timesjournalist Matt Richtel, covers the human immune system and how it interacts with the latest advancements in treatments, biologics.

"He keeps the subject accessible by focusing on four patients, each of whom is forced to manage their immune system in one way or another," Gates said. "Their stories make for a super interesting look at the science of immunity."

Though the book was published prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates says it is a "valuable read" that gives readers all the context needed to understand the science of immunity.

"In the process of reading about the four people in An Elegant Defense, you absorb quite a lot of useful and interesting science," Gates said. "Most important, youll come away with a much better understanding of our immune systems awesome complexityand the delicate, even precarious, tradeoffs inherent in its workings."

"Now that Ive read An Elegant Defense, I have a deeper, more nuanced appreciation for the system that is at the core of humanitys fight against COVID-19 and everything our foundations Global Health program is trying to do," he added.

The list's release was originally slated for May 10 but was postponed. On May 3, Gates announced that he and his wife Melinda were ending their 27-year marriage. Following the announcement, Gates has transferred billions in various stock holdings to his soon-to-be ex-wife, while dealing with reports of infidelity.

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Bill Gates' summer reading list hits GE and Barack Obama - Fox Business

(Tribune News Service) The former White House doctor who gave a glowing report in 2018 about then-PresidentDonald Trumpscognitive abilities is calling on PresidentJoe Bidento take the same test.

U.S.Rep.Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, led a group of 14Republicanswho sent Biden a letter on Thursday urging him to take a cognitive test and make the results public.

The freshman Congressman served asWhite Housephysician under former presidentsGeorge W. Bush,Barack Obamaand Trump. In 2018, he gave Trump a clean bill of health after an annual physical and cognitive test that came amid questions about Trumps mental fitness to serve.

At the time, Jackson said it was the first instance he knew of a cognitive test being administered to a sitting president, saying Trump was mentally very sharp.

We believe that, regardless of gender, age, or political party, all presidents should follow the precedent set by formerPresident Trumpto document and demonstrate sound mental abilities, Jackson and his Republican colleagues wrote in theirJune 17letter to Biden.

The Trump campaign made Bidens mental fitness a major piece of its 2020 campaign. In campaign ads and rallies, Trump sought to paint Biden as mentally unfit to serve. His mental fitness has been a regular target for misinformation spreading online.

Biden, 78, is the oldest president in American history.

TheWhite Housedid not immediately respond to a request for comment. Biden has bristled at questions about his mental capabilities. Bidens doctor released a medical report inDecember 2019in which he described Biden as healthy, vigorous and fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, according to The Associated Press. NBC News reported the report did not mention mental deficiencies.

Jackson said in a prepared statement that it is past time that Biden submit to a cognitive test.

The American people deserve to have absolute confidence in their president, he said in the statement. They deserve to know that he or she can perform the duties demanded of the office, and they deserve to have full transparency on the mental state of their highest elected leader.

Jackson claimed Biden has shown clear mental impairment.

Jackson was elected last year inTexas13th Congressional district. Trump nominated Jackson, aNavyrear admiral, to serve as secretary of theDepartment of Veterans Affairsin 2018, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations of misconduct, including drinking on the job and contributing to a hostile work environment.

The other 13Republicanswho signed the letter are:

*U.S.Rep.Bob Gibbs, ofOhio*U.S.Rep.Jeff Duncan, ofSouth Carolina*U.S.Rep.Andy Harris, ofMaryland*U.S.Rep.Brian Babin, ofTexas*U.S.Rep.Jody Hice, ofGeorgia*U.S.Rep.Claudia Tenney, ofNew York*U.S.Rep.W. Gregory Steube, ofFlorida*U.S.Rep.Tom Tiffany, ofWisconsin*U.S.Rep.Kat Cammack, ofFlorida*U.S.Rep.Jerry Carl, ofAlabama*U.S.Rep.Pat Fallon, ofTexas*U.S.Rep.Diana Harsbarger, ofTennessee*U.S.Rep.Beth Van Duyne, ofTexas

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Former White House doctor for Bush, Obama, Trump urges Biden to take cognitive test - Stars and Stripes

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Ever since the presidential portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama (by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, respectively) were first unveiled, in 2018, crowds have flooded the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, to see them firsthand. Now, more Americans will have that chance thanks to a countrywide tour organized by the Smithsonian. First up? The Art Institute of Chicago, where the presidential couple went on their first date. Because they have been so popular and because they have really redefined portraiture and brought about important discussions around representation, we thought it would be important to share them with the nation and have venues in all different parts of the country, Dorothy Moss, curator of painting and sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery, told the Chicago Sun-Times. The show runs June 18 through August 15 and will travel to the Brooklyn Museum, LACMA, Atlantas High Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

The Catholic Diocese of Paris is seeking $7 million to restore the interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral after it was nearly destroyed when a massive fire broke out two years ago. More than $970 million has already been pledged by private donors for the painstaking restoration, which French president Emmanuel Macron vowed to complete by 2024. Michael Aupetit, the Archbishop of Paris, remarked that the goal is to bring the cathedral into the 21st century, while ensuring the preservation of its identity in the spirit of the Christian tradition. The funds would be used to update the tour layout for the cathedrals nearly six million annual visitors, as well as new furniture, lighting, and sound systems.

The single-family home in Tempe, Arizona is a test case the organization could use in the future to build homes more efficiently and at a more affordable cost, thus increasing scalability. Approximately 7080 percent of the homewhich has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and a view of Clark Parkwill be 3D printed. Besides reducing construction costs, the method has another benefit: Using the printer would also help Habitat Central Arizona to build during its hottest season, a time when building typically slows since temperatures are too extreme and would put staff and volunteers at risk.

Instagram, the Brooklyn Museum, and a group of esteemed designers recently launched #BlackDesignVisionaries, a new initiative that aims to empower todays leading Black creatives. The program will award $130,000 in grantsthese include three $10,000 Aspiring Designer Grants for Black designers between the ages of 18 and 30 and a $100,000 Small Business Grant for a Black-led design business thats been in operation for less than ten years. If we succeed in pushing culture forward and building a more equitable global design community, well be serving not just Black designers but everyone who will benefit from a more diverse representation of design talent shaping our world, Kristen Joy Watts, a creative director at Instagram, said in a statement. Applications to submit to #BlackDesignVisionaries will be open through July 16; the shortlist, selected by a grant committee that includes Antwaun Sargent, Ruth E. Carter, and Heron Preston, will be announced in the fall.

The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on brick-and-mortar retail. Earlier this week, Washington Prime Groupan Ohio company that owns more than 100 malls across the United Statesfiled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing pandemic-related shutdowns. The bankruptcy shows that while things are now getting back to normal, many of the scars left by the pandemic have not fully healed, Neil Saunders, retail analyst and managing director at GlobalData, tells CNN. Strong balance sheets and sound operations are needed to see property companies through this period.

The French fashion designers high-heeled wedge sneaker became a cultural flashpoint when it was released ten years ago, causing a fierce debate between critics who widely panned the hybrid shoe and celebrities and influencers who caused it to sell out. (At one point there was a six-month waiting list for a pair.) Now a new version has arrived with double the heel height as its predecessor. One thing thats changed since the original dropped in 2011: chunky sneaker culture has become one of streetwears hottest fads.

Sacai designer Chitose Abe and Dior mens artistic director Kim Jones are teaming up to launch a 57-piece menswear capsule collection of ready-to-wear, bags, and accessories in November. The collaboration between the Japanese luxury brand and the heritage French fashion house, its first co-branded collection, will also feature a custom amalgamated logo with Sacai written in the i of Dior.

The New Yorker investigates whether or not Proust had a thing for caged rats.

Samsung gives the obsolete floppy disk save icon a contemporary refresh.

Ikea and Sonos launch an audio speaker that resembles a picture frame.

The Girl Scouts are sitting on a surplus of 15 million unsold cookie boxes.

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The Obama Portraits Embark on a National Tour, and Other News - Surface Magazine

CHICAGO Former President of the United States Barack Obama will close the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Virtual) Closing Session. He will appear noon 1 p.m. CT, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, in conversation with Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian and first African American appointed to the role. They will be introduced by Julius C. Jefferson, Jr., president of the American Library Association.

Obama will discuss A Promised Land, the stirring first volume of his presidential memoirs that was released in November 2020 by Crown, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House. In it, Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidencya time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Few presidents have walked a more improbable path to the White House. Born in Hawaii to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya,Barack Obamawas raised with help from his grandparents, whose generosity of spirit reflected their Midwestern roots.

After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants. That experience honed his belief in the power of uniting ordinary people around a politics of purpose and in the hard work of citizenship to bring about positive change. In law school, he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He then returned to Illinois to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago and begin a career in public service, winning seats in the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate.

On Nov. 4, 2008, Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, winning more votes than any candidate in history. He took office at a moment of crisis unlike any America had seen in decades a nation at war, a planet in peril, the American Dream itself threatened by the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression. And yet, despite all manner of political obstruction, Obamas leadership helped rescue the economy, revitalize the American auto industry, reform the health care system to cover another 20 million Americans, and put the country on a firm course to a clean energy future all while overseeing the longest stretch of job creation in American history. On the world stage, Obamas belief in Americas indispensable leadership and strong, principled diplomacy helped wind down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, decimate al-Qaeda and eliminate the worlds most wanted terrorists, shut down Irans nuclear weapons program, open a new chapter with the people of Cuba, and unite humanity in coordinated action to combat a changing climate.

In times of great challenge and change, President Obamas leadership ushered in a stronger economy, a more equal society, a nation more secure at home and more respected around the world. The Obama years were ones in which more people not only began to see themselves in the changing face of America, but to see America the way he always has as the only place on Earth where so many of our stories could even be possible.

Obama and his wife, Former First Lady Michelle Obama, are the proud parents of two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

As secretary of the Smithsonian, Bunch oversees 19 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, numerous research centers, and several education units and centers. Bunch was the founding director of the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture. He is the first historian appointed to the role.

Registrationfor the conference is open. Media interested in registering for the session may contact Macey Morales, deputy director, ALA Communications and Marketing Office at mmorales@ala.org.

ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition attendees will have access to more than 200 educational sessions in the areas of Library Services, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Leadership, Teaching & Learning, Technology, Library Workplace, and more. Additionally, many of the News You Can Use series; interactive Discussion Groups; and President and Chair Programs provide an excellent opportunity for attendees to share thoughts amongst their peers.

The conference launches on Wednesday, June 23 with a full day dedicated to The Library Marketplace, showcasing as many as 300 exhibitors offering innovative resources for libraries; 11 presentation stages that will highlight notable and genre-specific keynotes; publisher-led spotlight sessions on new book titles; networking opportunities, giveaways, and more.

Get updates from the 2021 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Virtual) websitealaannual.organd follow the hashtag#alaac21 and social media:Instagram,ALA Twitter, andALA Facebook.

About the American Library AssociationThe American Library Association (ALA)is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the librarys role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visitala.org.

About Penguin Random HouseCrown is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, the worlds largest trade book publisher, is dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers everywhere. The company, which employs 10,000 people globally, was formed on July 1, 2013, by Bertelsmann and Pearson. As of April 1, 2020, Bertelsmann is full owner of the company. With more than 300 imprints and brands on six continents, Penguin Random House comprises adult and childrens fiction and nonfiction print and digital English- and Spanish-language trade book publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide. With 15,000 new titles, and 600 million print, audio and eBooks sold annually, Penguin Random Houses publishing lists include more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the worlds most widely read authors.

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Former President of the United States Barack Obama will headline ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Virtual) Closing Session - ala.org

Former President Barack Obama talked with members of The Economic Club of Chicago, in anticipation of the groundbreaking of the Obama Presidential Center on the city's South Side. AP Domestic

CHICAGO After years of pushback by park preservationists and community groups concerned about displacement, the Obama Presidential Center is expected to break ground this fall,and the former president visited with residents ofthe area this week.

"Traditionally I think presidential libraries can be a little backward-looking ... kind of a mausoleum in the sense that not much is happening," Barack Obama said Friday at a virtual event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago. "Our thought was, well, lets create an institution that is alive and vibrant and is bringing people together."

The $500 million center, designed by architects Todd Williams and Billie Tsien, is expected to be located in Jackson Park on the city's South Side. The center is expected to consist of a museum, forum, public library, plaza, playground and pedestrian and bicycle paths. The Obama Foundation said it hopes the center brings 700,000 people to the South Side every year.

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Former President Barack Obama speaks at a community event on the Presidential Center at the South Shore Cultural Center, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, in Chicago.(Photo: Nam Y. Huh, AP)

The site will be located near where Barack and Michelle Obama first met, settled down and had their daughters. The location is near the University of Chicago Law School, where Obama taught constitutional law. It's also a few miles from where Michelle grew up and several miles from where Obama worked as a community organizer. Obama represented the area in the Illinois Senate from 1997 until 2004.

This week, Obama met with local business owners in surrounding neighborhoodsand made a surprise visit to ayouth football team practice.People who live within a two-mile radius of thesite are predominantly low-income, according to a 2017 report from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and many live in historically disinvested communites.

"Unfortunately, there are communities that have experienced extraordinary trouble and difficulty for decades," Obama said. "Its one of the reasons I think the Obama Presidential Center can be a powerful engine. It gives us an opportunity to locate in a community and have a presence that signifies this is an important part of our city."

Then-Illinois Democratic Senate candidate Barack Obama leaves with his wife Michelle, daughters Sasha, front left, and Malia after voting at Catholic Theological union polling place in Chicago on Nov. 2, 2004.(Photo: NAM Y HUH, AP)

The Foundation announced the location of the center in 2016, but the project was delayed by a lengthy federal review process required because the center's location, Jackson Park, is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The park was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and remodeled for the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition.

The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration concluded their four-year review in February, andChicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said physical construction would begin as early as August.

Several local groups, including park preservationists and a coalition of community organizations,have raised concerns about the projectfor years.

Park preservationists have warned about the effects on the historic parkland and have proposed an alternative location for the center. In 2018, a groupled by the nonprofit Protect Our Parkssued the city and the Park District.

"This is a 150-year-old work of art, and it is regarded widely as one of the most magnificent landscaped parks in America," said plaintiff Tom Mitchell, a professorat the University of Chicago who teaches a course on the history of landscape. "Its going to be a very, very ugly moment when the bulldozers arrive and people see these century-old trees carted away."

A photo of Jackson Park in Chicago in May, 2015.(Photo: Paul Beaty, AP)

In 2020, an appelete court whereJustice Amy Coney Barrett sat at the time said the suitlacked standing. Last year, the group asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit the appellate court decision, but the high court denied the petition in April. Barrett was not involved in the consideration, according to the court.

Michael Rachlis, who is part of the Protect Our Parks legal team, said the group planned to filea preliminary injuction motion before the court this month to request work on the center be stayed.

"If youre going to try to seize a huge portion of a public park, you should have a very good reason, and there should be no feasible alternatives," Mitchell said. "In this case, there are feasible and superior alternatives."

Valerie Jarrett, president of the Foundation, acknowledged the expected legal action at the virtual event Friday.

"We expect the same small group will sue us again going forward and try to get a restraining order," she said. "But we are very confident we're on solid legal footing."

The decision to build Barack Obama's presidential library in Chicago's lakefront Jackson Park rather than a nearby impoverished neighborhood has left some residents worried the museum will deliver less of a boost to the South Side. Some say Washington Park, a mile to the west, has greater needs because of poverty and population decline, and the location decision is a missed opportunity to spur development there.(Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans, AP)

Meanwhile, acollection of community organizations under the banner of theObama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition has also voiced concern that longtime residents of the areas surrounding the site are at risk of beingpriced out of their neighborhoods.

"The reason the center is coming to the South Side is because these are the people who elected Barack Obama. These people shouldnt be punished for that. They should be able to benefit from whats going on," said Dixon Romeo, a member of the coaliton and resident of the South Shore neighborhood, where Michelle Obama grew up.

Area residents arepredominantly renters, according to the 2017 report.Nearly half of renters have annual incomes less than $20,000, eviction rates are some of the highest in the city, and rentis rising in newly renovated and new construction units, which the majority of current renters cannot afford, according to the report.

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The coalition launched a years-long campaign demanding a community benefits agreement to protect residents from displacement, and the city and Foundation have since made a series of promises to address the coalition's concerns.

In September, the city adopted an ordinancefor the Woodlawn neighborhood mandating affordability requirements on all rental and for-sale housing developed on city-owned residential land and appropriating about $4.5 million and leveraginganother $5 million in loan funds to help rehabilitate existing affordable housing.

The ordinance also created a "Right of First Refusal Pilot Program" in the neighborhood that would require an owner of a building with 10 or more units to give tenants an exclusive opportunity to make an offer on the property prior to its sale.

However, several other neighborhoods in the area such as Grand Crossing, South Shore and Hyde Park have not received similar provisions.

"It (the ordinance) isnot enough for Woodlawn, but its better than what every other neighborhood got because we all got nothing," Romeo said. "Were already starting to see the effects and the signs of displacement."

For its part, the Foundation committed to awarding 50% of the subcontracting packages for the center to minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses, with 35% of workers living on the South and West Sides. In March, the Foundation created a "We Can Build It Consortium" to get more local residents involved in the building trades and committed $850,000 to train 400 new apprentices from the South and West Sides.

The Foundation also donated up to $3.5 million to the citytocover the cost of construction of the multi-purpose artificial turf field nearby.

"This could mean a transformation of the community, and that transformation is either going to mean equitable development or displacement," Romeo said.

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