title,url,timestamp,content,source,clean_date,clean_content,arti_score,pos_sent,neg_sent,rnn_arti_score,rnn_pos_sent,rnn_neg_sent,date_extracted
Frontier Airlines CEO urges crackdown of 'rampant abuse' of airport wheelchair service,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/frontier-airlines-ceo-passengers-abuse-airport-wheelchair-service.html,2024-05-23T23:20:15+0000,"In this articleThe 1986 Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide a wheelchair for passengers with disabilities at the airport. The problem, though, is that many travelers are faking it, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said.""There is massive, rampant abuse of special services. There are people using wheelchair assistance who don't need it at all,"" Biffle said at a Wings Club luncheon on Thursday in New York.He said he has seen some Frontier flights where 20 people were brought in wheelchairs at departure, with only three using them upon arrival. ""We are healing so many people,"" he joked.Biffle wasn't talking about travelers' personal wheelchairs, but rather the service airlines provide when travelers arrive at the airport.It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. ""There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.""Biffle isn't the only executive to complain about travelers falsely claiming they need access to a wheelchair at the airport.In July 2022, John Holland-Kaye, the then-CEO of London's Heathrow Airport, told LBC Radio amid staffing shortages that some travelers were ""using wheelchair support to try to get fast-tracked through the airport.""""If you go on TikTok, that is one of the travel hacks people are recommending,"" he said. ""Please don't do that. We need to protect the service for people who need it most.""John Morris, a triple amputee and founder of WheelchairTravel.org, noted there are reasons why some travelers might need wheelchairs on their outbound leg but not upon arrival. For example, they could need the help to get through a large airport like in Atlanta or New York City, but not so at smaller facilities.""Disability impacts people in a lot of different ways,"" he said.""I think there's a good case to be made that abusers should face some consequence but I'm not sure how we do that in a society when our disabilities aren't [always] visible,"" Morris said.Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation proposed stricter rules aimed at preventing wheelchair damage by airport ground handlers and ensuring ""prompt assistance"" to travelers with disabilities when getting on and off the plane.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleThe 1986 Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide a wheelchair for passengers with disabilities at the airport.', 'The problem, though, is that many travelers are faking it, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said.', '""There is massive, rampant abuse of special services.', 'There are people using wheelchair assistance who don\'t need it at all,"" Biffle said at a Wings Club luncheon on Thursday in New York.', 'He said he has seen some Frontier flights where 20 people were brought in wheelchairs at departure, with only three using them upon arrival. ""', 'We are healing so many people,"" he joked.', ""Biffle wasn't talking about travelers' personal wheelchairs, but rather the service airlines provide when travelers arrive at the airport."", 'It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.', '""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. ""', 'There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.', '""Biffle isn\'t the only executive to complain about travelers falsely claiming they need access to a wheelchair at the airport.', 'In July 2022, John Holland-Kaye, the then-CEO of London\'s Heathrow Airport, told LBC Radio amid staffing shortages that some travelers were ""using wheelchair support to try to get fast-tracked through the airport.', '""""If you go on TikTok, that is one of the travel hacks people are recommending,"" he said. ""', ""Please don't do that."", 'We need to protect the service for people who need it most.', '""John Morris, a triple amputee and founder ofWheelchairTravel.org, noted there are reasons why some travelers might need wheelchairs on their outbound leg but not upon arrival.', 'For example, they could need the help to get through a large airport like in Atlanta or New York City, but not so at smaller facilities.', '""Disability impacts people in a lot of different ways,"" he said.', '""I think there\'s a good case to be made that abusers should face some consequence but I\'m not sure how we do that in a society when our disabilities aren\'t [always] visible,"" Morris said.', 'Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation proposed stricter rules aimed at preventing wheelchair damage by airport ground handlers and ensuring ""prompt assistance"" to travelers with disabilities when getting on and off the plane.']",-0.0689599629529763,"""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. """,There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.,-0.2533689339955647,"We are healing so many people,"" he joked.","It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.",2024-05-29
Starbucks is set to resume union negotiations as it confronts issues at its stores,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/starbucks-union-negotiations-resume.html,2024-05-28T18:04:37+0000,"In this articleWhen Starbucks and its baristas union resume contract bargaining this week, workers may have renewed momentum at their backs — courtesy of the company's own CEO.The coffee giant last month found itself reporting an objectively challenging quarter. U.S. same-store sales fell 3% and traffic dropped 7%. As a result, the company cut its 2024 forecast.CEO Laxman Narasimhan admitted Starbucks was seeing a more cautious consumer when it came to spending, but also mentioned the need to make improvements to stores as the company saw troubling trends. Starbucks reported rates of incomplete mobile app orders in the mid-teens and said occasional customers came in less.Narasimhan, in prepared remarks to Wall Street analysts, cited some of the challenges that union workers have been highlighting in their bid for better working conditions.""Specifically in our U.S. stores, we're focused on creating a more stable environment for partners through investments in equipment innovation, process improvements, staffing, scheduling and waste reduction, all things our partners value and prioritize creating a more satisfying work environment in our stores while de-risking our business,"" Narasimhan said on a call with analysts.He added in an interview with CNBC's ""Squawk on the Street"" that throughput has improved, and said the company's action plan will continue to build on that momentum with improvements to stores and better communication of value.""We have improved speed of service quarter over quarter. If you look at the processes that we are rolling out, particularly around peak, what we are finding is that we have opportunities to improve that even further with changes in processes and tools that we provide to partners at peak,"" Narasimhan said.For Workers United, the union behind the Starbucks organizing, his admission that more could be done was promising.The organizing efforts began nearly three years ago in Buffalo, New York, under then-CEO Kevin Johnson. At the time, Starbucks was a company long known for progressive benefits for workers.But baristas, emboldened by the experience they had during the Covid-19 pandemic, pushed for changes in the company's cafes. More than 430 unionized stores and two chief executives later, the two sides have made ""significant progress"" in contract bargaining, striking a more optimistic tone after a successful two-day session last month.Starbucks and the union are meeting to continue working on the framework that will inform every single-store contract moving ahead.""I do believe that we are seeing the company at this point acknowledge that there are issues, significant issues,"" Michelle Eisen, a Workers United delegate and original member of the company's first organized union in Buffalo, told CNBC ahead of negotiations.""We heard Narasimhan make that statement after the earnings call that they're aware that stores have experienced staffing issues,"" said Eisen, who has been with the company for more than a decade and is among 150 delegates attending in-person bargaining sessions with Starbucks on behalf of the union.""I think this is a new world right now to be able to say that the CEO has stepped up and said, 'Look, we've got some problems, we know we've got some problems, we want to work towards fixing those problems,'"" Eisen said. ""And as a worker at a unionized location, with proposals on the table to help solve these issues, that's exactly what I want to hear.""In internal surveys and in bargaining committee meetings, union-represented partners consistently rank ""staffing and scheduling"" as their highest priority issue. The vast majority of represented partners report frequently working short-staffed, and a simple majority of partners report that they are getting scheduled for fewer hours than they want or need.The union has also pushed for better pay and benefits.Starbucks says it has made significant progress over the past two years on staffing and scheduling. An advanced staffing model is able to take into account both historical trends of allocated hours per store, but also current trends, available product types and upcoming promotions, the company said. Starbucks says its data affirms partners now get more hours and that partner retention and sentiment have both increased across the U.S. as schedules become more stable and consistent.Staffing improvements are likely to be even more important as Starbucks projects an increase in traffic and orders.In July, Starbucks plans to open up its mobile order and pay app to nonrewards members in a bid to win back its occasional customer base. This will create the ability to target all customers with new products and promotions in an effort to grow traffic.It is also due to introduce what it is calling the Siren System: new equipment and protocol to address customer ticket times. The Siren System includes a custom ice dispenser, milk-dispensing system and faster blenders to reduce steps for baristas and get drinks to customers faster. It will reach 1,000 stores in July.""It's a terrible feeling to be on that floor and to pull a sticker and to look at the time and then look up at the clock on the wall and realize, you're already 8 minutes behind,"" Eisen said of mobile orders.""Eight minutes doesn't sound like a lot. But when you're producing 100 transactions per half hour … and you realize you're probably backed up 20 drinks, it's a bad feeling,"" she said.There has been another call for change at Starbucks stores that may carry weight at the negotiating table. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a LinkedIn post after the company's earnings report said management needs to spend more time with workers to understand ongoing challenges.It was the third time he has publicly weighed in on Starbucks and its operations since leaving the company and its board last year. It was a notable shift in tone from when Schultz returned to the company in 2022 to respond to the union challenge, with a far more combative attitude.Narasimhan was mentored by Schultz for six months before taking the helm at the company, and he spent time in stores with baristas, even earning his barista certification before becoming CEO in 2023.""I have emphasized that the company's fix needs to begin at home: U.S. operations are the primary reason for the company's fall from grace,"" Schultz said. ""The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant. The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores.""At the time, the coffee giant said in response, ""We always appreciate Howard's perspective. The challenges and opportunities he highlights are ones we are focused on. And like Howard, we are confident in Starbucks' long-term success.""",CNBC,28/05/2024,"[""In this articleWhen Starbucks and its baristas union resume contract bargaining this week, workers may have renewed momentum at their backs — courtesy of the company's own CEO.The coffee giant last month found itself reporting an objectively challenging quarter."", 'U.S. same-store sales fell 3% and traffic dropped 7%.', 'As a result, the company cut its 2024 forecast.', 'CEO Laxman Narasimhan admitted Starbucks was seeing a more cautious consumer when it came to spending, but also mentioned the need to make improvements to stores as the company saw troubling trends.', 'Starbucks reported rates of incomplete mobile app orders in the mid-teens and said occasional customers came in less.', 'Narasimhan, in prepared remarks to Wall Street analysts, cited some of the challenges that union workers have been highlighting in their bid for better working conditions.', '""Specifically in our U.S. stores, we\'re focused on creating a more stable environment for partners through investments in equipment innovation, process improvements, staffing, scheduling and waste reduction, all things our partners value and prioritize creating a more satisfying work environment in our stores while de-risking our business,"" Narasimhan said on a call with analysts.', 'He added in an interview with CNBC\'s ""Squawk on the Street"" that throughput has improved, and said the company\'s action plan will continue to build on that momentum with improvements to stores and better communication of value.', '""We have improved speed of service quarter over quarter.', 'If you look at the processes that we are rolling out, particularly around peak, what we are finding is that we have opportunities to improve that even further with changes in processes and tools that we provide to partners at peak,"" Narasimhan said.', 'For Workers United, the union behind the Starbucks organizing, his admission that more could be done was promising.', 'The organizing efforts began nearly three years ago in Buffalo, New York, under then-CEO Kevin Johnson.', 'At the time, Starbucks was a company long known for progressive benefits for workers.', ""But baristas, emboldened by the experience they had during the Covid-19 pandemic, pushed for changes in the company's cafes."", 'More than 430 unionized stores and two chief executives later, the two sides have made ""significant progress"" in contract bargaining, striking a more optimistic tone after a successful two-day session last month.', 'Starbucks and the union are meeting to continue working on the framework that will inform every single-store contract moving ahead.', '""I do believe that we are seeing the company at this point acknowledge that there are issues, significant issues,"" Michelle Eisen, a Workers United delegate and original member of the company\'s first organized union in Buffalo, told CNBC ahead of negotiations.', '""We heard Narasimhan make that statement after the earnings call that they\'re aware that stores have experienced staffing issues,"" said Eisen, who has been with the company for more than a decade and is among 150 delegates attending in-person bargaining sessions with Starbucks on behalf of the union.', '""I think this is a new world right now to be able to say that the CEO has stepped up and said, \'Look, we\'ve got some problems, we know we\'ve got some problems, we want to work towards fixing those problems,\'"" Eisen said. ""', ""And as a worker at a unionized location, with proposals on the table to help solve these issues, that's exactly what I want to hear."", '""In internal surveysand in bargainingcommittee meetings, union-representedpartners consistently rank ""staffing and scheduling"" as their highest priority issue.', 'The vast majority of represented partners report frequently working short-staffed, and a simple majority of partners report that they are getting scheduled for fewer hours than they want or need.', 'The union has also pushed for better pay and benefits.', 'Starbucks says it has made significant progress over the past two years on staffing and scheduling.', 'An advanced staffing model is able to take into account both historical trends of allocated hours per store, but also current trends, available product types and upcoming promotions, the company said.', 'Starbucks says its data affirms partners now get more hours and that partner retention and sentiment have both increased across the U.S. as schedules become more stable and consistent.', 'Staffing improvements are likely to be even more important as Starbucks projects an increase in traffic and orders.', 'In July, Starbucks plans to open up its mobile order and pay app to nonrewards members in a bid to win back its occasional customer base.', 'This will create the ability to target all customers with new products and promotions in an effort to grow traffic.', 'It is also due to introduce what it is calling the Siren System: new equipment and protocol to address customer ticket times.', 'The Siren System includes a custom ice dispenser, milk-dispensing system and faster blenders to reduce steps for baristas and get drinks to customers faster.', 'It will reach 1,000 stores in July.', '""It\'s a terrible feeling to be on that floor and to pull a sticker and to look at the time and then look up at the clock on the wall and realize, you\'re already 8 minutes behind,"" Eisen said of mobile orders.', '""Eight minutes doesn\'t sound like a lot.', 'But when you\'re producing 100 transactions per half hour … and you realize you\'re probably backed up 20 drinks, it\'s a bad feeling,"" she said.', 'There has been another call for change at Starbucks stores that may carry weight at the negotiating table.', ""Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a LinkedIn post after the company's earnings report said management needs to spend more time with workers to understand ongoing challenges."", 'It was the third time he has publicly weighed in on Starbucks and its operations since leaving the company and its board last year.', 'It was a notable shift in tone from when Schultz returned to the company in 2022 to respond to the union challenge, with a far more combative attitude.', 'Narasimhan was mentored by Schultz for six months before taking the helm at the company, and he spent time in stores with baristas, even earning his barista certification before becoming CEO in 2023.""I have emphasized that the company\'s fix needs to begin at home: U.S. operations are the primary reason for the company\'s fall from grace,"" Schultz said. ""', 'The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant.', 'The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores.', '""At the time, the coffee giant said in response, ""We always appreciate Howard\'s perspective.', 'The challenges and opportunities he highlights are ones we are focused on.', 'And like Howard, we are confident in Starbucks\' long-term success.""']",0.249891092710261,"""Specifically in our U.S. stores, we're focused on creating a more stable environment for partners through investments in equipment innovation, process improvements, staffing, scheduling and waste reduction, all things our partners value and prioritize creating a more satisfying work environment in our stores while de-risking our business,"" Narasimhan said on a call with analysts.","""I think this is a new world right now to be able to say that the CEO has stepped up and said, 'Look, we've got some problems, we know we've got some problems, we want to work towards fixing those problems,'"" Eisen said. """,0.4612621784210205,Starbucks says its data affirms partners now get more hours and that partner retention and sentiment have both increased across the U.S. as schedules become more stable and consistent.,U.S. same-store sales fell 3% and traffic dropped 7%.,2024-05-29
"Stellantis CEO says $25,000 Jeep EV coming to the U.S. 'very soon'",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/stellantis-affordable-jeep-ev.html,2024-05-29T16:22:12+0000,"In this articleStellantis plans to offer a $25,000 all-electric Jeep vehicle in the U.S. ""very soon"" to better attract mainstream consumers amid slower-than-expected electric vehicle adoption, CEO Carlos Tavares said Wednesday.Tavares disclosed few details about the upcoming vehicle, saying it will be priced around $25,000 in the U.S. to emulate Stellantis' pricing of the Citroen e-C3 SUV, a low-cost model starting at 23,300 euros, or about $25,200, in Europe.""In the same way we brought the 20,000 Euro Citroen e-C3, you will have a $25,000 Jeep very soon,"" he said Wednesday during a Bernstein investor conference. ""We are using the same expertise because we are a global company and this is totally fluid across the engineering world of Stellantis.""Stellantis currently offers an all-electric version of its Avenger SUV in Europe, starting at about 35,000 euros, or about $37,800, according to its website. The vehicle is not sold in the U.S., where the automaker has focused on plug-in hybrid electric Jeep vehicles.Offering a new EV for around $25,000 has long been a target for automakers such as Stellantis, Tesla and others. The importance of such a vehicle has grown more apparent as Chinese automakers such as BYD and Nio grow their sales of less-expensive EVs outside of China.""If you ask me what is an affordable BEV, I would say 20,000 euros in Europe and $25,000 in the U.S.,"" Tavares said. ""So our job is to bring the safe, clean and affordable BEV to the U.S., $25,000. We'll do it.""Jeep's first all-electric vehicle for the U.S. is expected to be the large Wagoneer S SUV, due later this year. The company is scheduled to officially reveal the vehicle Thursday in New York. A Jeep Wrangler-inspired off-road vehicle called the Recon also is expected as soon as this year.Tavares said Wednesday that the company expects to achieve cost parity between its all-electric vehicles and traditional internal combustion engine vehicles in the next ""three years, max"" to better compete with the growing ""China invasion"" of affordable EVs.""It's a very challenging period, very chaotic, very Darwinian,"" Tavares said regarding the Chinese competitors, EV transition and potential consolidation of the automotive industry. ""We are in the storm, and this storm is going to last a few years.""Tavares' comments come amid increasing geopolitical tensions surrounding China-made EVs in the U.S., Europe and other regions. Many in and around the automotive industry fear the less-expensive, China-made vehicles will flood the markets, undercutting domestic-produced EVs.Tavares also said tariffs such as those the U.S. is implementing against Chinese EVs may delay their expansion to the U.S. but will not completely stop it.""Yes, time helps, but you cannot stop the competition,"" Tavares said. ""Putting you behind a protectionist bubble is not going to help you to be competitive. … If your strategy is to shrink and stay inside of the bubble, it will buy you time, but certainly it will cut your future.""The Biden administration's 100% tariff announced earlier this month, up from a current import tax of about 25%, covers EVs imported from China but could still leave room for the often-cheap Chinese models to undercut domestic prices and leaves loopholes for imports made by Chinese automakers in other countries, such as neighboring Mexico. It also does nothing to address current or future gas-powered vehicles imported from the Communist country to the U.S.",CNBC,29/05/2024,"['In this articleStellantis plans to offer a $25,000 all-electric Jeep vehicle in the U.S. ""very soon"" to better attract mainstream consumers amid slower-than-expected electric vehicle adoption, CEO Carlos Tavares said Wednesday.', ""Tavares disclosed few details about the upcoming vehicle, saying it will be priced around $25,000 in the U.S. to emulate Stellantis' pricing of the Citroen e-C3 SUV, a low-cost model starting at23,300 euros, or about $25,200,in Europe."", '""In the same way we brought the 20,000 Euro Citroen e-C3, you will have a $25,000 Jeep very soon,"" he said Wednesday during a Bernstein investor conference. ""', 'We are using the same expertise because we are a global company and this is totally fluid across the engineering world of Stellantis.', '""Stellantis currently offers an all-electric version of its Avenger SUV in Europe, starting at about 35,000 euros, or about $37,800, according to its website.', 'The vehicle is not sold in the U.S., where the automaker has focused on plug-in hybrid electric Jeep vehicles.', 'Offering a new EV for around $25,000 has long been a target for automakers such as Stellantis,Teslaand others.', 'The importance of such a vehicle has grown more apparent as Chinese automakers such as BYDandNiogrow their salesof less-expensive EVsoutside of China.', '""If you ask me what is an affordable BEV, I would say 20,000 euros in Europe and $25,000 in the U.S.,"" Tavares said. ""', 'So our job is to bring the safe, clean and affordable BEV to the U.S., $25,000.', ""We'll do it."", '""Jeep\'s first all-electric vehicle for the U.S. is expected to be the large Wagoneer S SUV, due later this year.', 'The company is scheduled to officially reveal the vehicle Thursday in New York.', 'A Jeep Wrangler-inspired off-road vehicle called the Recon also is expected as soon as this year.', 'Tavares said Wednesday that the company expects to achieve cost parity between its all-electric vehicles and traditional internal combustion engine vehicles in the next ""three years, max"" to better compete with the growing ""China invasion"" of affordable EVs.', '""It\'s a very challenging period, very chaotic, very Darwinian,"" Tavares said regarding the Chinese competitors, EV transition and potential consolidation of the automotive industry. ""', 'We are in the storm, and this storm is going to last a few years.', '""Tavares\' comments come amid increasing geopolitical tensions surrounding China-made EVs in the U.S., Europe and other regions.', 'Many in and around the automotive industry fear the less-expensive, China-made vehicles will flood the markets, undercutting domestic-produced EVs.', 'Tavares also said tariffs such as those the U.S. is implementing against Chinese EVs may delay their expansion to the U.S. but will not completely stop it.', '""Yes, time helps, but you cannot stop the competition,"" Tavares said. ""', 'Putting you behind a protectionist bubble is not going to help you to be competitive. …', 'If your strategy is to shrink and stay inside of the bubble, it will buy you time, but certainly it will cut your future.', '""The Biden administration\'s 100% tariff announced earlier this month, up from a current import tax of about 25%, covers EVs imported from China but could still leave room for the often-cheap Chinese models to undercut domestic prices and leaves loopholes for imports made by Chinese automakers in other countries, such as neighboring Mexico.', 'It also does nothing to address current or future gas-powered vehicles imported from the Communist country to the U.S.']",0.0936514234605385,"So our job is to bring the safe, clean and affordable BEV to the U.S., $25,000.","Many in and around the automotive industry fear the less-expensive, China-made vehicles will flood the markets, undercutting domestic-produced EVs.",0.020071268081665,"Tavares said Wednesday that the company expects to achieve cost parity between its all-electric vehicles and traditional internal combustion engine vehicles in the next ""three years, max"" to better compete with the growing ""China invasion"" of affordable EVs.","Many in and around the automotive industry fear the less-expensive, China-made vehicles will flood the markets, undercutting domestic-produced EVs.",2024-05-29
McDonald's might never expand CosMc's. But the spinoff could still pay dividends,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/mcdonalds-cosmcs-chain-expansion.html,2024-05-28T13:51:32+0000,"In this articleNearly six months since McDonald's opened its first CosMc's location, the hours-long drive-thru lines have died down, but the chain is just getting started.The burger giant created the spinoff using one of its lesser-known McDonaldland mascots, CosMc, an alien who loves McDonald's cheeseburgers. While unveiling CosMc's at an investor event in December, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company set out to create a brand that could sell customizable drinks and coffee popular in the afternoon segment to attract younger consumers.The new brand rollout comes as beverages are increasingly ""looked at now as part of that snack area — more affordable, indulgent and perhaps even a healthier treat,"" said Katie Belflower, an editor at restaurant research firm Technomic. ""It's a good profit margin for restaurants. With beverages, you can get really creative, without necessarily having the product lines that you would have to invest in with food.""Since opening the initial location in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, McDonald's has opened three more CosMc's restaurants, all in Texas. For now, the chain is planning to open 10 locations by the end of this year for a test run, with all but one located in the Lone Star State.In another sign of the new brand's expansion, it will launch its own mobile app and loyalty program, called CosMc's Club, on Tuesday. Customers can use the app to place orders that they pick up either inside the restaurant or in the drive-thru lane. And loyalty program members earn 10 points for every dollar they spend; once they rack up 400 points, they can redeem them for $2 rewards.While the long-term fate of CosMc's is still too soon to tell, the gamble could pay off for McDonald's even if the spinoff never makes it past the 10-location test phase. The app and loyalty program will give the chain even more consumer insight.""The cost of doing this, to McDonald's, is a rounding error. Even if they shut them all down six months from now, they still learn some things. Sometimes the learnings can be more valuable than you might imagine they would be,"" Mark Kalinowski, restaurant industry analyst and chief executive of Kalinowski Equity Research, told CNBC.At McDonald's December investor presentation, Kempczinski downplayed the short-term effect of CosMc's.""Let me emphasize again, we're talking about 10 stores,"" he said at the event. ""The big story isn't about CosMc's, per se. The big story is what it says about McDonald's and our potential.""But for many consumers, CosMc's was the headline. When the first location opened days later in Illinois, eager customers waited for hours in drive-thru lines that dragged around the shopping center for the chance to buy McPops and Churro Frappes.Weeks later, the buzz had started dying. According to Intouch Insight, the average wait time from entering the CosMc's drive-thru line to reaching the speaker to order was 11 minutes and 13 seconds, based on visits from mystery shoppers in January and February. But the average service time, after ordering, was just four minutes and one second, trailing the industry benchmark by just six seconds.On a Monday afternoon in May, there was no line for this CNBC reporter to reach one of the four drive-thru intercoms to place an order.Investors' interest has also cooled as other parts of McDonald's business draw more attention.""Six months ago, there was a lot of curiosity, but now that you've seen McDonald's same-store sales decelerate, that's where my clients' focus is,"" Kalinowski said.In the first quarter, McDonald's reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 2.5%, a slowdown as price increases fade and diners pull back their restaurant spending.From the outside, the CosMc's location in Bolingbrook isn't much to look at. Four drive-thru lines await customers to place their orders. The building's indigo exterior features the brand's name – but no sign of its namesake mascot.In fact, while CosMc plays an outsize role in the brand's fictional origin story on the CosMc's website, he's basically invisible from its branding or restaurant.""He is not as well-known of a character,"" Belflower said. ""I think that's almost to their benefit, because people can understand how CosMc's is different from McDonald's itself — but it still has a retro font and coloring and things like that, so I think all of that helps tie it into the nostalgia.""CosMc's absence could also be due to the fact that the chain's target customer likely wasn't born yet when McDonald's advertisements featuring CosMc aired in the '80's and '90's.  ""Just in looking at the menu, it looks like it's designed for half my age and under,"" said Kalinowski, whose industry experience spans more than two decades.CosMc's customers can choose from a vast array of drinks and a smaller snack menu. Sour Cherry Energy Burst, Island Pick-Me-Up Punch and Popping Pear Slush are among the beverages that McDonald's created specifically for the chain.Drinks, like a Tropical Spiceade, can be customized with ""boosts,"" like a vitamin C shot or an energy shot, tapioca pearls known as boba or a choice of eight different syrups. The chain also offers coffee drinks – like its Churro Cold Brew Frappe, whose largest size contains nearly five times the amount of caffeine found in an average cup of brewed coffee.CosMc's is also the latest example of a beverage-focused restaurant that doesn't just sell coffee. There's Utahan soda chain Swig, now majority-owned by Larry Miller's family office. Dutch Bros gets about a quarter of its sales from its Blue Rebel energy drink. And Starbucks' Refreshers, first introduced a dozen years ago, are the chain's fastest-growing beverage category in the U.S., with new spicy flavors available this spring.Non-coffee drinks tend to appeal more to consumers looking for a pick-me-up in the afternoon. While they still might want caffeine, a flavored beverage like a Blueberry Ginger Boost from CosMc's might be more appealing than another coffee.CosMc's level of customization would be difficult at a traditional McDonald's because it would slow down its drive-thru lanes too much. For example, Starbucks has credited the shift to cold drinks and pricy customizations, like cold foam, for its sales growth in recent years, but both customers and baristas have griped about complicated orders slowing service too much.One way to speed up CosMc's service could be using its digital menu boards differently. The CosMc's menu board plays ads until a car pulls up next to the nearby intercom, leaving customers little time to ponder the menu of more than 70 drinks and food items. The launch of mobile and online ordering will likely also help speed up wait times.Once customers finish ordering, they can pay at the speaker or wait to pay with a cashier at the pick-up window. CosMc's also has customers wait by the intercom where they ordered until their order is ready to pick up. The menu board relays what pick-up window to drive up to grab the order.Envisioned as a small-format location, CosMc's doesn't offer any in-restaurant seating, leaving it up to customers to sit in the 10-spot parking lot or keep driving. The Bolingbrook CosMc's, a former Boston Market location, is much larger than McDonald's intends for the rest of the brand's locations. But with empty real estate, a 45-minute drive from the company's Chicago headquarters and a traditional McDonald's right next door, it makes sense why the company chose that location as the first spot for the spinoff.But the location's history is also a warning for McDonald's. The company bought Boston Market out of bankruptcy in 2000, intending to use its real estate. But it instead kept running the brand.Seven years later, McDonald's sold it off, following a broader divestment in other secondary brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill. At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.",CNBC,28/05/2024,"[""In this articleNearly six months since McDonald's opened its first CosMc's location, the hours-long drive-thru lines have died down, but the chain is just getting started."", ""The burger giant created the spinoff using one of its lesser-known McDonaldland mascots, CosMc, an alien who loves McDonald's cheeseburgers."", ""While unveiling CosMc's at an investor event in December, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company set out to create a brand that could sell customizable drinks and coffee popular in the afternoon segment to attract younger consumers."", 'The new brand rollout comes as beverages are increasingly ""looked at now as part of that snack area — more affordable, indulgent and perhaps even a healthier treat,"" said Katie Belflower, an editor at restaurant research firm Technomic. ""', ""It's a good profit margin for restaurants."", 'With beverages, you can get really creative, without necessarily having the product lines that you would have to invest in with food.', '""Since opening the initial location in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, McDonald\'s has opened three more CosMc\'s restaurants, all in Texas.', 'For now, the chain is planning to open 10 locations by the end of this year for a test run, with all but one located in the Lone Star State.', ""In another sign of the new brand's expansion, it will launch its own mobile app and loyalty program, called CosMc's Club, on Tuesday."", 'Customers can use the app to place orders that they pick up either inside the restaurant or in the drive-thru lane.', 'And loyalty program members earn 10 points for every dollar they spend; once they rack up 400 points, they can redeem them for $2 rewards.', ""While the long-term fate of CosMc's is still too soon to tell, the gamble could pay off for McDonald's even if the spinoff never makes it past the 10-location test phase."", 'The app and loyalty program will give the chain even more consumer insight.', '""The cost of doing this, to McDonald\'s, is a rounding error.', 'Even if they shut them all down six months from now, they still learn some things.', 'Sometimes the learnings can be more valuable than you might imagine they would be,"" Mark Kalinowski, restaurant industry analyst and chief executive of Kalinowski Equity Research, told CNBC.At McDonald\'s December investor presentation, Kempczinski downplayed the short-term effect of CosMc\'s.', '""Let me emphasize again, we\'re talking about 10 stores,"" he said at the event. ""', ""The big story isn't about CosMc's, per se."", ""The big story is what it says about McDonald's and our potential."", '""But for many consumers, CosMc\'s was the headline.', 'When the first location opened days later in Illinois, eager customers waited for hours in drive-thru lines that dragged around the shopping center for the chance to buy McPops and Churro Frappes.', 'Weeks later, the buzz had started dying.', ""According to Intouch Insight, the average wait time from entering the CosMc's drive-thru line to reaching the speaker to order was 11 minutes and 13 seconds, based on visits from mystery shoppers in January and February."", 'But the average service time, after ordering, was just four minutes and one second, trailing the industry benchmark by just six seconds.', 'On a Monday afternoon in May, there was no line for this CNBC reporter to reach one of the four drive-thru intercoms to place an order.', ""Investors' interest has also cooled as other parts of McDonald's business draw more attention."", '""Six months ago, there was a lot of curiosity, but now that you\'ve seen McDonald\'s same-store sales decelerate, that\'s where my clients\' focus is,"" Kalinowski said.', ""In the first quarter, McDonald's reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 2.5%, a slowdown as price increases fade and diners pull back their restaurant spending."", ""From the outside, the CosMc's location in Bolingbrook isn't much to look at."", 'Four drive-thru lines await customers to place their orders.', ""The building's indigo exterior features the brand's name – but no sign of its namesake mascot."", ""In fact, while CosMc plays an outsize role in the brand's fictional origin story on the CosMc's website, he's basically invisible from its branding or restaurant."", '""He is not as well-known of a character,"" Belflower said. ""', ""I think that's almost to their benefit, because people can understand how CosMc's is different from McDonald's itself — but it still has a retro font and coloring and things like that, so I think all of that helps tie it into the nostalgia."", '""CosMc\'s absence could also be due to the fact that the chain\'s target customer likely wasn\'t born yet when McDonald\'s advertisements featuring CosMc aired in the \'80\'s and \'90\'s. ""', 'Just in looking at the menu, it looks like it\'s designed for half my age and under,"" said Kalinowski, whose industry experience spans more than two decades.', ""CosMc's customers can choose from a vast array of drinks and a smaller snack menu."", ""Sour Cherry Energy Burst, Island Pick-Me-Up Punch and Popping Pear Slush are among the beverages that McDonald's created specifically for the chain."", 'Drinks, like a Tropical Spiceade, can be customized with ""boosts,"" like a vitamin C shot or an energy shot, tapioca pearls known as boba or a choice of eight different syrups.', 'The chain also offers coffee drinks – like its Churro Cold Brew Frappe, whose largest size contains nearly five times the amount of caffeine found in an average cup of brewed coffee.', ""CosMc's is also the latest example of a beverage-focused restaurant that doesn't just sell coffee."", ""There's Utahan soda chain Swig, now majority-owned by Larry Miller's family office."", 'Dutch Bros gets about a quarter of its sales from its Blue Rebel energy drink.', ""And Starbucks' Refreshers, first introduced a dozen years ago, are the chain's fastest-growing beverage category in the U.S., with new spicy flavors available this spring."", 'Non-coffee drinks tend to appeal more to consumers looking for a pick-me-up in the afternoon.', ""While they still might want caffeine, a flavored beverage like a Blueberry Ginger Boost from CosMc's might be more appealing than another coffee."", ""CosMc's level of customization would be difficult at a traditional McDonald's because it would slow down its drive-thru lanes too much."", 'For example, Starbucks has credited the shift to cold drinks and pricy customizations, like cold foam, for its sales growth in recent years, but both customers and baristas have griped about complicated orders slowing service too much.', ""One way to speed up CosMc's service could be using its digital menu boards differently."", ""The CosMc's menu board plays ads until a car pulls up next to the nearby intercom, leaving customers little time to ponder the menu of more than 70 drinks and food items."", 'The launch of mobile and online ordering will likely also help speed up wait times.', 'Once customers finish ordering, they can pay at the speaker or wait to pay with a cashier at the pick-up window.', ""CosMc's also has customers wait by the intercom where they ordered until their order is ready to pick up."", 'The menu board relays what pick-up window to drive up to grab the order.', ""Envisioned as a small-format location, CosMc's doesn't offer any in-restaurant seating, leaving it up to customers to sit in the 10-spot parking lot or keep driving."", ""The Bolingbrook CosMc's, a former Boston Market location, is much larger than McDonald's intends for the rest of the brand's locations."", ""But with empty real estate, a 45-minute drive from the company's Chicago headquarters and a traditional McDonald's right next door, it makes sense why the company chose that location as the first spot for the spinoff."", ""But the location's history is also a warning for McDonald's."", 'The company bought Boston Market out of bankruptcy in 2000, intending to use its real estate.', 'But it instead kept running the brand.', ""Seven years later, McDonald's sold it off, following a broader divestment in other secondary brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill."", ""At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.""]",0.1469648012819918,"Drinks, like a Tropical Spiceade, can be customized with ""boosts,"" like a vitamin C shot or an energy shot, tapioca pearls known as boba or a choice of eight different syrups.","At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.",0.143024511197034,It's a good profit margin for restaurants.,"At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.",2024-05-29
Here's how U.S. health officials are responding to bird flu in humans after second case,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/bird-flu-what-to-know-about-human-cases-vaccines.html,2024-05-24T23:09:44+0000,"U.S. health officials are monitoring and preparing to combat bird flu in humans, even as they emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low. A strain of bird flu called H5N1 has been confirmed in dairy cows across nine U.S. states, as well as in two people, amid a global outbreak among poultry and other animals. The latest case was announced Wednesday in a dairy farm worker in Michigan. A child in Australia was also recently infected with bird flu, the country announced Tuesday.H5N1 has been spreading among more animal species worldwide since 2020, but its detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was a twist health officials did not expect. In rare cases, bird flu viruses spread to humans and can cause mild to severe symptoms that can require hospitalization. There is currently no evidence that H5N1 is spreading from person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population. Still, the U.S. government, along with state and local health departments, are monitoring new and emerging infections among humans and animals. Federal agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere have also tracked the H5N1 virus for years to monitor its evolution. The U.S. government has long stockpiled vaccines and drugs to be used in a possible bird flu pandemic. Last week, it started the process of preparing nearly 5 million doses of vaccines expected to be well-matched against H5N1, among other efforts to respond, the Health and Human Services Department confirmed to CNBC. Some infectious disease experts told CNBC the U.S. government appears to be generally prepared if bird flu begins to spread more widely and easily to humans, especially compared with how equipped the country was for the Covid pandemic. The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed. ""There's a lot of pieces that are already in place that help us understand that we can respond to this faster,"" said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. ""As is always the case, though, it's about the efficiency of our responses, right? We know what we can do. We just have to be able to do it effectively.""The latest human infection, in the Michigan dairy worker, is not a surprise, according to both experts and the government. The CDC said Wednesday that similar cases in humans could be identified because high levels of the virus have been found in raw milk from infected cows.The U.S. government currently has two vaccine virus candidates that it believes are a good match for H5N1. Those candidates are weakened versions of a virus that trigger a protective immune response against it in the body and can be used to produce vaccines.Both of the candidates are already available to manufacturers, according to the CDC. The government last week started the process of manufacturing 4.8 million doses of those human vaccines in case they are needed, HHS confirmed. Pekosz called those doses a ""first line of defense in case we do see some human-to-human transmission."" He said that number is enough to stem an outbreak in its early stages, which could include vaccinating farm workers and some health-care workers. But he said far more are needed for the more than 300 million people in the U.S. if the virus spreads widely among humans. ""Five million doesn't really get us very far. It's just a quick start,"" Pekosz said. U.S. health officials said May 1 that the government could ship more than 100 million doses of human bird flu vaccines within three to four months if needed, NBC News reported. Notably, people will need two doses of a vaccine, meaning that 100 million doses is enough for only 50 million people. That suggests the U.S. would need roughly 600 million shots if it wanted to vaccinate the entire population. The government faces a difficult decision on how many shots to prepare, especially since it takes a few months to make them.""It's either too little or too much. For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. ""That's really the whole big conundrum now with a vaccine whenever you have a potential threat. It's the high cost and high-risk aspects.""Chin-Hong said misinformation and vaccine hesitancy after Covid makes that decision all the more challenging. But he said he believes ""you can never really invest too much"" in preparing for potential pandemics, especially at a time when climate change, population growth and other factors make them increasingly likely to happen.The Food and Drug Administration would need to approve bird flu vaccines before they roll out. But Pekosz said that will likely be a ""rapid procedure"" since the FDA is accustomed to clearing seasonal flu vaccines, which are made using the same manufacturing process as bird flu shots. U.S. health officials are also in talks with messenger RNA vaccine makers about potential bird flu shots for humans. Few details have been shared about those negotiations, but HHS said a final announcement is expected soon. Unlike traditional flu shots, mRNA works by teaching cells to produce a harmless piece of a virus, which triggers an immune response against certain diseases. It is the same technology both Pfizer and Moderna have used in their Covid vaccines. Chin-Hong said mRNA vaccines could be updated more quickly to match the currently circulating strains of the bird flu. But he said those vaccines have their own challenges, such as needing to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.In a statement to CNBC, Moderna confirmed that it is involved in negotiations with the government regarding its experimental pandemic influenza shot, mRNA-1018. It targets the exact strain of the virus responsible for the outbreak in dairy cattle. The biotech company began testing that shot in an early- to mid-stage trial last summer.Pfizer declined to confirm negotiations with the government. The company said it is continuing to monitor the spread of H5N1 and study its mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine candidates in an early trial. The CDC and its partners, including state and local health departments, use multiple surveillance systems to monitor seasonal influenza and other illnesses. They also have specialized methods to detect and monitor new flu viruses. Seasonal influenza spreads mostly among humans with predictable peaks during the year, while bird flu spreads mostly among wild birds and other animals.The CDC said it is looking for the spread of H5N1 to or among people in areas where the virus has been identified in animals or humans. So far, the agency has found ""no indicators of unusual influenza activity in people,"" including H5N1, according to an update on the agency's site from last week. The CDC also performs ongoing analyses of seasonal and new influenza viruses to identify genetic changes that might allow for them to cause more serious infections in humans, spread more easily to and between people or become less susceptible to vaccines and drugs.While there is robust testing on the federal, state and local levels, it is far more difficult for an average person to self-screen and get diagnosed for bird flu like they can for Covid, Chin-Hong said. That's ""the big barrier, particularly in the populations that are getting affected now,"" he said.Chin-Hong is referring to farm workers, a large share of whom are immigrants, who may struggle to navigate the U.S. health system due to language barriers and health-care access. If people do contract the virus, there are a few FDA-approved antiviral drugs for seasonal flu that can be used for bird flu. That includes Tamiflu, which is an oral prescription medication that should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms. A Texas dairy farm worker who was diagnosed with bird flu in March was treated with an antiviral drug and recovered, according to a CDC report.But Pekosz said the antiviral drugs in the nation's stockpile are likely not enough for the vast majority of the population, so manufacturers may be asked to scale up supply.The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.People who need to make contact with those animals should wear the appropriate mask and eye protection and wash their hands afterward.Torriani added that pasteurized milk and cheese are likely safer to consume than raw dairy products since the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['U.S. health officials are monitoring and preparing to combat bird flu in humans, even as they emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low.', 'A strain of bird flu called H5N1 has been confirmed in dairy cows across nine U.S. states, as well as in two people, amid a global outbreak among poultry and other animals.', 'The latest case was announced Wednesday in a dairy farm worker in Michigan.', 'A child in Australia was also recently infected with bird flu, the country announced Tuesday.', 'H5N1 has been spreading among more animal species worldwide since 2020, but its detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was a twist health officials did not expect.', 'In rare cases, bird flu viruses spread to humans and can cause mild to severe symptoms that can require hospitalization.', 'There is currently no evidence that H5N1 is spreading from person to person.', 'The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population.', 'Still, the U.S. government, along with state and local health departments, are monitoring new and emerging infections among humans and animals.', 'Federal agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere have also tracked the H5N1 virus for years to monitor its evolution.', 'The U.S. government has long stockpiled vaccines and drugs to be used in a possible bird flu pandemic.', 'Last week, it started the process of preparing nearly 5 million doses of vaccines expected to be well-matched against H5N1, among other efforts to respond, the Health and Human Services Department confirmed to CNBC.Some infectious disease experts told CNBC the U.S. government appears to be generally prepared if bird flu begins to spread more widely and easily to humans, especially compared with how equipped the country was for the Covid pandemic.', 'The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed.', '""There\'s a lot of pieces that are already in place that help us understand that we can respond to this faster,"" said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. ""', ""As is always the case, though, it's about the efficiency of our responses, right?"", 'We know what we can do.', 'We just have to be able to do it effectively.', '""The latest human infection, in the Michigan dairy worker, is not a surprise, according to both experts and the government.', 'The CDC said Wednesday that similar cases in humans could be identified because high levels of the virus have been found in raw milk from infected cows.', 'The U.S. government currently has two vaccine virus candidates that it believes are a good match for H5N1.', 'Those candidates are weakened versions of a virus that trigger a protective immune response against it in the body and can be used to produce vaccines.', 'Both of the candidates are already available to manufacturers, according to the CDC.', 'The government last week started the process of manufacturing 4.8 million doses of those human vaccines in case they are needed, HHS confirmed.', 'Pekosz called those doses a ""first line of defense in case we do see some human-to-human transmission.""', 'He said that number is enough to stem an outbreak in its early stages, which could include vaccinating farm workers and some health-care workers.', 'But he said far more are needed for the more than 300 million people in the U.S. if the virus spreads widely among humans.', '""Five million doesn\'t really get us very far.', 'It\'s just a quick start,"" Pekosz said.', 'U.S. health officials said May 1 that the government could ship more than 100 million doses of human bird flu vaccines within three to four months if needed, NBC News reported.', 'Notably, people will need two doses of a vaccine, meaning that 100 million doses is enough for only 50 million people.', 'That suggests the U.S. would need roughly 600 million shots if it wanted to vaccinate the entire population.', 'The government faces a difficult decision on how many shots to prepare, especially since it takes a few months to make them.', '""It\'s either too little or too much.', 'For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. ""', ""That's really the whole big conundrum now with a vaccine whenever you have a potential threat."", ""It's the high cost and high-risk aspects."", '""Chin-Hong said misinformation and vaccine hesitancy after Covid makes that decision all the more challenging.', 'But he said he believes ""you can never really invest too much"" in preparing for potential pandemics, especially at a time when climate change, population growth and other factors make them increasingly likely to happen.', 'The Food and Drug Administration would need to approve bird flu vaccines before they roll out.', 'But Pekosz said that will likely be a ""rapid procedure"" since the FDA is accustomed to clearing seasonal flu vaccines, which are made using the same manufacturing process as bird flu shots.', 'U.S. health officials are also in talks with messenger RNA vaccine makers about potential bird flu shots for humans.', 'Few details have been shared about those negotiations, but HHS said a final announcement is expected soon.', 'Unlike traditional flu shots, mRNA works by teaching cells to produce a harmless piece of a virus, which triggers an immune response against certain diseases.', 'It is the same technology both Pfizer and Moderna have used in their Covid vaccines.', 'Chin-Hong said mRNA vaccines could be updated more quickly to match the currently circulating strains of the bird flu.', 'But he said those vaccines have their own challenges, such as needing to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.', 'In a statement to CNBC, Moderna confirmed that it is involved in negotiations with the government regarding its experimental pandemic influenza shot, mRNA-1018.', 'It targets the exact strain of the virus responsible for the outbreak in dairy cattle.', 'The biotech company began testing that shot in an early- to mid-stage trial last summer.', 'Pfizer declined to confirm negotiations with the government.', 'The company said it is continuing to monitor the spread of H5N1 and study its mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine candidates in an early trial.', 'The CDC and its partners, including state and local health departments, use multiple surveillance systems to monitor seasonal influenza and other illnesses.', 'They also have specialized methods to detect and monitor new flu viruses.', 'Seasonal influenza spreads mostly among humans with predictable peaks during the year, while bird flu spreads mostly among wild birds and other animals.', 'The CDC said it is looking for the spread of H5N1 to or among people in areas where the virus has been identified in animals or humans.', 'So far, the agency has found ""no indicators of unusual influenza activity in people,"" including H5N1, according to an update on the agency\'s site from last week.', 'The CDC also performs ongoing analyses of seasonal and new influenza viruses to identify genetic changes that might allow for them to cause more serious infections in humans, spread more easily to and between people or become less susceptible to vaccines and drugs.', 'While there is robust testing on the federal, state and local levels, it isfar more difficult for an average person to self-screen and get diagnosed for bird flu like they can for Covid, Chin-Hong said.', 'That\'s ""the big barrier, particularly in the populations that are getting affected now,""he said.', 'Chin-Hong is referring to farm workers, a large share of whom are immigrants, who may struggle to navigate the U.S. health system due to language barriers and health-care access.', 'If people do contract the virus, there are a few FDA-approved antiviral drugs for seasonal flu that can be used for bird flu.', 'That includes Tamiflu, which is an oral prescription medication that should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms.', 'A Texas dairy farm worker who was diagnosed with bird flu in March was treated with an antiviral drug and recovered, according to a CDC report.', ""But Pekosz said the antiviral drugs in the nation's stockpile are likely not enough for the vast majority of the population, so manufacturers may be asked to scale up supply."", 'The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.', 'People who need to make contact with those animals should wear the appropriate mask and eye protection and wash their hands afterward.', 'Torriani added that pasteurized milk and cheese are likely safer to consume than raw dairy products since the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria.']",-0.0904653041936938,"The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed.","The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.",0.4238584800200028,The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population.,"For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. """,2024-05-29
"Porsche reveals first-ever 911 hybrid sports car, starting at $164,900",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/porsche-911-hybrid-sports-car.html,2024-05-28T13:57:46+0000,"Porsche on Tuesday revealed the first-ever production hybrid version of its iconic 911 sports car, with a starting price of $164,900.The 2025 911 Carrera GTS hybrid marks a significant change to the iconic German sports car amid the automotive industry's focus on increasing electrified vehicles and tightening fuel economy standards.Executives with the Volkswagen-controlled company have said the 911 would be the last car in its portfolio to offer an all-electric variant, if it ever does, to maintain the vehicle's famed driving dynamics, which they say the hybrid achieves.""We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,"" Frank Moser, Porsche vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, said in a release. ""The result is a unique powertrain that is well-integrated into the overall concept and enhances the performance significantly.""The new 911 Carrera GTS can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds – 0.3 seconds quicker than the prior non-hybrid GTS model – and reach a top track speed of 194 mph. It is powered by a newly developed 3.6-liter boxer hybrid engine that produces 532 horsepower and 449 foot-pounds of torque.The 911 Carrera GTS hybrid will be available as a coupe starting at $164,900. A convertible, or cabriolet, version will start at $178,200. Both are available in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.Ordering for the hybrid models is now open, with deliveries expected to U.S. dealers toward the end of 2024.Porsche is the latest automaker to increase or add hybrid vehicles to its lineup amid a slower-than-expected adoption of all-electric vehicles. Its current electrified lineup includes six plug-in hybrid Cayenne models, three Panamera plug-in hybrid models and 10 all-electric Taycan models. It also has used hybrid engines in racing, including with the 911.Porsche said that based on customer demand, it expects that at least 80% of its vehicles sold globally will be partially or fully electric by 2030.The hybrid model was revealed Tuesday alongside an updated lineup of Porsche 911 sports cars for the 2025 model year, which will begin arriving in U.S. Porsche showrooms in the fall. The non-hybrid vehicles, depending on the model, range from about $120,000 to more than $241,000 for a 911 GT3 RS.Updates to the 2025 911 include its exterior and interior designs, including a fully digital driver instrument cluster for the first time; enhanced engine performance; and enhanced standard equipment such as rear-axle steering for increased stability.Porsche's first-quarter global sales were 77,640 vehicles, down roughly 4% from a year earlier. Sales of 911 vehicles were 2,510 units in the U.S., up 30% from the first quarter of 2023.",CNBC,28/05/2024,"[""Porsche on Tuesday revealed the first-ever production hybrid version of its iconic 911 sports car, with a starting price of $164,900.The 2025 911 Carrera GTS hybrid marks a significant change to the iconic German sports car amid the automotive industry's focus on increasing electrified vehicles and tightening fuel economy standards."", ""Executives with the Volkswagen-controlled company have said the 911 would be the last car in its portfolio to offer an all-electric variant, if it ever does, to maintain the vehicle's famed driving dynamics, which they say the hybrid achieves."", '""We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,"" Frank Moser, Porsche vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, said in a release. ""', 'The result is a unique powertrain that is well-integrated into the overall concept and enhances the performance significantly.', '""The new 911 Carrera GTS can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds – 0.3 seconds quicker than the prior non-hybrid GTS model – and reach a top track speed of 194 mph.', 'It is powered by a newly developed 3.6-liter boxer hybrid engine that produces 532 horsepower and 449 foot-pounds of torque.', 'The 911 Carrera GTS hybrid will be available as a coupe starting at $164,900.', 'A convertible, or cabriolet, version will start at $178,200.', 'Both are available in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.', 'Ordering for the hybrid models is now open, with deliveries expected to U.S. dealers toward the end of 2024.Porsche is the latest automaker to increase or add hybrid vehicles to its lineup amid a slower-than-expected adoption of all-electric vehicles.', 'Its current electrified lineup includes six plug-in hybrid Cayenne models, three Panamera plug-in hybrid models and 10 all-electric Taycan models.', 'It also has used hybrid engines in racing, including with the 911.Porsche said that based on customer demand, it expects that at least 80% of its vehicles sold globally will be partially or fully electric by 2030.The hybrid model was revealed Tuesday alongside an updated lineup of Porsche 911 sports cars for the 2025 model year, which will begin arriving in U.S. Porsche showrooms in the fall.', 'The non-hybrid vehicles, depending on the model, range from about $120,000 to more than $241,000 for a 911 GT3 RS.Updates to the 2025 911 include its exterior and interior designs, including a fully digital driver instrument cluster for the first time; enhanced engine performance; and enhanced standard equipment such as rear-axle steering for increased stability.', ""Porsche's first-quarter global sales were 77,640 vehicles, down roughly 4% from a year earlier."", 'Sales of 911 vehicles were 2,510 units in the U.S., up 30% from the first quarter of 2023.']",0.1171106946090143,"""We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,"" Frank Moser, Porsche vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, said in a release. """,,0.5459667325019837,"Sales of 911 vehicles were 2,510 units in the U.S., up 30% from the first quarter of 2023.","Porsche's first-quarter global sales were 77,640 vehicles, down roughly 4% from a year earlier.",2024-05-29
"American Airlines cuts outlook, says chief commercial officer is leaving",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/american-airlines-outlook-chief-commercial-officer.html,2024-05-28T21:57:48+0000,"In this articleAmerican Airlines slashed its sales outlook on Tuesday. The company has also let go of its chief commercial officer, Vasu Raja. He will leave his position next month.American Airlines said it expects unit revenues to fall as much as 6% in the second quarter from a year earlier, down from a previous forecast of a decline of no more than 3%. The carrier also trimmed its adjusted earnings estimate for the period to a projected range of $1 to $1.15 a share, down from a prior range of $1.15 to $1.45 a share.The airline has trailed rivals Delta and United Airlines in recent months in financial performance. United Airlines later on Tuesday reiterated its expectation to earn an adjusted $3.75 to $4.25 per share in the second quarter.Executives from both carriers will present at a Bernstein conference Wednesday morning. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom plans to discuss the carrier's plan to modify its ticket distribution strategy in favor of driving bookings to its own platforms instead of third-party channels and agencies.When asked during an April earnings call whether American Airlines had been receiving pushback from corporate customers while rivals reported strong business travel growth, Isom admitted that the carrier could have to make changes to the system.""Look, we've got some fine-tuning to do,"" Isom said during the April call. ""No doubt the objective here is … to hang on to all the cost savings and then also to make sure that we maximize revenue production. As we take a look at the first quarter, there's quite likely some benefit that our competitors received because of some of … the changes that we've made.""Raja, just more than two years into his role as commercial head, had been on leave recently, and a spokeswoman for the carrier said last week that he was not leaving the company. That changed after internal discussions in the past few days, according to a person familiar with the matter.He previously served as chief revenue officer and headed American Airlines' network and alliances departments.Raja did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.Correction: This story has been updated to correct Vasu Raja's title.",CNBC,28/05/2024,"['In this articleAmerican Airlines slashed its sales outlook on Tuesday.', 'The company has also let go of its chief commercial officer, Vasu Raja.', 'He will leave his position next month.', 'American Airlines said it expects unit revenues to fall as much as 6% in the second quarter from a year earlier, down from a previous forecast of a decline of no more than 3%.', 'The carrier also trimmed its adjusted earnings estimate for the period to a projected range of $1 to $1.15 a share, down from a prior range of $1.15 to $1.45 a share.', 'The airline has trailed rivals Delta and United Airlines in recent months in financial performance.', 'United Airlines later on Tuesday reiterated its expectation to earn an adjusted $3.75 to $4.25 per share in the second quarter.', 'Executives from both carriers will present at a Bernstein conference Wednesday morning.', ""American Airlines CEO Robert Isom plans to discuss the carrier's plan to modify its ticket distribution strategy in favor of driving bookings to its own platforms instead of third-party channels and agencies."", 'When asked during an April earnings call whether American Airlines had been receiving pushback from corporate customers while rivals reported strong business travel growth, Isom admitted that the carrier could have to make changes to the system.', '""Look, we\'ve got some fine-tuning to do,"" Isom said during the April call. ""', 'No doubt the objective here is … to hang on to all the cost savings and then also to make sure that we maximize revenue production.', ""As we take a look at the first quarter, there's quite likely some benefit that our competitors received because of some of … the changes that we've made."", '""Raja, just more than two years into his role as commercial head, had been on leave recently, and a spokeswoman for the carrier said last week that he was not leaving the company.', 'That changed after internal discussions in the past few days, according to a person familiar with the matter.', ""He previously served as chief revenue officer and headed American Airlines' network and alliances departments."", ""Raja did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment."", ""Correction: This story has been updated to correct Vasu Raja's title.""]",0.1517031970220157,"When asked during an April earnings call whether American Airlines had been receiving pushback from corporate customers while rivals reported strong business travel growth, Isom admitted that the carrier could have to make changes to the system.",No doubt the objective here is … to hang on to all the cost savings and then also to make sure that we maximize revenue production.,0.0010806620121002,"As we take a look at the first quarter, there's quite likely some benefit that our competitors received because of some of … the changes that we've made.","The carrier also trimmed its adjusted earnings estimate for the period to a projected range of $1 to $1.15 a share, down from a prior range of $1.15 to $1.45 a share.",2024-05-29
Insulation scandal: 'I have to scrape mould off the walls',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxwwr7vyrj0o,2024-05-28T23:07:46.485Z,"Every two weeks Zoe Godrich scrapes the black mould off the walls of her children's bedrooms. She says her house now resembles a squat. ''It's absolutely heartbreaking because I can't provide for my children's basic needs of a safe warm home."" The mould took over after she had her Swansea home fitted with cavity-wall insulation three years ago. She says that within weeks, water was constantly running down the walls ''like a little waterfall"". The BBC can reveal that cavity-wall insulation fitted under government-backed green energy schemes could have failed in hundreds of thousands of homes because it was not installed properly. Single mum Zoe and her three children are now sleeping in one room, on mattresses on the floor. The other two bedrooms are uninhabitable, she says. She says she has thrown all of their beds and wardrobes away because they were consumed by damp and mould. She shows me a photograph of her six-year-old daughter's baby doll, covered in black mould, which she had to bin. One of her daughters takes several medications for asthma. Her son has eczema so severe, his cracked skin bleeds. She says they were not on these medications before the insulation was installed. The NHS says that damp and mould can lead to respiratory illnesses and skin conditions. David Walter is a building surveyor who has been inspecting insulated homes all over the UK for more than 25 years. He visited Zoe's home in April and said the installation had been ""botched"", and the extraction hadn't been done properly either. He says there is nothing unusual about what has happened to Zoe's home. ''The industry is motivated by money - they get government grants for doing this work. So there's an incentive for the contractors just to get people signed up, get the job done and get the grant money.'' He blames a lack of oversight and regulation for the problems. Since 2008, more than three million homes have had cavity-wall insulation fitted under green energy schemes set up by the government. Energy suppliers were responsible for inspecting 5% of them to check for installation quality. Figures compiled by energy watchdog Ofgem seen by the BBC suggest that insulation in hundreds of thousands of these homes could have failed because it was not installed properly. In total 15 million homes have had their cavities filled. A year after the problems began, Zoe went on a merry-go-round of companies and organisations to try to get help. She began in early 2022 with Installers UK, which carried out the installation work. The company insisted the insulation wasn't to blame and then went bust. The firm told the BBC the problems were caused by a hole in the roof, although it cannot provide a copy of the pre-installation report to confirm this. If there had been issues with the property, according to the standards body the British Assessment Bureau, they should have been fixed before the work was carried out. Next, she contacted City Energy Network Limited, who secured the funding for Zoe's home. Its name is on the guarantee for the work, although City Energy says this was an error and that it had nothing to do with the guarantee, which should have been issued by the company that did the work. Zoe says she was advised to get the insulation removed. She took out a £7,000 loan to pay for it. What she didn't know was that the extraction would invalidate the guarantee for the work. Without the insulation, the house is now very cold. She can't afford to turn up the temperature, which is leading to yet more damp and mould. City Energy told the BBC that its only involvement was to fund a grant through the government scheme. It says it has no connection with Installers UK, nor was it involved in the installation or removal process. The government recognised that standards needed to be improved several years ago. It tasked the independent organisation Trustmark to set up an assurance quality scheme in 2019. But the problems that Zoe has faced raises questions over how well the scheme is working. Both Installers UK, which carried out the work in 2021, and City Energy, which secured the grant money, were Trustmark-registered. Zoe says she sees no resolution in sight. ''The life has just been sucked out of me. For the last few years all I've done is fight company after company after company.'' City Energy says although it has no obligation to provide any assistance, it has ''recognised and sympathised with the position in which Ms Godrich finds herself'' and says it has sought to resolve matters directly with her in an effort to assist. In a statement, Trustmark told the BBC: ''The problems at Ms Godrich's property are complex. The work was carried out under an earlier standard and did not take the 'whole house' approach that current standards do, preventing some of the issues seen here. ""However, the situation Ms Godrich is left in is completely unacceptable and needs to be put right. We will work with the British Assessment Bureau and City Energy to achieve a suitable solution that makes Ms Godrich's property a warm, comfortable and healthy home for her and her family."" The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment but referred us to a ministerial statement in February that said: “The Government is committed to protecting all consumers undertaking home retrofit work as well as improving the overall consumer journey.” ",BBC,28/05/2024,"[""Every two weeks Zoe Godrich scrapes the black mould off the walls of her children's bedrooms."", ""She says her house now resembles a squat. ''"", 'It\'s absolutely heartbreaking because I can\'t provide for my children\'s basic needs of a safe warm home.""', 'The mould took over after she had her Swansea home fitted with cavity-wall insulation three years ago.', 'She says that within weeks, water was constantly running down the walls \'\'like a little waterfall"".', 'The BBC can reveal that cavity-wall insulation fitted under government-backed green energy schemes could have failed in hundreds of thousands of homes because it was not installed properly.', 'Single mum Zoe and her three children are now sleeping in one room, on mattresses on the floor.', 'The other two bedrooms are uninhabitable, she says.', 'She says she has thrown all of their beds and wardrobes away because they were consumed by damp and mould.', ""She shows me a photograph of her six-year-old daughter's baby doll, covered in black mould, which she had to bin."", 'One of her daughters takes several medications for asthma.', 'Her son has eczema so severe, his cracked skin bleeds.', 'She says they were not on these medications before the insulation was installed.', 'The NHS says that damp and mould can lead to respiratory illnesses and skin conditions.', 'David Walter is a building surveyor who has been inspecting insulated homes all over the UK for more than 25 years.', 'He visited Zoe\'s home in April and said the installation had been ""botched"", and the extraction hadn\'t been done properly either.', ""He says there is nothing unusual about what has happened to Zoe's home. ''"", 'The industry is motivated by money - they get government grants for doing this work.', ""So there's an incentive for the contractors just to get people signed up, get the job done and get the grant money.''"", 'He blames a lack of oversight and regulation for the problems.', 'Since 2008, more than three million homes have had cavity-wall insulation fitted under green energy schemes set up by the government.', 'Energy suppliers were responsible for inspecting 5% of them to check for installation quality.', 'Figures compiled by energy watchdog Ofgem seen by the BBC suggest that insulation in hundreds of thousands of these homes could have failed because it was not installed properly.', 'In total 15 million homes have had their cavities filled.', 'A year after the problems began, Zoe went on a merry-go-round of companies and organisations to try to get help.', 'She began in early 2022 with Installers UK, which carried out the installation work.', ""The company insisted the insulation wasn't to blame and then went bust."", 'The firm told the BBC the problems were caused by a hole in the roof, although it cannot provide a copy of the pre-installation report to confirm this.', 'If there had been issues with the property, according to the standards body the British Assessment Bureau, they should have been fixed before the work was carried out.', ""Next, she contacted City Energy Network Limited, who secured the funding for Zoe's home."", 'Its name is on the guarantee for the work, although City Energy says this was an error and that it had nothing to do with the guarantee, which should have been issued by the company that did the work.', 'Zoe says she was advised to get the insulation removed.', 'She took out a £7,000 loan to pay for it.', ""What she didn't know was that the extraction would invalidate the guarantee for the work."", 'Without the insulation, the house is now very cold.', ""She can't afford to turn up the temperature, which is leading to yet more damp and mould."", 'City Energy told the BBC that its only involvement was to fund a grant through the government scheme.', 'It says it has no connection with Installers UK, nor was it involved in the installation or removal process.', 'The government recognised that standards needed to be improved several years ago.', 'It tasked the independent organisation Trustmark to set up an assurance quality scheme in 2019.', 'But the problems that Zoe has faced raises questions over how well the scheme is working.', 'Both Installers UK, which carried out the work in 2021, and City Energy, which secured the grant money, were Trustmark-registered.', ""Zoe says she sees no resolution in sight. ''"", 'The life has just been sucked out of me.', ""For the last few years all I've done is fight company after company after company.''"", ""City Energy says although it has no obligation to provide any assistance, it has ''recognised and sympathised with the position in which Ms Godrich finds herself'' and says it has sought to resolve matters directly with her in an effort to assist."", ""In a statement, Trustmark told the BBC: ''The problems at Ms Godrich's property are complex."", 'The work was carried out under an earlier standard and did not take the \'whole house\' approach that current standards do, preventing some of the issues seen here. ""', 'However, the situation Ms Godrich is left in is completely unacceptable and needs to be put right.', 'We will work with the British Assessment Bureau and City Energy to achieve a suitable solution that makes Ms Godrich\'s property a warm, comfortable and healthy home for her and her family.""', 'The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment but referred us to a ministerial statement in February that said: “The Government is committed to protecting all consumers undertaking home retrofit work as well as improving the overall consumer journey.”']",0.0514695637451748,"We will work with the British Assessment Bureau and City Energy to achieve a suitable solution that makes Ms Godrich's property a warm, comfortable and healthy home for her and her family.""",He blames a lack of oversight and regulation for the problems.,-0.4325395888752407,The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment but referred us to a ministerial statement in February that said: “The Government is committed to protecting all consumers undertaking home retrofit work as well as improving the overall consumer journey.”,The BBC can reveal that cavity-wall insulation fitted under government-backed green energy schemes could have failed in hundreds of thousands of homes because it was not installed properly.,2024-05-29
Abercrombie & Fitch shares surge 25% as retailer's torrid growth shows no signs of slowing,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/abercrombie-fitch-anf-earnings-q1-2024.html,2024-05-29T18:39:23+0000,"In this articleAbercrombie & Fitch reported its strongest first quarter in its history on Wednesday, continuing a winning streak that again exceeded expectations.The retailer's sales jumped 22% compared with last year, while profits were nearly seven times higher and came in well ahead of Wall Street's estimates.Abercrombie's shares spiked 25% on Wednesday.Here's how the apparel company did in its fiscal first quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended May 4 was $113.9 million, or $2.14 per share, compared with $16.6 million, or 32 cents a share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $1.02 billion, up about 22% from $836 million a year earlier.""We successfully navigated seasonal transitions with relevant assortments and compelling marketing, leveraging agile chase capabilities and inventory discipline, driving sales above our expectations,"" CEO Fran Horowitz said in a news release. ""Growth was broad-based across regions and brands with Abercrombie brands registering 31% growth and Hollister brands delivering growth of 12%.""Abercrombie has been one of the biggest winners in retail. As it stares down a tough year of comparisons, the company is building on the double-digit sales growth it saw in 2023.The retailer's comparable sales grew 21%, on top of the 3% growth it saw in the year-ago period. Abercrombie is expecting sales to rise again in the current fiscal year, and increased its revenue guidance.For the full year, the retailer now expects sales to grow about 10%, compared with a previous outlook of between 4% and 6%. Analysts had expected growth of about 7%, according to LSEG.For the current quarter, Abercrombie anticipates sales will increase by a mid-teens percentage, ahead of estimates of up 9%, according to LSEG.Horowitz plans to build on the company's success by developing its Hollister brand, which accounts for about half of the company's overall sales, and bringing more categories to its namesake banner. In March the retailer debuted the ""A&F Wedding Shop"" – a collection of apparel for brides and attendees that can be used not only for the day of but also for other wedding parties, like bachelorette festivities and rehearsals. Pieces in the collection, which include a range of dresses, bikinis, pajamas, skirts and other items, range between $80 and $150. The mid-tier price point for a day that's typically very costly for many couples gives Abercrombie an in with the value-seeking consumer and a foothold in the overall bridal wear market, which is expected to reach $83.5 billion in the U.S. by 2030, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com. During the quarter, the wedding shop ""clearly exceeded"" the company's expectations, said Horowitz.""And the wedding season hasn't even technically started yet, right?"" said Horowitz. ""We got out ahead of that and got that in early.""When it comes to Hollister, the company is seeing progress with both women's and men's items. In the same period last year, sales were down 7% at the banner, but this year, they were up 12%.""The men's division returned to growth led by fleece tops and bottoms as well as pants, which all did well throughout the quarter. Women's contributed nicely to the growth acceleration with balance across categories,"" said Horowitz. ""We saw improved traffic trends across both stores and digital channels, which helped show teen customers the changes we have made to the assortment. Importantly, the Hollister team continue to seek opportunities to reduce discounts and promotions while tightly managing inventory levels, further supporting [average unit retail] and gross profit rate expansion in the quarter.""The company is also looking at its international markets as another growth channel. During the quarter, sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were up 19%, led by the U.K. and Germany. In the Asia Pacific region, sales were up 10%, led by China.""Our teams continue to localize our assortments and operations, and we've made strategic investments in marketing to drive brand awareness in these two key EMEA markets,"" Horowitz said of the U.K. and Germany on a call with analysts. ""We saw great digital engagement conversion from new marketing campaigns along with the benefit of new store experiences, particularly in Greater London.""Horowitz said the company believes there's ""more runway ahead in both regions,"" and the strong quarter is more proof that the ""playbook is working.""Over the last six years, Abercrombie has been working to transform itself from an exclusionary retailer that used loud branding and shirtless models to drive sales into a company that's focused on inclusivity and geared toward working millennials. Beyond changing its product assortment and overhauling its stores, another crucial aspect of Abercrombie's success has been its marketing engine, and how it has relied on influencers and affiliates to communicate its rebrand and market its styles. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Horowitz said Abercrombie's affiliates and influencers continue to be a ""very big part of our business"" and its marketing strategy going forward. ""That user-generated content that they create is something that really resonates with our consumer,"" said Horowitz. ""People count on and believe their friends and their peers more than they believe on what a company is telling you, and we've learned that through the ages,"" she said. Consumers surveyed in EY's Future Consumer Index, which includes insights from more than 23,000 consumers in 30 countries, echoed that perspective. The survey found that the majority of respondents, 74%, find influencer product recommendations trustworthy, while 61% said they bought a product solely based on an influencer's recommendation or promotion. Abercrombie's transformation is years in the making, but began to bear fruit in 2023 when the retailer posted a 16% annual sales gain at the same time the U.S. apparel market shrunk. Its stock surged 285% in 2023 and is up another 73% so far this year as of Tuesday's close, outpacing the S&P 500's gains of 11%. Read the full earnings release here.",CNBC,29/05/2024,"['In this articleAbercrombie & Fitch reported its strongest first quarter in its history on Wednesday, continuing a winning streak that again exceeded expectations.', ""The retailer's sales jumped 22% compared with last year, while profits were nearly seven times higher and came in well ahead of Wall Street's estimates."", ""Abercrombie's shares spiked 25% on Wednesday."", ""Here's how the apparel company did in its fiscal first quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended May 4 was $113.9 million, or $2.14 per share, compared with $16.6 million, or 32 cents a share, a year earlier."", 'Sales rose to $1.02 billion, up about 22% from $836 million a year earlier.', '""We successfully navigated seasonal transitions with relevant assortments and compelling marketing, leveraging agile chase capabilities and inventory discipline, driving sales above our expectations,"" CEO Fran Horowitz said in a news release. ""', 'Growth was broad-based across regions and brands with Abercrombie brands registering 31% growth and Hollister brands delivering growth of 12%.""Abercrombie has been one of the biggest winners in retail.', ""As it stares down a tough year of comparisons, the company is building on the double-digit sales growth it saw in 2023.The retailer's comparable sales grew 21%, on top of the 3% growth it saw in the year-ago period."", 'Abercrombie is expecting sales to rise again in the current fiscal year, and increased its revenue guidance.', 'For the full year, the retailer now expects sales to grow about 10%, compared with a previous outlook of between 4% and 6%.', ""Analysts had expected growth of about 7%, according to LSEG.For the current quarter, Abercrombie anticipates sales will increase by a mid-teens percentage, ahead of estimates of up 9%, according to LSEG.Horowitz plans to build on the company's success by developing its Hollister brand, which accounts for about half of the company's overall sales, and bringing more categories to its namesake banner."", 'In March the retailer debuted the ""A&F Wedding Shop"" – a collection of apparel for brides and attendees that can be used not only for the day of but also for other wedding parties, like bachelorette festivities and rehearsals.', 'Pieces in the collection, which include a range of dresses, bikinis, pajamas, skirts and other items, range between $80 and $150.', ""The mid-tier price point for a day that's typically very costly for many couples gives Abercrombie an in with the value-seeking consumer and a foothold in the overall bridal wear market, which is expected to reach $83.5 billion in the U.S. by 2030, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com."", 'During the quarter, the wedding shop ""clearly exceeded"" the company\'s expectations, said Horowitz.', '""And the wedding season hasn\'t even technically started yet, right?""', 'said Horowitz. ""', 'We got out ahead of that and got that in early.', '""When it comes to Hollister, the company is seeing progress with both women\'s and men\'s items.', 'In the same period last year, sales were down 7% at the banner, but this year, they were up 12%.""The men\'s division returned to growth led by fleece tops and bottoms as well as pants, which all did well throughout the quarter.', 'Women\'s contributed nicely to the growth acceleration with balance across categories,"" said Horowitz. ""', 'We saw improved traffic trends across both stores and digital channels, which helped show teen customers the changes we have made to the assortment.', 'Importantly, the Hollister team continue to seek opportunities to reduce discounts and promotions while tightly managing inventory levels, further supporting [average unit retail] and gross profit rate expansion in the quarter.', '""The company is also looking at its international markets as another growth channel.', 'During the quarter, sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were up 19%, led by the U.K. and Germany.', 'In the Asia Pacific region, sales were up 10%, led by China.', '""Our teams continue to localize our assortments and operations, and we\'ve made strategic investments in marketing to drive brand awareness in these two key EMEA markets,"" Horowitz said of the U.K. and Germany on a call with analysts. ""', 'We saw great digital engagement conversion from new marketing campaigns along with the benefit of new store experiences, particularly in Greater London.', '""Horowitz said the company believes there\'s ""more runway ahead in both regions,"" and the strong quarter is more proof that the ""playbook is working.', '""Over the last six years, Abercrombie has been working to transform itself from an exclusionary retailer that used loud branding and shirtless models to drive sales into a company that\'s focused on inclusivity and geared toward working millennials.', ""Beyond changing its product assortment and overhauling its stores, another crucial aspect of Abercrombie's success has been its marketing engine, and how it has relied on influencers and affiliates to communicate its rebrand and market its styles."", 'In an interview with CNBC, CEO Horowitz said Abercrombie\'s affiliates and influencers continue to be a ""very big part of our business"" and its marketing strategy going forward.', '""That user-generated content that they create is something that really resonates with our consumer,"" said Horowitz.', '""People count on and believe their friends and their peers more than they believe on what a company is telling you, and we\'ve learned that through the ages,"" she said.', ""Consumers surveyed in EY's Future Consumer Index, which includes insights from more than 23,000 consumers in 30 countries, echoed that perspective."", ""The survey found that the majority of respondents, 74%, find influencer product recommendations trustworthy, while 61% said they bought a product solely based on an influencer's recommendation or promotion."", ""Abercrombie's transformation is years in the making, but began to bear fruit in 2023 when the retailer posted a 16% annual sales gain at the same time the U.S. apparel market shrunk."", ""Its stock surged 285% in 2023 and is up another 73% so far this year as of Tuesday's close, outpacing the S&P 500's gains of 11%.Read the full earnings release here.""]",0.4024021194974173,"In the same period last year, sales were down 7% at the banner, but this year, they were up 12%.""The men's division returned to growth led by fleece tops and bottoms as well as pants, which all did well throughout the quarter.",,0.994997607337104,"During the quarter, sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were up 19%, led by the U.K. and Germany.",,2024-05-29
"Sales of newly built homes tank in April, as prices and interest rates rise",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/newly-built-home-sales-april.html,2024-05-23T15:59:01+0000,"Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.March sales were also revised significantly lower.Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales. The monthly reading is based on signed contracts, so it reflects people shopping during the month and inking deals based on current rates.The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was in the high 6% range at the end of March, but then shot up to 7.5% during April, cutting into affordability.Adding to that, the median price of a new home sold in April was $433,500, 4% higher than it was in April 2023. Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market. Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash.Builders say they cannot lower prices due to high costs for land, labor and materials. The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size. D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers reported strong earnings in their latest quarters, beating expectations and citing growing demand due to low supply in the resale market.""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.In the first quarter of 2024, 38% of a median household income nationally was needed to make the mortgage payment on a median-priced new single-family home, according to a new index launched Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home. Prices continue to rise for both new and existing homes due to a lack of supply. There is very little available for sale on the lower end of the resale market. While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.""With a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.5 million homes, the lack of housing units is the primary cause of growing housing affordability challenges,"" said Robert Dietz, NAHB's chief economist. ""Policymakers at all levels of government need to enact policy changes that will allow builders to construct more homes, such as speeding up permit approval times, providing resources for skilled labor training and fixing building material supply chains.""",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.', 'March sales were also revised significantly lower.', 'Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales.', 'The monthly reading is based on signed contracts, so it reflects people shopping during the month and inking deals based on current rates.', 'The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was in the high 6% range at the end of March, but then shot up to 7.5% during April, cutting into affordability.', 'Adding to that, the median price of a new home sold in April was $433,500, 4% higher than it was in April 2023.', 'Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market.', 'Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash.', 'Builders say they cannot lower prices due to high costs for land, labor and materials.', 'The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size.', 'D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers reported strong earnings in their latest quarters, beating expectations and citing growing demand due to low supply in the resale market.', '""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.', 'In the first quarter of 2024, 38% of a median household income nationally was needed to make the mortgage payment on a median-priced new single-family home, according to a new index launched Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.', ""Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home."", 'Prices continue to rise for both new and existing homes due to a lack of supply.', 'There is very little available for sale on the lower end of the resale market.', 'While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.', '""With a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.5 million homes, the lack of housing units is the primary cause of growing housing affordability challenges,"" said Robert Dietz, NAHB\'s chief economist. ""', 'Policymakers at all levels of government need to enact policy changes that will allow builders to construct more homes, such as speeding up permit approval times, providing resources for skilled labor training and fixing building material supply chains.""']",0.0290192252213069,"""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.","Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home.",0.2314275365609389,"While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.","Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.",2024-05-29
"Dick's Sporting Goods stock surges 15%, as retailer says shoppers are spending more on sneakers, apparel and athletic gear",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/dicks-sporting-goods-dks-earnings-q1-2024.html,2024-05-29T14:49:42+0000,"In this articleDick's Sporting Goods on Wednesday said customers are spending more on new sneakers and athletic gear, leading the retailer to raise its full-year earnings guidance. The big-box sports store's comparable sales grew 5.3% during its fiscal first quarter, well ahead of the 2.4% growth that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount. The company said that growth was driven by a 2.7% increase in transactions, meaning more customers are shopping at Dick's, and a 2.6% jump in average ticket values, showing that shoppers are spending more, too. Dick's said shrink, a retail industry term that refers to lost or stolen merchandise, increased less than the company expected, after it saw higher than anticipated shrink last year.The company's shares surged more than 15% in intra-day trading.Here's how Dick's did in the period compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended May 4 was $275 million, or $3.30 per share, compared with $305 million, or $3.40 per share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $3.02 billion, up about 6% from $2.84 billion a year earlier.""We saw growth across all of the different areas of our business. Footwear, apparel, total hard lines, all grew,"" CEO Lauren Hobart told analysts on an earnings call. ""The consumer is absolutely putting a priority on a healthy and active lifestyle. You see people running and walking, being outdoors. But I think the most important thing is that we are providing them with an experience that they're clearly choosing and that's both through the products that we have in our stores, as well as the experience that we provide in-store and online.""Hobart said the strong quarter led Dick's to raise its full-year guidance, but the company is remaining cautious for the back half of the year.The retailer is now expecting earnings per share to be between $13.35 and $13.75, up from its previous range of $12.85 to $13.25. That's ahead of the $13.25 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.The retailer's caution was reflected in its sales guidance, which fell a bit flat after its first-quarter revenue beat.Dick's now expects comparable sales to rise between 2% and 3%, compared with previous guidance of up 1% to 2%. The low end of that range is only in line with the 2% growth that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount. Dick's is expecting full-year revenue to be between $13.1 billion and $13.2 billion, which is also in line with estimates of $13.16 billion, according to LSEG. ""What we have done today in terms of the full-year guidance, is it reflects the results that we posted here in Q1 and we maintained largely our expectations for Q2 through Q4,"" finance chief Navdeep Gupta told analysts. ""There's a little bit of a disconnect with the external consensus expectation but I would say, you know, we are appropriately cautious as we think about Q2.""Over the last year, consumers beaten down by stubborn inflation and high interest rates have pulled back on discretionary items like new clothes and shoes, but the apparel and footwear markets have shown some signs of life over the last couple of weeks. Dick's performance indicates that consumers are willing to shell out for new releases and other staples from big brands like Nike, Hoka, Adidas and On Running, and are spending on things that they may not necessarily need, but are nice to have. Similar trends were spotted at other retailers. Last week, Ross Stores, Ralph Lauren, Urban Outfitters and TJX Cos. all reported positive comparable sales. Even Target mentioned that apparel was a bright spot in an otherwise dim quarter after the retailer saw sluggish clothes sales in the prior-year period. Demand for new Hoka sneakers and Ugg boots drove a 21% jump in sales at Deckers, and even Shoe Carnival, which caters more to lower-income consumers, saw sales grow about 7%, ahead of Wall Street's estimates, according to LSEG. More insights about the state of consumer health, and the impact it's having on the apparel and footwear markets, are still to come. Abercrombie & Fitch reported its strongest first quarter in history on Wednesday and American Eagle is set to post earnings later in the afternoon. Foot Locker, Birkenstock and Gap will report on Thursday.Read Dick's full earnings release here.— Additional reporting by CNBC's Robert Hum.",CNBC,29/05/2024,"[""In this articleDick's Sporting Goods on Wednesday said customers are spending more on new sneakers and athletic gear, leading the retailer to raise its full-year earnings guidance."", ""The big-box sports store's comparable sales grew 5.3% during its fiscal first quarter, well ahead of the 2.4% growth that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount."", ""The company said that growth was driven by a 2.7% increase in transactions, meaning more customers are shopping at Dick's, and a 2.6% jump in average ticket values, showing that shoppers are spending more, too."", ""Dick's said shrink, a retail industry term that refers to lost or stolen merchandise, increased less than the company expected, after it saw higher than anticipated shrink last year."", ""The company's shares surged more than 15% in intra-day trading."", ""Here's how Dick's did in the period compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended May 4 was $275 million, or $3.30 per share, compared with $305 million, or $3.40 per share, a year earlier."", 'Sales rose to $3.02 billion, up about 6% from $2.84 billion a year earlier.', '""We saw growth across all of the different areas of our business.', 'Footwear, apparel, total hard lines, all grew,"" CEO Lauren Hobart told analysts on an earnings call. ""', 'The consumer is absolutely putting a priority on a healthy and active lifestyle.', 'You see people running and walking, being outdoors.', ""But I think the most important thing is that we are providing them with an experience that they're clearly choosing and that's both through the products that we have in our stores, as well as the experience that we provide in-store and online."", '""Hobart said the strong quarter led Dick\'s to raise its full-year guidance, but the company is remaining cautious for the back half of the year.', 'The retailer is now expecting earnings per share to be between $13.35 and $13.75, up from its previous range of $12.85 to $13.25.', ""That's ahead of the $13.25 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.The retailer's caution was reflected in its sales guidance, which fell a bit flat after its first-quarter revenue beat."", ""Dick's now expects comparable sales to rise between 2% and 3%, compared with previous guidance of up 1% to 2%."", 'The low end of that range is only in line with the 2% growth that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.', 'Dick\'s is expecting full-year revenue to be between $13.1 billion and $13.2 billion, which is also in line with estimates of $13.16 billion, according to LSEG.""What we have done today in terms of the full-year guidance, is it reflects the results that we posted here in Q1 and we maintained largely our expectations for Q2 through Q4,"" finance chief Navdeep Gupta told analysts. ""', 'There\'s a little bit of a disconnect with the external consensus expectation but I would say, you know, we are appropriately cautious as we think about Q2.""Over the last year, consumers beaten down by stubborn inflation and high interest rates have pulled back on discretionary items like new clothes and shoes, but the apparel and footwear markets have shown some signs of life over the last couple of weeks.', ""Dick's performance indicates that consumers are willing to shell out for new releases and other staples from big brands like Nike, Hoka, Adidas and On Running, and are spending on things that they may not necessarily need, but are nice to have."", 'Similar trends were spotted at other retailers.', 'Last week, Ross Stores, Ralph Lauren, Urban Outfitters and TJX Cos.', 'all reported positive comparable sales.', 'Even Target mentioned that apparel was a bright spot in an otherwise dim quarter after the retailer saw sluggish clothes sales in the prior-year period.', ""Demand for new Hoka sneakers and Ugg boots drove a 21% jump in sales at Deckers, and even Shoe Carnival, which caters more to lower-income consumers, saw sales grow about 7%, ahead of Wall Street's estimates, according to LSEG.More insights about the state of consumer health, and the impact it's having on the apparel and footwear markets, are still to come."", 'Abercrombie & Fitch reported its strongest first quarter in history on Wednesday and American Eagle is set to post earnings later in the afternoon.', 'Foot Locker, Birkenstock and Gap will report on Thursday.', ""Read Dick's full earnings release here.—"", ""Additional reporting by CNBC's Robert Hum.""]",0.0697371137107377,"But I think the most important thing is that we are providing them with an experience that they're clearly choosing and that's both through the products that we have in our stores, as well as the experience that we provide in-store and online.","Dick's said shrink, a retail industry term that refers to lost or stolen merchandise, increased less than the company expected, after it saw higher than anticipated shrink last year.",0.7074199400164864,"Demand for new Hoka sneakers and Ugg boots drove a 21% jump in sales at Deckers, and even Shoe Carnival, which caters more to lower-income consumers, saw sales grow about 7%, ahead of Wall Street's estimates, according to LSEG.More insights about the state of consumer health, and the impact it's having on the apparel and footwear markets, are still to come.","That's ahead of the $13.25 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.The retailer's caution was reflected in its sales guidance, which fell a bit flat after its first-quarter revenue beat.",2024-05-29
AST SpaceMobile stock surges 50% after Verizon partnership for satellite internet to phones,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/ast-spacemobile-verizon-satellite-internet.html,2024-05-29T16:04:01+0000,"In this articleSatellite-to-phones service provider AST SpaceMobile stock surged after announcing a partnership with Verizon on Wednesday, adding to the company's recent deal with AT&T to provide remote coverage across the United States.AST SpaceMobile is building satellites to provide broadband service to unmodified smartphones, in the nascent ""direct-to-device"" communications market.The company's chairman and CEO, Abel Avellan, touted AST's agreements with Verizon and AT&T as ""essentially eliminating dead zones and empowering remote areas of the country with space-based connectivity.""Verizon's deal effectively includes a $100 million raise for AST, as well, in the form of $65 million in commercial service prepayments and $35 million in debt via convertible notes. The companies said that $45 million of the prepayments ""are subject to certain conditions"" such as needed regulatory approvals and signing of a definitive commercial agreement.AST stock jumped more than 57% in trading from its previous close at $5.33 a share. The company's stock has more than doubled in the past month.Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter.The Verizon partnership follows a similar pattern to AT&T's work with AST. Back in January, AT&T was a co-debt investor in the company alongside Google and Vodafone. The companies then established the commercial agreement earlier this month, which ""lays out in much more detail how we will ultimately offer service together,"" AST's Chief Strategy Officer Scott Wisniewski said in a statement to CNBC.AT&T told CNBC on Wednesday that it welcomed AST's partnership with Verizon.""[It] reinforces the shared commitment to providing nationwide space-based broadband direct to everyday cell phones,"" AT&T Head of Network Chris Sambar said in a statement.A variety of major players are pursuing the direct-to-device, or D2D, opportunity, seeing a chance to expand the mobile communications market to any place on Earth that ""cellular signals are unreachable through traditional land-based infrastructure,"" as Srini Kalapala, senior vice president of technology and product development at Verizon, described in a statement Wednesday.Smartphone makers, service providers and satellite companies alike are working or partnering on D2D projects. Rivaling AST's deals is SpaceX's Starlink, which has teamed up with T-Mobile. Additionally, Apple has been spending heavily to provide its Globalstar-supported ""Emergency SOS with Satellite"" service, which it rolled out with iPhone 14 models.AST expects to launch its first five commercial satellites later this year. SpaceX, boasting more than 3 million Starlink customers, is aiming to roll out the addition of its T-Mobile-supported phone service later this year. Elon Musk's company earlier this month completed what it said was the ""first video call"" via social media using its satellites connected to unmodified phones.Correction: Apple has been spending heavily to provide its Globalstar-supported ""Emergency SOS with Satellite"" service. An earlier version misstated a company name.",CNBC,29/05/2024,"[""In this articleSatellite-to-phones service provider AST SpaceMobile stock surged after announcing a partnership with Verizon on Wednesday, adding to the company's recent deal with AT&T to provide remote coverage across the United States."", 'AST SpaceMobile is building satellites to provide broadband service to unmodified smartphones, in the nascent ""direct-to-device"" communications market.', 'The company\'s chairman and CEO, Abel Avellan, touted AST\'s agreements with Verizon and AT&T as ""essentially eliminating dead zones and empowering remote areas of the country with space-based connectivity.', '""Verizon\'s deal effectively includes a $100 million raise for AST, as well, in the form of $65 million in commercial service prepayments and $35 million in debt via convertible notes.', 'The companies said that $45 million of the prepayments ""are subject to certain conditions"" such as needed regulatory approvals and signing of a definitive commercial agreement.', 'AST stock jumped more than 57% in trading from its previous close at $5.33 a share.', ""The company's stock has more than doubled in the past month."", ""Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter."", ""The Verizon partnership follows a similar pattern to AT&T's work with AST."", 'Back in January, AT&T was a co-debt investor in the company alongside Google and Vodafone.', 'The companies then established the commercial agreement earlier this month, which ""lays out in much more detail how we will ultimately offer service together,"" AST\'s Chief Strategy Officer Scott Wisniewski said in a statement to CNBC.AT&T told CNBC on Wednesday that it welcomed AST\'s partnership with Verizon.', '""[It] reinforces the shared commitment to providing nationwide space-based broadband direct to everyday cell phones,"" AT&T Head of Network Chris Sambar said in a statement.', 'A variety of major players are pursuing the direct-to-device, or D2D, opportunity, seeing a chance to expand the mobile communications market to any place on Earth that ""cellular signals are unreachable through traditional land-based infrastructure,"" as Srini Kalapala, senior vice president of technology and product development at Verizon, described in a statement Wednesday.', 'Smartphone makers, service providers and satellite companies alike are working or partnering on D2D projects.', ""Rivaling AST's deals is SpaceX's Starlink, which has teamed up with T-Mobile."", 'Additionally, Apple has been spending heavily to provide its Globalstar-supported ""Emergency SOS with Satellite"" service, which it rolled out with iPhone 14 models.', 'AST expects to launch its first five commercial satellites later this year.', 'SpaceX, boasting more than 3 million Starlink customers, is aiming to roll out the addition of its T-Mobile-supported phone service later this year.', 'Elon Musk\'s company earlier this month completed what it said was the ""first video call"" via social media using its satellites connected to unmodified phones.', 'Correction: Apple has been spending heavily to provide its Globalstar-supported ""Emergency SOS with Satellite"" service.', 'An earlier version misstated a company name.']",0.1439586659706518,"A variety of major players are pursuing the direct-to-device, or D2D, opportunity, seeing a chance to expand the mobile communications market to any place on Earth that ""cellular signals are unreachable through traditional land-based infrastructure,"" as Srini Kalapala, senior vice president of technology and product development at Verizon, described in a statement Wednesday.","The company's chairman and CEO, Abel Avellan, touted AST's agreements with Verizon and AT&T as ""essentially eliminating dead zones and empowering remote areas of the country with space-based connectivity.",0.9682186510827806,"In this articleSatellite-to-phones service provider AST SpaceMobile stock surged after announcing a partnership with Verizon on Wednesday, adding to the company's recent deal with AT&T to provide remote coverage across the United States.",,2024-05-29
Why Target and McDonald's are cutting prices and offering deals,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/target-walmart-mcdonalds-price-cuts-deals.html,2024-05-22T19:17:37+0000,"Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters.The discounter is not alone.Target's first-quarter results on Wednesday not only show American consumers are more selective about spending in the face of sustained inflation that has squeezed their budgets for nearly three years. The company's declining sales also illustrate how the battle for shoppers' wallets has heated up as retailers — and even some restaurants — race to outmatch each other on low prices.Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April. The discounter also introduced a new premium grocery brand with most items under $5.Elsewhere, Aldi dropped prices earlier this month on more than 250 items, including chicken, steak, granola bars and frozen blueberries. And even McDonald's is debuting a limited-time $5 value meal in late June as some diners scoff at the price of fast food.Target made its move on Monday, saying it has already reduced prices on about 1,500 items and plans to cut prices on thousands more this summer. Many of those items are staples such as milk, peanut butter and diapers.Multiple major grocers and restaurants cutting prices or offering deals could offer relief at the checkout, at a time when consumer prices are still climbing more than 3% from last year. It could also give the Federal Reserve more confidence to cut interest rates. Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.Analysts on Target's earnings call on Wednesday asked about the timing and reasoning behind the price cuts and whether the retailer or its vendors are picking up the tab. The company declined to share details of that split, but Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said Target's vendors know the company is committed to passing on savings to its customers to drive traffic.Some businesses have held on to customers even with the same or higher prices: Chipotle and Sweetgreen, for example, have bucked the consumer slowdown.Target's earnings report revealed at least part of the reason why it is joining the race to cut prices. Sales of discretionary merchandise, such as clothing, dropped year over year. But so did sales of higher frequency items like groceries and paper towels.Some customers may be making those purchases at Walmart instead. Transactions on Walmart's website and stores rose 3.8% in the most recent quarter, and its e-commerce purchases shot up by 22% in the U.S., the company reported last week.In an interview with CNBC, Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said the retail giant is gaining share from higher-income households. He added some consumers are coming to its stores for meals because of sticker shock at fast-food chains.""We've got customers that are coming to us more frequently than they have before and newer customers that we haven't traditionally had,"" he said.On Target's earnings call, analysts asked tough questions about whether the retailer is losing ground with shoppers or is seen as too pricey, outside of sales events.CEO Brian Cornell said Target is putting value front and center as it fights to get back to growth.""We want to make sure America knows that Target's a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it's in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.When Target cuts prices, customers have noticed and responded, Hennington said on the earnings call. For example, it noticed it didn't have low-priced tech accessories that customers wanted, such as charging cables and phone cases, she said.Those items became part of Dealworthy, a new private brand launched in February that offers Target's lowest prices on basic items like laundry detergent and paper plates.""When we introduced the right price points in Dealworthy, the guests noticed immediately and that drove unit and traffic acceleration in those categories and that's what we're doing business by business,"" she said.It'll soon run a similar play with seasonal items, she said. After Target ""took a hard look at some of the most popular products from last year's summer assortment,"" customers can expect to see cheaper pool noodles, floats and coolers.— CNBC's Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters."", 'The discounter is not alone.', ""Target's first-quarter results on Wednesday not only show American consumers are more selective about spending in the face of sustained inflation that has squeezed their budgets for nearly three years."", ""The company's declining sales also illustrate how the battle for shoppers' wallets has heated up as retailers — and even some restaurants — race to outmatch each other on low prices."", 'Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April.', 'The discounter also introduced a new premium grocery brand with most items under $5.Elsewhere, Aldi dropped prices earlier this month on more than 250 items, including chicken, steak, granola bars and frozen blueberries.', ""And even McDonald's is debuting a limited-time $5 value meal in late June as some diners scoff at the price of fast food."", 'Target made its move on Monday, saying it has already reduced prices on about 1,500 items and plans to cut prices on thousands more this summer.', 'Many of those items are staples such as milk, peanut butter and diapers.', 'Multiple major grocers and restaurants cutting prices or offering deals could offer relief at the checkout, at a time when consumer prices are still climbing more than 3% from last year.', 'It could also give the Federal Reserve more confidence to cut interest rates.', 'Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.', ""Analysts on Target's earnings call on Wednesday asked about the timing and reasoning behind the price cuts and whether the retailer or its vendors are picking up the tab."", ""The company declined to share details of that split, but Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said Target's vendors know the company is committed to passing on savings to its customers to drive traffic."", 'Some businesses have held on to customers even with the same or higher prices: Chipotle and Sweetgreen, for example, have bucked the consumer slowdown.', ""Target's earnings report revealed at least part of the reason why it is joining the race to cut prices."", 'Sales of discretionary merchandise, such as clothing, dropped year over year.', 'But so did sales of higher frequency items like groceries and paper towels.', 'Some customers may be making those purchases at Walmart instead.', ""Transactions on Walmart's website and stores rose 3.8% in the most recent quarter, and its e-commerce purchases shot up by 22% in the U.S., the company reported last week."", 'In an interview with CNBC, Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said the retail giant is gaining share from higher-income households.', 'He added some consumers are coming to its stores for meals because of sticker shock at fast-food chains.', '""We\'ve got customers that are coming to us more frequently than they have before and newer customers that we haven\'t traditionally had,"" he said.', ""On Target's earnings call, analysts asked tough questions about whether the retailer is losing ground with shoppers or is seen as too pricey, outside of sales events."", 'CEO Brian Cornell said Target is putting value front and center as it fights to get back to growth.', '""We want to make sureAmericaknows that Target\'s a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it\'s in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.', 'When Target cuts prices, customers have noticed and responded, Hennington said on the earnings call.', ""For example, it noticed it didn't have low-priced tech accessories that customers wanted, such as charging cables and phone cases, she said."", ""Those items became part of Dealworthy, a new private brand launched in February that offers Target's lowest prices on basic items like laundry detergent and paper plates."", '""When we introduced the right price points in Dealworthy, the guests noticed immediately and that drove unit and traffic acceleration in those categories and that\'s what we\'re doing business by business,"" she said.', ""It'll soon run a similar play with seasonal items, she said."", 'After Target ""took a hard look at some of the most popular products from last year\'s summer assortment,"" customers can expect to see cheaper pool noodles, floats and coolers.—', ""CNBC's Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.""]",0.0450573626859338,"""We want to make sureAmericaknows that Target's a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it's in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.","Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.",0.3702837166033293,"Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April.",Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters.,2024-05-29
"Justice Department sues to break up Live Nation, parent of Ticketmaster",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/justice-department-sues-live-nation-ticketmaster.html,2024-05-23T21:27:05+0000,"In this articleThe U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.The lawsuit, joined by 30 states and filed Thursday, follows a DOJ investigation into whether Live Nation maintains a monopoly in the ticketing industry, a probe launched in 2022 and bolstered by fan complaints after a botched rollout for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.""We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,"" said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. ""The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.In a statement, Live Nation said the DOJ's allegations of a monopoly are ""absurd.""""The DOJ's complaint attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry. It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies—neither of which control ticket prices—for high ticket prices. It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public's willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost,"" said Dan Wall, Live Nation executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs.Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, creating a dominant entity in the live event industry. The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.Through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts, the complaint said.""Taken individually and considered together, Live Nation's and Ticketmaster's conduct allows them to exploit their conflicts of interest — as a promoter, ticketer, venue owner and artist manager — across the live music industry and further entrench their dominant position,"" the complaint reads.The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses Live Nation of violating the Sherman Act and maintaining a self-reinforcing business model by capturing fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorships, which it then uses to lock artists into exclusive promotion deals that give the artists access to key entertainment venues across the country. Live Nation then uses that dominance to lock new concert venues into long-term exclusionary contracts, thereby restarting the cycle, the lawsuit claims.Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions.The lawsuit claims that Live Nation has discouraged bidding wars for artists and has unlawfully pressured artists into signing on for promotional services if they want to use the company's venues, at times sacrificing profits it can earn as a venue owner by preferring to let its venues sit empty rather than have artists with other promotional contracts.""In its own words, Live Nation uses its exclusionary conduct as a 'hedge against significant improvements by the competition or even a new competitor.' But the cost of that hedge is one that we all pay, for example a broken ticketing website with substandard customer service that still captures your valuable data,"" Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said during a press conference.""It is through these exclusive ticketing arrangements that Americans face the dreaded Ticketmaster tax, the seemingly endless set of fees ironically named service fee or convenience fee when they are anything but,"" Kanter said.Live Nation made headlines last year when a surge of demand from 14 million users, including bots, for Taylor Swift concert tickets led to site disruptions and slow queues. A Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster in November 2023, following a monthslong probe prompted by the exorbitant inflated ticket prices in Swift's Eras Tour.Steep prices for the U.S. shows led scores of fans to seek out tickets to Swift's tour in other countries, which could often be cheaper even after international air travel.""In other countries where venues are not bound by Ticketmaster's exclusive ticketing contracts, venues often use multiple ticketing companies for the same event and fans see lower fees and more innovative ticketing products as a result,"" Garland said in a news conference.Live Nation said Thursday it doesn't benefit from monopoly pricing, saying that Ticketmaster service charges ""are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower."" The company noted its overall net profit margin is at the low end of S&P 500 companies.Live Nation further argued the lawsuit won't reduce ticket prices or service fees. It said artist teams set prices for their tickets and the venues set and keep the majority of ticket fees.""Some call this 'anti-monopoly', but in reality it is just anti-business,"" Live Nation's Wall said. ""There is no legal basis for objecting to vertical integration on these grounds.""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.The company has also been in the public eye in the past year over transparency issues regarding hidden fees in ticket pricing.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleThe U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.', ""The lawsuit, joined by 30 states and filed Thursday, follows a DOJ investigation into whether Live Nation maintains a monopoly in the ticketing industry, a probe launched in 2022 and bolstered by fan complaints after a botched rollout for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour."", '""We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,"" said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. ""', 'The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services.', 'It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.', '""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.', 'In a statement, Live Nation said the DOJ\'s allegations of a monopoly are ""absurd.', '""""The DOJ\'s complaint attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry.', 'It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies—neither of which control ticket prices—for high ticket prices.', 'It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public\'s willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost,"" said Dan Wall, Live Nation executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs.', 'Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, creating a dominant entity in the live event industry.', 'The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.', ""Through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts, the complaint said."", '""Taken individually and considered together, Live Nation\'s and Ticketmaster\'s conduct allows them to exploit their conflicts of interest — as a promoter, ticketer, venue owner and artist manager — across the live music industry and further entrench their dominant position,"" the complaint reads.', 'The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses Live Nation of violating the Sherman Act and maintaining a self-reinforcing business model by capturing fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorships, which it then uses to lock artists into exclusive promotion deals that give the artists access to key entertainment venues across the country.', 'Live Nation then uses that dominance to lock new concert venues into long-term exclusionary contracts, thereby restarting the cycle, the lawsuit claims.', ""Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions."", ""The lawsuit claims that Live Nation has discouraged bidding wars for artists and has unlawfully pressured artists into signing on for promotional services if they want to use the company's venues, at times sacrificing profits it can earn as a venue owner by preferring to let its venues sit empty rather than have artists with other promotional contracts."", '""In its own words, Live Nation uses its exclusionary conduct as a \'hedge against significant improvements by the competition or even a new competitor.\'', 'But the cost of that hedge is one that we all pay, for example a broken ticketing website with substandard customer service that still captures your valuable data,"" Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said during a press conference.', '""It is through these exclusive ticketing arrangements that Americans face the dreaded Ticketmaster tax, the seemingly endless set of fees ironically named service fee or convenience fee when they are anything but,"" Kanter said.', 'Live Nation made headlines last year when a surge of demand from 14 million users, including bots, for Taylor Swift concert tickets led to site disruptions and slow queues.', ""A Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster in November 2023, following a monthslong probe prompted by the exorbitant inflated ticket prices in Swift's Eras Tour."", ""Steep prices for the U.S. shows led scores of fans to seek out tickets to Swift's tour in other countries, which could often be cheaper even after international air travel."", '""In other countries where venues are not bound by Ticketmaster\'s exclusive ticketing contracts, venues often use multiple ticketing companies for the same event and fans see lower fees and more innovative ticketing products as a result,"" Garland said in a news conference.', 'Live Nation said Thursday it doesn\'t benefit from monopoly pricing, saying that Ticketmaster service charges ""are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower.""', 'The company noted its overall net profit margin is at the low end of S&P 500 companies.', ""Live Nation further argued the lawsuit won't reduce ticket prices or service fees."", 'It said artist teams set prices for their tickets and the venues set and keep the majority of ticket fees.', '""Some call this \'anti-monopoly\', but in reality it is just anti-business,"" Live Nation\'s Wall said. ""', 'There is no legal basis for objecting to vertical integration on these grounds.', '""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.', 'The company has also been in the public eye in the past year over transparency issues regarding hidden fees in ticket pricing.']",-0.0308866198552047,"The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.","Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions.",-0.2345751208417555,"""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.","""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.",2024-05-29
"Luxury perfumes linked to child labour, BBC finds",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68172560,2024-05-28T01:19:48.000Z,"Children have picked ingredients used by suppliers to two major beauty companies, the BBC can reveal. A BBC investigation into last summer's perfume supply chains found jasmine used by Lancôme and Aerin Beauty's suppliers was picked by minors.  All the luxury perfume brands claim to have zero tolerance on child labour.  L'Oréal, Lancôme's owner, said it was committed to respecting human rights. Estée Lauder, Aerin Beauty's owner, said it had contacted its suppliers.  The jasmine used in Lancôme Idôle L'Intense - and Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty - comes from Egypt, which produces about half the world's supply of jasmine flowers - a key perfume ingredient. Industry insiders told us the handful of companies that own many luxury brands are squeezing budgets, resulting in very low pay. Egyptian jasmine pickers say this forces them to involve their children. And we have discovered the auditing systems the perfume industry uses to check on supply chains are deeply flawed.  The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata, said he was disturbed by the World Service's evidence, which includes undercover filming in Egyptian jasmine fields during last year's picking season. ""On paper, they [the industry] are promising so many good things, like supply chain transparency and the fight against child labour. Looking at this footage, they are not actually doing things that they promised to do."" Heba - who lives in a village in the district of Gharbia, the heart of Egypt's jasmine region - wakes her family at 03:00 to begin picking the flowers before the sun's heat damages them.  Heba says she needs her four children - aged from 5 to 15 - to help. Like most jasmine pickers in Egypt, she is what is known as an ""independent picker"" and works on a smallholder farm. The more she and her children can pick, the more they earn. On the night we filmed her, she and her children managed to pick 1.5kg of jasmine flowers. After paying a third of her earnings to the land owner, she was left with roughly US$1.5 [£1.18] for that night's work. This is worth less than ever before, given inflation in Egypt is at an all-time high, and pickers are often living below the poverty line. Heba's 10-year-old daughter Basmalla has also been diagnosed with a severe eye allergy. At a medical consultation we attended with her, the doctor told her that her vision will be affected if she continues jasmine picking without treating the inflammation. Once the jasmine has been picked and weighed, it is transferred via collection points to one of several local factories which extract oil from the flowers - the main three being A Fakhry and Co, Hashem Brothers and Machalico. Each year, it is the factories that set the price for the jasmine picked by people like Heba.  It is difficult to say exactly how many of the 30,000 people involved in Egypt's jasmine industry are children. But during the summer of 2023 the BBC filmed across this region and spoke to many residents who told us the low price for jasmine meant they needed to include their children in their work.  We witnessed that, at four different locations, a significant number of pickers working on smallholder farms - which supply the main factories - were children under the age of 15. Multiple sources also told us that there were children working on farms directly owned by the Machalico factory, so we went undercover to film there and found pickers who told us their ages ranged from 12 to 14.  It is illegal for anyone under the age of 15 to work in Egypt between the hours of 19:00 and 07:00. The factories export the jasmine oil to international fragrance houses where the perfumes are created. Givaudan, based in Switzerland is one of the largest, and has a longstanding relationship with A Fakhry and Co.  But it is the perfume companies above them - which include L'Oréal and Estée Lauder - which hold all the power, according to independent perfumer Christophe Laudamiel and several other industry insiders. Known as ""the masters"", they set the brief and a very tight budget for the fragrance houses, he said.  ""The masters' interest is to have the cheapest oil possible to put in the fragrance bottle,"" and then to sell it at the highest possible price, said Mr Laudamiel, who spent years working inside one of the fragrance houses. ""They actually don't govern the salary or the wages of the harvesters, nor the actual price of jasmine, because they are beyond that,"" he explained.  But he said that because of the budget that they set, the pressure on wages ""trickles down"" - to the factories, and ultimately, the pickers.  ""There's a big disconnect between the preciousness that is talked about in the marketing talk, and what is actually given to the harvesters,"" he added.  In their promotional material, the perfume companies and fragrance houses paint a picture of ethical sourcing practices. Every employer in the supply chain has also signed a letter of commitment to the UN, pledging to abide by its guidelines regarding safe working practices and eliminating child labour.  The issue, according to a senior executive with fragrance house Givaudan, is the lack of oversight the perfume companies have of their supply chains. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the executive said these companies relied on the fragrance houses to instruct third-party auditing companies to check for due diligence.  Perfume's Dark Secret Top perfume brands may have ""worst form of child labour"" in their supply chain, a BBC Eye investigation reveals. Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only). For international audiences, watch on YouTube Perfume's Dark Secret BBC Eye Investigations has discovered that, when the sun goes down in Egypt, there is a hidden human cost to this industry. Listen now on BBC Sounds  The auditing firms most often mentioned by the conglomerates and fragrance houses on their websites, and in letters to the UN, are Sedex and UEBT. Their audit reports are not publicly available but by posing as a buyer looking for ethically sourced jasmine, we managed to get the factory A Fakhry and Co to send both of them to us. The report from UEBT, based on a visit to the factory last year, shows there was an indication of a human rights issue, but it doesn't go into detail. Despite this, the company was given a ""verification"", which means it can say it offers ""responsibly sourced jasmine oil"".  UEBT, in its response to this, said: ""One company has been issued a responsible sourcing attestation, subject to an action plan… valid till mid 2024, and will be withdrawn if… not implemented."" The Sedex report gave the factory a glowing assessment, but it was clear from its write-up that the visit had been pre-announced, and only the factory site itself had been audited, and not the smallholder farms it sourced jasmine from. Sedex told us that it was ""firmly against all forms of labour rights abuses. But no one tool alone can or should be relied on to uncover and remediate all environmental and human rights risks or impacts."" Lawyer Sarah Dadush, founder of the Responsible Contracting Project, which seeks to improve human rights in global supply chains, said the BBC's investigation ""reveals… that those systems aren't working"". The issue, she said, is that ""the auditors are only auditing what they're paid to audit"", and this might not include the price paid to the labour force - ""a major root cause"" of child labour. A Fakhry and Co told us that child labour is prohibited in both its farm and factory, but that the vast majority of its jasmine is sourced from independent collectors. ""In 2018, under the monitoring of the UEBT, we commenced the Jasmine Plant Protection Products Mitigation Project, which imposes a prohibition on individuals under the age of 18 working on the farms."" It added that ""by any comparable standards in Egypt, jasmine picking is well-remunerated"".  Machalico said it does not use pickers under the age of 18, and said it had increased the price it pays for jasmine for the past two years, and will do so again this year. Hashem Brothers said our report was ""based on misleading information"". Givaudan, the fragrance house which makes Lancôme Idôle L'Intense, described our investigation as ""deeply alarming"", adding ""it's incumbent upon us all to continue taking action to remove the risk of child labour entirely"".  Firmenich, the fragrance house which makes Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty, and in summer 2023 sourced jasmine from Machalico, told us it was now using a new supplier in Egypt. It added that it will ""support initiatives that seek to collectively address this issue with industry partners and local jasmine farmers"".  We also put the findings of the investigation to the perfume masters. L'Oréal said it was ""actively committed to respecting the most protective internationally recognised human rights standards"", adding that it ""never request[s] Fragrance Houses to go lower than the market price for ingredients at the expense of farmers. Despite our strong commitments… we know that in certain parts of the world where L'Oréal suppliers operate there are risks to our commitments being upheld."" It added: ""Whenever an issue arises, L'Oréal works proactively to identify the underlying causes and the way to resolve the issue. In January 2024, our partner performed an on-site human rights impact assessment to identify potential human rights violations and find ways to prevent and mitigate them, with a focus on the child labour risks."" L'Oréal has provided the BBC with an additional statement: ""L'Oréal is seeking to ensure that decent wages are paid to the farmers, that their children have access to education, and human rights laws, policies and practices are in place to stop children from working. ""Ahead of this year's harvest in June, a detailed action plan is in place with suppliers and our teams will be in Egypt evaluating their success."" Estée Lauder said: ""We believe the rights of all children should be protected. And we have contacted our suppliers to investigate this very serious matter. We recognise the complex socio-economic environment surrounding the local jasmine supply chain, and we are taking action to gain better transparency and to work toward improving the livelihoods of sourcing communities.""  Back in Gharbia, jasmine picker Heba was shocked when we told her the price perfume was selling for on the international market. ""People here are worth nothing,"" she said. ""I don't mind people using perfume, but I want the people using this perfume to see in it the pain of children. And to speak up."" But lawyer Sarah Dadush said the responsibility does not lie with the consumer.  ""This is not a problem that should be for us to solve. We need law… we need corporate accountability, and that cannot just be on the consumers."" Update 29 May: This article has been updated with an additional response from L'Oréal. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Children have picked ingredients used by suppliers to two major beauty companies, the BBC can reveal.', ""A BBC investigation into last summer's perfume supply chains found jasmine used by Lancôme and Aerin Beauty's suppliers was picked by minors."", 'All the luxury perfume brands claim to have zero tolerance on child labour.', ""L'Oréal, Lancôme's owner, said it was committed to respecting human rights."", ""Estée Lauder, Aerin Beauty's owner, said it had contacted its suppliers."", ""The jasmine used in Lancôme Idôle L'Intense - and Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty - comes from Egypt, which produces about half the world's supply of jasmine flowers - a key perfume ingredient."", 'Industry insiders told us the handful of companies that own many luxury brands are squeezing budgets, resulting in very low pay.', 'Egyptian jasmine pickers say this forces them to involve their children.', 'And we have discovered the auditing systems the perfume industry uses to check on supply chains are deeply flawed.', 'The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata, said he was disturbed by the World Service\'s evidence, which includes undercover filming in Egyptian jasmine fields during last year\'s picking season. ""', 'On paper, they [the industry] are promising so many good things, like supply chain transparency and the fight against child labour.', 'Looking at this footage, they are not actually doing things that they promised to do.""', ""Heba - who lives in a village in the district of Gharbia, the heart of Egypt's jasmine region - wakes her family at 03:00 to begin picking the flowers before the sun's heat damages them."", 'Heba says she needs her four children - aged from 5 to 15 - to help.', 'Like most jasmine pickers in Egypt, she is what is known as an ""independent picker"" and works on a smallholder farm.', 'The more she and her children can pick, the more they earn.', 'On the night we filmed her, she and her children managed to pick 1.5kg of jasmine flowers.', ""After paying a third of her earnings to the land owner, she was left with roughly US$1.5 [£1.18] for that night's work."", 'This is worth less than ever before, given inflation in Egypt is at an all-time high, and pickers are often living below the poverty line.', ""Heba's 10-year-old daughter Basmalla has also been diagnosed with a severe eye allergy."", 'At a medical consultation we attended with her, the doctor told her that her vision will be affected if she continues jasmine picking without treating the inflammation.', 'Once the jasmine has been picked and weighed, it is transferred via collection points to one of several local factories which extract oil from the flowers - the main three being A Fakhry and Co, Hashem Brothers and Machalico.', 'Each year, it is the factories that set the price for the jasmine picked by people like Heba.', ""It is difficult to say exactly how many of the 30,000 people involved in Egypt's jasmine industry are children."", 'But during the summer of 2023 the BBC filmed across this region and spoke to many residents who told us the low price for jasmine meant they needed to include their children in their work.', 'We witnessed that, at four different locations, a significant number of pickers working on smallholder farms - which supply the main factories - were children under the age of 15.', 'Multiple sources also told us that there were children working on farms directly owned by the Machalico factory, so we went undercover to film there and found pickers who told us their ages ranged from 12 to 14.', 'It is illegal for anyone under the age of 15 to work in Egypt between the hours of 19:00 and 07:00.', 'The factories export the jasmine oil to international fragrance houses where the perfumes are created.', ""Givaudan, based in Switzerland is one of the largest, and has a longstanding relationship with A Fakhry and Co. But it is the perfume companies above them - which include L'Oréal and Estée Lauder - which hold all the power, according to independent perfumer Christophe Laudamiel and several other industry insiders."", 'Known as ""the masters"", they set the brief and a very tight budget for the fragrance houses, he said. ""', 'The masters\' interest is to have the cheapest oil possible to put in the fragrance bottle,"" and then to sell it at the highest possible price, said Mr Laudamiel, who spent years working inside one of the fragrance houses. ""', 'They actually don\'t govern the salary or the wages of the harvesters, nor the actual price of jasmine, because they are beyond that,"" he explained.', 'But he said that because of the budget that they set, the pressure on wages ""trickles down"" - to the factories, and ultimately, the pickers. ""', 'There\'s a big disconnect between the preciousness that is talked about in the marketing talk, and what is actually given to the harvesters,"" he added.', 'In their promotional material, the perfume companies and fragrance houses paint a picture of ethical sourcing practices.', 'Every employer in the supply chain has also signed a letter of commitment to the UN, pledging to abide by its guidelines regarding safe working practices and eliminating child labour.', 'The issue, according to a senior executive with fragrance house Givaudan, is the lack of oversight the perfume companies have of their supply chains.', 'Speaking on condition of anonymity, the executive said these companies relied on the fragrance houses to instruct third-party auditing companies to check for due diligence.', 'Perfume\'s Dark Secret Top perfume brands may have ""worst form of child labour"" in their supply chain, a BBC Eye investigation reveals.', 'Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only).', ""For international audiences, watch on YouTube Perfume's Dark Secret BBC Eye Investigations has discovered that, when the sun goes down in Egypt, there is a hidden human cost to this industry."", 'Listen now on BBC Sounds The auditing firms most often mentioned by the conglomerates and fragrance houses on their websites, and in letters to the UN, are Sedex and UEBT.', 'Their audit reports are not publicly available but by posing as a buyer looking for ethically sourced jasmine, we managed to get the factory A Fakhry and Co to send both of them to us.', ""The report from UEBT, based on a visit to the factory last year, shows there was an indication of a human rights issue, but it doesn't go into detail."", 'Despite this, the company was given a ""verification"", which means it can say it offers ""responsibly sourced jasmine oil"".', 'UEBT, in its response to this, said: ""One company has been issued a responsible sourcing attestation, subject to an action plan… valid till mid 2024, and will be withdrawn if… not implemented.""', 'The Sedex report gave the factory a glowing assessment, but it was clear from its write-up that the visit had been pre-announced, and only the factory site itself had been audited, and not the smallholder farms it sourced jasmine from.', 'Sedex told us that it was ""firmly against all forms of labour rights abuses.', 'But no one tool alone can or should be relied on to uncover and remediate all environmental and human rights risks or impacts.""', 'Lawyer Sarah Dadush, founder of the Responsible Contracting Project, which seeks to improve human rights in global supply chains, said the BBC\'s investigation ""reveals… that those systems aren\'t working"".', 'The issue, she said, is that ""the auditors are only auditing what they\'re paid to audit"", and this might not include the price paid to the labour force - ""a major root cause"" of child labour.', 'A Fakhry and Co told us that child labour is prohibited in both its farm and factory, but that the vast majority of its jasmine is sourced from independent collectors. ""', 'In 2018, under the monitoring of the UEBT, we commenced the Jasmine Plant Protection Products Mitigation Project, which imposes a prohibition on individuals under the age of 18 working on the farms.""', 'It added that ""by any comparable standards in Egypt, jasmine picking is well-remunerated"".', 'Machalico said it does not use pickers under the age of 18, and said it had increased the price it pays for jasmine for the past two years, and will do so again this year.', 'Hashem Brothers said our report was ""based on misleading information"".', 'Givaudan, the fragrance house which makes Lancôme Idôle L\'Intense, described our investigation as ""deeply alarming"", adding ""it\'s incumbent upon us all to continue taking action to remove the risk of child labour entirely"".', 'Firmenich, the fragrance house which makes Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty, and in summer 2023 sourced jasmine from Machalico, told us it was now using a new supplier in Egypt.', 'It added that it will ""support initiatives that seek to collectively address this issue with industry partners and local jasmine farmers"".', 'We also put the findings of the investigation to the perfume masters.', 'L\'Oréal said it was ""actively committed to respecting the most protective internationally recognised human rights standards"", adding that it ""never request[s] Fragrance Houses to go lower than the market price for ingredients at the expense of farmers.', 'Despite our strong commitments… we know that in certain parts of the world where L\'Oréal suppliers operate there are risks to our commitments being upheld.""', 'It added: ""Whenever an issue arises, L\'Oréal works proactively to identify the underlying causes and the way to resolve the issue.', 'In January 2024, our partner performed an on-site human rights impact assessment to identify potential human rights violations and find ways to prevent and mitigate them, with a focus on the child labour risks.""', 'L\'Oréal has provided the BBC with an additional statement: ""L\'Oréal is seeking to ensure that decent wages are paid to the farmers, that their children have access to education, and human rights laws, policies and practices are in place to stop children from working. ""', 'Ahead of this year\'s harvest in June, a detailed action plan is in place with suppliers and our teams will be in Egypt evaluating their success.""', 'Estée Lauder said: ""We believe the rights of all children should be protected.', 'And we have contacted our suppliers to investigate this very serious matter.', 'We recognise the complex socio-economic environment surrounding the local jasmine supply chain, and we are taking action to gain better transparency and to work toward improving the livelihoods of sourcing communities.""', 'Back in Gharbia, jasmine picker Heba was shocked when we told her the price perfume was selling for on the international market. ""', 'People here are worth nothing,"" she said. ""', ""I don't mind people using perfume, but I want the people using this perfume to see in it the pain of children."", 'And to speak up.""', 'But lawyer Sarah Dadush said the responsibility does not lie with the consumer. ""', 'This is not a problem that should be for us to solve.', 'We need law… we need corporate accountability, and that cannot just be on the consumers.""', ""Update 29 May: This article has been updated with an additional response from L'Oréal.""]",0.0730808846696576,"We recognise the complex socio-economic environment surrounding the local jasmine supply chain, and we are taking action to gain better transparency and to work toward improving the livelihoods of sourcing communities.""","But no one tool alone can or should be relied on to uncover and remediate all environmental and human rights risks or impacts.""",-0.3126949932840135,"On paper, they [the industry] are promising so many good things, like supply chain transparency and the fight against child labour.","But he said that because of the budget that they set, the pressure on wages ""trickles down"" - to the factories, and ultimately, the pickers. """,2024-05-29
"Service charges: I'm now paying £8,000 a year for my flat",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgllrdljj57o,2024-05-26T23:54:46.184Z,"""The worst decision of my life,"" reflects Richard Moore, as he sits in the small flat he bought as an investment to provide him with a pension in his old age. ""My service charges have doubled from £4,000 to £8,000 a year. I feel like I'm being robbed"". Problems with the building's cladding also render the flat effectively worthless unless it is fixed, he says. The flat Richard paid £300,000 for in 2016 is leasehold – which means he doesn’t own the physical flat - but a lease allowing him to own it for a specified number of years.  A freeholder owns the physical building and the land it’s built on, and employs a managing agent to act on their behalf and collect services charges to cover the cost of maintaining and insuring the building. The managing agent says the increase is justified because the roof needs repairing. Richard points out the flats are less than 10 years old. Reforms to leasehold and freehold became law on Friday - one of the last pieces of legislation to make it through Parliament before it was shut down for the general election. They will help the estimated five million leasehold property owners  – the vast majority of them in flats in England and Wales, the only countries still to operate the leasehold system.  It will make extending their leases cheaper and simpler with a standard 990-year lease on renewal. There is also a duty on managing agents to be more transparent about their costs when billing leaseholders for service charges and maintenance. Richard's say they already are, although he disagrees. According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard's have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""We have got above-inflation increases in service charges and that comes as no surprise to any leaseholders,"" the TPI’s Andrew Bulmer says. ""Some service charges have gone up a moderate amount, but there are some, especially those in tall and complex buildings that are difficult to insure, where the service charges have rocketed and those individuals will certainly be hurting."" Mr Bulmer denies managing agents are making excessive profits saying ""margins are tight"". He points to TPI data which suggests the only cost that has not seen above-inflation rises is the fees managing agents charge to cover their own admin and running costs. Mr Bulmer suggests the new legislation is a missed opportunity for proper regulation with penalties for managing agents who step out of line. ""What regulation would do it wouldn't just regulate technical performance in terms of transparency or publishing information. But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers."" The TPI data suggests the biggest single factor driving up service charge costs are buildings insurance premiums – up 92% in five years. Insurers say that in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent cladding and building safety crisis they have no option. ""We empathise with the plight of leaseholders and the fact that they're under emotional and financial strain and we are doing all we can to support that,"" says Mervyn Skeet from the Association of British Insurers. However, he adds: ""I think the industry is correctly pricing the risk that's there. ""Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell. Now, the risk is well known."" But premiums are still going up year on year despite government pledging several billion pounds to remove flammable cladding and other building safety issues. The new leasehold laws will also restrict insurance brokers' ability to charge large commissions for writing the policies, which it is claimed some managing agents have passed on to leaseholders with an additional administration charge of their own. Nearly all of the tower blocks with the same cladding as Grenfell have now been fixed, according to government figures. Mr Skeet said the government was only fixing buildings to what he called a ""life safety"" standard – so that people could escape - but the insurance industry had to go further. ""Getting buildings to a life safety standards is obviously very important,"" he said. ""But we need to assess the resilience of the building, price for the cost of the whole building being lost."" Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues. The government has been putting pressure on the industry over soaring premiums charged by those still prepared to take on the risk. As a result, insurers have just launched a new scheme which aims to better share the risk of the most dangerous blocks which have yet to be repaired – of which there are still several thousand, according to the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign. Mr Skeet said: ""We hope to see that scheme having an impact over the next 12 months.  ""The capacity in the market and the basic supply and demand should lead to changes in premiums."" Among those as yet unremediated flats with cladding and safety issues is Richard’s in Croydon. His experience means he thinks fewer and fewer people will consider ever buying or living in a leasehold property. “It’s affecting millions of people in this country. I’m not the only cladding hostage out there."" ",BBC,26/05/2024,"['""The worst decision of my life,"" reflects Richard Moore, as he sits in the small flat he bought as an investment to provide him with a pension in his old age. ""', 'My service charges have doubled from £4,000 to £8,000 a year.', 'I feel like I\'m being robbed"".', ""Problems with the building's cladding also render the flat effectively worthless unless it is fixed, he says."", 'The flat Richard paid £300,000 for in 2016 is leasehold – which means he doesn’t own the physical flat - but a lease allowing him to own it for a specified number of years.', 'A freeholder owns the physical building and the land it’s built on, and employs a managing agent to act on their behalf and collect services charges to cover the cost of maintaining and insuring the building.', 'The managing agent says the increase is justified because the roof needs repairing.', 'Richard points out the flats are less than 10 years old.', 'Reforms to leasehold and freehold became law on Friday - one of the last pieces of legislation to make it through Parliament before it was shut down for the general election.', 'They will help the estimated five million leasehold property owners – the vast majority of them in flats in England and Wales, the only countries still to operate the leasehold system.', 'It will make extending their leases cheaper and simpler with a standard 990-year lease on renewal.', 'There is also a duty on managing agents to be more transparent about their costs when billing leaseholders for service charges and maintenance.', ""Richard's say they already are, although he disagrees."", 'According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard\'s have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""', 'We have got above-inflation increases in service charges and that comes as no surprise to any leaseholders,"" the TPI’s Andrew Bulmer says. ""', 'Some service charges have gone up a moderate amount, but there are some, especially those in tall and complex buildings that are difficult to insure, where the service charges have rocketed and those individuals will certainly be hurting.""', 'Mr Bulmer denies managing agents are making excessive profits saying ""margins are tight"".', 'He points to TPI data which suggests the only cost that has not seen above-inflation rises is the fees managing agents charge to cover their own admin and running costs.', 'Mr Bulmer suggests the new legislation is a missed opportunity for proper regulation with penalties for managing agents who step out of line. ""', ""What regulation would do it wouldn't just regulate technical performance in terms of transparency or publishing information."", 'But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers.""', 'The TPI data suggests the biggest single factor driving up service charge costs are buildings insurance premiums – up 92% in five years.', 'Insurers say that in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent cladding and building safety crisis they have no option. ""', 'We empathise with the plight of leaseholders and the fact that they\'re under emotional and financial strain and we are doing all we can to support that,"" says Mervyn Skeet from the Association of British Insurers.', 'However, he adds: ""I think the industry is correctly pricing the risk that\'s there. ""', ""Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell."", 'Now, the risk is well known.""', 'But premiums are still going up year on year despite government pledging several billion pounds to remove flammable cladding and other building safety issues.', ""The new leasehold laws will also restrict insurance brokers' ability to charge large commissions for writing the policies, which it is claimed some managing agents have passed on to leaseholders with an additional administration charge of their own."", 'Nearly all of the tower blocks with the same cladding as Grenfell have now been fixed, according to government figures.', 'Mr Skeet said the government was only fixing buildings to what he called a ""life safety"" standard – so that people could escape - but the insurance industry had to go further. ""', 'Getting buildings to a life safety standards is obviously very important,"" he said. ""', 'But we need to assess the resilience of the building, price for the cost of the whole building being lost.""', 'Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues.', 'The government has been putting pressure on the industry over soaring premiums charged by those still prepared to take on the risk.', 'As a result, insurers have just launched a new scheme which aims to better share the risk of the most dangerous blocks which have yet to be repaired – of which there are still several thousand, according to the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign.', 'Mr Skeet said: ""We hope to see that scheme having an impact over the next 12 months. ""', 'The capacity in the market and the basic supply and demand should lead to changes in premiums.""', 'Among those as yet unremediated flats with cladding and safety issues is Richard’s in Croydon.', 'His experience means he thinks fewer and fewer people will consider ever buying or living in a leasehold property. “', 'It’s affecting millions of people in this country.', 'I’m not the only cladding hostage out there.""']",-0.0485725932640262,"But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers.""","Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell.",0.1205124069343913,"According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard's have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""","Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues.",2024-05-29
"Warner Bros. Discovery's NBA rights offer could put it in competition with Amazon, not NBC",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/warner-bros-discovery-considers-matching-nba-package-slated-for-amazon.html,2024-05-23T17:52:31+0000,"In this articleWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast's NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter.It's the latest turn in what's been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney. Warner's Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years.Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, the people said. If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA. Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't yet seen the three potential packages, because the league hasn't officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners. It also hasn't communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, the people said.Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery's current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon.Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter. The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn't yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids. When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.It's possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games. It's unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions.Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment. Representatives from Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.If the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company's thinking.""We've had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,"" Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery's quarterly earnings conference call. ""We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.""That could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league. It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner.Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing. That package tentatively includes All-Star games and conference finals games, which have aired on TNT, according to a person familiar with the matter.The NBA wants a robust streaming offering as a third package to extend the reach of its product beyond cable TV. Warner Bros. Discovery owns both cable network TNT and its flagship streaming service, Max, which is expanding internationally. The company announced Wednesday it had struck a deal with ESPN to sublicense College Football Playoff games for five years — with the games to be aired on TNT and streamed on Max.Still, unlike Amazon's Prime Video streaming service, Max plans to tier its sports offerings to customers, forcing them to pay more and potentially diminishing reach, which the NBA may not prefer.It's possible Zaslav's focus on Amazon may be a strategic move to get a settlement from the league by focusing on a package specifically designed for a big tech streamer.The College Football Playoffs deal and the company's recent rights agreement for a package of NASCAR races beginning in 2025 has put Zaslav in a place where he's content to lose the NBA if Warner Bros. Discovery management decides the cost is too much, according to people familiar with the matter.Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter.An offer of $2.5 billion or more would more than double the NBA's previous asking price of $1.2 billion, and the new package would contain fewer games because of the introduction of a third media partner.Warner Bros. Discovery could use the money saved from not spending on the NBA for other sports, including UFC, which will likely sign a new rights deal next year.Zaslav views NBCUniversal as a direct competitor in a fight for survival among legacy media companies, according to people familiar with his thinking. If NBCUniversal ends up paying too much for the NBA, he views that as a competitive advantage for Warner Bros. Discovery, they said.If Warner Bros. Discovery chooses to match a potential Amazon package or stand down completely, it would clear the way for the NBA to get back in business with NBCUniversal, which lost league rights in 2002.A member of NBCUniversal's music licensing team recently reached out to John Tesh, the owner of ""Roundball Rock,"" the old ""NBA on NBC"" theme song, and mentioned potential interest in bringing the jingle back to NBC if the company gets the media rights, according to a person familiar with the matter.Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games. Neither Amazon nor Warner Bros. Discovery owns a broadcast network.NBCUniversal also owns Peacock, its domestic-only streaming service, which could also become a platform for NBA games.Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"[""In this articleWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast's NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter."", ""It's the latest turn in what's been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney."", ""Warner's Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years."", 'Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.', 'The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, the people said.', 'If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.', 'Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA.', ""Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't yet seen the three potential packages, because the league hasn't officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners."", ""It also hasn't communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, the people said."", ""Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery's current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon."", 'Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter.', ""The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn't yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids."", 'When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.', ""It's possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games."", ""It's unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions."", 'Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment.', ""Representatives from Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment."", ""If the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company's thinking."", '""We\'ve had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,"" Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery\'s quarterly earnings conference call. ""', 'We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.', '""That could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league.', ""It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner."", ""Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing."", 'That package tentatively includes All-Star games and conference finals games, which have aired on TNT, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'The NBA wants a robust streaming offering as a third package to extend the reach of its product beyond cable TV.', 'Warner Bros. Discovery owns both cable network TNT and its flagship streaming service, Max, which is expanding internationally.', 'The company announced Wednesday it had struck a deal with ESPN to sublicense College Football Playoff games for five years — with the games to be aired on TNT and streamed on Max.', ""Still, unlike Amazon's Prime Video streaming service, Max plans to tier its sports offerings to customers, forcing them to pay more and potentially diminishing reach, which the NBA may not prefer."", ""It's possible Zaslav's focus on Amazon may be a strategic move to get a settlement from the league by focusing on a package specifically designed for a big tech streamer."", ""The College Football Playoffs deal and the company's recent rights agreement for a package of NASCAR races beginning in 2025 has put Zaslav in a place where he's content to lose the NBA if Warner Bros. Discovery management decides the cost is too much, according to people familiar with the matter."", ""Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter."", ""An offer of $2.5 billion or more would more than double the NBA's previous asking price of $1.2 billion, and the new package would contain fewer games because of the introduction of a third media partner."", 'Warner Bros. Discovery could use the money saved from not spending on the NBA for other sports, including UFC, which will likely sign a new rights deal next year.', 'Zaslav views NBCUniversal as a direct competitor in a fight for survival among legacy media companies, according to people familiar with his thinking.', 'If NBCUniversal ends up paying too much for the NBA, he views that as a competitive advantage for Warner Bros. Discovery, they said.', 'If Warner Bros. Discovery chooses to match a potential Amazon package or stand down completely, it would clear the way for the NBA to get back in business with NBCUniversal, which lost league rights in 2002.A member of NBCUniversal\'s music licensing team recently reached out to John Tesh, the owner of ""Roundball Rock,"" the old ""NBA on NBC"" theme song, and mentioned potential interest in bringing the jingle back to NBC if the company gets the media rights, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games.', 'Neither Amazon nor Warner Bros. Discovery owns a broadcast network.', 'NBCUniversal also owns Peacock, its domestic-only streaming service, which could also become a platform for NBA games.', 'Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.']",0.1136224515371988,"Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games.",It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner.,0.4549682140350342,Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing.,"Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter.",2024-05-29
"UAW challenges Mercedes-Benz union vote, asks NLRB for new election",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/uaw-mercedes-benz-challenge.html,2024-05-24T20:49:47+0000,"In this articleDETROIT – The United Auto Workers union is challenging the results of last week's organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, in which workers voted against union representation, and is asking federal officials to order a new election.Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union.Union organizing failed at the Alabama plant with 56% of the vote, or 2,642 workers, casting ballots against the UAW, according to the NLRB, which oversaw the election. More than 90% of the 5,075 eligible Mercedes-Benz workers voted in the election.""All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions,"" the UAW said in a statement. ""And that's what we're asking for here. Let's get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide.""The National Labor Relations Board confirmed Friday afternoon that its Atlanta-based office received the UAW's objections to the election. Friday was the last day the union could file objections and challenge the election.Mercedes-Benz in a statement Friday said company officials ""worked with the NLRB to adhere to its guidelines and we will continue to do so"" through the objection process. The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members' decision.""The NLRB said its regional director will review the UAW's allegations of an unfair election. If she finds that the objections raise substantial and material issues of fact that could be best resolved by a hearing, she will order a hearing. If after the hearing, she finds that the employer's conduct affected the election, she can order a new election.The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.After the results were announced, UAW President Shawn Fain accused the company of conducting an anti-union campaign, including ""egregious illegal behavior,"" but he declined to discuss the union's potential plans to object to the results.Fain said on May 17 that the union would continue to move forward with its charges against Mercedes-Benz, which allege that Mercedes-Benz has ""disciplined employees for discussing unionization at work, prohibited distribution of union materials and paraphernalia, surveilled employees, discharged union supporters, forced employees to attend captive audience meetings, and made statements suggesting that union activity is futile,"" the NLRB previously said.The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee.The Mercedes-Benz vote was expected to be more challenging for the union than the vote at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where the union had already established a presence after two failed organizing drives in the past decade and where it faced less opposition from the automaker.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"[""In this articleDETROIT – The United Auto Workers union is challenging the results of last week's organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, in which workers voted against union representation, and is asking federal officials to order a new election."", ""Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union."", 'Union organizing failed at the Alabama plant with 56% of the vote, or 2,642 workers, casting ballots against the UAW, according to the NLRB, which oversaw the election.', 'More than 90% of the 5,075 eligible Mercedes-Benz workers voted in the election.', '""All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions,"" the UAW said in a statement. ""', ""And that's what we're asking for here."", ""Let's get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide."", '""The National Labor Relations Board confirmed Friday afternoon that its Atlanta-based office received the UAW\'s objections to the election.', 'Friday was the last day the union could file objections and challenge the election.', 'Mercedes-Benz in a statement Friday said company officials ""worked with the NLRB to adhere to its guidelines and we will continue to do so"" through the objection process.', 'The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members\' decision.', '""The NLRB said its regional director will review the UAW\'s allegations of an unfair election.', 'If she finds that the objections raise substantial and material issues of fact that could be best resolved by a hearing, she will order a hearing.', ""If after the hearing, she finds that the employer's conduct affected the election, she can order a new election."", 'The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.', 'After the results were announced, UAW President Shawn Fain accused the company of conducting an anti-union campaign, including ""egregious illegal behavior,"" but he declined to discuss the union\'s potential plans to object to the results.', 'Fain said on May 17 that the union would continue to move forward with its charges against Mercedes-Benz, which allege that Mercedes-Benz has ""disciplined employees for discussing unionization at work, prohibited distribution of union materials and paraphernalia, surveilled employees, discharged union supporters, forced employees to attend captive audience meetings, and made statements suggesting that union activity is futile,"" the NLRB previously said.', ""The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee."", 'The Mercedes-Benz vote was expected to be more challenging for the union than the vote at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where the union had already established a presence after two failed organizing drives in the past decade and where it faced less opposition from the automaker.']",-0.0880846302605464,"The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members' decision.","The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.",-0.2524993896484375,"The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee.","Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union.",2024-05-29
"Eli Lilly to invest another $5.3 billion in Indiana plant to expand Mounjaro, Zepbound supply",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/eli-lilly-invests-to-increase-mounjaro-zepbound-supply.html,2024-05-24T19:20:12+0000,"In this articleEli Lilly on Friday said it is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana, to boost supply of its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and other medicines.Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.That new commitment brings Eli Lilly's total investment at the site to $9 billion. That makes it Eli Lilly's largest manufacturing investment in its nearly 150-year history, the company's CEO David Ricks said in a statement.Eli Lilly expects the Lebanon site to start making medicines toward the end of 2026, and scale up operations through 2028. The company first announced its plans to build new Indiana sites in 2022. The plant will specifically increase Eli Lilly's capacity to manufacture the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, called tirzepatide. The company refers to those treatments as incretin drugs, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar. ""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.Eli Lilly said 900 employees, including engineers, scientists, operating personnel and lab technicians, will staff the site when it is fully operational.The company has spent more than $18 billion to build, expand and purchase manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe since 2020.Eli Lilly has several manufacturing sites either ""ramping up or under construction,"" Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told investors during an earnings call last month. That includes the Lebanon plant and another Indiana site, two locations in North Carolina, one in Ireland, one in Germany and a seventh site the company recently acquired from Nexus Pharmaceuticals. Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.""Now that we're four months into the year, we have greater visibility into that, into these nodes of capacity and feel more confident,"" Ashkenazi said during the call.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleEli Lilly on Friday said it is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana, to boost supply of its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and other medicines.', 'Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.', ""That new commitment brings Eli Lilly's total investment at the site to $9 billion."", ""That makes it Eli Lilly's largest manufacturing investment in its nearly 150-year history, the company's CEO David Ricks said in a statement."", 'Eli Lilly expects the Lebanon site to start making medicines toward the end of 2026, and scale up operations through 2028.', ""The company first announced its plans to build new Indiana sites in 2022.The plant will specifically increase Eli Lilly's capacity to manufacture the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, called tirzepatide."", ""The company refers to those treatments as incretin drugs, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar."", '""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.', 'Eli Lilly said 900 employees, including engineers, scientists, operating personnel and lab technicians, will staff the site when it is fully operational.', 'The company has spent more than $18 billion to build, expand and purchase manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe since 2020.Eli Lilly has several manufacturing sites either ""ramping up or under construction,"" Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told investors during an earnings call last month.', 'That includes the Lebanon plant and another Indiana site, two locations in North Carolina, one in Ireland, one in Germany and a seventh site the company recently acquired from Nexus Pharmaceuticals.', 'Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.', '""Now that we\'re four months into the year, we have greater visibility into that, into these nodes of capacity and feel more confident,"" Ashkenazi said during the call.']",0.3245136263338123,"""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.","Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.",0.7496254295110703,"Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.","Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.",2024-05-29
Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN strike 5-year deal for College Football Playoff games,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/warner-bros-discovery-espn-college-football-playoff-deal.html,2024-05-22T21:46:01+0000,"In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games.Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT will carry two first-round games this year and next year and will add two additional quarterfinals games starting in 2026. Disney also has an option to sublicense a semifinals game to Warner Bros. Discovery starting with the third year of the deal if it chooses, according to people familiar with the matter.Disney will keep exclusivity on the championship game throughout the terms of the contract, which runs through 2031, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details are private. Disney is paying about $1.3 billion per year for rights to the entire College Football Playoff.The new 12-team College Football Playoff slate debuts in December, replacing a four-team tournament that began in 2014. Under the new format, the top four teams get byes while teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 play first-round games at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team.ESPN will produce the games and primarily use ESPN talent for the broadcasts, which will be TNT branded, said the people familiar. As part of the sublicensing agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery is paying ESPN an average of ""hundreds of millions"" per year for the games over the course of five years, though less in years one and two when it only has two games per year, said the people.Warner Bros. Discovery has the exclusive rights to sublicense the games for the length of the deal.""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games.""This year's first round of the CFP will take place on Dec. 20 and 21.Warner Bros. Discovery plans to add the games to its Max sports tier. The company is bulking up on live sports while in the middle of a difficult negotiation with the National Basketball Association for a package of live games.TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.College football is some of the most popular programming on television. Michigan's semifinals victory over Alabama last year drew an average audience of 27.2 million viewers — the most watched non-NFL sporting event since 2018.Even if Warner Bros. Discovery loses the NBA, it will now have both CFP and the NBA until mid-2025, in addition to several weeks of games for the NCAA men's basketball March Madness tournament, men's and women's soccer, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. That should help the company in its upcoming carriage renewal deals for TNT and its other cable networks.ESPN sublicensing to Warner Bros. Discovery also keeps all of the CFP games on Venu Sports, the new sports streaming service that's being developed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and is expected to launch in the fall.Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal.WATCH: The root problem facing streamers is the lack of daily usage, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games."", ""Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT will carry two first-round games this year and next year and will add two additional quarterfinals games starting in 2026."", 'Disney also has an option to sublicense a semifinals game to Warner Bros. Discovery starting with the third year of the deal if it chooses, according to people familiar with the matter.', 'Disney will keep exclusivity on the championship game throughout the terms of the contract, which runs through 2031, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details are private.', 'Disney is paying about $1.3 billion per year for rights to the entire College Football Playoff.', 'The new 12-team College Football Playoff slate debuts in December, replacing a four-team tournament that began in 2014.', 'Under the new format, the top four teams get byes while teams seeded No.', '5 through No.', '12 play first-round games at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team.', 'ESPN will produce the games and primarily use ESPN talent for the broadcasts, which will be TNT branded, said the people familiar.', 'As part of the sublicensing agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery is paying ESPN an average of ""hundreds of millions"" per year for the games over the course of five years, though less in years one and two when it only has two games per year, said the people.', 'Warner Bros. Discovery has the exclusive rights to sublicense the games for the length of the deal.', '""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""', 'Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games.', '""This year\'s first round of the CFP will take place on Dec. 20 and 21.Warner Bros. Discovery plans to add the games to its Max sports tier.', 'The company is bulking up on live sports while in the middle of a difficult negotiation with the National Basketball Association for a package of live games.', 'TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.', 'College football is some of the most popular programming on television.', ""Michigan's semifinals victory over Alabama last year drew an average audience of 27.2 million viewers — the most watched non-NFL sporting event since 2018.Even if Warner Bros. Discovery loses the NBA, it will now have both CFP and the NBA until mid-2025, in addition to several weeks of games for the NCAA men's basketball March Madness tournament, men's and women's soccer, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League."", 'That should help the company in its upcoming carriage renewal deals for TNT and its other cable networks.', ""ESPN sublicensing to Warner Bros. Discovery also keeps all of the CFP games on Venu Sports, the new sports streaming service that's being developed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and is expected to launch in the fall."", ""Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal."", ""WATCH: The root problem facing streamers is the lack of daily usage, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield""]",0.0846016602445628,"""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""","TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.",0.1424879431724548,"In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games.","TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.",2024-05-29
"Nissan issues 'do not drive' alert for nearly 84,000 older models with recalled airbags",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/nissan-sentra-pathfinder-infinity-air-bag-recall.html,2024-05-29T16:29:15+0000,"In this articleNissan has warned owners of older vehicles to drop driving cars equipped with recalled, unrepaired Takata airbags the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Wednesday.The NHTSA said the Japanese carmaker's ""Do Not Drive"" alert applies to 83,920 cars. The affected cars include 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles that may have Takata airbags that were recalled in 2020.Nissan's stock was down nearly 3% during Wednesday's session following the warning.""NHTSA is urging all vehicle owners to immediately check to see if their vehicle has an open Takata airbag recall,"" the NHTSA said in a statement. ""If you have one of these vehicles, do not drive it until the repair is completed and the defective airbag is replaced.""Nissan and Infiniti will offer affected owners free towing and mobile repair, as well as loaner cars in select locations. Infiniti is a division of Nissan.""Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an airbag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,"" a Nissan spokesperson told CNBC in a statement.According to the NHTSA, 27 people in the United States were confirmed to have been killed by a defective Takata airbag that exploded. At least 400 others have allegedly sustained injuries, according to the NHTSA.At least 67 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled in the country, and more than 100 million have been recalled worldwide, making it one of the largest auto safety callbacks in history.In 2017, Takata filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the U.S. after agreeing to pay $1 billion in criminal penalties tied to its allegedly fraudulent conduct in the sales of its defective airbag inflators.",CNBC,29/05/2024,"['In this articleNissan has warned owners of older vehicles to drop driving cars equipped with recalled, unrepaired Takata airbags the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Wednesday.', 'The NHTSA said the Japanese carmaker\'s ""Do Not Drive"" alert applies to 83,920 cars.', ""The affected cars include 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles that may have Takata airbags that were recalled in 2020.Nissan's stock was down nearly 3% during Wednesday's session following the warning."", '""NHTSA is urging all vehicle owners to immediately check to see if their vehicle has an open Takata airbag recall,"" the NHTSA said in a statement. ""', 'If you have one of these vehicles, do not drive it until the repair is completed and the defective airbag is replaced.', '""Nissan and Infiniti will offer affected owners free towing and mobile repair, as well as loaner cars in select locations.', 'Infiniti is a division of Nissan.', '""Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an airbag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,"" a Nissan spokesperson told CNBC in a statement.', 'According to the NHTSA, 27 people in the United States were confirmed to have been killed by a defective Takata airbag that exploded.', 'At least 400 others have allegedly sustained injuries, according to the NHTSA.At least 67 million Takata airbag inflators have been recalled in the country, and more than 100 million have been recalled worldwide, making it one of the largest auto safety callbacks in history.', 'In 2017, Takata filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the U.S. after agreeing to pay $1 billion in criminal penalties tied to its allegedly fraudulent conduct in the sales of its defective airbag inflators.']",-0.235327465124021,"""Nissan and Infiniti will offer affected owners free towing and mobile repair, as well as loaner cars in select locations.","""Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an airbag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,"" a Nissan spokesperson told CNBC in a statement.",-0.4701756834983825,"In 2017, Takata filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the U.S. after agreeing to pay $1 billion in criminal penalties tied to its allegedly fraudulent conduct in the sales of its defective airbag inflators.","The affected cars include 2002-2006 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinder and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles that may have Takata airbags that were recalled in 2020.Nissan's stock was down nearly 3% during Wednesday's session following the warning.",2024-05-29
Two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island join new national pharmacy union,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/two-cvs-pharmacies-join-new-national-pharmacy-union.html,2024-05-24T18:40:36+0000,"In this articlePharmacy staff at two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island voted to join a new national pharmacy union on Friday, signaling growing momentum in a movement to help thousands of U.S. pharmacy workers address what they allege are unsafe working conditions. Pharmacy workers at locations open 24 hours a day in Wakefield and Westerly won their union elections, making them the first stores to unionize in CVS' home state, according to a release from the union. It comes a month after a CVS Omnicare pharmacy in Las Vegas — which is not customer facing — became the first location to join the union, known as The Pharmacy Guild. The labor group will represent them in negotiations with CVS. ""These are the first brick-and-mortar classic CVS model"" stores to join the union, Shane Jerominski, a community pharmacist and co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild, told CNBC. ""This is really where my heart is … we've all worked for Walgreens or CVS in the classic retail setting, so we all know the working conditions there."" The two locations consist of nine of the company's roughly 30,000 pharmacists in the U.S., a CVS spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. Some 700 CVS pharmacists are already unionized with other groups, they noted.The spokesperson said the company respects its employees' right to unionize or refrain from doing so. They added that the vote is the first of several steps in the collective bargaining process. If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we'll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added. They said the company is committed to ensuring there are ""appropriate levels of staffing and resources"" at its pharmacies, using ""a combination of staffing, labor hours, workflow process, and technology to do so.""Jerominski and other organizers of a nationwide walkout of pharmacy staff in the fall partnered with IAM Healthcare, a union representing thousands of health-care professionals, to launch The Pharmacy Guild in November. That work stoppage spanned major drugstore chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, and drew widespread media attention to workers' concerns. The Pharmacy Guild aims to help pharmacy staff address what many workers call unsafe staffing levels and increasing workloads across the industry that put both employees and patients at risk. The union also calls for legislative and regulatory changes to establish higher standards of practice in pharmacies to protect patients. The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management. Many employees said the Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated those issues, with new duties such as vaccinations and testing stretching pharmacy staff even thinner. The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said. He added there could be more union filings for stores at companies other than CVS in the next several weeks.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articlePharmacy staff at two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island voted to join a new national pharmacy union on Friday, signaling growing momentum in a movement to help thousands of U.S. pharmacy workers address what they allege are unsafe working conditions.', ""Pharmacy workers at locations open 24 hours a day in Wakefield and Westerly won their union elections, making them the first stores to unionize in CVS' home state, according to a release from the union."", 'It comes a month after a CVS Omnicare pharmacy in Las Vegas — which is not customer facing — became the first location to join the union, known as The Pharmacy Guild.', 'The labor group will represent them in negotiations with CVS.""These are the first brick-and-mortar classic CVS model"" stores to join the union, Shane Jerominski, a community pharmacist and co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild, told CNBC. ""', ""This is really where my heart is … we've all worked for Walgreens or CVS in the classic retail setting, so we all know the working conditions there."", '""The two locations consist of nine of the company\'s roughly 30,000 pharmacists in the U.S., a CVS spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.Some 700 CVS pharmacists are already unionized with other groups, they noted.', ""The spokesperson said the company respects its employees' right to unionize or refrain from doing so."", 'They added that the vote is the first of several steps in the collective bargaining process.', 'If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we\'ll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added.', 'They said the company is committed to ensuring there are ""appropriate levels of staffing and resources"" at its pharmacies, using ""a combination of staffing, labor hours, workflow process, and technology to do so.', '""Jerominski and other organizers of a nationwide walkout of pharmacy staff in the fall partnered with IAM Healthcare, a union representing thousands of health-care professionals, to launch The Pharmacy Guild in November.', ""That work stoppage spanned major drugstore chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, and drew widespread media attention to workers' concerns."", 'The Pharmacy Guild aims to help pharmacy staff address what many workers call unsafe staffing levels and increasing workloads across the industry that put both employees and patients at risk.', 'The union also calls for legislative and regulatory changes to establish higher standards of practice in pharmacies to protect patients.', 'The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management.', 'Many employees said the Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated those issues, with new duties such as vaccinations and testing stretching pharmacy staff even thinner.', 'The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said.', 'He added there could be more union filings for stores at companies other than CVS in the next several weeks.']",0.2422728258979897,"If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we'll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added.",,0.0499576330184936,"The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said.","The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management.",2024-05-29
Adam Neumann drops effort to return to WeWork,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnlljlrzjwgo,2024-05-28T16:19:39.829Z,"Former WeWork boss Adam Neumann said he is moving on after trying to buy the bankrupt company that specialises in shared office spaces. Mr Neumann had revealed his interest in buying the firm earlier this year, reportedly offering some $500m (£391m).  At the time, he accused the firm of resisting the idea despite its financial issues.  WeWork recently submitted a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, which it said would help reduce its rent burden by billions of dollars. In a statement on Tuesday Mr Neumann, who now leads a new property firm called Flow, criticised his former company's plans.  “For several months, we tried to work constructively with WeWork to create a strategy that would allow it to thrive,"" he said in a statement, which was first reported by the New York Times. ""Instead, the company looks to be emerging from bankruptcy with a plan that appears unrealistic and unlikely to succeed.” WeWork declined to comment. Mr Neumann made his name steering WeWork on a breakneck global expansion, which he promised would revolutionise the office property sector.  But the growth proved too costly to sustain, leaving the firm with multi-billion dollar losses. Mr Neumann was ousted in 2019, after his effort to list the company on the stock exchange revealed cracks in its business model and drew scrutiny of his leadership. His fall from grace was later portrayed in the Apple TV series WeCrashed.  Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company. But WeWork, once privately valued at nearly $50bn (£39bn) and hailed as the future of the office, continued to struggle especially after the pandemic shut down offices and gave rise to remote work, often from home.  It filed for bankruptcy last November, seeking court protection as it tried to reduce its rent burden. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Former WeWork boss Adam Neumann said he is moving on after trying to buy the bankrupt company that specialises in shared office spaces.', 'Mr Neumann had revealed his interest in buying the firm earlier this year, reportedly offering some $500m (£391m).', 'At the time, he accused the firm of resisting the idea despite its financial issues.', 'WeWork recently submitted a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, which it said would help reduce its rent burden by billions of dollars.', ""In a statement on Tuesday Mr Neumann, who now leads a new property firm called Flow, criticised his former company's plans. “"", 'For several months, we tried to work constructively with WeWork to create a strategy that would allow it to thrive,"" he said in a statement, which was first reported by the New York Times. ""', 'Instead, the company looks to be emerging from bankruptcy with a plan that appears unrealistic and unlikely to succeed.”', 'WeWork declined to comment.', 'Mr Neumann made his name steering WeWork on a breakneck global expansion, which he promised would revolutionise the office property sector.', 'But the growth proved too costly to sustain, leaving the firm with multi-billion dollar losses.', 'Mr Neumann was ousted in 2019, after his effort to list the company on the stock exchange revealed cracks in its business model and drew scrutiny of his leadership.', 'His fall from grace was later portrayed in the Apple TV series WeCrashed.', 'Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company.', 'But WeWork, once privately valued at nearly $50bn (£39bn) and hailed as the future of the office, continued to struggle especially after the pandemic shut down offices and gave rise to remote work, often from home.', 'It filed for bankruptcy last November, seeking court protection as it tried to reduce its rent burden.']",0.1099722987022685,"Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company.","It filed for bankruptcy last November, seeking court protection as it tried to reduce its rent burden.",-0.0272693261504173,"Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company.","But the growth proved too costly to sustain, leaving the firm with multi-billion dollar losses.",2024-05-29
"Shop price rises back to 'normal', British Retail Consortium says",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nnmrqp1vqo,2024-05-28T02:26:12.068Z,"Shop price rises are back to ""normal levels"" as the cost of furniture, televisions and other non-food items have fallen, according to a UK retail industry body. Prices rose at an annual rate of 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in the previous month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research firm NielsenIQ. The figures also showed that food inflation fell for the thirteenth month in a row to 3.2%. Household budgets have come under pressure as prices soared in the wake of the pandemic and the Ukraine war pushed up the cost of energy. The ease in shop price rises ""was helped by slowing food inflation, with fresh food inflation falling to its lowest level since November 2021,"" Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC said. While the cost of food has continued to rise, although at a slower pace, prices of non-food items have been falling, the BRC said. This included furniture, TVs and audio equipment, which it said have been their prices cut by retailers ahead of the Euros football tournament. Unusually wet weather has also been credited with helping to ease prices. ""The unseasonable weather has dampened retail sales so lower prices look set to continue and promotional activity is likely to increase drive demand,” Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, said. Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time. For example, if a bottle of milk costs £1 but is £1.05 a year later, then annual milk inflation is 5%. Erica Moore, founder and owner of Eteaket leaf tea company in Edinburgh, said it felt like price rises have stabilised since the start of the year. ""The prices that we've got at the moment are higher than they used to be across the board, but it does feel like there's a levelling off, at least for the next little while"". While it might offer some breathing space, she added that different factors can affect tea prices, such as harvest variability and weather. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Shop price rises are back to ""normal levels"" as the cost of furniture, televisions and other non-food items have fallen, according to a UK retail industry body.', 'Prices rose at an annual rate of 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in the previous month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research firm NielsenIQ.', 'The figures also showed that food inflation fell for the thirteenth month in a row to 3.2%.', 'Household budgets have come under pressure as prices soared in the wake of the pandemic and the Ukraine war pushed up the cost of energy.', 'The ease in shop price rises ""was helped by slowing food inflation, with fresh food inflation falling to its lowest level since November 2021,"" Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC said.', 'While the cost of food has continued to rise, although at a slower pace, prices of non-food items have been falling, the BRC said.', 'This included furniture, TVs and audio equipment, which it said have been their prices cut by retailers ahead of the Euros football tournament.', 'Unusually wet weather has also been credited with helping to ease prices. ""', 'The unseasonable weather has dampened retail sales so lower prices look set to continue and promotional activity is likely to increase drive demand,” Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, said.', 'Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time.', 'For example, if a bottle of milk costs £1 but is £1.05 a year later, then annual milk inflation is 5%.', 'Erica Moore, founder and owner of Eteaket leaf tea company in Edinburgh, said it felt like price rises have stabilised since the start of the year. ""', 'The prices that we\'ve got at the moment are higher than they used to be across the board, but it does feel like there\'s a levelling off, at least for the next little while"".', 'While it might offer some breathing space, she added that different factors can affect tea prices, such as harvest variability and weather.']",0.0352835216220172,"Unusually wet weather has also been credited with helping to ease prices. """,Household budgets have come under pressure as prices soared in the wake of the pandemic and the Ukraine war pushed up the cost of energy.,0.3395757625500361,"Erica Moore, founder and owner of Eteaket leaf tea company in Edinburgh, said it felt like price rises have stabilised since the start of the year. ""","Prices rose at an annual rate of 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in the previous month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research firm NielsenIQ.",2024-05-29
Judge’s stern rebuke of Elon Musk’s X gives researchers fresh hope,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/judges-stern-rebuke-of-elon-musks-x-gives-researchers-fresh-hope/index.html,"
  Published
        1:17 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say.
    
            On Monday, District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed and excoriated a lawsuit by X against online watchdog group Center for Countering Digital Hate as an attempt to silence the non-profit group for sounding alarms about hate speech on the platform.
    
            Breyer wrote in Monday’s order that the lawsuit was “unabashedly” about “punishing” reports written by CCDH, which X had accused of campaigning to drive away its advertisers. Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights.
    
            Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire.
    
            The CCDH case — in the US District Court for the Northern District of California — has been widely viewed as a bellwether for research and accountability on X, where Musk has restored the accounts of previously banned White supremacists and spreaders of misinformation and where Musk himself has amplified various conspiracy theories.
    
            And CCDH is not the only organization that has faced attacks by self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Musk after criticizing or raising concerns about his platform.
    
            “This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.
    
            “Society needs reliable and ethical research into social media platforms, and often that research relies on being able to study publicly available posts,” Abdo said.
    
            X said it plans to appeal Breyer’s decision.
    
            In his first year as owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League for defamation, as well as against Microsoft and Meta for allegedly improper data and trade secret access, respectively. None of those threats ever amounted to real lawsuits.
    
            He did, however, sue the progressive media watchdog Media Matters over its analysis highlighting antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on X, alleging that the group’s testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site and that the report was designed to drive away advertisers. Legal experts have described that case as “weak” on the merits and as a “bogus” attempt to chill criticism of X.
    
            This week’s court decision may be only a temporary setback in Musk’s wider plan to stifle criticism, said Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone. Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.
    
            The states of Texas and Missouri each announced probes into Media Matters following X’s lawsuit against the group, to which Musk responded, “Great!”
    
            As recently as Monday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a petition in state court seeking to compel Media Matters’ cooperation with his investigation. The filing came a week after he appeared with Musk in a live event on X — which Carusone said shows how Musk hopes to deputize the power of government to silence his critics.
    
            “They have every reason to do it,” Carusone said of the AGs’ investigations. “They get the political benefits, they get the attention. There doesn’t seem to be any cost to them yet. And if they are successful at developing this new playbook, this new terrain, legally, then it’s going to pave the way for them to just use this tool and tactic over and over and over again.”
    
            A representative for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Carusone’s claims.
    
            Researchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022. Academics need large samples of posts, shares, likes and other data to study social media trends in mis- and disinformation, public health, elections and other key topics. But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.
    
            Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year — were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.
    
            The change may have forced some researchers to rely more heavily on first-person observational data to draw conclusions about user behavior on X. Groups like CCDH have also used automated “scraping” of publicly viewable content from X rather than paying the company for data directly, a tactic that helped give rise to X’s initial lawsuit.
    
            Efforts by X and other social media companies to limit research transparency makes them less accountable to the public at best and, at worst, could mask malicious behavior, said David Karpf, an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.
    
            “We need independent research to have any real measure of what’s going on at X/Twitter. Musk is only ever going to release data that makes his company look good,” Karpf said. “These platforms are too big and too vital to the spread of information to be left unmonitored.”
    
            “This is an election year,” Karpf added, “and the platforms are taking steps to make it harder to monitor how their services are used for malignant ends.”
    
            Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.
    
            “The guardrails for democracy are hanging by a thread and we have dwindling insights into platform practices as researchers face lawsuits, congressional subpoenas and other scare tactics,” said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of digital rights at Free Press.
    
            Ultimately, Benavidez called the ruling “a reminder that platform accountability is essential and will inevitably prevail when up against bullies like Musk who try to silence us.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say.', 'On Monday, District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed and excoriated a lawsuit by X against online watchdog group Center for Countering Digital Hate as an attempt to silence the non-profit group for sounding alarms about hate speech on the platform.', 'Breyer wrote in Monday’s order that the lawsuit was “unabashedly” about “punishing” reports written by CCDH, which X had accused of campaigning to drive away its advertisers.', 'Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights.', 'Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire.', 'The CCDH case — in the US District Court for the Northern District of California —has been widely viewed as a bellwether for research and accountability on X, where Musk has restored the accounts of previously banned White supremacists and spreaders of misinformation and where Musk himself has amplified various conspiracy theories.', 'And CCDH is not the only organization that has faced attacks by self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Musk after criticizing or raising concerns about his platform.', '“This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.', '“Society needs reliable and ethical research into social media platforms, and often that research relies on being able to study publicly available posts,” Abdo said.', 'X said it plans to appeal Breyer’s decision.', 'In his first year as owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League for defamation, as well as against Microsoft and Meta for allegedly improper data and trade secret access, respectively.', 'None of those threats ever amounted to real lawsuits.', 'He did, however, sue the progressive media watchdog Media Matters over itsanalysishighlighting antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on X, alleging that the group’s testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site and that the report was designed to drive away advertisers.', 'Legal experts have described that case as “weak” on the merits and as a “bogus” attempt to chill criticism of X.  This week’s court decision may be only a temporary setback in Musk’s wider plan to stifle criticism, said Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone.', 'Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.', 'The states of Texas and Missouri each announced probes into Media Matters following X’s lawsuit against the group, to which Musk responded, “Great!”', 'As recently as Monday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a petition in state court seeking to compel Media Matters’ cooperation with his investigation.', 'The filing came a week after he appeared with Musk in a live event on X — which Carusone said shows how Musk hopes to deputize the power of government to silence his critics.', '“They have every reason to do it,” Carusone said of the AGs’ investigations. “', 'They get the political benefits, they get the attention.', 'There doesn’t seem to be any cost to them yet.', 'And if they are successful at developing this new playbook, this new terrain, legally, then it’s going to pave the way for them to just use this tool and tactic over and over and over again.”', 'A representative for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Carusone’s claims.', 'Researchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022.', 'Academics need large samples of posts, shares, likes and other data to study social media trends in mis- and disinformation, public health, elections and other key topics.', 'But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.', 'Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year —were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.', 'The change may have forced some researchers to rely more heavily on first-person observational data to draw conclusions about user behavior on X. Groups like CCDH have also used automated “scraping” of publicly viewable content from X rather than paying the company for data directly, a tactic that helped give rise to X’s initial lawsuit.', 'Efforts by X and other social media companies to limit research transparency makes them less accountable to the public at best and, at worst, could mask malicious behavior, said David Karpf, an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.', '“We need independent research to have any real measure of what’s going on at X/Twitter.', 'Musk is only ever going to release data that makes his company look good,” Karpf said. “', 'These platforms are too big and too vital to the spread of information to be left unmonitored.”', '“This is an election year,” Karpf added, “and the platforms are taking steps to make it harder to monitor how their services are used for malignant ends.”', 'Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.', '“The guardrails for democracy are hanging by a thread and we have dwindling insights into platform practices as researchers face lawsuits, congressional subpoenas and other scare tactics,” said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of digital rights at Free Press.', 'Ultimately, Benavidez called the ruling “a reminder that platform accountability is essential and will inevitably prevail when up against bullies like Musk who try to silence us.”']",0.0427064270235155,"Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.","“This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.",-0.3806276832308088,"Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.","Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year —were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.",2024-05-29
"Daily marijuana use surpasses alcohol consumption, new study finds. Here's what it means for the booze business",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/daily-marijuana-use-surpasses-alcohol-consumption-new-study-finds.html,2024-05-24T12:20:09+0000,"Americans are reaching for buds more than booze.Daily or near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of drinking in the U.S., according to 40 years of data analyzed by Carnegie Mellon University.The report looks at U.S. data from more than 1.6 million participants collected across 27 surveys between 1979 and 2022.Although alcohol overall remains more widely used, first-time daily marijuana use overtook drinking at the same frequency in 2022, with roughly 17.7 million cannabis users and 14.7 million drinkers.That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.""We believe — and data clearly indicates — the younger demographic cohort is increasingly accepting cannabis on a daily and monthly use at a higher rate than other generations,"" said Roth MKM analyst Scott Fortune.""As there are indications of consumers substituting away from other pleasure uses (alcohol, tobacco), we think as younger generations grow up with legal cannabis options, the acceptance of cannabis will become more prevalent and substitute away from traditional options,"" he added.This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.The spirits and alcohol industry, however, has been working to defend its market share despite shifting trends among younger consumers.""From the U.S. alcohol side, the youngest legal drinking-age consumers are turning to alcohol less often, and when they do imbibe, it is fewer drinks,"" said Roth MKM analyst Bill Kirk.Kirk said there have been growing trends that are contributing to that, including more abstinence from drinking, better availability of quality non-alcoholic options and increased cannabis use.""From the cannabis side, we wouldn't say alcohol stands to be necessarily hurt by this trend, but would look for alcohol to partner, invest or acquire into U.S. cannabis when federal regulations allow it to capitalize on anticipated industry growth,"" Fortune said.However, some analysts on Wall Street expect greater impact to the alcohol industry from cannabis adoption.""We estimate that legal cannabis could be negatively impacting beer volume [compound annual growth rate] by up to 230 bps in Canada and 75 bps in the U.S. where legal,"" said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat, referring to basis points (bps). One basis point equals one-hundredth of a percentage point.She added that conflicting state-by-state policies for cannabis soften the blow to the biggest brewers and distillers like Constellation Brands, Diageo, AB InBev and Molson Coors.""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['Americans are reaching for buds more than booze.', 'Daily or near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of drinking in the U.S., according to 40 years of data analyzed by Carnegie Mellon University.', 'The report looks at U.S. data from more than 1.6 million participants collected across 27 surveys between 1979 and 2022.Although alcohol overall remains more widely used, first-time daily marijuana use overtook drinking at the same frequency in 2022, with roughly 17.7 million cannabis users and 14.7 million drinkers.', 'That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.', '""We believe — and data clearly indicates — the younger demographic cohort is increasingly accepting cannabis on a daily and monthly use at a higher rate than other generations,"" said Roth MKM analystScott Fortune.', '""As there are indications of consumers substituting away from other pleasure uses (alcohol, tobacco), we think as younger generations grow up with legal cannabis options, the acceptance of cannabis will become more prevalent and substitute away from traditional options,"" he added.', 'This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.', 'The spirits and alcohol industry, however, has been working to defend its market share despite shifting trends among younger consumers.', '""From the U.S. alcohol side, the youngest legal drinking-age consumers are turning to alcohol less often, and when they do imbibe, it is fewer drinks,"" said Roth MKM analyst Bill Kirk.', 'Kirk said there have been growing trends that are contributing to that, including more abstinence from drinking, better availability of quality non-alcoholic options and increased cannabis use.', '""From the cannabis side, we wouldn\'t say alcohol stands to be necessarily hurt by this trend, but would look for alcohol to partner, invest or acquire into U.S. cannabis when federal regulations allow it to capitalize on anticipated industry growth,"" Fortune said.', 'However, some analysts on Wall Street expect greater impact to the alcohol industry from cannabis adoption.', '""We estimate that legal cannabis could be negatively impacting beer volume [compound annual growth rate] by up to 230 bps in Canada and 75 bps in the U.S. where legal,"" said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat, referring to basis points (bps).', 'One basis point equals one-hundredth of a percentage point.', 'She added that conflicting state-by-state policies for cannabis soften the blow to the biggest brewers and distillers like Constellation Brands, Diageo, AB InBev and Molson Coors.', '""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.']",0.3385642761353466,"This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.",,0.4357439225370234,"That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.","""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.",2024-05-29
Samsung Electronics union calls first-ever strike,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx7768n6pnpo,2024-05-29T04:34:42.729Z,"A union representing thousands of workers at Samsung Electronics has called the first strike at the South Korean technology giant since it was founded five and a half decades ago. The National Samsung Electronics Union says it will hold a one-day protest by asking all of its members to use their paid leave on 7 June and has not ruled out a full-scale strike in the future. The union says its has about 28,000 members, accounting for more than a fifth of the company's total workforce. Samsung Electronics says it will continue to negotiate with the union. “We can’t stand persecution against labour unions anymore. We are declaring a strike in the face of the company’s neglect of labourers,” a union representative said during a live-streamed news conference. Samsung Electronics' management has been in talks with the union since the start of this year over wages, but the two sides have so far failed to strike a deal. The union has demanded a 6.5% pay rise and a bonus pegged to the company's earnings. Samsung Electronics is the world's largest maker of memory chips, smartphones and televisions. Analysts have warned that a full-scale strike could affect the firm's computer chip manufacturing and impact the global supply chains of electronics. Samsung Electronics is the flagship unit of South Korean conglomerate Samsung Group. It is the biggest of the country's family-controlled businesses that dominate Asia’s fourth-largest economy. Samsung Group was known for not allowing unions to represent its workers until 2020 when the company came under intense public scrutiny after its chairman was prosecuted for market manipulation and bribery. Samsung Electronics' shares were trading about 2% lower in Seoul after the announcement. With additional reporting by Jake Kwon in Seoul ",BBC,29/05/2024,"['A union representing thousands of workers at Samsung Electronics has called the first strike at the South Korean technology giant since it was founded five and a half decades ago.', 'The National Samsung Electronics Union says it will hold a one-day protest by asking all of its members to use their paid leave on 7 June and has not ruled out a full-scale strike in the future.', ""The union says its has about 28,000 members, accounting for more than a fifth of the company's total workforce."", 'Samsung Electronics says it will continue to negotiate with the union. “', 'We can’t stand persecution against labour unions anymore.', 'We are declaring a strike in the face of the company’s neglect of labourers,” a union representative said during a live-streamed news conference.', ""Samsung Electronics' management has been in talks with the union since the start of this year over wages, but the two sides have so far failed to strike a deal."", ""The union has demanded a 6.5% pay rise and a bonus pegged to the company's earnings."", ""Samsung Electronics is the world's largest maker of memory chips, smartphones and televisions."", ""Analysts have warned that a full-scale strike could affect the firm's computer chip manufacturing and impact the global supply chains of electronics."", 'Samsung Electronics is the flagship unit of South Korean conglomerate Samsung Group.', ""It is the biggest of the country's family-controlled businesses that dominate Asia’s fourth-largest economy."", 'Samsung Group was known for not allowing unions to represent its workers until 2020 when the company came under intense public scrutiny after its chairman was prosecuted for market manipulation and bribery.', ""Samsung Electronics' shares were trading about 2% lower in Seoul after the announcement."", 'With additional reporting by Jake Kwon in Seoul']",-0.1661300867956701,The union has demanded a 6.5% pay rise and a bonus pegged to the company's earnings.,"Samsung Electronics' management has been in talks with the union since the start of this year over wages, but the two sides have so far failed to strike a deal.",-0.4426503032445907,The union has demanded a 6.5% pay rise and a bonus pegged to the company's earnings.,Samsung Electronics' shares were trading about 2% lower in Seoul after the announcement.,2024-05-29
"US IT services firm fined $38,000 for 'whites only' job posting",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggwg0y3exo,2024-05-28T16:19:28.200Z,"A company whose job advertisement sought only white, US-born applicants has agreed to pay a $38,500 (£30,000) fine, the federal government has announced. The advert from Arthur Grand Technologies was ""generated by a disgruntled recruiter in India and was intended to embarrass the company"", the justice department said. It was found to violate both federal civil rights and labour laws. Arthur Grand will pay $7,500 in civil penalties to the US treasury as well as $31,000 in total compensation to people who filed complaints over the incident. The Virginia-based IT services firm has served federal and commercial clients since 2012, according to its website. In March 2023, a recruiter working for its subsidiary in India posted an advert for a Salesforce business analyst and insurance claims vacancy on the Indeed job-hunting website. In bolded text, the long-term contract role includes a note: ""Only Born US Citizens [White] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates]"". The position lists clients as including HTC Global in Michigan and Berkshire Hathaway in Nebraska. US Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke called the job posting ""shameful"" in a statement on Thursday. “I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, colour and race,"" she wrote. “Companies like Arthur Grand, that accept federal contracts cannot have a ‘whites only’ hiring process,” Michele Hodge, the US labour department's acting director of federal contract compliance, added in her own statement. As part of its settlement agreement with the two federal agencies, Arthur Grand is also required to train its employees on the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which bars hiring or firing people based on their citizenship status and national origin. It must also revise its employment policies and undergo justice department monitoring. In a statement to CNN, the company's CEO said it ""vehemently denies any guilt or wrongdoing"". “This unauthorized posting was made by an upset employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) from their personal email address and account,"" Sheik Rahmathullah said. ""Upon discovering this, we took immediate and decisive action to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again, including the immediate termination of the responsible employee.” ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['A company whose job advertisement sought only white, US-born applicants has agreed to pay a $38,500 (£30,000) fine, the federal government has announced.', 'The advert from Arthur Grand Technologies was ""generated by a disgruntled recruiter in India and was intended to embarrass the company"", the justice department said.', 'It was found to violate both federal civil rights and labour laws.', 'Arthur Grand will pay $7,500 in civil penalties to the US treasury as well as $31,000 in total compensation to people who filed complaints over the incident.', 'The Virginia-based IT services firm has served federal and commercial clients since 2012, according to its website.', 'In March 2023, a recruiter working for its subsidiary in India posted an advert for a Salesforce business analyst and insurance claims vacancy on the Indeed job-hunting website.', 'In bolded text, the long-term contract role includes a note: ""Only Born US Citizens [White] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates]"".', 'The position lists clients as including HTC Global in Michigan and Berkshire Hathaway in Nebraska.', 'US Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke called the job posting ""shameful"" in a statement on Thursday. “', 'I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, colour and race,"" she wrote. “', ""Companies like Arthur Grand, that accept federal contracts cannot have a ‘whites only’ hiring process,” Michele Hodge, the US labour department's acting director of federal contract compliance, added in her own statement."", 'As part of its settlement agreement with the two federal agencies, Arthur Grand is also required to train its employees on the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which bars hiring or firing people based on their citizenship status and national origin.', 'It must also revise its employment policies and undergo justice department monitoring.', 'In a statement to CNN, the company\'s CEO said it ""vehemently denies any guilt or wrongdoing"". “', 'This unauthorized posting was made by an upset employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) from their personal email address and account,"" Sheik Rahmathullah said. ""', 'Upon discovering this, we took immediate and decisive action to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again, including the immediate termination of the responsible employee.”']",0.1606771891547495,"Companies like Arthur Grand, that accept federal contracts cannot have a ‘whites only’ hiring process,” Michele Hodge, the US labour department's acting director of federal contract compliance, added in her own statement.","I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, colour and race,"" she wrote. “",-0.0015706419944763,"A company whose job advertisement sought only white, US-born applicants has agreed to pay a $38,500 (£30,000) fine, the federal government has announced.","US Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke called the job posting ""shameful"" in a statement on Thursday. “",2024-05-29
"Boeing expects a 2024 cash burn, slow recovery of airplane deliveries amid crisis, CFO says",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/boeing-cfo-deliveries-cash-flow-max-crisis.html,2024-05-23T20:20:45+0000,"In this articleBoeing will burn through cash this year and deliveries of new planes won't improve in the second quarter from the first, as the manufacturer deals with a host of production challenges tied to its bestselling planes, the company's CFO, Brian West, said Thursday.A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions."" The new forecast shows the mounting costs of the plane maker's latest crises.Boeing burned through nearly $4 billion in cash in the first quarter and West said that figure could be similar or ""possibly a little worse"" in the second quarter, but that the company would likely return to generating cash in the second half of 2024.The company's aircraft deliveries in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the pandemic. The bulk of a plane's price is paid when it's handed over to a customer.Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average.""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we're up against,"" West said at the conference. ""And while I understand that frustration, the most important thing we can do for our customers and the supply chain in the industry is to focus on the actions that are underway as we speak so that we could stabilize this production system, improve quality, and get more predictable.""Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in March said he would step down by the end of the year, and the company replaced the chairman and chief executive of its commercial airplane unit. Leading up to the shake-up, CEOs of major airline customers complained about delivery delays and difficulty planning flights because of surprise disruptions.Boeing's latest production issues surfaced after a door plug blew out midair from a nearly new 737 Max 9 at the start of the year, just as the company was trying to repair years of reputational damage from two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.The accident increased federal scrutiny of the company, whose executives have vowed to stamp out production flaws and regain the trust of regulators, airline customers and the public.Next Thursday, Boeing leaders are set to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration to present the company's plan to improve its quality control, the FAA said. The agency gave Boeing 90 days to complete the plan starting in late February.Other problems have also sprung up, including a pause on deliveries of 737 Max planes to China to review batteries for the cockpit voice recorder. Boeing said in a statement that it is working with ""our Chinese customers on the timing of their deliveries as the Civil Aviation Administration of China completes its review of batteries contained within the 25-hour cockpit voice recorder assembly unit.""Earlier this month, the FAA said it opened a new probe into the 787 Dreamliner inspections after the company disclosed ""misconduct"" by some employees. The agency said it was looking into whether employees falsified records.Parts shortages have also slowed deliveries of Dreamliners, Boeing has said. American Airlines last month said it would cut some international flights because of delays of the wide-body jets. Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"[""In this articleBoeing will burn through cash this year and deliveries of new planes won't improve in the second quarter from the first, as the manufacturer deals with a host of production challenges tied to its bestselling planes, the company's CFO, Brian West, said Thursday."", 'A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions.""', ""The new forecast shows the mounting costs of the plane maker's latest crises."", 'Boeing burned through nearly $4 billion in cash in the first quarter and West said that figure could be similar or ""possibly a little worse"" in the second quarter, but that the company would likely return to generating cash in the second half of 2024.The company\'s aircraft deliveries in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the pandemic.', ""The bulk of a plane's price is paid when it's handed over to a customer."", ""Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average."", '""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we\'re up against,"" West said at the conference. ""', 'And while I understand that frustration, the most important thing we can do for our customers and the supply chain in the industry is to focus on the actions that are underway as we speak so that we could stabilize this production system, improve quality, and get more predictable.', '""Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in March said he would step down by the end of the year, and the company replaced the chairman and chief executive of its commercial airplane unit.', 'Leading up to the shake-up, CEOs of major airline customers complained about delivery delays and difficulty planning flights because of surprise disruptions.', ""Boeing's latest production issues surfaced after a door plug blew out midair from a nearly new 737 Max 9 at the start of the year, just as the company was trying to repair years of reputational damage from two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.The accident increased federal scrutiny of the company, whose executives have vowed to stamp out production flaws and regain the trust of regulators, airline customers and the public."", ""Next Thursday, Boeing leaders are set to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration to present the company's plan to improve its quality control, the FAA said."", 'The agency gave Boeing 90 days to complete the plan starting in late February.', 'Other problems have also sprung up, including a pause on deliveries of 737 Max planes to China to review batteries for the cockpit voice recorder.', 'Boeing said in a statement that it is working with ""our Chinese customers on the timing of their deliveries as the Civil Aviation Administration of China completes its review of batteries contained within the 25-hour cockpit voice recorder assembly unit.', '""Earlier this month, the FAA said it opened a new probe into the 787 Dreamliner inspections after the company disclosed ""misconduct"" by some employees.', 'The agency said it was looking into whether employees falsified records.', 'Parts shortages have also slowed deliveries of Dreamliners, Boeing has said.', 'American Airlines last month said it would cut some international flights because of delays of the wide-body jets.', 'Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.']",-0.1026539320202483,"Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.","""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we're up against,"" West said at the conference. """,-0.5336503065549411,"A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions.""","Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average.",2024-05-29
"Boeing, NASA say Starliner astronaut launch will move forward despite spacecraft helium leak",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/boeing-nasa-starliner-astronaut-launch-moving-forward.html,2024-05-24T18:07:24+0000,"In this articleBoeing and NASA are moving forward with the launch of the company's Starliner capsule, set to carry U.S. astronauts for the first time, despite a ""stable"" leak in the spacecraft's propulsion system.""We are comfortable with the causes that we've identified for this specific leak,"" Mark Nappi, Boeing vice president and manager of the company's Commercial Crew program, said during a press conference on Friday.""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft, with backup opportunities on June 2, June 5 and June 6.The mission, known as the Starliner Crew Flight Test, is intended to serve as the final major development test of the capsule by delivering a pair of NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station before flying routine missions.Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter.Starliner's crew debut has been delayed by years, with SpaceX's competing Dragon capsule flying astronauts for NASA regularly since 2020 under the agency's Commercial Crew program. To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.NASA and Boeing called off a launch attempt on May 6 about two hours before liftoff due to an issue detected with the Atlas V rocket that will lift Starliner into orbit. Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.During the press conference Friday, a ULA official noted that the rocket's problematic valve was replaced a week after the launch was postponed.But after calling off the launch attempt, a ""small"" helium leak with Starliner was identified, causing Boeing and NASA to begin new assessments of the capsule and its safety for the mission. NASA Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox, one of the agency's most senior officials, explained to the press on Friday that ""it's taken a while for us to be ready to discuss"" the helium leak problem.""It's so complicated. There's so many things going on. We really just needed to work through it as a team,"" Bowersox said.After analysis, NASA and Boeing believe the source of the leak is a seal in one of the flanges of the spacecraft's helium propulsion system. In testing after the May 6 postponement, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that teams ""have seen that the leak rate isn't changing.""Stich explained that the plan is to monitor the leak in the lead-up to launch and, after reaching the International Space Station, reassess the leak rate.""We don't expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that's a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.Stich also emphasized that NASA has ""flown vehicles with small helium leaks"" before, including ""a couple of cases"" from missions flown by the Space Shuttle and SpaceX's Dragon.NASA, Boeing and ULA will hold another review on May 29 to review the leak. They plan to roll the rocket and capsule out to the launch pad on May 30 for the June 1 attempt.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleBoeing and NASA are moving forward with the launch of the company\'s Starliner capsule, set to carry U.S. astronauts for the first time, despite a ""stable"" leak in the spacecraft\'s propulsion system.', '""We are comfortable with the causes that we\'ve identified for this specific leak,"" Mark Nappi, Boeing vice president and manager of the company\'s Commercial Crew program, said during a press conference on Friday.', '""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.', 'Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft, with backup opportunities on June 2, June 5 and June 6.The mission, known as the Starliner Crew Flight Test, is intended to serve as the final major development test of the capsule by delivering a pair of NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station before flying routine missions.', ""Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter."", ""Starliner's crew debut has been delayed by years, with SpaceX's competing Dragon capsule flying astronauts for NASA regularly since 2020 under the agency's Commercial Crew program."", 'To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.', 'NASA and Boeing called off a launch attempt on May 6 about two hours before liftoff due to an issue detected with the Atlas V rocket that will lift Starliner into orbit.', 'Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.', ""During the press conference Friday, a ULA official noted that the rocket's problematic valve was replaced a week after the launch was postponed."", 'But after calling off the launch attempt, a ""small"" helium leak with Starliner was identified, causing Boeing and NASA to begin new assessments of the capsule and its safety for the mission.', 'NASA Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox, one of the agency\'s most senior officials, explained to the press on Friday that ""it\'s taken a while for us to be ready to discuss"" the helium leak problem.', '""It\'s so complicated.', ""There's so many things going on."", 'We really just needed to work through it as a team,"" Bowersox said.', ""After analysis, NASA and Boeing believe the source of the leak is a seal in one of the flanges of the spacecraft's helium propulsion system."", 'In testing after the May 6 postponement, NASA\'s Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that teams ""have seen that the leak rate isn\'t changing.', '""Stich explained that the plan is to monitor the leak in the lead-up to launch and, after reaching the International Space Station, reassess the leak rate.', '""We don\'t expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that\'s a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.', 'Stich also emphasized that NASA has ""flown vehicles with small helium leaks"" before, including ""a couple of cases"" from missions flown by the Space Shuttle and SpaceX\'s Dragon.', 'NASA, Boeing and ULA will hold another review on May 29 to review the leak.', 'They plan to roll the rocket and capsule out to the launch pad on May 30 for the June 1 attempt.']",-0.1073292969112571,"Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.","""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.",-0.2581701676050822,"""We don't expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that's a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.","To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.",2024-05-29
'I put off starting a family because of a £300 rent rise',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-69049450,2024-05-28T00:17:11.000Z,"For 32-year-old Aimee, the prospect of starting a family remains out of reach.  She and her husband were priced out of their two-bedroom house in Surrey when their landlord hiked their rent by £300 a month, forcing them to move into a smaller one-bedroom property. ""I'm at the age where I want to have children, but because we had to downsize, we are just unable to.""  She says she and her husband won't now try to start a family until they are able to move again. ""I now pretty much live out of one room. I pretty much work, sleep and everything from my bedroom."" UK rents rose by 9% over the 12 months leading up to February, the highest annual increase since the Office for National Statistics began keeping records in 2015. Housing has been a constant stress for Aimee, as she recalls her previous experience renting, involving black mould, damp and water dripping down the walls. ""There was a period when I had a lot of difficulty with anxiety and stress. I caught shingles nearly a year ago due to stress issues I had either with money or housing.""  She is considering relocating to the North of England as the only way to get on the property ladder, but that would mean moving away from her extended family and support network.  She fears that she will be a ""perpetual renter"".   Aimee is not alone. A recent survey conducted by Shelter and YouGov suggested that 54% of women feel that being a renter has held them back in some way. That is compared to 48% of men.  Rhiannon, 27, says renting has left her feeling reduced to a ""pay cheque"".  ""If you're not willing to pay more, you're gone,"" she explains, describing a dramatic ultimatum she faced while renting in London - accept a 65% rent increase or face a no-fault eviction.  Rhiannon was evicted. At the time she was a student and says the stress caused by the eviction made her delay her law exams and even her graduation.  The Renters (Reform) Bill, which intended to put an end to section 21 no-fault evictions, has been postponed until after the upcoming general election on 4 July. Rhiannon says that her managing agents would arrange for handymen to come around to do repairs without consulting her first. ""I woke up one day, went to shower in the morning. At around 8:15 I opened my bathroom door in a towel, and there was a man sat on my floor facing my bathroom door. I didn't even know what to say. I couldn't say anything."" After reporting it to the agency, she says they dismissed her, siding with the man who denied being at the property. ""It impacted every part of my life and my mental health. I was having a lot of panic attacks and I had to put cameras up. I felt so unsafe.""  On top of feeling violated, she says the eviction made her feel that ""nothing is permanent"".  ""How badly landlords behave affects everything, because it's your home. That's where you're based, that's your life, and for a lot of us it's now work and study and everything happens at home after Covid."" Although many aspects of renting, such as steep rent rises and poor property conditions, affect all tenants, Zubaida Haque, deputy director at the Women's Budget Group, believes women often are more severely impacted. ""Many women face harassment and intimidation from landlords, a reflection of persistent power imbalances which can also leave women feeling too afraid to challenge unfair practices or to assert their rights for fear of retaliation, eviction, rent increases or further harassment,"" she says. ""Because women earn less than men, they are less able to afford housing and their caring responsibilities mean they have specific needs when securing a suitable home for themselves and their children."" For 38-year-old single mum Chelsea, finding stability was a difficult journey, but she struggled to even find a place to rent to begin with.  ""I was sleeping on a blow-up mattress with my son in my boss's lounge room for six months living out of suitcases,"" she says. Chelsea recalls landlords proposing that she pay six months' rent upfront to gain a competitive advantage. ""As a single mum, I was really on the back foot because I couldn't offer that.""  Chelsea claims that as soon as she mentioned that she was a single parent, she was put on the backburner.  ""I just wanted to put a roof over my kid's head, and it was really hard.""  Balancing her job and motherhood was a constant struggle, she says. ""Mentally, I was a wreck all the time. I'm a chef, so I would be standing at work, cooking, and I would just start crying. ""I've been a very successful chef in London, and here I was feeling like a complete and utter failure.""  She is now happily settled in Somerset, but that meant taking the difficult decision to leave London. A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association, told the BBC: ""The ongoing shortage of rental homes in the market means that it can be very challenging for tenants to find a property to call home. ""There is, however, no reason why a rented property should not be a safe and secure home. It is in both landlords and tenants' interests to sustain long-term, stable tenancies. ""The overwhelming majority of landlords are responsible providers of high-quality private rented accommodation who have a positive relationship with their tenants."" A Conservative Party spokesman said: ""We are committed to creating a fairer market for renters, sticking to our plan to deliver a more secure future for the whole country. Our plan to deliver the homes people need is working, building one million more homes since 2019 and increasing Local Housing Allowance by £800."" Angela Rayner, Labour's shadow secretary of state for housing, said: ""No one should have to put their life on hold due to unaffordable housing. Regardless of whether someone is a homeowner, a leaseholder, or a tenant, everyone has the basic right to a decent, secure, and affordable home."" She added that Labour would abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions and prohibit landlords from demanding significant sums in advanced rent. For more on this story, listen to Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 at 10:00 BST on Tuesday, 28 May or catch up on BBC Sounds. There's more on your renting rights and where to go for help here. Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.  ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['For 32-year-old Aimee, the prospect of starting a family remains out of reach.', 'She and her husband were priced out of their two-bedroom house in Surrey when their landlord hiked their rent by £300 a month, forcing them to move into a smaller one-bedroom property. ""', 'I\'m at the age where I want to have children, but because we had to downsize, we are just unable to.""', 'She says she and her husband won\'t now try to start a family until they are able to move again. ""', 'I now pretty much live out of one room.', 'I pretty much work, sleep and everything from my bedroom.""', 'UK rents rose by 9% over the 12 months leading up to February, the highest annual increase since the Office for National Statistics began keeping records in 2015.', 'Housing has been a constant stress for Aimee, as she recalls her previous experience renting, involving black mould, damp and water dripping down the walls. ""', 'There was a period when I had a lot of difficulty with anxiety and stress.', 'I caught shingles nearly a year ago due to stress issues I had either with money or housing.""', 'She is considering relocating to the North of England as the only way to get on the property ladder, but that would mean moving away from her extended family and support network.', 'She fears that she will be a ""perpetual renter"".', 'Aimee is not alone.', 'A recent survey conducted by Shelter and YouGov suggested that 54% of women feel that being a renter has held them back in some way.', 'That is compared to 48% of men.', 'Rhiannon, 27, says renting has left her feeling reduced to a ""pay cheque"". ""', 'If you\'re not willing to pay more, you\'re gone,"" she explains, describing a dramatic ultimatum she faced while renting in London - accept a 65% rent increase or face a no-fault eviction.', 'Rhiannon was evicted.', 'At the time she was a student and says the stress caused by the eviction made her delay her law exams and even her graduation.', 'The Renters (Reform) Bill, which intended to put an end to section 21 no-fault evictions, has been postponed until after the upcoming general election on 4 July.', 'Rhiannon says that her managing agents would arrange for handymen to come around to do repairs without consulting her first. ""', 'I woke up one day, went to shower in the morning.', 'At around 8:15 I opened my bathroom door in a towel, and there was a man sat on my floor facing my bathroom door.', ""I didn't even know what to say."", 'I couldn\'t say anything.""', 'After reporting it to the agency, she says they dismissed her, siding with the man who denied being at the property. ""', 'It impacted every part of my life and my mental health.', 'I was having a lot of panic attacks and I had to put cameras up.', 'I felt so unsafe.""', 'On top of feeling violated, she says the eviction made her feel that ""nothing is permanent"". ""', ""How badly landlords behave affects everything, because it's your home."", 'That\'s where you\'re based, that\'s your life, and for a lot of us it\'s now work and study and everything happens at home after Covid.""', 'Although many aspects of renting, such as steep rent rises and poor property conditions, affect all tenants, Zubaida Haque, deputy director at the Women\'s Budget Group, believes women often are more severely impacted. ""', 'Many women face harassment and intimidation from landlords, a reflection of persistent power imbalances which can also leave women feeling too afraid to challenge unfair practices or to assert their rights for fear of retaliation, eviction, rent increases or further harassment,"" she says. ""', 'Because women earn less than men, they are less able to afford housing and their caring responsibilities mean they have specific needs when securing a suitable home for themselves and their children.""', 'For 38-year-old single mum Chelsea, finding stability was a difficult journey, but she struggled to even find a place to rent to begin with. ""', 'I was sleeping on a blow-up mattress with my son in my boss\'s lounge room for six months living out of suitcases,"" she says.', 'Chelsea recalls landlords proposing that she pay six months\' rent upfront to gain a competitive advantage. ""', 'As a single mum, I was really on the back foot because I couldn\'t offer that.""', 'Chelsea claims that as soon as she mentioned that she was a single parent, she was put on the backburner. ""', 'I just wanted to put a roof over my kid\'s head, and it was really hard.""', 'Balancing her job and motherhood was a constant struggle, she says. ""', 'Mentally, I was a wreck all the time.', 'I\'m a chef, so I would be standing at work, cooking, and I would just start crying. ""', 'I\'ve been a very successful chef in London, and here I was feeling like a complete and utter failure.""', 'She is now happily settled in Somerset, but that meant taking the difficult decision to leave London.', 'A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association, told the BBC: ""The ongoing shortage of rental homes in the market means that it can be very challenging for tenants to find a property to call home. ""', 'There is, however, no reason why a rented property should not be a safe and secure home.', 'It is in both landlords and tenants\' interests to sustain long-term, stable tenancies. ""', 'The overwhelming majority of landlords are responsible providers of high-quality private rented accommodation who have a positive relationship with their tenants.""', 'A Conservative Party spokesman said: ""We are committed to creating a fairer market for renters, sticking to our plan to deliver a more secure future for the whole country.', 'Our plan to deliver the homes people need is working, building one million more homes since 2019 and increasing Local Housing Allowance by £800.""', 'Angela Rayner, Labour\'s shadow secretary of state for housing, said: ""No one should have to put their life on hold due to unaffordable housing.', 'Regardless of whether someone is a homeowner, a leaseholder, or a tenant, everyone has the basic right to a decent, secure, and affordable home.""', 'She added that Labour would abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions and prohibit landlords from demanding significant sums in advanced rent.', ""For more on this story, listen to Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 at 10:00 BST on Tuesday, 28 May or catch up on BBC Sounds."", ""There's more on your renting rights and where to go for help here."", 'Are you affected by the issues raised in this story?', 'Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.', 'Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.', ""You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk."", 'Please include your name, age and location with any submission.']",-0.0531012439142308,"A Conservative Party spokesman said: ""We are committed to creating a fairer market for renters, sticking to our plan to deliver a more secure future for the whole country.","Many women face harassment and intimidation from landlords, a reflection of persistent power imbalances which can also leave women feeling too afraid to challenge unfair practices or to assert their rights for fear of retaliation, eviction, rent increases or further harassment,"" she says. """,-0.3246662020683288,"UK rents rose by 9% over the 12 months leading up to February, the highest annual increase since the Office for National Statistics began keeping records in 2015.","I've been a very successful chef in London, and here I was feeling like a complete and utter failure.""",2024-05-29
"Singapore Airlines plane jolted up and down for five seconds, black box data reveals",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9xx5pj095jo,2024-05-29T09:28:51.039Z,"Early investigations into severe turbulence that hit a Singapore Airlines flight last Tuesday reveal the plane accelerated rapidly up and down, and dropped around 178ft (54m) over 4.6 seconds. One British passenger died and dozens more were injured when the London-Singapore flight encountered the turbulence over Myanmar and was diverted to Thailand. Singaporean investigators have extracted data stored in the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the aircraft. Singapore Airlines said it was cooperating with investigators and supporting affected passengers and crew, including with medical and hospital expenses. The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau's (TSIB) preliminary findings suggest there were rapid accelerations upwards and downwards - causing injuries to those without seatbelts, who rose out of their seats and fell back down. The agency said the flight operated as normal until it probably flew over an area of ""developing convective activity"" while passing over the south of Myanmar at 37,000ft (11,300m). At 07:49:40 GMT, after a period of upward acceleration, it quickly accelerated downwards over 0.6 seconds, which presumably ""resulted in the occupants who were not belted up to become airborne"". Then the plane accelerated up again for four seconds, meaning those who were airborne fell back down. The effect can be likened to ""putting an egg inside a metal box, then shaking the box up and down"", aviation expert Dr Guy Gratton told the BBC. ""After the pilots were informed by the cabin crew that there were injured passengers in the cabin, the decision was made to divert to Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand,"" the report continued. Approximately 17 minutes after the turbulence event, the pilots were able to make a ""controlled descent from 37,000ft"", it said, adding the aircraft did not encounter any more severe turbulence during its diversion to Bangkok. The pilots also requested for medical services to meet the aircraft on arrival. TSIB, which operates under Singapore's transport ministry, said its investigations were ongoing. There were 211 passengers and 18 crew on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, according to Singapore Airlines. Geoff Kitchen, 73, died from a suspected heart attack on board, while 104 other passengers were taken to Bangkok's Samitivej Hospital for treatment. Ali Bukhari, 27, who was seated with his wife Ramiza, told the BBC the aircraft went into ""straight freefall"". ""It was terrifying. It's just like going down a vertical rollercoaster,"" he said. ""Oxygen masks had all come out, parts of the interior of the plane were damaged… I thought that was from the force of the turbulence but a lot of it was just because everyone who wasn't wearing a seatbelt flew right into the air and hit the ceiling. “We saw blood on the ceiling… It was just complete havoc. A lot of people were on the floor."" Singapore Airlines said it was committed to supporting crew members and passengers who were onboard Tuesday's flight. ""This includes covering their medical and hospital expenses, as well as any additional assistance they may need,"" the airline said on social media. ""The safety and well-being of our passengers and staff are our top priorities. ""We deeply appreciate the invaluable assistance provided by the governments of Singapore and Thailand, as well as our many partners and the medical teams in both countries and around the world."" Last Thursday, the director of Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital said staff initially treated six people for skull and brain injuries, 22 for spinal injuries, and 13 for bone, muscle and other injuries. ""We have never treated people with these kinds of injuries caused by turbulence,"" Adinun Kittiratanapaibool told reporters. As of Wednesday, 42 passengers who were on the flight were still in Bangkok, according to Singapore Airlines - of which 26 were in hospital receiving medical treatment. ",BBC,29/05/2024,"['Early investigations into severe turbulence that hit a Singapore Airlines flight last Tuesday reveal the plane accelerated rapidly up and down, and dropped around 178ft (54m) over 4.6 seconds.', 'One British passenger died and dozens more were injured when the London-Singapore flight encountered the turbulence over Myanmar and was diverted to Thailand.', 'Singaporean investigators have extracted data stored in the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the aircraft.', 'Singapore Airlines said it was cooperating with investigators and supporting affected passengers and crew, including with medical and hospital expenses.', ""The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau's (TSIB) preliminary findings suggest there were rapid accelerations upwards and downwards - causing injuries to those without seatbelts, who rose out of their seats and fell back down."", 'The agency said the flight operated as normal until it probably flew over an area of ""developing convective activity"" while passing over the south of Myanmar at 37,000ft (11,300m).', 'At 07:49:40 GMT, after a period of upward acceleration, it quickly accelerated downwards over 0.6 seconds, which presumably ""resulted in the occupants who were not belted up to become airborne"".', 'Then the plane accelerated up again for four seconds, meaning those who were airborne fell back down.', 'The effect can be likened to ""putting an egg inside a metal box, then shaking the box up and down"", aviation expert Dr Guy Gratton told the BBC. ""', 'After the pilots were informed by the cabin crew that there were injured passengers in the cabin, the decision was made to divert to Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand,"" the report continued.', 'Approximately 17 minutes after the turbulence event, the pilots were able to make a ""controlled descent from 37,000ft"", it said, adding the aircraft did not encounter any more severe turbulence during its diversion to Bangkok.', 'The pilots also requested for medical services to meet the aircraft on arrival.', ""TSIB, which operates under Singapore's transport ministry, said its investigations were ongoing."", 'There were 211 passengers and 18 crew on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, according to Singapore Airlines.', ""Geoff Kitchen, 73, died from a suspected heart attack on board, while 104 other passengers were taken to Bangkok's Samitivej Hospital for treatment."", 'Ali Bukhari, 27, who was seated with his wife Ramiza, told the BBC the aircraft went into ""straight freefall"". ""', 'It was terrifying.', 'It\'s just like going down a vertical rollercoaster,"" he said. ""', ""Oxygen masks had all come out, parts of the interior of the plane were damaged… I thought that was from the force of the turbulence but a lot of it was just because everyone who wasn't wearing a seatbelt flew right into the air and hit the ceiling. “"", 'We saw blood on the ceiling… It was just complete havoc.', 'A lot of people were on the floor.""', 'Singapore Airlines said it was committed to supporting crew members and passengers who were onboard Tuesday\'s flight. ""', 'This includes covering their medical and hospital expenses, as well as any additional assistance they may need,"" the airline said on social media. ""', 'The safety and well-being of our passengers and staff are our top priorities. ""', 'We deeply appreciate the invaluable assistance provided by the governments of Singapore and Thailand, as well as our many partners and the medical teams in both countries and around the world.""', 'Last Thursday, the director of Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital said staff initially treated six people for skull and brain injuries, 22 for spinal injuries, and 13 for bone, muscle and other injuries. ""', 'We have never treated people with these kinds of injuries caused by turbulence,"" Adinun Kittiratanapaibool told reporters.', 'As of Wednesday, 42 passengers who were on the flight were still in Bangkok, according to Singapore Airlines - of which 26 were in hospital receiving medical treatment.']",-0.0310203383905259,"The safety and well-being of our passengers and staff are our top priorities. ""","Geoff Kitchen, 73, died from a suspected heart attack on board, while 104 other passengers were taken to Bangkok's Samitivej Hospital for treatment.",-0.277916004260381,"We deeply appreciate the invaluable assistance provided by the governments of Singapore and Thailand, as well as our many partners and the medical teams in both countries and around the world.""","Ali Bukhari, 27, who was seated with his wife Ramiza, told the BBC the aircraft went into ""straight freefall"". """,2024-05-29
Falling number of Scottish road accident deaths,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2eeqznd9ryo,2024-05-29T12:02:05.592Z,"The number of people killed on Scottish roads fell last year, new figures have revealed - but the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths increased. Figures from Transport Scotland show 155 people were killed in collisions in Scotland in 2023, 16 fewer than the year before. Pedestrian deaths increased from 34 to 47 and cycling deaths were up from two to seven. The Scottish government's target is to have no deaths or serious injuries on the road by 2050. Road casualties have increased since 2020 and 2021 when the Covid pandemic limited road travel. However, the latest figures are at historic low levels. The number of fatalities last year was the fourth lowest on record There was a 16% fall in the number cyclists injured, but the number of those injured in cars and on foot increased slightly. Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said road safety remained an ""absolute priority"" for the Scottish government. She said: ""One death on our roads is one too many and my thoughts go out to those who have lost loved ones or who have been injured in road traffic incidents. ""I do not accept road casualties are inevitable and it is vital we continue to work to bring overall casualty numbers down."" She said £36m had been invested to reach a target of having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030, and a longer-term goal of having no deaths on Scottish roads by 2050. ",BBC,29/05/2024,"['The number of people killed on Scottish roads fell last year, new figures have revealed - but the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths increased.', 'Figures from Transport Scotland show 155 people were killed in collisions in Scotland in 2023, 16 fewer than the year before.', 'Pedestrian deaths increased from 34 to 47 and cycling deaths were up from two to seven.', ""The Scottish government's target is to have no deaths or serious injuries on the road by 2050."", 'Road casualties have increased since 2020 and 2021 when the Covid pandemic limited road travel.', 'However, the latest figures are at historic low levels.', 'The number of fatalities last year was the fourth lowest on record There was a 16% fall in the number cyclists injured, but the number of those injured in cars and on foot increased slightly.', 'Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said road safety remained an ""absolute priority"" for the Scottish government.', 'She said: ""One death on our roads is one too many and my thoughts go out to those who have lost loved ones or who have been injured in road traffic incidents. ""', 'I do not accept road casualties are inevitable and it is vital we continue to work to bring overall casualty numbers down.""', 'She said £36m had been invested to reach a target of having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030, and a longer-term goal of having no deaths on Scottish roads by 2050.']",-0.1449884267199963,"She said £36m had been invested to reach a target of having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030, and a longer-term goal of having no deaths on Scottish roads by 2050.","Figures from Transport Scotland show 155 people were killed in collisions in Scotland in 2023, 16 fewer than the year before.",0.0782788209617137,"The number of fatalities last year was the fourth lowest on record There was a 16% fall in the number cyclists injured, but the number of those injured in cars and on foot increased slightly.","However, the latest figures are at historic low levels.",2024-05-29
American shares tumble 15% after sales strategy backfires; carrier cuts growth,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/american-airlines-growth-sales-strategy.html,2024-05-29T18:44:19+0000,"In this articleAmerican Airlines will slash its capacity growth in the second half of the year and consider a host of other changes to a sales strategy that backfired, CEO Robert Isom said Wednesday. The comments come a day after the carrier cut its revenue and profit forecast and said it is parting ways with its chief commercial officer, Vasu Raja.American will grow capacity about 3.5% in the second half of the year compared with the year earlier, down from roughly 8% year-over-year growth in the first six months of 2024.The company's shares tumbled 15% on Wednesday while investors weighed the airline's missteps as the peak travel season gets underway, with some analysts questioning how American can capitalize on what rivals expect to be a record summer.Isom said American is weighing changes to a plan Raja led to drive direct bookings at the airline in lieu of third-party sites and travel agencies, a strategy that included gutting the airline's sales department.The changes angered travel agencies who weren't able to access some of the carrier's fares as before, making it harder for them to sell tickets on American flights.The chief commercial officer will leave the company next month.""We've used a lot of sticks. We've got to put some more carrots in place and make sure that our product is available wherever customers want to buy it,"" Isom said at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference on Wednesday.American in February said it would limit some travel agency bookings from being eligible to earn AAdvantage frequent flyer miles. Isom said Wednesday that the airline would reverse that decision.""That's off,"" Isom said. ""We're not doing that because it would create confusion and disruption for our end customer.""Raja said last month American's corporate booking growth was coming in behind big rivals Delta and United.Corporate bookings are particularly lucrative for airlines especially when those travelers book at the last minute when fares are at their highest — so called close-in bookings. Airlines had struggled during the pandemic and shortly afterward when business travel was slow to return, but carriers have seen improvement lately.""The weakness that you've seen in American is, I do believe, something that speaks to close-in bookings, the highest premium customers that, unfortunately, we haven't made ourselves as available and easy to work with as we can,"" Isom said.On an earnings call last month, Raja said American's corporate bookings were up mid-to-high single-digit percentage points in the first quarter compared with increases of around 14% touted by Delta and United.""A significant miss driven in part by close in bookings puts AAL's ability to reap the full value of a robust summer flying season in greater doubt,"" Bernstein airline analyst David Vernon said in a note.After the market closed Tuesday, American said its unit revenues could fall as much as 6% in the second quarter from a year earlier, down from its forecast last month of a no-more-than-3% decline. Airlines make the bulk of their money during the second and third quarters, but some areas have fared better than others.Isom admitted Wednesday that the company has logged softer bookings than it expected and noted a supply and demand ""imbalance"" that has prompted carriers to discount tickets. He said industry capacity should come down in the second half of the year, while it slows its own growth.United, minutes after American's forecast adjustment Tuesday, reiterated its second-quarter earnings estimates, though it didn't provide a revenue outlook.""American's diminished guide speaks far more to its flawed initial forecast than any broad-based shift in passenger demand,"" JPMorgan airline analyst Jamie Baker said in a note Wednesday, adding United's reiterated forecast was an encouraging sign for Delta.American has also been prioritizing Sun Belt cities and its large hubs in Texas and North Carolina over coastal markets.The Transportation Security Administration screened the most people ever over Memorial Day weekend, and executives from United and Delta have predicted a record summer, with very strong trans-Atlantic bookings.",CNBC,29/05/2024,"['In this articleAmerican Airlines will slash its capacity growth in the second half of the year and consider a host of other changes to a sales strategy that backfired, CEO Robert Isom said Wednesday.', 'The comments come a day after the carrier cut its revenue and profit forecast and said it is parting ways with its chief commercial officer, Vasu Raja.', ""American will grow capacity about 3.5% in the second half of the year compared with the year earlier, down from roughly 8% year-over-year growth in the first six months of 2024.The company's shares tumbled 15% on Wednesday while investors weighed the airline's missteps as the peak travel season gets underway, with some analysts questioning how American can capitalize on what rivals expect to be a record summer."", ""Isom said American is weighing changes to a plan Raja led to drive direct bookings at the airline in lieu of third-party sites and travel agencies, a strategy that included gutting the airline's sales department."", ""The changes angered travel agencies who weren't able to access some of the carrier's fares as before, making it harder for them to sell tickets on American flights."", 'The chief commercial officer will leave the company next month.', '""We\'ve used a lot of sticks.', 'We\'ve got to put some more carrots in place and make sure that our product is available wherever customers want to buy it,"" Isom said at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference on Wednesday.', 'American in February said it would limit some travel agency bookings from being eligible to earn AAdvantage frequent flyer miles.', 'Isom said Wednesday that the airline would reverse that decision.', '""That\'s off,"" Isom said. ""', ""We're not doing that because it would create confusion and disruption for our end customer."", '""Raja said last month American\'s corporate booking growth was coming in behind big rivals Delta and United.', 'Corporate bookings are particularly lucrative for airlines especially when those travelers book at the last minute when fares are at their highest — so called close-in bookings.', 'Airlines had struggled during the pandemic and shortly afterward when business travel was slow to return, but carriers have seen improvement lately.', '""The weakness that you\'ve seen in American is, I do believe, something that speaks to close-in bookings, the highest premium customers that, unfortunately,we haven\'t made ourselves as available and easy to work with as we can,"" Isom said.', ""On an earnings call last month, Raja said American's corporate bookings were up mid-to-high single-digit percentage points in the first quarter compared with increases of around 14% touted by Delta and United."", '""A significant miss driven in part by close in bookings puts AAL\'s ability to reap the full value of a robust summer flying season in greater doubt,"" Bernstein airline analyst David Vernon said in a note.', 'After the market closed Tuesday, American said its unit revenues could fall as much as 6% in the second quarter from a year earlier, down from its forecast last month of a no-more-than-3% decline.', 'Airlines make the bulk of their money during the second and third quarters, but some areas have fared better than others.', 'Isom admitted Wednesday that the company has logged softer bookings than it expected and noted a supply and demand ""imbalance"" that has prompted carriers to discount tickets.', 'He said industry capacity should come down in the second half of the year, while it slows its own growth.', ""United, minutes after American's forecast adjustment Tuesday, reiterated its second-quarter earnings estimates, though it didn't provide a revenue outlook."", '""American\'s diminished guide speaks far more to its flawed initial forecast than any broad-based shift in passenger demand,"" JPMorgan airline analyst Jamie Baker said in a note Wednesday, adding United\'s reiterated forecast was an encouraging sign for Delta.', 'American has also been prioritizing Sun Belt cities and its large hubs in Texas and North Carolina over coastal markets.', 'The Transportation Security Administration screened the most people ever over Memorial Day weekend, and executives from United and Delta have predicted a record summer, with very strong trans-Atlantic bookings.']",0.1886723727192492,"The Transportation Security Administration screened the most people ever over Memorial Day weekend, and executives from United and Delta have predicted a record summer, with very strong trans-Atlantic bookings.","The changes angered travel agencies who weren't able to access some of the carrier's fares as before, making it harder for them to sell tickets on American flights.",-0.2201437122291988,"""Raja said last month American's corporate booking growth was coming in behind big rivals Delta and United.","After the market closed Tuesday, American said its unit revenues could fall as much as 6% in the second quarter from a year earlier, down from its forecast last month of a no-more-than-3% decline.",2024-05-29
Samsung union calls first ever strike after pay negotiations stall,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/tech/south-korea-samsung-union-strike-pay-negotiations-hnk-intl/index.html,"
  Published
        9:10 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","A labor union representing tens of thousands of workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea has called a one-day strike next week, in what would be the first such walkout at the smartphone and chipmaking giant.
    
            The Nationwide Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) said on Wednesday during a press conference streamed on its official Youtube channel that its 28,000 members — just under a quarter of the company’s total workforce in the country — would strike on June 7, following failed negotiations over pay and bonus arrangements.
    
            “We can no longer afford to see a company that has no will to negotiate,” union representatives said, adding “we will fight for workers’ rights and interests.”
    
            Son Woomok, a union leader, told CNN that many NSEU members worked for Samsung’s flagship semiconductor unit.
    
            “We are demanding transparent and fair performance bonuses and wage increases,” he said in an interview.
    
            “There has never been a proper wage negotiation. It has always been carried out by announcing the (outcome) at the labor-management council, which does not include our union, and the company telling us to accept it,” he added.
    
            In a statement to CNN, a Samsung spokesperson said: “The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union, and is making every sincere effort to come to an agreement.”
    
            The world’s biggest memory chipmaker has had a rough few years. A historic shortage of computer chips during the Covid pandemic was followed by falling demand last year as consumer appetite for electronics remained weak because of global economic uncertainty.
    
            In January, Samsung reported an operating profit of just 6.567 trillion won ($4.8 billion) for 2023, its weakest annual performance since 2009, according to the Wall Street Journal. Samsung also lost its crown as the top smartphone maker globally.
    
            But things are looking up for the company because of  the AI boom.
    
            It is optimistic about a resurgence in demand for mobile devices this year, particularly with the rollout of new products, such as AI-powered smartphones.
    
            Last month, Samsung reported a more than 10-fold rise in first-quarter operating profit amid forecasts of high demand for AI and high-end chips, an area in which it competes with Intel (INTC) and Taiwan’s TSMC.
    
            The vast majority of the world’s advanced microchips are made in just two places: Taiwan and South Korea. Taiwan’s industry is larger and more dominant, something South Korea is keen to challenge.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['A labor union representing tens of thousands of workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea has called a one-day strike next week, in what would be the first such walkout at the smartphone and chipmaking giant.', 'The Nationwide Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) said on Wednesday during a press conference streamed on its official Youtube channel that its 28,000 members — just under a quarter of the company’s total workforce in the country — would strike on June 7, following failed negotiations over pay and bonus arrangements.', '“We can no longer afford to see a company that has no will to negotiate,” union representatives said, adding “we will fight for workers’ rights and interests.”', 'Son Woomok, a union leader, told CNN that many NSEU members worked for Samsung’s flagship semiconductor unit.', '“We are demanding transparent and fair performance bonuses and wage increases,” he said in an interview.', '“There has never been a proper wage negotiation.', 'It has always been carried out by announcing the (outcome) at the labor-management council, which does not include our union, and the company telling us to accept it,” he added.', 'In a statement to CNN, a Samsung spokesperson said: “The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union, and is making every sincere effort to come to an agreement.”', 'The world’s biggest memory chipmaker has had a rough few years.', 'A historic shortageof computer chips during the Covid pandemic was followed by falling demand last year as consumer appetite for electronics remained weak because of global economic uncertainty.', 'In January, Samsung reported an operating profit of just 6.567 trillion won ($4.8 billion) for 2023, its weakest annual performance since 2009, according to the Wall Street Journal.', 'Samsung also lost its crown as the top smartphone maker globally.', 'But things are looking up for the company because of the AI boom.', 'It is optimistic about a resurgence in demand for mobile devices this year, particularly with the rollout of new products, such as AI-powered smartphones.', 'Last month, Samsung reported a more than 10-fold rise in first-quarter operating profit amid forecasts of high demand for AI and high-end chips, an area in which it competes with Intel (INTC) and Taiwan’s TSMC.', 'The vast majority of the world’s advanced microchips are made in just two places: Taiwan and South Korea.', 'Taiwan’s industry is larger and more dominant, something South Korea is keen to challenge.']",0.097916396837755,"In a statement to CNN, a Samsung spokesperson said: “The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union, and is making every sincere effort to come to an agreement.”",A historic shortageof computer chips during the Covid pandemic was followed by falling demand last year as consumer appetite for electronics remained weak because of global economic uncertainty.,0.0735545104200189,"Last month, Samsung reported a more than 10-fold rise in first-quarter operating profit amid forecasts of high demand for AI and high-end chips, an area in which it competes with Intel (INTC) and Taiwan’s TSMC.","In January, Samsung reported an operating profit of just 6.567 trillion won ($4.8 billion) for 2023, its weakest annual performance since 2009, according to the Wall Street Journal.",2024-05-29
ConocoPhillips is buying Marathon Oil in $22.5 billion deal,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/investing/conocophillips-marathon-takeover/index.html,"
  Updated
        9:02 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","Big Oil keeps doing big deals.
    
            ConocoPhillips said Wednesday it had agreed to buy Marathon Oil in an all-stock deal worth $22.5 billion, including about $5.4 billion of debt.
    
            Marathon Oil shareholders will receive 0.255 ConocoPhillips shares for each Marathon share they own, representing a 14.7% premium to the closing price on Tuesday.
    
            Shares of Marathon (MRO) were up more than 10% in premarket trade, while Conoco (COP) stock was down about 2%.
    
            The merger of the Houston-based rivals follows ExxonMobil’s (XOM) $60 billion purchase of Pioneer and Chevron’s (CVX) agreed takeover of Hess for $53 billion. The wave of consolidation has also included Occidental buying CrownRock and Diamondback Energy acquiring Endeavor Energy Partners in multibillion-dollar cash-and-stock deals.
    
            Oil giants are flush with cash and printing bumper profits following years of elevated prices. They’re using those windfalls to snap up assets in the Permian basin — the oil field that has helped make the US the world’s top producer of oil and gas — and boost returns for shareholders even as pressure builds for them to invest more in renewable energy.
    
            “This acquisition of Marathon Oil further deepens our portfolio and fits within our financial framework, adding high-quality, low cost of supply inventory,” Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips CEO, said in a statement.
    
            The Financial Times reported earlier Wednesday that a deal was close and that Conoco and Devon Energy had been vying for weeks to acquire Marathon.
    
            Until 1962, Marathon Oil was called The Ohio Oil Company, which was founded in 1887 and was bought two years later by John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil.
    
            CEO Lee Tillman described Wednesday’s deal as “a proud moment” and ConocoPhillips as “the right home” to build on a legacy of operational excellence and strong earnings.
    
            “When combined with the global ConocoPhillips portfolio, I’m confident our assets and people will deliver significant shareholder value over the long term,” Tillman said in a statement.
    
            ConocoPhillips said it was targeting savings worth $500 million within the first full year of the transaction closing, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024 pending the approval of Marathon shareholders and regulators.
    
            The company plans to repurchase over $7 billion in shares in the first full year, and over $20 billion in the first three years, it added.
    
            This story has been updated with additional information.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['Big Oil keeps doing big deals.', 'ConocoPhillips said Wednesday it had agreed to buy Marathon Oil in an all-stock deal worth $22.5 billion, including about $5.4 billion of debt.', 'Marathon Oil shareholders will receive 0.255 ConocoPhillips shares for each Marathon share they own, representing a 14.7% premium to the closing price on Tuesday.', 'Shares of Marathon (MRO) were up more than 10% in premarket trade, while Conoco (COP) stock was down about 2%.', 'The merger of the Houston-based rivals follows ExxonMobil’s (XOM) $60 billion purchase of Pioneer and Chevron’s (CVX) agreed takeover of Hess for $53 billion.', 'The wave of consolidation has also included Occidental buying CrownRock and Diamondback Energy acquiring Endeavor Energy Partners in multibillion-dollar cash-and-stock deals.', 'Oil giants are flush with cash and printing bumper profits following years of elevated prices.', 'They’re using those windfalls to snap up assets in the Permian basin — the oil field that has helped make the US the world’s top producer of oil and gas — and boost returns for shareholders even as pressure builds for them to invest more in renewable energy.', '“This acquisition of Marathon Oil further deepens our portfolio and fits within our financial framework, adding high-quality, low cost of supply inventory,” Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips CEO, said in a statement.', 'The Financial Times reported earlier Wednesday that a deal was close and that Conoco and Devon Energy had been vying for weeks to acquire Marathon.', 'Until 1962, Marathon Oil was called The Ohio Oil Company, which was founded in 1887 and was bought two years later by John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil.', 'CEO Lee Tillman described Wednesday’s deal as “a proud moment” and ConocoPhillips as “the right home” to build on a legacy of operational excellence and strong earnings.', '“When combined with the global ConocoPhillips portfolio, I’m confident our assets and people will deliver significant shareholder value over the long term,” Tillman said in a statement.', 'ConocoPhillips said it was targeting savings worth $500 million within the first full year of the transaction closing, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024 pending the approval of Marathon shareholders and regulators.', 'The company plans to repurchase over $7 billion in shares in the first full year, and over $20 billion in the first three years, it added.', 'This story has been updated with additional information.']",0.3379539257438816,CEO Lee Tillman described Wednesday’s deal as “a proud moment” and ConocoPhillips as “the right home” to build on a legacy of operational excellence and strong earnings.,"“This acquisition of Marathon Oil further deepens our portfolio and fits within our financial framework, adding high-quality, low cost of supply inventory,” Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips CEO, said in a statement.",0.9906016654438444,They’re using those windfalls to snap up assets in the Permian basin — the oil field that has helped make the US the world’s top producer of oil and gas — and boost returns for shareholders even as pressure builds for them to invest more in renewable energy.,,2024-05-29
Apple announces its annual developers conference is set for June 10,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/apple-annual-developers-conference-june-10/index.html,"
  Updated
        2:20 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","Apple announced its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on June 10, when the company is expected to show off its latest AI advancements.
    
            The conference, which is widely anticipated each year as a major showcase for Apple software news, will run Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14.
    
            Although last year’s WWDC focused on the unveiling of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which launched in stores in February, this year is expected to turn to Apple’s AI efforts. The company is reportedly interested in licensing and building Google’s Gemini AI engine, which includes chatbots and other AI tools, into upcoming iPhones and its iOS 18 features.
    
            As more tech companies pour billions of dollars into the development and rollout of artificial intelligence, Apple has largely been left out of the conversation, with many other tech companies making big strides in the space. A partnership with Google would catapult Apple into the growing AI arms race.
    
            Apple researchers also recently said they’ve developed a family of multimodal models — which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — called MM1. A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.
    
            In a press release on Tuesday, the company said WWDC 2024 will also share software updates coming to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro headset.",CNN,26/03/2024,"['Apple announced its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on June 10, when the company is expected to show off its latest AI advancements.', 'The conference, which is widely anticipated each year as a major showcase for Apple software news, will run Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14.', 'Although last year’s WWDC focused on the unveiling of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which launched in stores in February, this year is expected to turn to Apple’s AI efforts.', 'The company is reportedly interested in licensing and building Google’s Gemini AI engine, which includes chatbots and other AI tools, into upcoming iPhones and its iOS 18 features.', 'As more tech companies pour billions of dollars into the development and rollout of artificial intelligence, Apple has largely been left out of the conversation, with many other tech companies making big strides in the space.', 'A partnership with Google would catapult Apple into the growing AI arms race.', 'Apple researchers also recently said they’ve developed a family of multimodal models — which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — called MM1.', 'A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.', 'In a press release on Tuesday, the company said WWDC 2024 will also share software updates coming to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro headset.']",0.3259092919755588,A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.,,0.9975101351737976,A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.,,2024-05-29
Microsoft stock hits all-time high after hiring former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/20/investing/microsoft-stock-record-high-altman-openai/index.html,"
  Updated
        4:19 PM EST, Mon November 20, 2023
    ","Microsoft stock reached a record high on Monday after the company said that Sam Altman, former chief executive of OpenAI, will join the company to head its artificial intelligence innovation leg.
    
            Shares of the tech behemoth rose 2.1% to an all-time high close of $377.44 on Monday, beating the previous record of $376.17.
    
            That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup. Microsoft is the artificial intelligence firm’s biggest stakeholder, with a $13 billion investment in the company.
    
            Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.
    
            Altman’s hiring ended days of speculation that the former chief executive could return to the firm after his dramatic firing. Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, will replace OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati as interim chief executive.
    
            Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year. The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.
    
            Dan Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, reiterated his $425 price target for Microsoft’s stock following Altman’s and Brockman’s hires.
    
            “We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position from an AI perspective with Altman and Brockman” at the company, Ives wrote in a note on Monday.
    
            Other members of the “Magnificent Seven” saw a boost on Monday. Nvidia shares gained 2.3% to end the trading session at $504.20 ahead of its earnings due on Tuesday, notching a record-high close for the chipmaker.",CNN,20/11/2023,"['Microsoft stock reached a record high on Monday after the company said that Sam Altman, former chief executive of OpenAI, will join the company to head its artificial intelligence innovation leg.', 'Shares of the tech behemoth rose 2.1% to an all-time high close of $377.44 on Monday, beating the previous record of $376.17.', 'That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup.', 'Microsoft is the artificial intelligence firm’s biggest stakeholder, with a $13 billion investment in the company.', 'Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.', 'Altman’s hiring ended days of speculation that the former chief executive could return to the firm after his dramatic firing.', 'Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, will replace OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati as interim chief executive.', 'Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year.', 'The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.', 'Dan Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, reiterated his $425 price target for Microsoft’s stock following Altman’s and Brockman’s hires.', '“We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position from an AI perspective with Altman and Brockman” at the company, Ives wrote in a note on Monday.', 'Other members of the “Magnificent Seven” saw a boost on Monday.', 'Nvidia shares gained 2.3% to end the trading session at $504.20 ahead of its earnings due on Tuesday, notching a record-high close for the chipmaker.']",0.3148943375907157,"The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.","Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.",0.7688216765721639,Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year.,"That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup.",2024-05-29
US billionaire plans submersible trip to Titanic wreck,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1vvr76lddxo,2024-05-29T00:44:52.487Z,"A US luxury real estate billionaire and a deep-sea explorer are planning to travel in a submersible to explore the Titanic. Ohio tycoon and adventurer Larry Connor and Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, say they want to take a sub to a depth of around 3,800m (12,467ft) to see the shipwreck in the North Atlantic Ocean. The private submersible industry was rocked after five people were killed when a vessel built by OceanGate imploded en route to the Titanic last year. A spokesman for Mr Connor’s company said on Tuesday that the proposed voyage would only take place once a vessel was fully certified by a marine organisation. There is no timeframe for the planned expedition. The pair plan to use a sub dubbed the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer – the “4000” refers to the depth in metres to which the craft can safely be deployed.   The Titan submarine built by OceanGate was constructed of carbon fibre and was only certified to 1,300m, far short of the depths of the ocean floor where the Titanic wreck lay. In June 2023 the vessel imploded while on a trip to the Titanic wreckage. OceanGate's chief executive Stockton Rush, 61, died on board alongside four other passengers: British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77, a former French navy diver. Mr Rush was known for pushing the envelope when it came to safety, and he had ignored several warnings from advisers about potential issues with the Titan. Investigations by US and Canadian authorities are ongoing. Mr Connor told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the proposed Triton expedition: “I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.” The private submersible industry suffered after the Titan disaster, and the pair hope that a successful voyage will reignite interest. OceanGate suspended operations and other firms reported cancelled orders and declining sales after the Titan implosion. Mr Lahey told the newspaper: “This tragedy had a chilling effect on people’s interest in these vehicles.” Mr Lahey co-founded Triton Submarines in 2008. Mr Connor is head of The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm based near Dayton, Ohio. In 2021, the duo ventured together in a submersible to the Challenger Deep and the Sirena Deep in the Mariana Trench. At nearly 36,000ft, the trench is the deepest point on the Earth’s seabed. Triton Submarines has been contacted for comment. ",BBC,29/05/2024,"['A US luxury real estate billionaire and a deep-sea explorer are planning to travel in a submersible to explore the Titanic.', 'Ohio tycoon and adventurer Larry Connor and Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, say they want to take a sub to a depth of around 3,800m (12,467ft) to see the shipwreck in the North Atlantic Ocean.', 'The private submersible industry was rocked after five people were killed when a vessel built by OceanGate imploded en route to the Titanic last year.', 'A spokesman for Mr Connor’s company said on Tuesday that the proposed voyage would only take place once a vessel was fully certified by a marine organisation.', 'There is no timeframe for the planned expedition.', 'The pair plan to use a sub dubbed the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer – the “4000” refers to the depth in metres to which the craft can safely be deployed.', 'The Titan submarine built by OceanGate was constructed of carbon fibre and was only certified to 1,300m, far short of the depths of the ocean floor where the Titanic wreck lay.', 'In June 2023 the vessel imploded while on a trip to the Titanic wreckage.', ""OceanGate's chief executive Stockton Rush, 61, died on board alongside four other passengers: British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77, a former French navy diver."", 'Mr Rush was known for pushing the envelope when it came to safety, and he had ignored several warnings from advisers about potential issues with the Titan.', 'Investigations by US and Canadian authorities are ongoing.', 'Mr Connor told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the proposed Triton expedition: “I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.”', 'The private submersible industry suffered after the Titan disaster, and the pair hope that a successful voyage will reignite interest.', 'OceanGate suspended operations and other firms reported cancelled orders and declining sales after the Titan implosion.', 'Mr Lahey told the newspaper: “This tragedy had a chilling effect on people’s interest in these vehicles.”', 'Mr Lahey co-founded Triton Submarines in 2008.', 'Mr Connor is head of The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm based near Dayton, Ohio.', 'In 2021, the duo ventured together in a submersible to the Challenger Deep and the Sirena Deep in the Mariana Trench.', 'At nearly 36,000ft, the trench is the deepest point on the Earth’s seabed.', 'Triton Submarines has been contacted for comment.']",-0.0438283204485866,"Mr Connor told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the proposed Triton expedition: “I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.”",The private submersible industry was rocked after five people were killed when a vessel built by OceanGate imploded en route to the Titanic last year.,-0.4939388394355773,"The private submersible industry suffered after the Titan disaster, and the pair hope that a successful voyage will reignite interest.",OceanGate suspended operations and other firms reported cancelled orders and declining sales after the Titan implosion.,2024-05-29
Shaking seats and piped-in fog: How 4DX is carving out a niche moviegoing market,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/27/4dx-movie-experience.html,2024-05-27T20:12:29+0000,"In George Miller's new Mad Max film ""Furiosa,"" a red paint flare explodes and casts the theater screen in a saturated crimson cloud.Feet away, among the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, plumes of fog roll in, catching the red hue from the screen as if the flare somehow transcended the fourth wall and infiltrated the cinema. The fog parts, Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into focus and grins at the audience.This is the 4DX viewing experience. It's one of many multi-sensory moments programmed for ""Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,"" which opened in theaters Friday, in order to immerse audiences in Miller's latest visit to the vast Wasteland. And it amounts to a key value proposition at a time when cinemas are desperate to lure back moviegoers, particularly those in the younger demographics.""We make movies different,"" said Duncan Macdonald, head of worldwide marketing and theatre development for CJ 4DPlex Americas. ""We are so different out there, with our motion capabilities and our environmental effects.""In the wake of the pandemic, audiences grew used to shorter theatrical windows and having access to more content at home. At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters. As a result, consumers fell out of the habit of going to cinemas.Moviegoers who have returned are seeking premium experiences — higher-quality picture and sound — and are willing to pay more for those tickets. 4DX is one option in the premium large format market alongside the likes of IMAX and Dolby Cinema. CJ 4DPlex also owns the ScreenX format.""Premium movie theatre experiences are key to the health of the industry and with fewer films in the marketplace on average than in past years, the importance and essential nature of a company like 4DX comes into sharp focus,"" said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.4DX utilizes motion seats, practical effects and sensory elements to immerse viewers in a movie. For Warner Bros.' ""Wonka,"" the company piped in the smell of chocolate during screenings.CJ 4DPlex Americas CEO Don Savant says the experience is ""complementary"" to routine moviegoing experiences, noting that 4DX cinemas attract younger consumers, predominantly in the 10-to-30 age range, who are seeking more experiential viewing.For consumers, the 4DX experience costs an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, meaning a ticket can range from $20 to $30 each. But the extra cost doesn't seem to be detering audiences.Last year, 4DX's domestic locations tallied $53.4 million in ticket sales.""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often."" And, for major blockbuster titles, 4DX is proving to be even more popular. Ticket sales for Disney's ""Avatar: The Way of Water"" topped $83.6 million from 4DX screens, or about 3.6% of the film's total box office haul. It is currently the highest-grossing film for the screen format, Savant said.""We want to give customers an easy excuse to leave their homes and visit a local Regal theater,"" said CEO Eduardo Acuna of Regal Cinemas. ""Premium formats like 4DX offer a movie-watching experience that cannot be replicated by any home theater setup. Each premium format serves a different purpose for storytelling, and each increases the enjoyment of watching a movie in a different and immersive way.""Acuna noted that 4DX auditoriums are ""a strong box office performer"" for Regal.Regal is the largest operator of 4DX screens domestically, with 50 of the 62 locations found in the U.S. and Canada. Globally, there are nearly 750 4DX screens with numerous theatrical partners. The highest volume is in Asia and Europe.Savant said 4DX is adding around 25 to 30 screens per year worldwide, but is looking to push that figure up to 50 to 60 screens a year. The company is seeking to have around 1,200 4DX locations in the next five years. On average, each theater has around 140 seats.Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it's flicked in the face of a character on the screen.Last year, 4DX programmed more than 100 films for the souped-up viewing experience. Around 40 to 45 of those were major Hollywood titles, Savant said. Others included concert content, musical singalongs, anniversary titles and local language films.Typically, the 4DX programmers, who are based in Seoul, have two to three weeks to craft the motion and special effects, although Savant said they can turn around a film in a week if the need arises. 4DX can program three titles at a time.Both Macdonald and Savant referred to 4DX's programmers as ""artists,"" describing the process — from the subwoofers in the seats to the fog machines — as different brushstrokes in a work of art.""Every film is different,"" said Macdonald. ""So we look at the nuances of the different films that we have and how those are programmed.""In some cases filmmakers will get involved, offering suggestions for when certain effects should be used and how subtle or bombastic they should feel or look.""It's the most dynamic way to see [a film],"" Savant said.",CNBC,27/05/2024,"['In George Miller\'s new Mad Max film ""Furiosa,"" a red paint flare explodes and casts the theater screen in a saturated crimson cloud.', 'Feet away, among the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, plumes of fog roll in, catching the red hue from the screen as if the flare somehow transcended the fourth wall and infiltrated the cinema.', 'The fog parts, Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into focus and grins at the audience.', 'This is the 4DX viewing experience.', 'It\'s one of many multi-sensory moments programmed for ""Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,"" which opened in theaters Friday, in order to immerse audiences in Miller\'s latest visit to the vast Wasteland.', 'And it amounts to a key value proposition at a time when cinemas are desperate to lure back moviegoers, particularly those in the younger demographics.', '""We make movies different,"" said Duncan Macdonald, head of worldwide marketing and theatre development for CJ 4DPlex Americas. ""', 'We are so different out there, with our motion capabilities and our environmental effects.', '""In the wake of the pandemic, audiences grew used to shorter theatrical windows and having access to more content at home.', 'At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters.', 'As a result, consumers fell out of the habit of going to cinemas.', 'Moviegoers who have returned are seeking premium experiences — higher-quality picture and sound — and are willing to pay more for those tickets.', '4DX is one option in the premium large format market alongside the likes of IMAX and Dolby Cinema.', 'CJ 4DPlex also owns the ScreenX format.', '""Premium movie theatre experiences are key to the health of the industry and with fewer films in the marketplace on average than in past years, the importance and essential nature of a company like 4DX comes into sharp focus,"" said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.4DX utilizes motion seats, practical effects and sensory elements to immerse viewers in a movie.', 'For Warner Bros.\' ""Wonka,"" the company piped in the smell of chocolate during screenings.', 'CJ 4DPlex Americas CEO Don Savant says the experience is ""complementary"" to routine moviegoing experiences, noting that 4DX cinemas attract younger consumers, predominantly in the 10-to-30 age range, who are seeking more experiential viewing.', 'For consumers, the 4DX experience costs an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, meaning a ticket can range from $20 to $30 each.', ""But the extra cost doesn't seem to be detering audiences."", ""Last year, 4DX's domestic locations tallied $53.4 million in ticket sales."", '""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""', 'This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often.', '""And, for major blockbuster titles, 4DX is proving to be even more popular.', 'Ticket sales for Disney\'s ""Avatar: The Way of Water"" topped $83.6 million from 4DX screens, or about 3.6% of the film\'s total box office haul.', 'It is currently the highest-grossing film for the screen format, Savant said.', '""We want to give customers an easy excuse to leave their homes and visit a local Regal theater,"" said CEO Eduardo Acuna of Regal Cinemas. ""', 'Premium formats like 4DX offer a movie-watching experience that cannot be replicated by any home theater setup.', 'Each premium format serves a different purpose for storytelling, and each increases the enjoyment of watching a movie in a different and immersive way.', '""Acuna noted that 4DX auditoriums are ""a strong box office performer"" for Regal.', 'Regal is the largest operator of 4DX screens domestically, with 50 of the 62 locations found in the U.S. and Canada.', 'Globally, there are nearly 750 4DX screens with numerous theatrical partners.', 'The highest volume is in Asia and Europe.', 'Savant said 4DX is adding around 25 to 30 screens per year worldwide, but is looking to push that figure up to 50 to 60 screens a year.', 'The company is seeking to have around 1,200 4DX locations in the next five years.', 'On average, each theater has around 140 seats.', 'Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.\' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it\'s flicked in the face of a character on the screen.', 'Last year, 4DX programmed more than 100 films for the souped-up viewing experience.', 'Around 40 to 45 of those were major Hollywood titles, Savant said.', 'Others included concert content, musical singalongs, anniversary titles and local language films.', 'Typically, the 4DX programmers, who are based in Seoul, have two to three weeks to craft the motion and special effects, although Savant said they can turn around a film in a week if the need arises.', '4DX can program three titles at a time.', 'Both Macdonald and Savant referred to 4DX\'s programmers as ""artists,"" describing the process — from the subwoofers in the seats to the fog machines — as different brushstrokes in a work of art.', '""Every film is different,"" said Macdonald. ""', 'So we look at the nuances of the different films that we have and how those are programmed.', '""In some cases filmmakers will get involved, offering suggestions for when certain effects should be used and how subtle or bombastic they should feel or look.', '""It\'s the most dynamic way to see [a film],"" Savant said.']",0.1083172602505117,"""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""","Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it's flicked in the face of a character on the screen.",0.6972404505525317,"This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often.","At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters.",2024-05-29
Former FTX executive Ryan Salame sentenced to seven and a half years in prison,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/business/former-ftx-executive-ryan-salame-sentenced-to-seven-and-a-half-years-in-prison/index.html,"
  Published
        12:53 PM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Ryan Salame, the former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary and a top lieutenant to the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced on Tuesday to 90 months in prison, U.S. federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.
    
            Salame pleaded guilty in September to making tens of millions of dollars in unlawful campaign donations to boost causes supported by his boss.
    
            Bankman-Fried himself was sentenced earlier this year to 25 years in prison for stealing $8 billion from FTX customers. A jury found him guilty in November on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX’s 2022 collapse, which prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history.
    
            Prosecutors say Salame, Bankman-Fried and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh used FTX customer funds to donate to political candidates supporting crypto-friendly legislation.
    
            In addition to the prison term, Salame, 30, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6 million in forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution, prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday.
    
            “Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,” said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
    
            Salame, who could not immediately be reached for comment, gave more than $24 million to Republican candidates and causes in the 2022 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commision data, making him one of that year’s top donors.
    
            He had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['RyanSalame, the former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary and a top lieutenant to the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced on Tuesday to 90 months in prison, U.S. federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.', 'Salamepleaded guiltyin September to making tens of millions of dollars in unlawful campaign donations to boost causes supported by his boss.', 'Bankman-Fried himselfwas sentenced earlier this yearto 25 years in prison for stealing $8 billion from FTX customers.', 'A jury found him guilty in November on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX’s 2022 collapse, which prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history.', 'Prosecutors saySalame, Bankman-Fried and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh used FTX customer funds to donate to political candidates supporting crypto-friendly legislation.', 'In addition to the prison term,Salame, 30, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6 million in forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution, prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday.', '“Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,” said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.', 'Salame, who could not immediately be reached for comment, gave more than $24 million to Republican candidates and causes in the 2022 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commision data, making him one of that year’s top donors.', 'He had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.']",-0.2202850196490431,"Prosecutors saySalame, Bankman-Fried and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh used FTX customer funds to donate to political candidates supporting crypto-friendly legislation.","A jury found him guilty in November on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX’s 2022 collapse, which prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history.",-0.996936559677124,,"“Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,” said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.",2024-05-29
Apple slashed iPhone prices in China. Sales are bouncing back,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/tech/china-apple-sales-rebound-price-cuts-intl-hnk/index.html,"
  Published
        1:25 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","A rebound in Apple’s iPhone sales in China is gaining momentum, after the company aggressively cut prices in its largest overseas market to lure back consumers actively hunting bargains in a weak economy.
    
            Shipments of foreign-branded cell phones in China, the vast majority of which are iPhones, surged 52% in April to 3.489 million units, according to CNN calculations based on data released Tuesday by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT). The academy is a research firm under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, a regulatory body.
    
            The increase is a major acceleration from the 12% growth logged in March by foreign-branded smartphones, according to previous data from CAICT.
    
            The Global Times, a state-owned tabloid known for its patriotic views and promoting Chinese companies, has described the rebound as “impressive.”
    
            Apple (AAPL) had a tough start to 2024 in China.
    
            In the first quarter, it lost the top spot in the country’s smartphone market as shipments tumbled 19%, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. Apple took a hit from growing competition with local brands including Huawei, which saw sales increase nearly 70% in the same period because of the successful launch of its Mate 60 series.
    
            An economic slump, including worsening job and income prospects, has prompted Chinese consumers to tighten their belts and seek discounts on everything from food to cars.
    
            But iPhone sales started to bounce back in March after Apple and its retail partners slashed prices, according to CAICT data.
    
            The price-cutting intensified recently. Last week, Apple said it would slash prices on some of its smartphones on Tmall, an Amazon-like site owned by Alibaba (BABA), by as much as 23% until May 28. Similar reductions were made on JD.com, another major e-commerce site.
    
            The unprecedented discounts were part of a campaign launched during the annual “618” shopping festival, China’s second-biggest online shopping bonanza of the year, which usually runs from late May to mid-June.
    
            After the discounts, the iPhone 15 is now in the same price range as smartphones made by Xiaomi and Huawei.
    
            The hefty reductions are “the only way” for Apple to defend its market share in China, Jefferies analysts said earlier this week.
    
            “We believe Apple has created significant pricing pressure on the local brands,” especially Huawei’s flagship models, they said.
    
            That will help Apple regain its lost market share but is also likely to put pressure on its competitors to cut prices further.
    
            “The discounts on high-end models could extend into the third quarter of 2024, pressuring all smartphone (makers’) margins,” they added.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['A rebound in Apple’s iPhone sales in China is gaining momentum, after the company aggressively cut prices in its largest overseas market to lure back consumers actively hunting bargains in a weak economy.', 'Shipments of foreign-branded cell phones in China, the vast majority of which are iPhones, surged 52% in April to 3.489 million units, according to CNN calculations based on data released Tuesday by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT).', 'The academy is a research firm under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, a regulatory body.', 'The increase is a major acceleration from the 12% growth logged in March by foreign-branded smartphones, according to previous data from CAICT.', 'The Global Times, a state-owned tabloid known for its patriotic views and promoting Chinese companies, has described the rebound as “impressive.”', 'Apple (AAPL) had a tough start to 2024 in China.', 'In the first quarter, it lost the top spot in the country’s smartphone market as shipments tumbled 19%, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.', 'Apple took a hit from growing competition with local brands including Huawei, which saw sales increase nearly 70% in the same period because of the successful launch of its Mate 60 series.', 'An economic slump, including worsening job and income prospects, has prompted Chinese consumers to tighten their belts and seek discounts on everything from food to cars.', 'But iPhone sales started to bounce back in March after Apple and its retail partners slashed prices, according to CAICT data.', 'The price-cutting intensified recently.', 'Last week, Apple said it would slash prices on some of its smartphones on Tmall, an Amazon-like site owned by Alibaba (BABA), by as much as 23% until May 28.', 'Similar reductions were made on JD.com, another major e-commerce site.', 'The unprecedented discounts were part of a campaign launched during the annual “618” shopping festival, China’s second-biggest online shopping bonanza of the year, which usually runs from late May to mid-June.', 'After the discounts, the iPhone 15 is now in the same price range as smartphones made by Xiaomi and Huawei.', 'The hefty reductions are “the only way” for Apple to defend its market share in China, Jefferies analysts said earlier this week.', '“We believe Apple has created significant pricing pressure on the local brands,” especially Huawei’s flagship models, they said.', 'That will help Apple regain its lost market share but is also likely to put pressure on its competitors to cut prices further.', '“The discounts on high-end models could extend into the third quarter of 2024, pressuring all smartphone (makers’) margins,” they added.']",0.0829036435859377,"Apple took a hit from growing competition with local brands including Huawei, which saw sales increase nearly 70% in the same period because of the successful launch of its Mate 60 series.",That will help Apple regain its lost market share but is also likely to put pressure on its competitors to cut prices further.,0.2855606888021741,"Apple took a hit from growing competition with local brands including Huawei, which saw sales increase nearly 70% in the same period because of the successful launch of its Mate 60 series.","In the first quarter, it lost the top spot in the country’s smartphone market as shipments tumbled 19%, according to a report by Counterpoint Research.",2024-05-29
Telehealth company Ro launches GLP-1 supply tracker to help patients navigate shortages,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/ro-launches-glp-1-supply-tracker-to-help-patients-navigate-shortages.html,2024-05-29T13:55:24+0000,"Telehealth company Ro on Wednesday launched a new tracker to help patients find a popular class of weight loss and diabetes drugs called GLP-1s amid shortages of those treatments in the U.S.The supply tracker could be a valuable tool for many Americans scrambling to get their hands on GLP-1s, such as Novo Nordisk's weight loss injection Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic. Demand for those medications has far outpaced supply over the past year, forcing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the dominant players in the market, to invest heavily to scale up manufacturing.The tracker aims to make GLP-1 supply information more transparent and accessible for everyone, regardless of whether they are enrolled in any of Ro's programs. The company is one of several digital health companies offering weight loss programs that can give users a GLP-1 prescription and access to coaching and other services. The tracker is an interactive tool that gives people real-time supply information by drug, dose size and pharmacy location. Existing drug shortage databases, including one managed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, often don't share localized data. ""We're trying to make it as easy as possible for patients and providers to get a snapshot of what's available, what's not, and do that in the fastest way,"" Ro co-founder and CEO Zachariah Reitano told CNBC in an interview. He added that the GLP-1 shortages feel like a ""national health-care crisis."" ""I don't think that people are fully registering that lifesaving and life-altering medications that could benefit well over 100 million people in the U.S. are currently on a significant shortage, and that patients every month are having trouble,"" Reitano said.Ro chose to make the tool free for anyone to use because a ""basic inventory management system"" for GLP-1s does not exist, making it a major contribution to the broader community that relies on those medications, according to Reitano. He added that opening up the tracker to everyone also makes it more likely for both Ro patients and people not enrolled in the company's programs to access GLP-1s.Anyone, including doctors, can submit an update to Ro's tracker by filling out a report about availability or a shortage of a GLP-1 at a specific pharmacy in their area. Users have the option to automatically report that information to the FDA. Ro will update the tracker based on its own supply data, which is generated when the company's patients log that they have successfully picked up their medication at a pharmacy. Ro will also update the tracker with the latest information from the FDA, according to the company.In order to ensure that a medication is really in shortage, Reitano said the tracker factors in a combination of the speed, location and number of submissions. One report over a period of two months might not influence the tracker, for instance.Reitano said Ro has been building the GLP-1 tracker for about two months. The company hasn't been collaborating with the FDA directly, but providing the agency more real-time data can help it keep its shortage list as up to date as possible, he said.This, in turn, means doctors will be able to make more informed choices about the best medication to prescribe to patients, Reitano said""If that list is outdated to reality, then you're going to write a prescription assuming that the patient is able to get access to it,"" Reitano said. ""They're not or they might be able to start but not continue, and that causes disruptions in their treatment."" Individuals can sign up to receive automated email alerts about when a specific GLP-1 drug becomes available at a nearby pharmacy. The tracker also alerts patients about changes to the supply of a GLP-1 on the FDA's drug shortage database. The alerts include instructions to request that a pharmacy transfer their prescription to another location with supply in stock. Any patient can also message Ro's care team to transfer their prescriptions on their behalf.Ro, founded as Roman in 2017, has been helping patients treat obesity since 2020. Reitano told CNBC in March that after the FDA approved Wegovy in 2021, patient inquiries about the medication began flooding in by the ""tens of thousands."" As a result, the company launched a GLP-1 program called the Ro Body Program early last year.Ro can prescribe medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, and it also offers compounded versions of GLP-1s if the branded versions are in shortage. Compounded GLP-1s are custom-made alternatives to brand drugs designed to meet a specific patient's needs.Since launching the Body Program, Ro has become all too familiar with the challenges that can arise from a lack of supply. The company temporarily paused advertising for the program because of shortages last year, and it offered refunds and credits to patients who weren't able to pick up their medication within 30 days of getting a prescription. Reitano said the company made more than 50,000 calls between July and August last year to try to transfer prescriptions to different pharmacies. Reitano hopes the tracker will make it easier for patients and providers to find GLP-1 supply and inform the FDA about shortages in real time, especially as demand for the medications grows even more. But he said his ""biggest hope"" is that Ro's supply tracker will become ""useless"" three years from now as more GLP-1 supply comes onto the market and alleviates shortages. ""That's better for us, it's better for patients, it's better for the health-care system as well,"" Reitano told CNBC.",CNBC,29/05/2024,"[""Telehealth company Ro on Wednesday launched a new tracker to help patients find a popular class of weight loss and diabetes drugs called GLP-1s amid shortages of those treatments in the U.S.The supply tracker could be a valuable tool for many Americans scrambling to get their hands on GLP-1s, such as Novo Nordisk's weight loss injection Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic."", 'Demand for those medications has far outpaced supply over the past year, forcing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the dominant players in the market, to invest heavily to scale up manufacturing.', ""The tracker aims to make GLP-1 supply information more transparent and accessible for everyone, regardless of whether they are enrolled in any of Ro's programs."", 'The company is one of several digital health companies offering weight loss programs that can give users a GLP-1 prescription and access to coaching and other services.', 'The tracker is an interactive tool that gives people real-time supply information by drug, dose size and pharmacy location.', ""Existing drug shortage databases, including one managed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, often don't share localized data."", '""We\'re trying to make it as easy as possible for patients and providers to get a snapshot of what\'s available, what\'s not,and do that in the fastest way,"" Ro co-founder and CEO Zachariah Reitano told CNBC in an interview.', 'He added that the GLP-1 shortages feel like a ""national health-care crisis.', '""""I don\'t think that people are fully registering that lifesaving and life-altering medications that could benefit well over 100 million people in the U.S. are currently on a significant shortage, and that patients every month are having trouble,"" Reitano said.', 'Ro chose to make the tool free for anyone to use because a ""basic inventory management system"" for GLP-1s does not exist, making it a major contribution to the broader community that relies on those medications, according to Reitano.', ""He added that opening up the tracker to everyone also makes it more likely for both Ro patients and people not enrolled in the company's programs to access GLP-1s."", ""Anyone, including doctors, can submit an update to Ro's tracker by filling out a report about availability or a shortage of a GLP-1 at a specific pharmacy in their area."", ""Users have the option to automatically report that information to the FDA.Ro will update the tracker based on its own supply data, which is generated when the company's patients log that they have successfully picked up their medication at a pharmacy."", 'Ro will also update the tracker with the latest information from the FDA, according to the company.', 'In order to ensure that a medication is really in shortage, Reitano said the tracker factors in a combination of the speed, location and number of submissions.', 'One report over a period of two months might not influence the tracker, for instance.', 'Reitano said Ro has been building the GLP-1 tracker for about two months.', ""The company hasn't been collaborating with the FDA directly, but providing the agency more real-time data can help it keep its shortage list as up to date as possible, he said."", 'This, in turn, means doctors will be able to make more informed choices about the best medication to prescribe to patients, Reitano said""If that list is outdated to reality, then you\'re going to write a prescription assuming that the patient is able to get access to it,"" Reitano said. ""', ""They're not or they might be able to start but not continue, and that causes disruptions in their treatment."", '""Individuals can sign up to receive automated email alerts about when a specific GLP-1 drug becomes available at a nearby pharmacy.', ""The tracker also alerts patients about changes to the supply of a GLP-1 on the FDA's drug shortage database."", 'The alerts include instructions to request that a pharmacy transfer their prescription to another location with supply in stock.', ""Any patient can also message Ro's care team to transfer their prescriptions on their behalf."", 'Ro, founded as Roman in 2017, has been helping patients treat obesity since 2020.', 'Reitano told CNBC in March that after the FDA approved Wegovy in 2021, patient inquiries about the medication began flooding in by the ""tens of thousands.', '""As a result, the company launched a GLP-1 program called the Ro Body Program early last year.', 'Ro can prescribe medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, and it also offers compounded versions of GLP-1s if the branded versions are in shortage.', ""Compounded GLP-1s are custom-made alternatives to brand drugs designed to meet a specific patient's needs."", 'Since launching the Body Program, Ro has become all too familiar with the challenges that can arise from a lack of supply.', ""The company temporarily paused advertising for the program because of shortages last year, and it offered refunds and credits to patients who weren't able to pick up their medication within 30 days of getting a prescription."", 'Reitano said the company made more than 50,000 calls between July and August last year to try to transfer prescriptions to different pharmacies.', 'Reitano hopes the tracker will make it easier for patients and providers to find GLP-1 supply and inform the FDA about shortages in real time, especially as demand for the medications grows even more.', 'But he said his ""biggest hope"" is that Ro\'s supply tracker will become ""useless"" three years from now as more GLP-1 supply comes onto the market and alleviates shortages.', '""That\'s better for us, it\'s better for patients, it\'s better for the health-care system as well,"" Reitano told CNBC.']",0.1428353349933403,"""That's better for us, it's better for patients, it's better for the health-care system as well,"" Reitano told CNBC.","They're not or they might be able to start but not continue, and that causes disruptions in their treatment.",0.1557856748501459,"""That's better for us, it's better for patients, it's better for the health-care system as well,"" Reitano told CNBC.","""""I don't think that people are fully registering that lifesaving and life-altering medications that could benefit well over 100 million people in the U.S. are currently on a significant shortage, and that patients every month are having trouble,"" Reitano said.",2024-05-29
Elon Musk says AI will take all our jobs,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/23/tech/elon-musk-ai-your-job/index.html,"
  Updated
        7:04 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","Elon Musk says artificial intelligence will take all our jobs and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
    
            “Probably none of us will have a job,” Musk said about AI at a tech conference on Thursday.
    
            While speaking remotely via webcam at VivaTech 2024 in Paris, Musk described a future where jobs would be “optional.”
    
            “If you want to do a job that’s kinda like a hobby, you can do a job,” Musk said. “But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want.”
    
            For this scenario to work, he said, there would need to be “universal high income” – not to be confused with universal basic income, although he did not share what that could look like. (UBI refers to the government giving a certain amount of money to everyone regardless of how much they earn.)
    
            “There would be no shortage of goods or services,” he said.
    
            AI capabilities have surged over the past few years, fast enough that regulators, companies and consumers are still figuring out how to use the technology responsibly. Concerns also continue to mount over how various industries and jobs will change as AI proliferates in the market.
    
            In January, researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab found workplaces are adopting AI much more slowly than some had expected and feared. The report also said the majority of jobs previously identified as vulnerable to AI were not economically beneficial for employers to automate at that time.
    
            Experts also largely believe that many jobs that require a high emotional intelligence and human interaction will not need replacing, such as mental health professionals, creatives and teachers.
    
            Musk has been outspoken about his concerns around AI. During the keynote on Thursday, he called the technology his biggest fear. He cited the “Culture Book Series” by Ian Banks, a utopian fictionalized look at a society run by advanced technology, as the most realistic and “the best envisioning of a future AI.”
    
            In a job-free future, though, Musk questioned whether people would feel emotionally fulfilled.
    
            “The question will really be one of meaning  – if the computer and robots can do everything better than you, does your life have meaning?” he said.  “I do think there’s perhaps still a role for humans in this – in that we may give AI meaning.”
    
            He also used his stage time to urge parents to limit the amount of social media that children can see because “they’re being programmed by a dopamine-maximizing AI.”",CNN,23/05/2024,"['Elon Musk says artificial intelligence will take all our jobs and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.', '“Probably none of us will have a job,” Musk said about AI at a tech conference on Thursday.', 'While speaking remotely via webcam at VivaTech 2024 in Paris, Musk described a future where jobs would be “optional.”', '“If you want to do a job that’s kinda like a hobby, you can do a job,” Musk said. “', 'But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want.”', 'For this scenario to work, he said, there would need to be “universal high income” – not to be confused with universal basic income, although he did not share what that could look like. (', 'UBI refers to the government giving a certain amount of money to everyone regardless of how much they earn.)', '“There would be no shortage of goods or services,” he said.', 'AI capabilities have surged over the past few years, fast enough that regulators, companies and consumers are still figuring out how to use the technology responsibly.', 'Concerns also continue to mount over how various industries and jobs will change as AI proliferates in the market.', 'In January, researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab found workplaces are adopting AI much more slowly than some had expected and feared.', 'The report also said the majority of jobs previously identified as vulnerable to AI were not economically beneficial for employers to automate at that time.', 'Experts also largely believe that many jobs that require a high emotional intelligence and human interaction will not need replacing, such as mental health professionals, creatives and teachers.', 'Musk has been outspoken about his concerns around AI.', 'During the keynote on Thursday, he called the technology his biggest fear.', 'He cited the “Culture Book Series” by Ian Banks, a utopian fictionalized look at a society run by advanced technology, as the most realistic and “the best envisioning of a future AI.”', 'In a job-free future, though, Musk questioned whether people would feel emotionally fulfilled.', '“The question will really be one of meaning – if the computer and robots can do everything better than you, does your life have meaning?”', 'he said. “', 'I do think there’s perhaps still a role for humans in this – in that we may give AI meaning.”', 'He also used his stage time to urge parents to limit the amount of social media that children can see because “they’re being programmed by a dopamine-maximizing AI.”']",0.1439954327743964,"He cited the “Culture Book Series” by Ian Banks, a utopian fictionalized look at a society run by advanced technology, as the most realistic and “the best envisioning of a future AI.”",The report also said the majority of jobs previously identified as vulnerable to AI were not economically beneficial for employers to automate at that time.,0.1642820715904235,"AI capabilities have surged over the past few years, fast enough that regulators, companies and consumers are still figuring out how to use the technology responsibly.",The report also said the majority of jobs previously identified as vulnerable to AI were not economically beneficial for employers to automate at that time.,2024-05-29
Pfizer aims to save $1.5 billion by 2027 in first wave of new cost cuts,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/pfizer-announces-new-cost-cutting-program.html,2024-05-22T19:13:22+0000,"In this articlePfizer on Wednesday said it has launched a new multiyear program to reduce costs as it works to rebound from the rapid decline of its Covid business. The announcement is in addition to another $4 billion cost-cutting effort, which Pfizer announced last year as demand for its Covid vaccine and oral drug Paxlovid slumped. In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees. The company expects to record the majority of those charges this year. Pfizer also expects the program to involve ""product portfolio enhancements"" and changes to the company's manufacturing and supply network, a spokesperson told CNBC.""The program will focus on streamlining our ways of working, reducing complexity and increasing productivity in Pfizer Global Supply,"" the spokesperson said in a statement.Pfizer in the filing added that ""given the complexity in manufacturing and longer lead times required to make changes, this program will be a multi-phased effort.""Pfizer is trying to shore up investor sentiment after its shares fell nearly 50% in 2023, making it the worst-performing pharmaceutical stock last year. That share drop erased more than $100 billion in Pfizer's market value.As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a new RSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill that fell short in clinical trials and an initial 2024 forecast that missed expectations.But Pfizer pleased investors earlier this month after it reported first-quarter revenue and adjusted profit that beat expectations and hiked its full-year earnings outlook. The pharmaceutical giant said its new profit guidance accounts for its ""confidence"" in its business and its ability to slash costs.""We are cautiously optimistic about the year,"" Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an earnings call on May 1.Shares of the company closed 6% higher on that day. Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"['In this articlePfizer on Wednesday said it has launched a new multiyear program to reduce costs as it works to rebound from the rapid decline of its Covid business.', 'The announcement is in addition to another $4 billion cost-cutting effort, which Pfizer announced last year as demand for its Covid vaccine and oral drug Paxlovid slumped.', 'In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees.', 'The company expects to record the majority of those charges this year.', 'Pfizer also expects the program to involve ""product portfolio enhancements"" and changes to the company\'s manufacturing and supply network, a spokesperson told CNBC.""The program will focus on streamlining our ways of working, reducing complexity and increasing productivity in Pfizer Global Supply,"" the spokesperson said in a statement.', 'Pfizer in the filing added that ""given the complexity in manufacturing and longer lead times required to make changes, this program will be a multi-phased effort.', '""Pfizer is trying to shore up investor sentiment after its shares fell nearly 50% in 2023, making it the worst-performing pharmaceutical stock last year.', ""That share drop erased more than $100 billion in Pfizer's market value."", 'As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.', 'But Pfizer pleased investors earlier this month after itreportedfirst-quarter revenue and adjusted profit that beat expectations and hiked its full-year earnings outlook.', 'The pharmaceutical giant said its new profit guidance accounts for its ""confidence"" in its business and its ability to slash costs.', '""We are cautiously optimistic about the year,"" Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an earnings call on May 1.Shares of the company closed 6% higher on that day.', ""Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.""]",0.1117123241806072,"In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees.","As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.",0.4545602852647954,Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.,"As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.",2024-05-29
Former FTX executive Salame sentenced to over 7 years in prison,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqee727vnzmo,2024-05-29T01:12:48.478Z,"Another former executive of  FTX has been jailed over his part in the cryptocurrency  giant's implosion in late 2022. Ryan Salame, who was the co-CEO of FTX's Bahamian subsidiary, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, US federal prosecutors said. Salame - who was a top lieutenant to Sam Bankman-Fried, the bankrupt crypto exchange's founder - pleaded guilty in September last year to violating political campaign finance laws and operating an illegal money-transmitting business. Earlier this year, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $8bn (£6.3bn) from FTX customers. ""Salame's involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,"" Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a statement. A jury found Salame guilty in November last year on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX's failure. Prosecutors have called it one of the biggest financial frauds in US history. Salame's sentence was longer than the five to seven years that prosecutors sought. In addition to the prison term, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6m in forfeiture and more than $5m in restitution. Salame was one of four former top executives from Bankman-Fried's companies to plead guilty to charges, along with former Alameda chief executive officer Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Gary Wang and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh. FTX was one of the world's largest crypto exchanges before its demise, turning Bankman-Fried into a business celebrity and attracting millions of customers who used the platform to buy and trade cryptocurrency. Rumours of financial trouble sparked a run on deposits in 2022, precipitating the firm's implosion and exposing Bankman-Fried's crimes. He was convicted by a New York jury last year on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, after a trial that detailed how he had used customers money to buy property, make political donations and put toward other investments. ",BBC,29/05/2024,"[""Another former executive of FTX has been jailed over his part in the cryptocurrency giant's implosion in late 2022."", ""Ryan Salame, who was the co-CEO of FTX's Bahamian subsidiary, was sentenced to 90 months in prison, US federal prosecutors said."", ""Salame - who was a top lieutenant to Sam Bankman-Fried, the bankrupt crypto exchange's founder - pleaded guilty in September last year to violating political campaign finance laws and operating an illegal money-transmitting business."", 'Earlier this year, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing $8bn (£6.3bn) from FTX customers. ""', 'Salame\'s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,"" Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a statement.', ""A jury found Salame guilty in November last year on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX's failure."", 'Prosecutors have called it one of the biggest financial frauds in US history.', ""Salame's sentence was longer than the five to seven years that prosecutors sought."", 'In addition to the prison term, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6m in forfeiture and more than $5m in restitution.', ""Salame was one of four former top executives from Bankman-Fried's companies to plead guilty to charges, along with former Alameda chief executive officer Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Gary Wang and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh."", ""FTX was one of the world's largest crypto exchanges before its demise, turning Bankman-Fried into a business celebrity and attracting millions of customers who used the platform to buy and trade cryptocurrency."", ""Rumours of financial trouble sparked a run on deposits in 2022, precipitating the firm's implosion and exposing Bankman-Fried's crimes."", 'He was convicted by a New York jury last year on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, after a trial that detailed how he had used customers money to buy property, make political donations and put toward other investments.']",-0.4291255460435162,"Salame's involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,"" Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a statement.",A jury found Salame guilty in November last year on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX's failure.,-0.4481275975704193,"FTX was one of the world's largest crypto exchanges before its demise, turning Bankman-Fried into a business celebrity and attracting millions of customers who used the platform to buy and trade cryptocurrency.","Salame's involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,"" Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a statement.",2024-05-29
E.l.f. Beauty shares soar 19% after retailer indicates its torrid growth may not be over,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/elf-beauty-elf-earnings-q4-2024.html,2024-05-23T20:05:14+0000,"In this articleE.l.f. Beauty posted its first billion-dollar fiscal year on Wednesday as sales spiked 77%, but the retailer is expecting its growth to slow down in the current fiscal year.The eyes, lip, face company, known for its viral marketing and prowess in winning over younger consumers, issued guidance that came in lower than analysts had forecast.Shares of E.l.f. fell after its report was initially released, but later jumped after the company suggested that its guidance was conservative.""Last year, we started our guidance at 22% to 24% range, ended the year at 77%,"" finance chief Mandy Fields told analysts. ""I'm not saying that we're promising 77% this year for sure. But what I will say is that gives you a little bit of insight into our guidance philosophy and what has worked well for us over these last five years, taking it one quarter at a time.""Shares closed about 19% higher on Thursday. Here is how E.l.f. Beauty did in its fourth fiscal quarter compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company reported net income for the three-month period that ended March 31 was $14.53 million, or 25 cents per share, compared to $16.25 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, E.l.f. posted earnings of 53 cents per share. Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.For the full year, the company's sales grew to $1.02 billion, an increase of 77% from the year-ago period.E.l.f. Beauty has been on a tear over the past year, posting sales gains in the high double-digit percentages quarter after quarter as consumers flock to its low-priced beauty products either through its own website or at retailers such as Walmart and Target. In a statement, E.l.f. CEO Tarang Amin said he believes the company is still in the ""early innings"" of its growth story and expects more to come in cosmetics, skin care and in international markets. Its guidance reflects that sentiment, but even so, the company expects to grow at a slower pace than Wall Street anticipated. E.l.f. expects net sales to be between $1.23 billion and $1.25 billion, which would be an increase of 20% to 22%. That is below the $1.27 billion, or 27.4% uptick, that analysts had expected.The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share. That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG. Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.""We have seen a slowdown in the total category,"" Kimbell said at an investor conference hosted by JPMorgan Chase. ""We came into the year — and we talked about this on our [earnings] call a few weeks ago — expecting the category to moderate. It has [had], as I said, several years of strong growth. We did not anticipate it would continue at the rate that it's been growing.""He added that the slowdown has been ""a bit earlier"" and a ""bit bigger than we thought."" Just how much Ulta's sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f. products. During a call with analysts, Amin said that it grew its business with Ulta by 80% in fiscal 2024 — ""well above where the overall growth rates were.""Read E.l.f.'s full earnings release here.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleE.l.f.', 'Beauty posted its first billion-dollar fiscal year on Wednesday as sales spiked 77%, but the retailer is expecting its growth to slow down in the current fiscal year.', 'The eyes, lip, face company, known for its viral marketing and prowess in winning over younger consumers, issued guidance that came in lower than analysts had forecast.', 'Shares of E.l.f.', 'fell after its report was initially released, but later jumped after the company suggested that its guidance was conservative.', '""Last year, we started our guidance at 22% to 24% range, ended the year at 77%,"" finance chief Mandy Fields told analysts. ""', ""I'm not saying that we're promising 77% this year for sure."", 'But what I will say is that gives you a little bit of insight into our guidance philosophy and what has worked well for us over these last five years, taking it one quarter at a time.', '""Shares closed about 19% higher on Thursday.', 'Here is how E.l.f.', 'Beauty did in its fourth fiscal quarter compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company reported net income for the three-month period that ended March 31 was $14.53 million, or 25 cents per share, compared to $16.25 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier.', 'Excluding one-time items, E.l.f.', 'posted earnings of 53 cents per share.', 'Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.', ""For the full year, the company's sales grew to $1.02 billion, an increase of 77% from the year-ago period."", 'E.l.f.', 'Beauty has been on a tear over the past year, posting sales gains in the high double-digit percentages quarter after quarter as consumers flock to its low-priced beauty products either through its own website or at retailers such as Walmart and Target.', 'In a statement, E.l.f.', 'CEO Tarang Amin said he believes the company is still in the ""early innings"" of its growth story and expects more to come in cosmetics, skin care and in international markets.', 'Its guidance reflects that sentiment, but even so, the company expects to grow at a slower pace than Wall Street anticipated.', 'E.l.f.', 'expects net sales to be between $1.23 billion and $1.25 billion, which would be an increase of 20% to 22%.', 'That is below the $1.27 billion, or 27.4% uptick, that analysts had expected.', 'The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share.', 'That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.', '""We have seen a slowdown in the total category,"" Kimbell said at an investor conference hosted by JPMorgan Chase. ""', 'We came into the year — and we talked about this on our [earnings] call a few weeks ago — expecting the category to moderate.', 'It has [had], as I said, several years of strong growth.', ""We did not anticipate it would continue at the rate that it's been growing."", '""He added that the slowdown has been ""a bit earlier"" and a ""bit bigger than we thought.', '""Just how much Ulta\'s sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f.', 'products.', 'During a call with analysts, Amin said that it grew its business with Ulta by 80% in fiscal 2024 — ""well above where the overall growth rates were.', '""Read E.l.f.', ""'s full earnings release here.""]",0.2522435666175583,"""Just how much Ulta's sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f.","The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share.",0.4884643696603321,"Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.","That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.",2024-05-29
WhatsApp boss in online spat with Elon Musk over message security,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ddwymz8ero,2024-05-28T12:14:59.763Z,"WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has hit back at claims from Elon Musk that the messaging app ""exports your user data every night."" Posting on X, Mr Cathcart said the allegation was simply ""not correct"". He pointed to the fact WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they cannot be read by the company at all. Yann LeCun - artificial intelligence chief at parent company, Meta - has also weighed in, using more industrial language in his X post attacking Mr Musk's claims. On another Meta platform, Threads, Mr LeCun also levelled further criticisms at Mr Musk, accusing him of making contradictory and unrealistic claims about artificial intelligence and ""spewing conspiracy theories"" on his own social media platform. Mr Musk has a well-established reputation for getting himself into online rows, from submariners to sacked former employees. In this case, Mr Cathcart is right to say only the sender and recipient of a WhatsApp message can read its contents. In fact, the firm's commitment to encrypting messages is so significant that it previously said it would rather be blocked in the UK than weaken the encryption it uses. Mr Musk's vague language - simply saying that ""user data"" was being uploaded - could however be interpreted to refer to metadata, the extra bits of information sent alongside the actual message. ""WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, but user data is not only about messages,"" said security researcher Tommy Mysk in a post on X.  ""That also includes the metadata such as user location, which contacts the user is communicating with, the patterns of when the user is online, etc."" It is known that WhatsApp does share some metadata with other platforms Meta owns - but this does not include messages. ""One area of particular concern has been WhatsApp sharing data with other Meta companies,"" said Dr Tristan Henderson, lecturer in computer science at the University of St Andrews. ""This does include sufficient metadata for these Meta companies to make suggestions and show personalised adverts, which in itself shows what metadata can reveal."" The WhatsApp Privacy Policy specifically states that the firm will use some user data for ""showing relevant offers and ads across the Meta Company Products"". The BBC has approached Meta for comment. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has hit back at claims from Elon Musk that the messaging app ""exports your user data every night.""', 'Posting on X, Mr Cathcart said the allegation was simply ""not correct"".', 'He pointed to the fact WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they cannot be read by the company at all.', ""Yann LeCun - artificial intelligence chief at parent company, Meta - has also weighed in, using more industrial language in his X post attacking Mr Musk's claims."", 'On another Meta platform, Threads, Mr LeCun also levelled further criticisms at Mr Musk, accusing him of making contradictory and unrealistic claims about artificial intelligence and ""spewing conspiracy theories"" on his own social media platform.', 'Mr Musk has a well-established reputation for getting himself into online rows, from submariners to sacked former employees.', 'In this case, Mr Cathcart is right to say only the sender and recipient of a WhatsApp message can read its contents.', ""In fact, the firm's commitment to encrypting messages is so significant that it previously said it would rather be blocked in the UK than weaken the encryption it uses."", 'Mr Musk\'s vague language - simply saying that ""user data"" was being uploaded - could however be interpreted to refer to metadata, the extra bits of information sent alongside the actual message. ""', 'WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, but user data is not only about messages,"" said security researcher Tommy Mysk in a post on X. ""That also includes the metadata such as user location, which contacts the user is communicating with, the patterns of when the user is online, etc.""', 'It is known that WhatsApp does share some metadata with other platforms Meta owns - but this does not include messages. ""', 'One area of particular concern has been WhatsApp sharing data with other Meta companies,"" said Dr Tristan Henderson, lecturer in computer science at the University of St Andrews. ""', 'This does include sufficient metadata for these Meta companies to make suggestions and show personalised adverts, which in itself shows what metadata can reveal.""', 'The WhatsApp Privacy Policy specifically states that the firm will use some user data for ""showing relevant offers and ads across the Meta Company Products"".', 'The BBC has approached Meta for comment.']",0.0363718507087438,"WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, but user data is not only about messages,"" said security researcher Tommy Mysk in a post on X. ""That also includes the metadata such as user location, which contacts the user is communicating with, the patterns of when the user is online, etc.""","On another Meta platform, Threads, Mr LeCun also levelled further criticisms at Mr Musk, accusing him of making contradictory and unrealistic claims about artificial intelligence and ""spewing conspiracy theories"" on his own social media platform.",-0.0632106065750122,"In fact, the firm's commitment to encrypting messages is so significant that it previously said it would rather be blocked in the UK than weaken the encryption it uses.","WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has hit back at claims from Elon Musk that the messaging app ""exports your user data every night.""",2024-05-29
GM CEO Mary Barra says she has no plans to retire soon as automaker's transformation continues,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/gm-ceo-mary-barra-has-no-plans-to-retire.html,2024-05-24T11:53:11+0000,"In this articleDETROIT – General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra on Thursday said she has no plans to retire any time soon as she tries to ensure the company's transformation is on ""a good path.""Barra, who is the longest tenured CEO outside of the company's founder, has been asked about retirement for several years. The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra's more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I'm having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. ""So, I'm young and in good health, I've got a supportive family, so I don't think I'm headed anywhere soon.""Many potential successors within GM have come and gone during Barra's tenure. Several left the company for other opportunities, while others retired or left the company for unspecified reasons.Barra, 62, reiterated she serves at the pleasure of the GM board and that she continues to have ""fun."" She said she is working through ""the most exciting time'' for the automotive industry during her career.GM, like other automakers, is investing billions of dollars into all-electric vehicles, despite consumer adoption coming more slowly than many expected just a couple years ago.The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleDETROIT – General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra on Thursday said she has no plans to retire any time soon as she tries to ensure the company\'s transformation is on ""a good path.', '""Barra, who is the longest tenured CEO outside of the company\'s founder, has been asked about retirement for several years.', 'The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra\'s more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I\'m having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. ""', ""So, I'm young and in good health, I've got a supportive family, so I don't think I'm headed anywhere soon."", '""Many potential successors within GM have come and gone during Barra\'s tenure.', 'Several left the company for other opportunities, while others retired or left the company for unspecified reasons.', 'Barra, 62, reiterated she serves at the pleasure of the GM board and that she continues to have ""fun.""', 'She said she is working through ""the most exciting time\'\' for the automotive industry during her career.', 'GM, like other automakers, is investing billions of dollars into all-electric vehicles, despite consumer adoption coming more slowly than many expected just a couple years ago.', 'The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.', 'Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.']",0.3805778623499848,"The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra's more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I'm having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. """,The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.,0.9956700354814528,"Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.",,2024-05-29
Advertisers boost spending at retailers such as Walmart and Amazon as TV shrinks,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/advertisers-retail-media-spending.html,2024-05-24T11:36:46+0000,"In this articleThe next frontier for the ad market isn't on TV — it's at screens near points of sale.Television had long been the key target for advertisers, until tech companies such as Alphabet and Meta-owned platforms like Facebook began to gobble up market share. While ad dollars are rapidly shifting from traditional TV to streaming, retail and consumer product companies are now taking up a significant part of the mix.The so-called retail media networks — the advertising publishing platforms — of e-commerce, retail and consumer companies like Amazon, Walmart and Kroger are attracting billions of dollars in advertising, according to data from eMarketer and GroupM, the media investment arm of WPP, the world's biggest advertising group.Global retail media ad spending is expected to more than double from $114.18 billion in 2023 to $233.89 billion in 2027, according to eMarketer. Retail media is expected to represent a larger percentage of digital advertising spending, which has begun to eclipse traditional media spending, growing from 18.9% of that segment in 2023 to 25.7% in 2027, according to eMarketer.""What we hear from brands most directly is they no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV, X amount of social, X amount of digital. They wake up every day trying to buy growth, trying to buy outcomes for their business,"" said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV, an on-the-go media network with over 29,000 screens at refueling points tied to convenience retail stores.GSTV screens reach 115 million viewers per month across 49 states.Brands are ""more open-minded as to where they can find those audiences,"" McCaffrey said.""It's the new TV for mass reach advertising,"" said Mark Boidman, head of media and entertainment investment banking at Solomon Partners. ""If you want to reach someone fast, it's best to get them in a store or on your app. ... It's a 360-degree approach.""The kind of advertising purchased through retail media networks is often found on in-store displays and screens, websites, mobile apps, streaming services, smart TVs and social media. Not only is it fertile ground for an advertiser to get their offerings in front of consumers looking to spend, it comes with a lot of first-party data.The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.""If [brands] advertise with a digital ad, for example, and a customer transacts a week later in a store or club, we can connect that up for them and let them know that the ad really worked,"" Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC earlier this year. ""That's the differentiating advantage that we've got.""Walmart has been a particularly big player. While it's still a new frontier for the retailer, advertising has propelled profits at the giant retailer in recent quarters. The company also recently agreed to buy TV maker Vizio in a bid to further boost its ad business.Of the companies eMarketer tracks, Amazon was considered the biggest retail media network in the U.S., with a roughly 75% share of retail media ad revenue. Other top networks by revenue include Walmart, Instacart, eBay and Etsy.The shift toward retail media comes as advertisers are faced with tech privacy changes that has led to a pullback in the collection of data.Earlier this year, Google began its revamp of how it and other companies track users online, namely the use of cookies, which keep tabs on the activity of internet users so that advertisers can target them with relevant ads.In January, Google began to restrict cookies for 1% of its Chrome browser users, with the goal of completely removing third-party cookies by the third quarter of this year. Advertisers have been grappling with how to make the transition.Advertising and media executives note that retail media networks now dominate conversations at conferences and other gatherings, such as the Cannes Lions advertising festival. It's often a highlight on earnings calls, too.""[Retail media networks] have that balance with targeting and privacy and compliance. I think that's where the money really starts shifting,"" Tim Hurd, vice president of media activation at Goodway Group. ""I think that's key. These retailers have that kind of data"" The rise of retail media ads comes against a backdrop of major shifts in the media landscape. Pay-TV customer numbers and traditional TV viewership (outside of sports) continue to decline as more viewers move toward streaming.And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags. That much was clear in the first-quarter earnings reports of media giants like Comcast's NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery.Disney saw a first-quarter decline in ad revenue for its traditional cable networks and Hulu, despite an increase at cable crown jewel ESPN; Warner Bros. Discovery reported a drop in ad revenue; Paramount Global got an expected boost from airing the Super Bowl; and NBCUniversal's domestic ad revenue was flat. Streaming ad revenue for the legacy media giants, however, showed growth.Outside of tentpole moments on TV, such as the Super Bowl and other live sports, advertisers are now strategizing on multiple fronts and divvying up spending across TV, social media, e-commerce and digital, said Goodway Group's Hurd.""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM's global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising.She added traditional TV revenue may move to smart TVs, however, informed by the data on customer spending habits that retailers can provide.Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"[""In this articleThe next frontier for the ad market isn't on TV — it's at screens near points of sale."", 'Television had long been the key target for advertisers, until tech companies such as Alphabet and Meta-owned platforms like Facebook began to gobble up market share.', 'While ad dollars are rapidly shifting from traditional TV to streaming, retail and consumer product companies are now taking up a significant part of the mix.', ""The so-called retail media networks — the advertising publishing platforms — of e-commerce, retail and consumer companies like Amazon, Walmart and Kroger are attracting billions of dollars in advertising, according to data from eMarketer and GroupM, the media investment arm of WPP, the world's biggest advertising group."", 'Global retail media ad spending is expected to more than double from $114.18 billion in 2023 to $233.89 billion in 2027, according to eMarketer.', 'Retail media is expected to represent a larger percentage of digital advertising spending, which has begun to eclipse traditional media spending, growing from 18.9% of that segment in 2023 to 25.7% in 2027, according to eMarketer.', '""What we hear from brands most directly is they no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV, X amount of social, X amount of digital.', 'They wake up every day trying to buy growth, trying to buy outcomes for their business,"" said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV, an on-the-go media network with over 29,000 screens at refueling points tied to convenience retail stores.', 'GSTV screens reach 115 million viewers per month across 49 states.', 'Brands are ""more open-minded as to where they can find those audiences,"" McCaffrey said.', '""It\'s the new TV for mass reach advertising,"" said Mark Boidman, head of media and entertainment investment banking at Solomon Partners. ""', ""If you want to reach someone fast, it's best to get them in a store or on your app. ..."", ""It's a 360-degree approach."", '""The kind of advertising purchased through retail media networks is often found on in-store displays and screens, websites, mobile apps, streaming services, smart TVs and social media.', 'Not only is it fertile ground for an advertiser to get their offerings in front of consumers looking to spend, it comes with a lot of first-party data.', 'The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.', '""If [brands] advertise with a digital ad, for example, and a customer transacts a week later in a store or club, we can connect that up for them and let them know that the ad really worked,"" Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC earlier this year. ""', ""That's the differentiating advantage that we've got."", '""Walmart has been a particularly big player.', ""While it's still a new frontier for the retailer, advertising has propelled profits at the giant retailer in recent quarters."", 'The company also recently agreed to buy TV maker Vizio in a bid to further boost its ad business.', 'Of the companies eMarketer tracks, Amazon was considered the biggest retail media network in the U.S., with a roughly 75% share of retail media ad revenue.', 'Other top networks by revenue include Walmart, Instacart, eBay and Etsy.', 'The shift toward retail media comes as advertisers are faced with tech privacy changes that has led to a pullback in the collection of data.', 'Earlier this year, Google began its revamp of how it and other companies track users online, namely the use of cookies, which keep tabs on the activity of internet users so that advertisers can target them with relevant ads.', 'In January, Google began to restrict cookies for 1% of its Chrome browser users, with the goal of completely removing third-party cookies by the third quarter of this year.', 'Advertisers have been grappling with how to make the transition.', 'Advertising and media executives note that retail media networks now dominate conversations at conferences and other gatherings, such as the Cannes Lions advertising festival.', ""It's often a highlight on earnings calls, too."", '""[Retail media networks] have that balance with targeting and privacy and compliance.', 'I think that\'s where the money really starts shifting,"" Tim Hurd, vice president of media activation at Goodway Group. ""', ""I think that's key."", 'These retailers have that kind of data""The rise of retail media ads comes against a backdrop of major shifts in the media landscape.', 'Pay-TV customer numbers and traditional TV viewership (outside of sports) continue to decline as more viewers move toward streaming.', 'And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags.', ""That much was clear in the first-quarter earnings reports of media giants like Comcast's NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery."", ""Disney saw a first-quarter decline in ad revenue for its traditional cable networks and Hulu, despite an increase at cable crown jewel ESPN; Warner Bros. Discovery reported a drop in ad revenue; Paramount Global got an expected boost from airing the Super Bowl; and NBCUniversal's domestic ad revenue was flat."", 'Streaming ad revenue for the legacy media giants, however, showed growth.', ""Outside of tentpole moments on TV, such as the Super Bowl and other live sports, advertisers are now strategizing on multiple fronts and divvying up spending across TV, social media, e-commerce and digital, said Goodway Group's Hurd."", '""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM\'s global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.', ""Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising."", 'She added traditional TV revenue may move to smart TVs, however, informed by the data on customer spending habits that retailers can provide.', 'Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.']",0.2523880609774845,The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.,"And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags.",0.3165857195854187,"Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising.","""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM's global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.",2024-05-29
Rachel Reeves promises no additional tax rises to fund spending,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce990eg3rq2o,2024-05-28T11:02:19.206Z,"Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has promised that there will be ""no additional tax rises"" beyond those she has set out if Labour wins the general election. In her first major speech of the election campaign, Ms Reeves said that every Labour policy ""will be fully funded and fully costed - no ifs, no ands, no buts"". But the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent think tank, has warned that whoever wins may have to raise taxes or cut spending. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that Labour's plans will cost ""every working family"" £2,000 each. Speaking at the engineering giant Rolls-Royce in Derby, Ms Reeves reiterated Labour's plans to recruit thousands of additional teachers and introduce 40,000 NHS appointments every week. She said that Labour's plan to restore stability to the economy would be ""underpinned by robust fiscal rules"", which are self-imposed, such as getting debt falling as a share of national income by the end of the parliament. However, the IFS has said that the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"" and the winning party may have to reduce spending or lift taxes - something that Ms Reeves ruled out on Tuesday.  The shadow chancellor said that she wants to lower taxes and increase the thresholds for those people who pay income tax. Income tax thresholds have been frozen since 2021. This can mean that if a person's pay increases, they may enter a higher tax bracket.  Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down and I want those tax thresholds to go up so people are not paying so much tax on their income but unlike the Conservatives I’m not going to make a promise and a pledge without being able to say where the money is going to come from because that is just a gimmick."" If Labour wins the election it is unlikely there will be a Budget before September. Ms Reeves said Labour would not hold a Budget without an independent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and these require 10 weeks notice. Ms Reeves used her speech to cast Labour as ""the natural partner of business"". She said: ""A few years ago, you might not have expected to have heard these things from the Labour party, think how far we have come in four short years. On Tuesday, 121 former and current business leaders signed a letter endorsing the Labour’s economic plans ahead of the general election, saying it is “time for a change”. In a letter published in The Times newspaper on Tuesday, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms said Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long-term growth. As well as recruiting more teachers and providing extra NHS appointments, Labour has promised to take on 13,000 additional police and community officers. It said it will raise some of the money by ending the VAT exemption for private schools. Labour also said it will fund its spending plans through a ""proper windfall tax"" on profits made by oil and gas companies, which will rise from 75% to 78%.  In addition, it has promised to raise £5bn a year by tackling tax avoidance and evasion and £2.6bn by closing ""loopholes"" in the government's plans to abolish non-dom exemptions. Non-doms are UK residents whose permanent home for tax purposes is abroad, meaning they do not have to pay UK tax on money they earn overseas. Ms Reeves reiterated that corporation tax, which is paid by businesses, will be capped at the current rate of 25%. But she added that Labour would ""act"" if ""our competitiveness came under threat"". Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, said that Labour ""do not have the courage or conviction to name a single tax they would cut"". Over the weekend, the Conservatives said that they would increase the the tax-free pension allowance Both the Conservatives and Labour have pledged to stick with the so-called Triple Lock guarantee. This means that pensions increase every year in line with either the inflation rate, earnings growth or 2.5% - whichever is higher. Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down for working people and for pensioners as well but I will do that in a costed and a funded way and I will do that through growing the economy because that is something the Conservatives haven’t been able to do these last few years.” But Mr Stride said: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan, backed by bold action, to end the double tax on work and ensure pensioners who have worked hard their entire lives will have a new tax-free threshold to protect them.” The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said. The Green Party of England and Wales said it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said. The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union."" Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"". ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has promised that there will be ""no additional tax rises"" beyond those she has set out if Labour wins the general election.', 'In her first major speech of the election campaign, Ms Reeves said that every Labour policy ""will be fully funded and fully costed - no ifs, no ands, no buts"".', 'But the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent think tank, has warned that whoever wins may have to raise taxes or cut spending.', 'Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that Labour\'s plans will cost ""every working family"" £2,000 each.', ""Speaking at the engineering giant Rolls-Royce in Derby, Ms Reeves reiterated Labour's plans to recruit thousands of additional teachers and introduce 40,000 NHS appointments every week."", 'She said that Labour\'s plan to restore stability to the economy would be ""underpinned by robust fiscal rules"", which are self-imposed, such as getting debt falling as a share of national income by the end of the parliament.', 'However, the IFS has said that the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"" and the winning party may have to reduce spending or lift taxes - something that Ms Reeves ruled out on Tuesday.', 'The shadow chancellor said that she wants to lower taxes and increase the thresholds for those people who pay income tax.', 'Income tax thresholds have been frozen since 2021.', ""This can mean that if a person's pay increases, they may enter a higher tax bracket."", 'Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down and I want those tax thresholds to go up so people are not paying so much tax on their income but unlike the Conservatives I’m not going to make a promise and a pledge without being able to say where the money is going to come from because that is just a gimmick.""', 'If Labour wins the election it is unlikely there will be a Budget before September.', 'Ms Reeves said Labour would not hold a Budget without an independent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and these require 10 weeks notice.', 'Ms Reeves used her speech to cast Labour as ""the natural partner of business"".', 'She said: ""A few years ago, you might not have expected to have heard these things from the Labour party, think how far we have come in four short years.', 'On Tuesday, 121 former and current business leaders signed a letter endorsing the Labour’s economic plans ahead of the general election, saying it is “time for a change”.', 'In a letter published in The Times newspaper on Tuesday, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms said Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long-term growth.', 'As well as recruiting more teachers and providing extra NHS appointments, Labour has promised to take on 13,000 additional police and community officers.', 'It said it will raise some of the money by ending the VAT exemption for private schools.', 'Labour also said it will fund its spending plans through a ""proper windfall tax"" on profits made by oil and gas companies, which will rise from 75% to 78%.', 'In addition, it has promised to raise £5bn a year by tackling tax avoidance and evasion and £2.6bn by closing ""loopholes"" in the government\'s plans to abolish non-dom exemptions.', 'Non-doms are UK residents whose permanent home for tax purposes is abroad, meaning they do not have to pay UK tax on money they earn overseas.', 'Ms Reeves reiterated that corporation tax, which is paid by businesses, will be capped at the current rate of 25%.', 'But she added that Labour would ""act"" if ""our competitiveness came under threat"".', 'Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, said that Labour ""do not have the courage or conviction to name a single tax they would cut"".', 'Over the weekend, the Conservatives said that they would increase the the tax-free pension allowance Both the Conservatives and Labour have pledged to stick with the so-called Triple Lock guarantee.', 'This means that pensions increase every year in line with either the inflation rate, earnings growth or 2.5% - whichever is higher.', 'Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down for working people and for pensioners as well but I will do that in a costed and a funded way and I will do that through growing the economy because that is something the Conservatives haven’t been able to do these last few years.”', 'But Mr Stride said: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan, backed by bold action, to end the double tax on work and ensure pensioners who have worked hard their entire lives will have a new tax-free threshold to protect them.”', 'The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “', 'The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said.', 'The Green Party of England and Wales said it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""', 'We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said.', 'The Scottish National Party\'s Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""', 'Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"".']",0.1925690990836386,"But Mr Stride said: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan, backed by bold action, to end the double tax on work and ensure pensioners who have worked hard their entire lives will have a new tax-free threshold to protect them.”","The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""",0.4362195995118882,"This means that pensions increase every year in line with either the inflation rate, earnings growth or 2.5% - whichever is higher.","The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""",2024-05-29
What calculations will Scotland's parties make in Election 2024?,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nn9g2r20no,2024-05-28T19:41:11.167Z,"Money makes an election whirl round.  Yes, there's party fund-raising for the leaflets, battle buses and billboards, but more significant are the big questions of how we make more money in this country, how we tax it, and how that revenue is then distributed. And over the next five weeks, I'll be watching issues with pound signs attached. There has been a prolonged period of real earnings struggling to return to their 2007 peak. Part of that has been due to price inflation over the past two years, and the cost of living going up. Taxes as a share of the economy are higher than they have been for seven decades. Spending is under severe pressure, as the cost of servicing debt rises and the health service devours a fast-rising share of what is available. Holyrood has gone further on raising income tax from higher earners.  The SNP administration is more constrained by the promises it has made on free provision of, for instance, university tuition, and use of its welfare powers. These will be up for debate at the Holyrood election scheduled for 2026. The choices this summer will shape the amount of money available to MSPs before and after that vote. Promises on devolved areas, such as health, education, police or prisons, should feed through, proportionately, to the block grant which Holyrood distributes. Some spending promises may have no direct impact on Holyrood's budgets, such as measures to reduce immigration or increased defence spending. Also, some non-financial measures - restricting visas for foreign students, changing workers' rights, oil and gas drilling licences - could affect the Scottish economy while having little or no role for Holyrood. Scotland's business sector is diverse. But it tends to want capital projects that help get goods to and from market, a good system for training recruits, it would prefer workers to be healthy and not on waiting lists, and either lower taxes, reform of taxes or both, starting with business rates. You could say that doesn't matter: businesses don't vote. But business figures can have an influence. So Labour has 120 signatories to a letter backing it as the credible challenger to the Tories. Signatories are mostly from a narrow range of sectors; technology, creatives, boutique finance and entrepreneurs. Few now represent big business, which has good reason to keep clear of party endorsements. Among the few notable Scots on the list are Iain Anderson, founder of public affairs consultancy Cicero.  He has been a Conservative supporter for 40 years.  Benny Higgins was boss of Tesco Bank, and has become a serial appointee of the SNP government, setting up its investment bank and chairing its national art galleries. Both men now back Labour. This letter is to challenge perceptions of Labour, demonstrating it has changed since the last election in 2019, when Jeremy Corbyn was leader.  Some trade union leaders are unimpressed by the lean towards business, and a dilution of plans to strengthen worker rights.  But unhappy union leaders could be just what Labour wants swing voters to hear. Tories don't have to work so hard to show business supports the party, as its campaign contributions demonstrate, though recent years have seen business and party fall out over Brexit and the consequences of it. But this is only week one. There will be more letters. In past elections, such endorsements have worked well for both the Tories and the SNP. Older people are more likely to vote, and more likely to vote Conservative. Rishi Sunak's ""bold plan"" includes a promise not to tax the state pension.  Was there a threat to do so? Yes, there was.  It's risen because it has matched price and wage inflation (whichever is higher, as part of the so-called ""Triple Lock"" to ensure the state pension keeps up). The ""new"" state pension, for younger pensioners, is a pay-out of £11,502 this year.  If it were to rise by another £1,070, income would become taxable. For those receiving a work-related pension, it already is. The Conservative leader says he will add to the Triple Lock promise, by raising the personal allowance from £12,570 to ensure it is no lower than the annual pension pay-out. Independent analysts say it was already an expensive pledge to retain. Labour says the tax promise is another ""gimmick"", and points to inflation as the reason this has become an issue.  But the pledge puts Labour under pressure to match it, as it said this weekend it would not raise income tax or National Insurance. That starting threshold is the one part of income tax which Holyrood does not control. SNP ministers do not have to say if they would match it or not. Labour is making much of plans to increase tax on less popular groups that currently have tax advantages: private schools, non-doms (rich resident foreigners) and oil producers.  Those are far from what's needed to meet its aspirations, but it may be enough to get through the election. The major parties vying for at least a share of power are under pressure at all elections to say how promises will be funded.  This requires a lot of effort, and is of dubious value, except to indicate some commitment to fiscal prudence. Beware when any party balancing bills by promising to improve tax collection. They all do. And when you hear a policy will cost, for instance, £2.5bn - the estimated cost of compulsory national service - consider that would be 0.02% of this year's government spending. The point here is that election campaigns spend a lot of time on issues of marginal spending significance, and areas of disagreement which can be relatively small. Under Boris Johnson, Tories were turning against continued drilling for oil and gas. Under Rishi Sunak, they’re enthusiastic backers of more drilling licences. Labour has taken a firm and uncompromising line that it will accept licences granted up until the election, but won’t allow further ones.   Having the election earlier than expected this year may have curtailed the number of licences issued, and a more rapid run-down of its investment and production.  In addition, Labour wants to increase the windfall tax revenue from the sector. The industry, in a fierce lobbying offensive, is using the election as an opportunity to put pressure on Labour to soften its opposition to drilling.  If it did so, it would help Scottish leader Anas Sarwar sound more alert to the concerns of the offshore workforce and Scotland’s north-east. The role of the SNP is worth watching. It is straddling support for offshore oil and gas workers while wanting to be in the vanguard of climate change action.  The compromise is what they call a ""just transition"" - taking care to bring oil and gas workers with them. Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, fighting to retain an Aberdeen seat, has left little doubt that he is pushing within the party to change the Scottish government’s draft energy strategy, to move away from ""a presumption"" against new drilling licences.  There’s no word when that document will be published. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Money makes an election whirl round.', ""Yes, there's party fund-raising for the leaflets, battle buses and billboards, but more significant are the big questions of how we make more money in this country, how we tax it, and how that revenue is then distributed."", ""And over the next five weeks, I'll be watching issues with pound signs attached."", 'There has been a prolonged period of real earnings struggling to return to their 2007 peak.', 'Part of that has been due to price inflation over the past two years, and the cost of living going up.', 'Taxes as a share of the economy are higher than they have been for seven decades.', 'Spending is under severe pressure, as the cost of servicing debt rises and the health service devours a fast-rising share of what is available.', 'Holyrood has gone further on raising income tax from higher earners.', 'The SNP administration is more constrained by the promises it has made on free provision of, for instance, university tuition, and use of its welfare powers.', 'These will be up for debate at the Holyrood election scheduled for 2026.', 'The choices this summer will shape the amount of money available to MSPs before and after that vote.', 'Promises on devolved areas, such as health, education, police or prisons, should feed through, proportionately, to the block grant which Holyrood distributes.', ""Some spending promises may have no direct impact on Holyrood's budgets, such as measures to reduce immigration or increased defence spending."", ""Also, some non-financial measures - restricting visas for foreign students, changing workers' rights, oil and gas drilling licences - could affect the Scottish economy while having little or no role for Holyrood."", ""Scotland's business sector is diverse."", 'But it tends to want capital projects that help get goods to and from market, a good system for training recruits, it would prefer workers to be healthy and not on waiting lists, and either lower taxes, reform of taxes or both, starting with business rates.', ""You could say that doesn't matter: businesses don't vote."", 'But business figures can have an influence.', 'So Labour has 120 signatories to a letter backing it as the credible challenger to the Tories.', 'Signatories are mostly from a narrow range of sectors; technology, creatives, boutique finance and entrepreneurs.', 'Few now represent big business, which has good reason to keep clear of party endorsements.', 'Among the few notable Scots on the list are Iain Anderson, founder of public affairs consultancy Cicero.', 'He has been a Conservative supporter for 40 years.', 'Benny Higgins was boss of Tesco Bank, and has become a serial appointee of the SNP government, setting up its investment bank and chairing its national art galleries.', 'Both men now back Labour.', 'This letter is to challenge perceptions of Labour, demonstrating it has changed since the last election in 2019, when Jeremy Corbyn was leader.', 'Some trade union leaders are unimpressed by the lean towards business, and a dilution of plans to strengthen worker rights.', 'But unhappy union leaders could be just what Labour wants swing voters to hear.', ""Tories don't have to work so hard to show business supports the party, as its campaign contributions demonstrate, though recent years have seen business and party fall out over Brexit and the consequences of it."", 'But this is only week one.', 'There will be more letters.', 'In past elections, such endorsements have worked well for both the Tories and the SNP.', 'Older people are more likely to vote, and more likely to vote Conservative.', 'Rishi Sunak\'s ""bold plan"" includes a promise not to tax the state pension.', 'Was there a threat to do so?', 'Yes, there was.', 'It\'s risen because it has matched price and wage inflation (whichever is higher, as part of the so-called ""Triple Lock"" to ensure the state pension keeps up).', 'The ""new"" state pension, for younger pensioners, is a pay-out of £11,502 this year.', 'If it were to rise by another £1,070, income would become taxable.', 'For those receiving a work-related pension, it already is.', 'The Conservative leader says he will add to the Triple Lock promise, by raising the personal allowance from £12,570 to ensure it is no lower than the annual pension pay-out.', 'Independent analysts say it was already an expensive pledge to retain.', 'Labour says the tax promise is another ""gimmick"", and points to inflation as the reason this has become an issue.', 'But the pledge puts Labour under pressure to match it, as it said this weekend it would not raise income tax or National Insurance.', 'That starting threshold is the one part of income tax which Holyrood does not control.', 'SNP ministers do not have to say if they would match it or not.', 'Labour is making much of plans to increase tax on less popular groups that currently have tax advantages: private schools, non-doms (rich resident foreigners) and oil producers.', ""Those are far from what's needed to meet its aspirations, but it may be enough to get through the election."", 'The major parties vying for at least a share of power are under pressure at all elections to say how promises will be funded.', 'This requires a lot of effort, and is of dubious value, except to indicate some commitment to fiscal prudence.', 'Beware when any party balancing bills by promising to improve tax collection.', 'They all do.', ""And when you hear a policy will cost, for instance, £2.5bn - the estimated cost of compulsory national service - consider that would be 0.02% of this year's government spending."", 'The point here is that election campaigns spend a lot of time on issues of marginal spending significance, and areas of disagreement which can be relatively small.', 'Under Boris Johnson, Tories were turning against continued drilling for oil and gas.', 'Under Rishi Sunak, they’re enthusiastic backers of more drilling licences.', 'Labour has taken a firm and uncompromising line that it will accept licences granted up until the election, but won’t allow further ones.', 'Having the election earlier than expected this year may have curtailed the number of licences issued, and a more rapid run-down of its investment and production.', 'In addition, Labour wants to increase the windfall tax revenue from the sector.', 'The industry, in a fierce lobbying offensive, is using the election as an opportunity to put pressure on Labour to soften its opposition to drilling.', 'If it did so, it would help Scottish leader Anas Sarwar sound more alert to the concerns of the offshore workforce and Scotland’s north-east.', 'The role of the SNP is worth watching.', 'It is straddling support for offshore oil and gas workers while wanting to be in the vanguard of climate change action.', 'The compromise is what they call a ""just transition"" - taking care to bring oil and gas workers with them.', 'Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, fighting to retain an Aberdeen seat, has left little doubt that he is pushing within the party to change the Scottish government’s draft energy strategy, to move away from ""a presumption"" against new drilling licences.', 'There’s no word when that document will be published.']",0.1362812871528089,"Labour is making much of plans to increase tax on less popular groups that currently have tax advantages: private schools, non-doms (rich resident foreigners) and oil producers.","Spending is under severe pressure, as the cost of servicing debt rises and the health service devours a fast-rising share of what is available.",0.0357785017594047,"It's risen because it has matched price and wage inflation (whichever is higher, as part of the so-called ""Triple Lock"" to ensure the state pension keeps up).",There has been a prolonged period of real earnings struggling to return to their 2007 peak.,2024-05-29
Beckham: Ex-England captain in deal with Euros sponsor AliExpress,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0091d3l0xo,2024-05-28T03:57:12.723Z,"David Beckham has signed a deal to be a global ambassador for AliExpress, an online retail platform owned by Chinese technology giant Alibaba. The announcement comes as the Euros football tournament is due to kick off in Germany next month. The company did not reveal how much it is paying the former England captain. In March, AliExpress agreed an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with European football's governing body UEFA. Under the deal, the football superstar turned entrepreneur will be the face of AliExpress' Score More promotion, which will run during games. “AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” David Beckham said. AliExpress joins other major Chinese firms that are sponsoring the Euros, including electric vehicle maker BYD and electronics giant Vivo. Since hanging up his football boots more than a decade ago, Beckham has been linked to a host of brands and major sporting events. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Beckham and his wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl and fashion designer, have a combined fortune of £455m ($581.6m).  After the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the tournament is set to be the biggest sporting event of the year. A total of 2.7 million tickets were made available for the competition, which runs from 14 June to 14 July across 10 cities including Munich and Hamburg. According to UEFA, the 2020 Euros had a total global live television audience of 5.2 billion. The final, that England lost on penalties, was watched by 328 million people, it said. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['David Beckham has signed a deal to be a global ambassador for AliExpress, an online retail platform owned by Chinese technology giant Alibaba.', 'The announcement comes as the Euros football tournament is due to kick off in Germany next month.', 'The company did not reveal how much it is paying the former England captain.', ""In March, AliExpress agreed an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with European football's governing body UEFA."", ""Under the deal, the football superstar turned entrepreneur will be the face of AliExpress' Score More promotion, which will run during games. “"", 'AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” David Beckham said.', 'AliExpress joins other major Chinese firms that are sponsoring the Euros, including electric vehicle maker BYD and electronics giant Vivo.', 'Since hanging up his football boots more than a decade ago, Beckham has been linked to a host of brands and major sporting events.', 'According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Beckham and his wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl and fashion designer, have a combined fortune of £455m ($581.6m).', 'After the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the tournament is set to be the biggest sporting event of the year.', 'A total of 2.7 million tickets were made available for the competition, which runs from 14 June to 14 July across 10 cities including Munich and Hamburg.', 'According to UEFA, the 2020 Euros had a total global live television audience of 5.2 billion.', 'The final, that England lost on penalties, was watched by 328 million people, it said.']",0.1132980453803464,"AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” David Beckham said.","The final, that England lost on penalties, was watched by 328 million people, it said.",0.9993786215782166,"In March, AliExpress agreed an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with European football's governing body UEFA.",,2024-05-29
Melinda French Gates invests $1bn in women's rights,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjqqw2nwv5do,2024-05-28T22:10:15.816Z,"Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates announced Tuesday that she is committing $1 billion (£782.4m) over the next two years to women’s causes and gender equity around the world. About $200 million (£157m) will go to organisations fighting for gender and reproductive rights in the US. In a New York Times guest essay, Ms French Gates said she felt compelled to support US reproductive rights following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. The annonucement comes two weeks after Ms French Gates said she would step back from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic powerhouse she co-founded with her former husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The money will be distributed through her company, Pivotal Ventures, through 2026. Ms French Gates plans to give $20m (£16m) to a “diverse group of 12 global leaders” to  distribute to organisations of their choice before the end of 2026.  The company said it will set aside another $250 million (£196m) in the autumn to global organisations focused on women’s mental and physical health. Ms French Gates said she chose the first grant recipients working in the US to “protect the rights of women and advance their power and influence”. “When we allow this cause to go so chronically underfunded, we all pay the cost,” she wrote in the New York Times. “As shocking as it is to contemplate, my 1-year-old granddaughter may grow up with fewer rights than I had.” One grant recipient is the Center for Reproductive Rights, which advocates for abortion rights and currently represents 50 women in lawsuits challenging abortion restrictions and other reproductive health measures in several states. Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams, the Center's chief communications and marketing officer, said the money is needed now more than ever. “The attention and the public debate about reproductive rights and abortion is greater than ever,” Ms Ghedini-Williams said. “That’s not necessarily being reflected in donations, which is why this is so wonderful right now, when we need to continue fueling this fight.” Other recipients include MomsRising, an organisation to support women’s economic security; the National Women’s Law Center, which focuses on law as a means to improve gender equity; and The 19th, a nonprofit media outlet dedicated to gender and policy news. The National Domestic Workers Alliance, which advocates for millions of nannies, housecleaners, home-care workers and others in the US, also received a grant.  The flexible terms and multi-year security the grant provides are a significant help to the group, but the message it sends is even more important, said Ai-jen Poo, president of the organisation. “Boldly resourcing women forces the question of, ‘why haven’t we done this before?’” she said. “It's long overdue when women are more than half the workforce, half the electorate and doing 70% of the care work in our communities and our families.” ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates announced Tuesday that she is committing $1 billion (£782.4m) over the next two years to women’s causes and gender equity around the world.', 'About $200 million (£157m) will go to organisations fighting for gender and reproductive rights in the US.', 'In a New York Times guest essay, Ms French Gates said she felt compelled to support US reproductive rights following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion.', 'The annonucement comes two weeks after Ms French Gates said she would step back from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic powerhouse she co-founded with her former husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.', 'The money will be distributed through her company, Pivotal Ventures, through 2026.', 'Ms French Gates plans to give $20m (£16m) to a “diverse group of 12 global leaders” to distribute to organisations of their choice before the end of 2026.', 'The company said it will set aside another $250 million (£196m) in the autumn to global organisations focused on women’s mental and physical health.', 'Ms French Gates said she chose the first grant recipients working in the US to “protect the rights of women and advance their power and influence”. “', 'When we allow this cause to go so chronically underfunded, we all pay the cost,” she wrote in the New York Times. “', 'As shocking as it is to contemplate, my 1-year-old granddaughter may grow up with fewer rights than I had.”', 'One grant recipient is the Center for Reproductive Rights, which advocates for abortion rights and currently represents 50 women in lawsuits challenging abortion restrictions and other reproductive health measures in several states.', ""Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams, the Center's chief communications and marketing officer, said the money is needed now more than ever. “"", 'The attention and the public debate about reproductive rights and abortion is greater than ever,” Ms Ghedini-Williams said. “', 'That’s not necessarily being reflected in donations, which is why this is so wonderful right now, when we need to continue fueling this fight.”', 'Other recipients include MomsRising, an organisation to support women’s economic security; the National Women’s Law Center, which focuses on law as a means to improve gender equity; and The 19th, a nonprofit media outlet dedicated to gender and policy news.', 'The National Domestic Workers Alliance, which advocates for millions of nannies, housecleaners, home-care workers and others in the US, also received a grant.', 'The flexible terms and multi-year security the grant provides are a significant help to the group, but the message it sends is even more important, said Ai-jen Poo, president of the organisation. “', 'Boldly resourcing women forces the question of, ‘why haven’t we done this before?’”', 'she said. “', ""It's long overdue when women are more than half the workforce, half the electorate and doing 70% of the care work in our communities and our families.”""]",0.2733010581529321,"Other recipients include MomsRising, an organisation to support women’s economic security; the National Women’s Law Center, which focuses on law as a means to improve gender equity; and The 19th, a nonprofit media outlet dedicated to gender and policy news.","As shocking as it is to contemplate, my 1-year-old granddaughter may grow up with fewer rights than I had.”",0.2144012331962585,"The National Domestic Workers Alliance, which advocates for millions of nannies, housecleaners, home-care workers and others in the US, also received a grant.","As shocking as it is to contemplate, my 1-year-old granddaughter may grow up with fewer rights than I had.”",2024-05-29
"New AI tools much hyped but not much used, study says",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c511x4g7x7jo,2024-05-28T14:28:48.477Z,"Very few people are regularly using ""much hyped"" artificial intelligence (AI) products like ChatGPT, a survey suggests. Researchers surveyed 12,000 people in six countries, including the UK, with only 2% of British respondents saying they use such tools on a daily basis. But the study, from the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, says young people are bucking the trend, with 18 to 24-year-olds the most eager adopters of the tech. Dr Richard Fletcher, the report's lead author, told the BBC there was a ""mismatch"" between the ""hype"" around AI and the ""public interest"" in it. The study examined views on generative AI tools - the new generation of products that can respond to simple text prompts with human-sounding answers as well as images, audio and video. Generative AI burst into the public consciousness when ChatGPT was launched in November 2022. The attention OpenAI's chatbot attracted set off an almighty arms race among tech firms, who ever since have been pouring billions of dollars into developing their own generative AI features. However this research indicates that, for all the money and attention lavished on generative AI, it is yet to become part of people’s routine internet use. ""Large parts of the public are not particularly interested in generative AI, and 30% of people in the UK say they have not heard of any of the most prominent products, including ChatGPT,"" Dr Fletcher said. The new generation of AI products has also sparked an intense public debate about whether they will have a positive or negative impact. Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs. The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself. This research attempted to gauge what the public thinks, finding: ""People’s hopes and fears for generative AI vary a lot depending on the sector,"" Dr Fletcher told the BBC. ""People are generally optimistic and about the use of generative AI in science and healthcare, but more wary about it being used in news and journalism, and worried about the effect it might have on job security."" He said the research showed it was important for everyone, including governments and regulators, to apply nuance to the debate around AI. The findings were based on responses to an online questionnaire fielded in six countries: Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan, the UK, and the USA. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Very few people are regularly using ""much hyped"" artificial intelligence (AI) products like ChatGPT, a survey suggests.', 'Researchers surveyed 12,000 people in six countries, including the UK, with only 2% of British respondents saying they use such tools on a daily basis.', 'But the study, from the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, says young people are bucking the trend, with 18 to 24-year-olds the most eager adopters of the tech.', 'Dr Richard Fletcher, the report\'s lead author, told the BBC there was a ""mismatch"" between the ""hype"" around AI and the ""public interest"" in it.', 'The study examined views on generative AI tools - the new generation of products that can respond to simple text prompts with human-sounding answers as well as images, audio and video.', 'Generative AI burst into the public consciousness when ChatGPT was launched in November 2022.', ""The attention OpenAI's chatbot attracted set off an almighty arms race among tech firms, who ever since have been pouring billions of dollars into developing their own generative AI features."", 'However this research indicates that, for all the money and attention lavished on generative AI, it is yet to become part of people’s routine internet use. ""', 'Large parts of the public are not particularly interested in generative AI, and 30% of people in the UK say they have not heard of any of the most prominent products, including ChatGPT,"" Dr Fletcher said.', 'The new generation of AI products has also sparked an intense public debate about whether they will have a positive or negative impact.', 'Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs.', 'The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself.', 'This research attempted to gauge what the public thinks, finding: ""People’s hopes and fears for generative AI vary a lot depending on the sector,"" Dr Fletcher told the BBC. ""', 'People are generally optimistic and about the use of generative AI in science and healthcare, but more wary about it being used in news and journalism, and worried about the effect it might have on job security.""', 'He said the research showed it was important for everyone, including governments and regulators, to apply nuance to the debate around AI.', 'The findings were based on responses to an online questionnaire fielded in six countries: Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan, the UK, and the USA.']",0.1987586757564674,"Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs.","The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself.",0.598349928855896,"Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs.","The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself.",2024-05-29
BHP pulls out of £39bn mega-merger with rival Anglo American,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c977g96vll1o,2024-05-29T07:58:58.143Z,"Mining giant BHP has pulled out of its planned takeover of rival Anglo-American in a deal that would have been valued at £38.6bn. BHP had been particularly attracted to Anglo’s copper assets, with the metal rising in value because of its role in the green energy transition. The collapse of the deal follows a month of wrangling between the pair, culminating in a frantic back and forth on Wednesday. Anglo rejected BHP's calls to extend talks on Wednesday morning, while BHP said it was denied access to ""key information"" from Anglo during the negotiations ""despite numerous requests"". BHP's chief executive Mike Henry said it was ""unable to reach agreement with Anglo American on our specific views in respect of South African regulatory risk and cost"". Meanwhile, Anglo American’s chairman Stuart Chambers insisted the company would be able to provide greater value for shareholders. ""Our shareholders will benefit from value transparency and undiluted exposure to a simpler portfolio of world class assets, consistently stronger operational performance, and highly attractive growth in copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients."" On Wednesday morning, Australia's BHP attempted to ease concerns about its plans for Anglo American's business in South Africa - where Anglo has major operations - ahead of elections in the country. BHP made commitments that included job security for employees there, but said it needed an extension on talks ""to allow further engagement"" on the plans, ahead of the 17:00 BST Wednesday deadline. However, Anglo American rejected the extension plea, arguing that the deal terms were still not good enough. The pair have been discussing the deal since Anglo American rejected BHP’s first takeover approach, a £31.1bn offer, at the end of April. Anglo then rejected BHP’s second offer, of £34bn, at the start of May and its third offer of £38.6bn last week, but some Anglo shareholders urged the company to keep negotiating. Anglo and the South African government have also cited concerns about BHP’s proposal to spin off the South African businesses. After rejecting BHP the third time, Anglo announced its own plans to break up its business by selling or spinning off major parts of the firm including its De Beers diamond operation and its platinum division, with a view to focusing on key areas such as copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients. BHP had made a series of proposals it said it would keep for at least three years to ease Anglo’s concerns. They included maintaining current staff levels at Anglo’s Johannesburg office, keeping BHP listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and sharing the cost of increased South African employee ownership ""if required to secure regulatory approvals"". However, Anglo said that BHP’s offer still included ""the same highly complex and unattractive structure as the proposals previously rejected on 26 April 2024 and 13 May 2024"". Speaking to the BBC's Today programme on Wednesday before Anglo’s update, Ben Davis, head of mining at analyst Liberium Capital, said there was ""not really much meat on the bones"" of BHP’s proposals. He added that they amount to a continuation of its commitment to South Africa rather than an improvement. He also expressed sadness about the prospect of another listed UK company being snapped up by an overseas business. ""To see [Anglo American] gone from the London Stock Exchange would certainly be a loss,"" he said. ",BBC,29/05/2024,"['Mining giant BHP has pulled out of its planned takeover of rival Anglo-American in a deal that would have been valued at £38.6bn.', 'BHP had been particularly attracted to Anglo’s copper assets, with the metal rising in value because of its role in the green energy transition.', 'The collapse of the deal follows a month of wrangling between the pair, culminating in a frantic back and forth on Wednesday.', 'Anglo rejected BHP\'s calls to extend talks on Wednesday morning, while BHP said it was denied access to ""key information"" from Anglo during the negotiations ""despite numerous requests"".', 'BHP\'s chief executive Mike Henry said it was ""unable to reach agreement with Anglo American on our specific views in respect of South African regulatory risk and cost"".', 'Meanwhile, Anglo American’s chairman Stuart Chambers insisted the company would be able to provide greater value for shareholders. ""', 'Our shareholders will benefit from value transparency and undiluted exposure to a simpler portfolio of world class assets, consistently stronger operational performance, and highly attractive growth in copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients.""', ""On Wednesday morning, Australia's BHP attempted to ease concerns about its plans for Anglo American's business in South Africa - where Anglo has major operations - ahead of elections in the country."", 'BHP made commitments that included job security for employees there, but said it needed an extension on talks ""to allow further engagement"" on the plans, ahead of the 17:00 BST Wednesday deadline.', 'However, Anglo American rejected the extension plea, arguing that the deal terms were still not good enough.', 'The pair have been discussing the deal since Anglo American rejected BHP’s first takeover approach, a £31.1bn offer, at the end of April.', 'Anglo then rejected BHP’s second offer, of £34bn, at the start of May and its third offer of £38.6bn last week, but some Anglo shareholders urged the company to keep negotiating.', 'Anglo and the South African government have also cited concerns about BHP’s proposal to spin off the South African businesses.', 'After rejecting BHP the third time, Anglo announced its own plans to break up its business by selling or spinning off major parts of the firm including its De Beers diamond operation and its platinum division, with a view to focusing on key areas such as copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients.', 'BHP had made a series of proposals it said it would keep for at least three years to ease Anglo’s concerns.', 'They included maintaining current staff levels at Anglo’s Johannesburg office, keeping BHP listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and sharing the cost of increased South African employee ownership ""if required to secure regulatory approvals"".', 'However, Anglo said that BHP’s offer still included ""the same highly complex and unattractive structure as the proposals previously rejected on 26 April 2024 and 13 May 2024"".', 'Speaking to the BBC\'s Today programme on Wednesday before Anglo’s update, Ben Davis, head of mining at analyst Liberium Capital, said there was ""not really much meat on the bones"" of BHP’s proposals.', 'He added that they amount to a continuation of its commitment to South Africa rather than an improvement.', 'He also expressed sadness about the prospect of another listed UK company being snapped up by an overseas business. ""', 'To see [Anglo American] gone from the London Stock Exchange would certainly be a loss,"" he said.']",0.1094316062106299,"Our shareholders will benefit from value transparency and undiluted exposure to a simpler portfolio of world class assets, consistently stronger operational performance, and highly attractive growth in copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients.""","However, Anglo American rejected the extension plea, arguing that the deal terms were still not good enough.",-0.2638421484402248,"Our shareholders will benefit from value transparency and undiluted exposure to a simpler portfolio of world class assets, consistently stronger operational performance, and highly attractive growth in copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients.""","To see [Anglo American] gone from the London Stock Exchange would certainly be a loss,"" he said.",2024-05-29
Your ultimate guide to the American Express Membership Rewards program,https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/american-express-membership-rewards-guide,"
  Updated
        1:03 PM EDT, Mon April 1, 2024
    ","American Express Membership Rewards® are among the most valuable travel rewards points out there. That’s primarily because they fall into the category of “transferable rewards,” meaning you’re not tied down to a single airline or hotel program with which you can redeem them.
    
            In other words, you’re not just earning points that can transfer to Delta SkyMiles, but they can also transfer to any of the other 16 airlines in the Membership Rewards portfolio.
    
            Having Membership Rewards points gives you options, and that’s always a good thing. If you’re ready to give your rewards portfolio a boost, here’s everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards.
    
            You can earn Membership Rewards points in various ways. Some require little effort, while others involve a heavier lift. It’s a good idea to take advantage of all the options out there in order to maximize your earnings. Here’s a look at how to earn Membership Rewards most efficiently.
    
            The primary way to earn Amex points is through credit cards that earn Membership Rewards. Amex has an extensive lineup of personal and business cards offering generous welcome bonuses and recurring benefits to help you earn maximum points.
    
            These include well-known cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card. With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance. Here’s a look at the current welcome bonus offers on personal credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.
    
            Keep in mind, too, that many of these cards carry an annual fee:
    
            All information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card and the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
    
            Similarly, American Express offers a suite of business credit cards.
    
            All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
    
            Keep in mind that several of these cards also carry an annual fee:
    
            Beyond the welcome bonus offers available, American Express makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards through category bonuses. If you spend a lot on groceries, it may be worth considering the Amex Gold card to earn 4 points per dollar spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).
    
            If you travel often, the Amex Platinum card is a great option for earning 5 points per dollar spent on eligible bookings made directly with an airline or with Amex Travel. Plus, you’ll have access to airport lounges, like American Express Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, among others.
    
            When applying for American Express cards, be sure to take note of the application rules. For example, you can’t earn an Amex welcome bonus more than once (with a few exceptions), and you generally won’t be approved for more than two cards every 90 days. Before applying for a credit card, it’s important to do your research.
    
            As mentioned before, American Express makes it manageable to earn bonus points long after the welcome bonus offer. One of those ways is by adding an authorized user to your Amex card, which will occasionally earn you bonus points.
    
             Aside from the special promotions where Amex will offer you bonus points for adding an authorized user, doing so can also help you double up your point earnings. That’s because you’ll not only earn points per dollar spent on your purchases, but you’ll also earn rewards on the authorized user’s purchases.
    
            Of course, you’ll only want to consider adding a member of your household or someone you trust to pay you back as an authorized user on your account. Authorized users can make charges on the credit card they’ve been added to but have no liability when it comes to paying the bill — that onus falls on you, the primary card holder. Choose carefully who you add to your account, and you can earn extra Amex points without lifting a finger.
    
            If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.
    
            American Express offers bonuses to current card holders when you refer someone and they are approved for an eligible card. You can earn up to 20,000 points per successful approval, though the exact bonus varies by card.
    
            To find out your card’s current referral bonus, head over to the Amex referral site. You’ll see referral bonuses based on your card. Simply enter your friend’s name and email address for each card you want to refer and they’ll get an email, inviting them to apply for the card. You can also copy the referral link on the page and share that with your friends and family directly.
    
            Referrals are a lucrative way to earn Amex Membership Rewards points for recommending credit cards to your friends and family. Keep in mind there is a limit to how many friends you can refer in a year.
    
            Booking travel with American Express is rewarding, too — you can earn bonus points on your credit card, plus you can often get additional perks and rewards. For example, with the Amex Platinum, you’ll get 5 points per dollar spent on hotels booked through Amex Travel.
    
            As an added incentive, you’ll receive perks like free breakfast for two, room upgrades when available and hotel credits to use at the spa or onsite restaurant just by booking with Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Hotel Collection. In general, booking travel through American Express pays off in more ways than one.
    
            Card holders can also utilize one of the most underrated benefits of having an Amex card: Amex Offers. With Amex Offers, card holders can earn statement credits or bonus points at select retailers. In other words, it’s the perfect opportunity to save some cash or earn bonus points for purchases you were already planning on making.
    
            To find and take advantage of Amex Offers, you’ll need to log in to your account. From there, scroll to the bottom of the page to the Amex Offers & Benefits section of the page. Be sure to click “View All” to load all of your eligible offers, and also be sure to select “Add to Card” in order to activate your Amex Offer. From there, you’ll be eligible to earn the bonus points or cash savings that come as part of each Amex Offer — so long as you use the registered card to make your purchase. Amex Offers are a massive perk of Amex cards that can save you money or earn you bonus points on purchases you were already planning to make.
    
            Thanks to a partnership with American Express, you can turn your Rakuten cash back rewards into Membership Rewards. It’s a great way to earn Membership Rewards points on regular purchases, without much added effort.
    
            If you already have a Rakuten account, you can easily switch your earning preference to Membership Rewards. Simply log into your account and follow these steps:
    
            After this, rewards get transferred to your Membership Rewards account quarterly.
    
            Now, for the fun part! Once you’ve earned Membership Rewards points, it’s time to put them to good use. Amex gives you several options to redeem points, but the best option is travel. You can choose between statement credits for travel bookings or transferring them to airline or hotel partners.
    
            Here’s a closer look at your options and how they work.
    
            American Express has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners — in other words, the Amex points you’ve earned can be transferred to any of the 20 hotel and airline partners. The best way to redeem Membership Rewards for maximum value is through airline transfers. But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.
    
            Ultimately, you’ll want to research which program will offer you the most in return, depending on what your travel plans are. With each of the partners, you’ll need to link your accounts, and you’ll also need to search for award availability with the airline of your choice before transferring any points.
    
            If you’re looking to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points, these are the 20 airline and hotel partner options, as well as the transfer rate.
    
            It’s worth noting that Amex occasionally runs transfer promotions for certain airlines or hotels. So, at times, you can get more points in return than the standard transfer rate listed above. Bonuses like these can increase the value of your points by enabling you to book sought-after award tickets for substantially less.
    
            By transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to partner airlines, you unlock the ability to travel for next to nothing — in most cases when redeeming points and miles, you’ll just have to pay the taxes and fees on a ticket. As a result, points and miles open up the door for flying experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.
    
            Keep in mind that the most obvious airline choice may not always be your best option. Airlines typically have extensive alliance networks, allowing you to redeem points for partner airlines through their respective programs. For example, British Airways and American Airlines are both members of the Oneworld alliance, meaning you can transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club and redeem for flights operated by American Airlines.
    
            Because of the vast number of airline transfer partners, your options are virtually endless for where your Membership Rewards points can take you. But, some redemptions are better than others — particularly when it comes to award sweet spots.
    
            Some examples of these sweet spot awards using your Amex Membership Rewards points include the following:
    
            Generally speaking, you’ll get the most value out of your Amex Membership Rewards points by transferring them to airline partners. But that may not always make sense for all card holders — and it’s not your only option.
    
            If figuring out transfer partner options and award charts sounds daunting, you can also use your Membership Rewards for fixed redemptions. This includes using points for statement credits, travel bookings via Amex Travel, charitable donations, online shopping and gift cards.
    
            Using points for statement credits toward qualifying purchases isn’t a great use of your points because you’ll only get 0.6 cents per point in value. If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Amex points, this isn’t the best route to take.
    
            You’ll get slightly more value by redeeming your Membership Rewards for travel bookings. By doing so, you’ll get 1 cent per point toward airfare and 0.7 cents per point toward car rentals, hotels, cruises and vacation bookings. Business Platinum card holders also get a 35% rebate when redeeming points for flight bookings through Amex Travel.
    
            If you choose to redeem your points for gift cards, you’ll get 1 cent per point in value. However, if you use Pay With Points (valid with Amazon, Best Buy, Boxed, Dell and GrubHub and others), you’ll get a value of just 0.5 cents to 1 cent each (depending on the Amex card) — one of the lowest-value options out there.
    
            Generally speaking, you should try to extract as much value as possible out of your Amex Membership Rewards points. However, that’s not always the case for everyone. You may want to save a few dollars here or there on a purchase you’re making online. Ultimately, we love Membership Rewards points so much because you have the option to use them however you like — whether for travel, Amazon purchases, gift cards and more.
    
            When it comes to the worth of your Membership Rewards points, it ultimately comes down to how you use them. The value you can get ranges from about 0.6 cents each to about 2 cents each. Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece.
    
            Amex offers 0.6 cents per point in value when you use points for statement credits. Meanwhile, travel bookings will get you a somewhat higher 1 cent per point. The highest value comes from transferring points to airline and hotel partners, as detailed above. Convert your points to airline miles and you can get 2 cents or more in value on premium award redemptions.
    
            American Express Membership Rewards points are some of the most versatile and valuable out there. By earning them, you give yourself the option to save money on travel, buying gift cards, Amazon purchases and so much more. Ultimately, it’s the flexibility that makes having an Amex credit card so rewarding.
    
            Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Gold card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus card.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,01/04/2024,"['American Express Membership Rewards® are among the most valuable travel rewards points out there.', 'That’s primarily because they fall into the category of “transferable rewards,” meaning you’re not tied down to a single airline or hotel program with which you can redeem them.', 'In other words, you’re not just earning points that can transfer to Delta SkyMiles, but they can also transfer to any of the other 16 airlines in the Membership Rewards portfolio.', 'Having Membership Rewards points gives you options, and that’s always a good thing.', 'If you’re ready to give your rewards portfolio a boost, here’s everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards.', 'You can earn Membership Rewards points in various ways.', 'Some require little effort, while others involve a heavier lift.', 'It’s a good idea to take advantage of all the options out there in order to maximize your earnings.', 'Here’s a look at how to earn Membership Rewards most efficiently.', 'The primary way to earn Amex points is through credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.', 'Amex has an extensive lineup of personal and business cards offering generous welcome bonuses and recurring benefits to help you earn maximum points.', 'These include well-known cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card.', 'With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance.', 'Here’s a look at the current welcome bonus offers on personal credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.', 'Keep in mind, too, that many of these cards carry an annual fee:  All information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card and the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.', 'Similarly, American Express offers a suite of business credit cards.', 'All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.', 'Keep in mind that several of these cards also carry an annual fee:  Beyond the welcome bonus offers available, American Express makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards through category bonuses.', 'If you spend a lot on groceries, it may be worth considering the Amex Gold card to earn 4 points per dollar spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).', 'If you travel often, the Amex Platinum card is a great option for earning 5 points per dollar spent on eligible bookings made directly with an airline or with Amex Travel.', 'Plus, you’ll have access to airport lounges, like American Express Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, among others.', 'When applying for American Express cards, be sure to take note of the application rules.', 'For example, you can’t earn an Amex welcome bonus more than once (with a few exceptions), and you generally won’t be approved for more than two cards every 90 days.', 'Before applying for a credit card, it’s important to do your research.', 'As mentioned before, American Express makes it manageable to earn bonus points long after the welcome bonus offer.', 'One of those ways is by adding an authorized user to your Amex card, which will occasionally earn you bonus points.', 'Aside from the special promotions where Amex will offer you bonus points for adding an authorized user, doing so can also help you double up your point earnings.', 'That’s because you’ll not only earn points per dollar spent on your purchases, but you’ll also earn rewards on the authorized user’s purchases.', 'Of course, you’ll only want to consider adding a member of your household or someone you trust to pay you back as an authorized user on your account.', 'Authorized users can make charges on the credit card they’ve been added to but have no liability when it comes to paying the bill — that onus falls on you, the primary card holder.', 'Choose carefully who you add to your account, and you can earn extra Amex points without lifting a finger.', 'If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.', 'American Express offers bonuses to current card holders when you refer someone and they are approved for an eligible card.', 'You can earn up to 20,000 points per successful approval, though the exact bonus varies by card.', 'To find out your card’s current referral bonus, head over to the Amex referral site.', 'You’ll see referral bonuses based on your card.', 'Simply enter your friend’s name and email address for each card you want to refer and they’ll get an email, inviting them to apply for the card.', 'You can also copy the referral link on the page and share that with your friends and family directly.', 'Referrals are a lucrative way to earn Amex Membership Rewards points for recommending credit cards to your friends and family.', 'Keep in mind there is a limit to how many friends you can refer in a year.', 'Booking travel with American Express is rewarding, too — you can earn bonus points on your credit card, plus you can often get additional perks and rewards.', 'For example, with the Amex Platinum, you’ll get 5 points per dollar spent on hotels booked through Amex Travel.', 'As an added incentive, you’ll receive perks like free breakfast for two, room upgrades when available and hotel credits to use at the spa or onsite restaurant just by booking with Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Hotel Collection.', 'In general, booking travel through American Express pays off in more ways than one.', 'Card holders can also utilize one of the most underrated benefits of having an Amex card: Amex Offers.', 'With Amex Offers, card holders can earn statement credits or bonus points at select retailers.', 'In other words, it’s the perfect opportunity to save some cash or earn bonus points for purchases you were already planning on making.', 'To find and take advantage of Amex Offers, you’ll need to log in to your account.', 'From there, scroll to the bottom of the page to the Amex Offers & Benefits section of the page.', 'Be sure to click “View All” to load all of your eligible offers, and also be sure to select “Add to Card” in order to activate your Amex Offer.', 'From there, you’ll be eligible to earn the bonus points or cash savings that come as part of each Amex Offer — so long as you use the registered card to make your purchase.', 'Amex Offers are a massive perk of Amex cards that can save you money or earn you bonus points on purchases you were already planning to make.', 'Thanks to a partnership with American Express, you can turn your Rakuten cash back rewards into Membership Rewards.', 'It’s a great way to earn Membership Rewards points on regular purchases, without much added effort.', 'If you already have a Rakuten account, you can easily switch your earning preference to Membership Rewards.', 'Simply log into your account and follow these steps:  After this, rewards get transferred to your Membership Rewards account quarterly.', 'Now, for the fun part!', 'Once you’ve earned Membership Rewards points, it’s time to put them to good use.', 'Amex gives you several options to redeem points, but the best option is travel.', 'You can choose between statement credits for travel bookings or transferring them to airline or hotel partners.', 'Here’s a closer look at your options and how they work.', 'American Express has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners — in other words, the Amex points you’ve earned can be transferred to any of the 20 hotel and airline partners.', 'The best way to redeem Membership Rewards for maximum value is through airline transfers.', 'But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.', 'Ultimately, you’ll want to research which program will offer you the most in return, depending on what your travel plans are.', 'With each of the partners, you’ll need to link your accounts, and you’ll also need to search for award availability with the airline of your choice before transferring any points.', 'If you’re looking to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points, these are the 20 airline and hotel partner options, as well as the transfer rate.', 'It’s worth noting that Amex occasionally runs transfer promotions for certain airlines or hotels.', 'So, at times, you can get more points in return than the standard transfer rate listed above.', 'Bonuses like these can increase the value of your points by enabling you to book sought-after award tickets for substantially less.', 'By transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to partner airlines, you unlock the ability to travel for next to nothing — in most cases when redeeming points and miles, you’ll just have to pay the taxes and fees on a ticket.', 'As a result, points and miles open up the door for flying experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.', 'Keep in mind that the most obvious airline choice may not always be your best option.', 'Airlines typically have extensive alliance networks, allowing you to redeem points for partner airlines through their respective programs.', 'For example, British Airways and American Airlines are both members of the Oneworld alliance, meaning you can transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club and redeem for flights operated by American Airlines.', 'Because of the vast number of airline transfer partners, your options are virtually endless for where your Membership Rewards points can take you.', 'But, some redemptions are better than others — particularly when it comes to award sweet spots.', 'Some examples of these sweet spot awards using your Amex Membership Rewards points include the following:  Generally speaking, you’ll get the most value out of your Amex Membership Rewards points by transferring them to airline partners.', 'But that may not always make sense for all card holders — and it’s not your only option.', 'If figuring out transfer partner options and award charts sounds daunting, you can also use your Membership Rewards for fixed redemptions.', 'This includes using points for statement credits, travel bookings via Amex Travel, charitable donations, online shopping and gift cards.', 'Using points for statement credits toward qualifying purchases isn’t a great use of your points because you’ll only get 0.6 cents per point in value.', 'If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Amex points, this isn’t the best route to take.', 'You’ll get slightly more value by redeeming your Membership Rewards for travel bookings.', 'By doing so, you’ll get 1 cent per point toward airfare and 0.7 cents per point toward car rentals, hotels, cruises and vacation bookings.', 'Business Platinum card holders also get a 35% rebate when redeeming points for flight bookings through Amex Travel.', 'If you choose to redeem your points for gift cards, you’ll get 1 cent per point in value.', 'However, if you use Pay With Points (valid with Amazon, Best Buy, Boxed, Dell and GrubHub and others), you’ll get a value of just 0.5 cents to 1 cent each (depending on the Amex card) — one of the lowest-value options out there.', 'Generally speaking, you should try to extract as much value as possible out of your Amex Membership Rewards points.', 'However, that’s not always the case for everyone.', 'You may want to save a few dollars here or there on a purchase you’re making online.', 'Ultimately, we love Membership Rewards points so much because you have the option to use them however you like — whether for travel, Amazon purchases, gift cards and more.', 'When it comes to the worth of your Membership Rewards points, it ultimately comes down to how you use them.', 'The value you can get ranges from about 0.6 cents each to about 2 cents each.', 'Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece.', 'Amex offers 0.6 cents per point in value when you use points for statement credits.', 'Meanwhile, travel bookings will get you a somewhat higher 1 cent per point.', 'The highest value comes from transferring points to airline and hotel partners, as detailed above.', 'Convert your points to airline miles and you can get 2 cents or more in value on premium award redemptions.', 'American Express Membership Rewards points are some of the most versatile and valuable out there.', 'By earning them, you give yourself the option to save money on travel, buying gift cards, Amazon purchases and so much more.', 'Ultimately, it’s the flexibility that makes having an Amex credit card so rewarding.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Gold card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus card.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.5246481979610982,"If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.",But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.,0.9622429311275482,"With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance.",,2024-05-29
"Walgreens is cutting prices on 1,500 items, joining Target, Walmart and Amazon",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/business/walgreens-price-cuts-retailer-inflation/index.html,"
  Published
        9:00 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","Walgreens is joining other retailers in cutting prices across the board, from snacks to toiletries and even Squishmallows, in an effort to lure back inflation-weary shoppers turned off by high prices.
    
            Prices are dropping immediately on more than 1,500 items online and at its stores, which include both name and store brands, Walgreens announced Wednesday. In the past few weeks, competitors including Target, Walmart and Amazon slashed prices on thousands of household goods to rev up consumer spending.
    
            For example, an 80-count One A Day gummy vitamins jar now cost $11.99, down from $13.49 and the price of a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips from the Walgreens-owned Nice! brand now costs $1.99, down from $2.79. For kids, the price of a 16-inch Squishmallow plush has gone from $24.99 to $20.
    
            “Walgreens understands our customers are under financial strain and struggle to purchase everyday essentials,” said Tracey D. Brown, Walgreens’ retail president and chief customer officer, in a release. “We continue to be committed to our customers by lowering prices on over a thousand additional items, something we’ve been doing since October of 2023.”
    
            Walgreens Boots Alliance’s (WBA) most recent earnings report, released in March, revealed that the retailers’ second-quarter sales beat expectations, but lowered its full-year earnings outlook because of a “challenging retail environment in the US.”
    
            Shares are down 40% year to date and its next earnings report isn’t expected until June. Meanwhile, a host of other retailers report earnings Thursday, including Dollar General and Costco.
    
            A number of big retailers are lowering prices as they strive to pull consumers into stores and online to spend more freely on both essential purchases such as food and more discretionary purchases like new clothes, decorative items for the home, arts and crafts or hobby kits.
    
            Retailers are feeling jittery after they hiked up prices as inflation spiked in recent years. But now, households aren’t shopping like they used to, and high prices are forcing Americans to choose between wants and needs. In the game of chicken between stores and shoppers, it’s the stores that finally appear to be yielding.
    
            That presents an ongoing challenge for the whole American economy, of which about two-thirds comes from consumer spending.
    
            Shoppers have pulled back for a year now as costs have risen 20% to 30% higher than they were three years ago and as incomes failed to keep up, said Sarah Wyeth, managing director, retail and consumer with S&P Global Ratings.
    
            This is making consumers across income levels look for deals. “There’s just less dollars for consumers to spend,” Wyeth said. The challenge for retailers now is to shake consumers out of that frugal mindset, she added.
    
            –CNN’s Parija Kavilanz contributed to this report.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['Walgreens is joining other retailers in cutting prices across the board, from snacks to toiletries and even Squishmallows, in an effort to lure back inflation-weary shoppers turned off by high prices.', 'Prices are dropping immediately on more than 1,500 items online and at its stores, which include both name and store brands, Walgreens announced Wednesday.', 'In the past few weeks, competitors including Target, Walmart and Amazon slashed prices on thousands of household goods to rev up consumer spending.', 'For example, an 80-count One A Day gummy vitamins jar now cost $11.99, down from $13.49 and the price of a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips from the Walgreens-owned Nice!', 'brand now costs $1.99, down from $2.79.', 'For kids, the price of a 16-inch Squishmallow plush has gone from $24.99 to $20.', '“Walgreens understands our customers are under financial strain and struggle to purchase everyday essentials,” said Tracey D. Brown, Walgreens’ retail president and chief customer officer, in a release. “', 'We continue to be committed to our customers by lowering prices on over a thousand additional items, something we’ve been doing since October of 2023.”', 'Walgreens Boots Alliance’s (WBA) most recent earnings report, released in March, revealed that the retailers’ second-quarter sales beat expectations, but lowered its full-year earnings outlook because of a “challenging retail environment in theUS.”', 'Shares are down 40% year to date and its next earnings report isn’t expected until June.', 'Meanwhile, a host of other retailers report earnings Thursday, including Dollar General and Costco.', 'A number of big retailers are lowering prices as they strive to pull consumers into stores and online to spend more freely on both essential purchases such as food and more discretionary purchases like new clothes, decorative items for the home, arts andcrafts or hobby kits.', 'Retailers are feeling jittery after they hiked up prices as inflation spiked in recent years.', 'But now, households aren’t shopping like they used to, and high prices are forcing Americans to choose between wants and needs.', 'In the game of chicken between stores and shoppers, it’s the stores that finally appear to be yielding.', 'That presents an ongoing challenge for the whole American economy, of which about two-thirds comes from consumer spending.', 'Shoppers have pulled back for a year now as costs have risen 20% to 30% higher than they were three years ago and as incomes failed to keep up, said Sarah Wyeth, managing director, retail and consumer with S&P Global Ratings.', 'This is making consumers across income levels look for deals. “', 'There’s just less dollars for consumers to spend,” Wyeth said.', 'The challenge for retailers now is to shake consumers out of that frugal mindset, she added.', '–CNN’s Parija Kavilanz contributed to this report.']",0.0370960147812601,"A number of big retailers are lowering prices as they strive to pull consumers into stores and online to spend more freely on both essential purchases such as food and more discretionary purchases like new clothes, decorative items for the home, arts andcrafts or hobby kits.","Shoppers have pulled back for a year now as costs have risen 20% to 30% higher than they were three years ago and as incomes failed to keep up, said Sarah Wyeth, managing director, retail and consumer with S&P Global Ratings.",0.0652603577165042,"We continue to be committed to our customers by lowering prices on over a thousand additional items, something we’ve been doing since October of 2023.”","Walgreens Boots Alliance’s (WBA) most recent earnings report, released in March, revealed that the retailers’ second-quarter sales beat expectations, but lowered its full-year earnings outlook because of a “challenging retail environment in theUS.”",2024-05-29
General election: 121 business chiefs sign letter backing Labour,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckvv8qwl4y4o,2024-05-27T20:22:22.988Z,"Dozens of business leaders have signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party’s economic plans ahead of the 4 July general election saying it is “time for a change”. In a letter published in Tuesday's Times newspaper, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms say Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long term growth. It comes as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to deliver her first major speech of the election campaign to business supporters, including some former Conservative backers in the East Midlands later. She is expected to say she will lead the most “pro-growth Treasury in our country’s history”. Labour is borrowing from the Conservatives’ playbook in getting business leaders to endorse their economic plans. Ahead of the 2015 election, 100 corporate leaders endorsed the Conservatives.  One of those, Malcolm Walker - the founder of supermarket chain Iceland - will now endorse Labour instead.  Other former Tory business letter signatories have told BBC News they will keep their counsel amid disappointment over Liz Truss's mini-budget, the Brexit deal and a general expectation of a change of government. Among those who have signed the letter in the Times is the TV chef and restaurateur Tom Kerridge, some chief executives of smaller companies, former Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye, JD Sports chairman Andrew Higginson and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. Speaking to the BBC's Today programme on Tuesday, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride pointed out that no chief executives of the UK's very largest FTSE 100 companies were among the signatories. Following the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), many household names learned that taking sides in a key election period may annoy their customers. It is also unclear how representative this group of Labour backers are of business in general and their sectors in particular. But Ms Reeves believes this public display of support for Labour will demonstrate its credibility to the public. Some Conservative business figures said there had been no effort similar to 2015 to organise a Tory business endorsement letter. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s advisers are known to be warning businesses about what they say is a move to French-style workers’ rights should Labour win.  Some top retailers have expressed concern about the plan, including a repeal of Conservative anti-strike laws. But Mr Wales of Wikipedia told the BBC's Today programme: ""We’re not talking about an extreme left-wing government by any means, we’re talking about a sensible, solid centrist government."" He added that he is ""very convinced"" by Labour.  ""I've talked to Rachel Reeves [and] talked to Keir. They're not going to veer off into something completely mad, but they're going to run the country in a much more sensible way."" Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: ""Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan that businesses can rely on.  ""We took the bold action to deliver the biggest business tax cut in modern history”. The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said. The Green Party of England and Wales told the BBC it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said. The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union."" Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said Wales needs ""economic plans to break the economic doom loop we’re in"" and his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"". ",BBC,27/05/2024,"['Dozens of business leaders have signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party’s economic plans ahead of the 4 July general election saying it is “time for a change”.', ""In a letter published in Tuesday's Times newspaper, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms say Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long term growth."", 'It comes as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to deliver her first major speech of the election campaign to business supporters, including some former Conservative backers in the East Midlands later.', 'She is expected to say she will lead the most “pro-growth Treasury in our country’s history”.', 'Labour is borrowing from the Conservatives’ playbook in getting business leaders to endorse their economic plans.', 'Ahead of the 2015 election, 100 corporate leaders endorsed the Conservatives.', 'One of those, Malcolm Walker - the founder of supermarket chain Iceland - will now endorse Labour instead.', ""Other former Tory business letter signatories have told BBC News they will keep their counsel amid disappointment over Liz Truss's mini-budget, the Brexit deal and a general expectation of a change of government."", 'Among those who have signed the letter in the Times is the TV chef and restaurateur Tom Kerridge, some chief executives of smaller companies, former Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye, JD Sports chairman Andrew Higginson and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.', ""Speaking to the BBC's Today programme on Tuesday, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride pointed out that no chief executives of the UK's very largest FTSE 100 companies were among the signatories."", ""Following the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), many household names learned that taking sides in a key election period may annoy their customers."", 'It is also unclear how representative this group of Labour backers are of business in general and their sectors in particular.', 'But Ms Reeves believes this public display of support for Labour will demonstrate its credibility to the public.', 'Some Conservative business figures said there had been no effort similar to 2015 to organise a Tory business endorsement letter.', 'Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s advisers are known to be warning businesses about what they say is a move to French-style workers’ rights should Labour win.', 'Some top retailers have expressed concern about the plan, including a repeal of Conservative anti-strike laws.', 'But Mr Wales of Wikipedia told the BBC\'s Today programme: ""We’re not talking about an extreme left-wing government by any means, we’re talking about a sensible, solid centrist government.""', 'He added that he is ""very convinced"" by Labour. ""', ""I've talked to Rachel Reeves [and] talked to Keir."", 'They\'re not going to veer off into something completely mad, but they\'re going to run the country in a much more sensible way.""', 'Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: ""Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan that businesses can rely on. ""', 'We took the bold action to deliver the biggest business tax cut in modern history”.', 'The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “', 'The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said.', 'The Green Party of England and Wales told the BBC it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""', 'We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said.', 'The Scottish National Party\'s Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""', 'Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said Wales needs ""economic plans to break the economic doom loop we’re in"" and his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"".']",0.1279472699563915,"The Green Party of England and Wales told the BBC it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""","The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""",0.3291802058617274,"The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said.","Following the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), many household names learned that taking sides in a key election period may annoy their customers.",2024-05-29
The dog who inspired Dogecoin has died,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/kabosu-shiba-inu-dogecoin-dog-dies/index.html,"
  Published
        7:00 AM EDT, Fri May 24, 2024
    ","Kabosu, the dog that launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday.
    
            The Japanese shiba inu “fell into a deep sleep” on Friday morning at 18 years of age, Atsuko Sato wrote in a blogpost.
    
            “Outside the window, birds were singing on a beautiful morning. As I was touching her, she gently passed away,” wrote Sato, a kindergarten teacher in the Japanese city of Sakura. “I think she was the happiest dog in the world.”
    
            Kabosu became one of the most recognizable animals on the internet back in 2010 when a photo of her posing with folded paws and a quizzical expression spread across forums such as Reddit.
    
            That sparked a proliferation of “doge” memes, based on an intentional misspelling of the word “dog,” with internet users photoshopping Kabosu’s face onto pastries, landmarks and other animals.
    
            The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternative cryptocurrency Dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to Bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes. Other meme tokens followed, including a shiba inu coin.
    
            Dogecoin counts Elon Musk among its fans. In May 2021, he polled his millions of followers on Twitter on whether Tesla should accept the cryptocurrency as payment.
    
            A month earlier, when cryptocurrencies were seeing a surge in popularity, demand for Dogecoin spiked so much that it briefly broke the cryptocurrency trading system of Robinhood, a stock trading and investing platform.
    
            An X post by Dogecoin Friday called Kabosu the community’s “inspiration.” “The impact this one dog has made across the world is immeasurable,” the post read.
    
            Sato said in a series of Instagram posts in 2022 that Kabosu had leukemia and liver disease. She is planning to hold a “farewell gathering” on Sunday.
    
            Mai Nishiyama contributed reporting.",CNN,24/05/2024,"['Kabosu, the dog that launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday.', 'The Japanese shiba inu “fell into a deep sleep” on Friday morning at 18 years of age, Atsuko Sato wrote in a blogpost.', '“Outside the window, birds were singing on a beautiful morning.', 'As I was touching her, she gently passed away,” wrote Sato, a kindergarten teacher in the Japanese city of Sakura. “', 'I think she was the happiest dog in the world.”', 'Kabosu became one of the most recognizable animals on the internet back in 2010 when a photo of her posing with folded paws and a quizzical expression spread across forums such as Reddit.', 'That sparked a proliferation of “doge” memes, based on an intentional misspelling of the word “dog,” with internet users photoshopping Kabosu’s face onto pastries, landmarks and other animals.', 'The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternativecryptocurrency Dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to Bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes.', 'Other meme tokens followed, including a shiba inu coin.', 'Dogecoin counts Elon Musk among its fans.', 'In May 2021, he polled his millions of followers on Twitter on whether Tesla should accept the cryptocurrency as payment.', 'A month earlier, when cryptocurrencies were seeing a surge in popularity, demand for Dogecoin spiked so much that it briefly broke the cryptocurrency trading system of Robinhood, a stock trading and investing platform.', 'An X post by Dogecoin Friday called Kabosu the community’s “inspiration.” “', 'The impact this one dog has made across the world is immeasurable,” the post read.', 'Sato said in a series of Instagram posts in 2022 that Kabosu had leukemia and liver disease.', 'She is planning to hold a “farewell gathering” on Sunday.', 'Mai Nishiyama contributed reporting.']",0.1695814424155981,"The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternativecryptocurrency Dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to Bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes.","Kabosu, the dog that launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday.",0.9586335023244222,"A month earlier, when cryptocurrencies were seeing a surge in popularity, demand for Dogecoin spiked so much that it briefly broke the cryptocurrency trading system of Robinhood, a stock trading and investing platform.",,2024-05-29
NBC News ousts Ronna McDaniel after network’s anchors launch unprecedented on-air rebellion,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/media/nbc-news-ousts-ronna-mcdaniel/index.html,"
  Updated
        7:44 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","NBC News on Tuesday ousted former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, just days after her hiring as a paid political analyst sparked intense backlash from the network’s top television anchors over McDaniel’s role in subverting the 2020 election and attacks on the press.
    
            “There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff. “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.”
    
            “I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde continued. “While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”
    
            Ahead of the network’s decision, McDaniel spent the day Tuesday interviewing attorneys in preparation for a potential legal battle with NBC, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Creative Artists Agency, the talent agency that brokered McDaniel’s deal with NBC, also parted ways with her, the person said.
    
            The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.
    
            McDaniel, who recently stepped down from the RNC under pressure from former President Donald Trump, was involved in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
    
            As head of the RNC, she was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead. McDaniel told the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. … We will get you attorneys.”
    
            In the years since, McDaniel continued to claim that the election had “problems” and that Biden did not legitimately win the election, fanning the flames of election denialism.
    
            NBC’s announcement Friday that it had hired McDaniel was quickly met with alarm by the network’s journalists. The revolt spilled into public view on Sunday when McDaniel appeared on “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristen Welker in her first interview since she was hired by the network. Welker disclosed that the interview had been scheduled to take place prior to NBC announcing McDaniel would become a paid contributor for the network, stating that she had no involvement in her hiring.
    
            Following the interview, Chuck Todd, NBC News’ chief political analyst, delivered a stinging on-air criticism of NBC executives for their decision to hire McDaniel, telling Welker, “I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation.”
    
            “There’s a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this,” Todd said, explaining that under McDaniel, the RNC engaged in “gaslighting” and “character assassination” when dealing with the news media.
    
            The following day, MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough joined Todd in protesting the decision on their program “Morning Joe.”
    
            “To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage, but it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,” Brzezinski said. “We hope NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”
    
            Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” later joined in the rebuke, saying on her program that the network’s decision to hire McDaniel was nothing short of a potential threat to democracy.
    
            “NBC News is, either wittingly or unwittingly, teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections,” Wallace told viewers.
    
            Rachel Maddow — the network’s biggest star — later devoted the first half-hour of her prime-time program to the controversy, saying the decision to hire McDaniel was “inexplicable.” Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.
    
            “We do not take it personally when we get attacked, when they say they want to put us on trial and execute us for treason,” she said.
    
            “And so I want to associate myself with all my colleagues at MSNBC and NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company for putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government,” she said of McDaniel. “Someone who is still trying to convince Americans that this election stuff doesn’t really work. That this last election wasn’t a real result. That American elections are fraudulent.“
    
            The on-air revolt ensnared NBC’s top leaders, including NBCUniversal News Group chair Cesar Conde, NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown, who were responsible for McDaniel’s hiring. MSNBC president Rashida Jones also did not object to the decision, people familiar with the matter said.
    
            In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”
    
            “I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['NBC News on Tuesday ousted former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, just days after her hiring as a paid political analyst sparked intense backlash from the network’s top television anchors over McDaniel’s role in subverting the 2020 election and attacks on the press.', '“There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff. “', 'After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.”', '“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde continued. “', 'While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”', 'Ahead of the network’s decision, McDaniel spent the day Tuesday interviewing attorneys in preparation for a potential legal battle with NBC, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.', 'Creative Artists Agency, the talent agency that brokered McDaniel’s deal with NBC, also parted ways with her, the person said.', 'The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.', 'McDaniel, who recently stepped down from the RNC under pressure from former President Donald Trump, was involved in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.', 'As head of the RNC, she was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead.', 'McDanieltold the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. …', 'We will get you attorneys.”', 'In the years since, McDaniel continued to claim that the election had “problems” and that Biden did not legitimately win the election, fanning the flames of election denialism.', 'NBC’s announcement Friday that it had hired McDaniel was quickly met with alarm by the network’s journalists.', 'The revolt spilled into public view on Sunday when McDaniel appeared on “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristen Welker in her first interview since she was hired by the network.', 'Welker disclosed that the interview had been scheduled to take place prior to NBC announcing McDaniel would become a paid contributor for the network, stating that she had no involvement in her hiring.', 'Following the interview, Chuck Todd, NBC News’ chief political analyst, delivered a stinging on-air criticism of NBC executives for their decision to hire McDaniel, telling Welker, “I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation.”', '“There’s a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this,” Todd said, explaining that under McDaniel, the RNC engaged in “gaslighting” and “character assassination” when dealing with the news media.', 'The following day, MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough joined Todd in protesting the decision on their program “Morning Joe.”', '“To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage, but it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,”Brzezinski said. “', 'We hope NBC will reconsider its decision.', 'It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”', 'Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” later joined in the rebuke, saying on her program that the network’s decision to hire McDaniel was nothing short of a potential threat to democracy.', '“NBC News is, either wittingly or unwittingly, teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections,” Wallace told viewers.', 'Rachel Maddow — the network’s biggest star — later devoted the first half-hour of her prime-time program to the controversy, saying the decision to hire McDaniel was “inexplicable.”', 'Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.', '“We do not take it personally when we get attacked, when they say they want to put us on trial and execute us for treason,” she said.', '“And so I want to associate myself with all my colleagues at MSNBC and NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company for putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government,” she said of McDaniel. “', 'Someone who is still trying to convince Americans that this election stuff doesn’t really work.', 'That this last election wasn’t a real result.', 'That American elections are fraudulent.“', 'The on-air revolt ensnared NBC’s top leaders, including NBCUniversal News Group chair Cesar Conde, NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown, who were responsible for McDaniel’s hiring.', 'MSNBC president Rashida Jones also did not object to the decision, people familiar with the matter said.', 'In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”', '“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “', 'That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”']",-0.0710578434549836,"In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”","Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.",-0.4204912036657333,"In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”",The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.,2024-05-29
The Chevrolet Corvette is officially going electric,https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/25/business/electric-hybrid-corvette/index.html,"
  Updated
        12:22 PM EDT, Mon April 25, 2022
    ","General Motors will produce a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette, GM President Mark Reuss announced in a LinkedIn post Monday morning. 
    
            Reuss didn’t say when the electric Corvette would come, but he hinted that a hybrid model could come relatively soon. “We will offer an electrified Corvette as early as next year,” he wrote. An accompanying video the company posted to Twitter showed what appeared to be a hybrid Corvette, and in another first, showed the front wheels spinning and throwing snow as if being powered. All Corvettes produced by the company previously have been rear-wheel-drive only.
    
            While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.
    
            “Electrified” is an auto industry term encompassing everything from hybrid to fully electric vehicles, and anything with an electric motor can count as “electrified.” It has long been rumored that the current generation of the Corvette, the first with its gasoline engine mounted behind the seats instead of in the front, could be built with a hybrid system. Reuss has also previously hinted there would be electrified variants of the car.
    
            Various companies are working on electric sports cars. Most all-electric vehicles in production so far have been four-door sedans and SUVs, as the need for batteries lends itself to larger and heavier vehicles. Tesla’s first car, the Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster, was an electric sports car, but the second-generation of Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled as a prototype in 2017, has yet to go into production.
    
            Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle. Lamborghini has been working on plug-in hybrid sports cars, though.
    
            To date, the Corvette is only available in the base Stingray version with 6.2-liter V8 engine producing up to 495 horsepower. A 670 horsepower Corvette Z06 with a 5.5-liter V8 was unveiled last fall. The previous generation of the Corvette included included a 755-horsepower ZR1 version. Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.
    
            Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines. Ferrari’s most powerful sports cars are hybrids, for instance.  
    
            GM has said it plans to produce only zero-emission vehicles, meaning fully electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells, by 2035.",CNN,25/04/2022,"['General Motors will produce a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette, GM President Mark Reuss announced in a LinkedIn post Monday morning.', 'Reuss didn’t say when the electric Corvette would come, but he hinted that a hybrid model could come relatively soon. “', 'We will offer an electrified Corvette as early as next year,” he wrote.', 'An accompanying video the company posted to Twitter showed what appeared to be a hybrid Corvette, and in another first, showed the front wheels spinning and throwing snow as if being powered.', 'All Corvettes produced by the company previously have been rear-wheel-drive only.', 'While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.', '“Electrified” is an auto industry term encompassing everything from hybrid to fully electric vehicles, and anything with an electric motor can count as “electrified.”', 'It has long been rumored that the current generation of the Corvette, the first with its gasoline engine mounted behind the seats instead of in the front, could be built with a hybrid system.', 'Reuss has also previously hinted there would be electrified variants of the car.', 'Various companies are working on electric sports cars.', 'Most all-electric vehicles in production so far have been four-door sedans and SUVs, as the need for batteries lends itself to larger and heavier vehicles.', 'Tesla’s first car, the Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster, was an electric sports car, but the second-generation of Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled as a prototype in 2017, has yet to go into production.', 'Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle.', 'Lamborghini has been working on plug-in hybrid sports cars, though.', 'To date, the Corvette is only available in the base Stingray version with 6.2-liter V8 engine producing up to 495 horsepower.', 'A 670 horsepower Corvette Z06 with a 5.5-liter V8 was unveiled last fall.', 'The previous generation of the Corvette included included a 755-horsepower ZR1 version.', 'Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.', 'Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines.', 'Ferrari’s most powerful sports cars are hybrids, for instance.', 'GM has said it plans to produce only zero-emission vehicles, meaning fully electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells, by 2035.']",0.0521320736918344,Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.,"While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.",0.3646016319592793,"Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines.","Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle.",2024-05-29
Why lab-grown diamond sales are surging,https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/27/business/diamonds-manmade-demand/index.html,"
  Published
        7:49 AM EDT, Wed April 27, 2022
    ","It’s proposal season, and engagements are on the rise. So are factory-made diamond sales.
    
            Not that you’d know the difference. Man-made diamonds look the same as naturally occurring ones. The only noticeable difference is the price tag.
    
            “The result is really stunning,” said Edahn Golan, an independent diamond industry analyst.
    
            He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.
    
            Going back by another month, to February, the data showed the number of rings sold with lab diamonds that month surged even more, to 80% compared to a year earlier while the number fell by 13% for natural diamond engagement rings. 
    
            “The big fear in the natural diamonds industry is that consumers will start accepting lab-grown diamonds in engagement rings,” he said. Too late. “It’s actually happening.” 
    
            Why are consumers flocking to man-made diamonds? Cost is the most obvious reason. The average retail price of the most popular one carat round man-made diamond for an engagement ring in March was $2,318, Golan said.
    
            “This is substantially less – as much as 73% cheaper – than a natural diamond of the same size, cut and clarity as the man-made diamond, which would cost $8,740,” he said. Plus, the lower cost allows couples to buy a bigger stone.
    
            “A lab diamond is a real diamond, but maybe it took a few weeks to make it,” said Golan. “Natural diamonds were formed over 800 million to three billion years and there isn’t an infinite supply of them.” 
    
            This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.
    
            The sanctions directly target Alrosa, partly owned by the Russian government, which the US government identified as the world’s largest diamond mining company, accounting for 28% of global diamond output.
    
            Man-made diamonds are also becoming popular as consumers are more aware and educated about them, said Dan Moran, a third-generation diamond expert and owner of LA-based fine jeweler Concierge Diamonds. Moran said the typical buyer of man-made diamonds is typically younger than 40 and very budget conscious.
    
            Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.
    
            Among Millennials and Gen Z, their eco-conscious mindset and ethical concerns about natural diamond sourcing is another factor influencing their preference for non-traditional engagement rings, according to a report from wedding planning website The Knot.
    
            Although its slice is growing, the market share for man-made diamonds remains relatively small.
    
            Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan. 
    
            Some major jewelry retailers are driving the effort to take man-made diamonds mainstream. In 2021, the world’s largest jewelry company, Pandora
            
                (PANDY), made a major shift by announcing it would stop using mined diamonds and would swap to lab-created diamonds in its jewelry. 
    
            Pandora said it’s instituting the change as part of an effort to sell sustainable jewelry, and also because consumers increasingly are asking for it.
    
            Signet,
            
                (SIG) the largest jewelry company in the United States (which owns Zales, Kay Jewelers and Jared chains) called out the popularity of lab diamond jewelry in its March earnings call with analysts.
    
            Calling it a “fast-growing category” in its jewelry portfolio, Signet CEO Virginia Drosos told analysts that lab-created diamonds are among the big jewelry trends she expects this year. 
    
            The company said it has expanded its man-made bridal jewelry selection in both its Zales and Kay Jewelers stores in response to the increased demand. 
    
            Fine jewelry brand Charles and Colvard, which makes lab-created diamonds, said consumers don’t just want to look good with the jewelry they are wearing, they also want to feel good about it.
    
            “As the momentum for conscious consumerism grows, the surge towards lab grown diamonds isn’t surprising,” said Don O’Connell, president and CEO of Charles & Colvard. “[Consumers] want to know the origins of their stones and be reassured they’re conflict-free. They’re embracing the choice to purchase a piece of fine jewelry that aligns with their values.”
    
            Lab-grown diamond brand VRAI said the pandemic, too, has sparked attention and action toward social and environmental issues. It said consumers are being more thoughtful and reassessing their purchasing habits, as well as the companies and industries they are supporting.
    
            There is, however, one important consideration for anyone buying lab-created diamonds: Man-made diamonds have little resale value. 
    
            So while you may not be able to tell a natural diamond from a factory made variety, someone with a trained eye can, said Golan. Once a stone is identified as a factory diamond, even though you paid a lot less for it, you also won’t get much for it. 
    
            But the value of a ring isn’t just monetary.
    
            “As a professional in the industry, I am asked all the time by people about what I think about a ring they have,” said Moran, of Concierge Jewelers. “I always say, if you love it, be happy with it. An engagement ring is a symbol of commitment and enduring love.”",CNN,27/04/2022,"['It’s proposal season, and engagements are on the rise.', 'So are factory-made diamond sales.', 'Not that you’d know the difference.', 'Man-made diamonds look the same as naturally occurring ones.', 'The only noticeable difference is the price tag.', '“The result is really stunning,” said Edahn Golan, an independent diamond industry analyst.', 'He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.', 'Going back by another month, to February, the data showed the number of rings sold with lab diamonds that month surged even more, to 80% compared to a year earlier while the number fell by 13% for natural diamond engagement rings.', '“The big fear in the natural diamonds industry is that consumers will start accepting lab-grown diamonds in engagement rings,” he said.', 'Too late. “', 'It’s actually happening.”', 'Why are consumers flocking to man-made diamonds?', 'Cost is the most obvious reason.', 'The average retail price of the most popular one carat round man-made diamond for an engagement ring in March was $2,318, Golan said.', '“This is substantially less – as much as 73% cheaper – than a natural diamond of the same size, cut and clarity as the man-made diamond, which would cost $8,740,” he said.', 'Plus, the lower cost allows couples to buy a bigger stone.', '“A lab diamond is a real diamond, but maybe it took a few weeks to make it,” said Golan. “', 'Natural diamonds were formed over 800 million to three billion years and there isn’t an infinite supply of them.”', 'This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.', 'The sanctions directly target Alrosa, partly owned by the Russian government, which the US government identified as the world’s largest diamond mining company, accounting for 28% of global diamond output.', 'Man-made diamonds are also becoming popular as consumers are more aware and educated about them, said Dan Moran, a third-generation diamond expert and owner of LA-based fine jeweler Concierge Diamonds.', 'Moran said the typical buyer of man-made diamonds is typically younger than 40 and very budget conscious.', 'Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.', 'Among Millennials and Gen Z, their eco-conscious mindset and ethical concerns about natural diamond sourcing is another factor influencing their preference for non-traditional engagement rings, according to a report from wedding planning website The Knot.', 'Although its slice is growing, the market share for man-made diamonds remains relatively small.', 'Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan.', 'Some major jewelry retailers are driving the effort to take man-made diamonds mainstream.', 'In 2021, the world’s largest jewelry company, Pandora  (PANDY), made a major shift by announcing it would stop using mined diamonds and would swap to lab-created diamonds in its jewelry.', 'Pandora said it’s instituting the change as part of an effort to sell sustainable jewelry, and also because consumers increasingly are asking for it.', 'Signet,  (SIG) the largest jewelry company in the United States (which owns Zales, Kay Jewelers and Jared chains) called out the popularity of lab diamond jewelry in its March earnings call with analysts.', 'Calling it a “fast-growing category” in its jewelry portfolio, Signet CEO Virginia Drosos told analysts that lab-created diamonds are among the big jewelry trends she expects this year.', 'The company said it has expanded its man-made bridal jewelry selection in both its Zales and Kay Jewelers stores in response to the increased demand.', 'Fine jewelry brand Charles and Colvard, which makes lab-created diamonds, said consumers don’t just want to look good with the jewelry they are wearing, they also want to feel good about it.', '“As the momentum for conscious consumerism grows, the surge towards lab grown diamonds isn’t surprising,” said Don O’Connell, president and CEO of Charles & Colvard. “[', 'Consumers] want to know the origins of their stones and be reassured they’re conflict-free.', 'They’re embracing the choice to purchase a piece of fine jewelry that aligns with their values.”', 'Lab-grown diamond brand VRAI said the pandemic, too, has sparked attention and action toward social and environmental issues.', 'It said consumers are being more thoughtful and reassessing their purchasing habits, as well as the companies and industries they are supporting.', 'There is, however, one important consideration for anyone buying lab-created diamonds: Man-made diamonds have little resale value.', 'So while you may not be able to tell a natural diamond from a factory made variety, someone with a trained eye can, said Golan.', 'Once a stone is identified as a factory diamond, even though you paid a lot less for it, you also won’t get much for it.', 'But the value of a ring isn’t just monetary.', '“As a professional in the industry, I am asked all the time by people about what I think about a ring they have,” said Moran, of Concierge Jewelers. “', 'I always say, if you love it, be happy with it.', 'An engagement ring is a symbol of commitment and enduring love.”']",0.3714494325159568,"He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.",Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.,0.8542834222316742,"Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan.","This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.",2024-05-29
Trump lawyer slams 'liar' Cohen in New York hush-money trial,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6ppz2l16n7o,2024-05-28T19:09:37.207Z,"The jury in Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial is expected to begin deliberations on Wednesday after it receives instructions from the judge presiding over the case. On Tuesday, the 12 jurors heard closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence.  In the defence's final pitch, Mr Trump's lead lawyer attacked Michael Cohen - his former fixer and the prosecution's star witness - as the ""greatest liar of all time"". Prosecutors then launched into a lengthy rebuttal, portraying Cohen as a flawed ""tour guide"" to a ""mountain"" of evidence against Mr Trump. The jury will have to decide if the former president, and presumptive Republican nominee for November's election, is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of falsifying business records. Over the past six weeks, Mr Trump, 77, has sat through days of testimony regarding a hush-money payment made before the 2016 election to Stormy Daniels, a former adult-film star, in exchange for her silence over an alleged sexual encounter. Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office claim Mr Trump falsified business records on 34 counts when he reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000  (£102,000) payment and recorded it as legal fees. They have further claimed he was motivated by an intent to unlawfully influence the 2016 race. Over several hours on Tuesday, Mr Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche argued passionately that Mr Trump had no intention of either falsifying business records or committing election interference. He attacked the credibility of Cohen, who he called the ""human embodiment of reasonable doubt"". Mr Blanche reminded jurors that Cohen had been jailed for lying under oath, that he had acknowledged stealing from his former employer and that he now lived with ""an axe to grind"" against Mr Trump. “He's literally like an MVP of liars,"" he said. Mr Trump swivelled in his chair and watched as his attorney railed against the case, occasionally closing his eyes as he has often been seen to do. But the burden of proof in this case lies with the prosecution, who must convince jurors of Mr Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a conviction. Lead counsel for the prosecution Joshua Steinglass took a nearly four-hour route through his closing argument, finally wrapping at around 20:00 local time at the behest of Justice Juan Merchan. At its core, the case against Mr Trump is about “a conspiracy and a cover-up"", he said. Over five weeks, the prosecution has called a host of witnesses to corroborate dozens of documents and recordings surrounding the hush-money payment to Ms Daniels and the reimbursement to Cohen. Mr Steinglass acknowledged the problems with some witnesses, including ""cringeworthy"" testimony from Ms Daniels as well as the considerable ""baggage"" of their star witness. ""The defendant chose Michael Cohen. To be his fixer!"" he pointed out. ""We didn't pick him up at the witness store."" Mr Steinglass said the jury must consider “not whether you like Cohen or whether you want to go into business” with him, but view him instead as a ""tour guide"" to evidence that his actions helped ""one person and one person only"". If jurors ""ignore the sideshows,"" he added, they will find Mr Trump guilty. Some legal experts say it will be no easy feat to persuade jurors of the broader theory: that Mr Trump falsified business records with the intent to cover up another crime, unlawfully influencing the 2016 election. Others said the prosecution may have taken too long to make its final points. “Lawyers love to talk, but less is more in a case like this,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told the BBC. The panel of 12 New York jurors will weigh Mr Trump’s legal fate and must unanimously agree to convict or acquit him. If they cannot agree on a verdict, the case will move to a mistrial. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"[""The jury in Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial is expected to begin deliberations on Wednesday after it receives instructions from the judge presiding over the case."", 'On Tuesday, the 12 jurors heard closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence.', 'In the defence\'s final pitch, Mr Trump\'s lead lawyer attacked Michael Cohen - his former fixer and the prosecution\'s star witness - as the ""greatest liar of all time"".', 'Prosecutors then launched into a lengthy rebuttal, portraying Cohen as a flawed ""tour guide"" to a ""mountain"" of evidence against Mr Trump.', ""The jury will have to decide if the former president, and presumptive Republican nominee for November's election, is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of falsifying business records."", 'Over the past six weeks, Mr Trump, 77, has sat through days of testimony regarding a hush-money payment made before the 2016 election to Stormy Daniels, a former adult-film star, in exchange for her silence over an alleged sexual encounter.', ""Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office claim Mr Trump falsified business records on 34 counts when he reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 (£102,000) payment and recorded it as legal fees."", 'They have further claimed he was motivated by an intent to unlawfully influence the 2016 race.', ""Over several hours on Tuesday, Mr Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche argued passionately that Mr Trump had no intention of either falsifying business records or committing election interference."", 'He attacked the credibility of Cohen, who he called the ""human embodiment of reasonable doubt"".', 'Mr Blanche reminded jurors that Cohen had been jailed for lying under oath, that he had acknowledged stealing from his former employer and that he now lived with ""an axe to grind"" against Mr Trump. “', 'He\'s literally like an MVP of liars,"" he said.', 'Mr Trump swivelled in his chair and watched as his attorney railed against the case, occasionally closing his eyes as he has often been seen to do.', 'But the burden of proof in this case lies with the prosecution, who must convince jurors of Mr Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a conviction.', 'Lead counsel for the prosecution Joshua Steinglass took a nearly four-hour route through his closing argument, finally wrapping at around 20:00 local time at the behest of Justice Juan Merchan.', 'At its core, the case against Mr Trump is about “a conspiracy and a cover-up"", he said.', 'Over five weeks, the prosecution has called a host of witnesses to corroborate dozens of documents and recordings surrounding the hush-money payment to Ms Daniels and the reimbursement to Cohen.', 'Mr Steinglass acknowledged the problems with some witnesses, including ""cringeworthy"" testimony from Ms Daniels as well as the considerable ""baggage"" of their star witness. ""', 'The defendant chose Michael Cohen.', 'To be his fixer!""', 'he pointed out. ""', 'We didn\'t pick him up at the witness store.""', 'Mr Steinglass said the jury must consider “not whether you like Cohen or whether you want to go into business” with him, but view him instead as a ""tour guide"" to evidence that his actions helped ""one person and one person only"".', 'If jurors ""ignore the sideshows,"" he added, they will find Mr Trump guilty.', 'Some legal experts say it will be no easy feat to persuade jurors of the broader theory: that Mr Trump falsified business records with the intent to cover up another crime, unlawfully influencing the 2016 election.', 'Others said the prosecution may have taken too long to make its final points. “', 'Lawyers love to talk, but less is more in a case like this,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told the BBC.', 'The panel of 12 New York jurors will weigh Mr Trump’s legal fate and must unanimously agree to convict or acquit him.', 'If they cannot agree on a verdict, the case will move to a mistrial.']",-0.2414888173479753,"Lawyers love to talk, but less is more in a case like this,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told the BBC.","But the burden of proof in this case lies with the prosecution, who must convince jurors of Mr Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to secure a conviction.",-0.9628016650676728,,"Mr Steinglass acknowledged the problems with some witnesses, including ""cringeworthy"" testimony from Ms Daniels as well as the considerable ""baggage"" of their star witness. """,2024-05-29
Opinion: The drama around Sam Altman is an urgent warning,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/21/opinions/sam-altman-openai-ouster-danger-filipovic/index.html,"
  Published
        9:50 AM EST, Tue November 21, 2023
    ","The biggest tech news this week is the ouster of Sam Altman from his role as CEO of OpenAI, a move that has shaken the company and the industry. Hundreds of OpenAI employees have threatened to resign. Altman has already moved on to a role at Microsoft. And OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is on its third CEO in as many days.
    
            It’s all very juicy. But this drama should also be raising larger questions, far beyond one company’s internal hirings and firings, including: Who are the people making the decisions that will determine so much of our technological future? What guiding principles are they using to make those decisions? And how should other institutions – governments, non-tech industries, global alliances, regulatory bodies – reign in the worst excesses of potentially dangerous AI innovators?
    
            OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, with an explicit mission to harness what may soon be superhuman intelligence “to benefit humanity as a whole.” But that sensibility hasn’t lasted. The company now has a multi-billion-dollar for-profit arm. They have been developing new technologies at lightning speed, and sometimes sending them out to the public before some employees believed they were ready. The company has already reportedly invented an AI technology so dangerous they will never release it – but they also won’t tell reporters or the public exactly what it is.
    
            This dynamic – a potentially dangerous technology developed at extreme speed, largely behind closed doors – is partly to blame for Altman’s firing. The OpenAI board, according to CNN’s David Goldman, worried that “the company was making the technological equivalent of a nuclear bomb, and its caretaker, Sam Altman, was moving so fast that he risked a global catastrophe.” At particular issue seemed to be Altman’s efforts to make the tools behind ChatGPT available to anyone who wanted to make their own version of the chatbot. This could be widely disastrous, some board members worried.
    
            But then they fired him without warning, and apparently without involving Microsoft, the company’s largest shareholder. Now, Altman is at the new AI group at Microsoft, and one has to wonder if the oversight and caution there will be on par with that at OpenAI, or if he’ll be handed carte blanche to push as fast and hard as he wants. And for all the justified reticence of the OpenAI board, the company has carried out much of its work in secrecy – without the public really understanding what a handful of unaccountable technologists are building, and how it is nearly guaranteed to indelibly change their lives.
    
            AI is broadly understood to have the potential to reshape vast swaths of human existence. At the very least, it seems nearly guaranteed to change how we process information, how we communicate, how we learn and how we work (and if we work). And the ramifications could be much more extreme. AI technologies have already demonstrated the ability to lie and to cover their tracks. They have already been able to suggest the design to make a virus spread more quickly. Many researchers acutely understand just how quickly these machines could develop the capacity to annihilate us, including Altman: He has a prepper’s paradise prepared in Big Sur, complete with guns and “gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force” in case AI goes off the rails and the robots go to war against humans, according to reporting in the New Yorker.
    
            But don’t worry, he told an Atlantic reporter: If AI is determined to wipe us out, “no gas mask is helping anyone.” (If you want an excellent and terrifying rundown of AI’s risks – at least those we understand right now, which are almost certainly a mere sliver of the looming perils – the Atlantic profile of Altman and his technology is worth a read).
    
            AI is very exciting technology. But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”
    
            Given the life-altering potential of AI – that even if it doesn’t kill us all, it will almost certainly change human existence in unprecedented ways at unprecedented speed – we all have a stake in how it’s being developed. And yet the development is being left to a handful of people (who seem to be largely men) in Silicon Valley, and other tech pockets around the globe. And we all have a stake in whose interests AI will serve – and right now, its development is being funded with billions of dollars by people expecting to make a huge profit.
    
            Do the interests of the public align with the interests of the shareholders to whom profit-driven, potentially tremendously lucrative-for-a-few companies are beholden? Or with the interests of tech entrepreneurs who are primarily excited about being at the forefront of the AI revolution, regardless of the potential human costs?
    
            One thing is clear: AI is coming. And how it is built and unleashed on the public matters more than perhaps any technology of the past century. It is, indeed, up there with the atom bomb in its destructive potential – except likely more difficult to regulate and control.
    
            “Regulation” does not begin to scratch the surface of what’s needed to make sure that the AI future is not a catastrophic one, especially since the development of AI is now a massive international arms race, with particularly horrific implications if bad actors develop this technology first. But regulation is, at minimum, a necessary step.
    
            So is transparency: In the US, companies have wide leverage to work behind a veil of secrecy, and much of what AI companies do is kept secret to stymy competition. But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.
    
            The Altman story is fascinating because Altman is the most powerful figure in AI technology, which in effect makes him one of the most powerful men in the world. But that should give us pause: Who is he, what power does he hold, what is he doing with it, who does he answer to, and are we comfortable with this much life-altering potential being held by a few unaccountable people?",CNN,21/11/2023,"['The biggest tech news this week is theousterof Sam Altman from his role as CEO of OpenAI, a move that has shaken the company and the industry.', 'Hundreds of OpenAI employees have threatened toresign.', 'Altman has alreadymoved onto a role at Microsoft.', 'And OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is on itsthird CEOin as many days.', 'It’s all very juicy.', 'But this drama should also be raising larger questions, far beyond one company’s internal hirings and firings, including: Who are the people making the decisionsthat will determine so much of our technological future?', 'What guiding principles are they using to make those decisions?', 'And how should other institutions – governments, non-tech industries, global alliances, regulatory bodies – reign in the worst excesses of potentially dangerous AI innovators?', 'OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, with an explicit mission to harness what may soon be superhuman intelligence “to benefit humanity as a whole.”', 'But that sensibility hasn’t lasted.', 'The company now has a multi-billion-dollar for-profit arm.', 'They have been developing new technologies at lightning speed, and sometimes sending them out to the publicbefore some employees believed they were ready.', 'The company has already reportedly invented an AI technology so dangerous they will never release it – but they alsowon’t tellreporters or the public exactly what it is.', 'This dynamic – a potentially dangerous technology developed at extreme speed, largely behind closed doors – is partly to blame for Altman’s firing.', 'The OpenAI board, according toCNN’s David Goldman, worried that “the company was making the technological equivalent of a nuclear bomb, and its caretaker, Sam Altman, was moving so fast that he risked a global catastrophe.”', 'At particular issue seemed to be Altman’s efforts to make the tools behind ChatGPT available to anyone who wanted to make their own version of the chatbot.', 'This could be widely disastrous, some board members worried.', 'But then they fired him without warning, and apparently without involving Microsoft, the company’s largest shareholder.', 'Now, Altman is at the new AI group at Microsoft, and one has to wonder if the oversight and caution there will be on par with that at OpenAI, or if he’ll be handed carte blanche to push as fast and hard as he wants.', 'And for all the justified reticence of the OpenAI board, the company has carried out much of its work in secrecy – without the public really understanding what a handful of unaccountable technologists are building, and how it is nearly guaranteed to indelibly change their lives.', 'AI is broadly understood to have the potential to reshape vast swaths of human existence.', 'At the very least, it seems nearly guaranteed to change how we process information, how we communicate, how we learn and how we work (and if we work).', 'And the ramifications could be much more extreme.', 'AI technologies have already demonstrated the abilityto lie and to cover their tracks.', 'They have already been able tosuggest the designto make a virus spread more quickly.', 'Many researchersacutely understandjust how quickly these machines could develop the capacity to annihilate us, including Altman: He has a prepper’s paradise prepared in Big Sur, complete with guns and “gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force” in case AI goes off the rails and the robots go to war against humans,according to reporting in the New Yorker.', 'But don’t worry, he told an Atlantic reporter: If AI is determined to wipe us out, “no gas mask is helping anyone.” (', 'If you want an excellent and terrifying rundown of AI’s risks – at least those we understand right now, which are almost certainly a mere sliver of the looming perils –the Atlantic profile of Altman and his technologyis worth a read).', 'AI is very exciting technology.', 'But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”', 'Given the life-altering potential of AI – that even if it doesn’t kill us all, it will almost certainly change human existence in unprecedented ways at unprecedented speed – we all have a stake in how it’s being developed.', 'And yet the development is being left to a handful of people (who seem to belargelymen) in Silicon Valley, and other tech pockets around the globe.', 'And we all have a stake in whose interests AI will serve – and right now, its development is being funded with billions of dollars by people expecting to make a huge profit.', 'Do the interests of the public align with the interests of the shareholders to whom profit-driven, potentially tremendously lucrative-for-a-few companies are beholden?', 'Or with the interests of tech entrepreneurs who are primarily excited about being at the forefront of the AI revolution, regardless of the potential human costs?', 'One thing is clear: AI is coming.', 'And how it is built and unleashed on the public matters more than perhaps any technology of the past century.', 'It is, indeed, up there with the atom bomb in its destructive potential – except likely more difficult to regulate and control.', '“Regulation” does not begin to scratch the surface of what’s needed to make sure that the AI future is not a catastrophic one, especially since the development of AI is now a massive international arms race, with particularly horrific implications if bad actors develop this technology first.', 'But regulation is, at minimum, a necessary step.', 'So is transparency: In the US, companies have wide leverage to work behind a veil of secrecy, and much of what AI companies do is kept secret to stymy competition.', 'But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.', 'The Altman story is fascinating because Altman is the most powerful figure in AI technology, which in effect makes him one of the most powerful men in the world.', 'But that should give us pause: Who is he, what power does he hold, what is he doing with it, who does he answer to, and are we comfortable with this much life-altering potential being held by a few unaccountable people?']",0.0034737194649936,"But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.","But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”",-0.2999433577060699,AI technologies have already demonstrated the abilityto lie and to cover their tracks.,"But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”",2024-05-29
Subway is bringing back the footlong cookie after it disappeared for four months,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/food/subway-footlong-cookie-return/index.html,"
  Updated
        1:53 PM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","Rest easy, America: Subway’s footlong cookie is back.
    
            Following a four-month long disappearance, Subway announced Wednesday the “triumphant return” of the oversized chocolate chip cookie, which was pulled from many restaurants less than two weeks after its January debut because of massive demand.
    
            The giant cookie was part of Subway’s new Sidekick lineup, a key part to Subway’s turnaround plans, which also includes a number of other changes to its menus as part of its efforts to keep up with rivals. The lineup also consists of a Cinnabon churro and a soft pretzel from Auntie Anne’s, both of which remained on sale in the past few months. Subway said it has sold more than 5 million cookies since its roll out.
    
            The chain company added customization to its menu, doubled down on pushing orders to its app, increased its international presence and most recently introduced freshly sliced meats — a major shift from Subway’s previous method of delivering cold cuts pre-sliced.
    
            “The Footlong Cookie has delighted millions of Americans since their first bites in January, sparking unprecedented demand over the last several months,” Paul Fabre, Subway’s senior vice president of culinary and innovation, said in a press release.
    
            Fabre added the chain “worked diligently to rush” additional supply into restaurants.
    
            Effective immediately, the cookie is available to order on platforms where they were pulled from, including Subway’s website, app and third-party services, like DoorDash and Uber Eats. They can also be ordered in-person.
    
            Subway could use a boost: Its location count continues to dwindle, closing more than 400 restaurants in the US last year. Subway finished the year with its smallest number of US restaurants (20,133) since 2005.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['Rest easy, America: Subway’s footlong cookie is back.', 'Following a four-month long disappearance, Subway announced Wednesday the “triumphant return” of the oversized chocolate chip cookie, which was pulled from many restaurants less than two weeks after its January debut because of massive demand.', 'The giant cookie was part of Subway’s new Sidekick lineup, a key part to Subway’s turnaround plans, which also includes a number of other changes to its menus as part of its efforts to keep up with rivals.', 'The lineup also consists of a Cinnabon churro and a soft pretzel from Auntie Anne’s, both of which remained on sale in the past few months.', 'Subway said it has sold more than 5 million cookies since its roll out.', 'The chain company addedcustomization to its menu, doubled down on pushing orders to its app, increased itsinternational presenceand most recently introducedfreshly sliced meats— a major shift from Subway’s previous method of delivering cold cuts pre-sliced.', '“The Footlong Cookie has delighted millions of Americans since their first bites in January, sparking unprecedented demand over the last several months,”Paul Fabre, Subway’s senior vice president of culinary and innovation, said in a press release.', 'Fabre added the chain “worked diligently to rush” additional supply into restaurants.', 'Effective immediately, the cookie is available to order on platforms where they were pulled from, including Subway’s website, app and third-party services, like DoorDash and Uber Eats.', 'They can also be ordered in-person.', 'Subway could use a boost: Its location count continues to dwindle, closing more than 400 restaurants in the US last year.', 'Subway finished the year with its smallest number of US restaurants (20,133) since 2005.']",0.2398801830809499,"Effective immediately, the cookie is available to order on platforms where they were pulled from, including Subway’s website, app and third-party services, like DoorDash and Uber Eats.",,0.5992233157157898,"“The Footlong Cookie has delighted millions of Americans since their first bites in January, sparking unprecedented demand over the last several months,”Paul Fabre, Subway’s senior vice president of culinary and innovation, said in a press release.","Subway could use a boost: Its location count continues to dwindle, closing more than 400 restaurants in the US last year.",2024-05-29
Attorney General looking into attempted foreclosure of Elvis Presley’s Graceland home,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/23/business/attorney-general-looking-into-attempted-graceland-foreclosure/index.html,"
  Published
        7:46 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is looking into the attempted foreclosure auction of Elvis Presley’s iconic Memphis home, known as Graceland, by an alleged private investment company.
    
            On Wednesday, Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC dropped its foreclosure efforts against Graceland.
    
            Danielle Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter and heir, filed a lawsuit earlier this month to halt the foreclosure sale claiming Naussany Investment’s paperwork was bogus and an attempt to defraud the family.
    
            “I have asked my lawyers to look into this matter, determine the full extent of any misconduct that may have occurred, and identify what we can do to protect both Elvis Presley’s heirs and anyone else who may be similarly threatened,” said Skrmetti in a statement.
    
            Naussany Investments produced paperwork that Lisa Marie Presley defaulted on a $3.8 million loan, prior to her 2023 passing, and used Graceland as collateral, according to court documents.
    
            “These documents are fraudulent,” Keough’s lawsuit alleges. “Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments.”
    
            Keough’s suit also claims that the documents Naussany presented, including a 2018 notarized promissory note signed by Lisa Marie Presley, were forged. Even the notary public whose name appeared on the disputed document, told the court in an affidavit that they had never notarized Lisa Marie Presley’s signature.
    
            A Shelby County, Tennessee, Chancellor on Wednesday blocked the foreclosure sale scheduled for this Thursday, noting the notary identified in the transaction, has sworn that they did not notarize the signature of Lisa Marie Presley on the deed of trust bringing into question the authenticity of the signature on the deed.
    
            Keough’s ownership of Graceland has been confirmed by a Memphis court, according to Tennessee’s top attorney.
    
            “Graceland is one of the most iconic landmarks in the State of Tennessee, and the Presley family have generously shared it with the world since Elvis’s passing,” said Skrmetti. “Elvis made Memphis the center of the music universe, and Graceland stands as a monument to his legacy and a fond remembrance for his family. My office has fought fraud against homeowners for decades, and there is no home in Tennessee more beloved than Graceland.”
    
            Naussany Investments was listed in court documents as being located in Kimberling City, Missouri, but CNN was unable to locate a business in the state by that name. CNN was also unable to locate a business by that name when searching nationwide.
    
            The lender is also unknown to Tennessee banking regulators.
    
            Alicia Owens, a public information officer with the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, told CNN in an e-mail that, “Naussany Investments & Private Lending, LLC (Naussany) is not a licensed mortgage lender in Tennessee and is not regulated by the Department.”",CNN,23/05/2024,"['Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is looking into the attempted foreclosure auction of Elvis Presley’s iconic Memphis home, known as Graceland, by an alleged private investment company.', 'On Wednesday, Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC dropped its foreclosure efforts against Graceland.', 'Danielle Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter and heir, filed a lawsuit earlier this month to halt the foreclosure sale claiming Naussany Investment’s paperwork was bogus and an attempt to defraud the family.', '“I have asked my lawyers to look into this matter, determine the full extent of any misconduct that may have occurred, and identify what we can do to protect both Elvis Presley’s heirs and anyone else who may be similarly threatened,” said Skrmetti in a statement.', 'Naussany Investments produced paperwork that Lisa Marie Presley defaulted on a $3.8 million loan, prior to her 2023 passing, and used Graceland as collateral, according to court documents.', '“These documents are fraudulent,” Keough’s lawsuit alleges. “', 'Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments.”', 'Keough’s suit also claims that the documents Naussany presented, including a 2018 notarized promissory note signed by Lisa Marie Presley, were forged.', 'Even the notary public whose name appeared on the disputed document, told the court in an affidavit that they had never notarized Lisa Marie Presley’s signature.', 'A Shelby County, Tennessee, Chancellor on Wednesday blocked the foreclosure sale scheduled for this Thursday, noting the notary identified in the transaction, has sworn that they did not notarize the signature of Lisa Marie Presley on the deed of trust bringing into question the authenticity of the signature on the deed.', 'Keough’s ownership of Graceland has been confirmed by a Memphis court, according to Tennessee’s top attorney.', '“Graceland is one of the most iconic landmarks in the State of Tennessee, and the Presley family have generously shared it with the world since Elvis’s passing,” said Skrmetti. “', 'Elvis made Memphis the center of the music universe, and Graceland stands as a monument to his legacy and a fond remembrance for his family.', 'My office has fought fraud against homeowners for decades, and there is no home in Tennessee more beloved than Graceland.”', 'Naussany Investments was listed in court documents as being located in Kimberling City, Missouri, but CNN was unable to locate a business in the state by that name.', 'CNN was also unable to locate a business by that name when searching nationwide.', 'The lender is also unknown to Tennessee banking regulators.', 'Alicia Owens, a public information officer with the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, told CNN in an e-mail that, “Naussany Investments & Private Lending, LLC (Naussany) is not a licensed mortgage lender in Tennessee and is not regulated by the Department.”']",-0.0009162365474695,"“Graceland is one of the most iconic landmarks in the State of Tennessee, and the Presley family have generously shared it with the world since Elvis’s passing,” said Skrmetti. “","“These documents are fraudulent,” Keough’s lawsuit alleges. “",-0.8876968026161194,,"Danielle Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter and heir, filed a lawsuit earlier this month to halt the foreclosure sale claiming Naussany Investment’s paperwork was bogus and an attempt to defraud the family.",2024-05-29
OpenAI’s wild week. How the Sam Altman story unfolded,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/22/tech/openai-sam-altman-chaos-explained-intl-hnk/index.html,"
  Updated
        3:32 PM EST, Wed November 22, 2023
    ","In a year of wild tech stories that has seen Elon Musk transform Twitter, cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapse and Silicon Valley Bank implode, this week’s whiplash-inducing turmoil at OpenAI is among the most captivating.
    
            Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps the most visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move. Less than five days later, he’s back as the company’s CEO, now with a board that is, in theory, more supportive of his vision.
    
            The series of extraordinary events unfolded just days after OpenAI held its first-ever developer conference, where it laid out new, commercialized versions of its technology, including the option to customize its ChatGPT AI chatbot.
    
            If you’re just catching up, here’s what you missed from a week so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking the script could have been written by an early version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
    
            Around 3 p.m. ET, Altman joined a Google Meet call with most of OpenAI’s board that had been convened by fellow co-founder and OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, during which Altman was fired and told that the news would soon be made public.
    
            Within the next half hour, the board also informed Greg Brockman, another co-founder and OpenAI president, that he would be removed from the board.
    
            Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board. The board said Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, would become interim CEO.
    
            OpenAI’s strategic partners, including its biggest financial backer Microsoft, were also reportedly informed of Altman’s ouster just minutes before the board’s announcement.
    
            Hours after being fired, Altman posted on X that he “loved working with such talented people” and that he would have “more to say about what’s next later.”
    
            Brockman promptly quit. “Please don’t spend any time being concerned. We will be fine,” Brockman said in a Friday post on X. “Greater things coming soon.”
    
            A key factor in the CEO’s firing was tension between Altman, who favored developing AI more aggressively, and members of the OpenAI board, who wanted to move more cautiously, according to CNN contributor Kara Swisher, who spoke to sources knowledgeable about the unfolding events.
    
            Within 24 hours of Altman being fired, reports emerged that he and other ex-OpenAI loyalists were mulling plans for their own venture.
    
            OpenAI’s board was also reportedly having second thoughts and considering asking the ousted CEO to return.
    
            By Sunday afternoon, Altman was back at OpenAI’s headquarters — this time with a guest badge — to negotiate his potential return. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly mediated the discussion. A 5 p.m. PT deadline was reportedly set for the board to agree to Altman’s demands, including adding a seat for Microsoft, and reinstating him as CEO.
    
            But those talks broke down.
    
            As Sunday turned into Monday, Nadella tweeted that Altman, along with Brockman, would join Microsoft to run a new AI research group. At OpenAI, the group found a new interim CEO: Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Amazon’s streaming service, Twitch. Murati would return to her role as OpenAI’s chief technology officer.
    
            In a post on X early Monday, Shear, who left his role at Twitch in March, described the chance to join OpenAI as “a once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. He added that the company would hire an independent investigator to report on what happened in the lead-up to Altman’s firing.
    
            But OpenAI employees were not convinced. More than 500 staffers signed an open letter calling on the company’s board to resign and reinstate Altman and Brockman. They also threatened to follow the co-founders to Microsoft if their demands were not met.
    
            Altman posted on X, saying, “we have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before. we are all going to work together some way or other, and i’m so excited. one team, one mission.”
    
            The drama was far from over. The Verge reported Monday afternoon that Altman and Brockman could still return to OpenAI if the board members who fired him resign.
    
            And Nadella, speaking to CNBC, said he was “open to both options” when asked whether Altman would actually join Microsoft.
    
            “Look, that is for the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose,” Nadella said. “We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI and we want to continue to do so, and obviously, that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft.”
    
            Altman was reinstated late Tuesday as OpenAI’s CEO, the company said on X.
    
            “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board,” the company said, adding that the board will be chaired by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will also join the board, alongside existing director, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo.
    
            “We are collaborating to figure out the details,” it said.
    
            In his own post on X, formerly Twitter, Altman wrote that he is “looking forward” to returning to OpenAI and building on the firm’s “strong partnership” with Microsoft.
    
            It’s unclear how Shear will be affected by Altman’s return. Posting on X, Shear wrote: “I am deeply pleased by this result, after (some) 72 very intense hours of work … I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.”
    
            Brockman is also returning to OpenAI, according to his post on X.
    
            Ultimately, Microsoft and Altman appear to be the big winners from the dust-up: Altman will continue leading the firm he helped to found. And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.
    
            “We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadella said on X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”",CNN,22/11/2023,"['In a year of wild tech stories that has seen Elon Musk transform Twitter, cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapse and Silicon Valley Bank implode, this week’s whiplash-inducing turmoil at OpenAI is among the most captivating.', 'Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps themost visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move.', 'Less than five days later, he’s back as the company’s CEO, now with a board that is, in theory, more supportive of his vision.', 'The series of extraordinary events unfolded just days after OpenAI held itsfirst-ever developer conference, where it laid out new, commercialized versions of its technology, including the option to customize its ChatGPT AI chatbot.', 'If you’re just catching up, here’s what you missed from a week so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking the script could have been written by an early version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.', 'Around 3 p.m. ET, Altman joined a Google Meet call with most of OpenAI’s board that had been convened by fellow co-founder and OpenAI chief scientistIlya Sutskever, during which Altman was fired and told that the news would soon be made public.', 'Within the next half hour, the board also informed Greg Brockman, another co-founder and OpenAI president, that he would be removed from the board.', 'Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board.', 'The board said Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, would become interim CEO.', 'OpenAI’s strategic partners, including its biggest financial backer Microsoft, were also reportedly informed of Altman’s ouster just minutes before the board’s announcement.', 'Hours after being fired, Altman posted on X that he “loved working with such talented people” and that he would have “more to say about what’s next later.”', 'Brockman promptly quit. “', 'Please don’t spend any time being concerned.', 'We will be fine,” Brockmansaid in a Friday poston X. “Greater things coming soon.”', 'A key factor in the CEO’s firing wastension between Altman, who favored developing AImore aggressively, and members of the OpenAI board, who wanted to move more cautiously,according to CNN contributor Kara Swisher,who spoke to sources knowledgeable about the unfolding events.', 'Within 24 hours of Altman being fired, reports emerged that he and other ex-OpenAI loyalists were mulling plans for their own venture.', 'OpenAI’s board was also reportedly having second thoughts and considering asking the ousted CEO to return.', 'By Sunday afternoon, Altman wasback at OpenAI’s headquarters— this time with a guest badge — to negotiate his potential return.', 'Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly mediated the discussion.', 'A 5 p.m. PT deadline was reportedly set for the board to agree to Altman’s demands, including adding a seat for Microsoft, and reinstating him as CEO.', 'But those talks broke down.', 'As Sunday turned into Monday, Nadella tweeted that Altman, along with Brockman, would join Microsoft to run a new AI research group.', 'At OpenAI, the group found a new interim CEO: Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Amazon’s streaming service, Twitch.', 'Murati would return to her role as OpenAI’s chief technology officer.', 'In a post on X early Monday, Shear, who left his role at Twitch in March, described the chance to join OpenAI as “a once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.', 'He added that the company would hire an independent investigator to report on what happened in the lead-up to Altman’s firing.', 'But OpenAI employees were not convinced.', 'More than 500 staffers signed an open letter calling on the company’s board to resign and reinstate Altman and Brockman.', 'They also threatened to follow the co-founders to Microsoft if their demands were not met.', 'Altman posted on X, saying, “we have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before.', 'we are all going to work together some way or other, and i’m so excited.', 'one team, one mission.”', 'The drama was far from over.', 'The Verge reported Monday afternoonthat Altman and Brockman could still return to OpenAI if the board members who fired him resign.', 'And Nadella, speaking to CNBC, said he was “open to both options” when asked whether Altman would actually join Microsoft.', '“Look, that is for the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose,” Nadella said. “', 'We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI and we want to continue to do so, and obviously, that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft.”', 'Altmanwas reinstated late Tuesday as OpenAI’s CEO, the company said on X.  “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board,” the company said, adding that the board will be chaired by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce.', 'Former Treasury SecretaryLarry Summers will also join the board, alongside existing director, Quora CEOAdam D’Angelo.', '“We are collaborating to figure out the details,” it said.', 'In his own post on X, formerly Twitter, Altmanwrotethat he is “looking forward” to returning to OpenAI and building on the firm’s “strong partnership” with Microsoft.', 'It’s unclear how Shear will be affected by Altman’s return.', 'Posting on X, Shear wrote:“I am deeply pleased by this result, after (some) 72 very intense hours of work … I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.”', 'Brockman is also returning to OpenAI, according to hispost on X.  Ultimately, Microsoft and Altman appear to be the big winners from the dust-up: Altman will continue leading the firm he helped to found.', 'And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.', '“We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadellasaidon X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”']",0.062777217389235,"“We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadellasaidon X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”","Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board.",0.549453833273479,And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.,"Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps themost visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move.",2024-05-29
US home prices hit another record high in March,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/economy/us-home-prices-case-shiller-march/index.html,"
  Updated
        10:40 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.
    
            The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, a measure of home prices across the country, jumped 6.5% in March from a year earlier to a record high. It is the sixth time the index has reached a new record high over the past year.
    
            The report showed that there’s strong demand for housing in urban population centers such as San Diego, New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles. The 20-city index rose in March at a slightly faster pace than in February.
    
            “This month’s report boasts another all-time high,” said Brian Luke, head of commodities, real and digital assets, at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “We’ve witnessed records repeatedly break in both stock and housing markets over the past year.”
    
            In addition to unrelentingly high home prices, the housing market is also grappling with a chronic lack of homes on the market and elevated mortgage rates. Put together, it has resulted in a tough housing market, especially first-time buyers.
    
            Housing affordability, which factors in incomes, home prices and mortgage rates, remains in the doldrums. But there have been some steps in the right direction recently.
    
            The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 7% last week, after rates began to surge in mid-April. Still, mortgage rates are higher than anything seen in the decade leading up to 2022. Economists don’t expect mortgage rates to decline meaningfully this year and could very well remain above 6%.
    
            That’s because inflation got stuck earlier this year, causing the Federal Reserve to push back the timing of its interest rate cut. The Fed’s key interest rate is currently at its highest level in more than two decades. The central bank doesn’t directly set mortgage rates, but its actions do influence them. Mortgage rates track the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which moves in anticipation of the Fed’s policy moves.
    
            One persistent headache for buyers has been sky-high home prices. Annual home price growth is down from a record high of 20.8% in March 2022, but it has picked up steam in the past several months. Since the spring of 2022, there have only been two months in which homes prices declined.
    
            A persistent under-supply of housing is a key factor putting some upward pressure on prices, but there have been some consistent improvements this year. The National Association of Realtors reported last week that total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% higher from a year earlier. However, that is nowhere close to keeping up with demand, economists say.
    
             This story is developing and will be updated.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.', 'The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, a measure of home prices across the country, jumped 6.5% in March from a year earlier to a record high.', 'It is the sixth time the index has reached a new record high over the past year.', 'The report showed that there’s strong demand for housing in urban population centers such as San Diego, New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles.', 'The 20-city index rose in March at a slightly faster pace than in February.', '“This month’s report boasts another all-time high,” said Brian Luke, head of commodities, real and digital assets, at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “', 'We’ve witnessed records repeatedly break in both stock and housing markets over the past year.”', 'In addition to unrelentingly high home prices, the housing market is also grappling with a chronic lack of homes on the market and elevated mortgage rates.', 'Put together, it has resulted in a tough housing market, especially first-time buyers.', 'Housing affordability, which factors in incomes, home prices and mortgage rates, remains in the doldrums.', 'But there have been some steps in the right direction recently.', 'The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 7% last week, after rates began to surge in mid-April.', 'Still, mortgage rates are higher than anything seen in the decade leading up to 2022.', 'Economists don’t expect mortgage rates to decline meaningfully this year and could very well remain above 6%.', 'That’s because inflation got stuck earlier this year, causing the Federal Reserve to push back the timing of its interest rate cut.', 'The Fed’s key interest rate is currently at its highest level in more than two decades.', 'The central bank doesn’t directly set mortgage rates, but its actions do influence them.', 'Mortgage rates track the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which moves in anticipation of the Fed’s policy moves.', 'One persistent headache for buyers has been sky-high home prices.', 'Annual home price growth is down from a record high of 20.8% in March 2022, but it has picked up steam in the past several months.', 'Since the spring of 2022, there have only been two months in which homes prices declined.', 'A persistent under-supply of housing is a key factor putting some upward pressure on prices, but there have been some consistent improvements this year.', 'The National Association of Realtors reported last week that total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% higher from a year earlier.', 'However, that is nowhere close to keeping up with demand, economists say.', 'This story is developing and will be updated.']",0.0461897163063653,The Fed’s key interest rate is currently at its highest level in more than two decades.,"US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.",0.0383320569992065,"The National Association of Realtors reported last week that total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% higher from a year earlier.","The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 7% last week, after rates began to surge in mid-April.",2024-05-29
What Vivek Ramaswamy really wants with his activist stake in BuzzFeed,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/media/buzzfeed-vivek-ramaswamy-trolling/index.html,"
  Published
        7:40 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here.
    
            Vivek Ramaswamy is waging an expensive trolling campaign on BuzzFeed
    
            Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — who has an extensive history promoting lies and conspiracy theories, including around the January 6 insurrection, the Sept. 11 attacks, and legitimacy of the 2020 vote — outlined his plan on Tuesday to revive the once high-flying progressive media company, which he disclosed earlier this month he had taken an activist stake in.
    
            In a letter to BuzzFeed’s board, a copy of which Ramaswamy posted online, the MAGA hardliner and former Republican presidential candidate recommended laying off large swaths of the company’s existing staff. He encouraged BuzzFeed’s board to transform the outlet into a creator-driven platform, suggesting it hire personalities akin to fellow radicals Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson. He requested that the board add three unnamed directors to its ranks to increase “diversity of thought.” And, finally, Ramaswamy implored BuzzFeed to issue a public apology to the country for having supposedly lied about Donald Trump, Covid-19 and various other issues.
    
            “Address your audience directly and candidly admit: We failed in our obligation to tell you the truth,” Ramaswamy encouraged BuzzFeed. “By both omission and commission, we repeatedly lied on issues of national importance, and so did the rest of the media.”
    
            Needless to say, Ramaswamy’s proposal is not a serious one. He obviously knows that BuzzFeed is not going be issuing any apologies for supposedly lying to the public. And it goes without saying that BuzzFeed co-founder and boss Jonah Peretti is not going to adopt a business plan that would deform his company and remold it into a Rumble-like platform that would disseminate MAGA disinformation for profit.
    
            “What few business ideas he presents in his letter are distinctly un-original and reflects media truisms and conventional platitudes, none of which could possibly be new to BuzzFeed or any experienced media leaders,” Jeffrey A Sonnenfeld, the renowned professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, told me Tuesday. “He praises his three nominees for the board and pressures BuzzFeed into accepting them without publicly identifying who they are and whether they are qualified beyond their loyalty to Vivek. He is, in short, trying to hijack BuzzFeed and turn it into a pliable Vivek Ramaswamy in-house news organ — VivekNews so to speak.”
    
            While BuzzFeed was once the upstart darling of the digital media era, soaring with massive audience scale on the back of social media referrals and quirky quizzes, changes to Facebook and other platforms’ algorithms took the wind out of the outlet’s sails. Since BuzzFeed went public in 2021 via a SPAC, shares in the company have plunged 92%, trading at $3 on Tuesday. Though the company has fallen on hard times, most notably shuttering its award-winning news division and selling off Complex, it continues to operate The Huffington Post, Tasty, First We Feast and other major internet brands.
    
            Peretti, in his emailed response to Ramaswamy, was more cordial than Sonnenfeld. But it was apparent that he does not view the right-wing entrepreneur’s ideas for the future of BuzzFeed as compelling.
    
            “Based on your letter, you have some fundamental misunderstandings about the drivers of our business, the values of our audience, and the mission of the company,” Peretti wrote. “I’m very skeptical it makes business sense to turn BuzzFeed into a creator platform for inflammatory political pundits. And we’re definitely not going to issue an apology for our Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism.”
    
            Peretti said he does “welcome outside perspectives from shareholders” and would meet with Ramaswamy. Though in doing so, Peretti made it clear Ramaswamy does not call the shots at the company and would have to consult with Peretti’s executive assistant to “schedule a time to meet.”
    
            Indeed, while Ramaswamy disclosed that he has taken an 8.3% stake in BuzzFeed’s class A shares, a position he said he continues to increase, he has little actual power over the direction of the company. That is because Peretti owns 96% of class B shares, which each come with 50 votes compared to the single vote a class A share offers. As it currently stands, Peretti has 64% voting power compared to Ramaswamy’s paltry 2.6%. In other words, Peretti remains — by far — the actual boss at BuzzFeed. Ramaswamy’s antics might generate noise, but that’s all it ultimately is.
    
            So what does Ramaswamy really want from this affair? Occam’s razor would suggest the noise and attention it brings, which has been the apparent motivating factor behind the various moves he has made in recent years, including running for president.
    
            As Sonnenfeld derived from his letter, Ramaswamy’s proposal “oozes with self-promotion and seemingly reflects an ideological crusade much more than a serious business turnaround plan.”
    
            Asked how Peretti and the BuzzFeed board should address Ramaswamy’s activist stake, Sonnenfeld was not subtle: “Ramaswamy has little credibility amongst the investors who comprise BuzzFeed’s shareholder base, less credibility with their subscribers, and BuzzFeed’s board should not allow him to hijack the company with such a minor stake and turn BuzzFeed into the Vivek Ramaswamy in-house news organ.”",CNN,29/05/2024,"['Editor’s Note:A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.', 'Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here.', 'Vivek Ramaswamyis waging an expensive trolling campaign onBuzzFeed  Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — who has an extensive history promoting lies and conspiracy theories, including around the January 6 insurrection, the Sept. 11 attacks, and legitimacy of the 2020 vote — outlined his plan on Tuesday to revive the once high-flying progressive media company, which he disclosed earlier this month he had taken an activist stake in.', 'In a letter to BuzzFeed’s board, a copy of which Ramaswamy posted online, the MAGA hardliner and former Republican presidential candidate recommended laying off large swaths of the company’s existing staff.', 'He encouraged BuzzFeed’s board to transform the outlet into a creator-driven platform, suggesting it hire personalities akin to fellow radicalsCandace OwensandTucker Carlson.', 'He requested that the board add three unnamed directors to its ranks to increase “diversity of thought.”', 'And, finally, Ramaswamy implored BuzzFeed to issue a public apology to the country for having supposedly lied aboutDonald Trump, Covid-19 and various other issues.', '“Address your audience directly and candidly admit: We failed in our obligation to tell you the truth,” Ramaswamy encouraged BuzzFeed. “', 'By both omission and commission, we repeatedly lied on issues of national importance, and so did the rest of the media.”', 'Needless to say, Ramaswamy’s proposal is not a serious one.', 'He obviously knows that BuzzFeed is not going be issuing any apologies for supposedly lying to the public.', 'And it goes without saying that BuzzFeed co-founder and bossJonah Perettiis not going to adopt a business plan that would deform his company and remold it into aRumble-like platform that would disseminate MAGA disinformation for profit.', '“What few business ideas he presents in his letter are distinctly un-original and reflects media truisms and conventional platitudes, none of which could possibly be new to BuzzFeed or any experienced media leaders,”Jeffrey A Sonnenfeld, the renowned professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at theYale School of Management, told me Tuesday. “', 'He praises his three nominees for the board and pressures BuzzFeed into accepting them without publicly identifying who they are and whether they are qualified beyond their loyalty to Vivek.', 'He is, in short, trying to hijack BuzzFeed and turn it into a pliable Vivek Ramaswamy in-house news organ — VivekNews so to speak.”', 'While BuzzFeed was once the upstart darling of the digital media era, soaring with massive audience scale on the back of social media referrals and quirky quizzes, changes toFacebookand other platforms’ algorithms took the wind out of the outlet’s sails.', 'Since BuzzFeed went public in 2021 via a SPAC, shares in the company have plunged 92%, trading at $3 on Tuesday.', 'Though the company has fallen on hard times, most notably shuttering its award-winning news division and selling offComplex, it continues to operateThe Huffington Post,Tasty,First We Feastand other major internet brands.', 'Peretti, in his emailed response to Ramaswamy, was more cordial than Sonnenfeld.', 'But it was apparent that he does not view the right-wing entrepreneur’s ideas for the future of BuzzFeed as compelling.', '“Based on your letter, you have some fundamental misunderstandings about the drivers of our business, the values of our audience, and the mission of the company,” Peretti wrote. “', 'I’m very skeptical it makes business sense to turn BuzzFeed into a creator platform for inflammatory political pundits.', 'And we’re definitely not going to issue an apology for ourPulitzer Prize-winning journalism.”', 'Peretti said he does “welcome outside perspectives from shareholders” and would meet with Ramaswamy.', 'Though in doing so, Peretti made it clear Ramaswamy does not call the shots at the company and would have to consult with Peretti’s executive assistant to “schedule a time to meet.”', 'Indeed, while Ramaswamy disclosed that he has taken an 8.3% stake in BuzzFeed’s class A shares, a position he said he continues to increase, he has little actual power over the direction of the company.', 'That is because Peretti owns 96% of class B shares, which each come with 50 votes compared to the single vote a class A share offers.', 'As it currently stands, Peretti has 64% voting power compared to Ramaswamy’s paltry 2.6%.', 'In other words, Peretti remains —by far— the actual boss at BuzzFeed.', 'Ramaswamy’s antics might generate noise, but that’s all it ultimately is.', 'So what does Ramaswamy really want from this affair?', 'Occam’s razor would suggest the noise and attention it brings, which has been the apparent motivating factor behind the various moves he has made in recent years, including running for president.', 'As Sonnenfeld derived from his letter, Ramaswamy’s proposal “oozes with self-promotion and seemingly reflects an ideological crusade much more than a serious business turnaround plan.”', 'Asked how Peretti and the BuzzFeed board should address Ramaswamy’s activist stake, Sonnenfeld was not subtle: “Ramaswamy has little credibility amongst the investors who comprise BuzzFeed’s shareholder base, less credibility with their subscribers, and BuzzFeed’s board should not allow him to hijack the company with such a minor stake and turn BuzzFeed into the Vivek Ramaswamy in-house news organ.”']",0.1880490775379691,And we’re definitely not going to issue an apology for ourPulitzer Prize-winning journalism.”,"Vivek Ramaswamyis waging an expensive trolling campaign onBuzzFeed  Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — who has an extensive history promoting lies and conspiracy theories, including around the January 6 insurrection, the Sept. 11 attacks, and legitimacy of the 2020 vote — outlined his plan on Tuesday to revive the once high-flying progressive media company, which he disclosed earlier this month he had taken an activist stake in.",-0.3892892173358372,"While BuzzFeed was once the upstart darling of the digital media era, soaring with massive audience scale on the back of social media referrals and quirky quizzes, changes toFacebookand other platforms’ algorithms took the wind out of the outlet’s sails.","Since BuzzFeed went public in 2021 via a SPAC, shares in the company have plunged 92%, trading at $3 on Tuesday.",2024-05-29
Cleveland Fed taps Goldman Sachs veteran Beth Hammack as new president,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/economy/new-cleveland-fed-president-beth-hammack/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:32 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland announced Wednesday that Beth M. Hammack will be its next president and chief executive officer after current president Loretta Mester retires at the end of June.
    
            Hammack, 52, joins the Cleveland Fed after three decades at Goldman Sachs. She is slated to vote on monetary policy decisions as of August 21, when her term officially starts.
    
            For the July meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will be voting in place of the Cleveland Fed. At every Fed meeting, 12 Fed officials vote, seven of whom are from the Fed’s board of governors. Aside from New York Fed President John Williams, the remaining votes are from an annually rotating panel of regional Fed presidents. Goolsbee is currently an alternate voter and otherwise would not have voted until 2025.
    
            Goolsbee has been a bit more optimistic than some of his colleagues regarding the progress he expects on getting inflation back down to the Fed’s 2% target. However, it’s unclear where Hammack stands on monetary policy.
    
            The central bank is currently mulling when to begin cutting interest rates after raising them to a two-decade high last summer. Inflation stalled earlier this year, which prompted the Fed to delay the timing of its first rate cut, but weaker-than-expected figures on employment and spending thrust rate cuts back into the conversation.
    
            Through her three-decade career at the Wall Street bank, Hammack has developed experience working with policymakers and serving on advisory boards, according to a release from the Cleveland Fed.
    
            She was chair of the federal government’s Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee and a member of the Financial Research Advisory Committee and the Treasury Market Practices Group. She’s also currently the chair of the board of the nonprofit organization Math for America.
    
            Hammack earned a bachelor of arts degree in quantitative economics and history from Stanford University.
    
            “Beth has a deep understanding of financial markets and the monetary policy transmission process, expertise in leading complex business lines, and a proven commitment to mission-focused work,” said Heidi Gartland, chair of the presidential search committee and the Cleveland Fed’s board of directors, in a release.
    
            Mester, who has been president of the Cleveland Fed since 2014, has typically had so-called “hawkish” views, or pronounced concerns about inflation. She recently said monetary policy is currently in a good place, and that there is no rush to cut rates at the moment.
    
            Hammack is joining the Fed as officials deal with the difficult task of figuring out when to begin cutting rates. It’s a consequential decision that carries risks if central bankers cut too soon and if they cut too late.
    
            The Fed’s September meeting will be the first opportunity for Hammack to vote on US monetary policy. She joins the central bank at a critical juncture, as more Fed officials could start to vote differently from one another, which hasn’t been the case for years.
    
            Currently, investors are split as to whether the Fed will keep rates at current levels or lower rates in September.
    
            The Fed’s main tool is its key interest rate, which influences borrowing costs across the US economy. The Fed is tasked by Congress to stabilize prices and maximize employment, so, broadly speaking, when inflation is too high, the Fed jacks up borrowing costs; when unemployment is too high, it lowers interest rates.
    
            If the Fed were to introduce its first rate cut of this cycle too soon, inflation could resurge as the economy reheats. If it cuts too late, the economy could cool too much and slip into a recession.
    
            Hammack is yet another fresh face at the Fed’s main policymaking body, after the appointment of Alberto Musalem to helm the St. Louis Fed earlier this year. Last year, Jeffery Schmid became the president of the Kansas City Fed. Also, Adriana Kugler was confirmed for a role as Fed governor and Philip Jefferson was elevated as Fed vice chair. Lisa Cook was confirmed for another term.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland announced Wednesday that Beth M. Hammack will be its next president and chief executive officer after current president Loretta Mester retires at the end of June.', 'Hammack, 52, joins the Cleveland Fed after three decades at Goldman Sachs.', 'She is slated to vote on monetary policy decisions as of August 21, when her term officially starts.', 'For the July meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will be voting in place of the Cleveland Fed.', 'At every Fed meeting, 12 Fed officials vote, seven of whom are from the Fed’s board of governors.', 'Aside from New York Fed President John Williams, the remaining votes are from an annually rotating panel of regional Fed presidents.', 'Goolsbee is currently an alternate voter and otherwise would not have voted until 2025.', 'Goolsbee has been a bit more optimistic than some of his colleagues regarding the progress he expects on getting inflation back down to the Fed’s 2% target.', 'However, it’s unclear where Hammack stands on monetary policy.', 'The central bank is currently mulling when to begin cutting interest rates after raising them to a two-decade high last summer.', 'Inflation stalled earlier this year, which prompted the Fed to delay the timing of its first rate cut, but weaker-than-expected figures on employment and spending thrust rate cuts back into the conversation.', 'Through her three-decade career at the Wall Street bank, Hammack has developed experience working with policymakers and serving on advisory boards, according to a release from the Cleveland Fed.', 'She was chair of the federal government’s Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee and a member of the Financial Research Advisory Committee and the Treasury Market Practices Group.', 'She’s also currently the chair of the board of the nonprofit organization Math for America.', 'Hammack earned a bachelor of arts degree in quantitative economics and history from Stanford University.', '“Beth has a deep understanding of financial markets and the monetary policy transmission process, expertise in leading complex business lines, and a proven commitment to mission-focused work,” said Heidi Gartland, chair of the presidential search committee and the Cleveland Fed’s board of directors, in a release.', 'Mester, who has been president of the Cleveland Fed since 2014, has typically had so-called “hawkish” views, or pronounced concerns about inflation.', 'She recently said monetary policy is currently in a good place, and that there is no rush to cut rates at the moment.', 'Hammack is joining the Fed as officials deal with the difficult task of figuring out when to begin cutting rates.', 'It’s a consequential decision that carries risks if central bankers cut too soon and if they cut too late.', 'The Fed’s September meeting will be the first opportunity for Hammack to vote on US monetary policy.', 'She joins the central bank at a critical juncture, as more Fed officials could start to vote differently from one another, which hasn’t been the case for years.', 'Currently, investors are split as to whether the Fed will keep rates at current levels or lower rates in September.', 'The Fed’s main tool is its key interest rate, which influences borrowing costs across the US economy.', 'The Fed is tasked by Congress to stabilize prices and maximize employment, so, broadly speaking, when inflation is too high, the Fed jacks up borrowing costs; when unemployment is too high, it lowers interest rates.', 'If the Fed were to introduce its first rate cut of this cycle too soon, inflation could resurge as the economy reheats.', 'If it cuts too late, the economy could cool too much and slip into a recession.', 'Hammack is yet another fresh face at the Fed’s main policymaking body, after the appointment of Alberto Musalem to helm the St. Louis Fed earlier this year.', 'Last year, Jeffery Schmid became the president of the Kansas City Fed.', 'Also, Adriana Kugler was confirmed for a role as Fed governor and Philip Jefferson was elevated as Fed vice chair.', 'Lisa Cook was confirmed for another term.']",-0.0149933265433119,Goolsbee has been a bit more optimistic than some of his colleagues regarding the progress he expects on getting inflation back down to the Fed’s 2% target.,"Inflation stalled earlier this year, which prompted the Fed to delay the timing of its first rate cut, but weaker-than-expected figures on employment and spending thrust rate cuts back into the conversation.",-0.1698604300618171,Goolsbee has been a bit more optimistic than some of his colleagues regarding the progress he expects on getting inflation back down to the Fed’s 2% target.,"Inflation stalled earlier this year, which prompted the Fed to delay the timing of its first rate cut, but weaker-than-expected figures on employment and spending thrust rate cuts back into the conversation.",2024-05-29
Harvard to stay silent on issues that don’t impact university’s ‘core function’,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/business/harvard-core-function/index.html,"
  Published
        2:28 PM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Harvard University announced Tuesday it will no longer weigh in on public matters that don’t impact the Ivy League school’s core function, a shift that follows a historic period of turmoil at the storied university.
    
            Harvard leaders announced the new policy after forming a working group in April to debate when the university should speak out.
    
            That group concluded that Harvard has a “responsibility to speak out to protect and promote its core function,” including to “defend the university’s autonomy and academic freedom when threatened.”
    
            “The university and its leaders should not, however, issue official statements about public matters that do not directly affect the university’s core function,” the working group said in its report.
    
            The report went on to warn that the “integrity and credibility of the institution are compromised when the university speaks officially on matters outside its institutional area of expertise.”
    
            The move comes after Claudine Gay, the first Black president in Harvard’s nearly 400-year history, stepped down in January amid a swirl of controversy and plagiarism allegations.
    
            Gay faced intense pressure following her initial public statements on the October 7 terror attack on Israel and then after her testimony before lawmakers on campus antisemitism.
    
            Alan Garber, who replaced Gay as president on interim basis, announced Tuesday the university has accepted the working group’s report and recommendations, which have also been endorsed by The Harvard Corporation, the university’s top governing body.
    
            “The process of translating these principles into concrete practice will, of course, require time and experience, and we look forward to the work ahead,” Garber said.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Harvard University announced Tuesday it will no longer weigh in on public matters that don’t impact the Ivy League school’s core function, a shift that follows a historic period of turmoil at the storied university.', 'Harvard leaders announcedthe new policy after forming a working group in April to debate when the university should speak out.', 'Thatgroup concludedthat Harvard has a “responsibility to speak out to protect and promote its core function,” including to “defend the university’s autonomy and academic freedom when threatened.”', '“The university and its leaders should not, however, issue official statements about public matters that do not directly affect the university’s core function,” the working group said in its report.', 'The report went on to warn that the “integrity and credibility of the institution are compromised when the university speaks officially on matters outside its institutional area of expertise.”', 'The move comes after Claudine Gay, the first Black president in Harvard’s nearly 400-year history, stepped down in January amid a swirl of controversyand plagiarism allegations.', 'Gay faced intense pressure following her initial public statements on theOctober 7terror attack on Israel and then after her testimony before lawmakers on campus antisemitism.', 'Alan Garber, who replaced Gay as president on interim basis, announced Tuesday the university has accepted the working group’s report and recommendations, which have also been endorsed by The Harvard Corporation, the university’s top governing body.', '“The process of translating these principles into concrete practice will, of course, require time and experience, and we look forward to the work ahead,” Garber said.']",0.0582536576677575,"Thatgroup concludedthat Harvard has a “responsibility to speak out to protect and promote its core function,” including to “defend the university’s autonomy and academic freedom when threatened.”",Gay faced intense pressure following her initial public statements on theOctober 7terror attack on Israel and then after her testimony before lawmakers on campus antisemitism.,-0.7662350237369537,,The report went on to warn that the “integrity and credibility of the institution are compromised when the university speaks officially on matters outside its institutional area of expertise.”,2024-05-29
Winklevoss crypto firm customers will get back triple the value of their frozen assets,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/business/gemini-crypto-bankruptcy/index.html,"
  Updated
        10:12 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","Customers of the crypto platform Gemini can expect to recover more than three times the value of their digital assets that were ensnared in the fallout of FTX — a rare outcome for creditors involved in a bankruptcy.
    
            Gemini, the exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, said Wednesday that it has secured a 232% recovery for customers who participated in its lending program, Earn, a partnership with a third party that halted withdrawals as turmoil gripped crypto markets in November 2022.
    
            More than 230,000 Gemini customers lost access to approximately $940 million worth of digital assets. In the year and a half since then, crypto has staged a comeback, bringing the value of the frozen funds to $2.18 billion.
    
            “We are thrilled that we have been able to achieve this recovery for our customers. We recognize the hardship caused by this lengthy process and appreciate our customers’ continued support and patience throughout,” Cameron Winklevoss, Gemini’s president, said in a statement.
    
            Gemini agreed in February to return at least $1.1 billion to customers of the lending program and pay a $37 million fine for unsafe and unsound practices as part of a settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services.
    
            Wednesday’s announcement accounts for the appreciation of value in crypto, adding more than $1 billion to the total.
    
            If, for example, a customer had lent one bitcoin in the Earn program, they can now expect to receive one bitcoin back.
    
            At the time FTX imploded, causing chaos in crypto markets, bitcoin sank precipitously to around $17,500. A year and a half later, one bitcoin fetches just under $70,000.
    
            Earn customers can expect to receive their remaining asset balance within the next 12 months, Gemini said.
    
            Customers of FTX, once the second-largest crypto exchange on the planet, are also expected to be made whole, with interest, thanks in part to the rising value of FTX’s crypto holdings and smart bets on artificial intelligence that it was able to liquidate.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['Customers of the crypto platform Gemini can expect to recover more than three times the value of their digital assets that were ensnared in the fallout of FTX — a rare outcome for creditors involved in a bankruptcy.', 'Gemini, the exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, said Wednesday that it has secured a 232% recovery for customers who participated in its lending program, Earn, a partnership with a third party that halted withdrawals as turmoil gripped crypto markets in November 2022.', 'More than 230,000 Gemini customers lost access to approximately $940 million worth of digital assets.', 'In the year and a half since then, crypto has staged a comeback, bringing the value of the frozen funds to $2.18 billion.', '“We are thrilled that we have been able to achieve this recovery for our customers.', 'We recognize the hardship caused by this lengthy process and appreciate our customers’ continued support and patience throughout,” Cameron Winklevoss, Gemini’s president, said in a statement.', 'Gemini agreed in February to return at least $1.1 billion to customers of the lending program and pay a $37 million fine for unsafe and unsound practices as part of a settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services.', 'Wednesday’s announcement accounts for the appreciation of value in crypto, adding more than $1 billion to the total.', 'If, for example, a customer had lent one bitcoin in the Earn program, they can now expect to receive one bitcoin back.', 'At the time FTX imploded, causing chaos in crypto markets, bitcoin sank precipitously to around $17,500.', 'A year and a half later, one bitcoin fetches just under $70,000.', 'Earn customers can expect to receive their remaining asset balance within the next 12 months, Gemini said.', 'Customers of FTX, once the second-largest crypto exchange on the planet, are also expected to be made whole, with interest, thanks in part to the rising value of FTX’s crypto holdings and smart bets on artificial intelligence that it was able to liquidate.']",0.3086689826600549,"Customers of FTX, once the second-largest crypto exchange on the planet, are also expected to be made whole, with interest, thanks in part to the rising value of FTX’s crypto holdings and smart bets on artificial intelligence that it was able to liquidate.","At the time FTX imploded, causing chaos in crypto markets, bitcoin sank precipitously to around $17,500.",0.5887205004692078,"In the year and a half since then, crypto has staged a comeback, bringing the value of the frozen funds to $2.18 billion.","At the time FTX imploded, causing chaos in crypto markets, bitcoin sank precipitously to around $17,500.",2024-05-29
Analysts are feeling good about the stock market because of this economic signal,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html,"
  Published
        7:59 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.
    
            Earnings season is winding down, and a strange confluence of events is occurring — the economy is softening, but corporate profits are accelerating.
    
            Some analysts think that means good news for stocks in the second half of the year. 
    
            What’s happening: Last week proved that investors are on edge and scrambling for clues about what comes next — even relatively insignificant economic indicators are capturing outsized attention on Wall Street.
    
            The Dow plunged by more than 600 points, notching its worst day of the year so far, on Thursday after the Purchasing Managers Index for May, expected to fall slightly, came in 3.5 percentage points higher month-over-month. That, in turn, suggested to investors that the Federal Reserve won’t be cutting interest rates anytime soon, sparking the selloff.
    
            PMIs provide early insights into the economic health of the manufacturing and services sectors by surveying purchasing managers on their business conditions. It’s a useful tool, but doesn’t typically get a lot of attention on Wall Street.
    
            Other data, like Institute for Supply Management reports, are generally considered more comprehensive and influential.
    
            Last weeks wild reaction to the PMI highlights the market’s current sensitivity to economic data as investors fret over Fed interest rate decisions. Even secondary economic indicators are shaping market sentiment and influencing investment decisions as Wall Street worries that a more robust economic environment can mean higher-for-longer interest rates.
    
            Yes, but: There’s an interesting dynamic at play as investors worry about corporate profits and a stronger economy at the same time, wrote Bank of America analysts in a note on Tuesday.
    
            Higher interest rates can increase borrowing costs and reduce corporate profits, leading to a sell-off in equities as investors adjust their expectations for future growth and profitability — that’s where the worry comes from. But that hasn’t really happened. At least not yet.
    
            About 97% of S&P 500 companies have reported their first quarter earnings at this point. And so far, they’ve beat consensus earnings-per-share estimates by about 3%, according to Bank of America. Earnings are up by 7% since this time last year, and all 11 S&P 500 sectors, with the exception of healthcare, beat estimates.
    
            There were some concerns about companies lowering their outlook for the rest of the year, but, overall, estimates for the remainder of 2024 have slightly risen this quarter.
    
            “The equity cycle feels different than the macro cycle today. While [gross domestic product] and the labor market seem to be slowing, earnings are accelerating,” wrote the Bank of America analysts.
    
            Historically, a slowing economy and accelerating earnings backdrop has been the best environment for stocks, they wrote. This could point to a strong second half of the year for markets.
    
            Yes, but, but: That also means that there could be a lot of sensitivity and extreme market swings when economic data comes in stronger than expected, which we saw last week.
    
            Still, the Fed is only part of the equation. Goods and manufacturing represent about half of earnings for the S&P 500, the BofA analysts wrote. But they make up less than 20% of the US economy.
    
            That means an improving manufacturing cycle but slowing services can lead to a divergence between market performance and economic performance.
    
            Coming up next: All eyes, meanwhile, are on the release of the US Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April on Friday — that’s the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. There are also some notable earnings reports coming in this week — including Salesforce, Dell and Marvell. In consumer sectors, the list includes Dollar General and Costco.
    
            US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.
    
            The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, a measure of home prices across the country, jumped 6.5% in March from a year earlier to a record high. It is the sixth time the index has reached a new record high over the past year.
    
            The report showed that there’s strong demand for housing in urban population centers such as San Diego, New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles. The 20-city index rose in March at a slightly faster pace than in February.
    
            “This month’s report boasts another all-time high,” said Brian Luke, head of commodities, real and digital assets, at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “We’ve witnessed records repeatedly break in both stock and housing markets over the past year.”
    
            In addition to unrelentingly high home prices, the housing market is also grappling with a chronic lack of homes on the market and elevated mortgage rates. Put together, it has resulted in a tough housing market, especially first-time buyers.
    
            Read more here.
    
            Imagine asking Apple’s Siri to show you an old photo taken from a child’s second birthday, or summarizing lengthy emails and writing drafts. Then consider Siri learning your schedule, preferences, even your personality, so it can better communicate with you throughout the day.
    
            Generative AI, artificial intelligence that can provide thoughtful and thorough responses to questions and prompts, could potentially breathe new life into Apple’s iPhone lineup at a time when competitors are threatening to leave the company behind in the race to shape what could be a world-changing technology, reports my colleague Samantha Murphy Kelly.
    
            The company is widely expected to partner with ChatGPT maker OpenAI ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where it will likely show off its first batch of AI tools coming to the iOS software.
    
            Although artificial intelligence has powered some of the iPhone’s experiences for years, such as Live Text and improved autocorrect, generative AI could unlock new levels of interaction and personalization. All this during a time when the company is under pressure to catch up to rivals such as Google and Samsung, which are already using the technology in its smartphones.
    
            “We see generative AI as a key opportunity across our products and believe we have advantages that set us apart there,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company’s most recent earnings call in early May, noting there would be news announced in the “weeks ahead.”
    
            Read more here.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter.', 'Not a subscriber?', 'You can sign upright here.', 'You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.', 'Earnings season is winding down, and a strange confluence of events is occurring — the economy is softening, but corporate profits are accelerating.', 'Some analysts think that means good news for stocks in the second half of the year.', 'What’s happening: Last week proved that investors are on edge and scrambling for clues about what comes next — even relatively insignificant economic indicators are capturing outsized attention on Wall Street.', 'The Dow plunged by more than 600 points, notching its worst day of the year so far, on Thursday after the Purchasing Managers Index for May, expected to fall slightly, came in 3.5 percentage points higher month-over-month.', 'That, in turn, suggested to investors that the Federal Reserve won’t be cutting interest rates anytime soon, sparking the selloff.', 'PMIs provide early insights into the economic health of the manufacturing and services sectors by surveying purchasing managers on their business conditions.', 'It’s a useful tool, but doesn’t typically get a lot of attention on Wall Street.', 'Other data, like Institute for Supply Management reports, are generally considered more comprehensive and influential.', 'Last weeks wild reaction to the PMI highlights the market’s current sensitivity to economic data as investors fret over Fed interest rate decisions.', 'Even secondary economic indicators are shaping market sentiment and influencing investment decisions as Wall Street worries that a more robust economic environment can mean higher-for-longer interest rates.', 'Yes, but: There’s an interesting dynamic at play as investors worry about corporate profits and a stronger economy at the same time, wrote Bank of America analysts in a note on Tuesday.', 'Higher interest rates can increase borrowing costs and reduce corporate profits, leading to a sell-off in equities as investors adjust their expectations for future growth and profitability — that’s where the worry comes from.', 'But that hasn’t really happened.', 'At least not yet.', 'About 97% of S&P 500 companies have reported their first quarter earnings at this point.', 'And so far, they’ve beat consensus earnings-per-share estimates by about 3%, according to Bank of America.', 'Earnings are up by 7% since this time last year, and all 11 S&P 500 sectors, with the exception of healthcare, beat estimates.', 'There were some concerns about companies lowering their outlook for the rest of the year, but, overall, estimates for the remainder of 2024 have slightly risen this quarter.', '“The equity cycle feels different than the macro cycle today.', 'While [gross domestic product] and the labor market seem to be slowing, earnings are accelerating,” wrote the Bank of America analysts.', 'Historically, a slowing economy and accelerating earnings backdrop has been the best environment for stocks, they wrote.', 'This could point to a strong second half of the year for markets.', 'Yes, but, but: That also means that there could be a lot of sensitivity and extreme market swings when economic data comes in stronger than expected, which we saw last week.', 'Still, the Fed is only part of the equation.', 'Goods and manufacturing represent about half of earnings for the S&P 500, the BofA analysts wrote.', 'But they make up less than 20% of the US economy.', 'That means an improving manufacturing cycle but slowing services can lead to a divergence between market performance and economic performance.', 'Coming up next: All eyes, meanwhile, are on the release of the US Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April on Friday — that’s the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge.', 'There are also some notable earnings reports coming in this week — including Salesforce, Dell and Marvell.', 'In consumer sectors, the list includes Dollar General and Costco.', 'US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.', 'The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, a measure of home prices across the country, jumped 6.5% in March from a year earlier to a record high.', 'It is the sixth time the index has reached a new record high over the past year.', 'The report showed that there’s strong demand for housing in urban population centers such as San Diego, New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles.', 'The 20-city index rose in March at a slightly faster pace than in February.', '“This month’s report boasts another all-time high,” said Brian Luke, head of commodities, real and digital assets, at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “', 'We’ve witnessed records repeatedly break in both stock and housing markets over the past year.”', 'In addition to unrelentingly high home prices, the housing market is also grappling with a chronic lack of homes on the market and elevated mortgage rates.', 'Put together, it has resulted in a tough housing market, especially first-time buyers.', 'Read more here.', 'Imagine asking Apple’sSiri to showyouan old photo taken from a child’s second birthday, or summarizing lengthy emails and writing drafts.', 'Then consider Siri learning your schedule, preferences, even your personality, so it can better communicate with you throughout the day.', 'Generative AI, artificial intelligence that can provide thoughtful and thorough responses to questions and prompts, could potentially breathe new life into Apple’s iPhone lineup at a time when competitors are threatening to leave the company behind in the race to shape what could be a world-changing technology, reports my colleague Samantha Murphy Kelly.', 'The company is widelyexpectedto partner with ChatGPT maker OpenAI ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where it will likely show off its first batch of AI tools coming to the iOS software.', 'Although artificial intelligence has powered some of the iPhone’s experiences for years, such asLive Textand improved autocorrect, generative AI could unlock new levels of interaction and personalization.', 'All this during a time when the company is under pressure to catch up to rivals such as Google and Samsung,which are already using the technology in its smartphones.', '“We see generative AI as a key opportunity across our products and believe we have advantages that set us apart there,”Apple CEO Tim Cook saidon the company’s most recent earnings call in early May, noting there would be news announced in the “weeks ahead.”', 'Read more here.']",0.1433778446212862,"Yes, but: There’s an interesting dynamic at play as investors worry about corporate profits and a stronger economy at the same time, wrote Bank of America analysts in a note on Tuesday.","The Dow plunged by more than 600 points, notching its worst day of the year so far, on Thursday after the Purchasing Managers Index for May, expected to fall slightly, came in 3.5 percentage points higher month-over-month.",0.4590972127585575,"Earnings are up by 7% since this time last year, and all 11 S&P 500 sectors, with the exception of healthcare, beat estimates.","The Dow plunged by more than 600 points, notching its worst day of the year so far, on Thursday after the Purchasing Managers Index for May, expected to fall slightly, came in 3.5 percentage points higher month-over-month.",2024-05-29
"After a string of safety issues, Boeing is about to release a plan to fix its quality problems",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/business/boeing-faa-plan-airplane-quality-problems/index.html,"
  Published
        8:48 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","Boeing is expected to release a plan this week to fix its endless string of safety issues that have been under federal investigation following a midflight fuselage blowout in January.
    
            The report is a critical step for Boeing to rebuild confidence among the public, airlines, and its regulator that it can build safe airplanes after its reputation has been severely damaged by accidents, probes and whistleblower claims of shortcuts and retaliation.
    
            The plans may also reveal what Federal Aviation Administration inspectors found when auditing Boeing and key supplier Spirit AeroSystems factories earlier this year. The FAA said it shared the findings with the two companies, but it has refused to make the report public so far.
    
            In late February, the FAA gave the planemaker and its outgoing chief executive 90 days to develop the plan and said it would not approve any Boeing request to expand Max production in the meantime.
    
            Since then, the FAA and Boeing have met multiple times about the company’s progress and the plan’s scope. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week he sees the plan as only the “beginning” of a process for Boeing.
    
            “It’s going to be a long road to get back to where they need to be making safe airplanes,” Whitaker said in an ABC News interview.
    
            This latest generation of Boeing’s 737 first came under scrutiny when two Max planes crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. Multiple international and US investigations focused on a stabilization system called MCAS that pilots were not properly informed of. Boeing later agreed to financial penalties and a deferred prosecution agreement to settle a criminal charge of defrauding US regulators.
    
            Since then, successive issues with the Max and other aircraft – including the 787 Dreamliner, the 777 and the future Air Force One jet – have cost the company billions.
    
            The latest wave of reviews began in January, when a door plug blew out of a 737 Max 9 in-flight. Video shot by passengers on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 showed a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft as it urgently returned to the Portland, Oregon airport. The door plug later turned up in the brush of a schoolteacher’s backyard.
    
            The FAA grounded Max 9s for three weeks and required each door plug undergo inspection. National Transportation Safety Board investigators believe the plane left Boeing’s factory last fall without critical bolts to hold the wall piece in place. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted to a “quality escape” and later said he would join several other top officials by stepping down from the company this year.
    
            So significant have been the company’s ongoing safety problems that the Department of Justice earlier this month said that Boeing had breached the terms of its deferred prosecution agreement over the 737 Max charge, meaning the company could be prosecuted over those incidents after all.
    
            The FAA also deployed auditors to the Wichita, Kansas, Spirit AeroSystems factory that builds the Max fuselage and the Renton, Washington, facility that finishes assembling the aircraft. The inspection found “multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”
    
            But precisely what those failures are remains unclear. Whitaker, the FAA administrator, said in March the shortcomings reflect processes that are “really important in a factory.” The agency has told CNN they cannot make the report public because it is “part of an ongoing investigation.”
    
            Then came the findings of an expert panel commissioned prior to the blowout that found gaps in Boeing’s safety culture. Employees feared retaliation for raising concerns and did not understand their role in producing safe airplanes, the panel of FAA officials and outside experts found.
    
            When the company stopped production for a day and polled its workers for potential safety improvements, ideas flooded in. Boeing said the internal tip line received 500 percent more reports in the first few months of this year compared to last year.
    
            In the meantime, Boeing said it has made immediate changes to improve quality. The company has cracked down on out-of-order assembly line work, improved production line instructions, purchased additional tools for workstations and ordered Spirit AeroSystems to wait until fuselages are complete before sending them to Boeing.
    
            “Once they get to our factory, rework is lower, flow time is better, traveled work is less,” Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said at an industry conference last week.“We’re not declaring victory, but we know this was the right move, and we’ll begin to reap the benefits.”
    
            While investigations into the door plug incident continue, and while the prospect of a criminal trial hangs over Boeing, the company will have a new plan for improvements. Its marching orders for the plan include addressing the audit and expert panel findings and explaining how it will integrate safety and quality assurance policies into practice.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['Boeing is expected to release a plan this week to fix its endless string of safety issues that have been under federal investigation following a midflight fuselage blowout in January.', 'The report is a critical step for Boeing to rebuild confidence among the public, airlines, and its regulator that it can build safe airplanes after its reputation has been severely damaged by accidents, probes and whistleblower claims of shortcuts and retaliation.', 'The plans may also reveal what Federal Aviation Administration inspectors found when auditing Boeing and key supplier Spirit AeroSystems factories earlier this year.', 'The FAA said it shared the findings with the two companies, but it has refused to make the report public so far.', 'In late February, the FAA gave the planemaker and its outgoing chief executive 90 days to develop the plan and said it would not approve any Boeing request to expand Max production in the meantime.', 'Since then, the FAA and Boeing have met multiple times about the company’s progress and the plan’s scope.', 'FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week he sees the plan as only the “beginning” of a process for Boeing.', '“It’s going to be a long road to get back to where they need to be making safe airplanes,” Whitaker said in an ABC News interview.', 'This latest generation of Boeing’s 737 first came under scrutiny when two Max planes crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.', 'Multiple international and US investigations focused on a stabilization system called MCAS that pilots were not properly informed of.', 'Boeing later agreed to financial penalties and a deferred prosecution agreement to settle a criminal charge of defrauding US regulators.', 'Since then, successive issues with the Max and other aircraft – including the 787 Dreamliner, the 777 and the future Air Force One jet – have cost the company billions.', 'The latest wave of reviews began in January, when a door plug blew out of a 737 Max 9 in-flight.', 'Video shot by passengers on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 showed a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft as it urgently returned to the Portland, Oregon airport.', 'The door plug later turned up in the brush of a schoolteacher’s backyard.', 'The FAA grounded Max 9s for three weeks and required each door plug undergo inspection.', 'National Transportation Safety Board investigators believe the plane left Boeing’s factory last fall without critical bolts to hold the wall piece in place.', 'Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted to a “quality escape” and later said he would join several other top officials by stepping down from the company this year.', 'So significant have been the company’s ongoing safety problems that the Department of Justice earlier this month said that Boeing had breached the terms of its deferred prosecution agreement over the 737 Max charge, meaning the company could be prosecuted over those incidents after all.', 'The FAA also deployed auditors to the Wichita, Kansas, Spirit AeroSystems factory that builds the Max fuselage and the Renton, Washington, facility that finishes assembling the aircraft.', 'The inspection found “multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”', 'But precisely what those failures are remains unclear.', 'Whitaker, the FAA administrator, said in March the shortcomings reflect processes that are “really important in a factory.”', 'The agency has told CNN they cannot make the report public because it is “part of an ongoing investigation.”', 'Then came the findings of an expert panel commissioned prior to the blowout that found gaps in Boeing’s safety culture.', 'Employees feared retaliation for raising concerns and did not understand their role in producing safe airplanes, the panel of FAA officials and outside experts found.', 'When the company stopped production for a day and polled its workers for potential safety improvements, ideas flooded in.', 'Boeing said the internal tip line received 500 percent more reports in the first few months of this year compared to last year.', 'In the meantime, Boeing said it has made immediate changes to improve quality.', 'The company has cracked down on out-of-order assembly line work, improved production line instructions, purchased additional tools for workstations and ordered Spirit AeroSystems to wait until fuselages are complete before sending them to Boeing.', '“Once they get to our factory, rework is lower, flow time is better, traveled work is less,” Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said at an industry conference last week.', '“We’re not declaring victory, but we know this was the right move, and we’ll begin to reap the benefits.”', 'While investigations into the door plug incident continue, and while the prospect of a criminal trial hangs over Boeing, the company will have a new plan for improvements.', 'Its marching orders for the plan include addressing the audit and expert panel findings and explaining how it will integrate safety and quality assurance policies into practice.']",0.1446176546432662,Its marching orders for the plan include addressing the audit and expert panel findings and explaining how it will integrate safety and quality assurance policies into practice.,But precisely what those failures are remains unclear.,0.0544721523920695,Boeing said the internal tip line received 500 percent more reports in the first few months of this year compared to last year.,"So significant have been the company’s ongoing safety problems that the Department of Justice earlier this month said that Boeing had breached the terms of its deferred prosecution agreement over the 737 Max charge, meaning the company could be prosecuted over those incidents after all.",2024-05-29
FTC investigating TikTok over privacy and security,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/ftc-tiktok-probe-privacy-and-security/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:11 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.
    
            The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.
    
            The sources said that the FTC is probing TikTok over an alleged violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection rule, which requires companies to notify parents and obtain consent before collecting data from children under 13.
    
            The agency is also investigating whether TikTok violated a portion of the FTC Act that prohibits “unfair or deceptive” business practices, the sources said, in denying that TikTok user data could be accessed by individuals in China.
    
            The FTC could bring a suit against TikTok or settle with the company in the coming weeks, according to one of the sources. Politico reported news of the probe earlier.
    
            When asked about the investigation, FTC Director of Public Affairs Douglas Farrar replied: “No comment.”
    
            TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    
            The FTC probe comes as TikTok faces an existential threat in the US. Earlier this month, a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives voted to pass a law forcing TikTok to be sold by ByteDance or face a ban from US app stores. The bill is now before the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it gets to his desk. Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach — which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.
    
            The short-form video company, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has denied assertions that its app poses a national security threat to US citizens. TikTok, which does not operate in China, has said that the Chinese government has never accessed US user data.
    
            Cybersecurity experts say Chinese laws require ByteDance to cooperate with that country’s intelligence demands — a fact that, given ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok, could hypothetically put US user data at risk. To address that issue, TikTok has taken steps to store its US user data on cloud servers controlled by US tech giant Oracle and established internal protocols limiting access by non-US employees.
    
            TikTok acknowledged to Congress in 2022 that employees based in China could access US user data, following a report that year by BuzzFeed News that ByteDance employees had accessed that information on multiple occasions. TikTok CEO Shou Chew, in his first appearance before Congress last year, also acknowledged that several ByteDance employees were fired for spying on certain US journalists as part of a “misguided attempt” to hunt down leakers within the company.",CNN,26/03/2024,"['The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.', 'The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.', 'The sources said that the FTC is probing TikTok over an alleged violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection rule, which requires companies to notify parents and obtain consent before collecting data from children under 13.', 'The agency is also investigating whether TikTok violated a portion of the FTC Act that prohibits “unfair or deceptive” business practices, the sources said, in denying that TikTok user data could be accessed by individuals in China.', 'The FTC could bring a suit against TikTok or settle with the company in the coming weeks, according to one of the sources.', 'Politico reported news of the probe earlier.', 'When asked about the investigation, FTC Director of Public Affairs Douglas Farrar replied: “No comment.”', 'TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.', 'The FTC probe comes as TikTok faces an existential threat in the US.', 'Earlier this month, a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives voted to pass a law forcing TikTok to be sold by ByteDance or face a ban from US app stores.', 'The bill is now before the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it gets to his desk.', 'Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach —which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.', 'The short-form video company, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has denied assertions that its app poses a national security threat to US citizens.', 'TikTok, which does not operate in China, has said that the Chinese government has never accessed US user data.', 'Cybersecurity experts say Chinese laws require ByteDance to cooperate with that country’s intelligence demands—a fact that, given ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok, could hypothetically put US user data at risk.', 'To address that issue, TikTok has taken steps to store its US user data on cloud servers controlled by US tech giant Oracle and established internal protocols limiting access by non-US employees.', 'TikTok acknowledged to Congress in 2022 that employees based in China could access US user data, following a report that year by BuzzFeed News that ByteDance employees had accessed that information on multiple occasions.', 'TikTok CEO Shou Chew, in his first appearance before Congress last year, also acknowledged that several ByteDance employees were fired for spying on certain US journalists as part of a “misguided attempt” to hunt down leakers within the company.']",-0.232320081688102,"The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.","The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.",-0.8880722284317016,,"Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach —which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.",2024-05-29
"Black passengers sue American Airlines, alleging they were thrown off a plane because of false body odor complaint",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/business/american-airlines-alleged-discrimination-black-male-passengers/index.html,"
  Updated
        1:10 PM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","A lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of three Black men alleges “blatant and egregious race discrimination” by American Airlines when they were removed from a flight.
    
            The suit alleges that the plaintiffs – Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph and Xavier Veal – and five other Black male passengers were ejected from American Flight 832 from Phoenix to JFK in New York City on January 5, 2024, “without any valid reason, based solely on their race,” according to the complaint.
    
            An American Airlines representative approached each of the men before takeoff, the complaint said, ordering them off the plane. The passengers complied.
    
            “(O)nce they reached the jet bridge, they saw that several other Black men were also being removed from the plane. In fact, it appeared to Plaintiffs that American had ordered all of the Black male passengers on Flight 832 off the plane,” the complaint reads.
    
            American representatives told the men a complaint about body odor had prompted their removal, according to the suit. None of the plaintiffs were told that they personally had body odor, “and in fact none of the Plaintiffs had offensive body odor,” it says.
    
            At least one American representative agreed with the plaintiffs when they suggested that they had been singled out because they were Black, the suit alleges.
    
            Cell phone footage taken by some of the men shows a chaotic scene as they question the airline’s actions and records one man saying, “So this is discrimination.”
    
            “I agree, I agree,” says a woman wearing a badge who appears to be an airline employee.
    
            “We’re the only ones getting taken off the plane,” says one man, panning across the group. “Look at us.”
    
            In another video, a man comments, “This is crazy. Y’all just took like eight Black people off the plane.”
    
            The plaintiffs did not know each other before the flight and were not seated together, according to the complaint.
    
            At the gate, the men were told that a White male flight attendant had made the body odor complaint, the suit says.
    
            The men were eventually allowed back on after about an hour after the airline determined there were no available flights that evening.
    
            “Plaintiffs then had to reboard the plane and endure the stares of the largely white passengers who viewed them as the cause of the substantial delay. They suffered during the entire flight home, and the entire incident was traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading,” the complaint reads.
    
            “We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” American Airlines said in a statement.
    
            “Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”
    
            The plaintiffs are seeking “declaratory relief, just compensation for their pain and suffering, a punitive damage award sufficient to deter American from discriminating against Black passengers in the future,” as well as attorneys fees.
    
            The complaint also refers to what it calls “American’s pattern of discriminating against Black passengers,” which prompted an NAACP warning in 2017 related to the airline. That warning was lifted nine months later after the airline made progress in addressing the organization’s concerns.
    
            The suit alleges that the plaintiffs’ treatment was part of that pattern.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['A lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of three Black men alleges “blatant and egregious race discrimination” by American Airlines when they were removed from a flight.', 'The suit alleges that the plaintiffs – Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph and Xavier Veal – and five other Black male passengers were ejected from American Flight 832 from Phoenix to JFK in New York City on January 5, 2024, “without any valid reason, based solely on their race,” according to the complaint.', 'An American Airlines representative approached each of the men before takeoff, the complaint said, ordering them off the plane.', 'The passengers complied.', '“(O)nce they reached the jet bridge, they saw that several other Black men were also being removed from the plane.', 'In fact, it appeared to Plaintiffs that American had ordered all of the Black male passengers on Flight 832 off the plane,” the complaint reads.', 'American representatives told the men a complaint about body odor had prompted their removal, according to the suit.', 'None of the plaintiffs were told that they personally had body odor, “and in fact none of the Plaintiffs had offensive body odor,” it says.', 'At least one American representative agreed with the plaintiffs when they suggested that they had been singled out because they were Black, the suit alleges.', 'Cell phone footage taken by some of the men shows a chaotic scene as they question the airline’s actions and records one man saying, “So this is discrimination.”', '“I agree, I agree,” says a woman wearing a badge who appears to be an airline employee.', '“We’re the only ones getting taken off the plane,” says one man, panning across the group. “', 'Look at us.”', 'In another video, a man comments, “This is crazy.', 'Y’all just took like eight Black people off the plane.”', 'The plaintiffs did not know each other before the flight and were not seated together, according to the complaint.', 'At the gate, the men were told that a White male flight attendant had made the body odor complaint, the suit says.', 'The men were eventually allowed back on after about an hour after the airline determined there were no available flights that evening.', '“Plaintiffs then had to reboard the plane and endure the stares of the largely white passengers who viewed them as the cause of the substantial delay.', 'They suffered during the entire flight home, and the entire incident was traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading,” the complaint reads.', '“We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” American Airlines said in a statement.', '“Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”', 'The plaintiffs are seeking “declaratory relief, just compensation for their pain and suffering, a punitive damage award sufficient to deter American from discriminating against Black passengers in the future,” as well as attorneys fees.', 'The complaint also refers to what it calls “American’s pattern of discriminating against Black passengers,” which prompted an NAACP warning in 2017 related to the airline.', 'That warning was lifted nine months later after the airline made progress in addressing the organization’s concerns.', 'The suit alleges that the plaintiffs’ treatment was part of that pattern.']",-0.1104505394610937,"“Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”","They suffered during the entire flight home, and the entire incident was traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading,” the complaint reads.",0.2182106018066406,"“We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” American Airlines said in a statement.","The complaint also refers to what it calls “American’s pattern of discriminating against Black passengers,” which prompted an NAACP warning in 2017 related to the airline.",2024-05-29
OpenAI’s Sam Altman vows to give away most of his wealth through the Giving Pledge,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/tech/sam-altman-giving-pledge/index.html,"
  Published
        11:39 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his husband have become the newest billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge, a charity that encourages the ultra-rich to donate their wealth to philanthropic causes.
    
            In their letter, released Tuesday, Altman and husband Oliver Mulherin credited “the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here.”
    
            “There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward, and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher,” the pair added.
    
            Bloomberg reports that Altman is worth at least $2 billion, with much of his wealth drawn from startup investments, including a sizable investment in Reddit. He doesn’t have a stake in OpenAI, the tech company that’s at the forefront of artificial intelligence.
    
            The Giving Pledge was started in 2010 by billionaires Warren Buffett and the formerly married couple, Bill and Melinda French Gates, to get the world’s wealthiest to commit to donating at least half of their fortunes to charities and philanthropic causes either during their lifetimes or in their wills.
    
            The pledge isn’t a legally binding contract, but more of a moral commitment. The campaign’s intention is to “inspire conversations, discussions, and action, not just about how much [to give] but also for what purposes and to what end,” according to the website.
    
            There are currently more than 245 couples and individuals from 30 countries that have signed on.
    
            Earlier Tuesday, French Gates, who is one of the world’s wealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, announced that she was donating $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the world through her organization, Pivotal Ventures.
    
            She recently resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month following her divorce from Bill. As part of her divorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his husband have become the newest billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge, a charity that encourages the ultra-rich to donate their wealth to philanthropic causes.', 'In their letter, released Tuesday, Altman and husband Oliver Mulherin credited “the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here.”', '“There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward, and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher,” the pair added.', 'Bloomberg reports that Altman is worth at least $2 billion, with much of his wealth drawn from startup investments, including a sizable investment in Reddit.', 'He doesn’t have a stake in OpenAI, the tech company that’s at the forefront of artificial intelligence.', 'The Giving Pledge was started in 2010 by billionaires Warren Buffett and the formerly married couple, Bill and Melinda French Gates, to get the world’s wealthiest to commit to donating at least half of their fortunes to charities and philanthropic causes either during their lifetimes or in their wills.', 'The pledge isn’t a legally binding contract, but more of a moral commitment.', 'The campaign’s intention is to “inspire conversations, discussions, and action, not just about how much [to give] but also for what purposes and to what end,” according to the website.', 'There are currently more than 245 couples and individuals from 30 countries that have signed on.', 'Earlier Tuesday, French Gates, who is one of the world’swealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, announced that she was donating $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the worldthrough her organization, Pivotal Ventures.', 'She recently resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month following her divorce from Bill.', 'As part of herdivorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation.']",0.4753200136891286,"OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his husband have become the newest billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge, a charity that encourages the ultra-rich to donate their wealth to philanthropic causes.",She recently resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month following her divorce from Bill.,0.8382419943809509,"“There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward, and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher,” the pair added.",,2024-05-29
"NBC hires former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, who has demonized the press and refused to acknowledge Biden was fairly elected",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/22/media/ronna-mcdaniel-nbc/index.html,"
  Published
        1:53 PM EDT, Fri March 22, 2024
    ","NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedly attacked the network and its journalists, assailed the news media as “fake news” and promoted false claims around the 2020 vote, as an on-air commentator ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
    
            “It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, senior vice president of politics at NBC News, said in a memo to staff.
    
            McDaniel exited the RNC earlier this month after leading the organization since 2016.
    
            During her time as chair, McDaniel repeatedly attacked the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Donald Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions.
    
            McDaniel echoed many such attacks, labeling the press as “fake news” and calling the media “corrupt.” At times, she even targeted NBC News and MSNBC with dishonest attacks.
    
            In 2019, for instance, McDaniel accused Richard Engel, NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent, of “actively cheering for an economic downturn.”
    
            “How can NBC let him keep his job when he’s made his bias so clear?” McDaniel asked.
    
            McDaniel has a lengthier history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role. In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for “spreading lies” and blasted those she described as the network’s “primetime propagandists.”
    
            An NBC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about her attacks on the news media and NBC.
    
            In her role as RNC chief, McDaniel also fanned the flames of election denialism after the 2020 presidential contest.
    
            McDaniel was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead. McDaniel told the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. … We will get you attorneys.”
    
            The Michigan Department of State’s office condemned her claims of supposed voter fraud in the wake of the election, stating they had “no merit.” The state’s “elections were conducted fairly, effectively and transparently and are an accurate reflection of the will of Michigan voters,” it said in a detailed fact check posted online.
    
            In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace last year, McDaniel defended her claims of voting “irregularity” in the election.
    
            “I think saying that there were problems with 2020 is very real. I don’t think that’s election denying,” McDaniel told Wallace. “I’m from Wayne County. We had a woman send a note saying I’m being told to backdate ballots. We had to look into that. That’s deeply concerning. When you have friends who are poll-watching and being kicked out, that’s deeply concerning. We have every right to look at that.”
    
            In the interview, Wallace pressed McDaniel if she believed Biden legitimately won the election.
    
            “I think there were lots of problems with 2020. Ultimately, he won the election but there were lots of problems with the 2020 election,” she said. “But I don’t think he won it fair. I don’t. I’m not going to say that.”
    
            NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at the network’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.
    
            Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network’s anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on air without scrutiny.
    
            MSNBC has even started carrying Trump’s remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do. Star host Rachel Maddow, who has said carrying Trump’s lies on the air is dangerous, even objected to the network broadcasting a recent speech from the presumptive Republican nominee, calling it “irresponsible.”",CNN,22/03/2024,"['NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedlyattacked the network and its journalists,assailed thenewsmedia as “fake news” and promoted false claims around the 2020vote,as an on-air commentatorahead of the 2024 presidential election.', '“It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, senior vice president of politics at NBC News, said in a memoto staff.', 'McDaniel exited the RNC earlier this month after leading the organization since 2016.', 'During her time as chair, McDaniel repeatedly attacked the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Donald Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions.', 'McDaniel echoed many such attacks, labeling the press as “fake news” and calling the media “corrupt.”', 'At times, she even targeted NBC Newsand MSNBCwith dishonest attacks.', 'In 2019, for instance, McDaniel accused Richard Engel, NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent, of “actively cheering for an economic downturn.”', '“How can NBC let him keep his job when he’s made his bias so clear?”', 'McDaniel asked.', 'McDaniel has a lengthier history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role.', 'In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for “spreading lies” and blasted those she described as the network’s “primetime propagandists.”', 'An NBC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about her attacks on the news media and NBC.', 'In her role as RNC chief, McDaniel also fanned the flames of election denialism after the 2020 presidential contest.', 'McDaniel was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead.', 'McDanieltold the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. …', 'We will get you attorneys.”', 'The Michigan Department of State’s office condemned her claims of supposed voter fraud in the wake of the election, stating they had “no merit.', '”The state’s “elections were conducted fairly, effectively and transparently and are an accurate reflection of the will of Michigan voters,” it said in adetailed fact checkposted online.', 'In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace last year, McDaniel defended her claims of voting “irregularity” in the election.', '“I think saying that there were problems with 2020 is very real.', 'I don’t think that’s election denying,” McDaniel told Wallace. “', 'I’m from Wayne County.', 'We had a woman send a note saying I’m being told to backdate ballots.', 'We had to look into that.', 'That’s deeply concerning.', 'When you have friends who are poll-watching and being kicked out, that’s deeply concerning.', 'We have every right to look at that.”', 'In the interview,Wallace pressed McDaniel if she believed Biden legitimately won the election.', '“I think there were lots of problems with 2020.', 'Ultimately, he won the electionbut there were lots of problems with the 2020 election,” she said. “', 'But I don’t think he won it fair.', 'I don’t.', 'I’m not going to say that.”', 'NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at thenetwork’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.', 'Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network’s anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on airwithout scrutiny.', 'MSNBC has even started carrying Trump’s remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do.', 'Star host Rachel Maddow, who has said carrying Trump’s lieson the airis dangerous, even objected to the network broadcasting a recent speech from the presumptive Republican nominee, calling it “irresponsible.”']",-0.069193576701305,But I don’t think he won it fair.,"At times, she even targeted NBC Newsand MSNBCwith dishonest attacks.",-0.2803101042906443,"NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at thenetwork’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.",“I think there were lots of problems with 2020.,2024-05-29
"NBC cut ties with Ronna McDaniel after extraordinary pressure, but its problems aren’t over",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/27/media/nbc-ronna-mcdaniel-problems-are-not-over/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:16 AM EDT, Wed March 27, 2024
    ","Only 80 hours elapsed between NBC News announcing Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor and the network ousting her from that very role. But for the leadership at NBC Universal News Group, those were 80 painful hours.
    
            On Tuesday evening, following another full day in which the media rumor mill churned at warp speed, NBCU News Group boss Cesar Conde sent staff a memo, notifying his troops that he had reversed his decision to welcome the former Republican National Committee chair to “the team.”
    
            “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Conde said, adding that he wanted to “personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down.”
    
            Conde had no real choice. The embattled NBCU boss, who I’m told dealt with the crisis from an unknown location outside of 30 Rock, was facing an unprecedented rebellion from his most high-profile stars, who one by one went on the air and excoriated leadership’s decision to hire McDaniel. The only aspect of Conde’s note that was surprising was the fact that it came 48 hours late, allowing what started off as a crisis to fester and balloon into one of the worst corporate public relations calamities in recent memory.
    
            “What a sh*t show!” a media executive exclaimed to me Tuesday shortly after Conde relieved McDaniel of her NBC News credentials.
    
            In his note, Conde said he took “full responsibility” for McDaniel’s hire. But, he also did point the finger, telling staffers that hiring her was “a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team.” Indeed, multiple people familiar with the matter have told me that the infighting among NBC executives over who was at fault for the disaster has reached a fever pitch, with various factions of the NBCU News Group assigning blame to others.
    
            Regardless of who is to blame, the entire affair made clear who is actually in control of the company — and it’s not Conde & Co. Despite the NBCU C-suite digging their heels in the sand as they resisted dumping McDaniel for days, they were ultimately forced to succumb to pressure from their talent. As a second media executive commented to me, it is now “very clear who is in charge” after the “weak leadership was put on full display.”
    
            “Has Cesar lost the room?” wondered a third media executive.
    
            While the Peacock family argues over who was really at fault, the company is facing a fresh public relations mess. Led by Donald Trump, right-wing personalities are already assailing the network as being overrun with intolerant woke leftists.
    
            “These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.
    
            Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote on X: “What NBC is saying is if you’re for Trump, you don’t belong. Good. Let NBC be for Democrats only.”
    
            Of course, that narrative is intellectually dishonest. The objection to McDaniel from both within and outside of NBCU was not that she is a Republican. It wasn’t even that she was a Trump-supporting Republican. No, the objection stemmed from the fact that McDaniel was an active participant in the plot to subvert the 2020 vote. And, in addition to that disgraceful history, she had a lengthy track record smearing NBC News and MSNBC.
    
            Nevertheless, NBCU will now have to contend with such dishonest attacks being leveled by the right, which will follow them in the days, months, and even years to come. As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.
    
            NBCU will also have to grapple with McDaniel, who spent the last 24 hours or so interviewing lawyers as she gears up for a possible legal fight with the network, according to a person familiar with the matter. The rift between McDaniel and NBCU had grown to such an extent by Tuesday that she was not informed by network brass that she had been dismissed, I’m told. Instead, McDaniel learned of her ouster in press reports.
    
            While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars. Shortly after Conde sent out his memo, Rachel Maddow appeared on Joy Reid’s show, where the two lauded Conde for reversing course.
    
            “I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”",CNN,27/03/2024,"['Only 80 hours elapsed between NBC News announcing Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor and the network ousting her from that very role.', 'But for the leadership at NBC Universal News Group, those were 80painful hours.', 'On Tuesday evening, following another full day in which the media rumor mill churned at warp speed, NBCU News Group boss Cesar Conde sent staff a memo, notifying his troops that he had reversed his decision to welcome the former Republican National Committee chair to “the team.”', '“After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Conde said, adding that he wanted to “personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down.”', 'Conde had no real choice.', 'The embattled NBCU boss, who I’m told dealt with the crisis from an unknown location outside of 30 Rock, was facing an unprecedented rebellion from his most high-profile stars, who one by one went on the air and excoriated leadership’s decision to hire McDaniel.', 'The only aspect of Conde’s note that was surprising was the fact that it came 48 hours late, allowing what started off as a crisis to fester and balloon into one of the worst corporate public relations calamities in recent memory.', '“What a sh*t show!”', 'a media executive exclaimed to me Tuesday shortly after Conde relieved McDaniel of her NBC News credentials.', 'In his note, Conde said he took “full responsibility” for McDaniel’s hire.', 'But, he also did point the finger, telling staffers that hiring her was “a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team.”', 'Indeed, multiple people familiar with the matter have told me that the infighting among NBC executives over who was at fault for the disaster has reached a fever pitch, with various factions of the NBCU News Group assigning blame to others.', 'Regardless of who is to blame, the entire affair made clear who is actually in control of the company — and it’s not Conde & Co. Despite the NBCU C-suite digging their heels in the sand as they resisted dumping McDaniel for days, they were ultimately forced to succumb to pressure from their talent.', 'As a second media executive commented to me, it is now “very clear who is in charge” after the “weak leadership was put on full display.”', '“Has Cesar lost the room?”', 'wondered a third media executive.', 'While the Peacock family argues over who was really at fault, the company is facing a fresh public relations mess.', 'Led by Donald Trump, right-wing personalities are already assailing the network as being overrun with intolerant woke leftists.', '“These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.', 'Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote on X: “What NBC is saying is if you’re for Trump, you don’t belong.', 'Good.', 'Let NBC be for Democrats only.”', 'Of course, that narrative is intellectually dishonest.', 'The objection to McDaniel from both within and outside of NBCU was not that she is a Republican.', 'It wasn’t even that she was a Trump-supporting Republican.', 'No, the objection stemmed from the fact that McDaniel was an active participant in the plot to subvert the 2020 vote.', 'And, in addition to that disgraceful history, she had a lengthy track record smearing NBC News and MSNBC.', 'Nevertheless, NBCU will now have to contend with such dishonest attacks being leveled by the right, which will follow them in the days, months, and even years to come.', 'As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.', 'NBCU will also have to grapple with McDaniel, who spent the last 24 hours or so interviewing lawyers as she gears up for a possible legal fight with the network, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'The rift between McDaniel and NBCU had grown to such an extent by Tuesday that she was not informed by network brass that she had been dismissed, I’m told.', 'Instead, McDaniel learned of her ouster in press reports.', 'While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars.', 'Shortly after Conde sent out his memo, Rachel Maddow appeared on Joy Reid’s show, where the two lauded Conde for reversing course.', '“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “', 'That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”']",-0.0743400881523301,"“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “","“These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.",-0.3914040706374428,"While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars.","As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.",2024-05-29
How to make high interest rates work for your hard-earned savings,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/20/success/interest-rates-savings-cash/index.html,"
  Published
        3:00 PM EDT, Wed March 20, 2024
    ","The Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate remains at a 23-year high. That’s thanks to the central bank’s decision Wednesday to once again hold it steady, as it has done at the policy-making committee’s past five meetings.
    
            That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).
    
            But with the Fed signaling that no rate cuts are likely until summer, it also means anyone with savings still has at least a few more months to make hay of their stash.
    
            That’s because you can still get inflation-beating interest rates that will grow any money you have set aside for emergencies, vacations, down payments or any other goal in your sights over the next several years.
    
            However, that won’t happen if you just let it sit in a traditional checking or savings account that yields next to nothing. There are more lucrative, low-risk options out there, with rates that are still at or near their peaks. “But perhaps not for much longer,” said Ted Rossman, senior analyst at Bankrate. “If one of those fits into your financial plans, it’s best to act soon.”
    
            So, consider the following options when deciding where to park your hard-earned savings.
    
            The average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.52% as of March 13, according to Bankrate. That average is kept low by the biggest brick-and-mortar banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which still are offering a paltry 0.01%.
    
            By contrast, there are still FDIC-insured online banks offering inflation-beating rates of between 4.35% and 5.35% on their high-yield savings accounts. Generally speaking, these are the best vehicles in which to keep your emergency funds for quick, easy access.
    
            Choosing between an account that pays 0.52% and one that pays 5.35% can mean forfeiting hundreds of dollars in interest. “If you put $10,000 in a savings account, that’s a difference of $496 in interest earnings over the course of the year, assuming monthly compounding,” Rossman said.
    
            While the rates on high-yield savings accounts have gone down a bit in recent months, “widespread cuts in online savings account rates are unlikely until the first Fed rate cut is near,” said Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com.
    
            As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings account rates can change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it. So make sure to check your monthly statement.
    
            Another high-return, low-risk investment that is great for money you likely won’t need to tap for a few months or even a couple of years is a certificate of deposit.
    
            You can get the best returns on CDs through a brokerage such as Schwab, E*Trade or Fidelity. That’s because you can comparison shop for CDs from any number of FDIC-insured banks and will not have to set up individual accounts with each institution.
    
            As of March 13, the average rate on a one-year CD was 1.95%, but some banks are offering as much are 5.4%.
    
            If you can get a one-year CD at, say, 5.4%, you will make $540 on a $10,000 investment.
    
            To get the greatest benefit from a CD, you have to leave the money invested for a fixed period. You can always access your principal sooner if you need to, but there may be early withdrawal penalties.
    
            As of March 20, CDs listed on Schwab.com with durations from three months up to three years were all yielding between 5.2% and 5.51%. CD rates on durations between four and 10 years ranged from 4.40% to 5.15%.
    
            Say you invest $10,000 in a one-year CD with a 5.36% APY. At the end of that period, you’d get your principal back plus $536 in interest when the CD matures, according to Bankrate’s CD calculator. If you chose a two-year CD at 5.25%, you’d bank an extra $1,078, assuming compounding interest. The same investment in a five-year CD at 5.15% would earn $2,854.
    
            “It makes sense to go long with CDs. To hedge your bets, include terms from one to five years. Starting a CD ladder will provide this mix,” Tumin said.
    
            If you don’t go through a brokerage you may get a reasonable deal from your primary bank, Tumin said.
    
            For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs. Or, at Bank of America, you can get up to 4.75% on a 7-month CD.
    
            But Tumin cautions that with any big bank CD you should take your money out at the end of the term, otherwise your bank may automatically renew it and lock you in to a much lower-yielding CD.
    
            If you don’t want to set up an online savings account at another bank, your own bank may offer you a money market deposit account that pays a higher yield than your regular checking or savings accounts.
    
            Money market accounts may have higher minimum deposit requirements than a regular savings account, but they are more liquid than a fixed-term certificate of deposit or Treasury bill, meaning they give you access to your money more quickly while still potentially giving you some of the highest yields available, said Doug Ornstein, senior manager for integrated solutions at TIAA Wealth Management.
    
            But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments. As of March 19, they had an average 7-day yield of 5.14%, according to the Crane Money Fund Index, which tracks the top 100 taxable money market funds.
    
            Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC. But if you invest in a money market fund through a brokerage, your overall account is likely to be insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corp, which offers protection in the event your brokerage ever goes under.
    
            Another option for money you can leave untouched anywhere from several months to a few years is to buy short-term Treasury bills and medium-term notes, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
    
            Three- and six-month bills had yields of 5.39% and 5.33% respectively on March 20 before the Fed’s meeting ended, while nine-month and one-year bills were offering 5.19% and 5.08% respectively, according to rates posted on Schwab.com for a $25,000 investment. Rates on Treasury notes with durations from two years to 10 years ranged between 4.29% and 4.72%.
    
            If you’re someone who manages your portfolio like a hawk, you may feel comfortable buying T-bills on your own from TreasuryDirect.gov. But if you don’t, it might be easier just to buy new issues through your brokerage account or invest in a short-term bond index fund or ETF, said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines.
    
            And if you’re looking at money that will be needed in three to five years, you might consider a diversified fund of highly rated government and corporate bonds, Ornstein said. An 18-month AAA-rated corporate bond, for instance, was yielding 4.82% this week, while the three-year was at 4.49%. Meanwhile, three-year AAA-rated municipal bonds (which are issued by local governments) had a rate of 3.98%, according to Schwab.com.
    
            When deciding on the best accounts and investments for your specific goals and peace of mind, it may pay to consult a fee-only fiduciary adviser — meaning, someone who doesn’t get paid a commission to sell you a particular investment.
    
            What you’ll always want to do is build in flexibility for yourself so you can easily access cash, regardless of your timeline for key goals. “What happens if something changes and you need that down payment a lot sooner — or your parents need medical care fast?” Smith said.
    
            That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty. Translation: Don’t chase yield for yield’s sake.
    
            Think of it this way, Ornstein said: Unless you have huge sums to invest or are an institutional investor, the difference between getting a 5.1% yield versus 5% is negligible, and in fact it could even cost you more if there are penalties for taking your money out early. “Most of the time convenience is really important. Give up the 0.1%,” he advised.",CNN,20/03/2024,"['The Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate remains at a 23-year high.', 'That’s thanks to the central bank’s decision Wednesday to once again hold it steady, as it has done at the policy-making committee’s past five meetings.', 'That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).', 'Butwith the Fed signaling that no rate cuts are likely until summer, it also means anyone with savings still has at least a few more months to make hay of their stash.', 'That’s because you can still get inflation-beating interest rates that will grow any money you have set aside for emergencies, vacations, down payments or any other goal in your sights over the next several years.', 'However, that won’t happen if you just let it sit in a traditional checking or savings account that yields next to nothing.', 'There are more lucrative, low-risk options out there, with rates that are still at or near their peaks. “', 'But perhaps not for much longer,” said Ted Rossman, senior analyst at Bankrate. “', 'If one of those fits into your financial plans, it’s best to act soon.”', 'So, consider the following options when deciding where to park your hard-earned savings.', 'The average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.52% as of March 13, according to Bankrate.', 'That average is kept low by the biggest brick-and-mortar banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which still are offering a paltry 0.01%.', 'By contrast, there are still FDIC-insured online banks offering inflation-beating rates of between 4.35% and 5.35% on their high-yield savings accounts.', 'Generally speaking, these are the best vehicles in which to keep your emergency funds for quick, easy access.', 'Choosing between an account that pays 0.52% and one that pays 5.35% can mean forfeiting hundreds of dollars in interest. “', 'If you put $10,000 in a savings account, that’s a difference of $496 in interest earnings over the course of the year, assuming monthly compounding,” Rossman said.', 'While the rates on high-yield savings accounts have gone down a bit in recent months, “widespread cuts in online savings account rates are unlikely until the first Fed rate cut is near,” said Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com.', 'As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings accountratescan change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it.', 'So make sure to check your monthly statement.', 'Another high-return, low-risk investment that is great for money you likely won’t need to tap for a few months or even a couple of years is a certificate of deposit.', 'You can get the best returns on CDs through a brokerage such as Schwab, E*Trade or Fidelity.', 'That’s because you can comparison shop for CDs from any number of FDIC-insured banks and will not have to set up individual accounts with each institution.', 'As of March 13, the average rate on a one-year CD was 1.95%, but some banks are offering as much are 5.4%.', 'If you can get a one-year CD at, say, 5.4%, you will make $540 on a $10,000 investment.', 'To get the greatest benefit from a CD, you have to leave the money invested for a fixed period.', 'You can always access your principal sooner if you need to, but there may be early withdrawal penalties.', 'As of March 20, CDs listed on Schwab.com with durations from three months up to three years were all yielding between 5.2% and 5.51%.', 'CD rates on durations between four and 10 years ranged from 4.40% to 5.15%.', 'Say you invest $10,000 in a one-year CD with a 5.36%APY.', 'At the end of that period, you’d get your principal back plus $536 in interest when the CD matures, according to Bankrate’s CD calculator.', 'If you chose a two-year CD at 5.25%, you’d bank an extra $1,078, assuming compounding interest.', 'The same investment in a five-year CD at 5.15% would earn $2,854.', '“It makes sense to go long with CDs.', 'To hedge your bets, include terms from one to five years.', 'Starting a CD ladder will provide this mix,” Tumin said.', 'If you don’t go through a brokerage you may get a reasonable deal from your primary bank, Tumin said.', 'For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs.', 'Or, at Bank of America, you can get up to 4.75% on a 7-month CD.', 'But Tumin cautions that with any big bank CD you should take your money out at the end of the term, otherwise your bank may automatically renew it and lock you in to a much lower-yielding CD.', 'If you don’t want to set up an online savings account at another bank, your own bank may offer you a money market deposit account that pays a higher yield than your regular checking or savings accounts.', 'Money market accounts may have higher minimum deposit requirements than a regular savings account, but they are more liquid than a fixed-term certificate of deposit or Treasury bill, meaning they give you access to your money more quickly while still potentially giving you some of the highest yields available, said Doug Ornstein, senior manager for integrated solutions at TIAA Wealth Management.', 'But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments.', 'As of March 19, they had an average 7-day yield of 5.14%, according to the Crane Money Fund Index, which tracks the top 100 taxable money market funds.', 'Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC.', 'But if you invest in a money market fund through a brokerage, your overall account is likely to be insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corp, which offers protection in the event your brokerage ever goes under.', 'Another option for money you can leave untouched anywhere from several months to a few years is to buy short-term Treasury bills and medium-term notes, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.', 'Three- and six-month bills had yields of 5.39% and 5.33%respectively on March 20 before the Fed’s meeting ended, while nine-month and one-year bills were offering 5.19% and 5.08%respectively, according to rates posted on Schwab.com for a $25,000 investment.', 'Rates on Treasury notes with durations from two years to 10 years ranged between 4.29% and 4.72%.', 'If you’re someone who manages your portfolio like a hawk, you may feel comfortable buying T-bills on your own from TreasuryDirect.gov.', 'But if you don’t, it might be easier just to buy new issues through your brokerage account or invest in a short-term bond index fund or ETF, said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines.', 'And if you’re looking at money that will be needed in three to five years, you might consider a diversified fund of highly rated government and corporate bonds, Ornstein said.', 'An 18-month AAA-rated corporate bond, for instance, was yielding 4.82% this week, while the three-year was at 4.49%.', 'Meanwhile, three-year AAA-rated municipal bonds (which are issued by local governments) had a rate of 3.98%, according to Schwab.com.', 'When deciding on the best accounts and investments for your specific goals and peace of mind, it may pay to consult a fee-only fiduciary adviser — meaning, someone who doesn’t get paid a commission to sell you a particular investment.', 'What you’ll always want to do is build in flexibility for yourself so you can easily access cash, regardless of your timeline for key goals. “', 'What happens if something changes and you need that down payment a lot sooner — or your parents need medical care fast?”', 'Smith said.', 'That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty.', 'Translation: Don’t chase yield for yield’s sake.', 'Think of it this way, Ornstein said: Unless you have huge sums to invest or are an institutional investor, the difference between getting a 5.1% yield versus 5% is negligible, and in fact it could even cost you more if there are penalties for taking your money out early. “', 'Most of the time convenience is really important.', 'Give up the 0.1%,” he advised.']",0.1607169988950149,That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty.,"But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments.",0.3840319812297821,"For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs.","That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).",2024-05-29
3 ways Apple’s monopoly lawsuit could change the iPhone experience for fans,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/apples-iphone-changes-lawsuit/index.html,"
  Published
        6:30 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","When Apple launched its first Mac computer in 1984, with its iconic Mac smiley-face “hello” greeting, it wanted to differentiate itself in the fledgling PC market. The Mac was approachable with its friendly, innovative design – Apple’s way of setting the Mac apart in the confusing PC landscape.
    
            That consumer-friendly mantra still exists today, with Apple carefully curating an easy-breezy yet controlled user experience across its products, including the billions of iPhones used around the world.
    
            But the Biden administration believes Apple took that too far. On Thursday, the Department of Justice sued Apple for illegally monopolizing the smartphone market. In a press conference, the government provided a long list of how Apple has allegedly squashed competition with restrictive app store terms, high fees and its “walled-garden” approach, restricting how third-party companies interact with its brands and services.
    
            The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them. Apple added that the lawsuit could empower the government “to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”
    
            But if successful, the lawsuit could ripple across Apple’s products and services. Although the suit could take years to play out, here’s a closer look what it may eventually mean for iPhone users:
    
            If found liable, the company could be forced to change a number of things.
    
            One such change is how iPhone users could get greater access to “super apps” that have been largely restricted before. The term refers to one-stop-shop apps that allow for messaging, ordering food, payment processing and other capabilities all within one platform.
    
             According to Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst at market research firm Forrester, super apps most threaten Apple’s preeminence in the lives of its customers.
    
            “An offering like WeChat, dubbed China’s everything app, can provide an alternative to the Apple ecosystem for people to communicate, bank, share memories, talk to businesses and more,” he said. “What Apple fears most is becoming irrelevant to its customers.”
    
            At the same time, super apps like WeChat are created by larger companies and could, therefore, put some smaller companies at a disadvantage. And the concept hasn’t been welcomed much in the US anyway.
    
            The US government, however, could argue that lack of interest may be due to Apple’s high share of the smartphone market and its resistance to offer super apps in its store, Chatterjee said.
    
            Apple may also be required to offer more support for cross-platform messaging, an issue the company previously said it’s already working on.
    
            The company lets iPhone users send high-quality photos and videos to one another, but similar texts to Android phones are slower and grainy. It also maintains those messages in green bubbles, creating a kind of class divide, critics argue.
    
            In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap. Apple’s move to add support for the standard called RCS (rich communication services) is intended to roll out later this year. RCS is considered the replacement to alternatives such as SMS, or short messaging service, and can work over both Wi-Fi and mobile data.
    
            The change followed pressure from both regulators and competitors to more seamlessly work across operating systems. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, for example, requires companies to make their key services interoperable between platforms. The US government could require the same.
    
            Another likely change is how hardware from other companies, such as smartwatches, will interact with the Apple range of devices and software, including the iPhone and Apple’s services like Fitness+. The company has also required Apple Watch users to own iOS devices as a way to keep them locked into its existing ecosystem.
    
            Chatterjee said making this change would have both positives and negatives.
    
            “The net result would reside somewhere along the spectrum of access to more and cheaper options but also the devaluation of the customer experience that is so highly prized by Apple’s customers,” he said.
    
            The Biden administration has also taken issue with Apple’s lack of support for mobile cloud services. Loosening this could allow users to access games and other cloud-based apps without having to pay for pricey hardware.
    
            The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating. Although the Biden administration will have to prove these harms, some critics say any potential changes Apple could make will negatively impact the user experience.
    
            David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research, said he recognizes that the content and applications market should be open, and Apple needs to avoid monopolistic advantages that can restrict competition, push up prices or block innovation. But Apple’s success stems in part to its tight grip on its products and services, keeping things intuitive and seamless.
    
            “If Apple is forced to comply, it could potentially spell the end to the provision of this consistent and unified user experience, although by the same token, consumers will be open to a greater choice of apps and services, helping more developers and providers,” McQueen said.
    
            Chatterjee noted some people are drawn to the Apple family of products precisely because of the carefully managed ecosystem’s ease of use. Apple may have to work that much harder to preserve the integrity of its experience, but any changes probably won’t be enough to make customers to leave and go elsewhere.
    
            “The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.
    
            But he added those currently outside of the Apple ecosystem will likely benefit by “plugging in opportunistically without having to go all in with Apple.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['When Apple launched its first Mac computer in 1984, with its iconic Mac smiley-face “hello” greeting, it wanted to differentiate itself in the fledgling PC market.', 'The Mac was approachable with its friendly, innovative design – Apple’s way of setting the Mac apart in the confusing PC landscape.', 'That consumer-friendly mantra still exists today, with Apple carefully curating an easy-breezy yet controlled user experience across its products, including the billions of iPhones used around the world.', 'But the Biden administration believes Apple took that too far.', 'On Thursday, the Department of Justice sued Apple for illegally monopolizing the smartphone market.', 'In a press conference, the government provided a long list of how Apple has allegedly squashed competition with restrictive app store terms, high fees and its “walled-garden” approach, restricting how third-party companies interact with its brands and services.', 'The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them.', 'Apple added that the lawsuit could empower the government “to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”', 'But if successful, the lawsuit could ripple across Apple’s products and services.', 'Although the suit could take years to play out, here’s a closer look what it may eventually mean for iPhone users:  If found liable, the company could be forced to change a number of things.', 'One such change is how iPhone users could get greater access to “super apps” that have been largely restricted before.', 'The term refers to one-stop-shop apps that allow for messaging, ordering food, payment processing and other capabilities all within one platform.', 'According to Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst at market research firm Forrester, super apps most threaten Apple’s preeminence in the lives of its customers.', '“An offering like WeChat, dubbed China’s everything app, can provide an alternative to the Apple ecosystem for people to communicate, bank, share memories, talk to businesses and more,” he said.', '“What Apple fears most is becoming irrelevant to its customers.”', 'At the same time, super apps like WeChat are created by larger companies and could, therefore, put some smaller companies at a disadvantage.', 'And the concept hasn’t been welcomed much in the US anyway.', 'The US government, however, could argue that lack of interest may be due to Apple’s high share of the smartphone market and its resistance to offer super apps in its store, Chatterjee said.', 'Apple may also be required to offer more support for cross-platform messaging, an issue the company previously said it’s already working on.', 'The company lets iPhone users send high-quality photos and videos to one another, but similar texts to Android phones are slower and grainy.', 'It also maintains those messages in green bubbles, creating a kind of class divide, critics argue.', 'In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap.', 'Apple’s move to add support for the standard called RCS (rich communication services) is intended to roll out later this year.', 'RCS is considered the replacement to alternatives such as SMS, or short messaging service, and can work over both Wi-Fi and mobile data.', 'The change followed pressure from both regulators and competitors to more seamlessly work across operating systems.', 'The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, for example, requires companies to make their key services interoperable between platforms.', 'The US government could require the same.', 'Another likely change is how hardware from other companies, such as smartwatches, will interact with the Apple range of devices and software, including the iPhone and Apple’s services like Fitness+.', 'The company has also required Apple Watch users to own iOS devices as a way to keep them locked into its existing ecosystem.', 'Chatterjee said making this change would have both positives and negatives.', '“The net result would reside somewhere along the spectrum of access to more and cheaper options but also the devaluation of the customer experience that is so highly prized by Apple’s customers,” he said.', 'The Biden administration has also taken issue with Apple’s lack of support for mobile cloud services.', 'Loosening this could allow users to access games and other cloud-based apps without having to pay for pricey hardware.', 'The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating.', 'Although the Biden administration will have to prove these harms, some critics say any potential changes Apple could make will negatively impact the user experience.', 'David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research, said he recognizes that the content and applications market should be open, and Apple needs to avoid monopolistic advantages that can restrict competition, push up prices or block innovation.', 'But Apple’s success stems in part to its tight grip on its products and services, keeping things intuitive and seamless.', '“If Apple is forced to comply, it could potentially spell the end to the provision of this consistent and unified user experience, although by the same token, consumers will be open to a greater choice of apps and services, helping more developers and providers,” McQueen said.', 'Chatterjee noted some people are drawn to the Apple family of products precisely because of the carefully managed ecosystem’s ease of use.', 'Apple may have to work that much harder to preserve the integrity of its experience, but any changes probably won’t be enough to make customers to leave and go elsewhere.', '“The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.', 'But he added those currently outside of the Apple ecosystem will likely benefit by “plugging in opportunistically without having to go all in with Apple.”']",0.2470050112228104,"In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap.",The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them.,-0.151834687590599,"“The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.","The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating.",2024-05-29
Melinda French Gates explains why she resigned from the Gates Foundation — and what she’ll do now,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/investing/melinda-french-gates-women/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:07 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Melinda French Gates says that after the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that let individual states decide abortion rights, the philanthropist felt compelled to offer Americans financial support for their reproductive freedoms — support that she says she had been giving exclusively overseas.
    
            “While I have long focused on improving contraceptive access overseas, in the post-Dobbs era, I now feel compelled to support reproductive rights here at home,” French Gates said in an op-ed Tuesday in the New York Times. “For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women’s rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense. I want to help even the match.”
    
            French Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month, announcing June 7 will be her last day at the organization she helped create more than two decades ago. As part of her divorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation, and she hinted she would focus her philanthropic efforts on women and girls — but she offered no specifics.
    
            Tuesday, she gave the first details of her new plan.
    
            French Gates said she will donate $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the world through her organization, Pivotal Ventures. That will include $200 million in grants to organizations that are fighting for women’s reproductive rights.
    
            Among those recipients is The 19th, a nonprofit news organization that reports on gender policy. “Pinch me,” Emily Ramshaw, the company’s co-founder and CEO, said in a post on X.
    
            “Sometimes dreams do come true,” Ramshaw said in a blog post on the company’s website. “This support will bolster our critical politics and policy coverage in a seismic election year, allow us to make strategic investments in our audiences and our future, and lay the foundation for our long-term sustainability in a turbulent time for our industry.”
    
            Another recipient, The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, said its grant will help advance its work to improve women’s health across the United States and narrow the gender pay gap.
    
            “We are deeply honored to receive this support from Melinda French Gates, a true pioneer for women’s empowerment,” said Dr. Jamila Taylor, IWPR President and CEO, in a statement.
    
            French Gates will also give $250 million in awards to organizations working to help improve women’s mental and physical health.
    
            In an innovative effort that echoes those by mega-philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, French Gates also said she will grant $240 million to a group of 12 advocates and influential leaders around the world ($20 million each) to allow them to give the money to groups they believe are performing urgent and meaningful work in women’s health. Scott has shaken up the charitable world by shelling out large sums of money at rapid speed to organizations she favors — with no demands or strings attached.
    
            “I’m also experimenting with novel tactics to bring a wider range of perspectives into philanthropy,” French Gates wrote in her op-ed. “I’m eager to see the landscape of funding opportunities through their eyes, and the results their approaches unlock.”
    
            French Gates said the group of leaders includes former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, maternal-health advocate Allyson Felix and Afghan women’s education activist Shabana Basij-Rasikh.
    
            In her op-ed, French Gates said she was once told to set her own agenda before someone else sets it — and that’s why she chose to leave the Gates Foundation.
    
            She said naysayers about charitable efforts to empower women have frustrated her with their shortsightedness. She called America’s high maternal mortality rate “unconscionable” and decried America’s status as the only advanced economy without paid family leave at a national level.
    
            Just 2% of donations in the United States go to organizations focused on women and girls, French Gates noted. But she said investments in women’s health will add significantly to the global economy.
    
            “Because I have been given this extraordinary opportunity, I am determined to do everything I can to seize it and to set an agenda that helps other women and girls set theirs, too,” she wrote in her op-ed.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Melinda French Gates says that after the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that let individual states decide abortion rights, the philanthropist felt compelled to offer Americans financial support for their reproductive freedoms — support that she says she had been giving exclusively overseas.', '“While I have long focused on improving contraceptive access overseas, in the post-Dobbs era, I now feel compelled to support reproductive rights here at home,” French Gates said in an op-ed Tuesday in the New York Times. “', 'For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women’s rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense.', 'I want to help even the match.”', 'French Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month, announcing June 7 will be her last day at the organization she helped create more than two decades ago.', 'As part of her divorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation, and she hinted she would focus her philanthropic efforts on women and girls — but she offered no specifics.', 'Tuesday, she gave the first details of her new plan.', 'French Gates said she will donate $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the worldthrough her organization, Pivotal Ventures.', 'That will include $200 million in grants to organizations that are fighting for women’s reproductive rights.', 'Among those recipients is The 19th, a nonprofit news organization that reports on gender policy. “', 'Pinch me,” Emily Ramshaw, the company’s co-founder and CEO, said in a post on X.  “Sometimes dreams do come true,” Ramshaw said in a blog post on the company’s website. “', 'This support will bolster our critical politics and policy coverage in a seismic election year, allow us to make strategic investments in our audiences and our future, and lay the foundation for our long-term sustainability in a turbulent time for our industry.”', 'Another recipient, The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, said its grant will help advance its work to improve women’s health across the United States and narrow the gender pay gap.', '“We are deeply honored to receive this support from Melinda French Gates, a true pioneer for women’s empowerment,” said Dr. Jamila Taylor, IWPR President and CEO, in a statement.', 'French Gates will also give $250 million in awards to organizations working to help improve women’s mental and physical health.', 'In an innovative effort that echoes those by mega-philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, French Gates also said she will grant $240 million to a group of 12 advocates and influential leaders around the world ($20 million each) to allow them to give the money to groups they believe are performing urgent and meaningful work in women’s health.', 'Scott has shaken up the charitable world by shelling out large sums of money at rapid speed to organizations she favors — with no demands or strings attached.', '“I’m also experimenting with novel tactics to bring a wider range of perspectives into philanthropy,” French Gates wrote in her op-ed. “', 'I’m eager to see the landscape of funding opportunities through their eyes, and the results their approaches unlock.”', 'French Gates said the group of leaders includes former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, maternal-health advocate Allyson Felix and Afghan women’s education activist Shabana Basij-Rasikh.', 'In her op-ed, French Gates said she was once told to set her own agenda before someone else sets it — and that’s why she chose to leave the Gates Foundation.', 'She said naysayers about charitable efforts to empower women have frustrated her with their shortsightedness.', 'She called America’s high maternal mortality rate “unconscionable” and decried America’s status as the only advanced economy without paid family leave at a national level.', 'Just 2% of donations in the United States go to organizations focused on women and girls, French Gates noted.', 'But she said investments in women’s health will add significantly to the global economy.', '“Because I have been given this extraordinary opportunity, I am determined to do everything I can to seize it and to set an agenda that helps other women and girls set theirs, too,” she wrote in her op-ed.']",0.3391479458249217,"Melinda French Gates says that after the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that let individual states decide abortion rights, the philanthropist felt compelled to offer Americans financial support for their reproductive freedoms — support that she says she had been giving exclusively overseas.","For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women’s rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense.",0.3619431674480438,"This support will bolster our critical politics and policy coverage in a seismic election year, allow us to make strategic investments in our audiences and our future, and lay the foundation for our long-term sustainability in a turbulent time for our industry.”",She said naysayers about charitable efforts to empower women have frustrated her with their shortsightedness.,2024-05-29
Bilt’s June Rent Day promotion: Earn more points when you dine out,https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/bilt-rent-day-promotion,"
  Updated
        12:19 PM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","The Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees) has been incredibly popular since its inception in 2021. With a top-notch travel rewards program and the opportunity to earn points on rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), it’s no surprise to see the card flourish over the past few years.
    
            In addition, Bilt Rewards — the loyalty program behind the Bilt Mastercard — offers lucrative promotions throughout the year, with the most popular known as Rent Day.
    
            With Bilt’s Rent Day promotion — which runs the first of every month — card members earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent) and can take advantage of a unique promotion that changes every month. Bilt typically announces these promotions just a few days before Rent Day.
    
            Bilt Rewards just announced the June edition of its monthly Rent Day promotion, and for better or for worse, it’s different from offers we’ve seen in the past.
    
            Instead of a travel-related offer, Bilt is celebrating the expansion of their Neighborhood Dining program, which now includes over 20,000 restaurants. This means, for those dining out on June 1st, you’ll have the opportunity to earn even more Bilt points.
    
            Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Rent Day promotion.
    
            This Saturday night, June 1, Bilt members will be able to earn a boatload a points for dining out at a Neighborhood Dining restaurant. At these partner restaurants, you’ll be able to earn up to 10 points per dollar, in additional to your usual card rewards, depending on your status within the Bilt Rewards program.
    
            Those with Bilt Platinum and Gold status will earn 10 points per dollar, while Silver and Blue members will earn 5 points per dollar. To earn the bonus points, you must use a credit card linked with your Bilt Rewards account.
    
            Additionally, on top of the bonus points earned, you’ll also be able to earn 6x points simply for dining, as long as you pay with your Bilt Mastercard®. Typically, with the Bilt Mastercard® you earn 3x points on dining (a normal card benefit), but on Rent Day, those points are always doubled.
    
            While this means you can ultimately earn up to 16x points for your evening out, you are capped at earning 10,000 bonus points with this promotion. But, you must activate this offer first in your Bilt app.
    
            This month, Bilt is launching their Bilt Brunch Series, where you can enjoy brunch at some of the Bilt team’s favorite restaurants. These dining experiences will start at $50, or you can redeem 4,000 Bilt points per person. Availability will be limited, but you can try to grab a seat on May 29.
    
            Those with Bilt elite status will receive priority access to reservations. Platinum status members will have first access at 12 p.m. EST, Gold status members at 12:10 p.m. EST and Silver status members at 12:20 p.m. EST. All other Bilt Rewards members can book at 12:30 p.m. EST.
    
            Brunch experiences will be available at select restaurants in New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.
    
            Every month on Rent Day, Bilt also gives members with the Bilt Mastercard a chance to earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent).
    
            So, if you have a new restaurant you want to check out, flights to book or any other purchases to make, it could be worth waiting until June 1 to earn more points on your purchase.
    
            But remember, to earn Bilt points with your Bilt Mastercard, you must use the card five times each statement period (see Rewards & Benefits).
    
            If you plan on dining out this weekend, this month’s Rent Day promotion is a great way to earn bonus points to put towards future travel. Just remember to link your card to your Bilt account in advance and check out the partner Neighborhood restaurants.
    
            Learn more and apply now for the Bilt Mastercard.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['The Bilt Mastercard® (seerates and fees) has been incredibly popular since its inception in 2021.', 'With a top-notch travel rewards program and the opportunity to earn points on rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), it’s no surprise to see the card flourish over the past few years.', 'In addition, Bilt Rewards —the loyalty program behind the Bilt Mastercard — offers lucrative promotions throughout the year, with the most popular known as Rent Day.', 'With Bilt’s Rent Day promotion —which runs the first of every month — card members earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent) and can take advantage of a unique promotion that changes every month.', 'Bilt typically announces these promotions just a few days before Rent Day.', 'Bilt Rewards just announced the June edition of its monthly Rent Day promotion, and for better or for worse, it’s different from offers we’ve seen in the past.', 'Instead of a travel-related offer, Bilt is celebrating the expansion of their Neighborhood Diningprogram, which now includes over 20,000 restaurants.', 'This means, for those dining out on June 1st, you’ll have the opportunity to earn even more Bilt points.', 'Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Rent Day promotion.', 'This Saturday night, June 1, Bilt members will be able to earn a boatload a points for dining out at a Neighborhood Dining restaurant.', 'At these partner restaurants, you’ll be able to earn up to 10 points per dollar, in additional to your usual card rewards, depending on your status within the Bilt Rewards program.', 'Those with Bilt Platinum and Gold status will earn 10 points per dollar, while Silver and Blue members will earn 5 points per dollar.', 'To earn the bonus points, you must use a credit card linked with your Bilt Rewards account.', 'Additionally, on top of the bonus points earned, you’ll also be able to earn 6x points simply for dining, as long as you pay with your Bilt Mastercard®.', 'Typically, with the Bilt Mastercard® you earn 3x points on dining (a normal card benefit), but on Rent Day, those points are always doubled.', 'While this means you can ultimately earn up to 16x points for your evening out, you are capped at earning 10,000 bonus points with this promotion.', 'But, you must activate this offer first in your Bilt app.', 'This month, Bilt is launching their Bilt Brunch Series, where you can enjoy brunch at some of the Bilt team’s favorite restaurants.', 'These dining experiences will start at $50, or you can redeem 4,000 Bilt points per person.', 'Availability will be limited, but you can try to grab a seat on May 29.', 'Those with Bilt elite status will receive priority access to reservations.', 'Platinum status members will have first access at 12 p.m. EST, Gold status members at 12:10 p.m. EST and Silver status members at 12:20 p.m. EST.', 'All other Bilt Rewards members can book at 12:30 p.m. EST.', 'Brunch experiences will be available at select restaurants in New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.', 'Every month on Rent Day, Bilt also gives members with the Bilt Mastercard a chance to earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent).', 'So, if you have a new restaurant you want to check out, flights to book or any other purchases to make, it could be worth waiting until June 1 to earn more points on your purchase.', 'But remember, to earn Bilt points with your Bilt Mastercard, you must use the card five times each statement period (see Rewards & Benefits).', 'If you plan on dining out this weekend, this month’s Rent Day promotion is a great way to earn bonus points to put towards future travel.', 'Just remember to link your card to your Bilt account in advance and check out the partner Neighborhood restaurants.', 'Learn more and apply now for the Bilt Mastercard.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.3346236488862161,"In addition, Bilt Rewards —the loyalty program behind the Bilt Mastercard — offers lucrative promotions throughout the year, with the most popular known as Rent Day.",,0.9967026795659748,"With a top-notch travel rewards program and the opportunity to earn points on rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), it’s no surprise to see the card flourish over the past few years.",,2024-05-29
Porsche reveals a new hybrid 911 as more consumers embrace hybrids over electric vehicles,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/cars/hybrid-porsche-911-revealed/index.html,"
  Published
        11:07 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Porsche unveiled the first hybrid version of its most famous sports car, the 911, on Tuesday, a move that could help electric motors become more accepted even in performance cars.
    
            The move also marks a major step in the evolution of one of the most recognizable cars in the world. Given their generally greater fuel efficiency without the sacrifice of power, hybrids have become commonplace in many types of vehicles. They have become increasingly popular in the United States even as sales of purely electric models have started to slow.
    
            The German automaker Porsche, a division of Volkswagen AG, already sells plug-in hybrid models like the Cayenne e-Hybrid SUV and Panamera e-Hybrid four-door car, but a hybrid 911 is another matter.
    
            Initially, hybrid power will be available in only one version of the car, the high performance 911 Carrera GTS. With an electric motor integrated into the car’s eight-speed transmission assisting the car’s six-cylinder gas engine, the new 911 model will produce up to 532 horsepower, 59 more than the current Carrera GTS model.
    
            Few cars are as defined by a gasoline engine as the 911, and few automakers are as defined by one model as Porsche is by the 911. While Porsche sells far more SUVs than sports cars these days, the 911 remains the automaker’s core model. Even the Porsche Macan and Cayenne SUVs, with their rounded edges and sloped hoods, have nods in their designs to the 911.
    
            In another major change for Porsche, this car will not be a plug-in hybrid, as other Porsche hybrid models have been. The Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid and Panamera e-Hybrid are plug-in hybrids with batteries that can be charged from an EV charger as well as by the vehicles’ own engine. Those models can also drive some distance on only electric power after the battery has been fully charged. The 911 Carrera GTS will be a fully self-contained hybrid, charged only by power from the engine and from braking. It will not be able to drive significant distances on electric power alone.
    
            Besides hybrids, Porsche also sells fully electric cars, the Taycan and the new Macan Electric SUV. But executives have said the 911 would be the last Porsche to become all-electric, because its engineering is so unique and quintessential to its brand. By taking away the engine in the back, which gave the car the distinctive shape and rear-weighted driving feel, what makes it a 911? This new hybrid model, which still has its gas engine mounted in the back, will be the closest Porsche can get to an electric 911 without raising those sorts of questions.
    
            Although electric vehicle sales in the US continue to rise, the rate of growth has slowed sharply in recent months. Meanwhile, sales of hybrids are growing faster. Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers. Hybrids are generally cheaper and don’t require a charger.
    
            This particular hybrid will not be cheap, though. Prices for the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS will start at around $165,000.
    
            A Porsche test driver drove the hybrid around Germany’s famed Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack in 7 minutes and 17 seconds — 8.7 seconds faster than a comparable current-generation 911 Carrra GTS. The Nürburgring is a twisty, challenging track, so the faster time also indicates the car’s handling isn’t hindered by the added weight of batteries and electric motors.
    
            The unveiling of the new hybrid version comes about 60 years after Porsche launched the 911. The first 911 was unveiled in 1963 but didn’t go into production until 1964. It was a larger and more powerful addition to Porsche’s original model — the 356.
    
            Both models, which were produced together for only a few years, had small back seats and engines mounted behind the rear wheels. The layout was similar to the Volkswagen Beetle, a car designed by Ferdinand Porsche Sr., the father of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, who created the 356. Ferry’s son, Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche, worked on the design of the 911, modeled after the 356’s teardrop shape. Its form, including the increasingly cramped back seats, has remained fundamentally the same since the original model.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Porsche unveiled the first hybrid version of its most famous sports car, the 911, on Tuesday, a move that could help electric motors become more accepted even in performance cars.', 'The move also marks a major step in the evolution of one of the most recognizable cars in the world.', 'Given their generally greater fuel efficiency without the sacrifice of power, hybrids have become commonplace in many types of vehicles.', 'They have become increasingly popular in the United States even as sales of purely electric models have started to slow.', 'The German automaker Porsche, a division of Volkswagen AG, already sells plug-in hybrid models like the Cayenne e-Hybrid SUV and Panamera e-Hybrid four-door car, but a hybrid 911 is another matter.', 'Initially, hybrid power will be available in only one version of the car, the high performance 911 Carrera GTS.', 'With an electric motor integrated into the car’s eight-speed transmission assisting the car’s six-cylinder gas engine, the new 911 model will produce up to 532 horsepower, 59 more than the current Carrera GTS model.', 'Few cars are as defined by a gasoline engine as the 911, and few automakers are as defined by one model as Porsche is by the 911.', 'While Porsche sells far more SUVs than sports cars these days, the 911 remains the automaker’score model.', 'Even the Porsche Macan and Cayenne SUVs, with their rounded edges and sloped hoods, have nods in their designs to the 911.', 'In another major change for Porsche, this car will not be a plug-in hybrid, as other Porsche hybrid models have been.', 'The Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid and Panamera e-Hybrid are plug-in hybrids with batteries that can be charged from an EV charger as well as by the vehicles’ own engine.', 'Those models can also drive some distance on only electric power after the battery has been fully charged.', 'The 911 Carrera GTS will be a fully self-contained hybrid, charged only by power from the engine and from braking.', 'It will not be able to drive significant distances on electric power alone.', 'Besides hybrids, Porsche also sells fully electric cars, the Taycan and the new Macan Electric SUV.', 'But executives have said the911 would be the last Porsche to become all-electric, because its engineering is so unique and quintessential to its brand.', 'By taking away the engine in the back, which gave the car the distinctive shape and rear-weighted driving feel, what makes it a 911?', 'This new hybrid model, which still has its gas engine mounted in the back, will be the closest Porsche can get to an electric 911 without raising those sorts of questions.', 'Although electric vehicle sales in the US continue to rise, the rate of growth has slowed sharply in recent months.', 'Meanwhile, sales of hybrids are growing faster.', 'Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers.', 'Hybrids are generally cheaper and don’t require a charger.', 'This particular hybrid will not be cheap, though.', 'Prices for the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS will start at around $165,000.', 'A Porsche test driver drove the hybrid around Germany’s famedNürburgring Nordschleife racetrack in 7 minutes and 17 seconds — 8.7 seconds faster than a comparable current-generation 911 Carrra GTS.', 'The Nürburgring is a twisty, challenging track, so the faster time also indicates the car’s handling isn’t hindered by the added weight of batteries and electric motors.', 'The unveiling of the new hybrid version comes about 60 years after Porsche launched the 911.', 'The first 911 was unveiled in 1963 but didn’t go into production until 1964.', 'It was a larger and more powerful addition to Porsche’s original model — the 356.', 'Both models, which were produced together for only a few years, had small back seats and engines mounted behind the rear wheels.', 'The layout was similar to theVolkswagen Beetle, a car designed by Ferdinand Porsche Sr.,', 'the father of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, who created the 356.', 'Ferry’s son, Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche, worked on the design of the 911, modeled after the 356’s teardrop shape.', 'Its form, including the increasingly cramped back seats, has remained fundamentally the same since the original model.']",0.091183806935274,They have become increasingly popular in the United States even as sales of purely electric models have started to slow.,Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers.,0.8040594187649813,"Meanwhile, sales of hybrids are growing faster.",Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers.,2024-05-29
"In fiery exchanges, lawmakers and university heads clashed over responses to campus antisemitism",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/23/business/takeaways-house-campus-antisemitism-hearing/index.html,"
  Updated
        5:53 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","The House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s hearing on campus antisemitism Thursday came with no shortage of fiery exchanges between lawmakers and the heads of Northwestern University, Rutgers University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
    
            But unlike two prior hearings, Thursday’s was the first to take place after a wave of pro-Palestinian encampments spread across campuses nationwide, disrupting learning and commencement ceremonies and ultimately causing many students to feel unsafe.
    
            Here are some of the most important takeaways from the hearing that lasted several hours.
    
            Northwestern President Michael Schill and Rutgers University President Dr. Jonathan Holloway negotiated with protesters rather than authorizing police to disband encampments, which UCLA Chancellor Gene Block ultimately did.
    
            Both approaches received considerable rebuke from lawmakers on the Republican-led committee. Schill and Holloway were accused of being complicit with protesters, though some Democratic lawmakers found their approaches admirable.
    
            “I for one am interested in hearing and learning about what successful negotiation and de-escalation looks like in the context of protecting students and free speech,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, said.
    
            Meanwhile, Block was criticized by some lawmakers for not authorizing police to step in sooner. Block agreed more action should have been taken earlier, saying, “With the benefit of hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if and when the safety of our community was put at risk.”
    
            In one of the hearing’s tensest exchanges, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik slammed Schill for not taking any action against someone who allegedly told a Jewish student to “go back to Germany and get gassed.”
    
            Schill said that he heard about that happening and “it is being investigated.” So far, no students who are being investigated for various alleged acts of antisemitism have been expelled or suspended, he said.
    
            Rutgers’ Holloway and UCLA’s Block similarly said the universities have many active investigations underway. Holloway said his school has suspended four people and 19 others have received additional disciplinary actions.
    
            If you tuned in to Thursday’s hearing and thought the responses university heads gave were pre-rehearsed, it’s because they likely were.
    
            The three university heads at the hearing had the advantage of learning from the prior campus hearings. All were especially keen on not repeating the mistake made by University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and other school presidents who did not explicitly say calls for the genocide of Jews violated their codes of conduct.
    
            But the school leaders on Thursday still leaned into giving lawyerly responses, especially in tense lines of questioning to avoid being cornered into taking a stance on divisive issues.
    
            For instance, when Holloway was asked if he thought Israel’s government was genocidal he responded, “Sir, I don’t have an opinion on Israel’s — in terms of that phrase.”
    
            Meanwhile, Schill said more than once that he would not comment on individual students or faculty members in the hearing.",CNN,23/05/2024,"['The House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s hearing on campus antisemitism Thursday came with no shortage of fiery exchanges between lawmakers and the heads of Northwestern University, Rutgers University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).', 'But unlike two prior hearings, Thursday’s was the first to take place after a wave of pro-Palestinian encampments spread across campuses nationwide, disrupting learning and commencement ceremonies and ultimately causing many students to feel unsafe.', 'Here are some of the most important takeaways from the hearing that lasted several hours.', 'Northwestern President Michael Schill and Rutgers University President Dr. Jonathan Holloway negotiated with protesters rather than authorizing police to disband encampments, which UCLA Chancellor Gene Block ultimately did.', 'Both approaches received considerable rebuke from lawmakers on the Republican-led committee.', 'Schill and Holloway were accused of being complicit with protesters, though some Democratic lawmakers found their approaches admirable.', '“I for one am interested in hearing and learning about what successful negotiation and de-escalation looks like in the context of protecting students and free speech,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, said.', 'Meanwhile, Block was criticized by some lawmakers for not authorizing police to step in sooner.', 'Block agreed more action should have been taken earlier, saying, “With the benefit of hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if and when the safety of our community was put at risk.”', 'In one of the hearing’s tensest exchanges, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik slammed Schillfor not taking any action against someone who allegedly told a Jewish student to “go back to Germany and get gassed.”', 'Schill said that he heard about that happening and “it is being investigated.', '”So far, no students who are being investigated for various alleged acts of antisemitism have been expelled or suspended, he said.', 'Rutgers’ Holloway and UCLA’s Block similarly said the universities have many active investigations underway.', 'Holloway said his school has suspended four people and 19 others have received additional disciplinary actions.', 'If you tuned in to Thursday’s hearing and thought the responses university heads gave were pre-rehearsed, it’s because they likely were.', 'The three university heads at the hearing had the advantage of learning from the prior campus hearings.', 'All were especially keen on not repeating the mistake made by University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and other school presidents who did not explicitly say calls for the genocide of Jews violated their codes of conduct.', 'But the school leaders on Thursday still leaned into giving lawyerly responses, especially in tense lines of questioning to avoid being cornered into taking a stance on divisive issues.', 'For instance, when Holloway was asked if he thought Israel’s government was genocidal he responded, “Sir, I don’t have an opinion on Israel’s — in terms of that phrase.”', 'Meanwhile, Schill said more than once that he would not comment on individual students or faculty members in the hearing.']",-0.1008423731261616,"“I for one am interested in hearing and learning about what successful negotiation and de-escalation looks like in the context of protecting students and free speech,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, said.","”So far, no students who are being investigated for various alleged acts of antisemitism have been expelled or suspended, he said.",-0.83787868420283,,Both approaches received considerable rebuke from lawmakers on the Republican-led committee.,2024-05-29
Digital humans: the relatable face of artificial intelligence?,https://edition.cnn.com/business/digital-humans-ai-dj-dex-spc/index.html,"
  Published
        5:33 AM EDT, Tue March 19, 2024
    ","Scrolling through the Instagram account of DJ and aspiring model Dex you’ll see her wearing new outfits, performing at shows around the world and chatting to her thousands of followers about her hobbies.
    
            However, it’s clear that there is something different about Dex; she’s an entirely virtual “digital human,” designed by a startup in the UK.
    
            For her performances, Dex is displayed on a video screen or as a holographic projection, with her mixes created by humans. She is animated using Unreal Engine — a 3D modeling software widely used in video games — combined with motion-capture. Generative artificial intelligence allows her to remember information and respond to questions, using a voice also generated by AI.
    
            “She’s probably one of the only digital humans in the performance space that you can have a conversation and interact with,” says Denise Harris, CCO of startup Sum Vivas. “You can ask her anything. She is a genius about music.”
    
            Last month, Dex performed at Digital Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and she has modeled outfits by Prada and Louis Vuitton at digital fashion events.
    
            For Liverpool-based Sum Vivas she’s a “showpiece” for more practical applications. The company is now developing digital humans that can “listen” to people’s questions and converse in real time. “Shellie” can provide product information as an avatar on company websites, while “Arif” is set to direct passengers and answer questions as a multilingual concierge on screens at airports.
    
            According to CEO and founder Rob Sims, digital humans can help bridge the gap between AI technology and people. “What we’ve found is when people start working with and conversing with a digital human, they very quickly suspend disbelief,” Sims tells CNN. “It becomes natural.”
    
            Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.
    
            Record levels of investment into generative AI have followed, with over $21 billion poured into the industry during the first nine months of last year, according to data insights company Pitchbook. In March 2023, Google launched Bard (recently renamed Gemini) and around the same time Anthropic released its AI assistant Claude. As generative AI chatbots become increasingly ubiquitous, Sum Vivas is one of several companies looking to make them more human.
    
            US and New Zealand-based UneeQ has developed animated conversational “digital humans” that can be used as virtual sales reps and customer service agents on company websites, and this month it debuted Sama 2.0, an animated cabin crew member that answers questions on Qatar Airways’ website and app.
    
            Microsoft recently announced that users of its Azure software would be able to create lifelike avatars capable of turning text prompts into animated speech. However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market. 
    
            “When we rely on automated tools, what skills are we losing in the process?” asks Jennifer Ding, senior researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. “In some ways, we think of AI as something that’s helping us or augmenting our work,” she says. “However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”
    
            Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “Every scenario that we found, we’re creating jobs and working in harmony with people rather than taking away jobs,” she says.
    
            “Digital humans, first and foremost, should work with other human colleagues,” adds Sims. “We’ll move into a stage where digital humans will start to become just another member of the team, with added benefits for that team, and obviously the customers they serve.”",CNN,19/03/2024,"['Scrolling through the Instagram account of DJ and aspiring model Dex you’ll see her wearing new outfits, performing at shows around the world and chatting to her thousands of followers about her hobbies.', 'However, it’s clear that there is something different about Dex; she’s an entirely virtual “digital human,” designed by a startup in the UK.', 'For her performances, Dex is displayed on a video screen or as a holographic projection, with her mixes created by humans.', 'She is animated using Unreal Engine — a 3D modeling software widely used in video games — combined with motion-capture.', 'Generative artificial intelligence allows her to remember information and respond to questions, using a voice also generated by AI.', '“She’s probably one of the only digital humans in the performance space that you can have a conversation and interact with,” says Denise Harris, CCO of startup Sum Vivas. “', 'You can ask her anything.', 'She is a genius about music.”', 'Last month, Dex performed at Digital Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and she has modeled outfits by Prada and Louis Vuitton at digital fashion events.', 'For Liverpool-based Sum Vivas she’s a “showpiece” for more practical applications.', 'The company is now developing digital humans that can “listen” to people’s questions and converse in real time. “', 'Shellie” can provide product information as an avatar on company websites, while “Arif” is set to direct passengers and answer questions as a multilingual concierge on screens at airports.', 'According to CEO and founder Rob Sims, digital humans can help bridge the gap between AI technology and people. “', 'What we’ve found is when people start working with and conversing with a digital human, they very quickly suspend disbelief,” Sims tells CNN. “', 'It becomes natural.”', 'Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.', 'Record levels of investment into generative AI have followed, with over $21 billion poured into the industry during the first nine months of last year, according to data insights company Pitchbook.', 'In March 2023, Google launched Bard (recently renamed Gemini) and around the same time Anthropic released its AI assistant Claude.', 'As generative AI chatbots become increasingly ubiquitous, Sum Vivas is one of several companies looking to make them more human.', 'US and New Zealand-based UneeQ has developed animated conversational “digital humans” that can be used as virtual sales reps and customer service agents on company websites, and this month it debuted Sama 2.0, an animated cabin crew member that answers questions on Qatar Airways’ website and app.', 'Microsoft recently announced that users of its Azure software would be able to create lifelike avatars capable of turning text prompts into animated speech.', 'However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market.', '“When we rely on automated tools, what skills are we losing in the process?”', 'asks Jennifer Ding, senior researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. “', 'In some ways, we think of AI as something that’s helping us or augmenting our work,” she says. “', 'However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”', 'Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “', 'Every scenario that we found, we’re creating jobs and working in harmony with people rather than taking away jobs,” she says.', '“Digital humans, first and foremost, should work with other human colleagues,” adds Sims. “', 'We’ll move into a stage where digital humans will start to become just another member of the team, with added benefits for that team, and obviously the customers they serve.”']",0.1214444180579973,"Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.","However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”",0.2107271328568458,"Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “","However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market.",2024-05-29
Top soccer clubs are using an AI-powered app to scout future stars,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/01/tech/aiscout-app-soccer-scouting-spc-intl/index.html,"
  Published
        7:14 AM EST, Fri March 1, 2024
    ","A London-based technology company is looking to “democratize” talent-identification and scouting in soccer using a mobile app.
    
            Free to download and available globally, the aiScout app allows aspiring soccer stars to enter virtual trials for professional clubs by uploading self-recorded footage of themselves completing a series of drills. It offers 75 exercises, designed to test a range of skills, with videos showing users how to complete them.
    
            Performances are automatically scored by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The data can then be accessed by clubs, allowing their scouts to peruse scores for viable talent, honing their search with a variety of filters; from age and gender to position on the pitch.
    
            The app currently has two English Premier League (EPL) partners, Chelsea and Burnley, and clubs can tailor their in-app trials to meet specific needs and set their own benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same drills.
    
            “We’re putting that data up front to make better use of [the scouts’] time,” said Richard Felton-Thomas, chief operating officer of ai.io, the company behind the app.
    
            “To say [to scouts], ‘Go over to this place today because there’s three players in that game that are all actually beating your Chelsea standard’ — that’s going to be the best use of your time.’”
    
            It already appears to be working for some. Ben Greenwood had never had a trial with a professional club until he downloaded the app in 2019. After uploading footage of himself, the 17-year-old landed a trial with Chelsea, becoming the first user of the app to get a trial with a pro club. He signed a contract with EPL team Bournemouth in 2021.
    
            Having beta-tested in with players spanning 125 countries, Greenwood among them, 135 players have been trialed or signed by pro clubs or national teams through the app — which fully launched in September 2023 — according to Felton-Thomas.
    
            Just over 100,000 players make up the current database, but with over 100 clubs lined up to join Chelsea and Burnley, as well as a multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer in the US announced last May, Felton-Thomas projects user numbers to surge into the millions as the operation ramps up this year.
    
            Felton-Thomas said the “lion’s share” of its income comes from charging clubs a license fee to run the platform. Annual fees vary depending on the size of the club and the tools they require, ranging from six figures for “tier one” sides like Chelsea, to thousands of pounds for clubs lower down the footballing pyramid.
    
            The use of smart technology in sport continues to expand, including AI commentary tools and wearable tech for elite athletes. The global market for sports analytics, valued at $2.7 billion in 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.
    
            Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry? For Felton-Thomas, new technologies can co-exist with traditional methods.
    
            “It’s more about evolution than revolution,” Felton-Thomas explained.
    
            “We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity? What happens when he’s 2-0 down? What happens when someone’s shouting at him? What happens when he’s just made a massive mistake?”
    
            “We’ve got the ability to just augment real people to do their jobs better and faster, which then gives an opportunity to the player through the AI, but you’re still actually just connecting them to the human on the other side, which is the club and the scout.”
    
            While football remains ai.io’s primary focus, the company is looking into opportunities in other sports to launch in the coming years. Further ahead, it may branch out beyond sports.
    
            “You think about the notion that you can be at home and analyze your movements, and how this could spin into health care, physical assessments for military disciplines and emergency services,” Felton-Thomas told CNN.",CNN,01/03/2024,"['A London-based technology company is looking to “democratize” talent-identification and scouting in soccer using a mobile app.', 'Free to download and available globally, the aiScout app allows aspiring soccer stars to enter virtual trials for professional clubs by uploading self-recorded footage of themselves completing a series of drills.', 'It offers 75 exercises, designed to test a range of skills, with videos showing users how to complete them.', 'Performances are automatically scored by artificial intelligence (AI) technology.', 'The data can then be accessed by clubs, allowing their scouts to peruse scores for viable talent, honing their search with a variety of filters; from age and gender to position on the pitch.', 'The app currently has two English Premier League (EPL) partners, Chelsea and Burnley, and clubs can tailor their in-app trials to meet specific needs and set their own benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same drills.', '“We’re putting that data up front to make better use of [the scouts’] time,” said Richard Felton-Thomas, chief operating officer of ai.io, the company behind the app.', '“To say [to scouts], ‘Go over to this place today because there’s three players in that game that are all actually beating your Chelsea standard’ — that’s going to be the best use of your time.’”', 'It already appears to be working for some.', 'Ben Greenwood had never had a trial with a professional club until he downloaded the app in 2019.', 'After uploading footage of himself, the 17-year-old landed a trial with Chelsea, becoming the first user of the app to get a trial with a pro club.', 'He signed a contractwith EPL team Bournemouthin 2021.', 'Having beta-tested in with players spanning 125 countries, Greenwood among them, 135 players have been trialed or signed by pro clubs or national teams through the app — which fully launched in September 2023 — according to Felton-Thomas.', 'Just over 100,000 players make up the current database, but with over 100 clubs lined up to join Chelsea and Burnley, as well as a multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer in the US announced last May, Felton-Thomas projects user numbers to surge into the millions as the operation ramps up this year.', 'Felton-Thomas said the “lion’s share” of its income comes from charging clubs a license fee to run the platform.', 'Annual fees vary depending on the size of the club and the tools they require, ranging from six figures for “tier one” sides like Chelsea, to thousands of pounds for clubs lower down the footballing pyramid.', 'The use of smart technology in sport continues to expand, includingAI commentary tools and wearable tech for elite athletes.', 'The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.', 'Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry?', 'For Felton-Thomas, new technologies can co-exist with traditional methods.', '“It’s more about evolution than revolution,” Felton-Thomas explained.', '“We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity?', 'What happens when he’s 2-0 down?', 'What happens when someone’s shouting at him?', 'What happens when he’s just made a massive mistake?”', '“We’ve got the ability to just augment real people to do their jobs better and faster, which then gives an opportunity to the player through the AI, but you’re still actually just connecting them to the human on the other side, which is the club and the scout.”', 'While football remains ai.io’s primary focus, the company is looking into opportunities in other sports to launch in the coming years.', 'Further ahead, it may branch out beyond sports.', '“You think about the notion that you can be at home and analyze your movements, and how this could spin into health care, physical assessments for military disciplines and emergency services,” Felton-Thomas told CNN.']",0.2022322827681825,"The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.","“We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity?",0.6922526359558105,"The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.",Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry?,2024-05-29
NBC News boss Cesar Conde faces backlash from his network’s anchors over ‘inexplicable’ decision to hire ex-RNC chair Ronna McDaniel,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/media/nbc-news-cesar-conde-ronna-mcdaniel-backlash/index.html,"
  Published
        8:05 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","Cesar Conde has a decision to make — and it’s not an especially difficult one.
    
            The NBCUniversal News Group chair is facing a torrent of backlash from his own staff after greenlighting the hire of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid network contributor.
    
            Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.” And they’re not doing it via anonymous comments to the press. They’re doing it on the record on NBCU’s own air. Chuck Todd broke the dam on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” with a set of candid comments about the hiring, and Rachel Maddow capped the flood of backlash Monday night with a blistering 30-minute monologue eviscerating the network’s leadership for the “inexplicable” move.
    
            Suffice to say, NBCU News Group is in unprecedented territory. Never has a network’s C-suite ever been so thoroughly flogged by its most high-profile stars in such no holds barred fashion. Saying that Conde simply has a crisis on his hands would be a contender for understatement of the year. It’s a five-alarm fire at NBCU News Group, and one of Conde’s own making.
    
            While NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown were most directly responsible for McDaniel’s hiring, a decision that MSNBC boss Rashida Jones did not object to it at the time, the buck ultimately stops with Conde, who hold the real power at the Peacock Network. McDaniel’s hiring could not have happened without Conde’s blessing.
    
            It does not take a brilliant political mind with prescient foresight to understand that hiring McDaniel would ignite a firestorm of outrage — from both within 30 Rock and outside it. Conde, someone who ostensibly supports American democracy, should have rejected McDaniel’s hiring on the grounds that NBCU News Group could not put someone on its payroll who tried to subvert the 2020 vote.
    
            As so many of NBCU’s staffers have underscored, the objection to McDaniel is not that she is a Republican. It’s not even that she is a Donald Trump-supporting Republican. It’s that she was an active participant in the plot to overthrow the last presidential election. That is not to even mention McDaniel’s years of demonizing the press, smearing the journalists who work at NBC News and MSNBC as she sought to destroy the credibility of the organization that she ran to after being chased out of the RNC.
    
            The notion put forward by NBC that it needed to hire McDaniel to bring its viewers “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party” is absurd. If that’s the case, the network should move to hire free agents like Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens. They too have their hands on the pulse of the Republican Party. In fact, they represent much more of where the GOP stands today than McDaniel. So, using NBC’s logic, why not hire them? (Spoiler: News organizations rightfully have established basic standards for paid contributors. Asking that your employees have a commitment to democracy, to the truth, and to basic decency is not a big ask.)
    
            But even if Conde has no allegiance to basic democratic principles, which this hire calls into question, given that he is known to be a political player who cares deeply about his own image in the press, he should have been wise enough to foresee that hiring McDaniel would be an ill-conceived move. How this did not occur to Conde is unfathomable and shows a tremendous lack of judgment.
    
            Even more bizarre is Conde’s management, or lack thereof, since the controversy erupted. It was clear early on that his employees at NBC News and MSNBC did not support McDaniel’s hiring. If that was not evident on Friday, it was clear as day on Sunday after “Meet the Press.” The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.
    
            At that point, the writing should have been on the wall for Conde — as it was for every other media executive that I have spoken with over the last 24 hours. It is evident that McDaniel has no real future as an NBC analyst and the decision to bring her on as a contributor will have to be reversed. After all, which NBC or MSNBC program is going to invite her on after all of this?
    
            The only real question for Conde after the Sunday morning scolding should have been how he chose to back out of the deal in the least painful way possible. To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.
    
            But no such announcement came.
    
            Instead, Conde has allowed the mess to spiral absolutely out of control. MSNBC’s top stars hammered the network’s leadership throughout the day Monday over the hire. NBC News’ Guild blasted Conde, saying in a statement that under him the company had quietly laid off employees over the last month and instead chosen to “prioritize an election denier over its reporters.” The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.
    
            All the while, Conde has remained silent. I asked his spokesperson, Stephen Labaton, on Monday whether the NBCU News Group boss had any comment on the situation. Does he have any regret? I didn’t get an on-the-record response. Suffice to say, however, that what Conde does moving forward will say a lot about his character and commitment to democratic values. It will also say a lot about the NBCU News Group and what type of organization it is.
    
            In her biting monologue on Monday night, however, Maddow did offer Conde a way out of this mess.
    
            “Mistakes will be made,” Maddow said.”But our resilience as a democracy is going to be recognizing when decisions are bad ones and reversing those bad decisions. Hearing legitimate criticism, responding to it, and correcting course. Not digging in. Not blaming others. Take a minute. Acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call.”
    
            “It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong,” Maddow added. “It is a sign of strength. And our country needs us to be strong now.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['Cesar Conde has a decision to make — and it’s not an especially difficult one.', 'The NBCUniversal News Group chair is facing a torrent of backlash from his own staff after greenlighting the hire of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid network contributor.', 'Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.”', 'And they’re not doing it via anonymous comments to the press.', 'They’re doing it on the record on NBCU’s own air.', 'Chuck Todd broke the dam on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” with a set of candid comments about the hiring, and Rachel Maddow capped the flood of backlash Monday night with a blistering 30-minute monologue eviscerating the network’s leadership for the “inexplicable” move.', 'Suffice to say, NBCU News Group is in unprecedented territory.', 'Never has a network’s C-suite ever been so thoroughly flogged by its most high-profile stars in such no holds barred fashion.', 'Saying that Conde simply has a crisis on his hands would be a contender for understatement of the year.', 'It’s a five-alarm fire at NBCU News Group, and one of Conde’s own making.', 'While NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown were most directly responsible for McDaniel’s hiring, a decision that MSNBC boss Rashida Jones did not object to it at the time, the buck ultimately stops with Conde, who hold the real power at the Peacock Network.', 'McDaniel’s hiring could not have happened without Conde’s blessing.', 'It does not take a brilliant political mind with prescient foresight to understand that hiring McDaniel would ignite a firestorm of outrage — from both within 30 Rock and outside it.', 'Conde, someone who ostensibly supports American democracy, should have rejected McDaniel’s hiring on the grounds that NBCU News Group could not put someone on its payroll who tried to subvert the 2020 vote.', 'As so many of NBCU’s staffers have underscored, the objection to McDaniel is not that she is a Republican.', 'It’s not even that she is a Donald Trump-supporting Republican.', 'It’s that she was an active participant in the plot to overthrow the last presidential election.', 'That is not to even mention McDaniel’s years of demonizing the press, smearing the journalists who work at NBC News and MSNBC as she sought to destroy the credibility of the organization that she ran to after being chased out of the RNC.', 'The notion put forward by NBC that it needed to hire McDaniel to bring its viewers “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party” is absurd.', 'If that’s the case, the network should move to hire free agents like Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens.', 'They too have their hands on the pulse of the Republican Party.', 'In fact, they represent much more of where the GOP stands today than McDaniel.', 'So, using NBC’s logic, why not hire them? (', 'Spoiler: News organizations rightfully have established basic standards for paid contributors.', 'Asking that your employees have a commitment to democracy, to the truth, and to basic decency is not a big ask.)', 'But even if Conde has no allegiance to basic democratic principles, which this hire calls into question, given that he is known to be a political player who cares deeply about his own image in the press, he should have been wise enough to foresee that hiring McDaniel would be an ill-conceived move.', 'How this did not occur to Conde is unfathomable and shows a tremendous lack of judgment.', 'Even more bizarre is Conde’s management, or lack thereof, since the controversy erupted.', 'It was clear early on that his employees at NBC News and MSNBC did not support McDaniel’s hiring.', 'If that was not evident on Friday, it was clear as day on Sunday after “Meet the Press.”', 'The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.', 'At that point, the writing should have been on the wall for Conde — as it was for every other media executive that I have spoken with over the last 24 hours.', 'It is evident that McDaniel has no real future as an NBC analyst and the decision to bring her on as a contributor will have to be reversed.', 'After all, which NBC or MSNBC program is going to invite her on after all of this?', 'The only real question for Conde after the Sunday morning scolding should have been how he chose to back out of the deal in the least painful way possible.', 'To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.', 'But no such announcement came.', 'Instead, Conde has allowed the mess to spiral absolutely out of control.', 'MSNBC’s top stars hammered the network’s leadership throughout the day Monday over the hire.', 'NBC News’ Guild blasted Conde, saying in a statement that under him the company had quietly laid off employees over the last month and instead chosen to “prioritize an election denier over its reporters.”', 'The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.', 'All the while, Conde has remained silent.', 'I asked his spokesperson, Stephen Labaton, on Monday whether the NBCU News Group boss had any comment on the situation.', 'Does he have any regret?', 'I didn’t get an on-the-record response.', 'Suffice to say, however, that what Conde does moving forward will say a lot about his character and commitment to democratic values.', 'It will also say a lot about the NBCU News Group and what type of organization it is.', 'In her biting monologue on Monday night, however, Maddow did offer Conde a way out of this mess.', '“Mistakes will be made,” Maddow said.', '”But our resilience as a democracy is going to be recognizing when decisions are bad ones and reversing those bad decisions.', 'Hearing legitimate criticism, responding to it, and correcting course.', 'Not digging in.', 'Not blaming others.', 'Take a minute.', 'Acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call.”', '“It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong,” Maddow added. “', 'It is a sign of strength.', 'And our country needs us to be strong now.”']",-0.032955005531589,"Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.”",The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.,-0.5018035081716684,"To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.","The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.",2024-05-29
Get ready for a historic Memorial Day travel rush. Here’s what to expect for gas prices,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/biden-gas-prices-memorial-day/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:34 AM EDT, Fri May 24, 2024
    ","For many Americans, Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer travel season as millions of people head to parks, beaches and other vacation destinations.
    
            This summer is no exception: Nearly 44 million people are expected to skip town this Memorial Day, the highest number since 2005, according to AAA. Road trips, in particular, are expected to set a record, which could send gas prices higher.
    
            There’s no relief in the air, either: Thursday was the second-busiest day for travel in TSA history, as it screened just shy of 2.9 million passengers. Friday is expected to be even busier.
    
            This week, the Biden administration said it would take action to keep prices at the pump in check, selling one million barrels of gasoline from a never-before-used emergency stockpile called the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve.
    
            “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement on Tuesday.
    
            But, just as a US president cannot solely take the blame for surging oil prices, nor can he or she, in most cases, be entirely credited for steadying prices. The true impact of this strategic release will likely be negligible, oil market experts said – and the sale was mandated by Congress earlier this year.
    
            “This is a non-starter and won’t do much to lower gas prices,” GasBuddy’s Patrick DeHaan said. “But it will help get rid of a reserve that wasn’t really practical or usable.”
    
            Although a strategic sale of one million barrels of gas sounds like a lot, the US consumed nearly 9 million gasoline barrels per day last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration. That means the Biden administration’s planned release, which will happen in the coming weeks, translates to less than three hours of national demand.
    
            While the Biden administration may have timed the sale from the government-owned oil supply to coincide with the busy holiday travel season, Congress directed the administration to draw down and close the NSGR, created as part of then-President Obama’s response to Superstorm Sandy.
    
            According to the US Department of Energy, the reserve was created after the 2012 storm caused heavy damage to oil refineries in the Northeast, leaving some gas stations without fuel for weeks. The reserve currently holds gasoline barrels in New York and Maine.
    
            Biden has tapped other US-owned oil reserves during his presidency. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Biden attempted to stem rising oil prices by authorizing the release of 180 million barrels of oil in coordination with US allies overseas. At the time, the President said it would act as a “wartime bridge” as the US and global oil production ramped back up after the Covid-19 pandemic.
    
            Tom Kloza, the global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service, said he believed the Biden administration would be making a mistake if he were to take credit for recent steady oil prices after the one-million-barrel release.
    
            “By depicting this as a move to save consumers money, they risk being blamed if prices spike higher this summer,” said Tom Kloza, the global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service. While Kloza doesn’t expect a surge in oil prices, he said it was possible that warm summer temperatures could cause refineries to shut down or slow, causing a price spike.
    
            Gas prices have remained steady in recent weeks after rising sharply at the end of winter. On Thursday, the national average for regular gas was $3.61, slightly above the average since 2020, according to AAA. The current price at the pump is slightly higher than it was heading into Memorial Day last year at $3.54 a gallon, but significantly lower than the price two years ago, when the national average was above $4.50.
    
            - CNN’s Matt Egan and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.",CNN,24/05/2024,"['For many Americans, Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer travel season as millions of people head to parks, beaches and other vacation destinations.', 'This summer is no exception: Nearly 44 million people are expected to skip town this Memorial Day, the highest number since 2005, according to AAA.', 'Road trips, in particular, are expected to set a record, which could send gas prices higher.', 'There’s no relief in the air, either: Thursday was the second-busiest day for travel in TSA history, as it screened just shy of 2.9 million passengers.', 'Friday is expected to be even busier.', 'This week, the Biden administration said it would take action to keep prices at the pump in check, selling one million barrels of gasoline from a never-before-used emergency stockpile called the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve.', '“By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement on Tuesday.', 'But, just as a US president cannot solely take the blame for surging oil prices, nor can he or she, in most cases, be entirely credited for steadying prices.', 'The true impact of this strategic release will likely be negligible, oil market experts said – and the sale was mandated by Congress earlier this year.', '“This is a non-starter and won’t do much to lower gas prices,” GasBuddy’s Patrick DeHaan said. “', 'But it will help get rid of a reserve that wasn’t really practical or usable.”', 'Although a strategic sale of one million barrels of gas sounds like a lot, the US consumed nearly 9 million gasoline barrels per day last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration.', 'That means the Biden administration’s planned release, which will happen in the coming weeks, translates to less than three hours of national demand.', 'While the Biden administration may have timed the sale from the government-owned oil supply to coincide with the busy holiday travel season, Congress directed the administration to draw down and close the NSGR, created as part of then-President Obama’s response to Superstorm Sandy.', 'According to the US Department of Energy, the reserve was created after the 2012 storm caused heavy damage to oil refineries in the Northeast, leaving some gas stations without fuel for weeks.', 'The reserve currently holds gasoline barrels in New York and Maine.', 'Biden has tapped other US-owned oil reserves during his presidency.', 'In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Biden attempted to stem rising oil prices by authorizing the release of 180 million barrels of oil in coordination with US allies overseas.', 'At the time, the President said it would act as a “wartime bridge” as the US and global oil production ramped back up after the Covid-19 pandemic.', 'Tom Kloza, the global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service, said he believed the Biden administration would be making a mistake if he were to take credit for recent steady oil prices after the one-million-barrel release.', '“By depicting this as a move to save consumers money, they risk being blamed if prices spike higher this summer,” said Tom Kloza, the global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service.', 'While Kloza doesn’t expect a surge in oil prices, he said it was possible that warm summer temperatures could cause refineries to shut down or slow, causing a price spike.', 'Gas prices have remained steady in recent weeks after rising sharply at the end of winter.', 'On Thursday, the national average for regular gas was $3.61, slightly above the average since 2020, according to AAA.', 'The current price at the pump is slightly higher than it was heading into Memorial Day last year at $3.54 a gallon, but significantly lower than the price two years ago, when the national average was above $4.50.', '- CNN’s Matt Egan and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.']",0.0712678152949314,"While the Biden administration may have timed the sale from the government-owned oil supply to coincide with the busy holiday travel season, Congress directed the administration to draw down and close the NSGR, created as part of then-President Obama’s response to Superstorm Sandy.","The current price at the pump is slightly higher than it was heading into Memorial Day last year at $3.54 a gallon, but significantly lower than the price two years ago, when the national average was above $4.50.",0.1800506194432576,Gas prices have remained steady in recent weeks after rising sharply at the end of winter.,"While Kloza doesn’t expect a surge in oil prices, he said it was possible that warm summer temperatures could cause refineries to shut down or slow, causing a price spike.",2024-05-29
MacKenzie Scott upended philanthropy as we know it. Melinda French Gates is catching on,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/business/mackenzie-scott-philanthropy-nightcap/index.html,"
  Updated
        12:40 PM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","In her cameo in the 1996 comedy First Wives Club, Ivana Trump offers a witty post-divorce kernel of wisdom: “Don’t get mad, get everything.” The 2024 version of that sentiment, at least among a certain class of billionaire women, might tack on an addendum: Get everything, and give it all away as fast as humanly possible.
    
            That’s the way MacKenzie Scott, one of America’s single largest philanthropists, has chosen to disburse the spoils of her divorce from Jeff Bezos in 2019. And it’s a style that Melinda French Gates appears to be emulating, at least partly, in her newly solo philanthropic venture.
    
            On Tuesday, French Gates revealed in a New York Times essay that her first project after leaving the foundation she co-founded with her ex, Bill Gates, would focus on advancing women’s rights around the world.
    
            French Gates said she is “experimenting with novel tactics” such as doling out $20 million grants to 12 smart people and letting them do with it what they see fit. “I’m eager to see the landscape of funding opportunities through their eyes.”
    
            That kind of unrestricted giving is uncommon in the traditionally bureaucratic realm of philanthropy. But it’s not unheard of, and that’s largely thanks to the way women generally, and Scott in particular, have taken a radical, trust-based approach to giving.
    
            “I think it’s been the bane of a lot of nonprofits’ existence is that, if it’s government grants, they have to comply with a lot of red tape to demonstrate that they’re having an impact,” Amir Pasic, the dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, tells me. “And I think a lot of philanthropies, especially the highly professional foundations kind of emulate that way of looking at things — they want you to know how to measure the impact that you’re having … And nobody asks the nonprofits if these are even the appropriate impact measures.”
    
            That’s starting to change as more women control the direction of the billions getting disbursed.
    
            “Women tend to be more social in the way that they approach giving, and they’re more collaborative,” Pasic says, citing research from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.
    
            Scott’s style of giving — generous, unrestricted and consistently happening with zero fanfare around it — has been a notable departure from the more methodical, top-down approach of large charitable foundations, including the one French Gates co-founded.
    
            Now independent of that organization, French Gates is free to take bets on organizations and communities regardless of their size or ability to demonstrate their impact.
    
            Scott and French Gates’ ex husbands, meanwhile, aren’t getting as many kudos for their charitable work as they might like.
    
            Bezos has a history of hyping his big plans — just one of many sharp contrasts to Scott’s charitable work —  and told CNN in 2022 that he planned to give away the majority of his wealth (currently estimated at more than $200 billion).
    
            But Bezos has not signed the Giving Pledge, a popular way for the ultra-rich to declare their charitable intentions, and many of his big-ticket promises have come under scrutiny. Most recently, Bezos made a $100 million pledge to help rebuild Maui after last year’s wildfires. But in January, Bloomberg reported that local officials and nonprofits on the island hadn’t received any money from Bezos.
    
            Gates, with a net worth of $154 billion, has also faced criticism for the Gates Foundation’s methods.
    
            “Gates’s vast wealth could help the world in far-reaching ways, for example if it were redistributed as cash gifts to the poor,” the journalist Tim Schwab recently wrote in The Nation. “That can’t happen through the Gates Foundation’s father-knows-best, look-at-me brand of bureaucratic philanthropy.”",CNN,29/05/2024,"['In her cameo in the 1996 comedy First Wives Club, Ivana Trump offers a witty post-divorce kernel of wisdom: “Don’t get mad, get everything.”', 'The 2024 version of that sentiment, at least among a certain class of billionaire women, might tack on an addendum: Get everything, and give it all away as fast as humanly possible.', 'That’s the way MacKenzie Scott, one of America’s single largest philanthropists, has chosen to disburse the spoils of her divorce from Jeff Bezos in 2019.', 'And it’s a style that Melinda French Gates appears to be emulating, at least partly, in her newly solo philanthropic venture.', 'On Tuesday, French Gates revealed in a New York Times essay that her first project after leaving the foundation she co-founded with her ex, Bill Gates, would focus on advancing women’s rights around the world.', 'French Gates said she is “experimenting with novel tactics” such as doling out $20 million grants to 12 smart people and letting them do with it what they see fit. “', 'I’m eager to see the landscape of funding opportunities through their eyes.”', 'That kind of unrestricted giving is uncommon in the traditionally bureaucratic realm of philanthropy.', 'But it’s not unheard of, and that’s largely thanks to the way women generally, and Scott in particular, have taken a radical, trust-based approach to giving.', '“I think it’s been the bane of a lot of nonprofits’ existence is that, if it’s government grants, they have to comply with a lot of red tape to demonstrate that they’re having an impact,” Amir Pasic, the dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, tells me. “', 'And I think a lot of philanthropies, especially the highly professional foundations kind of emulate that way of looking at things — they want you to know how to measure the impact that you’re having … And nobody asks the nonprofits if these are even the appropriate impact measures.”', 'That’s starting to change as more women control the direction of the billions getting disbursed.', '“Women tend to be more social in the way that they approach giving, and they’re more collaborative,” Pasic says, citing research from the Women’s PhilanthropyInstitute.', 'Scott’s style of giving — generous, unrestricted and consistently happening with zero fanfare around it — has been a notable departure from the more methodical, top-down approach of large charitable foundations, including the one French Gates co-founded.', 'Now independent of that organization, French Gates is free to take bets on organizations and communities regardless of their size or ability to demonstrate their impact.', 'Scott and French Gates’ ex husbands, meanwhile, aren’t getting as many kudos for their charitable work as they might like.', 'Bezos has a history of hyping his big plans — just one of many sharp contrasts to Scott’s charitable work — and told CNN in 2022 that he planned to give away the majority of his wealth (currently estimated at more than $200 billion).', 'But Bezos has not signed the Giving Pledge, a popular way for the ultra-rich to declare their charitable intentions, and many of his big-ticket promises have come under scrutiny.', 'Most recently, Bezos made a $100 million pledge to help rebuild Maui after last year’s wildfires.', 'But in January, Bloomberg reported that local officials and nonprofits on the island hadn’t received any money from Bezos.', 'Gates, with a net worth of $154 billion, has also faced criticism for the Gates Foundation’s methods.', '“Gates’s vast wealth could help the world in far-reaching ways, for example if it were redistributed as cash gifts to the poor,” the journalist Tim Schwab recently wrote in The Nation. “', 'That can’t happen through the Gates Foundation’s father-knows-best, look-at-me brand of bureaucratic philanthropy.”']",0.4463776695913004,"But Bezos has not signed the Giving Pledge, a popular way for the ultra-rich to declare their charitable intentions, and many of his big-ticket promises have come under scrutiny.","Gates, with a net worth of $154 billion, has also faced criticism for the Gates Foundation’s methods.",-0.3736316561698913,"“Gates’s vast wealth could help the world in far-reaching ways, for example if it were redistributed as cash gifts to the poor,” the journalist Tim Schwab recently wrote in The Nation. “","Gates, with a net worth of $154 billion, has also faced criticism for the Gates Foundation’s methods.",2024-05-29
Americans are feeling better about the economy for the first time in four months,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/economy/us-economy-job-market-may/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:25 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Americans’ attitudes toward the economy improved this month for the first time since January, thanks to better perceptions of the job market.
    
            The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for this month climbed to a reading of 102, up from 97.5 in April. Americans of all age groups felt better about the economy, the survey noted. That’s after consumer confidence declined in each of the prior three months.
    
            “Consumers’ assessment of current business conditions was slightly less positive than last month. However, the strong labor market continued to bolster consumers’ overall assessment of the present situation,” Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, said in a release.
    
            Compared to the University of Michigan’s consumer survey, the Conference Board survey puts more weight on perceptions of the job market. Unemployment remains below 4%, job openings still exceed the number of unemployed people seeking work and employers are still pumping out jobs at a brisk pace.
    
            But elevated inflation still looms large. That’s precisely why consumer confidence declined for three straight months prior to May, when inflation readings came in hotter than expected. The April survey showed that “consumers cited prices, especially for food and groceries, as having the greatest impact on their view of the US economy,” Peterson said.
    
            The survey also showed that respondents felt more upbeat about the stock market, with “48.2% expecting stock prices to increase over the year ahead, compared to 25.4% expecting a decrease and 26.4% expecting no change.”
    
            Major stock indexes have soared to record highs recently, with the Nasdaq Composite briefly breaking above 17,000 in intraday trading Tuesday.
    
            Separately on Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released survey data on consumer expectations for a wide array of public policies, such as taxes, unemployment benefits and housing assistance.
    
            The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits. Additionally, respondents’ expectations increased for expansions in federal student aid as well as student loan forgiveness.
    
            However, in a time when home prices are setting new highs, the survey also showed that pessimism heightened about increases in housing assistance and affordable housing.The average likelihood of reduced housing assistance increased to 15%, the highest reading since December 2019, New York Fed data shows.
    
            Still, consumers were more optimistic about tax benefits for homeowners. The average likelihood for a higher mortgage interest tax deduction climbed to 24.8% — the highest ever reading for this New York Fed series, which was started in November 2015.
    
            This story has been updated with additional context and details.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Americans’ attitudes toward the economy improved this month for the first time since January, thanks to better perceptions of the job market.', 'The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for this month climbed to a reading of 102, up from 97.5 in April.', 'Americans of all age groups felt better about the economy, the survey noted.', 'That’s after consumer confidence declined in each of the prior three months.', '“Consumers’ assessment of current business conditions was slightly less positive than last month.', 'However, the strong labor market continued to bolster consumers’ overall assessment of the present situation,” Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, said in a release.', 'Compared to the University of Michigan’s consumer survey, the Conference Board survey puts more weight on perceptions of the job market.', 'Unemployment remains below 4%, job openings still exceed the number of unemployed people seeking work and employers are still pumping out jobs at a brisk pace.', 'But elevated inflation still looms large.', 'That’s precisely why consumer confidence declined for three straight months prior to May, when inflation readings came in hotter than expected.', 'The April survey showed that “consumers cited prices, especially for food and groceries, as having the greatest impact on their view of the US economy,” Peterson said.', 'The survey also showed that respondents felt more upbeat about the stock market, with “48.2% expecting stock prices to increase over the year ahead, compared to 25.4% expecting a decrease and 26.4% expecting no change.”', 'Major stock indexes have soared to record highs recently, with the Nasdaq Composite briefly breaking above 17,000 in intraday trading Tuesday.', 'Separately on Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released survey data on consumer expectations for a wide array of public policies, such as taxes, unemployment benefits and housing assistance.', 'The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits.', 'Additionally, respondents’ expectations increased for expansions in federal student aid as well as student loan forgiveness.', 'However, in a time when home prices are setting new highs, the survey also showed that pessimism heightened about increases in housing assistance and affordable housing.', 'The average likelihood of reduced housing assistance increased to 15%, the highest reading since December 2019, New York Fed data shows.', 'Still, consumers were more optimistic about tax benefits for homeowners.', 'The average likelihood for a higher mortgage interest tax deduction climbed to 24.8% — the highest ever reading for this New York Fed series, which was started in November 2015.', 'This story has been updated with additional context and details.']",0.3112569318783957,"The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits.","However, in a time when home prices are setting new highs, the survey also showed that pessimism heightened about increases in housing assistance and affordable housing.",0.4189927788341747,"The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits.","That’s precisely why consumer confidence declined for three straight months prior to May, when inflation readings came in hotter than expected.",2024-05-29
Dollar Tree is moving into 99 Cents Only stores,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/business/dollar-tree-99-cents-only/index.html,"
  Updated
        12:30 PM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","Goodbye 99 Cents Only. Hello Dollar Tree.
    
            Dollar Tree announced Wednesday it acquired leases for 170 of 99 Cents Only’s stores out of bankruptcy in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. Dollar Tree will reopen these stores with its own products under its brand beginning in the fall.
    
            99 Cents Only had filed for bankruptcy in April and closed all of its 370 locations.
    
            The two chains are very different, and the announcement is a sign of consolidation in the retail industry.
    
            99 Cents Only was a regional chain and sold groceries. Dollar Tree, a national company with mostly suburban locations, primarily offers discretionary merchandise like party supplies and home goods. Dollar Tree was the last dollar store chain to sell everything for $1 before raising prices in 2021 to $1.25 and above.
    
            Dollar Tree also owns Family Dollar, based mostly in cities. Family Dollar has underperformed Dollar Tree and other discount chains in recent years, and it’s closing 975 stores.
    
            The acquisition of 99 Cents Only leases out of bankruptcy gives Dollar Tree a cheaper way to grow rather than building new stores and helps the Virginia-based chain extend its reach on the West Coast.
    
            “Management felt that these locations are fundamentally good and in relatively short supply, so they took advantage of competitor weakness,” Michael Montani, an analyst at Evercore IRI, wrote in a note to clients Wednesday.
    
            One challenge for Dollar Tree could be the size of 99 Cents Only stores.
    
            99 Cents Only stores are on average approximately 20,000 square feet, more than double the size of a typical dollar store chain.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['Goodbye 99 Cents Only.', 'Hello Dollar Tree.', 'Dollar Tree announced Wednesday it acquired leases for 170 of 99 Cents Only’s stores out of bankruptcy in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas.', 'Dollar Tree will reopen these stores with its own products under its brand beginning in the fall.', '99 Cents Only had filed for bankruptcy in April and closed all of its 370 locations.', 'The two chains are very different, and the announcement is a sign of consolidation in the retail industry.', '99 Cents Only was a regional chain and sold groceries.', 'Dollar Tree, a national company with mostly suburban locations, primarily offers discretionary merchandise like party supplies and home goods.', 'Dollar Tree was the last dollar store chain to sell everything for $1 before raising prices in 2021 to $1.25 and above.', 'Dollar Tree also owns Family Dollar, based mostly in cities.', 'Family Dollar has underperformed Dollar Tree and other discount chains in recent years, and it’s closing 975 stores.', 'The acquisition of 99 Cents Only leases out of bankruptcy gives Dollar Tree a cheaper way to grow rather than building new stores and helps the Virginia-based chain extend its reach on the West Coast.', '“Management felt that these locations are fundamentally good and in relatively short supply, so they took advantage of competitor weakness,” Michael Montani, an analyst at Evercore IRI, wrote in a note to clients Wednesday.', 'One challenge for Dollar Tree could be the size of 99 Cents Only stores.', '99 Cents Only stores are on average approximately 20,000 square feet, more than double the size of a typical dollar store chain.']",0.1048692786524043,"Dollar Tree, a national company with mostly suburban locations, primarily offers discretionary merchandise like party supplies and home goods.",,0.4339686036109924,The acquisition of 99 Cents Only leases out of bankruptcy gives Dollar Tree a cheaper way to grow rather than building new stores and helps the Virginia-based chain extend its reach on the West Coast.,"Family Dollar has underperformed Dollar Tree and other discount chains in recent years, and it’s closing 975 stores.",2024-05-29
It’s back: Targeted Amex card holders can get up to 30% off at Amazon,https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/deals/amazon-amex-discount-promotion,"
  
        11:21 AM EST, Wed February 14, 2024
    ","Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities. While that’s true, there’s another lesser-known use for them — redeeming them for purchases at Amazon. Right now, you may be eligible for an Amazon promotion where you can save big on Amazon purchases by redeeming as little as one Amex point.
    
            Targeted American Express card members can save as much as 30% on their next Amazon purchase, for up to $30 in savings when you use Amex points to pay for at least a portion of your purchase at checkout. However, your offer may be higher or lower.
    
            This offer is set to expire on June 30, 2024, so even if you aren’t in the market to shop at Amazon right now, you have some time to take advantage of the savings. That said, Amazon also states it will deactivate the offer after 24,167 customers have redeemed it.
    
            With many Amazon discounted offers, scoring the deal can be a little complicated. But we’re going to take you through it step by step to make sure you’re getting as much of a discount as possible when you’re shopping at Amazon.
    
            To start, you must have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points. Amex cards that earn other types of rewards, such as cash back or airline miles, won’t work. But there are plenty of Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points — a small sampling of them is at the end of this story.
    
            Next, you’ll need to link your Amazon and American Express accounts. Add your American Express card as a payment method in your Amazon account, if you haven’t already. Then look for the option to enroll in “Shop with Points” under the “Your Account” tab, and click the “Enroll” button for the Amex card you just added.
    
            Once your accounts are connected, you’ll need to activate the offer by clicking on this link. Remember, this is a targeted promotion, so not everyone will be eligible for it — you could be targeted for any one of the offers or none of them. When you click on the link, if you see a message that you’re not eligible, then you’re unfortunately not targeted for this particular promotion.
    
            But even if you’re not targeted, don’t give up hope. If you just enrolled in “Shop with Points,” you may need to wait 24 hours for Amazon’s records to refresh before knowing if you’re targeted, so check back in a day or so.
    
            If you’re eligible, activate the offer by clicking on the “Activate now” button — the enrollment page will indicate your particular discount. You can then shop at Amazon as you normally would, though only products sold and shipped by Amazon are eligible for these discounts. Additionally, Amazon gift cards are excluded, though other third-party retailer gift cards sold by Amazon might be eligible.
    
            But wait! There’s one more step. When you’re ready to check out, you’ll want to make sure to select your linked American Express card as your payment method. Then you’ll need to use at least 1 point to pay for your purchase for the discount to apply.
    
            When paying with Amex Membership Rewards points at Amazon, 1 point equals 0.7 cents. That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points. Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Membership Rewards points as high as 2 cents each when redeemed for travel.
    
            However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to pay for your entire Amazon purchase with points to get these discounts. In fact, you can use just 1 point and pay for the rest with your Amex card, and you’ll still see the discount applied to your order. However, some accounts might see that you need to redeem slightly more points — 714 to be exact — to receive the savings, so make sure to check the terms of your exact offer.
    
            To pay with the minimum number of points required, enter $0.01 in the points section at checkout, which will apply just 1 point to your payment, You can use any number of points you want, but if you don’t make this change, Amazon may automatically apply the maximum number of points to cover the entire purchase, so you’ll want to make sure to update the amount before you place the order.
    
            Once you’ve applied at least 1 point to your payment, you’ll see the discount added to your order. The discount will apply on every order you place through June 30 until you hit the total maximum in savings — which will depend on your particular offer.
    
            Let’s take a look at some examples of how you can apply this discount to your upcoming Amazon purchases, even if you don’t need anything from Amazon right at the moment.
    
            With airlines having regular delays and cancellations over the last year, placing an Apple AirTag on your luggage can be a great way to track the location of your belongings. An Apple AirTag 4 Pack is currently priced at $78.99 before taxes and shipping, but if you’re targeted for the 30% off American Express offer, that’ll bring the pack down to $55.30, or around $13.83 per AirTag before tax.
    
            Or, if you’re hoping to pick up a set of new Apple AirPods Pro 2, right now Amazon is selling them for $189.99. But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.
    
            Even if you aren’t eligible for any of these particular Amex promotions, offers like this typically resurface many times throughout the year, so keep on checking back.
    
            Amazon often runs similar promotions for other credit cards, so check out our guides to discounts for Chase and Discover card holders to see what’s available. You might also find that even if you aren’t eligible now for one of these offers, you could magically become targeted in a few weeks, so keep on checking the link to see if you’ve been granted access.
    
            Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, so keep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.
    
            Also, make sure you read our guide to the best credit cards for Amazon to be sure you’re using the right card when you buy at Amazon.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,14/02/2024,"['Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities.', 'While that’s true, there’s another lesser-known use for them — redeeming them for purchases at Amazon.', 'Right now, you may be eligible for anAmazonpromotion where you can save big on Amazon purchases by redeeming as little as one Amex point.', 'Targeted American Express card members cansave as much as 30% on their next Amazon purchase, for up to $30 in savings when you use Amex points to pay for at least a portion of your purchase at checkout.', 'However, your offer may be higher or lower.', 'This offer is set to expire on June 30, 2024, so even if you aren’t in the market to shop at Amazon right now, you have some time to take advantage of the savings.', 'That said, Amazon also states it will deactivate the offer after 24,167 customers have redeemed it.', 'With many Amazon discounted offers, scoring the deal can be a little complicated.', 'But we’re going to take you through it step by step to make sure you’re getting as much of a discount as possible when you’re shopping atAmazon.', 'To start, you must have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points.', 'Amex cards that earn other types of rewards, such as cash back or airline miles, won’t work.', 'But there are plenty of Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points — a small sampling of them is at the end of this story.', 'Next, you’ll need tolink your Amazon and American Express accounts.', 'Add your American Express card as a payment method in your Amazon account, if you haven’t already.', 'Then look for the option toenroll in “Shop with Points”under the “Your Account” tab, and click the “Enroll” button for the Amex card you just added.', 'Once your accounts are connected, you’ll need to activate the offer byclicking on this link.', 'Remember, this is a targeted promotion, so not everyone will be eligible for it — you could be targeted for any one of the offers or none of them.', 'When you click on the link, if you see a message that you’re not eligible, then you’re unfortunately not targeted for this particular promotion.', 'But even if you’re not targeted, don’t give up hope.', 'If you just enrolled in “Shop with Points,” you may need to wait 24 hours for Amazon’s records to refresh before knowing if you’re targeted, so check back in a day or so.', 'If you’re eligible, activate the offer byclicking on the “Activate now” button— the enrollment page will indicate your particular discount.', 'You can thenshop at Amazonas you normally would, though only products sold and shipped by Amazon are eligible for these discounts.', 'Additionally, Amazon gift cards are excluded, though otherthird-party retailer gift cardssold by Amazon might be eligible.', 'But wait!', 'There’s one more step.', 'When you’re ready to check out, you’ll want to make sure to select your linked American Express card as your payment method.', 'Then you’ll need to use at least 1 point to pay for your purchase for the discount to apply.', 'When paying with Amex Membership Rewards points at Amazon, 1 point equals 0.7 cents.', 'That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points.', 'Frequent flyer websiteThe Points Guyvalues Membership Rewards points as high as 2 cents each when redeemed for travel.', 'However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to pay for your entireAmazonpurchase with points to get these discounts.', 'In fact,you can use just 1 point and pay for the rest with your Amex card, and you’ll still see the discount applied to your order.', 'However, some accounts might see that you need to redeem slightly more points —714 to be exact —to receive the savings, so make sure to check the terms of your exact offer.', 'To pay with the minimum number of points required, enter $0.01 in the points section at checkout, which will apply just 1 point to your payment, You can use any number of points you want, but if you don’t make this change,Amazonmay automatically apply the maximum number of points to cover the entire purchase, so you’ll want to make sure to update the amount before you place the order.', 'Once you’ve applied at least 1 point to your payment, you’ll see the discount added to your order.', 'The discount will apply on every order you place through June 30 until you hit the total maximum in savings —which will depend on your particular offer.', 'Let’s take a look at some examples of how you can apply this discount to your upcomingAmazonpurchases, even if you don’t need anything from Amazon right at the moment.', 'With airlines having regular delays and cancellations over the last year, placing an Apple AirTag on your luggage can be a great way to track the location of your belongings.', 'An Apple AirTag 4 Pack is currently priced at $78.99 before taxes and shipping, but if you’re targeted for the 30% off American Express offer, that’ll bring the pack down to $55.30, or around $13.83 per AirTag before tax.', 'Or, if you’re hoping to pick up a set of new Apple AirPods Pro 2, right now Amazon is selling them for $189.99.', 'But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.', 'Even if you aren’t eligible for any of these particular Amex promotions, offers like this typically resurface many times throughout the year, so keep on checking back.', 'Amazon often runs similar promotions for other credit cards, so check out our guides to discounts for Chase and Discover card holders to see what’s available.', 'You might also find that even if you aren’t eligible now for one of these offers, you could magically become targeted in a few weeks, so keep on checking the link to see if you’ve been granted access.', 'Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, sokeep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.', 'Also, make sure you read our guide to thebest credit cards for Amazonto be sure you’re using the right card when you buy at Amazon.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.2766683229921542,Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities.,That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points.,-0.0578339397907257,"Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, sokeep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.",But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.,2024-05-29
Record number of 401(k) savers have balances over $1 million,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/success/401k-accounts-million-dollar-contribution/index.html,"
  Published
        6:30 AM EDT, Fri May 24, 2024
    ","They are still a very small minority in the 401(k) universe, but there were a record number of 401(k) participants with balances over $1 million at the end of the first quarter this year, Fidelity Investments said Thursday.
    
            Specifically, 485,000 of them.
    
            That’s up 15% from the 422,000 accounts reported at the end of 2023 and 43% higher than a year ago. Fidelity is one of the largest providers of workplace retirement plans, and its 401(k) data is based on more than 23 million plan participants. The record number of million-dollar-plus accounts was first reported by Bloomberg.
    
            The average balance for the so-called 401(k) “millionaires” came to $1,580,000, up from $1,551,300 in the fourth quarter, a Fidelity spokesperson said.
    
            There is no secret sauce for how a 401(k) participant can accumulate that kind of balance — or any kind of substantial balance for that matter. While market returns are key, even more essential is the amount one saves over time. The average 401(k) participant with a balance over $1 million, according to Fidelity, has been saving for 26 years and contributes 17% of their income, which includes any matches they receive from their employer.
    
            Other 401(k) participants also saw increases in their balances in the first quarter. “Record-high contribution levels coupled with positive market conditions pushed average account balances to their highest levels since the fourth quarter of 2021,” Fidelity said. “Long-term savers observed the greatest improvement, which is good news, especially for the more than 4.9 million workers that have been in their 401(k) plan for five years or more.”
    
            The average balance rose to $125,900, up 16% from a year ago. The average savings rate hit a record 14.2%, including employer matches, and is very close to the recommended 15% savings rate from Fidelity and retirement savings experts.
    
            Among Gen Xers, who are next on deck to retire behind the Baby Boomers, those that have been saving continuously for 15 years had an average balance of $543,400, just a smidge higher than the $543,200 Baby Boomers in that category had saved over the same period.
    
            Meanwhile, the number of 401(k) participants who had borrowed against their savings and still had a loan outstanding in the first quarter held steady relative to the fourth quarter at 17.8%, but that is up from 16.7% a year earlier.
    
            Retirement readiness in the United States is an issue for a majority of workers, including the millions of employees who don’t have access to a workplace savings plan or who don’t participate if they do. Pensions have become scarce and nearly 50% of people don’t have any money saved in a retirement account, according to Federal Reserve data from 2022.",CNN,24/05/2024,"['They are still a very small minority in the 401(k) universe, but there were a record number of 401(k) participants with balances over $1 million at the end of the first quarter this year, Fidelity Investments said Thursday.', 'Specifically, 485,000 of them.', 'That’s up 15% from the 422,000 accounts reported at the end of 2023 and 43% higher than a year ago.', 'Fidelity is one of the largest providers of workplace retirement plans, and its 401(k) data is based on more than 23 million plan participants.', 'The record number of million-dollar-plus accounts was first reported by Bloomberg.', 'The average balance for the so-called 401(k) “millionaires” came to $1,580,000, up from $1,551,300 in the fourth quarter, a Fidelity spokesperson said.', 'There is no secret sauce for how a 401(k) participant can accumulate that kind of balance — or any kind of substantial balance for that matter.', 'While market returns are key, even more essential is the amount one saves over time.', 'The average 401(k) participant with a balance over $1 million, according to Fidelity, has been saving for 26 years and contributes 17% of their income, which includes any matches they receive from their employer.', 'Other 401(k) participants also saw increases in their balances in the first quarter. “', 'Record-high contribution levels coupled with positive market conditions pushed average account balances to their highest levels since the fourth quarter of 2021,” Fidelity said. “', 'Long-term savers observed the greatest improvement, which is good news, especially for the more than 4.9 million workers that have been in their 401(k) plan for five years or more.”', 'The average balance rose to $125,900, up 16% from a year ago.', 'The average savings rate hit a record 14.2%, including employer matches, and is very close to the recommended 15% savings rate from Fidelity and retirement savings experts.', 'Among Gen Xers, who are next on deck to retire behind the Baby Boomers, those that have been saving continuously for 15 years had an average balance of $543,400, just a smidge higher than the $543,200 Baby Boomers in that category had saved over the same period.', 'Meanwhile, the number of 401(k) participants who had borrowed against their savings and still had a loan outstanding in the first quarter held steady relative to the fourth quarter at 17.8%, but that is up from 16.7% a year earlier.', 'Retirement readiness in the United States is an issue for a majority of workers, including the millions of employees who don’t have access to a workplace savings plan or who don’t participate if they do.', 'Pensions have become scarce and nearly 50% of people don’t have any money saved in a retirement account, according to Federal Reservedatafrom 2022.']",0.2449372315404925,"Long-term savers observed the greatest improvement, which is good news, especially for the more than 4.9 million workers that have been in their 401(k) plan for five years or more.”",,0.8024866163730622,"The average balance rose to $125,900, up 16% from a year ago.","Pensions have become scarce and nearly 50% of people don’t have any money saved in a retirement account, according to Federal Reservedatafrom 2022.",2024-05-29
Wall Street is about to see its biggest trading change in years,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/investing/premarket-stocks-trading-t1-sec/index.html,"
  Published
        7:34 AM EDT, Fri May 24, 2024
    ","A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.
    
            Buying or selling a stock is about to get a lot snappier starting next Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean it’ll get smoother, at least right away — and some financial firms are preparing to handle any possible bumpiness.
    
            The current standard settlement cycle for broker-dealer transactions is “T+2.” That means that it takes two business days from when you buy a stock to when that transaction “settles,” or when the stock is officially transferred to the buyer’s account and cash is delivered to the seller’s account. That’s been the norm since 2017.
    
            Starting May 28, that cycle will take just one business day, or “T+1.”
    
            “For everyday investors who sell their stock on a Monday, shortening the settlement cycle will allow them to get their money on Tuesday,” Gary Gensler, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said in a press release. “It will make our market plumbing more resilient, timely and orderly.”
    
            These new rules will apply to stocks, bonds, municipal securities, exchange-traded funds, some mutual funds and limited partnerships that trade on an exchange. Broker-dealers and registered investment advisors will also have to follow new recordkeeping rules.
    
            Some investors say that a shorter cycle should help free up more liquidity in the market and reduce volatility in margins — the collateral traders have to show — since it reduces the chance of default before the transaction goes through. Clearinghouses, which sit between buyers and sellers, collect margins from traders as evidence that they can afford to make the transaction.
    
            “Assuming everything goes well and we don’t see any hiccups, the move towards T+1 will be an overall benefit to our ecosystem, institutional investors and retail [investors],” said Rich Lee, head of program trading and execution strategy at Baird.
    
            Baird has had a T+1 committee in place since last summer to ensure such hiccups don’t happen, Lee said. Employees have been in discussions with clients about how to assist them through the process. The company has also staffed up to handle their part in clearing trades with a shorter time frame.
    
            The shortened settlement cycle is partly in response to the 2021 meme stock frenzy, when investors on Reddit sent shares of GameStop and AMC Entertainment soaring to eye-popping heights in a short span of time. (Meme stocks typically trade less on fundamentals and more on social media frenzy.) 
    
            Robinhood in 2021 temporarily suspended trading of GameStop, AMC and other stocks on its platform, blaming in part the T+2 rule that pushed up collateral requirements imposed on brokers like Robinhood. Investors were left waiting for their trades and brokers with their cash locked up until the settlement, unable to allow more purchasing to ensure they had enough funds to cover the trades.
    
            “The existing two-day period to settle trades exposes investors and the industry to unnecessary risk and is ripe for change,” Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said in a February 2021 release. “There is no reason why the greatest financial system the world has ever seen cannot settle trades in real time.”
    
            Boeing will present its plan to fix quality problems with its assembly line to US regulators next week, the company said Thursday.
    
            The plan was ordered up by the Federal Aviation Administration in late February after a hole blew open in the side of an airborne 737 Max a month earlier, reports my colleague Gregory Wallace.
    
            The FAA said it audited the production line at Boeing and its key 737 Max supplier and found “multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.” It gave Boeing 90 days to present a plan — and that deadline is next week.
    
            Boeing chief financial officer Brian West said Thursday that Boeing and the FAA have had “lots of dialogue” including two check-ins during the preparation of the plan.
    
            “The engagement is constructive,” he said at a conference organized by Wolfe Research on Thursday. “I expect next week we’re going to get some good feedback.”
    
            FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said separately on Thursday that the plan is “not the end of the process, it’s the beginning.”
    
            “It’s going to be a long road to get back to where they need to be making safe airplanes,” Whitaker said in an interview on ABC News.
    
            Read more here.
    
            Meta this week appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its artificial intelligence strategy. The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of White men, reports my colleague Clare Duffy.
    
            The tech giant said the group, which includes tech entrepreneurs and investors, will periodically consult with Meta’s management “on strategic opportunities related to our technology and product roadmap.” The move comes as Meta plans to invest tens of billions of dollars this year in AI infrastructure, research and product development.
    
            The council includes Patrick Collison, the co-founder and chief executive of financial technology company Stripe; Nat Friedman, the tech investor and former CEO of GitHub; Tobi Lütke, the founder and CEO of online shopping firm Shopify; and Charlie Songhurst, the tech investor who formerly led corporate strategy and drove several key acquisitions at Microsoft. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the group will not be paid.
    
            Despite the group’s significant combined experience, Meta is already taking heat for failing to include women or people of color — or anyone else outside of the wealthy, White, male, Silicon Valley mold — in a group advising one of the world’s most powerful tech companies on a revolutionary new technology. The members of the group are also all in their 30s or 40s.
    
            The situation mirrors an incident last year at OpenAI when, in the wake of a leadership shakeup, it came under fire for appointing a board composed entirely of White men. Months later, OpenAI added three women directors to the board.
    
            Read more here.",CNN,24/05/2024,"['A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter.', 'Not a subscriber?', 'You can sign upright here.', 'You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.', 'Buying or selling a stock is about to get a lot snappier starting next Tuesday.', 'But that doesn’t mean it’ll get smoother, at least right away — and some financial firms are preparing to handle any possible bumpiness.', 'The current standard settlement cycle for broker-dealer transactions is “T+2.”', 'That means that it takes two business days from when you buy a stock to when that transaction “settles,” or when the stock is officially transferred to the buyer’s account and cash is delivered to the seller’s account.', 'That’s been the norm since 2017.', 'Starting May 28, that cycle will take just one business day, or “T+1.”', '“For everyday investors who sell their stock on a Monday, shortening the settlement cycle will allow them to get their money on Tuesday,” Gary Gensler, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said in a press release. “', 'It will make our market plumbing more resilient, timely and orderly.”', 'These new rules will apply to stocks, bonds, municipal securities, exchange-traded funds, some mutual funds and limited partnerships that trade on an exchange.', 'Broker-dealers and registered investment advisors will also have to follow new recordkeeping rules.', 'Some investors say that a shorter cycle should help free up more liquidity in the market and reduce volatility in margins — the collateral traders have to show — since it reduces the chance of default before the transaction goes through.', 'Clearinghouses, which sit between buyers and sellers, collect margins from traders as evidence that they can afford to make the transaction.', '“Assuming everything goes well and we don’t see any hiccups, the move towards T+1 will be an overall benefit to our ecosystem, institutional investors and retail [investors],” said Rich Lee, head of program trading and execution strategy at Baird.', 'Baird has had a T+1 committee in place since last summer to ensure such hiccups don’t happen, Lee said.', 'Employees have been in discussions with clients about how to assist them through the process.', 'The company has also staffed up to handle their part in clearing trades with a shorter time frame.', 'The shortened settlement cycle is partly in response to the 2021 meme stock frenzy, when investors on Reddit sent shares of GameStop and AMC Entertainment soaring to eye-popping heights in a short span of time. (', 'Meme stocks typically trade less on fundamentals and more on social media frenzy.)', 'Robinhood in 2021 temporarily suspended trading of GameStop, AMC and other stocks on its platform, blaming in part the T+2 rule that pushed up collateral requirements imposed on brokers like Robinhood.', 'Investors were left waiting for their trades and brokers with their cash locked up until the settlement, unable to allow more purchasing to ensure they had enough funds to cover the trades.', '“The existing two-day period to settle trades exposes investors and the industry to unnecessary risk and is ripe for change,” Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said in a February 2021 release. “', 'There is no reason why the greatest financial system the world has ever seen cannot settle trades in real time.”', 'Boeing will present its plan to fix quality problems with its assembly line to US regulators next week, the company said Thursday.', 'The plan was ordered up by the Federal Aviation Administration in late February after a hole blew open in the side of an airborne 737 Max a month earlier, reports my colleague Gregory Wallace.', 'The FAA said it audited the production line at Boeing and its key 737 Max supplier and found “multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”', 'It gave Boeing 90 days to present a plan — and that deadline is next week.', 'Boeing chief financial officer Brian West said Thursday that Boeing and the FAA have had “lots of dialogue” including two check-ins during the preparation of the plan.', '“The engagement is constructive,” he said at a conference organized by Wolfe Research on Thursday. “', 'I expect next week we’re going to get some good feedback.”', 'FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said separately on Thursday that the plan is “not the end of the process, it’s the beginning.”', '“It’s going to be a long road to get back to where they need to be making safe airplanes,” Whitaker said in an interview on ABC News.', 'Read more here.', 'Meta this week appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its artificial intelligence strategy.', 'The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of White men, reports my colleague Clare Duffy.', 'The tech giant said the group, which includes tech entrepreneurs and investors, will periodically consult with Meta’s management “on strategic opportunities related to our technology and product roadmap.”', 'The move comes as Meta plans to invest tens of billions of dollars this year in AI infrastructure, research and product development.', 'The council includes Patrick Collison, the co-founder and chief executive of financial technology company Stripe; Nat Friedman, the tech investor and former CEO of GitHub; Tobi Lütke, the founder and CEO of online shopping firm Shopify; and Charlie Songhurst, the tech investor who formerly led corporate strategy and drove several key acquisitions at Microsoft.', 'A Meta spokesperson confirmed the group will not be paid.', 'Despite the group’s significant combined experience, Meta is already taking heat for failing to include women or people of color — or anyone else outside of the wealthy, White, male, Silicon Valley mold — in a group advising one of the world’s most powerful tech companies on a revolutionary new technology.', 'The members of the group are also all in their 30s or 40s.', 'The situation mirrors an incident last year at OpenAI when, in the wake of a leadership shakeup, it came under fire for appointing a board composed entirely of White men.', 'Months later, OpenAI added three women directors to the board.', 'Read more here.']",0.0863551683409498,"“Assuming everything goes well and we don’t see any hiccups, the move towards T+1 will be an overall benefit to our ecosystem, institutional investors and retail [investors],” said Rich Lee, head of program trading and execution strategy at Baird.","Robinhood in 2021 temporarily suspended trading of GameStop, AMC and other stocks on its platform, blaming in part the T+2 rule that pushed up collateral requirements imposed on brokers like Robinhood.",0.1717298371451241,"It will make our market plumbing more resilient, timely and orderly.”","Robinhood in 2021 temporarily suspended trading of GameStop, AMC and other stocks on its platform, blaming in part the T+2 rule that pushed up collateral requirements imposed on brokers like Robinhood.",2024-05-29
‘It’s putting patients’ lives in danger’: Nurses say ransomware attack is stressing hospital operations,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/tech/ransomware-attacks-hospitals-patients-danger/index.html,"
  Published
        12:16 PM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","A ransomware attack on a major US hospital network that began three weeks ago is endangering patients’ health as nurses are forced to manually enter prescription information and work without electronic health records, nurses at two hospitals affected by the cyberattack told CNN.
    
            “It’s putting patients’ lives in danger,” said a nurse who works at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, a 290-bed facility about 25 miles north of downtown Detroit. “People have too many patients for what is safe. Nurses are taking on five or six patients dealing with all of this paper charting.”
    
            Another nurse, who works who works at a 409-bed Ascension hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, told CNN: “It is frightening how many safety guardrails [have been] out of service without any computers.”
    
            The nurses spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs.
    
            The cyberattack hit Ascension, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that oversees 140 hospitals across 19 states, on May 8, but the healthcare network is still working to bring its systems back online.
    
            Ransomware attacks that cut off access to electronic health records are a grimly regular occurrence in American life. The health care sector reported 249 ransomware attacks to the FBI last year, more than any other sector, with some cases affecting patient records.
    
            But the Ascension incident is raising concerns about the threat to patient health posed by cybercriminals in a way that numerous other ransomware attacks on US health providers haven’t, according to interviews with nurses and cybersecurity experts.
    
            The two Ascension nurses said in separate interviews that they felt overwhelmed by the abrupt shift to paper records following the cyberattack, underwhelmed by their hospitals’ plans for dealing with the situation and worried that they or their colleagues will make mistakes entering a patient’s vital medical information.
    
            “I don’t have any orders in the computer,” the Rochester, Michigan-based nurse said. “I can’t see what labs are ordered and their results.”
    
            OPEIU Local 40, a union that represents nurses at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, distributed an online petition on Friday saying union members were “deeply concerned about the current challenges faced by our healthcare professionals” because of the cyberattack, and urged the hospital to take a series of remediating steps, including limiting the nurse-to-patient ratio.
    
            Mac Walker, Ascension’s director of media relations, did not answer CNN’s questions about the petition or the nurses’ comments on patient safety. Instead, Walker emailed this statement on Wednesday morning.
    
            “Restoring EHR [electronic health records] access has been among the top priorities of our recovery process,” Walker said. “Due to the hard work of our teams over the past several days, we have successfully restored EHR access in our first market and are actively progressing against a plan to restore access across our network on a rolling basis.”
    
            Walker did not respond when asked what Ascension’s “first market” meant.
    
            Ascension, the fourth largest hospital network in the country by some measures, said in a public statement Friday that it has been working “around the clock with industry-leading cybersecurity experts to safely restore operations across our network.”
    
            In the wake of the Ascension hack and another ransomware attack in February that disrupted insurance billing at pharmacies across the US, Biden administration officials say they are preparing to release a set of minimum cybersecurity requirements for US hospitals. But the cybersecurity challenges in the health sector are legion and beyond the scope of any one policy prescription, experts say.
    
            Senior officials from the White House and Department of Health and Human Services plan to meet with cybersecurity executives from health care companies on Wednesday to discuss how to better protect hospitals from hackers, three sources familiar with the meeting told CNN.
    
            In statements to the press, Ascension has said that its staff are “appropriately trained to maintain high quality care during downtime.”
    
            But the nurses interviewed by CNN say that the shift to paper records and manual operations is taking a toll on hospital operations. With computers down, doctors have been writing paper prescriptions for patients that nurses take to a machine to manually enter without a cross-check from the local pharmacy, according to the two nurses.
    
            “They have to put an override in there to get the medication out,” said Dina Carlisle, president of OPEIU Local 40. “There’s no second safety check from the pharmacy.”
    
            It has also taken an exorbitantly long time to get lab results because of the hack, the nurse in Birmingham, Alabama, told CNN. A “stat lab,” or lab work needed to make quick decisions on patient care, that normally takes 30 minutes to an hour to process has taken hours, the nurse said.
    
            Ransomware attacks in the US routinely force hospitals to divert ambulances and cancel appointments. That causes a strain on neighboring hospitals that pick up the slack. But a lack of clear public understanding of how cyberattacks on hospitals directly impact patient care is undercutting the urgency needed to deal with the problem, according to health advocates and cybersecurity experts.
    
            Researchers are increasingly quantifying how lethal ransomware can be.
    
            Roughly 3 in 100 hospitalized Medicare patients will die in the hospital under normal conditions, but during a ransomware attack, that number increases to 4 out of 100 because of the strain on hospital resources, according to scholars at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, who studied 374 ransomware attacks on health providers.
    
            Part of the problem, experts say, is that some hospitals have failed basic tests of cybersecurity “hygiene,” or sound defensive measures, while many small clinics lack the resources to secure themselves. And, perhaps more than any other sector, health care firms hold an enormous volume of sensitive data that is ripe for targeting and extortion schemes.
    
            The number of sensitive data records held by the health care sector grew by more than 63% last year “far surpassing any other industry and more than five times the global average,” according to a study by security firm Rubrik.
    
            In February, cybercriminals broke into an unsecured computer server used by Change Healthcare, an insurance billing giant that processes about 15 billion health care transactions annually. The hack cut off health care providers from billions of dollars of revenue and snarled service at pharmacies across the US.
    
            Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, which owns Change Healthcare, apologized in a recent congressional hearing for the security lapse and said he authorized a $22 million ransom payment to hackers to try to protect patient data. Yet a third of Americans could have had their data stolen in the hack, he said.
    
            “We routinely decline healthcare entities unwilling to address things like unpatched critical vulnerabilities, misconfigurations or uneven application of MFA [multi-factor authentication] — the very things hackers leverage to breach systems. And then we regularly see them breached later,” Sezaneh Seymour, head of regulatory risk and policy at cyber insurance firm Coalition, told CNN. (She said her firm had no specific insights into the Change Healthcare or Ascension ransomware attacks.)
    
            Health care providers also make attractive targets for cyber extortionists because hospitals can ill-afford to be offline for long because of the disruptions it causes to operations.
    
            “When we look at ransomware targeting, it’s: who is the most easily targetable, who can afford little downtime and who has the highest willingness to pay,” Bryan Vorndran, the FBI’s senior most cyber-focused official, said in an interview.
    
            “And where there’s low-downtime environments, you have obviously a willingness to pay more so than in environments where they can afford downtime,” Vorndran told CNN. “I think all of that is relevant not just to the healthcare sector but to some other sectors as well.”
    
            He declined to comment when asked about the Ascension hack.",CNN,29/05/2024,"['A ransomware attack on a major US hospital network that began three weeks ago is endangering patients’ health as nurses are forced to manually enter prescription information and work without electronic health records, nurses at two hospitals affected by the cyberattack told CNN.', '“It’s putting patients’ lives in danger,” said a nurse who works at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, a 290-bed facility about 25 miles north of downtown Detroit. “', 'People have too many patients for what is safe.', 'Nurses are taking on five or six patients dealing with all of this paper charting.”', 'Another nurse, who works who works at a 409-bed Ascension hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, told CNN: “It is frightening how many safety guardrails [have been] out of service without any computers.”', 'The nurses spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs.', 'The cyberattack hit Ascension, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that oversees 140 hospitals across 19 states, on May 8, but the healthcare network is still working to bring its systems back online.', 'Ransomware attacks that cut off access to electronic health records are a grimly regular occurrence in American life.', 'The health care sectorreported249 ransomware attacks to the FBI last year, more than any other sector, with some cases affecting patient records.', 'But the Ascension incident is raising concerns about the threat to patient health posed by cybercriminals in a way that numerous other ransomware attacks on US health providers haven’t, according to interviews with nurses and cybersecurity experts.', 'The two Ascension nurses said in separate interviews that they felt overwhelmed by the abrupt shift to paper records following the cyberattack, underwhelmed by their hospitals’ plans for dealing with the situation and worried that they or their colleagues will make mistakes entering a patient’s vital medical information.', '“I don’t have any orders in the computer,” the Rochester, Michigan-based nurse said. “', 'I can’t see what labs are ordered and their results.”', 'OPEIU Local 40, a union that represents nurses at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, distributed an onlinepetitionon Friday saying union members were “deeply concerned about the current challenges faced by our healthcare professionals” because of the cyberattack, and urged the hospital to take a series of remediating steps, including limiting the nurse-to-patient ratio.', 'Mac Walker, Ascension’s director of media relations, did not answer CNN’s questions about the petition or the nurses’ comments on patient safety.', 'Instead, Walker emailed this statement on Wednesday morning.', '“Restoring EHR [electronic health records] access has been among the top priorities of our recovery process,” Walker said. “', 'Due to the hard work of our teams over the past several days, we have successfully restored EHR access in our first market and are actively progressing against a plan to restore access across our network on a rolling basis.”', 'Walker did not respond when asked what Ascension’s “first market” meant.', 'Ascension, the fourth largest hospital network in the countryby some measures, said in a public statement Friday that it has been working“around the clock with industry-leading cybersecurity experts to safely restore operations across our network.”', 'In the wake of the Ascension hack and another ransomware attack in February that disrupted insurance billing at pharmacies across the US, Biden administration officials say theyare preparingto release a set of minimum cybersecurity requirements for US hospitals.', 'But the cybersecurity challenges in the health sector are legion and beyond the scope of any one policy prescription, experts say.', 'Senior officials from the White House and Department of Health and Human Services plan to meet with cybersecurity executives from health care companies on Wednesday to discuss how to better protect hospitals from hackers, three sources familiar with the meeting told CNN.', 'In statements to the press, Ascension has said that its staff are “appropriately trained to maintain high quality care during downtime.”', 'But the nurses interviewed by CNN say that the shift to paper records and manual operations is taking a toll on hospital operations.', 'With computers down, doctors have been writing paper prescriptions for patients that nurses take to a machine to manually enter without a cross-check from the local pharmacy, according to the two nurses.', '“They have to put an override in there to get the medication out,” said Dina Carlisle, president of OPEIU Local 40. “', 'There’s no second safety check from the pharmacy.”', 'It has also taken an exorbitantly long time to get lab results because of the hack, the nurse in Birmingham, Alabama, told CNN.', 'A “stat lab,” or lab work needed to make quick decisions on patient care, that normally takes 30 minutes to an hour to process has taken hours, the nurse said.', 'Ransomware attacks in the USroutinely force hospitalsto divert ambulances and cancel appointments.', 'That causes a strain on neighboring hospitals that pick up the slack.', 'But a lack of clear public understanding of how cyberattacks on hospitals directly impact patient care is undercutting the urgency needed to deal with the problem, according to health advocates and cybersecurity experts.', 'Researchers are increasingly quantifying how lethal ransomware can be.', 'Roughly 3 in 100 hospitalized Medicare patients will die in the hospital under normal conditions, but during a ransomware attack, that number increases to 4 out of 100 because of the strain on hospital resources,accordingto scholars at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, who studied 374 ransomware attacks on health providers.', 'Part of the problem,experts say, is that some hospitals have failed basic tests of cybersecurity “hygiene,” or sound defensive measures, while many small clinics lack the resources to secure themselves.', 'And, perhaps more than any other sector, health care firms hold an enormous volume of sensitive data that is ripe for targeting and extortion schemes.', 'The number of sensitive data records held by the health care sector grew by more than 63% last year “far surpassing any other industry and more than five times the global average,” according to a study by security firm Rubrik.', 'In February, cybercriminals broke into an unsecured computer server used by Change Healthcare, an insurance billing giant that processes about 15 billion health care transactions annually.', 'The hack cut off health care providers from billions of dollars of revenue and snarled service at pharmacies across the US.', 'Andrew Witty, the CEO ofUnitedHealth Group, which owns Change Healthcare,apologizedin a recent congressional hearing for the security lapse and said he authorized a $22 million ransom payment to hackers to try to protect patient data.', 'Yet a third of Americans could have had their data stolen in the hack, he said.', '“We routinely decline healthcare entities unwilling to address things like unpatched critical vulnerabilities, misconfigurations or uneven application of MFA [multi-factor authentication] — the very things hackers leverage to breach systems.', 'And then we regularly see them breached later,” Sezaneh Seymour, head of regulatory risk and policy at cyber insurance firm Coalition, told CNN. (', 'She said her firm had no specific insights into the Change Healthcare or Ascension ransomware attacks.)', 'Health care providers also make attractive targets for cyber extortionists because hospitals can ill-afford to be offline for long because of the disruptions it causes to operations.', '“When we look at ransomware targeting, it’s: who is the most easily targetable, who can afford little downtime and who has the highest willingness to pay,” Bryan Vorndran, the FBI’s senior most cyber-focused official, said in an interview.', '“And where there’s low-downtime environments, you have obviously a willingness to pay more so than in environments where they can afford downtime,” Vorndran told CNN. “', 'I think all of that is relevant not just to the healthcare sector but to some other sectors as well.”', 'He declined to comment when asked about the Ascension hack.']",0.0224426203828674,"Due to the hard work of our teams over the past several days, we have successfully restored EHR access in our first market and are actively progressing against a plan to restore access across our network on a rolling basis.”","Roughly 3 in 100 hospitalized Medicare patients will die in the hospital under normal conditions, but during a ransomware attack, that number increases to 4 out of 100 because of the strain on hospital resources,accordingto scholars at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, who studied 374 ransomware attacks on health providers.",-0.5071913179229287,"The number of sensitive data records held by the health care sector grew by more than 63% last year “far surpassing any other industry and more than five times the global average,” according to a study by security firm Rubrik.",The hack cut off health care providers from billions of dollars of revenue and snarled service at pharmacies across the US.,2024-05-29
Prisoners are using VR to prepare them for life after release,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/29/tech/prisoners-virtual-reality-mechanic-job-training/index.html,"
  Updated
        9:21 AM EDT, Wed May 29, 2024
    ","In her first week of job training, Tiffany Joseph Busch learned how to do an oil change. “If I had known it was this easy then I wouldn’t have been paying for oil changes,” she said she told her instructor.
    
            But Busch never interacted with an actual car during the training. Instead, she learned in a virtual garage, using a Meta Quest virtual reality headset.
    
            Busch, 36, is incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women and is part of an early group of trainees learning skills in virtual reality that will prepare them to pursue jobs as auto technicians upon their release. For Busch, who expects to be released in June after being incarcerated on-and-off since age 19, the program will give her a crucial head start in rebuilding her life outside of prison.
    
            “It’s dire that we get some type of training,” Busch told CNN in an interview at the prison last month. “I’m excited to be able to go home and use what we have (learned) here.”
    
            Although virtual reality technology has been around for more than a decade, it’s still often thought of as a relatively niche technology used largely by gamers. But MCIW — in partnership with Baltimore-based nonprofit Vehicles for Change, which developed the program — is exploring whether VR headsets could make career training opportunities more accessible inside prisons. The ultimate goal is to reduce recidivism rates by ensuring incarcerated people have a clear path to good-paying jobs once they’re released.
    
            Across the United States, auto technicians are in strong demand; trade groups say the industry sees tens of thousands of jobs go unfilled each year. And in Maryland, such positions often pay above the state’s $15 per hour minimum wage.
    
            “This isn’t rocket science. It’s a matter of getting people a job that leads to a career, and we can keep people out of prison,” said Vehicles for Change President Martin Schwartz. “If they can get a job that’s going to pay $16 to $20 an hour, we can change the trajectory of that recidivism rate.”
    
            Vehicles for Change was founded in 1999 to provide low-income families with affordable cars. In 2016, the nonprofit developed an in-person auto technician training program for formerly incarcerated people, where participants would receive paid job training while repairing cars to go to the organization’s clients.
    
            The organization has relationships with employers such as Napa Auto Parts and AAA, representatives of which sit on its board, to help graduates secure full-time work after completing the program.
    
            But during the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of trainees that Vehicles for Change could safely allow into its garages dipped, so Schwartz began exploring alternate ways of delivering the training.
    
            He was eventually connected to software company HTX Labs, which had built virtual reality training programs for the US Air Force and later designed the auto mechanic training program for Vehicles for Change.
    
            In addition to MCIW, the nonprofit is also piloting the VR auto technician training program in correctional facilities in Texas and Virginia.
    
            For leaders in Maryland’s correctional department, the VR program provided a way to expand job training for a field in need of workers to the Women’s Correctional Institute quickly and easily. The corrections department works “very closely with (the state’s) Department of Labor to determine what the industry needs are, where the vacancies are,” according to Carolyn Scruggs, Maryland’s secretary of public safety and correctional services.
    
            Several of the state’s other prisons have hands-on mechanic training programs, but building a new garage means having to find the space and bringing in expensive equipment — processes further complicated by the strict security measures prisons must maintain. Although the headsets cost nearly $500 each, they’re still more affordable than providing conventional, hands-on training programs.
    
            “Bringing in VR, it eliminates all that needed space or funding that we would need to build an entire classroom,” said Danielle Cox, director of education at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, who oversees the correctional department’s 26 different job training programs.
    
            “Also, it gets them something within a couple of weeks that would take a longer time if they were doing hands-on within the classroom,” Cox said. “So we can have some women … take this opportunity and actually get out and get a job as soon as they are released.”
    
            Now on its third cohort, the program at MCIW has graduated 15 women since it began last year.
    
            The women at MCIW come to the facility’s gymnasium, reminiscent of a high school gym, for the training. When they put the headsets on, they’re transported to a virtual auto repair garage, where they can operate the car lift and use various tools.
    
            By the time they complete the program, trainees are prepared for jobs as tire lube technicians — roles available at places like Jiffy Lube or Mr. Tire — and for the Automotive Service Excellence exam, the nationally recognized certification for auto mechanics.
    
            “I think the best part about it, for incarcerated people, is you get to escape from this place, and it reminds you that there is something outside of here,” said Meagan Carpenter, another one of the MCIW trainees.
    
            “I want to be able to show my children, especially my daughter, that anything a man can do, we can do better or the same,” she said. “And I want to be a good representative for this program … sometimes we just need that one program to have faith in us and give us an opportunity.”
    
            But is it really possible to learn how to fix a car in virtual reality without ever interacting with a real vehicle? Carpenter said she feels “100% confident in my abilities.”
    
            And Schwartz said he’s certain about the potential for VR training, too. He added that given the need for auto workers, employers are often happy to show trainees how to take what they’ve learned in the digital world to operate safely in a real garage.
    
            “Virtual reality is number one going to be the way we train the skill trades in five years across the board,” he said. “This technology is going to change, certainly (in-prison) training, but it’s going to make a huge difference for the marginalized populations that we have in this country that can’t afford to go to a community college to get an automotive degree or a trade school … We’re not only going to fill the gap for trades, but we’re going to change poverty in this country by using virtual reality.”",CNN,29/05/2024,"['In her first week of job training, Tiffany Joseph Busch learned how to do an oil change. “', 'If I had known it was this easy then I wouldn’t have been paying for oil changes,” she said she told her instructor.', 'But Busch never interacted with an actual car during the training.', 'Instead, she learned in a virtual garage, using a Meta Quest virtual reality headset.', 'Busch, 36, is incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women and is part of an early group of trainees learning skills in virtual reality that will prepare them to pursue jobs as auto technicians upon their release.', 'For Busch, who expects to be released in June after being incarcerated on-and-off since age 19, the program will give her a crucial head start in rebuilding her life outside of prison.', '“It’s dire that we get some type of training,” Busch told CNN in an interview at the prison last month. “', 'I’m excited to be able to go home and use what we have (learned) here.”', 'Although virtual reality technology has been around for more than a decade, it’s still often thought of as a relatively niche technology used largely by gamers.', 'But MCIW — in partnership with Baltimore-based nonprofit Vehicles for Change, which developed the program — is exploring whether VR headsets could make career training opportunities more accessible inside prisons.', 'The ultimate goal is to reduce recidivism rates by ensuring incarcerated people have a clear path to good-paying jobs once they’re released.', 'Across the United States, auto technicians are in strong demand; trade groups say the industry sees tens of thousands of jobs go unfilled each year.', 'And in Maryland, such positions often pay above the state’s $15 per hour minimum wage.', '“This isn’t rocket science.', 'It’s a matter of getting people a job that leads to a career, and we can keep people out of prison,” said Vehicles for Change President Martin Schwartz. “', 'If they can get a job that’s going to pay $16 to $20 an hour, we can change the trajectory of that recidivism rate.”', 'Vehicles for Change was founded in 1999 to provide low-income families with affordable cars.', 'In 2016, the nonprofit developed an in-person auto technician training program for formerly incarcerated people, where participants would receive paid job training while repairing cars to go to the organization’s clients.', 'The organization has relationships with employers such as Napa Auto Parts and AAA, representatives of which sit on its board, to help graduates secure full-time work after completing the program.', 'But during the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of trainees that Vehicles for Change could safely allow into its garages dipped, so Schwartz began exploring alternate ways of delivering the training.', 'He was eventually connected to software company HTX Labs, which had built virtual reality training programs for the US Air Force and later designed the auto mechanic training program for Vehicles for Change.', 'In addition to MCIW, the nonprofit is also piloting the VR auto technician training program in correctional facilities in Texas and Virginia.', 'For leaders in Maryland’s correctional department, the VR program provided a way to expand job training for a field in need of workers to the Women’s Correctional Institute quickly and easily.', 'The corrections department works “very closely with (the state’s) Department of Labor to determine what the industry needs are, where the vacancies are,” according to Carolyn Scruggs, Maryland’s secretary of public safety and correctional services.', 'Several of the state’s other prisons have hands-on mechanic training programs, but building a new garage means having to find the space and bringing in expensive equipment — processes further complicated by the strict security measures prisons must maintain.', 'Although the headsets cost nearly $500 each, they’re still more affordable than providing conventional, hands-on training programs.', '“Bringing in VR, it eliminates all that needed space or funding that we would need to build an entire classroom,” said Danielle Cox, director of education at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, who oversees the correctional department’s 26 different job training programs.', '“Also, it gets them something within a couple of weeks that would take a longer time if they were doing hands-on within the classroom,” Cox said. “', 'So we can have some women … take this opportunity and actually get out and get a job as soon as they are released.”', 'Now on its third cohort, the program at MCIW has graduated 15 women since it began last year.', 'The women at MCIW come to the facility’s gymnasium, reminiscent of a high school gym, for the training.', 'When they put the headsets on, they’re transported to a virtual auto repair garage, where they can operate the car lift and use various tools.', 'By the time they complete the program, trainees are prepared for jobs as tire lube technicians — roles available at places like Jiffy Lube or Mr. Tire — and for the Automotive Service Excellence exam, the nationally recognized certification for auto mechanics.', '“I think the best part about it, for incarcerated people, is you get to escape from this place, and it reminds you that there is something outside of here,” said Meagan Carpenter, another one of the MCIW trainees.', '“I want to be able to show my children, especially my daughter, that anything a man can do, we can do better or the same,” she said. “', 'And I want to be a good representative for this program … sometimes we just need that one program to have faith in us and give us an opportunity.”', 'But is it really possible to learn how to fix a car in virtual reality without ever interacting with a real vehicle?', 'Carpenter said she feels “100% confident in my abilities.”', 'And Schwartz said he’s certain about the potential for VR training, too.', 'He added that given the need for auto workers, employers are often happy to show trainees how to take what they’ve learned in the digital world to operate safely in a real garage.', '“Virtual reality is number one going to be the way we train the skill trades in five years across the board,” he said. “', 'This technology is going to change, certainly (in-prison) training, but it’s going to make a huge difference for the marginalized populations that we have in this country that can’t afford to go to a community college to get an automotive degree or a trade school … We’re not only going to fill the gap for trades, but we’re going to change poverty in this country by using virtual reality.”']",0.2008532989591681,And I want to be a good representative for this program … sometimes we just need that one program to have faith in us and give us an opportunity.”,"“It’s dire that we get some type of training,” Busch told CNN in an interview at the prison last month. “",0.7818577335431025,"For leaders in Maryland’s correctional department, the VR program provided a way to expand job training for a field in need of workers to the Women’s Correctional Institute quickly and easily.","But during the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of trainees that Vehicles for Change could safely allow into its garages dipped, so Schwartz began exploring alternate ways of delivering the training.",2024-05-29
Retailers use police-like investigation centers to fight theft. Shoppers pay the price,https://edition.cnn.com/business/retailers-crackdown-organized-crime-invs/index.html,"
  Updated
        9:28 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","When SWAT officers swarmed a house in a sleepy San Jose, California neighborhood last month, they found what could best be described as a make-shift hardware store inside: Shelves lined with boxes of brand-new tools, bathroom fixtures and spools of industrial wiring.
    
            It resembled a mini Home Depot. And in some ways, it was.
    
            Much of the cache of products—worth about $150,000—had been stolen from real Home Depot stores. The retail chain’s internal security force spent months investigating the thefts, scanning security camera footage, tracking license plates and surveilling suspects. They connected dots of the criminal network allegedly responsible and shared their findings with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, which executed search warrants and arrested the suspects.
    
            Increasingly, this is how it goes today for retailers trying to battle theft and fraud by organized crime rings. A CNN review of court records and interviews with more than two dozen retail and law enforcement officials shows that persistent problems with sophisticated organized crime networks have led many private-sector companies to not only assist law enforcement but to often deliver the bulk of the evidence that leads to criminal prosecutions.
    
            Anyone who has shopped at retail stores in recent years has encountered everyday products like laundry detergent, medication and beauty supplies locked up behind metal gates or plexiglass. Retailers say those in-store security measures are emblematic of the ongoing threat of organized retail crime, which typically involves groups of low-level thieves who steal items for middlemen who in turn sell to unsuspecting customers hunting for deals on marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay.
    
            Efforts to counter this crime, however, have come with some costs. Security investments can translate into higher prices for consumers, and civil liberties advocates argue the surveillance technology used by retailers can infringe on individuals’ privacy.
    
            While retailers have long partnered with law enforcement, the industry has bolstered its role in recent years, devoting more staff and financial resources to thwarting theft. Some retailers are researching body-worn cameras for employees. Others, including Home Depot, have invested in police-like investigation centers to sift through data and pinpoint theft-group members.
    
            “A lot of times, local and state resources don’t have the capacity to investigate these crimes at that scale,” said Sean Browne, senior manager of asset protection for Home Depot. Browne said Home Depot, which has nearly tripled its investigative team since 2016,  has started using license-plate readers in some store parking lots. “We try to full-service the investigations and ensure we cut off the head of the snake.”
    
            Where law enforcement agencies sometimes face jurisdictional limits to their investigations, retailers can track cases across state and county lines with increasingly sophisticated tools – such as artificial intelligence that identifies patterns – and choose agencies with which to share cases.
    
            “Retailers themselves are really taking the ball and running with it and then partnering with law enforcement at all levels,” said David Johnston, vice president of asset protection for the National Retail Federation (NRF), a top lobbying group for the retail industry. NRF surveys of retailers last year found that more than half reported budget increases to combat organized retail crime.
    
            Precise national data on organized retail crime is lacking. Last year, NRF even retracted a claim in one of its reports related to the scale of the crime, which led critics to charge that the industry had exaggerated the issue to achieve policy goals or justify store closures caused by underperformance.
    
            Still, most retailers insist they have seen an uptick in organized theft. About 90% of asset-protection professionals surveyed last year by NRF said the crime had become more of a risk over the prior three years.
    
            “These investments wouldn’t be made for no reason,” said Browne of Home Depot, which has also added security to stores like locks, gates, cameras and other tech to deter theft. “Unfortunately, this creates an environment for our customers that isn’t very friendly,” he said.
    
            The industry’s push to crack down on organized retail crime comes amidst differing policies and law enforcement priorities across the nation. Some states have focused on tackling such theft, with more than a dozen launching organized retail crime taskforces, which collaborate with private companies and police.
    
            Investigators for the attorney general of Washington state, which created an organized retail crime unit last year, specifically credited businesses Target and Ulta Beauty for gathering much of the evidence behind two felony cases, according to probable-cause affidavits. That material included loss prevention reports, security footage and photographs.
    
            In the case involving Ulta Beauty, a company investigator identified the defendant and accomplices who allegedly stole products across six counties, according to an affidavit.
    
            “We can’t bring the cases without them,” Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said when asked by CNN about the role of retailers. “Everything you’re seeing in those probable-cause statements is what you would see in case after case after case as we go forward with this work.”
    
            Ferguson said organized retail crime cases are inherently complex to investigate and prosecute, especially for local agencies with limited resources, so public-private partnerships are a necessity.
    
            That was evident in the case of Linda Ann Been, an Oklahoma woman sentenced to more than five years in prison earlier this month for managing an organized theft ring that federal prosecutors say stole about $9 million in property from retailers.
    
            The case largely began with an investigator for CVS who noticed a trend of thefts at his company’s stores in the Tulsa area, according to a state affidavit. He then used records to link low-level thieves who physically robbed the stores with Been and shared his findings with a local detective.
    
            The investigation later revealed how Been had provided the thieves with lists of items to steal from businesses across multiple states. The items were organized at a warehouse and boutique clothing shop in a suburb of Tulsa and sold by Been to other sellers – known as “fences” – outside of Oklahoma who in turn sold the products through websites, including eBay and Amazon, to customers, documents show.
    
            In a brief interview with CNN prior to her sentencing, Been questioned why those higher-level fences to whom she sold products appear not to have faced consequences. “How come … nothing happened to those people?” she asked.
    
            In her guilty plea in 2022, Been specifically named one such fence to whom she “frequently sent stolen inventory” as a man named Baruch “Butch” Treff.
    
            Treff, in an interview with CNN, acknowledged buying products from Been, whom he said other vendors had recommended, but insisted he had no idea she had traded in stolen goods.
    
            “If I knew I would never have bought from her. I don’t deal with stolen goods,” Treff said. An attorney for Treff, Yosef Jacobovitch, added that his client did due diligence and met with Been to try to ensure she was a legitimate vendor. “She fooled him and others,” Jacobovitch said.
    
            A government investigator familiar with the case, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said one of the challenges of such cases is determining whether higher-level fences knowingly purchased stolen goods for resale.
    
            The case against Been’s organization involved a range of state and federal authorities including Homeland Security Investigations and the IRS, but during a news conference, a federal prosecutor credited retail-industry investigators for contributing and called such collaborations a “force multiplier.”
    
            Aside from supplying evidence, retailers sometimes identify broader trends of groups moving from city to city before law enforcement, said Sgt. Patrick Flynn of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s organized retail crime unit, which launched last year.
    
            Patrick Walsh, an organized-retail-crime manager for grocery chain Kroger, said his company has heavily invested not only in its investigative capacity but also visual deterrents. For example, the company purchased an old police car to drive around parking lots to ward off would-be criminals.
    
            Some companies’ efforts have backfired. In December, drugstore chain Rite Aid agreed to a five-year ban on facial recognition technology after the Federal Trade Commission found that the company’s use of the tech led to false shoplifting allegations against customers – especially people of color – who appeared to match entries in a company watchlist. A Rite Aid spokesperson said the company is enhancing its information-security practices and policies.
    
            The way retailers have collected evidence for police with such tech has alarmed privacy-rights advocates.
    
            “Police are public entities. You can send them a public records request. You can elect a mayor who may want to change the police department. You cannot do that with a giant corporation. You have very little control over what technology they deploy, how they deploy it and then what they do with that data,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group.
    
            The threat of organized retail crime and pressure from the industry has led some officials to call on the federal government to do more.
    
            Over the last year much of that push has centered on a federal bill, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, that would create an intelligence-sharing hub at the Department of Homeland Security and broaden the scope of applicable criminal conduct.
    
            San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, a Republican-turned-independent who expressed support for those changes at a congressional hearing in December, referred to limited coordination between law enforcement and retailers and laws that apply relatively light penalties for habitual thieves as “key challenges” in policing the issue.
    
            The bill has received criticism. A coalition of civil rights groups that included the ACLU and NAACP argued in a letter in March that the legislation promotes punitive policies that would disproportionately affect marginalized communities and exacerbate poverty by pushing more crime into the federal system. “This enforcement-first response, we don’t think that leads to crime deterrence,” Chloé White, an attorney with one of those groups, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, told CNN.
    
            The bill has garnered support from a bipartisan group of lawmakers, but it has not advanced.
    
            “Everything is stalled in Congress,” said Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat who helped introduce the legislation. Reacting to the way private retailers have been growing their internal investigative efforts, Titus said, “That’s the reason we need to do something at the federal level… I’m not trying to put down local law enforcement. I think they are doing the best they can with the resources they have.”
    
            Congress has taken some steps to help the retail industry. A law that took effect last year requires online marketplaces to verify and disclose information on large, third-party sellers, such as bank account numbers. The law in effect makes it harder to sell stolen products through the internet with impunity.
    
            But industry sources argue online platforms could do more to police organized retail crime on their sites.
    
            Specifically, those marketplaces should more proactively question high-volume sellers of discounted goods and “ask for proof that these goods have been acquired lawfully,” said Khris Hamlin, vice president of asset protection for the Retail Industry Leaders Association.
    
            Major online marketplaces say they have taken steps to combat such crime. Amazon touts a program that applies unique codes to certain products that can be used to detect and track stolen items. Mike Carson, eBay’s senior director of global policy, said eBay has safeguards including automated processes that flag irregularities among items for sale, which can prompt further investigation.
    
            Browne of Home Depot said he welcomes more assistance from online marketplaces and the federal government.
    
            “Crimes like drugs, human trafficking, they have major organizations going after this and rightfully so. Retail crimes have not gotten that same attention over the years,” he said. “It’s expanded beyond the bandwidth of local and sometimes even state law enforcement.”
    
            CNN’s Nelli Black and Yahya Abou-Ghazala contributed to this report.",CNN,23/05/2024,"['When SWAT officers swarmed a house in a sleepy San Jose, California neighborhood last month, they found what could best be described as a make-shift hardware store inside: Shelves lined with boxes of brand-new tools, bathroom fixtures and spools of industrial wiring.', 'It resembled a mini Home Depot.', 'And in some ways, it was.', 'Much of the cache of products—worth about $150,000—had been stolen from real Home Depot stores.', 'The retail chain’s internal security force spent months investigating the thefts, scanning security camera footage, tracking license plates and surveilling suspects.', 'They connected dots of the criminal network allegedly responsible and shared their findings with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, which executed search warrants and arrested the suspects.', 'Increasingly, this is how it goes today for retailers trying to battle theft and fraud by organized crime rings.', 'A CNN review of court records and interviews with more than two dozen retail and law enforcement officials shows that persistent problems with sophisticated organized crime networks have led many private-sector companies to not only assist law enforcement but to often deliver the bulk of the evidence that leads to criminal prosecutions.', 'Anyone who has shopped at retail stores in recent years has encountered everyday products like laundry detergent, medication and beauty supplies locked up behind metal gates or plexiglass.', 'Retailers say those in-store security measures are emblematic of the ongoing threat of organized retail crime, which typically involves groups of low-level thieves who steal items for middlemen who in turn sell to unsuspecting customers hunting for deals on marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay.', 'Efforts to counter this crime, however, have come with some costs.', 'Security investments can translate into higher prices for consumers, and civil liberties advocates argue the surveillance technology used by retailers can infringe on individuals’ privacy.', 'While retailers have long partnered with law enforcement, the industry has bolstered its role in recent years, devoting more staff and financial resources to thwarting theft.', 'Some retailers are researching body-worn cameras for employees.', 'Others, including Home Depot, have invested in police-like investigation centers to sift through data and pinpoint theft-group members.', '“A lot of times, local and state resources don’t have the capacity to investigate these crimes at that scale,” said Sean Browne, senior manager of asset protection for Home Depot.', 'Browne said Home Depot, which has nearly tripled its investigative team since 2016, has started using license-plate readers in some store parking lots. “', 'We try to full-service the investigations and ensure we cut off the head of the snake.”', 'Where law enforcement agencies sometimes face jurisdictional limits to their investigations, retailers can track cases across state and county lines with increasingly sophisticated tools – such as artificial intelligence that identifies patterns – and choose agencies with which to share cases.', '“Retailers themselves are really taking the ball and running with it and then partnering with law enforcement at all levels,” said David Johnston, vice president of asset protection for the National Retail Federation (NRF), a top lobbying group for the retail industry.', 'NRF surveys of retailerslast year found that more than half reported budget increases to combat organized retail crime.', 'Precise national data on organized retail crime is lacking.', 'Last year, NRF even retracted a claim in one of its reports related to the scale of the crime, which led critics to charge that the industry had exaggerated the issue to achieve policy goals or justify store closures caused by underperformance.', 'Still, most retailers insist they have seen an uptick in organized theft.', 'About 90% of asset-protection professionals surveyed last year by NRF said the crime had become more of a risk over the prior three years.', '“These investments wouldn’t be made for no reason,” said Browne of Home Depot, which has also added security to stores like locks, gates, cameras and other tech to deter theft. “', 'Unfortunately, this creates an environment for our customers that isn’t very friendly,” he said.', 'The industry’s push to crack down on organized retail crime comes amidst differing policies and law enforcement priorities across the nation.', 'Some states have focused on tackling such theft, with more than a dozen launching organized retail crime taskforces, which collaborate with private companies and police.', 'Investigators for the attorney general of Washington state, which created an organized retail crime unit last year, specifically credited businesses Target and Ulta Beauty for gathering much of the evidencebehind two felony cases, according to probable-cause affidavits.', 'That material included loss prevention reports, security footage and photographs.', 'In the case involving Ulta Beauty, a company investigator identified the defendant and accomplices whoallegedly stole products across six counties, according to an affidavit.', '“We can’t bring the cases without them,” Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said when asked by CNN about the role of retailers. “', 'Everything you’re seeing in those probable-cause statements is what you would see in case after case after case as we go forward with this work.”', 'Ferguson said organized retail crime cases are inherently complex to investigate and prosecute, especially for local agencies with limited resources, so public-private partnerships are a necessity.', 'That was evident in the case of Linda Ann Been, an Oklahoma woman sentenced to more than five years in prison earlier this month for managing an organized theft ring that federal prosecutors say stole about $9 million in property from retailers.', 'The case largely began with an investigator for CVSwho noticed a trend of thefts at his company’s stores in the Tulsa area, according to a state affidavit.', 'He then used records to link low-level thieves who physically robbed the stores with Been and shared his findings with a local detective.', 'The investigation later revealed how Been had provided the thieves with lists of items to steal from businesses across multiple states.', 'The items were organized at a warehouse and boutique clothing shop in a suburb of Tulsa and sold by Been to other sellers – known as “fences” – outside of Oklahoma who in turn sold the products through websites, including eBay and Amazon, to customers, documents show.', 'In a brief interview with CNN prior to her sentencing, Been questioned why those higher-level fences to whom she sold products appear not to have faced consequences. “', 'How come … nothing happened to those people?”', 'she asked.', 'In her guilty plea in 2022, Been specifically named one such fence to whom she “frequently sent stolen inventory” as a man named Baruch “Butch” Treff.', 'Treff, in an interview with CNN, acknowledged buying products from Been, whom he said other vendors had recommended, but insisted he had no idea she had traded in stolen goods.', '“If I knew I would never have bought from her.', 'I don’t deal with stolen goods,” Treff said.', 'An attorney for Treff, Yosef Jacobovitch, added that his client did due diligence and met with Been to try to ensure she was a legitimate vendor. “', 'She fooled him and others,” Jacobovitch said.', 'A government investigator familiar with the case, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said one of the challenges of such cases is determining whether higher-level fences knowingly purchased stolen goods for resale.', 'The case against Been’s organizationinvolved a range of state and federal authorities including Homeland Security Investigations and the IRS, but during a news conference, a federal prosecutor credited retail-industry investigators for contributing and called such collaborations a “force multiplier.”', 'Aside from supplying evidence, retailers sometimes identify broader trends of groups moving from city to city before law enforcement, said Sgt.', 'Patrick Flynn of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s organized retail crime unit, which launched last year.', 'Patrick Walsh, an organized-retail-crime manager for grocery chain Kroger, said his company has heavily invested not only in its investigative capacity but also visual deterrents.', 'For example, the company purchased an old police car to drive around parking lots to ward off would-be criminals.', 'Some companies’ efforts have backfired.', 'In December, drugstore chain Rite Aid agreed to a five-year ban on facial recognition technology after the Federal Trade Commission foundthat the company’s use of the tech led to false shoplifting allegations against customers – especially people of color–who appeared to match entries in a company watchlist.', 'A Rite Aid spokesperson said the company is enhancing its information-security practices and policies.', 'The way retailers have collected evidence for police with such tech has alarmed privacy-rights advocates.', '“Police are public entities.', 'You can send them a public records request.', 'You can elect a mayor who may want to change the police department.', 'You cannot do that with a giant corporation.', 'You have very little control over what technology they deploy, how they deploy it and then what they do with that data,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group.', 'The threat of organized retail crime and pressure from the industry has led some officials to call on the federal government to do more.', 'Over the last year much of that push has centered on a federal bill, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, that would create an intelligence-sharing hub at the Department of Homeland Security and broaden the scope of applicable criminal conduct.', 'San Diego CountyDistrict Attorney Summer Stephan, a Republican-turned-independent who expressed support for those changes at a congressional hearing in December, referred to limited coordination between law enforcement and retailersand laws that apply relatively light penalties for habitual thieves as “key challenges” in policing the issue.', 'The bill has receivedcriticism.', 'A coalition of civil rights groups that included the ACLU and NAACP argued in a letter in March that the legislation promotes punitive policies that would disproportionately affect marginalized communities and exacerbate poverty by pushing more crime into the federal system. “', 'This enforcement-first response, we don’t think that leads to crime deterrence,” Chloé White, an attorney with one of those groups, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, told CNN.', 'The bill has garnered support from a bipartisan group of lawmakers, but it has not advanced.', '“Everything is stalled in Congress,” said Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat who helped introduce the legislation.', 'Reacting to the way private retailers have been growing their internal investigative efforts, Titus said, “That’s the reason we need to do something at the federal level… I’m not trying to put down local law enforcement.', 'I think they are doing the best they can with the resources they have.”', 'Congress has taken some steps to help the retail industry.', 'A law that took effect last year requires online marketplaces to verify and disclose information on large, third-party sellers, such as bank account numbers.', 'The law in effect makes it harder to sell stolen products through the internet with impunity.', 'But industry sources argue online platforms could do more to police organized retail crime on their sites.', 'Specifically, those marketplaces should more proactively question high-volume sellers of discounted goods and “ask for proof that these goods have been acquired lawfully,” said Khris Hamlin, vice president of asset protection for the Retail Industry Leaders Association.', 'Major online marketplaces say they have taken steps to combat such crime.', 'Amazon touts a program that applies unique codes to certain products that can be used to detect and track stolen items.', 'Mike Carson, eBay’s senior director of global policy, said eBay has safeguards including automated processes that flag irregularities among items for sale, which can prompt further investigation.', 'Browne of Home Depot said he welcomes more assistance from online marketplaces and the federal government.', '“Crimes like drugs, human trafficking, they have major organizations going after this and rightfully so.', 'Retail crimes have not gotten that same attention over the years,” he said. “', 'It’s expanded beyond the bandwidth of local and sometimes even state law enforcement.”', 'CNN’s Nelli Black and Yahya Abou-Ghazala contributed to this report.']",-0.1019142651742716,"Where law enforcement agencies sometimes face jurisdictional limits to their investigations, retailers can track cases across state and county lines with increasingly sophisticated tools – such as artificial intelligence that identifies patterns – and choose agencies with which to share cases.","Retailers say those in-store security measures are emblematic of the ongoing threat of organized retail crime, which typically involves groups of low-level thieves who steal items for middlemen who in turn sell to unsuspecting customers hunting for deals on marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay.",0.0766630614245379,"While retailers have long partnered with law enforcement, the industry has bolstered its role in recent years, devoting more staff and financial resources to thwarting theft.",Some companies’ efforts have backfired.,2024-05-29
"Justice Department expected to file antitrust suit against Live Nation, owner of Ticketmaster",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/business/live-nation-ticketmaster-doj-antitrust/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:15 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","The Justice Department and several states are expected to file a lawsuit as soon as Thursday against Live Nation Inc, citing alleged antitrust violations at least in part due to the market dominance of the company’s Ticketmaster unit, a person briefed on the planned legal action said.
    
            A successful antritrust case could potentially lead to sweeping changes in the market for live events – an industry that came under intense scrutiny in 2022 after glitches at Ticketmaster blocked millions from purchasing tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.
    
            For many critics of Live Nation, the Swift debacle revealed how a lack of competition has led to harms ranging from poor customer service to confusing pricing to expensive ticketing fees to restrictions on ticket resales — amounting to what many consumers complain of as death by a thousand cuts.
    
            The fiasco led lawmakers to grill a top executive of Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, in January last year over the company’s practices.
    
            During the three-hour hearing, senators pressed Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold and some other witnesses on whether his company was too dominant in the industry, thereby harming rivals, musicians and fans.
    
            “I want to congratulate and thank you for an absolutely stunning achievement,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said to Berchtold. “You have brought together Republicans and Democrats in an absolutely unified cause.”
    
            Nor are music fans and lawmakers the only ones to criticize Live Nation over the years – plenty of musicians and other pop culture figures have as well.
    
            Country star Zach Bryan dropped a surprise album at the end of 2022 titled, “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live at Red Rocks).”
    
            In the social media post announcing the album on Christmas Eve, Bryan wrote that it “seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately.”
    
            Even the long-running animated show “The Simpsons” has piled on, with rapacious capitalist Mr. Burns sneering in one episode to his lackey Mr. Smithers: “You laughed when I bought Ticketmaster. ‘No one’s going to pay a hundred percent service charge.’”
    
            This article has been updated with additional context.
    
            CNN’s Brian Fung, Samantha Kelly, Hannah Rabinowitz and Dan Heching contributed reporting.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['The Justice Department and several states are expected to file a lawsuit as soon as Thursday against Live Nation Inc, citing alleged antitrust violations at least in part due to the market dominance of the company’s Ticketmaster unit, a person briefed on the planned legal action said.', 'A successful antritrust case could potentially lead to sweeping changes in the market for live events – an industry that came under intense scrutiny in 2022 after glitches at Ticketmaster blocked millions from purchasing tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.', 'For many critics of Live Nation, the Swift debacle revealed how a lack of competition has led to harms ranging from poor customer service to confusing pricing to expensive ticketing fees to restrictions on ticket resales — amounting to what many consumers complain of as death by a thousand cuts.', 'The fiasco led lawmakers to grill a top executive of Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, in January last year over the company’s practices.', 'During the three-hour hearing, senators pressed Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold and some other witnesses on whether his company was too dominant in the industry, thereby harming rivals, musicians and fans.', '“I want to congratulate and thank you for an absolutely stunning achievement,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said to Berchtold. “', 'You have brought together Republicans and Democrats in an absolutely unified cause.”', 'Nor are music fans and lawmakers the only ones to criticize Live Nation over the years – plenty of musicians and other pop culture figures have as well.', 'Country star Zach Bryan dropped a surprise album at the end of 2022 titled, “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live at Red Rocks).”', 'In thesocial media postannouncing the album on Christmas Eve, Bryan wrote that it “seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately.”', 'Even the long-running animated show “The Simpsons” has piled on, with rapacious capitalist Mr. Burns sneering in one episode to his lackey Mr. Smithers: “You laughed when I bought Ticketmaster. ‘', 'No one’s going to pay a hundred percent service charge.’”', 'This article has been updated with additional context.', 'CNN’s Brian Fung, Samantha Kelly, Hannah Rabinowitz and Dan Heching contributed reporting.']",0.0295314452706481,"“I want to congratulate and thank you for an absolutely stunning achievement,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said to Berchtold. “","For many critics of Live Nation, the Swift debacle revealed how a lack of competition has led to harms ranging from poor customer service to confusing pricing to expensive ticketing fees to restrictions on ticket resales — amounting to what many consumers complain of as death by a thousand cuts.",0.0064931909243265,A successful antritrust case could potentially lead to sweeping changes in the market for live events – an industry that came under intense scrutiny in 2022 after glitches at Ticketmaster blocked millions from purchasing tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.,"For many critics of Live Nation, the Swift debacle revealed how a lack of competition has led to harms ranging from poor customer service to confusing pricing to expensive ticketing fees to restrictions on ticket resales — amounting to what many consumers complain of as death by a thousand cuts.",2024-05-28
Opinion: The drama around Sam Altman is an urgent warning,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/21/opinions/sam-altman-openai-ouster-danger-filipovic/index.html,"
  Published
        9:50 AM EST, Tue November 21, 2023
    ","The biggest tech news this week is the ouster of Sam Altman from his role as CEO of OpenAI, a move that has shaken the company and the industry. Hundreds of OpenAI employees have threatened to resign. Altman has already moved on to a role at Microsoft. And OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is on its third CEO in as many days.
    
            It’s all very juicy. But this drama should also be raising larger questions, far beyond one company’s internal hirings and firings, including: Who are the people making the decisions that will determine so much of our technological future? What guiding principles are they using to make those decisions? And how should other institutions – governments, non-tech industries, global alliances, regulatory bodies – reign in the worst excesses of potentially dangerous AI innovators?
    
            OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, with an explicit mission to harness what may soon be superhuman intelligence “to benefit humanity as a whole.” But that sensibility hasn’t lasted. The company now has a multi-billion-dollar for-profit arm. They have been developing new technologies at lightning speed, and sometimes sending them out to the public before some employees believed they were ready. The company has already reportedly invented an AI technology so dangerous they will never release it – but they also won’t tell reporters or the public exactly what it is.
    
            This dynamic – a potentially dangerous technology developed at extreme speed, largely behind closed doors – is partly to blame for Altman’s firing. The OpenAI board, according to CNN’s David Goldman, worried that “the company was making the technological equivalent of a nuclear bomb, and its caretaker, Sam Altman, was moving so fast that he risked a global catastrophe.” At particular issue seemed to be Altman’s efforts to make the tools behind ChatGPT available to anyone who wanted to make their own version of the chatbot. This could be widely disastrous, some board members worried.
    
            But then they fired him without warning, and apparently without involving Microsoft, the company’s largest shareholder. Now, Altman is at the new AI group at Microsoft, and one has to wonder if the oversight and caution there will be on par with that at OpenAI, or if he’ll be handed carte blanche to push as fast and hard as he wants. And for all the justified reticence of the OpenAI board, the company has carried out much of its work in secrecy – without the public really understanding what a handful of unaccountable technologists are building, and how it is nearly guaranteed to indelibly change their lives.
    
            AI is broadly understood to have the potential to reshape vast swaths of human existence. At the very least, it seems nearly guaranteed to change how we process information, how we communicate, how we learn and how we work (and if we work). And the ramifications could be much more extreme. AI technologies have already demonstrated the ability to lie and to cover their tracks. They have already been able to suggest the design to make a virus spread more quickly. Many researchers acutely understand just how quickly these machines could develop the capacity to annihilate us, including Altman: He has a prepper’s paradise prepared in Big Sur, complete with guns and “gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force” in case AI goes off the rails and the robots go to war against humans, according to reporting in the New Yorker.
    
            But don’t worry, he told an Atlantic reporter: If AI is determined to wipe us out, “no gas mask is helping anyone.” (If you want an excellent and terrifying rundown of AI’s risks – at least those we understand right now, which are almost certainly a mere sliver of the looming perils – the Atlantic profile of Altman and his technology is worth a read).
    
            AI is very exciting technology. But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”
    
            Given the life-altering potential of AI – that even if it doesn’t kill us all, it will almost certainly change human existence in unprecedented ways at unprecedented speed – we all have a stake in how it’s being developed. And yet the development is being left to a handful of people (who seem to be largely men) in Silicon Valley, and other tech pockets around the globe. And we all have a stake in whose interests AI will serve – and right now, its development is being funded with billions of dollars by people expecting to make a huge profit.
    
            Do the interests of the public align with the interests of the shareholders to whom profit-driven, potentially tremendously lucrative-for-a-few companies are beholden? Or with the interests of tech entrepreneurs who are primarily excited about being at the forefront of the AI revolution, regardless of the potential human costs?
    
            One thing is clear: AI is coming. And how it is built and unleashed on the public matters more than perhaps any technology of the past century. It is, indeed, up there with the atom bomb in its destructive potential – except likely more difficult to regulate and control.
    
            “Regulation” does not begin to scratch the surface of what’s needed to make sure that the AI future is not a catastrophic one, especially since the development of AI is now a massive international arms race, with particularly horrific implications if bad actors develop this technology first. But regulation is, at minimum, a necessary step.
    
            So is transparency: In the US, companies have wide leverage to work behind a veil of secrecy, and much of what AI companies do is kept secret to stymy competition. But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.
    
            The Altman story is fascinating because Altman is the most powerful figure in AI technology, which in effect makes him one of the most powerful men in the world. But that should give us pause: Who is he, what power does he hold, what is he doing with it, who does he answer to, and are we comfortable with this much life-altering potential being held by a few unaccountable people?",CNN,21/11/2023,"['The biggest tech news this week is theousterof Sam Altman from his role as CEO of OpenAI, a move that has shaken the company and the industry.', 'Hundreds of OpenAI employees have threatened toresign.', 'Altman has alreadymoved onto a role at Microsoft.', 'And OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is on itsthird CEOin as many days.', 'It’s all very juicy.', 'But this drama should also be raising larger questions, far beyond one company’s internal hirings and firings, including: Who are the people making the decisionsthat will determine so much of our technological future?', 'What guiding principles are they using to make those decisions?', 'And how should other institutions – governments, non-tech industries, global alliances, regulatory bodies – reign in the worst excesses of potentially dangerous AI innovators?', 'OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, with an explicit mission to harness what may soon be superhuman intelligence “to benefit humanity as a whole.”', 'But that sensibility hasn’t lasted.', 'The company now has a multi-billion-dollar for-profit arm.', 'They have been developing new technologies at lightning speed, and sometimes sending them out to the publicbefore some employees believed they were ready.', 'The company has already reportedly invented an AI technology so dangerous they will never release it – but they alsowon’t tellreporters or the public exactly what it is.', 'This dynamic – a potentially dangerous technology developed at extreme speed, largely behind closed doors – is partly to blame for Altman’s firing.', 'The OpenAI board, according toCNN’s David Goldman, worried that “the company was making the technological equivalent of a nuclear bomb, and its caretaker, Sam Altman, was moving so fast that he risked a global catastrophe.”', 'At particular issue seemed to be Altman’s efforts to make the tools behind ChatGPT available to anyone who wanted to make their own version of the chatbot.', 'This could be widely disastrous, some board members worried.', 'But then they fired him without warning, and apparently without involving Microsoft, the company’s largest shareholder.', 'Now, Altman is at the new AI group at Microsoft, and one has to wonder if the oversight and caution there will be on par with that at OpenAI, or if he’ll be handed carte blanche to push as fast and hard as he wants.', 'And for all the justified reticence of the OpenAI board, the company has carried out much of its work in secrecy – without the public really understanding what a handful of unaccountable technologists are building, and how it is nearly guaranteed to indelibly change their lives.', 'AI is broadly understood to have the potential to reshape vast swaths of human existence.', 'At the very least, it seems nearly guaranteed to change how we process information, how we communicate, how we learn and how we work (and if we work).', 'And the ramifications could be much more extreme.', 'AI technologies have already demonstrated the abilityto lie and to cover their tracks.', 'They have already been able tosuggest the designto make a virus spread more quickly.', 'Many researchersacutely understandjust how quickly these machines could develop the capacity to annihilate us, including Altman: He has a prepper’s paradise prepared in Big Sur, complete with guns and “gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force” in case AI goes off the rails and the robots go to war against humans,according to reporting in the New Yorker.', 'But don’t worry, he told an Atlantic reporter: If AI is determined to wipe us out, “no gas mask is helping anyone.” (', 'If you want an excellent and terrifying rundown of AI’s risks – at least those we understand right now, which are almost certainly a mere sliver of the looming perils –the Atlantic profile of Altman and his technologyis worth a read).', 'AI is very exciting technology.', 'But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”', 'Given the life-altering potential of AI – that even if it doesn’t kill us all, it will almost certainly change human existence in unprecedented ways at unprecedented speed – we all have a stake in how it’s being developed.', 'And yet the development is being left to a handful of people (who seem to belargelymen) in Silicon Valley, and other tech pockets around the globe.', 'And we all have a stake in whose interests AI will serve – and right now, its development is being funded with billions of dollars by people expecting to make a huge profit.', 'Do the interests of the public align with the interests of the shareholders to whom profit-driven, potentially tremendously lucrative-for-a-few companies are beholden?', 'Or with the interests of tech entrepreneurs who are primarily excited about being at the forefront of the AI revolution, regardless of the potential human costs?', 'One thing is clear: AI is coming.', 'And how it is built and unleashed on the public matters more than perhaps any technology of the past century.', 'It is, indeed, up there with the atom bomb in its destructive potential – except likely more difficult to regulate and control.', '“Regulation” does not begin to scratch the surface of what’s needed to make sure that the AI future is not a catastrophic one, especially since the development of AI is now a massive international arms race, with particularly horrific implications if bad actors develop this technology first.', 'But regulation is, at minimum, a necessary step.', 'So is transparency: In the US, companies have wide leverage to work behind a veil of secrecy, and much of what AI companies do is kept secret to stymy competition.', 'But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.', 'The Altman story is fascinating because Altman is the most powerful figure in AI technology, which in effect makes him one of the most powerful men in the world.', 'But that should give us pause: Who is he, what power does he hold, what is he doing with it, who does he answer to, and are we comfortable with this much life-altering potential being held by a few unaccountable people?']",0.0034737194649936,"But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.","But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”",-0.2999433577060699,AI technologies have already demonstrated the abilityto lie and to cover their tracks.,"But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”",2024-05-28
Traveling on Memorial Day? You could be making history,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/memorial-day-travel-record-breaking/index.html,"
  Updated
        5:14 PM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","If you’ve flown this weekend or are hopping on a flight today, it’s likely you’re making history.
    
            Passenger traffic at US airports is on pace to make this Memorial Day weekend the busiest on record, according to Transportation Security Administration screening data.
    
            Following record-setting traveler data for Friday (2.951 million, No. 1 screening day in TSA history) and Thursday (2.897 million, No. 3 ever), more than 2.4 million people passed through TSA checkpoints on each day this weekend.
    
            What’s amounting to be a blockbuster Memorial Day weekend could be a precursor to a chart-busting summer of travel.
    
            It’s also amounting to a frustrating weekend for many travelers. There have been more than 5,000 flight delays and more than 430 cancelations within, into or out of the United States so far on Monday, according to FlightAware data. The number of flight cancellations is now tracking above the average for last year.
    
            Five of the top 10 busiest travel days in the TSA’s 22-year history have occurred in the past two weeks alone.
    
            “During the four-day Memorial Day weekend in 2019, approximately 9.5 million passengers were screened; In 2023, that number rose just above 9.8 million,” Regina Boateng, a TSA spokesperson, told CNN via email. “This year, we expect the four-day figure to rise well above 10 million.”
    
            She added: “It’s difficult to compare holidays, as some fall on varying days of the week. However, TSA expects this summer to also be the busiest in the agency’s history.”
    
            Three-plus years of high inflation have taken their toll on Americans’ budgets and, especially, their mindsets. But even though people may be feeling pinched, some are still willing to spend — if not splurge — on travel and leisure.
    
            And there is some good news on the inflation front in that regard: Airline fares dropped in April from March and are actually down a little more than 1% from February 2020, Consumer Price Index data shows.
    
            Americans aren’t just taking to the slightly cheaper skies: AAA projected that a record 38.4 million people will take road trips over the long weekend.
    
            Gas prices rose sharply to start the year but have held fairly steady in recent weeks. On Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.59, a penny higher than this time last year, according to AAA.
    
            However, the prices at the pump on Monday were cheaper than last Memorial Day as well as the 10-year average for the holiday, according to GasBuddy data.
    
            US gasoline demand breached the 9 million barrels for the week ended May 25, according to GasBuddy data. Demand was up just 0.3% from the comparable pre-Memorial Day week last year, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy spokesman, told CNN on Monday.
    
            “It was a weak start to the week but roared back on [Thursday through Saturday],” he said via email. “Still well below record gasoline demand, however.”
    
            Gas Buddy modeled the current demand at just 9.03 million barrels per day. In the late 2010s, specifically 2019, that figure would likely be 9.5 million barrels per day to 9.8 million barrels per day, De Haan said.
    
            This article has been updated with additional context.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['If you’ve flown this weekend or are hopping on a flight today, it’s likely you’re making history.', 'Passenger traffic at US airports is on pace to make this Memorial Day weekend the busiest on record, according to Transportation Security Administration screening data.', 'Following record-setting traveler data for Friday (2.951 million, No.', '1 screening day in TSA history) and Thursday (2.897 million, No.', '3 ever), more than 2.4 million people passed through TSA checkpoints on each day this weekend.', 'What’s amounting to be a blockbuster Memorial Day weekend could be a precursor to a chart-busting summer of travel.', 'It’s also amounting to a frustrating weekend for many travelers.', 'There have been more than 5,000 flight delays and more than 430 cancelations within, into or out of the United States so far on Monday, according to FlightAware data.', 'The number of flight cancellations is now tracking above the average for last year.', 'Five of the top 10 busiest travel days in the TSA’s 22-year history have occurred in the past two weeks alone.', '“During thefour-day Memorial Day weekend in 2019, approximately 9.5 million passengers were screened; In 2023, that number rose just above 9.8 million,” Regina Boateng, a TSA spokesperson, told CNN via email. “', 'This year, we expect the four-dayfigure to rise well above 10 million.”', 'She added: “It’s difficult to compare holidays, as some fall on varying days of the week.', 'However, TSA expects this summer to also be the busiest in the agency’s history.”', 'Three-plus years of high inflation havetaken their tollon Americans’budgets and, especially, their mindsets.', 'But even though people may befeeling pinched, some are still willing to spend — if not splurge — on travel and leisure.', 'And there is some good news on the inflation front in that regard: Airline fares dropped in April from March and are actually down a little more than 1% from February 2020, Consumer Price Index data shows.', 'Americans aren’t just taking to the slightly cheaper skies: AAA projected that a record 38.4 million people will take road trips over the long weekend.', 'Gas prices rose sharply to start the year but have held fairly steady in recent weeks.', 'On Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.59, a penny higher than this time last year, according to AAA.', 'However, the prices at the pump on Monday were cheaper than last Memorial Day as well as the 10-year average for the holiday, according to GasBuddy data.', 'US gasoline demand breached the 9 million barrels for the week ended May 25, according to GasBuddy data.', 'Demand was up just 0.3% from the comparable pre-Memorial Day week last year, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy spokesman, told CNN on Monday.', '“It was a weak start to the week but roared back on [Thursday through Saturday],” he said via email. “', 'Still well below record gasoline demand, however.”', 'Gas Buddy modeled the current demand at just 9.03 million barrels per day.', 'In the late 2010s, specifically 2019, that figure would likely be 9.5 million barrels per day to 9.8 million barrels per day, De Haan said.', 'This article has been updated with additional context.']",0.0459791972299508,What’s amounting to be a blockbuster Memorial Day weekend could be a precursor to a chart-busting summer of travel.,It’s also amounting to a frustrating weekend for many travelers.,0.2510524894061841,"This year, we expect the four-dayfigure to rise well above 10 million.”","And there is some good news on the inflation front in that regard: Airline fares dropped in April from March and are actually down a little more than 1% from February 2020, Consumer Price Index data shows.",2024-05-28
US box office on track to have worst Memorial Day weekend since 1995,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/summer-box-office-memorial-day/index.html,"
  Published
        1:41 PM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","The summer movie season typically starts with a bang during the month of May and, particularly, during Memorial Day weekend.
    
            This year, it’s a whimper.
    
            Memorial Day weekend (Friday through Monday) movie ticket sales are estimated at $128.3 million, according to Comscore data provided to CNN. That’s down from last year’s Memorial Day weekend, which recorded just shy of $205 million gross revenue, and it lands well under the record holiday in 2013, when “Fast & Furious 6” drove the weekend to $314.3 million in revenue.
    
            In fact, the US box office is on track to have its lowest-grossing Memorial Day weekend since the $117.1 million seen in 1995, when “Casper” haunted the screens — and that’s not even adjusting for inflation.
    
            “There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the numbers that are coming out this weekend are nothing to write home about,” Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore, told CNN in an interview.
    
            “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” was estimated to be the No. 1 movie with $32 million in sales for the weekend.
    
            The tepid Memorial Day weekend continues what’s been a lukewarm start to the summer box office, a movie-going season that’s still reeling from the effects of last year’s Hollywood strikes.
    
            Coupled with production delays — the aftershocks of the multi-month-long Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are still reverberating across studios — the season that has historically drawn the biggest movie theater audiences is off to a rocky start, potentially hurting the yearly box office totals for 2024.
    
            “Summer is the most important moviegoing season of the year, accounting on average for nearly 40% of the total domestic annual revenue, so as goes the summer so goes the year,” Dergarabedian said.
    
            Last summer, blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data. But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”
    
            “Barring some major overperformances, this summer looks like it’ll be down 20% to 25% in box office grosses between May and August from last year,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory.
    
            While there was no Marvel movie to kick off this May and no mega-blockbuster for Memorial Day, there’s still potentially a solid pipeline of movies to come this year, Degarabarian said.
    
            “We just now have to count on the films coming out in June and July to really perform — and there’s some big ones on the horizon,” he said, noting “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside-Out 2,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
    
            Until 2020, the period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Monday could be counted on to bring in upwards of $4 billion in domestic revenue, according to Comscore data. Summer 2023 saw the first post-pandemic $4-billion summer.
    
            Propelled by the success of “Sound of Freedom,” “Oppenheimer,” and the record-breaking $155 million “Barbie” opening weekend, summer 2023 grossed $4.09 billion, a 19.2% jump from the year prior.
    
            “Barbie” was distributed by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
    
            An opening weekend north of $100 million is typically only seen in intellectual property-driven action films like Star Wars movies and superhero flicks, as well as animated family fare like “The Incredibles 2” and “Finding Dory.” So far this year, no movie has crossed that threshold.
    
            “Sans a Marvel movie to provide a $100-million-plus opening weekend to get the momentum going, this summer will have to make up ground in June and July,” said Dergarabedian, adding that this summer has so far been a “late bloomer.”
    
            Two movies that analysts say could cross the $100 million threshold this summer are “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2,” both of which are distributed by Walt Disney Studios.
    
            The studio’s first wide release of 2024 under its flagship “Disney” banner is set to be “Inside Out 2,” an anomaly for the company and the movie business, according to Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which collects sales and showtimes data from thousands of movie theaters across the United States. (Disney-owned 20th Century Entertainment released its first movie of the year, “The First Omen,” in April.)
    
            “I can’t think of any other year where a studio as vital to this industry sits out the entire first half of the year,” Loria told CNN, adding that this is in large part due to production delays and schedule shifts caused by months of back and forth between studios, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union. “We tend to overemphasize the effect of Hollywood’s 2023 labor strikes at the box office, but it’s hard not to cite it when you look at the number of releases to have hit theaters from major studios in the first half of the year.”
    
            Disney has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
    
            Loria also emphasized that Disney’s summer offerings, both from its Pixar and Marvel divisions, will be critical to how the 2024 box office performs overall.
    
            “Inside Out 2” is forecast to open anywhere between $80 million and $100 million, according to Box Office Pro pre-sales data. Pixar’s offerings in recent years have fallen flat; 2022’s “Lightyear” debuted at $50.5 million domestically, while 2023’s “Elemental” made $29.6 million its opening weekend.
    
            Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.
    
            Last week, ticket seller Fandango announced that “Deadpool & Wolverine” had broken the company’s 2024 record for best first-day ticket presales, beating out “Dune: Part Two.” The film also had the best first day of ticket sales for an R-rated film in Fandango’s 24-year history, the company told CNN.
    
            “Deadpool & Wolverine has the potential to be the second movie (after 2021’s “Spiderman: No Way Home”) to earn a $200 million opening weekend of the post-pandemic era,” said Loria. “We are still two months out, but if pre-sales and awareness continue at this pace, we believe the film can open between $170 million and $210 million.”
    
            “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” “look particularly strong, and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will hands down be the top film of the summer,” said Dergarabedian.
    
            Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far, but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond.
    
            “Box office earnings have been down largely because of staggered gaps between widely appealing releases in the first half of the year,” said Robbins. “That’s been the status quo in the post-pandemic era for many reasons, mostly outside the control of theatrical exhibition. The industry had only a brief period between the impact of COVID production delays followed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year.”
    
            Robbins added that there’s still time for strong titles in the second half of the year to fill the gap, including September’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Transformers One,” and October’s “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
    
            “Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since the pandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “The data clearly shows that audiences can still support the studio tentpole model — but identifying the movies that will become those blockbuster hits continues to be as difficult to predict as ever before.”
    
            Box Office Pro projects that the 2024 box office will gross $8.2 billion, about 10% lower than last year’s $9 billion. The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['The summer movie season typically starts with a bang during the month of May and, particularly, during Memorial Day weekend.', 'This year, it’s a whimper.', 'Memorial Day weekend (Friday through Monday) movie ticket sales are estimated at $128.3 million, according to Comscore data provided to CNN.', 'That’s down from last year’s Memorial Day weekend, which recorded just shy of $205 million gross revenue, and it lands well under the record holiday in 2013, when “Fast & Furious 6” drove the weekend to $314.3 million in revenue.', 'In fact, the US box office is on track to have its lowest-grossing Memorial Day weekend since the $117.1 million seen in 1995, when “Casper” haunted the screens — and that’s not even adjusting for inflation.', '“There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the numbers that are coming out this weekend are nothing to write home about,” Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore, told CNN in an interview.', '“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” was estimated to be the No.', '1 movie with $32 million in sales for the weekend.', 'The tepid Memorial Day weekend continues what’s been a lukewarm start to the summer box office, a movie-going season that’s still reeling from the effects of last year’s Hollywood strikes.', 'Coupled with production delays — the aftershocks of the multi-month-long Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are still reverberating across studios — the season that has historically drawn the biggest movie theater audiences is off to a rocky start, potentially hurting the yearly box office totals for 2024.', '“Summer is the most important moviegoing season of the year, accounting on average for nearly 40% of the total domestic annual revenue, so as goes the summer so goes the year,” Dergarabedian said.', 'Lastsummer, blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data.', 'But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”', '“Barring some major overperformances, this summer looks like it’ll be down 20% to 25% in box office grosses between May and August from last year,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory.', 'While there was no Marvel movie to kick off this May and no mega-blockbuster for Memorial Day, there’s still potentially a solid pipeline of movies to come this year, Degarabarian said.', '“We just now have to count on the films coming out in June and July to really perform — and there’s some big ones on the horizon,” he said, noting “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside-Out 2,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”', 'Until 2020, the period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Monday could be counted on to bring in upwards of $4 billion in domestic revenue, according to Comscore data.', 'Summer 2023 saw the first post-pandemic $4-billion summer.', 'Propelled by the success of “Sound of Freedom,” “Oppenheimer,” and the record-breaking $155 million “Barbie” opening weekend, summer 2023 grossed $4.09 billion, a 19.2% jump from the year prior.', '“Barbie” was distributed by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.', 'An opening weekend north of $100 million is typically only seen in intellectual property-driven action films like Star Wars movies and superhero flicks, as well as animated family fare like “The Incredibles 2” and “Finding Dory.”', 'So far this year, no movie has crossed that threshold.', '“Sans a Marvel movie to provide a $100-million-plus opening weekend to get the momentum going, this summer will have to make up ground in June and July,” said Dergarabedian, adding that this summer has so far been a “late bloomer.”', 'Two movies that analysts say could cross the $100 million threshold this summer are “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2,” both of which are distributed by Walt Disney Studios.', 'The studio’s first wide release of 2024 under its flagship “Disney” banner is set to be “Inside Out 2,” an anomaly for the company and the movie business, according to Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which collects sales and showtimes data from thousands of movie theaters across the United States. (', 'Disney-owned 20th Century Entertainment released its first movie of the year, “The First Omen,” in April.)', '“I can’t think of any other year where a studio as vital to this industry sits out the entire first half of the year,” Loria told CNN, adding that this is in large part due to production delays and schedule shifts caused by months of back and forth between studios, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union. “', 'We tend to overemphasize the effect of Hollywood’s 2023 labor strikes at the box office, but it’s hard not to cite it when you look at the number of releases to have hit theaters from major studios in the first half of the year.”', 'Disney has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.', 'Loria also emphasized that Disney’s summer offerings, both from its Pixar and Marvel divisions, will be critical to how the 2024 box office performs overall.', '“Inside Out 2” is forecast to open anywhere between $80 million and $100 million, according to Box Office Pro pre-sales data.', 'Pixar’s offerings in recent years have fallen flat; 2022’s “Lightyear” debuted at $50.5 million domestically, while 2023’s “Elemental” made $29.6 million its opening weekend.', 'Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.', 'Last week, ticket seller Fandango announced that “Deadpool & Wolverine” had broken the company’s 2024 record for best first-day ticket presales, beating out “Dune: Part Two.”', 'The film also had the best first day of ticket sales for an R-rated film in Fandango’s 24-year history, the company told CNN.', '“Deadpool & Wolverine has the potential to be the second movie (after 2021’s “Spiderman: No Way Home”) to earn a $200 million opening weekend of the post-pandemic era,” said Loria. “', 'We are still two months out, but if pre-sales and awareness continue at this pace, we believe the film can open between $170 million and $210 million.”', '“Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” “look particularly strong, and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will hands down be the top film of the summer,” said Dergarabedian.', 'Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far, but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond.', '“Box office earnings have been down largely because of staggered gaps between widely appealing releases in the first half of the year,” said Robbins. “', 'That’s been the status quo in the post-pandemic era for many reasons, mostly outside the control of theatrical exhibition.', 'The industry had only a brief period between the impact of COVID production delays followed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year.”', 'Robbins added that there’s still time for strong titles in the second half of the year to fill the gap, including September’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Transformers One,” and October’s “Joker: Folie à Deux.”', '“Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since thepandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “', 'The data clearly shows that audiences can still support the studio tentpole model — but identifying the movies that will become those blockbuster hits continues to be as difficult to predict as ever before.”', 'Box Office Pro projects that the 2024 box office will gross $8.2 billion, about 10% lower than last year’s $9 billion.', 'The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.']",0.0539982442308759,"Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.","But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”",0.1576517088846727,"“Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since thepandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “","The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.",2024-05-28
South Africa has failed its Black majority. Nelson Mandela’s political heirs may pay the price,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/south-africa-election-economy/index.html,"
  Updated
        2:50 AM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) swept to power in 1994 on a pledge to “build a better life for all,” winning almost 63% of the vote in the country’s first democratic election.
    
            Fast-forward 30 years and Nelson Mandela’s erstwhile liberation movement, which triumphed over the racist apartheid government, risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time, according to opinion polls and analysts.
    
            When South Africans vote Wednesday, an unhappy combination of rampant corruption, soaring joblessness, crippling power cuts and feeble economic growth will likely be top of mind.
    
            The economy has gone backward over the past decade, evidenced by a sharp fall in living standards. According to the World Bank, gross domestic product per capita has fallen from a peak in 2011, leaving the average South African 23% poorer.
    
            A third of the labor force is unemployed, more than in war-torn Sudan, and the highest rate of any country tracked by the World Bank. Income inequality is also the world’s worst. There are 18.4 million people on welfare benefits, compared with just 7 million taxpayers, according to Oxford Economics, a consultancy.
    
            Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, are at the sharp end of this dire situation. Unemployment and poverty remain concentrated in the Black majority, in large part due to the failure of public schooling, while most White South Africans have jobs and command considerably higher wages.
    
            Moreover, the government’s flagship policy for driving economic inclusion and racial equality in post-apartheid South Africa — Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, known as triple-BEE or simply BEE — has failed to achieve its aims, with wealth still concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of the many.
    
            “Three decades after the end of apartheid, the economy is defined by stagnation and exclusion, and current strategies are not achieving inclusion and empowerment in practice,” Harvard University concluded in a report published in November by its Growth Lab following two years of research.
    
            Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights. They were also systematically excluded from owning land, living in certain areas, and accessing a decent education and jobs.
    
            The end of White minority rule could not on its own compensate for such extreme and prolonged injustice. Restitution was needed — and that’s what BEE set out to deliver.
    
            There is now almost universal agreement that the policy failed to transform economic reality for the majority of Black and other South Africans who were historically disadvantaged, including Indians and Coloureds, the official term for South Africans with mixed heritage who have a distinct cultural identity.
    
            President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously described BEE as “a must for (economic) growth,” promised Saturday the ANC would “do better” if reelected, with a focus on creating more jobs. The Democratic Alliance, the official opposition party, has said it would replace BEE with an “Economic Justice policy” that “targets the poor black majority for redress, rather than a small, connected elite.”
    
            Critics of BEE argue there has been an overemphasis on increasing Black ownership of established businesses through giant deals that have, in fact, enriched only a handful of politically connected people.
    
            This is a view held by Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of former President Thabo Mbeki and chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs, an independent think tank located at Wits University in Johannesburg.
    
            BEE “creates a class of rich politicians who are then beholden to the people who are making them rich, but it disincentivizes people from becoming entrepreneurs,” he told CNN. “If I became president, the first thing I would do would be to scrap BEE,” he added.
    
            By Moeletsi’s telling, White executives devised BEE as a way to “coopt ANC leaders” in the early years of democracy by giving them shares in companies that they would then be disinclined to nationalize, a policy many in the party favored.
    
            Still, despite tens of billions of dollars’ worth of BEE deals, Black ownership of companies stands at just 34% on average, according to the latest report by the B-BBEE Commission, which monitors adherence to the policy.
    
            “Inroads are being made on the participation of Black people in the economy, although there is much further to go to realise the objectives (of BEE),” Commission head Tshediso Matona told CNN.
    
            Black people are also poorly represented in top management, another of the policy’s focus areas. According to a recent PwC report, just 19% of the 200 most valuable companies listed in Johannesburg are led by Black, Coloured, Indian or Asian CEOs.
    
            Many companies in the private sector “are not implementing the spirit of the (BEE) legislation… they’re (only) ticking boxes,” said Kganki Matabane, the CEO of the Black Business Council, a lobby group for Black business. “Businesses cannot continue to exclude the majority, they’ll render the country ungovernable one day,” he added.
    
            Matthew Parks, the parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, an umbrella body for labor unions and an ANC partner, says BEE has helped grow South Africa’s Black middle class but that more must be done for workers, particularly those on minimum wages.
    
            He also argues that the policy needs more time to bear fruit. “Three decades given to overcome the impact of three centuries (of White oppression) is not enough.”
    
            According to Matona, of the Commission, BEE is “only one part of a suite of policy tools to achieve transformation,” which also includes laws around public procurement, competition, employment equity and skills development. “The overall outcome of economic transformation requires an assessment of all of these policies,” he said.
    
            The sharpest criticism of BEE is that it has been corrupted by private interests, leading to severe maladministration in the public sector. “It’s a huge driver of corruption in the country,” said Mbeki.
    
            He and other experts who spoke to CNN explained that under the auspices of advancing empowerment, politically connected Black people have in some instances been put into senior positions in state-owned companies despite not having the right qualifications or experience.
    
            Similarly, some officials have abused public procurement rules that favor Black-owned businesses, awarding government contracts at inflated prices to underperforming companies in exchange for bribes, a phenomenon sometimes referred to locally as “tenderpreneurship.”
    
            “Tenderpreneurship” has devastated state-owned companies and local governments across the country, said Ricardo Hausmann, the director of Harvard’s Growth Lab, a hub for research on economic growth and development. “Poor implementation of affirmative action in the public sector” has contributed to “collapsing state capacity,” he told CNN. “The poster child of this is the electricity sector.”
    
            For much of last year, South Africans were without power for at least some portion of the day. “Loadshedding” — as it’s known locally — hit a new record, with power cuts on 335 days, according to state-owned power utility Eskom. The years-long electricity crisis has abated in recent months, but it is not yet over.
    
            Widespread graft at Eskom and other government institutions, primarily under former President Jacob Zuma, has been a core reason for the collapse of South Africa’s electricity, transport and, latterly, water infrastructure, according to Haroon Bhorat, an economics professor at the University of Cape Town.
    
            The result has been to cripple economic activity. Economists estimate that GDP growth could be as high as 3%-5.4% this year were it not for crumbling infrastructure. Instead, the International Monetary Fund forecasts a paltry 0.9% expansion.
    
            The “ultimate effect” of collapsing infrastructure leading to lower economic growth rates is “a governing party that is going to struggle to get urban voters to believe it can turn the economy around,” Bhorat added.
    
            South Africa’s economy hasn’t always been in dire straits. For the first 15 years of democracy, the ANC “managed the economy relatively well,” Bhorat said.
    
            Under Thabo Mbeki, public debt fell considerably and the government even recorded small budget surpluses between 2006 and 2008, meaning it spent less than it received in taxes. Economic growth averaged around 4% a year.
    
            In contrast, under Zuma, South Africa’s credit rating was downgraded to junk, or sub-investment grade, by S&P and Fitch. GDP growth averaged around 1.5% a year and the debt-to-GDP ratio more than doubled from a post-apartheid low of 24% in 2008, according to the IMF. It is now hovering around 75%.
    
            While South Africa was far from perfect under Mbeki — violent crime was high, the country remained extremely unequal and public services, particularly education, needed considerable work — it had a much stronger economic foundation on which to tackle its plentiful post-apartheid challenges.
    
            It is that foundation that the country must now painstakingly rebuild.
    
            One silver lining to South Africa’s economic crisis is a deepening partnership between government and business to meet the moment.
    
            Chief executives from more than 130 major South African companies, including the likes of Investec and Discovery, as well as the local leaders of JPMorgan, Shell and Unilever have formed an initiative called Business for South Africa.
    
            The group holds regular meetings with senior government officials, including President Ramaphosa and heads of state-owned companies, and is undertaking targeted interventions in areas including transport infrastructure and electricity.
    
            These are already yielding positive results and could mean that power cuts are banished for good next year, according to Cas Coovadia, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa, the country’s main business lobby group.
    
            “This has proven to be real partnership… we are making progress,” he told CNN. “The whole purpose of this intervention is to stop the slide and give us the space to begin to turn this big ship around.”
    
            For Hausmann, of the Harvard Growth Lab, the ANC’s waning influence might be just what the party needs. If political power is more contested, it “puts more of the fear of the wrath of the people into government, so they feel the urgency to improve performance,” he said.
    
            “In general, what disciplines governments is the fear of losing elections.”",CNN,27/05/2024,"['South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) swept to power in 1994 on apledgeto “build a better life for all,” winning almost 63% of the vote in the country’s first democratic election.', 'Fast-forward 30 years andNelson Mandela’serstwhile liberation movement, which triumphed over the racist apartheid government, risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time, according to opinion polls and analysts.', 'When South Africans vote Wednesday, an unhappy combination of rampant corruption, soaring joblessness, cripplingpower cutsand feeble economic growth will likely be top of mind.', 'The economy has gone backward over the past decade, evidenced by a sharp fall in living standards.', 'According to theWorld Bank, gross domestic product per capita has fallen from a peak in 2011, leaving the average South African 23% poorer.', 'A third of the labor force is unemployed,more than in war-torn Sudan, and the highestrateof any countrytracked by the World Bank.', 'Income inequality is also the world’s worst.', 'There are 18.4 million people on welfare benefits, compared with just7 million taxpayers, according to Oxford Economics, a consultancy.', 'Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, are at the sharp end of this dire situation.', 'Unemployment and poverty remain concentrated in the Black majority, in large part due to the failure of public schooling, while most White South Africans have jobs and command considerably higher wages.', 'Moreover, the government’s flagship policy for driving economic inclusion and racial equality in post-apartheid South Africa — Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, known as triple-BEE or simply BEE — has failed to achieve its aims, with wealth still concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of the many.', '“Three decades after the end of apartheid, the economy is defined by stagnation and exclusion, and current strategies are not achieving inclusion and empowerment in practice,” Harvard University concluded in a report published in November by its Growth Lab following two years of research.', 'Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights.', 'They were also systematically excluded from owning land, living in certain areas, and accessing a decent education and jobs.', 'The end of White minority rule could not on its own compensate for such extreme and prolonged injustice.', 'Restitution was needed — and that’s what BEE set out to deliver.', 'There is now almost universal agreement that the policy failed to transform economic reality for the majority of Black and other South Africans who were historically disadvantaged, including Indians and Coloureds, the official term for South Africans with mixed heritage who have a distinct cultural identity.', 'President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously described BEE as “a must for (economic) growth,” promised Saturday the ANC would “do better” if reelected, with a focus on creating more jobs.', 'The Democratic Alliance, the official opposition party, has said it would replace BEE with an “Economic Justice policy” that “targets the poor black majority for redress, rather than a small, connected elite.”', 'Critics of BEE argue there has been an overemphasis on increasing Black ownership of established businesses through giant deals that have, in fact, enriched only a handful of politically connected people.', 'This is a view held by Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of former President Thabo Mbeki and chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs, an independent think tank located at Wits University in Johannesburg.', 'BEE “creates a class of rich politicians who are then beholden to the people who are making them rich, but it disincentivizes people from becoming entrepreneurs,” he told CNN. “', 'If I became president, the first thing I would do would be to scrap BEE,” he added.', 'By Moeletsi’s telling, White executives devised BEE as a way to “coopt ANC leaders” in the early years of democracyby giving them shares in companies that they would then be disinclined to nationalize, apolicymany in the party favored.', 'Still, despite tens of billions of dollars’ worth of BEE deals, Black ownership of companies standsat just 34% on average, according to thelatest reportby the B-BBEE Commission, which monitors adherence to the policy.', '“Inroads are being made on the participation of Blackpeople in the economy, although there is much further to go to realise the objectives (of BEE),” Commission head Tshediso Matona told CNN.', 'Black people are also poorly represented in top management, anotherof the policy’s focus areas.', 'According to a recentPwCreport, just 19% of the 200 most valuable companies listed in Johannesburg are led by Black, Coloured, Indian or Asian CEOs.', 'Many companies in the private sector “are not implementing the spirit of the (BEE) legislation… they’re (only) ticking boxes,” said Kganki Matabane, the CEO of the Black Business Council, a lobby group for Black business. “', 'Businesses cannot continue to exclude the majority, they’ll render the country ungovernable one day,” he added.', 'Matthew Parks, the parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, an umbrella body for labor unions and an ANC partner, says BEE has helped grow South Africa’s Black middle class but that more must be done for workers, particularly those on minimum wages.', 'He also argues that the policy needs more time to bear fruit. “', 'Three decades given to overcome the impact of three centuries (of White oppression) is not enough.”', 'According to Matona, of the Commission, BEE is “only one part of a suite of policy tools to achieve transformation,” which also includes laws around public procurement, competition, employment equity and skills development. “', 'The overall outcome of economic transformation requires an assessment of all of these policies,” he said.', 'The sharpest criticism of BEE is that it has been corrupted by private interests, leading to severe maladministration in the public sector.', '“It’s a huge driver of corruption in the country,” said Mbeki.', 'He and other experts who spoke to CNN explained thatunder the auspices of advancing empowerment, politically connected Black people havein some instancesbeen putintosenior positions in state-owned companiesdespite not having the right qualifications or experience.', 'Similarly,some officials have abusedpublic procurement rulesthat favor Black-owned businesses,awardinggovernment contracts at inflated prices tounderperforming companiesin exchange for bribes, a phenomenon sometimes referred tolocallyas “tenderpreneurship.”', '“Tenderpreneurship”has devastated state-owned companies and local governments across the country, said Ricardo Hausmann, the director of Harvard’s Growth Lab, a hub for research on economic growth and development. “', 'Poor implementation of affirmative action in the public sector” has contributed to “collapsing state capacity,” he told CNN. “', 'The poster child of this is the electricity sector.”', 'For much of last year, South Africans were without power for at least some portion of the day. “', 'Loadshedding” — as it’s known locally — hit a new record, with power cuts on 335 days, according to state-owned power utility Eskom.', 'The years-long electricity crisis has abated in recent months, but it is not yetover.', 'Widespread graft at Eskom and other government institutions, primarily under former President Jacob Zuma, has been a core reason for the collapse of South Africa’s electricity, transport and, latterly,water infrastructure, according to Haroon Bhorat, an economics professor at the University of Cape Town.', 'The result has been to cripple economic activity.', 'Economists estimate that GDP growth could be as high as 3%-5.4% this year were it not for crumbling infrastructure.', 'Instead, the International Monetary Fund forecasts a paltry 0.9% expansion.', 'The “ultimate effect” of collapsing infrastructure leading to lower economicgrowth rates is “a governing party that is going to struggle to get urban voters to believe it can turn the economy around,” Bhorat added.', 'South Africa’s economy hasn’t always been in dire straits.', 'For the first 15 years of democracy, the ANC “managed the economy relatively well,” Bhorat said.', 'Under Thabo Mbeki, public debt fell considerably and the government even recorded small budget surpluses between 2006 and 2008, meaning it spent less than it received in taxes.', 'Economic growth averaged around 4% a year.', 'In contrast, under Zuma, South Africa’s credit rating was downgraded to junk, or sub-investment grade, by S&P and Fitch.', 'GDP growth averaged around 1.5% a year and the debt-to-GDP ratio more than doubled from a post-apartheid low of 24% in 2008, according to theIMF.', 'It is now hovering around 75%.', 'While South Africa was far from perfect under Mbeki — violent crime was high, the country remained extremely unequal and public services, particularlyeducation, needed considerable work — it had a much stronger economicfoundation on which to tackle its plentiful post-apartheid challenges.', 'It is that foundation that the country must now painstakingly rebuild.', 'One silver lining to South Africa’s economic crisis is a deepening partnership between government and business to meet the moment.', 'Chief executives from more than 130 major South African companies, including the likes of Investec and Discovery, as well as the local leaders of JPMorgan, Shell and Unilever have formedan initiative calledBusiness for South Africa.', 'The group holds regular meetings with senior government officials, including President Ramaphosa and heads of state-owned companies, and is undertaking targeted interventions in areas including transport infrastructure and electricity.', 'Theseare already yielding positive results andcould mean that power cuts are banished for good next year,according to Cas Coovadia, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa, the country’s main business lobby group.', '“This has proven to be real partnership… we are making progress,” he told CNN. “', 'The whole purpose of this intervention is to stop the slide and give us the space to begin to turn this big ship around.”', 'For Hausmann, of the Harvard Growth Lab, the ANC’s waning influence might be just what the party needs.', 'If political power is more contested, it “puts more of the fear of the wrath of the people into government, so they feel the urgency to improve performance,” he said.', '“In general, what disciplines governments is the fear of losing elections.”']",-0.0570475885606252,"President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously described BEE as “a must for (economic) growth,” promised Saturday the ANC would “do better” if reelected, with a focus on creating more jobs.",Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights.,-0.2527882059415181,"GDP growth averaged around 1.5% a year and the debt-to-GDP ratio more than doubled from a post-apartheid low of 24% in 2008, according to theIMF.","The economy has gone backward over the past decade, evidenced by a sharp fall in living standards.",2024-05-28
FTC investigating TikTok over privacy and security,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/ftc-tiktok-probe-privacy-and-security/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:11 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.
    
            The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.
    
            The sources said that the FTC is probing TikTok over an alleged violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection rule, which requires companies to notify parents and obtain consent before collecting data from children under 13.
    
            The agency is also investigating whether TikTok violated a portion of the FTC Act that prohibits “unfair or deceptive” business practices, the sources said, in denying that TikTok user data could be accessed by individuals in China.
    
            The FTC could bring a suit against TikTok or settle with the company in the coming weeks, according to one of the sources. Politico reported news of the probe earlier.
    
            When asked about the investigation, FTC Director of Public Affairs Douglas Farrar replied: “No comment.”
    
            TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    
            The FTC probe comes as TikTok faces an existential threat in the US. Earlier this month, a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives voted to pass a law forcing TikTok to be sold by ByteDance or face a ban from US app stores. The bill is now before the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it gets to his desk. Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach — which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.
    
            The short-form video company, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has denied assertions that its app poses a national security threat to US citizens. TikTok, which does not operate in China, has said that the Chinese government has never accessed US user data.
    
            Cybersecurity experts say Chinese laws require ByteDance to cooperate with that country’s intelligence demands — a fact that, given ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok, could hypothetically put US user data at risk. To address that issue, TikTok has taken steps to store its US user data on cloud servers controlled by US tech giant Oracle and established internal protocols limiting access by non-US employees.
    
            TikTok acknowledged to Congress in 2022 that employees based in China could access US user data, following a report that year by BuzzFeed News that ByteDance employees had accessed that information on multiple occasions. TikTok CEO Shou Chew, in his first appearance before Congress last year, also acknowledged that several ByteDance employees were fired for spying on certain US journalists as part of a “misguided attempt” to hunt down leakers within the company.",CNN,26/03/2024,"['The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.', 'The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.', 'The sources said that the FTC is probing TikTok over an alleged violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection rule, which requires companies to notify parents and obtain consent before collecting data from children under 13.', 'The agency is also investigating whether TikTok violated a portion of the FTC Act that prohibits “unfair or deceptive” business practices, the sources said, in denying that TikTok user data could be accessed by individuals in China.', 'The FTC could bring a suit against TikTok or settle with the company in the coming weeks, according to one of the sources.', 'Politico reported news of the probe earlier.', 'When asked about the investigation, FTC Director of Public Affairs Douglas Farrar replied: “No comment.”', 'TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.', 'The FTC probe comes as TikTok faces an existential threat in the US.', 'Earlier this month, a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives voted to pass a law forcing TikTok to be sold by ByteDance or face a ban from US app stores.', 'The bill is now before the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it gets to his desk.', 'Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach —which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.', 'The short-form video company, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has denied assertions that its app poses a national security threat to US citizens.', 'TikTok, which does not operate in China, has said that the Chinese government has never accessed US user data.', 'Cybersecurity experts say Chinese laws require ByteDance to cooperate with that country’s intelligence demands—a fact that, given ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok, could hypothetically put US user data at risk.', 'To address that issue, TikTok has taken steps to store its US user data on cloud servers controlled by US tech giant Oracle and established internal protocols limiting access by non-US employees.', 'TikTok acknowledged to Congress in 2022 that employees based in China could access US user data, following a report that year by BuzzFeed News that ByteDance employees had accessed that information on multiple occasions.', 'TikTok CEO Shou Chew, in his first appearance before Congress last year, also acknowledged that several ByteDance employees were fired for spying on certain US journalists as part of a “misguided attempt” to hunt down leakers within the company.']",-0.232320081688102,"The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.","The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.",-0.8880722284317016,,"Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach —which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.",2024-05-28
"Mortgage rates fall for the third straight week, dipping below 7%",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/23/economy/mortgage-rates-fall-week-of-may-23/index.html,"
  Updated
        12:33 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","Mortgage rates declined for the third consecutive week in a shred of good news for Americans dealing with a still-tough housing market.
    
            The standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% in the week ending May 23, down from last week’s average of 7.02%, according to Freddie Mac data released Thursday. That’s the lowest level since early April and below the key 7% threshold.
    
            After moving sideways throughout March, mortgage rates began to climb in late April as economic data showed that inflation’s cooldown stalled earlier in the year. Mortgage rates track the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield, which moves in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s decisions on interest rates.
    
            Stubbornly high inflation this year has dashed hopes that the Fed could cut interest rates in the spring or in the summer. But there’s finally been some good news on that front: The Consumer Price Index for April, released last week, showed that inflation didn’t pick up. Bond yields have mostly retreated this month.
    
            “Spring homebuyers received an unexpected windfall this week, as mortgage rates fell below the seven percent threshold for the first time in over a month,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a release.
    
            Some Fed officials said earlier this week that they likely won’t raise interest rates again and a few have said they expect to cut rates this year. That bodes well for lower mortgage rates.
    
            But for now, the housing market’s recovery is stagnant. Sales of previously owned homes, which make up the vast majority of the housing market, fell in April for the second month in a row, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. That’s a stark contrast from earlier in the year when sales soared.
    
            Mortgage rates are down from a two-decade peak reached last fall, but they’re still higher than anything seen in the decade leading up to 2022. That’s not the only key issue besieging the housing market.
    
            Another is a persistent under-supply of housing that is simply not keeping up with demand, despite some steady improvements in recent months. That’s partly due to some homeowners deciding to not sell their homes because they’re holding onto the low mortgage rates they locked in before the Fed began to raise interest rates in 2022. With mortgage rates still elevated, some homeowners are deciding to stay put.
    
            The pace of residential construction is also not easing enough of the pressure on the housing market to meaningfully improve affordability. Housing starts rebounded in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.36 million units, after declining sharply in the prior month, according to a separate report released last week. But the trend is nowhere near where it should be to make the market easier for many Americans.
    
            “The country needs around 1.6 million or higher for a few years to truly bring about a balance in the housing sector,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said in statement.
    
            “The housing shortage is not going away,” he said.
    
            Still, there have been some steps in the right direction. NAR reported on Wednesday that housing supply continued to improve in April for the fourth straight month. Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% from a year earlier, according to NAR data, though Yun said that “we still have tight inventory,”
    
            Another hurdle is that home prices remain painfully elevated and out of reach for many Americans, especially first-time buyers.
    
            NAR reported Wednesday that home prices continued to rise in April, with the median price of an existing home increasing 5.7% from a year earlier to $407,600. That was the fourth straight monthly expansion and was a record for April prices.
    
            Other measures of home prices have shown the same: US home-price growth picked up in February at the fastest annual pace since November 2022, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index. Home prices in San Diego, Chicago and Detroit grew the most in February.
    
            High borrowing costs coupled with rising prices and not enough homes on the markets have created a difficult housing market for many. President Joe Biden has proposed some solutions to improve affordability, which would need congressional approval, such as tax credits for middle-class buyers and legislation to shore up homebuilding.
    
            This story has been updated with additional details and context.",CNN,23/05/2024,"['Mortgage rates declined for the third consecutive week in a shred of good news for Americans dealing with a still-tough housing market.', 'The standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% in the week ending May 23, down from last week’s average of 7.02%, according to Freddie Mac data released Thursday.', 'That’s the lowest level since early April and below the key 7% threshold.', 'After moving sideways throughout March, mortgage rates began to climb in late April as economic data showed that inflation’s cooldown stalled earlier in the year.', 'Mortgage rates track the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield, which moves in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s decisions on interest rates.', 'Stubbornly high inflation this year has dashed hopes that the Fed could cut interest rates in the spring or in the summer.', 'But there’s finally been some good news on that front: The Consumer Price Index for April, released last week, showed that inflation didn’t pick up.', 'Bond yields have mostly retreated this month.', '“Spring homebuyers received an unexpected windfall this week, as mortgage rates fell below the seven percent threshold for the first time in over a month,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a release.', 'Some Fed officials said earlier this week that they likely won’t raise interest rates again and a few have said they expect to cut rates this year.', 'That bodes well for lower mortgage rates.', 'But for now, the housing market’s recovery is stagnant.', 'Sales of previously owned homes, which make up the vast majority of the housing market, fell in April for the second month in a row, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday.', 'That’s a stark contrast from earlier in the year when sales soared.', 'Mortgage rates are down from a two-decade peak reached last fall, but they’re still higher than anything seen in the decade leading up to 2022.That’s not the only key issue besieging the housing market.', 'Another is a persistent under-supply of housing that is simply not keeping up with demand, despite some steady improvements in recent months.', 'That’s partly due to some homeowners deciding to not sell their homes because they’re holding onto the low mortgage rates they locked in before the Fed began to raise interest rates in 2022.', 'With mortgage rates still elevated, some homeowners are deciding to stay put.', 'The pace of residential construction is also not easing enough of the pressure on the housing market to meaningfully improve affordability.', 'Housing starts rebounded in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.36 million units, after declining sharply in the prior month, according to a separate report released last week.', 'But the trend is nowhere near where it should be to make the market easier for many Americans.', '“The country needs around 1.6 million or higher for a few years to truly bring about a balance in the housing sector,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said in statement.', '“The housing shortage is not going away,” he said.', 'Still, there have been some steps in the right direction.', 'NAR reported on Wednesday that housing supply continued to improve in April for the fourth straight month.', 'Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% from a year earlier, according to NAR data, though Yun said that “we still have tight inventory,”  Another hurdle is that home prices remain painfully elevated and out of reach for many Americans, especially first-time buyers.', 'NAR reported Wednesday that home prices continued to rise in April, with the median price of an existing home increasing 5.7% from a year earlier to $407,600.', 'That was the fourth straight monthly expansion and was a record for April prices.', 'Other measures of home prices have shown the same: US home-price growth picked up in February at the fastest annual pace since November 2022, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index.', 'Home prices in San Diego, Chicago and Detroit grew the most in February.', 'High borrowing costs coupled with rising prices and not enough homes on the markets have created a difficult housing market for many.', 'President Joe Biden has proposed some solutions to improve affordability, which would need congressional approval, such as tax credits for middle-class buyers and legislation to shore up homebuilding.', 'This story has been updated with additional details and context.']",0.1086213556493509,"President Joe Biden has proposed some solutions to improve affordability, which would need congressional approval, such as tax credits for middle-class buyers and legislation to shore up homebuilding.","Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% from a year earlier, according to NAR data, though Yun said that “we still have tight inventory,”  Another hurdle is that home prices remain painfully elevated and out of reach for many Americans, especially first-time buyers.",0.1789480653302423,"NAR reported Wednesday that home prices continued to rise in April, with the median price of an existing home increasing 5.7% from a year earlier to $407,600.","The standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% in the week ending May 23, down from last week’s average of 7.02%, according to Freddie Mac data released Thursday.",2024-05-28
What’s open and closed on Memorial Day 2024,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/memorial-day-open-closed/index.html,"
  Updated
        1:56 PM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.
    
            The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars. This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.
    
            Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.
    
            Most national retailers will be open on Monday. Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.
    
            All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger. Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.
    
            Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday. Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.
    
            The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq (NDAQ) will not be trading on Monday.
    
            Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks. But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.
    
            The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.
    
            Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday. Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.
    
            FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.', 'The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars.', 'This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.', 'Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.', 'Most national retailers will be open on Monday.', 'Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.', 'All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger.', 'Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.', 'Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday.', 'Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.', 'The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq(NDAQ)will not be trading on Monday.', 'Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.', 'But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.', 'The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.', 'Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday.', 'Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.', 'FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.']",0.0221235396143286,"Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.","Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.",,,,2024-05-28
China is pumping another $47.5 billion into its chip industry,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/tech/china-semiconductor-investment-fund-intl-hnk/index.html,"
  Updated
        1:19 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","China is doubling down on its plan to dominate advanced technologies of the future by setting up its largest-ever semiconductor state investment fund, according to information posted by a government-run agency.
    
            Worth $47.5 billion, the fund is being created as the US imposes sweeping restrictions on the export of American chips and chip technology in a bid to throttle Beijing’s ambitions.
    
            With investments from six of the country’s largest state-owned banks, including ICBC and China Construction Bank, the fund underscores Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s push to bolster China’s position as a tech superpower.
    
            With its Made in China 2025 road map, Beijing has set a target for China to become a global leader in a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G wireless, and quantum computing.
    
            The latest investment vehicle is the third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. The “Big Fund,” as it is known, was officially established in Beijing on Friday, according to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.
    
            Shares of top Chinese chipmakers have jumped after the news. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), the world’s third largest contract chipmaker, has rallied 7% since Monday. Hua Hong Semiconductor, China’s second largest chip foundry and a supplier for Huawei, has gained 13%.
    
            The first phase of the fund was set up in 2014 with 138.7 billion yuan ($19.2 billion). The second phase was established five years later, with a registered capital of 204.1 billion yuan ($28.2 billion).
    
            The investments aim to bring the country’s semiconductor industry up to international standards by 2030 and will pump money primarily into chip manufacturing, design, equipment and materials, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said when launching the first phase in 2014.
    
            The “Big Fund” has been hit by corruption scandals in recent years. In 2022, the country’s anti-graft watchdog launched a crackdown on the semiconductor industry, investigating some of China’s top figures in state-owned chip companies. Lu Jun, former chief executive of Sino IC Capital, which managed the “Big Fund,” was probed and indicted on bribery charges in March, according to a statement by the country’s top prosecutor.
    
            These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.
    
            In October 2022, the US unveiled a sweeping set of export controls that ban Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chip-making equipment without a license. The Biden administration has also pressed its allies, including Netherlands and Japan, to enact their own restrictions.
    
            Beijing hit back last year by imposing export controls on two strategic raw materials that are critical to the global chipmaking industry.
    
            The new chip fund is not only a defensive move to counter Western sanctions, but also part of Xi’s long-held ambitions to make China a global leader in technology.
    
            Last year, China’s Huawei shocked industry experts by introducing a new smartphone powered by a 7-nanometer processor made by SMIC.
    
            At the time of the Huawei phone launch, analysts could not understand how the company would have the technology to make such a chip following sweeping efforts by the United States to restrict China’s access to foreign technology.
    
            In a meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in March, Xi said that “no force can stop China’s scientific and technological development.”
    
            The Netherlands is home to ASML, the world’s sole manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines needed to make advanced semiconductors. The company said in January that it had been prohibited by the Dutch government from shipping some of its lithography machines to China.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['China is doubling down on its plan todominate advanced technologies of the future by setting up its largest-ever semiconductor state investment fund, according to information posted by a government-run agency.', 'Worth $47.5 billion, the fund is being created as the US imposes sweeping restrictions on the export of American chips and chip technology in a bid to throttle Beijing’s ambitions.', 'With investments from six of the country’s largest state-owned banks, including ICBC and China Construction Bank, the fund underscores Chinese leaderXi Jinping’s push to bolster China’s position as a tech superpower.', 'With itsMade in China 2025 road map, Beijing has set a target for China to become a global leader in a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G wireless, and quantum computing.', 'The latest investment vehicle is the third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund.', 'The “Big Fund,” as it is known, was officially established in Beijing on Friday, according to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.', 'Shares of top Chinese chipmakers have jumped after the news.', 'Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), the world’s third largest contract chipmaker, has rallied 7% since Monday.', 'Hua Hong Semiconductor, China’s second largest chip foundry and a supplier for Huawei, has gained 13%.', 'The first phase of the fund was set up in 2014 with 138.7 billion yuan ($19.2 billion).', 'The second phase was established five years later, with a registered capital of 204.1 billion yuan ($28.2 billion).', 'The investments aim to bring the country’s semiconductor industry up to international standards by 2030 and will pump money primarily into chip manufacturing, design, equipment and materials, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said when launching the first phase in 2014.', 'The “Big Fund” has been hit by corruption scandals in recent years.', 'In 2022, the country’s anti-graft watchdog launched a crackdown on the semiconductor industry, investigating some of China’s top figures in state-owned chip companies.', 'Lu Jun, former chief executive of Sino IC Capital, which managed the “Big Fund,” was probed and indicted on bribery charges in March, according to a statement by the country’s top prosecutor.', 'These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.', 'In October 2022, the US unveiled a sweeping set of export controls that ban Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chip-making equipment without a license.', 'The Biden administration has also pressed its allies, including Netherlands and Japan, to enact their own restrictions.', 'Beijing hit back last year by imposing export controls on two strategic raw materials that are critical to the global chipmaking industry.', 'The new chip fund is not only a defensive move to counter Western sanctions, but also part of Xi’s long-held ambitions to make China a global leader in technology.', 'Last year, China’s Huawei shocked industry experts by introducing a new smartphone powered by a 7-nanometer processor made by SMIC.', 'At the time of the Huawei phone launch, analysts could not understand how the company would have the technology to make such a chip following sweeping efforts by the United States to restrict China’s access to foreign technology.', 'In a meeting with the Dutch Prime MinisterMark Rutte in March, Xi said that “no force can stop China’s scientific and technological development.”', 'The Netherlands is home to ASML, the world’s sole manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines needed to make advanced semiconductors.', 'The company said in January that it had beenprohibitedby the Dutch government from shipping some of its lithography machines to China.']",-0.0169866129929295,"With itsMade in China 2025 road map, Beijing has set a target for China to become a global leader in a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G wireless, and quantum computing.",These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.,0.3359898577133814,"Hua Hong Semiconductor, China’s second largest chip foundry and a supplier for Huawei, has gained 13%.",These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.,2024-05-28
Nvidia’s incredibly pricey shares are about to get much cheaper,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/business/nvidias-stock-split-earnings-results/index.html,"
  Updated
        5:14 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Nvidia announced a 10-for-1 stock split on Wednesday, making buying shares in the red-hot semiconductor company more accessible for individual investors.
    
            Five years ago, an investor could have purchased Nvidia stock for less than $50 a share. But since then, the stock has exploded more than 2,500%. A single share in the company was worth $949.50 as of Wednesday’s close.
    
            Nvidia’s (NVDA) announcement, which came in its quarterly earnings report, means that each common share will be split into 10 smaller shares, effectively cutting the price of investing in the company.
    
            The company posted yet another quarter of strong financial results on Wednesday, as well. Nvidia reported a 262% increase in revenue and a 462% increase in profits year-over-year.
    
            Nvidia’s post-split shares will begin trading at the market open on June 10, coming at a time when Nvidia’s stock has been on a tear, fueled by investor enthusiasm about the company’s role in artificial intelligence.
    
            Nvidia shares rose as much as 4% in after-hours trading following the report.
    
            Nvidia is crucial to the burgeoning AI space. The American chipmaker is unmatched in producing processors that power artificial intelligence systems, including for generative AI, the buzzy new technology that can create text, images and other media.
    
             And the company’s soaring stock price over the past year means Nvidia is now deeply important to the broader market, too. The company has become something of a bellwether for the larger AI boom that has been driving the recent market rally.
    
            That the company was again able to exceed Wall Street’s predications for its booming sales growth on Wednesday isn’t entirely surprising. Many of the major tech giants, including Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and others, have announced in recent weeks that they’re continuing to pour billions of dollars into building AI infrastructure, and no company is better poised to be the beneficiary of that investment than Nvidia.
    
            Still, some investors had raised questions ahead of Wednesday’s report about just how long Nvidia could keep the rally going. The company faces growing competition from in-house AI chips from Amazon and Alphabet, and it has had to contend with US restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China.
    
            “There was no secret around Wall Street that Nvidia’s earnings would come in hot once again,” Investing.com senior analyst Thomas Monteiro said in a statement following the report. “While the company didn’t repeat the same total blowout from the last few quarters in any specific area, today’s numbers remain incredibly strong, leaving no doubt that the company’s leadership in the AI revolution remains unchallenged for now.”
    
            Nvidia said it expects revenue for the current quarter to grow approximately 107% year-over-year, a slight slowdown from the meteoric sales growth the company has posted over the past few quarters as it hits the one-year mark from when the AI boom began to take off.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Nvidia announced a 10-for-1 stock split on Wednesday, making buying shares in the red-hot semiconductor company more accessible for individual investors.', 'Five years ago, an investor could have purchased Nvidia stock for less than $50 a share.', 'But since then, the stock has exploded more than 2,500%.', 'A single share in the company was worth $949.50 as of Wednesday’s close.', 'Nvidia’s (NVDA) announcement, which came in its quarterly earnings report, means that each common share will be split into 10 smaller shares, effectively cutting the price of investing in the company.', 'The company posted yet another quarter of strong financial results on Wednesday, as well.', 'Nvidia reported a 262% increase in revenue and a 462% increase in profits year-over-year.', 'Nvidia’s post-split shares will begin trading at the market open on June 10, coming at a time when Nvidia’s stock has been on a tear, fueled by investor enthusiasm about the company’s role in artificial intelligence.', 'Nvidia shares rose as much as 4% in after-hours trading following the report.', 'Nvidia is crucial to the burgeoning AI space.', 'The American chipmaker is unmatched in producing processors that power artificial intelligence systems, including for generative AI, the buzzy new technology that can create text, images and other media.', 'And the company’s soaring stock price over the past year means Nvidia is now deeply important to the broader market, too.', 'The company has become something of a bellwether for the larger AI boom that has been driving the recent market rally.', 'That the company was again able to exceed Wall Street’s predications for its booming sales growth on Wednesday isn’t entirely surprising.', 'Many of the major tech giants, including Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and others, have announced in recent weeks that they’re continuing to pour billions of dollars into building AI infrastructure, and no company is better poised to be the beneficiary of that investment than Nvidia.', 'Still, some investors had raised questions ahead of Wednesday’s report about just how long Nvidia could keep the rally going.', 'The company faces growing competition from in-house AI chips from Amazon and Alphabet, and it has had to contend with US restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China.', '“There was no secret around Wall Street that Nvidia’s earnings would come in hot once again,” Investing.com senior analyst Thomas Monteiro said in a statement following the report. “', 'While the company didn’t repeat the same total blowout from the last few quarters in any specific area, today’s numbers remain incredibly strong, leaving no doubt that the company’s leadership in the AI revolution remains unchallenged for now.”', 'Nvidia said it expects revenue for the current quarter to grow approximately 107% year-over-year, a slight slowdown from the meteoric sales growth the company has posted over the past few quarters as it hits the one-year mark from when the AI boom began to take off.']",0.3541479959924145,"Nvidia’s post-split shares will begin trading at the market open on June 10, coming at a time when Nvidia’s stock has been on a tear, fueled by investor enthusiasm about the company’s role in artificial intelligence.","“There was no secret around Wall Street that Nvidia’s earnings would come in hot once again,” Investing.com senior analyst Thomas Monteiro said in a statement following the report. “",0.8398077317646572,Nvidia shares rose as much as 4% in after-hours trading following the report.,"The company faces growing competition from in-house AI chips from Amazon and Alphabet, and it has had to contend with US restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China.",2024-05-28
"NBC cut ties with Ronna McDaniel after extraordinary pressure, but its problems aren’t over",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/27/media/nbc-ronna-mcdaniel-problems-are-not-over/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:16 AM EDT, Wed March 27, 2024
    ","Only 80 hours elapsed between NBC News announcing Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor and the network ousting her from that very role. But for the leadership at NBC Universal News Group, those were 80 painful hours.
    
            On Tuesday evening, following another full day in which the media rumor mill churned at warp speed, NBCU News Group boss Cesar Conde sent staff a memo, notifying his troops that he had reversed his decision to welcome the former Republican National Committee chair to “the team.”
    
            “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Conde said, adding that he wanted to “personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down.”
    
            Conde had no real choice. The embattled NBCU boss, who I’m told dealt with the crisis from an unknown location outside of 30 Rock, was facing an unprecedented rebellion from his most high-profile stars, who one by one went on the air and excoriated leadership’s decision to hire McDaniel. The only aspect of Conde’s note that was surprising was the fact that it came 48 hours late, allowing what started off as a crisis to fester and balloon into one of the worst corporate public relations calamities in recent memory.
    
            “What a sh*t show!” a media executive exclaimed to me Tuesday shortly after Conde relieved McDaniel of her NBC News credentials.
    
            In his note, Conde said he took “full responsibility” for McDaniel’s hire. But, he also did point the finger, telling staffers that hiring her was “a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team.” Indeed, multiple people familiar with the matter have told me that the infighting among NBC executives over who was at fault for the disaster has reached a fever pitch, with various factions of the NBCU News Group assigning blame to others.
    
            Regardless of who is to blame, the entire affair made clear who is actually in control of the company — and it’s not Conde & Co. Despite the NBCU C-suite digging their heels in the sand as they resisted dumping McDaniel for days, they were ultimately forced to succumb to pressure from their talent. As a second media executive commented to me, it is now “very clear who is in charge” after the “weak leadership was put on full display.”
    
            “Has Cesar lost the room?” wondered a third media executive.
    
            While the Peacock family argues over who was really at fault, the company is facing a fresh public relations mess. Led by Donald Trump, right-wing personalities are already assailing the network as being overrun with intolerant woke leftists.
    
            “These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.
    
            Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote on X: “What NBC is saying is if you’re for Trump, you don’t belong. Good. Let NBC be for Democrats only.”
    
            Of course, that narrative is intellectually dishonest. The objection to McDaniel from both within and outside of NBCU was not that she is a Republican. It wasn’t even that she was a Trump-supporting Republican. No, the objection stemmed from the fact that McDaniel was an active participant in the plot to subvert the 2020 vote. And, in addition to that disgraceful history, she had a lengthy track record smearing NBC News and MSNBC.
    
            Nevertheless, NBCU will now have to contend with such dishonest attacks being leveled by the right, which will follow them in the days, months, and even years to come. As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.
    
            NBCU will also have to grapple with McDaniel, who spent the last 24 hours or so interviewing lawyers as she gears up for a possible legal fight with the network, according to a person familiar with the matter. The rift between McDaniel and NBCU had grown to such an extent by Tuesday that she was not informed by network brass that she had been dismissed, I’m told. Instead, McDaniel learned of her ouster in press reports.
    
            While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars. Shortly after Conde sent out his memo, Rachel Maddow appeared on Joy Reid’s show, where the two lauded Conde for reversing course.
    
            “I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”",CNN,27/03/2024,"['Only 80 hours elapsed between NBC News announcing Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor and the network ousting her from that very role.', 'But for the leadership at NBC Universal News Group, those were 80painful hours.', 'On Tuesday evening, following another full day in which the media rumor mill churned at warp speed, NBCU News Group boss Cesar Conde sent staff a memo, notifying his troops that he had reversed his decision to welcome the former Republican National Committee chair to “the team.”', '“After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Conde said, adding that he wanted to “personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down.”', 'Conde had no real choice.', 'The embattled NBCU boss, who I’m told dealt with the crisis from an unknown location outside of 30 Rock, was facing an unprecedented rebellion from his most high-profile stars, who one by one went on the air and excoriated leadership’s decision to hire McDaniel.', 'The only aspect of Conde’s note that was surprising was the fact that it came 48 hours late, allowing what started off as a crisis to fester and balloon into one of the worst corporate public relations calamities in recent memory.', '“What a sh*t show!”', 'a media executive exclaimed to me Tuesday shortly after Conde relieved McDaniel of her NBC News credentials.', 'In his note, Conde said he took “full responsibility” for McDaniel’s hire.', 'But, he also did point the finger, telling staffers that hiring her was “a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team.”', 'Indeed, multiple people familiar with the matter have told me that the infighting among NBC executives over who was at fault for the disaster has reached a fever pitch, with various factions of the NBCU News Group assigning blame to others.', 'Regardless of who is to blame, the entire affair made clear who is actually in control of the company — and it’s not Conde & Co. Despite the NBCU C-suite digging their heels in the sand as they resisted dumping McDaniel for days, they were ultimately forced to succumb to pressure from their talent.', 'As a second media executive commented to me, it is now “very clear who is in charge” after the “weak leadership was put on full display.”', '“Has Cesar lost the room?”', 'wondered a third media executive.', 'While the Peacock family argues over who was really at fault, the company is facing a fresh public relations mess.', 'Led by Donald Trump, right-wing personalities are already assailing the network as being overrun with intolerant woke leftists.', '“These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.', 'Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote on X: “What NBC is saying is if you’re for Trump, you don’t belong.', 'Good.', 'Let NBC be for Democrats only.”', 'Of course, that narrative is intellectually dishonest.', 'The objection to McDaniel from both within and outside of NBCU was not that she is a Republican.', 'It wasn’t even that she was a Trump-supporting Republican.', 'No, the objection stemmed from the fact that McDaniel was an active participant in the plot to subvert the 2020 vote.', 'And, in addition to that disgraceful history, she had a lengthy track record smearing NBC News and MSNBC.', 'Nevertheless, NBCU will now have to contend with such dishonest attacks being leveled by the right, which will follow them in the days, months, and even years to come.', 'As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.', 'NBCU will also have to grapple with McDaniel, who spent the last 24 hours or so interviewing lawyers as she gears up for a possible legal fight with the network, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'The rift between McDaniel and NBCU had grown to such an extent by Tuesday that she was not informed by network brass that she had been dismissed, I’m told.', 'Instead, McDaniel learned of her ouster in press reports.', 'While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars.', 'Shortly after Conde sent out his memo, Rachel Maddow appeared on Joy Reid’s show, where the two lauded Conde for reversing course.', '“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “', 'That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”']",-0.0743400881523301,"“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “","“These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.",-0.3914040706374428,"While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars.","As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.",2024-05-28
NBC News boss Cesar Conde faces backlash from his network’s anchors over ‘inexplicable’ decision to hire ex-RNC chair Ronna McDaniel,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/media/nbc-news-cesar-conde-ronna-mcdaniel-backlash/index.html,"
  Published
        8:05 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","Cesar Conde has a decision to make — and it’s not an especially difficult one.
    
            The NBCUniversal News Group chair is facing a torrent of backlash from his own staff after greenlighting the hire of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid network contributor.
    
            Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.” And they’re not doing it via anonymous comments to the press. They’re doing it on the record on NBCU’s own air. Chuck Todd broke the dam on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” with a set of candid comments about the hiring, and Rachel Maddow capped the flood of backlash Monday night with a blistering 30-minute monologue eviscerating the network’s leadership for the “inexplicable” move.
    
            Suffice to say, NBCU News Group is in unprecedented territory. Never has a network’s C-suite ever been so thoroughly flogged by its most high-profile stars in such no holds barred fashion. Saying that Conde simply has a crisis on his hands would be a contender for understatement of the year. It’s a five-alarm fire at NBCU News Group, and one of Conde’s own making.
    
            While NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown were most directly responsible for McDaniel’s hiring, a decision that MSNBC boss Rashida Jones did not object to it at the time, the buck ultimately stops with Conde, who hold the real power at the Peacock Network. McDaniel’s hiring could not have happened without Conde’s blessing.
    
            It does not take a brilliant political mind with prescient foresight to understand that hiring McDaniel would ignite a firestorm of outrage — from both within 30 Rock and outside it. Conde, someone who ostensibly supports American democracy, should have rejected McDaniel’s hiring on the grounds that NBCU News Group could not put someone on its payroll who tried to subvert the 2020 vote.
    
            As so many of NBCU’s staffers have underscored, the objection to McDaniel is not that she is a Republican. It’s not even that she is a Donald Trump-supporting Republican. It’s that she was an active participant in the plot to overthrow the last presidential election. That is not to even mention McDaniel’s years of demonizing the press, smearing the journalists who work at NBC News and MSNBC as she sought to destroy the credibility of the organization that she ran to after being chased out of the RNC.
    
            The notion put forward by NBC that it needed to hire McDaniel to bring its viewers “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party” is absurd. If that’s the case, the network should move to hire free agents like Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens. They too have their hands on the pulse of the Republican Party. In fact, they represent much more of where the GOP stands today than McDaniel. So, using NBC’s logic, why not hire them? (Spoiler: News organizations rightfully have established basic standards for paid contributors. Asking that your employees have a commitment to democracy, to the truth, and to basic decency is not a big ask.)
    
            But even if Conde has no allegiance to basic democratic principles, which this hire calls into question, given that he is known to be a political player who cares deeply about his own image in the press, he should have been wise enough to foresee that hiring McDaniel would be an ill-conceived move. How this did not occur to Conde is unfathomable and shows a tremendous lack of judgment.
    
            Even more bizarre is Conde’s management, or lack thereof, since the controversy erupted. It was clear early on that his employees at NBC News and MSNBC did not support McDaniel’s hiring. If that was not evident on Friday, it was clear as day on Sunday after “Meet the Press.” The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.
    
            At that point, the writing should have been on the wall for Conde — as it was for every other media executive that I have spoken with over the last 24 hours. It is evident that McDaniel has no real future as an NBC analyst and the decision to bring her on as a contributor will have to be reversed. After all, which NBC or MSNBC program is going to invite her on after all of this?
    
            The only real question for Conde after the Sunday morning scolding should have been how he chose to back out of the deal in the least painful way possible. To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.
    
            But no such announcement came.
    
            Instead, Conde has allowed the mess to spiral absolutely out of control. MSNBC’s top stars hammered the network’s leadership throughout the day Monday over the hire. NBC News’ Guild blasted Conde, saying in a statement that under him the company had quietly laid off employees over the last month and instead chosen to “prioritize an election denier over its reporters.” The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.
    
            All the while, Conde has remained silent. I asked his spokesperson, Stephen Labaton, on Monday whether the NBCU News Group boss had any comment on the situation. Does he have any regret? I didn’t get an on-the-record response. Suffice to say, however, that what Conde does moving forward will say a lot about his character and commitment to democratic values. It will also say a lot about the NBCU News Group and what type of organization it is.
    
            In her biting monologue on Monday night, however, Maddow did offer Conde a way out of this mess.
    
            “Mistakes will be made,” Maddow said.”But our resilience as a democracy is going to be recognizing when decisions are bad ones and reversing those bad decisions. Hearing legitimate criticism, responding to it, and correcting course. Not digging in. Not blaming others. Take a minute. Acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call.”
    
            “It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong,” Maddow added. “It is a sign of strength. And our country needs us to be strong now.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['Cesar Conde has a decision to make — and it’s not an especially difficult one.', 'The NBCUniversal News Group chair is facing a torrent of backlash from his own staff after greenlighting the hire of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid network contributor.', 'Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.”', 'And they’re not doing it via anonymous comments to the press.', 'They’re doing it on the record on NBCU’s own air.', 'Chuck Todd broke the dam on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” with a set of candid comments about the hiring, and Rachel Maddow capped the flood of backlash Monday night with a blistering 30-minute monologue eviscerating the network’s leadership for the “inexplicable” move.', 'Suffice to say, NBCU News Group is in unprecedented territory.', 'Never has a network’s C-suite ever been so thoroughly flogged by its most high-profile stars in such no holds barred fashion.', 'Saying that Conde simply has a crisis on his hands would be a contender for understatement of the year.', 'It’s a five-alarm fire at NBCU News Group, and one of Conde’s own making.', 'While NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown were most directly responsible for McDaniel’s hiring, a decision that MSNBC boss Rashida Jones did not object to it at the time, the buck ultimately stops with Conde, who hold the real power at the Peacock Network.', 'McDaniel’s hiring could not have happened without Conde’s blessing.', 'It does not take a brilliant political mind with prescient foresight to understand that hiring McDaniel would ignite a firestorm of outrage — from both within 30 Rock and outside it.', 'Conde, someone who ostensibly supports American democracy, should have rejected McDaniel’s hiring on the grounds that NBCU News Group could not put someone on its payroll who tried to subvert the 2020 vote.', 'As so many of NBCU’s staffers have underscored, the objection to McDaniel is not that she is a Republican.', 'It’s not even that she is a Donald Trump-supporting Republican.', 'It’s that she was an active participant in the plot to overthrow the last presidential election.', 'That is not to even mention McDaniel’s years of demonizing the press, smearing the journalists who work at NBC News and MSNBC as she sought to destroy the credibility of the organization that she ran to after being chased out of the RNC.', 'The notion put forward by NBC that it needed to hire McDaniel to bring its viewers “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party” is absurd.', 'If that’s the case, the network should move to hire free agents like Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens.', 'They too have their hands on the pulse of the Republican Party.', 'In fact, they represent much more of where the GOP stands today than McDaniel.', 'So, using NBC’s logic, why not hire them? (', 'Spoiler: News organizations rightfully have established basic standards for paid contributors.', 'Asking that your employees have a commitment to democracy, to the truth, and to basic decency is not a big ask.)', 'But even if Conde has no allegiance to basic democratic principles, which this hire calls into question, given that he is known to be a political player who cares deeply about his own image in the press, he should have been wise enough to foresee that hiring McDaniel would be an ill-conceived move.', 'How this did not occur to Conde is unfathomable and shows a tremendous lack of judgment.', 'Even more bizarre is Conde’s management, or lack thereof, since the controversy erupted.', 'It was clear early on that his employees at NBC News and MSNBC did not support McDaniel’s hiring.', 'If that was not evident on Friday, it was clear as day on Sunday after “Meet the Press.”', 'The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.', 'At that point, the writing should have been on the wall for Conde — as it was for every other media executive that I have spoken with over the last 24 hours.', 'It is evident that McDaniel has no real future as an NBC analyst and the decision to bring her on as a contributor will have to be reversed.', 'After all, which NBC or MSNBC program is going to invite her on after all of this?', 'The only real question for Conde after the Sunday morning scolding should have been how he chose to back out of the deal in the least painful way possible.', 'To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.', 'But no such announcement came.', 'Instead, Conde has allowed the mess to spiral absolutely out of control.', 'MSNBC’s top stars hammered the network’s leadership throughout the day Monday over the hire.', 'NBC News’ Guild blasted Conde, saying in a statement that under him the company had quietly laid off employees over the last month and instead chosen to “prioritize an election denier over its reporters.”', 'The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.', 'All the while, Conde has remained silent.', 'I asked his spokesperson, Stephen Labaton, on Monday whether the NBCU News Group boss had any comment on the situation.', 'Does he have any regret?', 'I didn’t get an on-the-record response.', 'Suffice to say, however, that what Conde does moving forward will say a lot about his character and commitment to democratic values.', 'It will also say a lot about the NBCU News Group and what type of organization it is.', 'In her biting monologue on Monday night, however, Maddow did offer Conde a way out of this mess.', '“Mistakes will be made,” Maddow said.', '”But our resilience as a democracy is going to be recognizing when decisions are bad ones and reversing those bad decisions.', 'Hearing legitimate criticism, responding to it, and correcting course.', 'Not digging in.', 'Not blaming others.', 'Take a minute.', 'Acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call.”', '“It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong,” Maddow added. “', 'It is a sign of strength.', 'And our country needs us to be strong now.”']",-0.032955005531589,"Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.”",The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.,-0.5018035081716684,"To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.","The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.",2024-05-28
Why lab-grown diamond sales are surging,https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/27/business/diamonds-manmade-demand/index.html,"
  Published
        7:49 AM EDT, Wed April 27, 2022
    ","It’s proposal season, and engagements are on the rise. So are factory-made diamond sales.
    
            Not that you’d know the difference. Man-made diamonds look the same as naturally occurring ones. The only noticeable difference is the price tag.
    
            “The result is really stunning,” said Edahn Golan, an independent diamond industry analyst.
    
            He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.
    
            Going back by another month, to February, the data showed the number of rings sold with lab diamonds that month surged even more, to 80% compared to a year earlier while the number fell by 13% for natural diamond engagement rings. 
    
            “The big fear in the natural diamonds industry is that consumers will start accepting lab-grown diamonds in engagement rings,” he said. Too late. “It’s actually happening.” 
    
            Why are consumers flocking to man-made diamonds? Cost is the most obvious reason. The average retail price of the most popular one carat round man-made diamond for an engagement ring in March was $2,318, Golan said.
    
            “This is substantially less – as much as 73% cheaper – than a natural diamond of the same size, cut and clarity as the man-made diamond, which would cost $8,740,” he said. Plus, the lower cost allows couples to buy a bigger stone.
    
            “A lab diamond is a real diamond, but maybe it took a few weeks to make it,” said Golan. “Natural diamonds were formed over 800 million to three billion years and there isn’t an infinite supply of them.” 
    
            This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.
    
            The sanctions directly target Alrosa, partly owned by the Russian government, which the US government identified as the world’s largest diamond mining company, accounting for 28% of global diamond output.
    
            Man-made diamonds are also becoming popular as consumers are more aware and educated about them, said Dan Moran, a third-generation diamond expert and owner of LA-based fine jeweler Concierge Diamonds. Moran said the typical buyer of man-made diamonds is typically younger than 40 and very budget conscious.
    
            Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.
    
            Among Millennials and Gen Z, their eco-conscious mindset and ethical concerns about natural diamond sourcing is another factor influencing their preference for non-traditional engagement rings, according to a report from wedding planning website The Knot.
    
            Although its slice is growing, the market share for man-made diamonds remains relatively small.
    
            Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan. 
    
            Some major jewelry retailers are driving the effort to take man-made diamonds mainstream. In 2021, the world’s largest jewelry company, Pandora
            
                (PANDY), made a major shift by announcing it would stop using mined diamonds and would swap to lab-created diamonds in its jewelry. 
    
            Pandora said it’s instituting the change as part of an effort to sell sustainable jewelry, and also because consumers increasingly are asking for it.
    
            Signet,
            
                (SIG) the largest jewelry company in the United States (which owns Zales, Kay Jewelers and Jared chains) called out the popularity of lab diamond jewelry in its March earnings call with analysts.
    
            Calling it a “fast-growing category” in its jewelry portfolio, Signet CEO Virginia Drosos told analysts that lab-created diamonds are among the big jewelry trends she expects this year. 
    
            The company said it has expanded its man-made bridal jewelry selection in both its Zales and Kay Jewelers stores in response to the increased demand. 
    
            Fine jewelry brand Charles and Colvard, which makes lab-created diamonds, said consumers don’t just want to look good with the jewelry they are wearing, they also want to feel good about it.
    
            “As the momentum for conscious consumerism grows, the surge towards lab grown diamonds isn’t surprising,” said Don O’Connell, president and CEO of Charles & Colvard. “[Consumers] want to know the origins of their stones and be reassured they’re conflict-free. They’re embracing the choice to purchase a piece of fine jewelry that aligns with their values.”
    
            Lab-grown diamond brand VRAI said the pandemic, too, has sparked attention and action toward social and environmental issues. It said consumers are being more thoughtful and reassessing their purchasing habits, as well as the companies and industries they are supporting.
    
            There is, however, one important consideration for anyone buying lab-created diamonds: Man-made diamonds have little resale value. 
    
            So while you may not be able to tell a natural diamond from a factory made variety, someone with a trained eye can, said Golan. Once a stone is identified as a factory diamond, even though you paid a lot less for it, you also won’t get much for it. 
    
            But the value of a ring isn’t just monetary.
    
            “As a professional in the industry, I am asked all the time by people about what I think about a ring they have,” said Moran, of Concierge Jewelers. “I always say, if you love it, be happy with it. An engagement ring is a symbol of commitment and enduring love.”",CNN,27/04/2022,"['It’s proposal season, and engagements are on the rise.', 'So are factory-made diamond sales.', 'Not that you’d know the difference.', 'Man-made diamonds look the same as naturally occurring ones.', 'The only noticeable difference is the price tag.', '“The result is really stunning,” said Edahn Golan, an independent diamond industry analyst.', 'He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.', 'Going back by another month, to February, the data showed the number of rings sold with lab diamonds that month surged even more, to 80% compared to a year earlier while the number fell by 13% for natural diamond engagement rings.', '“The big fear in the natural diamonds industry is that consumers will start accepting lab-grown diamonds in engagement rings,” he said.', 'Too late. “', 'It’s actually happening.”', 'Why are consumers flocking to man-made diamonds?', 'Cost is the most obvious reason.', 'The average retail price of the most popular one carat round man-made diamond for an engagement ring in March was $2,318, Golan said.', '“This is substantially less – as much as 73% cheaper – than a natural diamond of the same size, cut and clarity as the man-made diamond, which would cost $8,740,” he said.', 'Plus, the lower cost allows couples to buy a bigger stone.', '“A lab diamond is a real diamond, but maybe it took a few weeks to make it,” said Golan. “', 'Natural diamonds were formed over 800 million to three billion years and there isn’t an infinite supply of them.”', 'This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.', 'The sanctions directly target Alrosa, partly owned by the Russian government, which the US government identified as the world’s largest diamond mining company, accounting for 28% of global diamond output.', 'Man-made diamonds are also becoming popular as consumers are more aware and educated about them, said Dan Moran, a third-generation diamond expert and owner of LA-based fine jeweler Concierge Diamonds.', 'Moran said the typical buyer of man-made diamonds is typically younger than 40 and very budget conscious.', 'Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.', 'Among Millennials and Gen Z, their eco-conscious mindset and ethical concerns about natural diamond sourcing is another factor influencing their preference for non-traditional engagement rings, according to a report from wedding planning website The Knot.', 'Although its slice is growing, the market share for man-made diamonds remains relatively small.', 'Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan.', 'Some major jewelry retailers are driving the effort to take man-made diamonds mainstream.', 'In 2021, the world’s largest jewelry company, Pandora  (PANDY), made a major shift by announcing it would stop using mined diamonds and would swap to lab-created diamonds in its jewelry.', 'Pandora said it’s instituting the change as part of an effort to sell sustainable jewelry, and also because consumers increasingly are asking for it.', 'Signet,  (SIG) the largest jewelry company in the United States (which owns Zales, Kay Jewelers and Jared chains) called out the popularity of lab diamond jewelry in its March earnings call with analysts.', 'Calling it a “fast-growing category” in its jewelry portfolio, Signet CEO Virginia Drosos told analysts that lab-created diamonds are among the big jewelry trends she expects this year.', 'The company said it has expanded its man-made bridal jewelry selection in both its Zales and Kay Jewelers stores in response to the increased demand.', 'Fine jewelry brand Charles and Colvard, which makes lab-created diamonds, said consumers don’t just want to look good with the jewelry they are wearing, they also want to feel good about it.', '“As the momentum for conscious consumerism grows, the surge towards lab grown diamonds isn’t surprising,” said Don O’Connell, president and CEO of Charles & Colvard. “[', 'Consumers] want to know the origins of their stones and be reassured they’re conflict-free.', 'They’re embracing the choice to purchase a piece of fine jewelry that aligns with their values.”', 'Lab-grown diamond brand VRAI said the pandemic, too, has sparked attention and action toward social and environmental issues.', 'It said consumers are being more thoughtful and reassessing their purchasing habits, as well as the companies and industries they are supporting.', 'There is, however, one important consideration for anyone buying lab-created diamonds: Man-made diamonds have little resale value.', 'So while you may not be able to tell a natural diamond from a factory made variety, someone with a trained eye can, said Golan.', 'Once a stone is identified as a factory diamond, even though you paid a lot less for it, you also won’t get much for it.', 'But the value of a ring isn’t just monetary.', '“As a professional in the industry, I am asked all the time by people about what I think about a ring they have,” said Moran, of Concierge Jewelers. “', 'I always say, if you love it, be happy with it.', 'An engagement ring is a symbol of commitment and enduring love.”']",0.3714494325159568,"He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.",Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.,0.8542834222316742,"Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan.","This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.",2024-05-28
OpenAI’s wild week. How the Sam Altman story unfolded,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/22/tech/openai-sam-altman-chaos-explained-intl-hnk/index.html,"
  Updated
        3:32 PM EST, Wed November 22, 2023
    ","In a year of wild tech stories that has seen Elon Musk transform Twitter, cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapse and Silicon Valley Bank implode, this week’s whiplash-inducing turmoil at OpenAI is among the most captivating.
    
            Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps the most visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move. Less than five days later, he’s back as the company’s CEO, now with a board that is, in theory, more supportive of his vision.
    
            The series of extraordinary events unfolded just days after OpenAI held its first-ever developer conference, where it laid out new, commercialized versions of its technology, including the option to customize its ChatGPT AI chatbot.
    
            If you’re just catching up, here’s what you missed from a week so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking the script could have been written by an early version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
    
            Around 3 p.m. ET, Altman joined a Google Meet call with most of OpenAI’s board that had been convened by fellow co-founder and OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, during which Altman was fired and told that the news would soon be made public.
    
            Within the next half hour, the board also informed Greg Brockman, another co-founder and OpenAI president, that he would be removed from the board.
    
            Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board. The board said Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, would become interim CEO.
    
            OpenAI’s strategic partners, including its biggest financial backer Microsoft, were also reportedly informed of Altman’s ouster just minutes before the board’s announcement.
    
            Hours after being fired, Altman posted on X that he “loved working with such talented people” and that he would have “more to say about what’s next later.”
    
            Brockman promptly quit. “Please don’t spend any time being concerned. We will be fine,” Brockman said in a Friday post on X. “Greater things coming soon.”
    
            A key factor in the CEO’s firing was tension between Altman, who favored developing AI more aggressively, and members of the OpenAI board, who wanted to move more cautiously, according to CNN contributor Kara Swisher, who spoke to sources knowledgeable about the unfolding events.
    
            Within 24 hours of Altman being fired, reports emerged that he and other ex-OpenAI loyalists were mulling plans for their own venture.
    
            OpenAI’s board was also reportedly having second thoughts and considering asking the ousted CEO to return.
    
            By Sunday afternoon, Altman was back at OpenAI’s headquarters — this time with a guest badge — to negotiate his potential return. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly mediated the discussion. A 5 p.m. PT deadline was reportedly set for the board to agree to Altman’s demands, including adding a seat for Microsoft, and reinstating him as CEO.
    
            But those talks broke down.
    
            As Sunday turned into Monday, Nadella tweeted that Altman, along with Brockman, would join Microsoft to run a new AI research group. At OpenAI, the group found a new interim CEO: Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Amazon’s streaming service, Twitch. Murati would return to her role as OpenAI’s chief technology officer.
    
            In a post on X early Monday, Shear, who left his role at Twitch in March, described the chance to join OpenAI as “a once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. He added that the company would hire an independent investigator to report on what happened in the lead-up to Altman’s firing.
    
            But OpenAI employees were not convinced. More than 500 staffers signed an open letter calling on the company’s board to resign and reinstate Altman and Brockman. They also threatened to follow the co-founders to Microsoft if their demands were not met.
    
            Altman posted on X, saying, “we have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before. we are all going to work together some way or other, and i’m so excited. one team, one mission.”
    
            The drama was far from over. The Verge reported Monday afternoon that Altman and Brockman could still return to OpenAI if the board members who fired him resign.
    
            And Nadella, speaking to CNBC, said he was “open to both options” when asked whether Altman would actually join Microsoft.
    
            “Look, that is for the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose,” Nadella said. “We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI and we want to continue to do so, and obviously, that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft.”
    
            Altman was reinstated late Tuesday as OpenAI’s CEO, the company said on X.
    
            “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board,” the company said, adding that the board will be chaired by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will also join the board, alongside existing director, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo.
    
            “We are collaborating to figure out the details,” it said.
    
            In his own post on X, formerly Twitter, Altman wrote that he is “looking forward” to returning to OpenAI and building on the firm’s “strong partnership” with Microsoft.
    
            It’s unclear how Shear will be affected by Altman’s return. Posting on X, Shear wrote: “I am deeply pleased by this result, after (some) 72 very intense hours of work … I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.”
    
            Brockman is also returning to OpenAI, according to his post on X.
    
            Ultimately, Microsoft and Altman appear to be the big winners from the dust-up: Altman will continue leading the firm he helped to found. And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.
    
            “We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadella said on X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”",CNN,22/11/2023,"['In a year of wild tech stories that has seen Elon Musk transform Twitter, cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapse and Silicon Valley Bank implode, this week’s whiplash-inducing turmoil at OpenAI is among the most captivating.', 'Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps themost visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move.', 'Less than five days later, he’s back as the company’s CEO, now with a board that is, in theory, more supportive of his vision.', 'The series of extraordinary events unfolded just days after OpenAI held itsfirst-ever developer conference, where it laid out new, commercialized versions of its technology, including the option to customize its ChatGPT AI chatbot.', 'If you’re just catching up, here’s what you missed from a week so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking the script could have been written by an early version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.', 'Around 3 p.m. ET, Altman joined a Google Meet call with most of OpenAI’s board that had been convened by fellow co-founder and OpenAI chief scientistIlya Sutskever, during which Altman was fired and told that the news would soon be made public.', 'Within the next half hour, the board also informed Greg Brockman, another co-founder and OpenAI president, that he would be removed from the board.', 'Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board.', 'The board said Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, would become interim CEO.', 'OpenAI’s strategic partners, including its biggest financial backer Microsoft, were also reportedly informed of Altman’s ouster just minutes before the board’s announcement.', 'Hours after being fired, Altman posted on X that he “loved working with such talented people” and that he would have “more to say about what’s next later.”', 'Brockman promptly quit. “', 'Please don’t spend any time being concerned.', 'We will be fine,” Brockmansaid in a Friday poston X. “Greater things coming soon.”', 'A key factor in the CEO’s firing wastension between Altman, who favored developing AImore aggressively, and members of the OpenAI board, who wanted to move more cautiously,according to CNN contributor Kara Swisher,who spoke to sources knowledgeable about the unfolding events.', 'Within 24 hours of Altman being fired, reports emerged that he and other ex-OpenAI loyalists were mulling plans for their own venture.', 'OpenAI’s board was also reportedly having second thoughts and considering asking the ousted CEO to return.', 'By Sunday afternoon, Altman wasback at OpenAI’s headquarters— this time with a guest badge — to negotiate his potential return.', 'Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly mediated the discussion.', 'A 5 p.m. PT deadline was reportedly set for the board to agree to Altman’s demands, including adding a seat for Microsoft, and reinstating him as CEO.', 'But those talks broke down.', 'As Sunday turned into Monday, Nadella tweeted that Altman, along with Brockman, would join Microsoft to run a new AI research group.', 'At OpenAI, the group found a new interim CEO: Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Amazon’s streaming service, Twitch.', 'Murati would return to her role as OpenAI’s chief technology officer.', 'In a post on X early Monday, Shear, who left his role at Twitch in March, described the chance to join OpenAI as “a once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.', 'He added that the company would hire an independent investigator to report on what happened in the lead-up to Altman’s firing.', 'But OpenAI employees were not convinced.', 'More than 500 staffers signed an open letter calling on the company’s board to resign and reinstate Altman and Brockman.', 'They also threatened to follow the co-founders to Microsoft if their demands were not met.', 'Altman posted on X, saying, “we have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before.', 'we are all going to work together some way or other, and i’m so excited.', 'one team, one mission.”', 'The drama was far from over.', 'The Verge reported Monday afternoonthat Altman and Brockman could still return to OpenAI if the board members who fired him resign.', 'And Nadella, speaking to CNBC, said he was “open to both options” when asked whether Altman would actually join Microsoft.', '“Look, that is for the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose,” Nadella said. “', 'We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI and we want to continue to do so, and obviously, that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft.”', 'Altmanwas reinstated late Tuesday as OpenAI’s CEO, the company said on X.  “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board,” the company said, adding that the board will be chaired by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce.', 'Former Treasury SecretaryLarry Summers will also join the board, alongside existing director, Quora CEOAdam D’Angelo.', '“We are collaborating to figure out the details,” it said.', 'In his own post on X, formerly Twitter, Altmanwrotethat he is “looking forward” to returning to OpenAI and building on the firm’s “strong partnership” with Microsoft.', 'It’s unclear how Shear will be affected by Altman’s return.', 'Posting on X, Shear wrote:“I am deeply pleased by this result, after (some) 72 very intense hours of work … I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.”', 'Brockman is also returning to OpenAI, according to hispost on X.  Ultimately, Microsoft and Altman appear to be the big winners from the dust-up: Altman will continue leading the firm he helped to found.', 'And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.', '“We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadellasaidon X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”']",0.062777217389235,"“We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadellasaidon X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”","Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board.",0.549453833273479,And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.,"Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps themost visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move.",2024-05-28
"Bilt’s May Rent Day promotion: Redeem points toward rent, get free home decor",https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/bilt-rent-day-promotion,"
  Updated
        4:22 PM EDT, Thu April 25, 2024
    ","The Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees) has been incredibly popular since its inception in 2021. With a top-notch travel rewards program and the opportunity to earn points on rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), it’s no surprise to see the card flourish over the past few years.
    
            In addition, Bilt Rewards — the loyalty program behind the Bilt Mastercard — offers lucrative promotions throughout the year, with the most popular known as Rent Day.
    
            With Bilt’s Rent Day promotion — which runs the first of every month — card members earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent) and can take advantage of a unique promotion that changes every month. Bilt typically announces these promotions just a few days before Rent Day.
    
            Bilt Rewards just announced the May edition of its monthly Rent Day promotion, and for better or for worse, it’s different from offers we’ve seen in the past.
    
            Instead of a travel-related offer (which has been the norm), Bilt is incentivizing members to redeem points toward their monthly rent payment in exchange for a credit toward home decor products in the Bilt Home Collection.
    
            Additionally, Bilt recently announced a new partnership with Blade, a swanky helicopter transfer service that runs scheduled flights between New York City airports and Manhattan’s heliports.
    
            Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Rent Day promotion and Bilt’s partnership with Blade.
    
            Between April 25 and May 1, Bilt members who redeem points toward their rent payment will get 100% of those points back to redeem toward items in the Bilt Home Collection. You can use a minimum of 1,000 points and a maximum of 50,000 points for this offer, and the Home Collection credit is good for six months.
    
            However, your points are only worth 0.55 cents apiece when you redeem them toward your rent payment. For example, if you redeem 10,000 points toward rent, you’ll get a $55 discount.
    
            Travel website The Points Guy values Bilt Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece when redeemed toward travel, so this isn’t a great redemption in comparison. However, it might be worth considering this month if you’re looking for new home decor anyway.
    
            The Bilt Home Collection usually has things like artwork from partner artists, interesting vases and different types of cups.
    
            This month, Bilt will also offer curated Rent Day dining experiences at restaurants around the country. This includes unique tasting menus, wine pairings and omakase experiences.
    
            These dining experiences will cost $150, or you can redeem 15,000 Bilt points for you and a guest. Availability will be limited, but you can try to grab a seat on April 26.
    
            Those with Bilt elite status will receive priority access to reservations. Platinum status members will have first access at 12 p.m. EST, Gold status members at 12:10 p.m. EST and Silver status members at 12:20 p.m. EST. All other Bilt Rewards members can book at 12:30 p.m. EST.
    
            Dining experiences will be available at select restaurants in New York, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston and Washington, D.C.
    
            Every month on Rent Day, Bilt also gives members with the Bilt Mastercard a chance to earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent).
    
            So, if you have a new restaurant you want to check out, flights to book or any other purchases to make, it could be worth waiting until May 1 to earn more points on your purchase. And if you’re dining at a restaurant that participates in Bilt Dining, you can increase your earnings up to a whopping 11 points per dollar.
    
            But remember, to earn Bilt points with your Bilt Mastercard, you must use the card five times each statement period (see Rewards & Benefits).
    
            Earlier this month, Bilt announced a new partnership with Blade, where Bilt Reward members will earn bonus points on every Blade booking. Members will earn 2 bonus points for every dollar spent on Blade flights as long as they pay with a credit or debit card linked to their Bilt Rewards account.
    
            Again, you’ll get more Blade benefits if you have Bilt elite status.
    
            These are nice benefits to have if you live in New York. Blade has lounges at its heliports on West 30th Street and East 34th Street, both of which are outfitted with a complimentary bar, coffee and free snacks.
    
            If getting a discount on rent is your preferred way to redeem Bilt Rewards points, this month’s Rent Day promotion is a great way to earn bonus points to put toward furnishing your home. If you’d rather redeem toward travel, focus on earning double points on all purchases on May 1.
    
            Learn more and apply now for the Bilt Mastercard.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,25/04/2024,"['The Bilt Mastercard® (seerates and fees) has been incredibly popular since its inception in 2021.', 'With a top-notch travel rewards program and the opportunity to earn points on rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), it’s no surprise to see the card flourish over the past few years.', 'In addition, Bilt Rewards —the loyalty program behind the Bilt Mastercard — offers lucrative promotions throughout the year, with the most popular known as Rent Day.', 'With Bilt’s Rent Day promotion —which runs the first of every month — card members earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent) and can take advantage of a unique promotion that changes every month.', 'Bilt typically announces these promotions just a few days before Rent Day.', 'Bilt Rewards just announced the May edition of its monthly Rent Day promotion, and for better or for worse, it’s different from offers we’ve seen in the past.', 'Instead of a travel-related offer (which has been the norm), Bilt is incentivizing members to redeem points toward their monthly rent payment in exchange for a credit toward home decor products in the Bilt Home Collection.', 'Additionally, Bilt recently announced a new partnership with Blade,a swanky helicopter transfer service that runs scheduled flights between New York City airports and Manhattan’s heliports.', 'Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Rent Day promotion and Bilt’s partnership with Blade.', 'Between April 25 and May 1, Bilt members who redeem points toward their rent payment will get 100% of those points back to redeem toward items in the Bilt Home Collection.', 'You can use a minimum of 1,000 points and a maximum of 50,000 points for this offer, and the Home Collection credit is good for six months.', 'However, your points are only worth 0.55 cents apiece when you redeem them toward your rent payment.', 'For example, if you redeem 10,000 points toward rent, you’ll get a $55 discount.', 'Travel website The Points Guy values Bilt Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece when redeemed toward travel, so this isn’t a great redemption in comparison.', 'However, it might be worth considering this month if you’re looking for new home decor anyway.', 'The Bilt Home Collection usually has things like artwork from partner artists, interesting vases and different types of cups.', 'This month, Bilt will also offer curated Rent Day dining experiences at restaurants around the country.', 'This includes unique tasting menus, wine pairings and omakase experiences.', 'These dining experiences will cost $150, or you can redeem 15,000 Bilt points for you and a guest.', 'Availability will be limited, but you can try to grab a seat on April 26.', 'Those with Bilt elite status will receive priority access to reservations.', 'Platinum status members will have first access at 12 p.m. EST, Gold status members at 12:10 p.m. EST and Silver status members at 12:20 p.m. EST.', 'All other Bilt Rewards members can book at 12:30 p.m. EST.', 'Dining experiences will be available at select restaurants in New York, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston and Washington, D.C.  Every month on Rent Day, Bilt also gives members with the Bilt Mastercard a chance to earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent).', 'So, if you have a new restaurant you want to check out, flights to book or any other purchases to make, it could be worth waiting until May 1 to earn more points on your purchase.', 'And if you’re dining at a restaurant that participates in Bilt Dining, you can increase your earnings up to a whopping 11 points per dollar.', 'But remember, to earn Bilt points with your Bilt Mastercard, you must use the card five times each statement period (see Rewards & Benefits).', 'Earlier this month, Bilt announced a new partnership with Blade, where Bilt Reward members will earn bonus points on every Blade booking.', 'Members will earn 2 bonus points for every dollar spent on Blade flights as long as they pay with a credit or debit card linked to their Bilt Rewards account.', 'Again, you’ll get more Blade benefits if you have Bilt elite status.', 'These are nice benefits to have if you live in New York.', 'Blade has lounges at its heliports on West 30th Street and East 34th Street, both of which are outfitted with a complimentary bar, coffee and free snacks.', 'If getting a discount on rent is your preferred way to redeem Bilt Rewards points, this month’s Rent Day promotion is a great way to earn bonus points to put toward furnishing your home.', 'If you’d rather redeem toward travel, focus on earning double points on all purchases on May 1.', 'Learn more and apply now for the Bilt Mastercard.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.3487739443917381,"Travel website The Points Guy values Bilt Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece when redeemed toward travel, so this isn’t a great redemption in comparison.",,0.978265517950058,"And if you’re dining at a restaurant that participates in Bilt Dining, you can increase your earnings up to a whopping 11 points per dollar.",,2024-05-28
How to make high interest rates work for your hard-earned savings,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/20/success/interest-rates-savings-cash/index.html,"
  Published
        3:00 PM EDT, Wed March 20, 2024
    ","The Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate remains at a 23-year high. That’s thanks to the central bank’s decision Wednesday to once again hold it steady, as it has done at the policy-making committee’s past five meetings.
    
            That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).
    
            But with the Fed signaling that no rate cuts are likely until summer, it also means anyone with savings still has at least a few more months to make hay of their stash.
    
            That’s because you can still get inflation-beating interest rates that will grow any money you have set aside for emergencies, vacations, down payments or any other goal in your sights over the next several years.
    
            However, that won’t happen if you just let it sit in a traditional checking or savings account that yields next to nothing. There are more lucrative, low-risk options out there, with rates that are still at or near their peaks. “But perhaps not for much longer,” said Ted Rossman, senior analyst at Bankrate. “If one of those fits into your financial plans, it’s best to act soon.”
    
            So, consider the following options when deciding where to park your hard-earned savings.
    
            The average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.52% as of March 13, according to Bankrate. That average is kept low by the biggest brick-and-mortar banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which still are offering a paltry 0.01%.
    
            By contrast, there are still FDIC-insured online banks offering inflation-beating rates of between 4.35% and 5.35% on their high-yield savings accounts. Generally speaking, these are the best vehicles in which to keep your emergency funds for quick, easy access.
    
            Choosing between an account that pays 0.52% and one that pays 5.35% can mean forfeiting hundreds of dollars in interest. “If you put $10,000 in a savings account, that’s a difference of $496 in interest earnings over the course of the year, assuming monthly compounding,” Rossman said.
    
            While the rates on high-yield savings accounts have gone down a bit in recent months, “widespread cuts in online savings account rates are unlikely until the first Fed rate cut is near,” said Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com.
    
            As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings account rates can change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it. So make sure to check your monthly statement.
    
            Another high-return, low-risk investment that is great for money you likely won’t need to tap for a few months or even a couple of years is a certificate of deposit.
    
            You can get the best returns on CDs through a brokerage such as Schwab, E*Trade or Fidelity. That’s because you can comparison shop for CDs from any number of FDIC-insured banks and will not have to set up individual accounts with each institution.
    
            As of March 13, the average rate on a one-year CD was 1.95%, but some banks are offering as much are 5.4%.
    
            If you can get a one-year CD at, say, 5.4%, you will make $540 on a $10,000 investment.
    
            To get the greatest benefit from a CD, you have to leave the money invested for a fixed period. You can always access your principal sooner if you need to, but there may be early withdrawal penalties.
    
            As of March 20, CDs listed on Schwab.com with durations from three months up to three years were all yielding between 5.2% and 5.51%. CD rates on durations between four and 10 years ranged from 4.40% to 5.15%.
    
            Say you invest $10,000 in a one-year CD with a 5.36% APY. At the end of that period, you’d get your principal back plus $536 in interest when the CD matures, according to Bankrate’s CD calculator. If you chose a two-year CD at 5.25%, you’d bank an extra $1,078, assuming compounding interest. The same investment in a five-year CD at 5.15% would earn $2,854.
    
            “It makes sense to go long with CDs. To hedge your bets, include terms from one to five years. Starting a CD ladder will provide this mix,” Tumin said.
    
            If you don’t go through a brokerage you may get a reasonable deal from your primary bank, Tumin said.
    
            For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs. Or, at Bank of America, you can get up to 4.75% on a 7-month CD.
    
            But Tumin cautions that with any big bank CD you should take your money out at the end of the term, otherwise your bank may automatically renew it and lock you in to a much lower-yielding CD.
    
            If you don’t want to set up an online savings account at another bank, your own bank may offer you a money market deposit account that pays a higher yield than your regular checking or savings accounts.
    
            Money market accounts may have higher minimum deposit requirements than a regular savings account, but they are more liquid than a fixed-term certificate of deposit or Treasury bill, meaning they give you access to your money more quickly while still potentially giving you some of the highest yields available, said Doug Ornstein, senior manager for integrated solutions at TIAA Wealth Management.
    
            But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments. As of March 19, they had an average 7-day yield of 5.14%, according to the Crane Money Fund Index, which tracks the top 100 taxable money market funds.
    
            Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC. But if you invest in a money market fund through a brokerage, your overall account is likely to be insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corp, which offers protection in the event your brokerage ever goes under.
    
            Another option for money you can leave untouched anywhere from several months to a few years is to buy short-term Treasury bills and medium-term notes, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
    
            Three- and six-month bills had yields of 5.39% and 5.33% respectively on March 20 before the Fed’s meeting ended, while nine-month and one-year bills were offering 5.19% and 5.08% respectively, according to rates posted on Schwab.com for a $25,000 investment. Rates on Treasury notes with durations from two years to 10 years ranged between 4.29% and 4.72%.
    
            If you’re someone who manages your portfolio like a hawk, you may feel comfortable buying T-bills on your own from TreasuryDirect.gov. But if you don’t, it might be easier just to buy new issues through your brokerage account or invest in a short-term bond index fund or ETF, said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines.
    
            And if you’re looking at money that will be needed in three to five years, you might consider a diversified fund of highly rated government and corporate bonds, Ornstein said. An 18-month AAA-rated corporate bond, for instance, was yielding 4.82% this week, while the three-year was at 4.49%. Meanwhile, three-year AAA-rated municipal bonds (which are issued by local governments) had a rate of 3.98%, according to Schwab.com.
    
            When deciding on the best accounts and investments for your specific goals and peace of mind, it may pay to consult a fee-only fiduciary adviser — meaning, someone who doesn’t get paid a commission to sell you a particular investment.
    
            What you’ll always want to do is build in flexibility for yourself so you can easily access cash, regardless of your timeline for key goals. “What happens if something changes and you need that down payment a lot sooner — or your parents need medical care fast?” Smith said.
    
            That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty. Translation: Don’t chase yield for yield’s sake.
    
            Think of it this way, Ornstein said: Unless you have huge sums to invest or are an institutional investor, the difference between getting a 5.1% yield versus 5% is negligible, and in fact it could even cost you more if there are penalties for taking your money out early. “Most of the time convenience is really important. Give up the 0.1%,” he advised.",CNN,20/03/2024,"['The Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate remains at a 23-year high.', 'That’s thanks to the central bank’s decision Wednesday to once again hold it steady, as it has done at the policy-making committee’s past five meetings.', 'That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).', 'Butwith the Fed signaling that no rate cuts are likely until summer, it also means anyone with savings still has at least a few more months to make hay of their stash.', 'That’s because you can still get inflation-beating interest rates that will grow any money you have set aside for emergencies, vacations, down payments or any other goal in your sights over the next several years.', 'However, that won’t happen if you just let it sit in a traditional checking or savings account that yields next to nothing.', 'There are more lucrative, low-risk options out there, with rates that are still at or near their peaks. “', 'But perhaps not for much longer,” said Ted Rossman, senior analyst at Bankrate. “', 'If one of those fits into your financial plans, it’s best to act soon.”', 'So, consider the following options when deciding where to park your hard-earned savings.', 'The average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.52% as of March 13, according to Bankrate.', 'That average is kept low by the biggest brick-and-mortar banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which still are offering a paltry 0.01%.', 'By contrast, there are still FDIC-insured online banks offering inflation-beating rates of between 4.35% and 5.35% on their high-yield savings accounts.', 'Generally speaking, these are the best vehicles in which to keep your emergency funds for quick, easy access.', 'Choosing between an account that pays 0.52% and one that pays 5.35% can mean forfeiting hundreds of dollars in interest. “', 'If you put $10,000 in a savings account, that’s a difference of $496 in interest earnings over the course of the year, assuming monthly compounding,” Rossman said.', 'While the rates on high-yield savings accounts have gone down a bit in recent months, “widespread cuts in online savings account rates are unlikely until the first Fed rate cut is near,” said Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com.', 'As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings accountratescan change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it.', 'So make sure to check your monthly statement.', 'Another high-return, low-risk investment that is great for money you likely won’t need to tap for a few months or even a couple of years is a certificate of deposit.', 'You can get the best returns on CDs through a brokerage such as Schwab, E*Trade or Fidelity.', 'That’s because you can comparison shop for CDs from any number of FDIC-insured banks and will not have to set up individual accounts with each institution.', 'As of March 13, the average rate on a one-year CD was 1.95%, but some banks are offering as much are 5.4%.', 'If you can get a one-year CD at, say, 5.4%, you will make $540 on a $10,000 investment.', 'To get the greatest benefit from a CD, you have to leave the money invested for a fixed period.', 'You can always access your principal sooner if you need to, but there may be early withdrawal penalties.', 'As of March 20, CDs listed on Schwab.com with durations from three months up to three years were all yielding between 5.2% and 5.51%.', 'CD rates on durations between four and 10 years ranged from 4.40% to 5.15%.', 'Say you invest $10,000 in a one-year CD with a 5.36%APY.', 'At the end of that period, you’d get your principal back plus $536 in interest when the CD matures, according to Bankrate’s CD calculator.', 'If you chose a two-year CD at 5.25%, you’d bank an extra $1,078, assuming compounding interest.', 'The same investment in a five-year CD at 5.15% would earn $2,854.', '“It makes sense to go long with CDs.', 'To hedge your bets, include terms from one to five years.', 'Starting a CD ladder will provide this mix,” Tumin said.', 'If you don’t go through a brokerage you may get a reasonable deal from your primary bank, Tumin said.', 'For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs.', 'Or, at Bank of America, you can get up to 4.75% on a 7-month CD.', 'But Tumin cautions that with any big bank CD you should take your money out at the end of the term, otherwise your bank may automatically renew it and lock you in to a much lower-yielding CD.', 'If you don’t want to set up an online savings account at another bank, your own bank may offer you a money market deposit account that pays a higher yield than your regular checking or savings accounts.', 'Money market accounts may have higher minimum deposit requirements than a regular savings account, but they are more liquid than a fixed-term certificate of deposit or Treasury bill, meaning they give you access to your money more quickly while still potentially giving you some of the highest yields available, said Doug Ornstein, senior manager for integrated solutions at TIAA Wealth Management.', 'But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments.', 'As of March 19, they had an average 7-day yield of 5.14%, according to the Crane Money Fund Index, which tracks the top 100 taxable money market funds.', 'Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC.', 'But if you invest in a money market fund through a brokerage, your overall account is likely to be insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corp, which offers protection in the event your brokerage ever goes under.', 'Another option for money you can leave untouched anywhere from several months to a few years is to buy short-term Treasury bills and medium-term notes, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.', 'Three- and six-month bills had yields of 5.39% and 5.33%respectively on March 20 before the Fed’s meeting ended, while nine-month and one-year bills were offering 5.19% and 5.08%respectively, according to rates posted on Schwab.com for a $25,000 investment.', 'Rates on Treasury notes with durations from two years to 10 years ranged between 4.29% and 4.72%.', 'If you’re someone who manages your portfolio like a hawk, you may feel comfortable buying T-bills on your own from TreasuryDirect.gov.', 'But if you don’t, it might be easier just to buy new issues through your brokerage account or invest in a short-term bond index fund or ETF, said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines.', 'And if you’re looking at money that will be needed in three to five years, you might consider a diversified fund of highly rated government and corporate bonds, Ornstein said.', 'An 18-month AAA-rated corporate bond, for instance, was yielding 4.82% this week, while the three-year was at 4.49%.', 'Meanwhile, three-year AAA-rated municipal bonds (which are issued by local governments) had a rate of 3.98%, according to Schwab.com.', 'When deciding on the best accounts and investments for your specific goals and peace of mind, it may pay to consult a fee-only fiduciary adviser — meaning, someone who doesn’t get paid a commission to sell you a particular investment.', 'What you’ll always want to do is build in flexibility for yourself so you can easily access cash, regardless of your timeline for key goals. “', 'What happens if something changes and you need that down payment a lot sooner — or your parents need medical care fast?”', 'Smith said.', 'That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty.', 'Translation: Don’t chase yield for yield’s sake.', 'Think of it this way, Ornstein said: Unless you have huge sums to invest or are an institutional investor, the difference between getting a 5.1% yield versus 5% is negligible, and in fact it could even cost you more if there are penalties for taking your money out early. “', 'Most of the time convenience is really important.', 'Give up the 0.1%,” he advised.']",0.1607169988950149,That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty.,"But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments.",0.3840319812297821,"For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs.","That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).",2024-05-28
Two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island join new national pharmacy union,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/two-cvs-pharmacies-join-new-national-pharmacy-union.html,2024-05-24T18:40:36+0000,"In this articlePharmacy staff at two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island voted to join a new national pharmacy union on Friday, signaling growing momentum in a movement to help thousands of U.S. pharmacy workers address what they allege are unsafe working conditions. Pharmacy workers at locations open 24 hours a day in Wakefield and Westerly won their union elections, making them the first stores to unionize in CVS' home state, according to a release from the union. It comes a month after a CVS Omnicare pharmacy in Las Vegas — which is not customer facing — became the first location to join the union, known as The Pharmacy Guild. The labor group will represent them in negotiations with CVS. ""These are the first brick-and-mortar classic CVS model"" stores to join the union, Shane Jerominski, a community pharmacist and co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild, told CNBC. ""This is really where my heart is … we've all worked for Walgreens or CVS in the classic retail setting, so we all know the working conditions there."" The two locations consist of nine of the company's roughly 30,000 pharmacists in the U.S., a CVS spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. Some 700 CVS pharmacists are already unionized with other groups, they noted.The spokesperson said the company respects its employees' right to unionize or refrain from doing so. They added that the vote is the first of several steps in the collective bargaining process. If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we'll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added. They said the company is committed to ensuring there are ""appropriate levels of staffing and resources"" at its pharmacies, using ""a combination of staffing, labor hours, workflow process, and technology to do so.""Jerominski and other organizers of a nationwide walkout of pharmacy staff in the fall partnered with IAM Healthcare, a union representing thousands of health-care professionals, to launch The Pharmacy Guild in November. That work stoppage spanned major drugstore chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, and drew widespread media attention to workers' concerns. The Pharmacy Guild aims to help pharmacy staff address what many workers call unsafe staffing levels and increasing workloads across the industry that put both employees and patients at risk. The union also calls for legislative and regulatory changes to establish higher standards of practice in pharmacies to protect patients. The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management. Many employees said the Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated those issues, with new duties such as vaccinations and testing stretching pharmacy staff even thinner. The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said. He added there could be more union filings for stores at companies other than CVS in the next several weeks.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articlePharmacy staff at two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island voted to join a new national pharmacy union on Friday, signaling growing momentum in a movement to help thousands of U.S. pharmacy workers address what they allege are unsafe working conditions.', ""Pharmacy workers at locations open 24 hours a day in Wakefield and Westerly won their union elections, making them the first stores to unionize in CVS' home state, according to a release from the union."", 'It comes a month after a CVS Omnicare pharmacy in Las Vegas — which is not customer facing — became the first location to join the union, known as The Pharmacy Guild.', 'The labor group will represent them in negotiations with CVS.""These are the first brick-and-mortar classic CVS model"" stores to join the union, Shane Jerominski, a community pharmacist and co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild, told CNBC. ""', ""This is really where my heart is … we've all worked for Walgreens or CVS in the classic retail setting, so we all know the working conditions there."", '""The two locations consist of nine of the company\'s roughly 30,000 pharmacists in the U.S., a CVS spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.Some 700 CVS pharmacists are already unionized with other groups, they noted.', ""The spokesperson said the company respects its employees' right to unionize or refrain from doing so."", 'They added that the vote is the first of several steps in the collective bargaining process.', 'If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we\'ll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added.', 'They said the company is committed to ensuring there are ""appropriate levels of staffing and resources"" at its pharmacies, using ""a combination of staffing, labor hours, workflow process, and technology to do so.', '""Jerominski and other organizers of a nationwide walkout of pharmacy staff in the fall partnered with IAM Healthcare, a union representing thousands of health-care professionals, to launch The Pharmacy Guild in November.', ""That work stoppage spanned major drugstore chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, and drew widespread media attention to workers' concerns."", 'The Pharmacy Guild aims to help pharmacy staff address what many workers call unsafe staffing levels and increasing workloads across the industry that put both employees and patients at risk.', 'The union also calls for legislative and regulatory changes to establish higher standards of practice in pharmacies to protect patients.', 'The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management.', 'Many employees said the Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated those issues, with new duties such as vaccinations and testing stretching pharmacy staff even thinner.', 'The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said.', 'He added there could be more union filings for stores at companies other than CVS in the next several weeks.']",0.2422728258979897,"If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we'll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added.",,0.0499576330184936,"The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said.","The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management.",2024-05-28
"Eli Lilly to invest another $5.3 billion in Indiana plant to expand Mounjaro, Zepbound supply",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/eli-lilly-invests-to-increase-mounjaro-zepbound-supply.html,2024-05-24T19:20:12+0000,"In this articleEli Lilly on Friday said it is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana, to boost supply of its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and other medicines.Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.That new commitment brings Eli Lilly's total investment at the site to $9 billion. That makes it Eli Lilly's largest manufacturing investment in its nearly 150-year history, the company's CEO David Ricks said in a statement.Eli Lilly expects the Lebanon site to start making medicines toward the end of 2026, and scale up operations through 2028. The company first announced its plans to build new Indiana sites in 2022. The plant will specifically increase Eli Lilly's capacity to manufacture the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, called tirzepatide. The company refers to those treatments as incretin drugs, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar. ""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.Eli Lilly said 900 employees, including engineers, scientists, operating personnel and lab technicians, will staff the site when it is fully operational.The company has spent more than $18 billion to build, expand and purchase manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe since 2020.Eli Lilly has several manufacturing sites either ""ramping up or under construction,"" Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told investors during an earnings call last month. That includes the Lebanon plant and another Indiana site, two locations in North Carolina, one in Ireland, one in Germany and a seventh site the company recently acquired from Nexus Pharmaceuticals. Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.""Now that we're four months into the year, we have greater visibility into that, into these nodes of capacity and feel more confident,"" Ashkenazi said during the call.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleEli Lilly on Friday said it is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana, to boost supply of its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and other medicines.', 'Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.', ""That new commitment brings Eli Lilly's total investment at the site to $9 billion."", ""That makes it Eli Lilly's largest manufacturing investment in its nearly 150-year history, the company's CEO David Ricks said in a statement."", 'Eli Lilly expects the Lebanon site to start making medicines toward the end of 2026, and scale up operations through 2028.', ""The company first announced its plans to build new Indiana sites in 2022.The plant will specifically increase Eli Lilly's capacity to manufacture the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, called tirzepatide."", ""The company refers to those treatments as incretin drugs, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar."", '""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.', 'Eli Lilly said 900 employees, including engineers, scientists, operating personnel and lab technicians, will staff the site when it is fully operational.', 'The company has spent more than $18 billion to build, expand and purchase manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe since 2020.Eli Lilly has several manufacturing sites either ""ramping up or under construction,"" Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told investors during an earnings call last month.', 'That includes the Lebanon plant and another Indiana site, two locations in North Carolina, one in Ireland, one in Germany and a seventh site the company recently acquired from Nexus Pharmaceuticals.', 'Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.', '""Now that we\'re four months into the year, we have greater visibility into that, into these nodes of capacity and feel more confident,"" Ashkenazi said during the call.']",0.3245136263338123,"""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.","Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.",0.7496254295110703,"Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.","Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.",2024-05-28
Frontier Airlines CEO urges crackdown of 'rampant abuse' of airport wheelchair service,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/frontier-airlines-ceo-passengers-abuse-airport-wheelchair-service.html,2024-05-23T23:20:15+0000,"In this articleThe 1986 Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide a wheelchair for passengers with disabilities at the airport. The problem, though, is that many travelers are faking it, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said.""There is massive, rampant abuse of special services. There are people using wheelchair assistance who don't need it at all,"" Biffle said at a Wings Club luncheon on Thursday in New York.He said he has seen some Frontier flights where 20 people were brought in wheelchairs at departure, with only three using them upon arrival. ""We are healing so many people,"" he joked.Biffle wasn't talking about travelers' personal wheelchairs, but rather the service airlines provide when travelers arrive at the airport.It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. ""There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.""Biffle isn't the only executive to complain about travelers falsely claiming they need access to a wheelchair at the airport.In July 2022, John Holland-Kaye, the then-CEO of London's Heathrow Airport, told LBC Radio amid staffing shortages that some travelers were ""using wheelchair support to try to get fast-tracked through the airport.""""If you go on TikTok, that is one of the travel hacks people are recommending,"" he said. ""Please don't do that. We need to protect the service for people who need it most.""John Morris, a triple amputee and founder of WheelchairTravel.org, noted there are reasons why some travelers might need wheelchairs on their outbound leg but not upon arrival. For example, they could need the help to get through a large airport like in Atlanta or New York City, but not so at smaller facilities.""Disability impacts people in a lot of different ways,"" he said.""I think there's a good case to be made that abusers should face some consequence but I'm not sure how we do that in a society when our disabilities aren't [always] visible,"" Morris said.Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation proposed stricter rules aimed at preventing wheelchair damage by airport ground handlers and ensuring ""prompt assistance"" to travelers with disabilities when getting on and off the plane.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleThe 1986 Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide a wheelchair for passengers with disabilities at the airport.', 'The problem, though, is that many travelers are faking it, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said.', '""There is massive, rampant abuse of special services.', 'There are people using wheelchair assistance who don\'t need it at all,"" Biffle said at a Wings Club luncheon on Thursday in New York.', 'He said he has seen some Frontier flights where 20 people were brought in wheelchairs at departure, with only three using them upon arrival. ""', 'We are healing so many people,"" he joked.', ""Biffle wasn't talking about travelers' personal wheelchairs, but rather the service airlines provide when travelers arrive at the airport."", 'It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.', '""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. ""', 'There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.', '""Biffle isn\'t the only executive to complain about travelers falsely claiming they need access to a wheelchair at the airport.', 'In July 2022, John Holland-Kaye, the then-CEO of London\'s Heathrow Airport, told LBC Radio amid staffing shortages that some travelers were ""using wheelchair support to try to get fast-tracked through the airport.', '""""If you go on TikTok, that is one of the travel hacks people are recommending,"" he said. ""', ""Please don't do that."", 'We need to protect the service for people who need it most.', '""John Morris, a triple amputee and founder ofWheelchairTravel.org, noted there are reasons why some travelers might need wheelchairs on their outbound leg but not upon arrival.', 'For example, they could need the help to get through a large airport like in Atlanta or New York City, but not so at smaller facilities.', '""Disability impacts people in a lot of different ways,"" he said.', '""I think there\'s a good case to be made that abusers should face some consequence but I\'m not sure how we do that in a society when our disabilities aren\'t [always] visible,"" Morris said.', 'Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation proposed stricter rules aimed at preventing wheelchair damage by airport ground handlers and ensuring ""prompt assistance"" to travelers with disabilities when getting on and off the plane.']",-0.0689599629529763,"""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. """,There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.,-0.2533689339955647,"We are healing so many people,"" he joked.","It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.",2024-05-28
Advertisers boost spending at retailers such as Walmart and Amazon as TV shrinks,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/advertisers-retail-media-spending.html,2024-05-24T11:36:46+0000,"In this articleThe next frontier for the ad market isn't on TV — it's at screens near points of sale.Television had long been the key target for advertisers, until tech companies such as Alphabet and Meta-owned platforms like Facebook began to gobble up market share. While ad dollars are rapidly shifting from traditional TV to streaming, retail and consumer product companies are now taking up a significant part of the mix.The so-called retail media networks — the advertising publishing platforms — of e-commerce, retail and consumer companies like Amazon, Walmart and Kroger are attracting billions of dollars in advertising, according to data from eMarketer and GroupM, the media investment arm of WPP, the world's biggest advertising group.Global retail media ad spending is expected to more than double from $114.18 billion in 2023 to $233.89 billion in 2027, according to eMarketer. Retail media is expected to represent a larger percentage of digital advertising spending, which has begun to eclipse traditional media spending, growing from 18.9% of that segment in 2023 to 25.7% in 2027, according to eMarketer.""What we hear from brands most directly is they no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV, X amount of social, X amount of digital. They wake up every day trying to buy growth, trying to buy outcomes for their business,"" said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV, an on-the-go media network with over 29,000 screens at refueling points tied to convenience retail stores.GSTV screens reach 115 million viewers per month across 49 states.Brands are ""more open-minded as to where they can find those audiences,"" McCaffrey said.""It's the new TV for mass reach advertising,"" said Mark Boidman, head of media and entertainment investment banking at Solomon Partners. ""If you want to reach someone fast, it's best to get them in a store or on your app. ... It's a 360-degree approach.""The kind of advertising purchased through retail media networks is often found on in-store displays and screens, websites, mobile apps, streaming services, smart TVs and social media. Not only is it fertile ground for an advertiser to get their offerings in front of consumers looking to spend, it comes with a lot of first-party data.The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.""If [brands] advertise with a digital ad, for example, and a customer transacts a week later in a store or club, we can connect that up for them and let them know that the ad really worked,"" Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC earlier this year. ""That's the differentiating advantage that we've got.""Walmart has been a particularly big player. While it's still a new frontier for the retailer, advertising has propelled profits at the giant retailer in recent quarters. The company also recently agreed to buy TV maker Vizio in a bid to further boost its ad business.Of the companies eMarketer tracks, Amazon was considered the biggest retail media network in the U.S., with a roughly 75% share of retail media ad revenue. Other top networks by revenue include Walmart, Instacart, eBay and Etsy.The shift toward retail media comes as advertisers are faced with tech privacy changes that has led to a pullback in the collection of data.Earlier this year, Google began its revamp of how it and other companies track users online, namely the use of cookies, which keep tabs on the activity of internet users so that advertisers can target them with relevant ads.In January, Google began to restrict cookies for 1% of its Chrome browser users, with the goal of completely removing third-party cookies by the third quarter of this year. Advertisers have been grappling with how to make the transition.Advertising and media executives note that retail media networks now dominate conversations at conferences and other gatherings, such as the Cannes Lions advertising festival. It's often a highlight on earnings calls, too.""[Retail media networks] have that balance with targeting and privacy and compliance. I think that's where the money really starts shifting,"" Tim Hurd, vice president of media activation at Goodway Group. ""I think that's key. These retailers have that kind of data"" The rise of retail media ads comes against a backdrop of major shifts in the media landscape. Pay-TV customer numbers and traditional TV viewership (outside of sports) continue to decline as more viewers move toward streaming.And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags. That much was clear in the first-quarter earnings reports of media giants like Comcast's NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery.Disney saw a first-quarter decline in ad revenue for its traditional cable networks and Hulu, despite an increase at cable crown jewel ESPN; Warner Bros. Discovery reported a drop in ad revenue; Paramount Global got an expected boost from airing the Super Bowl; and NBCUniversal's domestic ad revenue was flat. Streaming ad revenue for the legacy media giants, however, showed growth.Outside of tentpole moments on TV, such as the Super Bowl and other live sports, advertisers are now strategizing on multiple fronts and divvying up spending across TV, social media, e-commerce and digital, said Goodway Group's Hurd.""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM's global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising.She added traditional TV revenue may move to smart TVs, however, informed by the data on customer spending habits that retailers can provide.Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"[""In this articleThe next frontier for the ad market isn't on TV — it's at screens near points of sale."", 'Television had long been the key target for advertisers, until tech companies such as Alphabet and Meta-owned platforms like Facebook began to gobble up market share.', 'While ad dollars are rapidly shifting from traditional TV to streaming, retail and consumer product companies are now taking up a significant part of the mix.', ""The so-called retail media networks — the advertising publishing platforms — of e-commerce, retail and consumer companies like Amazon, Walmart and Kroger are attracting billions of dollars in advertising, according to data from eMarketer and GroupM, the media investment arm of WPP, the world's biggest advertising group."", 'Global retail media ad spending is expected to more than double from $114.18 billion in 2023 to $233.89 billion in 2027, according to eMarketer.', 'Retail media is expected to represent a larger percentage of digital advertising spending, which has begun to eclipse traditional media spending, growing from 18.9% of that segment in 2023 to 25.7% in 2027, according to eMarketer.', '""What we hear from brands most directly is they no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV, X amount of social, X amount of digital.', 'They wake up every day trying to buy growth, trying to buy outcomes for their business,"" said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV, an on-the-go media network with over 29,000 screens at refueling points tied to convenience retail stores.', 'GSTV screens reach 115 million viewers per month across 49 states.', 'Brands are ""more open-minded as to where they can find those audiences,"" McCaffrey said.', '""It\'s the new TV for mass reach advertising,"" said Mark Boidman, head of media and entertainment investment banking at Solomon Partners. ""', ""If you want to reach someone fast, it's best to get them in a store or on your app. ..."", ""It's a 360-degree approach."", '""The kind of advertising purchased through retail media networks is often found on in-store displays and screens, websites, mobile apps, streaming services, smart TVs and social media.', 'Not only is it fertile ground for an advertiser to get their offerings in front of consumers looking to spend, it comes with a lot of first-party data.', 'The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.', '""If [brands] advertise with a digital ad, for example, and a customer transacts a week later in a store or club, we can connect that up for them and let them know that the ad really worked,"" Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC earlier this year. ""', ""That's the differentiating advantage that we've got."", '""Walmart has been a particularly big player.', ""While it's still a new frontier for the retailer, advertising has propelled profits at the giant retailer in recent quarters."", 'The company also recently agreed to buy TV maker Vizio in a bid to further boost its ad business.', 'Of the companies eMarketer tracks, Amazon was considered the biggest retail media network in the U.S., with a roughly 75% share of retail media ad revenue.', 'Other top networks by revenue include Walmart, Instacart, eBay and Etsy.', 'The shift toward retail media comes as advertisers are faced with tech privacy changes that has led to a pullback in the collection of data.', 'Earlier this year, Google began its revamp of how it and other companies track users online, namely the use of cookies, which keep tabs on the activity of internet users so that advertisers can target them with relevant ads.', 'In January, Google began to restrict cookies for 1% of its Chrome browser users, with the goal of completely removing third-party cookies by the third quarter of this year.', 'Advertisers have been grappling with how to make the transition.', 'Advertising and media executives note that retail media networks now dominate conversations at conferences and other gatherings, such as the Cannes Lions advertising festival.', ""It's often a highlight on earnings calls, too."", '""[Retail media networks] have that balance with targeting and privacy and compliance.', 'I think that\'s where the money really starts shifting,"" Tim Hurd, vice president of media activation at Goodway Group. ""', ""I think that's key."", 'These retailers have that kind of data""The rise of retail media ads comes against a backdrop of major shifts in the media landscape.', 'Pay-TV customer numbers and traditional TV viewership (outside of sports) continue to decline as more viewers move toward streaming.', 'And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags.', ""That much was clear in the first-quarter earnings reports of media giants like Comcast's NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery."", ""Disney saw a first-quarter decline in ad revenue for its traditional cable networks and Hulu, despite an increase at cable crown jewel ESPN; Warner Bros. Discovery reported a drop in ad revenue; Paramount Global got an expected boost from airing the Super Bowl; and NBCUniversal's domestic ad revenue was flat."", 'Streaming ad revenue for the legacy media giants, however, showed growth.', ""Outside of tentpole moments on TV, such as the Super Bowl and other live sports, advertisers are now strategizing on multiple fronts and divvying up spending across TV, social media, e-commerce and digital, said Goodway Group's Hurd."", '""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM\'s global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.', ""Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising."", 'She added traditional TV revenue may move to smart TVs, however, informed by the data on customer spending habits that retailers can provide.', 'Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.']",0.2523880609774845,The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.,"And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags.",0.3165857195854187,"Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising.","""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM's global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.",2024-05-28
Starbucks is set to resume union negotiations as it confronts issues at its stores,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/starbucks-union-negotiations-resume.html,2024-05-28T18:04:37+0000,"In this articleWhen Starbucks and its baristas union resume contract bargaining this week, workers may have renewed momentum at their backs — courtesy of the company's own CEO.The coffee giant last month found itself reporting an objectively challenging quarter. U.S. same-store sales fell 3% and traffic dropped 7%. As a result, the company cut its 2024 forecast.CEO Laxman Narasimhan admitted Starbucks was seeing a more cautious consumer when it came to spending, but also mentioned the need to make improvements to stores as the company saw troubling trends. Starbucks reported rates of incomplete mobile app orders in the mid-teens and said occasional customers came in less.Narasimhan, in prepared remarks to Wall Street analysts, cited some of the challenges that union workers have been highlighting in their bid for better working conditions.""Specifically in our U.S. stores, we're focused on creating a more stable environment for partners through investments in equipment innovation, process improvements, staffing, scheduling and waste reduction, all things our partners value and prioritize creating a more satisfying work environment in our stores while de-risking our business,"" Narasimhan said on a call with analysts.He added in an interview with CNBC's ""Squawk on the Street"" that throughput has improved, and said the company's action plan will continue to build on that momentum with improvements to stores and better communication of value.""We have improved speed of service quarter over quarter. If you look at the processes that we are rolling out, particularly around peak, what we are finding is that we have opportunities to improve that even further with changes in processes and tools that we provide to partners at peak,"" Narasimhan said.For Workers United, the union behind the Starbucks organizing, his admission that more could be done was promising.The organizing efforts began nearly three years ago in Buffalo, New York, under then-CEO Kevin Johnson. At the time, Starbucks was a company long known for progressive benefits for workers.But baristas, emboldened by the experience they had during the Covid-19 pandemic, pushed for changes in the company's cafes. More than 430 unionized stores and two chief executives later, the two sides have made ""significant progress"" in contract bargaining, striking a more optimistic tone after a successful two-day session last month.Starbucks and the union are meeting to continue working on the framework that will inform every single-store contract moving ahead.""I do believe that we are seeing the company at this point acknowledge that there are issues, significant issues,"" Michelle Eisen, a Workers United delegate and original member of the company's first organized union in Buffalo, told CNBC ahead of negotiations.""We heard Narasimhan make that statement after the earnings call that they're aware that stores have experienced staffing issues,"" said Eisen, who has been with the company for more than a decade and is among 150 delegates attending in-person bargaining sessions with Starbucks on behalf of the union.""I think this is a new world right now to be able to say that the CEO has stepped up and said, 'Look, we've got some problems, we know we've got some problems, we want to work towards fixing those problems,'"" Eisen said. ""And as a worker at a unionized location, with proposals on the table to help solve these issues, that's exactly what I want to hear.""In internal surveys and in bargaining committee meetings, union-represented partners consistently rank ""staffing and scheduling"" as their highest priority issue. The vast majority of represented partners report frequently working short-staffed, and a simple majority of partners report that they are getting scheduled for fewer hours than they want or need.The union has also pushed for better pay and benefits.Starbucks says it has made significant progress over the past two years on staffing and scheduling. An advanced staffing model is able to take into account both historical trends of allocated hours per store, but also current trends, available product types and upcoming promotions, the company said. Starbucks says its data affirms partners now get more hours and that partner retention and sentiment have both increased across the U.S. as schedules become more stable and consistent.Staffing improvements are likely to be even more important as Starbucks projects an increase in traffic and orders.In July, Starbucks plans to open up its mobile order and pay app to nonrewards members in a bid to win back its occasional customer base. This will create the ability to target all customers with new products and promotions in an effort to grow traffic.It is also due to introduce what it is calling the Siren System: new equipment and protocol to address customer ticket times. The Siren System includes a custom ice dispenser, milk-dispensing system and faster blenders to reduce steps for baristas and get drinks to customers faster. It will reach 1,000 stores in July.""It's a terrible feeling to be on that floor and to pull a sticker and to look at the time and then look up at the clock on the wall and realize, you're already 8 minutes behind,"" Eisen said of mobile orders.""Eight minutes doesn't sound like a lot. But when you're producing 100 transactions per half hour … and you realize you're probably backed up 20 drinks, it's a bad feeling,"" she said.There has been another call for change at Starbucks stores that may carry weight at the negotiating table. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a LinkedIn post after the company's earnings report said management needs to spend more time with workers to understand ongoing challenges.It was the third time he has publicly weighed in on Starbucks and its operations since leaving the company and its board last year. It was a notable shift in tone from when Schultz returned to the company in 2022 to respond to the union challenge, with a far more combative attitude.Narasimhan was mentored by Schultz for six months before taking the helm at the company, and he spent time in stores with baristas, even earning his barista certification before becoming CEO in 2023.""I have emphasized that the company's fix needs to begin at home: U.S. operations are the primary reason for the company's fall from grace,"" Schultz said. ""The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant. The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores.""At the time, the coffee giant said in response, ""We always appreciate Howard's perspective. The challenges and opportunities he highlights are ones we are focused on. And like Howard, we are confident in Starbucks' long-term success.""",CNBC,28/05/2024,"[""In this articleWhen Starbucks and its baristas union resume contract bargaining this week, workers may have renewed momentum at their backs — courtesy of the company's own CEO.The coffee giant last month found itself reporting an objectively challenging quarter."", 'U.S. same-store sales fell 3% and traffic dropped 7%.', 'As a result, the company cut its 2024 forecast.', 'CEO Laxman Narasimhan admitted Starbucks was seeing a more cautious consumer when it came to spending, but also mentioned the need to make improvements to stores as the company saw troubling trends.', 'Starbucks reported rates of incomplete mobile app orders in the mid-teens and said occasional customers came in less.', 'Narasimhan, in prepared remarks to Wall Street analysts, cited some of the challenges that union workers have been highlighting in their bid for better working conditions.', '""Specifically in our U.S. stores, we\'re focused on creating a more stable environment for partners through investments in equipment innovation, process improvements, staffing, scheduling and waste reduction, all things our partners value and prioritize creating a more satisfying work environment in our stores while de-risking our business,"" Narasimhan said on a call with analysts.', 'He added in an interview with CNBC\'s ""Squawk on the Street"" that throughput has improved, and said the company\'s action plan will continue to build on that momentum with improvements to stores and better communication of value.', '""We have improved speed of service quarter over quarter.', 'If you look at the processes that we are rolling out, particularly around peak, what we are finding is that we have opportunities to improve that even further with changes in processes and tools that we provide to partners at peak,"" Narasimhan said.', 'For Workers United, the union behind the Starbucks organizing, his admission that more could be done was promising.', 'The organizing efforts began nearly three years ago in Buffalo, New York, under then-CEO Kevin Johnson.', 'At the time, Starbucks was a company long known for progressive benefits for workers.', ""But baristas, emboldened by the experience they had during the Covid-19 pandemic, pushed for changes in the company's cafes."", 'More than 430 unionized stores and two chief executives later, the two sides have made ""significant progress"" in contract bargaining, striking a more optimistic tone after a successful two-day session last month.', 'Starbucks and the union are meeting to continue working on the framework that will inform every single-store contract moving ahead.', '""I do believe that we are seeing the company at this point acknowledge that there are issues, significant issues,"" Michelle Eisen, a Workers United delegate and original member of the company\'s first organized union in Buffalo, told CNBC ahead of negotiations.', '""We heard Narasimhan make that statement after the earnings call that they\'re aware that stores have experienced staffing issues,"" said Eisen, who has been with the company for more than a decade and is among 150 delegates attending in-person bargaining sessions with Starbucks on behalf of the union.', '""I think this is a new world right now to be able to say that the CEO has stepped up and said, \'Look, we\'ve got some problems, we know we\'ve got some problems, we want to work towards fixing those problems,\'"" Eisen said. ""', ""And as a worker at a unionized location, with proposals on the table to help solve these issues, that's exactly what I want to hear."", '""In internal surveysand in bargainingcommittee meetings, union-representedpartners consistently rank ""staffing and scheduling"" as their highest priority issue.', 'The vast majority of represented partners report frequently working short-staffed, and a simple majority of partners report that they are getting scheduled for fewer hours than they want or need.', 'The union has also pushed for better pay and benefits.', 'Starbucks says it has made significant progress over the past two years on staffing and scheduling.', 'An advanced staffing model is able to take into account both historical trends of allocated hours per store, but also current trends, available product types and upcoming promotions, the company said.', 'Starbucks says its data affirms partners now get more hours and that partner retention and sentiment have both increased across the U.S. as schedules become more stable and consistent.', 'Staffing improvements are likely to be even more important as Starbucks projects an increase in traffic and orders.', 'In July, Starbucks plans to open up its mobile order and pay app to nonrewards members in a bid to win back its occasional customer base.', 'This will create the ability to target all customers with new products and promotions in an effort to grow traffic.', 'It is also due to introduce what it is calling the Siren System: new equipment and protocol to address customer ticket times.', 'The Siren System includes a custom ice dispenser, milk-dispensing system and faster blenders to reduce steps for baristas and get drinks to customers faster.', 'It will reach 1,000 stores in July.', '""It\'s a terrible feeling to be on that floor and to pull a sticker and to look at the time and then look up at the clock on the wall and realize, you\'re already 8 minutes behind,"" Eisen said of mobile orders.', '""Eight minutes doesn\'t sound like a lot.', 'But when you\'re producing 100 transactions per half hour … and you realize you\'re probably backed up 20 drinks, it\'s a bad feeling,"" she said.', 'There has been another call for change at Starbucks stores that may carry weight at the negotiating table.', ""Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a LinkedIn post after the company's earnings report said management needs to spend more time with workers to understand ongoing challenges."", 'It was the third time he has publicly weighed in on Starbucks and its operations since leaving the company and its board last year.', 'It was a notable shift in tone from when Schultz returned to the company in 2022 to respond to the union challenge, with a far more combative attitude.', 'Narasimhan was mentored by Schultz for six months before taking the helm at the company, and he spent time in stores with baristas, even earning his barista certification before becoming CEO in 2023.""I have emphasized that the company\'s fix needs to begin at home: U.S. operations are the primary reason for the company\'s fall from grace,"" Schultz said. ""', 'The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant.', 'The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores.', '""At the time, the coffee giant said in response, ""We always appreciate Howard\'s perspective.', 'The challenges and opportunities he highlights are ones we are focused on.', 'And like Howard, we are confident in Starbucks\' long-term success.""']",0.249891092710261,"""Specifically in our U.S. stores, we're focused on creating a more stable environment for partners through investments in equipment innovation, process improvements, staffing, scheduling and waste reduction, all things our partners value and prioritize creating a more satisfying work environment in our stores while de-risking our business,"" Narasimhan said on a call with analysts.","""I think this is a new world right now to be able to say that the CEO has stepped up and said, 'Look, we've got some problems, we know we've got some problems, we want to work towards fixing those problems,'"" Eisen said. """,0.4612621784210205,Starbucks says its data affirms partners now get more hours and that partner retention and sentiment have both increased across the U.S. as schedules become more stable and consistent.,U.S. same-store sales fell 3% and traffic dropped 7%.,2024-05-28
Why Target and McDonald's are cutting prices and offering deals,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/target-walmart-mcdonalds-price-cuts-deals.html,2024-05-22T19:17:37+0000,"Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters.The discounter is not alone.Target's first-quarter results on Wednesday not only show American consumers are more selective about spending in the face of sustained inflation that has squeezed their budgets for nearly three years. The company's declining sales also illustrate how the battle for shoppers' wallets has heated up as retailers — and even some restaurants — race to outmatch each other on low prices.Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April. The discounter also introduced a new premium grocery brand with most items under $5.Elsewhere, Aldi dropped prices earlier this month on more than 250 items, including chicken, steak, granola bars and frozen blueberries. And even McDonald's is debuting a limited-time $5 value meal in late June as some diners scoff at the price of fast food.Target made its move on Monday, saying it has already reduced prices on about 1,500 items and plans to cut prices on thousands more this summer. Many of those items are staples such as milk, peanut butter and diapers.Multiple major grocers and restaurants cutting prices or offering deals could offer relief at the checkout, at a time when consumer prices are still climbing more than 3% from last year. It could also give the Federal Reserve more confidence to cut interest rates. Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.Analysts on Target's earnings call on Wednesday asked about the timing and reasoning behind the price cuts and whether the retailer or its vendors are picking up the tab. The company declined to share details of that split, but Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said Target's vendors know the company is committed to passing on savings to its customers to drive traffic.Some businesses have held on to customers even with the same or higher prices: Chipotle and Sweetgreen, for example, have bucked the consumer slowdown.Target's earnings report revealed at least part of the reason why it is joining the race to cut prices. Sales of discretionary merchandise, such as clothing, dropped year over year. But so did sales of higher frequency items like groceries and paper towels.Some customers may be making those purchases at Walmart instead. Transactions on Walmart's website and stores rose 3.8% in the most recent quarter, and its e-commerce purchases shot up by 22% in the U.S., the company reported last week.In an interview with CNBC, Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said the retail giant is gaining share from higher-income households. He added some consumers are coming to its stores for meals because of sticker shock at fast-food chains.""We've got customers that are coming to us more frequently than they have before and newer customers that we haven't traditionally had,"" he said.On Target's earnings call, analysts asked tough questions about whether the retailer is losing ground with shoppers or is seen as too pricey, outside of sales events.CEO Brian Cornell said Target is putting value front and center as it fights to get back to growth.""We want to make sure America knows that Target's a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it's in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.When Target cuts prices, customers have noticed and responded, Hennington said on the earnings call. For example, it noticed it didn't have low-priced tech accessories that customers wanted, such as charging cables and phone cases, she said.Those items became part of Dealworthy, a new private brand launched in February that offers Target's lowest prices on basic items like laundry detergent and paper plates.""When we introduced the right price points in Dealworthy, the guests noticed immediately and that drove unit and traffic acceleration in those categories and that's what we're doing business by business,"" she said.It'll soon run a similar play with seasonal items, she said. After Target ""took a hard look at some of the most popular products from last year's summer assortment,"" customers can expect to see cheaper pool noodles, floats and coolers.— CNBC's Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters."", 'The discounter is not alone.', ""Target's first-quarter results on Wednesday not only show American consumers are more selective about spending in the face of sustained inflation that has squeezed their budgets for nearly three years."", ""The company's declining sales also illustrate how the battle for shoppers' wallets has heated up as retailers — and even some restaurants — race to outmatch each other on low prices."", 'Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April.', 'The discounter also introduced a new premium grocery brand with most items under $5.Elsewhere, Aldi dropped prices earlier this month on more than 250 items, including chicken, steak, granola bars and frozen blueberries.', ""And even McDonald's is debuting a limited-time $5 value meal in late June as some diners scoff at the price of fast food."", 'Target made its move on Monday, saying it has already reduced prices on about 1,500 items and plans to cut prices on thousands more this summer.', 'Many of those items are staples such as milk, peanut butter and diapers.', 'Multiple major grocers and restaurants cutting prices or offering deals could offer relief at the checkout, at a time when consumer prices are still climbing more than 3% from last year.', 'It could also give the Federal Reserve more confidence to cut interest rates.', 'Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.', ""Analysts on Target's earnings call on Wednesday asked about the timing and reasoning behind the price cuts and whether the retailer or its vendors are picking up the tab."", ""The company declined to share details of that split, but Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said Target's vendors know the company is committed to passing on savings to its customers to drive traffic."", 'Some businesses have held on to customers even with the same or higher prices: Chipotle and Sweetgreen, for example, have bucked the consumer slowdown.', ""Target's earnings report revealed at least part of the reason why it is joining the race to cut prices."", 'Sales of discretionary merchandise, such as clothing, dropped year over year.', 'But so did sales of higher frequency items like groceries and paper towels.', 'Some customers may be making those purchases at Walmart instead.', ""Transactions on Walmart's website and stores rose 3.8% in the most recent quarter, and its e-commerce purchases shot up by 22% in the U.S., the company reported last week."", 'In an interview with CNBC, Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said the retail giant is gaining share from higher-income households.', 'He added some consumers are coming to its stores for meals because of sticker shock at fast-food chains.', '""We\'ve got customers that are coming to us more frequently than they have before and newer customers that we haven\'t traditionally had,"" he said.', ""On Target's earnings call, analysts asked tough questions about whether the retailer is losing ground with shoppers or is seen as too pricey, outside of sales events."", 'CEO Brian Cornell said Target is putting value front and center as it fights to get back to growth.', '""We want to make sureAmericaknows that Target\'s a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it\'s in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.', 'When Target cuts prices, customers have noticed and responded, Hennington said on the earnings call.', ""For example, it noticed it didn't have low-priced tech accessories that customers wanted, such as charging cables and phone cases, she said."", ""Those items became part of Dealworthy, a new private brand launched in February that offers Target's lowest prices on basic items like laundry detergent and paper plates."", '""When we introduced the right price points in Dealworthy, the guests noticed immediately and that drove unit and traffic acceleration in those categories and that\'s what we\'re doing business by business,"" she said.', ""It'll soon run a similar play with seasonal items, she said."", 'After Target ""took a hard look at some of the most popular products from last year\'s summer assortment,"" customers can expect to see cheaper pool noodles, floats and coolers.—', ""CNBC's Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.""]",0.0450573626859338,"""We want to make sureAmericaknows that Target's a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it's in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.","Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.",0.3702837166033293,"Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April.",Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters.,2024-05-28
Americans are feeling better about the economy for the first time in four months,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/economy/us-economy-job-market-may/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:25 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Americans’ attitudes toward the economy improved this month for the first time since January, thanks to better perceptions of the job market.
    
            The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for this month climbed to a reading of 102, up from 97.5 in April. Americans of all age groups felt better about the economy, the survey noted. That’s after consumer confidence declined in each of the prior three months.
    
            “Consumers’ assessment of current business conditions was slightly less positive than last month. However, the strong labor market continued to bolster consumers’ overall assessment of the present situation,” Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, said in a release.
    
            Compared to the University of Michigan’s consumer survey, the Conference Board survey puts more weight on perceptions of the job market. Unemployment remains below 4%, job openings still exceed the number of unemployed people seeking work and employers are still pumping out jobs at a brisk pace.
    
            But elevated inflation still looms large. That’s precisely why consumer confidence declined for three straight months prior to May, when inflation readings came in hotter than expected. The April survey showed that “consumers cited prices, especially for food and groceries, as having the greatest impact on their view of the US economy,” Peterson said.
    
            The survey also showed that respondents felt more upbeat about the stock market, with “48.2% expecting stock prices to increase over the year ahead, compared to 25.4% expecting a decrease and 26.4% expecting no change.”
    
            Major stock indexes have soared to record highs recently, with the Nasdaq Composite briefly breaking above 17,000 in intraday trading Tuesday.
    
            Separately on Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released survey data on consumer expectations for a wide array of public policies, such as taxes, unemployment benefits and housing assistance.
    
            The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits. Additionally, respondents’ expectations increased for expansions in federal student aid as well as student loan forgiveness.
    
            However, in a time when home prices are setting new highs, the survey also showed that pessimism heightened about increases in housing assistance and affordable housing.The average likelihood of reduced housing assistance increased to 15%, the highest reading since December 2019, New York Fed data shows.
    
            Still, consumers were more optimistic about tax benefits for homeowners. The average likelihood for a higher mortgage interest tax deduction climbed to 24.8% — the highest ever reading for this New York Fed series, which was started in November 2015.
    
            This story has been updated with additional context and details.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Americans’ attitudes toward the economy improved this month for the first time since January, thanks to better perceptions of the job market.', 'The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for this month climbed to a reading of 102, up from 97.5 in April.', 'Americans of all age groups felt better about the economy, the survey noted.', 'That’s after consumer confidence declined in each of the prior three months.', '“Consumers’ assessment of current business conditions was slightly less positive than last month.', 'However, the strong labor market continued to bolster consumers’ overall assessment of the present situation,” Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, said in a release.', 'Compared to the University of Michigan’s consumer survey, the Conference Board survey puts more weight on perceptions of the job market.', 'Unemployment remains below 4%, job openings still exceed the number of unemployed people seeking work and employers are still pumping out jobs at a brisk pace.', 'But elevated inflation still looms large.', 'That’s precisely why consumer confidence declined for three straight months prior to May, when inflation readings came in hotter than expected.', 'The April survey showed that “consumers cited prices, especially for food and groceries, as having the greatest impact on their view of the US economy,” Peterson said.', 'The survey also showed that respondents felt more upbeat about the stock market, with “48.2% expecting stock prices to increase over the year ahead, compared to 25.4% expecting a decrease and 26.4% expecting no change.”', 'Major stock indexes have soared to record highs recently, with the Nasdaq Composite briefly breaking above 17,000 in intraday trading Tuesday.', 'Separately on Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released survey data on consumer expectations for a wide array of public policies, such as taxes, unemployment benefits and housing assistance.', 'The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits.', 'Additionally, respondents’ expectations increased for expansions in federal student aid as well as student loan forgiveness.', 'However, in a time when home prices are setting new highs, the survey also showed that pessimism heightened about increases in housing assistance and affordable housing.', 'The average likelihood of reduced housing assistance increased to 15%, the highest reading since December 2019, New York Fed data shows.', 'Still, consumers were more optimistic about tax benefits for homeowners.', 'The average likelihood for a higher mortgage interest tax deduction climbed to 24.8% — the highest ever reading for this New York Fed series, which was started in November 2015.', 'This story has been updated with additional context and details.']",0.3112569318783957,"The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits.","However, in a time when home prices are setting new highs, the survey also showed that pessimism heightened about increases in housing assistance and affordable housing.",0.4189927788341747,"The survey, conducted in April, found that a higher share of Americans saw improved prospects for an increase in the federal minimum wage as well as higher welfare and unemployment benefits.","That’s precisely why consumer confidence declined for three straight months prior to May, when inflation readings came in hotter than expected.",2024-05-28
"Porsche reveals first-ever 911 hybrid sports car, starting at $164,900",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/porsche-911-hybrid-sports-car.html,2024-05-28T13:57:46+0000,"Porsche on Tuesday revealed the first-ever production hybrid version of its iconic 911 sports car, with a starting price of $164,900.The 2025 911 Carrera GTS hybrid marks a significant change to the iconic German sports car amid the automotive industry's focus on increasing electrified vehicles and tightening fuel economy standards.Executives with the Volkswagen-controlled company have said the 911 would be the last car in its portfolio to offer an all-electric variant, if it ever does, to maintain the vehicle's famed driving dynamics, which they say the hybrid achieves.""We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,"" Frank Moser, Porsche vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, said in a release. ""The result is a unique powertrain that is well-integrated into the overall concept and enhances the performance significantly.""The new 911 Carrera GTS can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds – 0.3 seconds quicker than the prior non-hybrid GTS model – and reach a top track speed of 194 mph. It is powered by a newly developed 3.6-liter boxer hybrid engine that produces 532 horsepower and 449 foot-pounds of torque.The 911 Carrera GTS hybrid will be available as a coupe starting at $164,900. A convertible, or cabriolet, version will start at $178,200. Both are available in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.Ordering for the hybrid models is now open, with deliveries expected to U.S. dealers toward the end of 2024.Porsche is the latest automaker to increase or add hybrid vehicles to its lineup amid a slower-than-expected adoption of all-electric vehicles. Its current electrified lineup includes six plug-in hybrid Cayenne models, three Panamera plug-in hybrid models and 10 all-electric Taycan models. It also has used hybrid engines in racing, including with the 911.Porsche said that based on customer demand, it expects that at least 80% of its vehicles sold globally will be partially or fully electric by 2030.The hybrid model was revealed Tuesday alongside an updated lineup of Porsche 911 sports cars for the 2025 model year, which will begin arriving in U.S. Porsche showrooms in the fall. The non-hybrid vehicles, depending on the model, range from about $120,000 to more than $241,000 for a 911 GT3 RS.Updates to the 2025 911 include its exterior and interior designs, including a fully digital driver instrument cluster for the first time; enhanced engine performance; and enhanced standard equipment such as rear-axle steering for increased stability.Porsche's first-quarter global sales were 77,640 vehicles, down roughly 4% from a year earlier. Sales of 911 vehicles were 2,510 units in the U.S., up 30% from the first quarter of 2023.",CNBC,28/05/2024,"[""Porsche on Tuesday revealed the first-ever production hybrid version of its iconic 911 sports car, with a starting price of $164,900.The 2025 911 Carrera GTS hybrid marks a significant change to the iconic German sports car amid the automotive industry's focus on increasing electrified vehicles and tightening fuel economy standards."", ""Executives with the Volkswagen-controlled company have said the 911 would be the last car in its portfolio to offer an all-electric variant, if it ever does, to maintain the vehicle's famed driving dynamics, which they say the hybrid achieves."", '""We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,"" Frank Moser, Porsche vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, said in a release. ""', 'The result is a unique powertrain that is well-integrated into the overall concept and enhances the performance significantly.', '""The new 911 Carrera GTS can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds – 0.3 seconds quicker than the prior non-hybrid GTS model – and reach a top track speed of 194 mph.', 'It is powered by a newly developed 3.6-liter boxer hybrid engine that produces 532 horsepower and 449 foot-pounds of torque.', 'The 911 Carrera GTS hybrid will be available as a coupe starting at $164,900.', 'A convertible, or cabriolet, version will start at $178,200.', 'Both are available in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.', 'Ordering for the hybrid models is now open, with deliveries expected to U.S. dealers toward the end of 2024.Porsche is the latest automaker to increase or add hybrid vehicles to its lineup amid a slower-than-expected adoption of all-electric vehicles.', 'Its current electrified lineup includes six plug-in hybrid Cayenne models, three Panamera plug-in hybrid models and 10 all-electric Taycan models.', 'It also has used hybrid engines in racing, including with the 911.Porsche said that based on customer demand, it expects that at least 80% of its vehicles sold globally will be partially or fully electric by 2030.The hybrid model was revealed Tuesday alongside an updated lineup of Porsche 911 sports cars for the 2025 model year, which will begin arriving in U.S. Porsche showrooms in the fall.', 'The non-hybrid vehicles, depending on the model, range from about $120,000 to more than $241,000 for a 911 GT3 RS.Updates to the 2025 911 include its exterior and interior designs, including a fully digital driver instrument cluster for the first time; enhanced engine performance; and enhanced standard equipment such as rear-axle steering for increased stability.', ""Porsche's first-quarter global sales were 77,640 vehicles, down roughly 4% from a year earlier."", 'Sales of 911 vehicles were 2,510 units in the U.S., up 30% from the first quarter of 2023.']",0.1171106946090143,"""We developed and tested various ideas and approaches to decide on a hybrid system that optimally suits the 911,"" Frank Moser, Porsche vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, said in a release. """,,0.5459667325019837,"Sales of 911 vehicles were 2,510 units in the U.S., up 30% from the first quarter of 2023.","Porsche's first-quarter global sales were 77,640 vehicles, down roughly 4% from a year earlier.",2024-05-28
GM CEO Mary Barra says she has no plans to retire soon as automaker's transformation continues,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/gm-ceo-mary-barra-has-no-plans-to-retire.html,2024-05-24T11:53:11+0000,"In this articleDETROIT – General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra on Thursday said she has no plans to retire any time soon as she tries to ensure the company's transformation is on ""a good path.""Barra, who is the longest tenured CEO outside of the company's founder, has been asked about retirement for several years. The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra's more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I'm having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. ""So, I'm young and in good health, I've got a supportive family, so I don't think I'm headed anywhere soon.""Many potential successors within GM have come and gone during Barra's tenure. Several left the company for other opportunities, while others retired or left the company for unspecified reasons.Barra, 62, reiterated she serves at the pleasure of the GM board and that she continues to have ""fun."" She said she is working through ""the most exciting time'' for the automotive industry during her career.GM, like other automakers, is investing billions of dollars into all-electric vehicles, despite consumer adoption coming more slowly than many expected just a couple years ago.The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleDETROIT – General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra on Thursday said she has no plans to retire any time soon as she tries to ensure the company\'s transformation is on ""a good path.', '""Barra, who is the longest tenured CEO outside of the company\'s founder, has been asked about retirement for several years.', 'The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra\'s more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I\'m having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. ""', ""So, I'm young and in good health, I've got a supportive family, so I don't think I'm headed anywhere soon."", '""Many potential successors within GM have come and gone during Barra\'s tenure.', 'Several left the company for other opportunities, while others retired or left the company for unspecified reasons.', 'Barra, 62, reiterated she serves at the pleasure of the GM board and that she continues to have ""fun.""', 'She said she is working through ""the most exciting time\'\' for the automotive industry during her career.', 'GM, like other automakers, is investing billions of dollars into all-electric vehicles, despite consumer adoption coming more slowly than many expected just a couple years ago.', 'The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.', 'Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.']",0.3805778623499848,"The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra's more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I'm having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. """,The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.,0.9956700354814528,"Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.",,2024-05-28
"UAW challenges Mercedes-Benz union vote, asks NLRB for new election",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/uaw-mercedes-benz-challenge.html,2024-05-24T20:49:47+0000,"In this articleDETROIT – The United Auto Workers union is challenging the results of last week's organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, in which workers voted against union representation, and is asking federal officials to order a new election.Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union.Union organizing failed at the Alabama plant with 56% of the vote, or 2,642 workers, casting ballots against the UAW, according to the NLRB, which oversaw the election. More than 90% of the 5,075 eligible Mercedes-Benz workers voted in the election.""All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions,"" the UAW said in a statement. ""And that's what we're asking for here. Let's get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide.""The National Labor Relations Board confirmed Friday afternoon that its Atlanta-based office received the UAW's objections to the election. Friday was the last day the union could file objections and challenge the election.Mercedes-Benz in a statement Friday said company officials ""worked with the NLRB to adhere to its guidelines and we will continue to do so"" through the objection process. The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members' decision.""The NLRB said its regional director will review the UAW's allegations of an unfair election. If she finds that the objections raise substantial and material issues of fact that could be best resolved by a hearing, she will order a hearing. If after the hearing, she finds that the employer's conduct affected the election, she can order a new election.The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.After the results were announced, UAW President Shawn Fain accused the company of conducting an anti-union campaign, including ""egregious illegal behavior,"" but he declined to discuss the union's potential plans to object to the results.Fain said on May 17 that the union would continue to move forward with its charges against Mercedes-Benz, which allege that Mercedes-Benz has ""disciplined employees for discussing unionization at work, prohibited distribution of union materials and paraphernalia, surveilled employees, discharged union supporters, forced employees to attend captive audience meetings, and made statements suggesting that union activity is futile,"" the NLRB previously said.The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee.The Mercedes-Benz vote was expected to be more challenging for the union than the vote at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where the union had already established a presence after two failed organizing drives in the past decade and where it faced less opposition from the automaker.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"[""In this articleDETROIT – The United Auto Workers union is challenging the results of last week's organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, in which workers voted against union representation, and is asking federal officials to order a new election."", ""Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union."", 'Union organizing failed at the Alabama plant with 56% of the vote, or 2,642 workers, casting ballots against the UAW, according to the NLRB, which oversaw the election.', 'More than 90% of the 5,075 eligible Mercedes-Benz workers voted in the election.', '""All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions,"" the UAW said in a statement. ""', ""And that's what we're asking for here."", ""Let's get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide."", '""The National Labor Relations Board confirmed Friday afternoon that its Atlanta-based office received the UAW\'s objections to the election.', 'Friday was the last day the union could file objections and challenge the election.', 'Mercedes-Benz in a statement Friday said company officials ""worked with the NLRB to adhere to its guidelines and we will continue to do so"" through the objection process.', 'The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members\' decision.', '""The NLRB said its regional director will review the UAW\'s allegations of an unfair election.', 'If she finds that the objections raise substantial and material issues of fact that could be best resolved by a hearing, she will order a hearing.', ""If after the hearing, she finds that the employer's conduct affected the election, she can order a new election."", 'The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.', 'After the results were announced, UAW President Shawn Fain accused the company of conducting an anti-union campaign, including ""egregious illegal behavior,"" but he declined to discuss the union\'s potential plans to object to the results.', 'Fain said on May 17 that the union would continue to move forward with its charges against Mercedes-Benz, which allege that Mercedes-Benz has ""disciplined employees for discussing unionization at work, prohibited distribution of union materials and paraphernalia, surveilled employees, discharged union supporters, forced employees to attend captive audience meetings, and made statements suggesting that union activity is futile,"" the NLRB previously said.', ""The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee."", 'The Mercedes-Benz vote was expected to be more challenging for the union than the vote at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where the union had already established a presence after two failed organizing drives in the past decade and where it faced less opposition from the automaker.']",-0.0880846302605464,"The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members' decision.","The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.",-0.2524993896484375,"The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee.","Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union.",2024-05-28
"Fintech nightmare: 'I have nearly $38,000 tied up' after Synapse bankruptcy",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/synapse-bankruptcy-customer-funds.html,2024-05-23T17:18:03+0000,"A dispute between a fintech startup and its banking partners has ensnared potentially millions of Americans, leaving them without access to their money for nearly two weeks, according to recent court documents.Since last year, Synapse, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup that serves as a middle man between customer-facing fintech brands and FDIC-backed banks, has had disagreements with several of its partners about how much in customer balances it owed.The situation deteriorated in April after Synapse declared bankruptcy following the exodus of several key partners. On May 11, Synapse cut off access to a technology system that enabled lenders, including Evolve Bank & Trust, to process transactions and account information, according to the filings.That has left users of several fintech services stranded with no access to their funds, according to testimonials filed this week in a California bankruptcy court.One customer, a Maryland teacher named Chris Buckler, said in a May 21 filing that his funds at crypto app Juno were locked because of the Synapse bankruptcy.""I am increasingly desperate and don't know where to turn,"" Buckler wrote. ""I have nearly $38,000 tied up as a result of the halting of transaction processing. This money took years to save up.""Until recently, Synapse, which calls itself the biggest ""banking as a service"" provider, helped a wide swath of the U.S. fintech universe provide services such as checking accounts and debit cards. Former partners included Mercury, Dave and Juno, well-known fintech firms that catered to segments including startups, gig workers and crypto users.Synapse had contracts with 20 banks and 100 fintech companies, resulting in about 10 million end users, according to an April filing from founder and CEO Sankaet Pathak.Pathak did not immediately respond to an email from CNBC seeking comment. A spokesman for Evolve Bank & Trust declined to comment, instead pointing to a statement on the bank's website that read, in part: ""Synapse's abrupt shutdown of essential systems without notice and failure to provide necessary records needlessly jeopardized end users by hindering our ability to verify transactions, confirm end user balances, and comply with applicable law.""It is unclear why Synapse switched the system off, and an explanation could not be found in filings.Another customer, Joseph Dominguez of Sacramento, California, told the bankruptcy court on May 20 that he had more than $20,000 held up in his Yotta fintech account.""We are scared that money will be lost if Synapse can not provide ledgers and documents to Evolve or Yotta to prove we are the legitimate owners,"" Dominguez wrote. ""We don't know where our direct deposit has gone, we don't know where our pending withdrawals are currently held.""The freeze-up of customer funds exposes the vulnerabilities in the banking as a service, or BAAS, partnership model and a possible blind spot for regulatory oversight.The BAAS model, used most notably by the pre-IPO fintech firm Chime, allows Silicon Valley-style startups to tap the abilities of small FDIC-backed banks. Together, the ecosystem helped these companies compete against the giants of American banking.Customers mistakenly believed that because funds are ultimately held at real banks, they were as safe and available as any other FDIC-insured accounts, said Jason Mikula, a consultant and newsletter writer who has tracked this case closely.""This is 10 million-plus people who can't pay their mortgages, can't buy their groceries. … This is another order of disaster,"" Mikula said.Regulators have yet to take a role in the dispute, partly because the underlying banks involved have not failed, the point at which the FDIC would usually intervene to make customers whole, Mikula added. The agencies have generally put the onus on banks for managing their risks to fintech partners, he said.The FDIC and Federal Reserve declined to comment.In pleading with the judge in this case, Martin Barash, to help the affected customers, Buckler noted in his testimonial that while he had other resources besides the locked account, others are not as lucky.""So far the federal government is not willing to help us,"" Buckler wrote. ""As you heard, there are millions affected who are in far worse straits.""Reached by phone on Wednesday, Buckler said he had one message for Americans: ""I want to make people aware, yeah, your money might be safe at the bank, but it is not safe if the fintech or the processor fails,"" he said. ""If this is another FTX, if they were doing funny business with my money, then what?""",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['A dispute between a fintech startup and its banking partners has ensnared potentially millions of Americans, leaving them without access to their money for nearly two weeks, according to recent court documents.', 'Since last year, Synapse, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup that serves as a middle man between customer-facing fintech brands and FDIC-backed banks, has had disagreements with several of its partners about how much in customer balances it owed.', 'The situation deteriorated in April after Synapse declared bankruptcy following the exodus of several key partners.', 'On May 11, Synapse cut off access to a technology system that enabled lenders, including Evolve Bank & Trust, to process transactions and account information, according to the filings.', 'That has left users of several fintech services stranded with no access to their funds, according to testimonials filed this week in a California bankruptcy court.', 'One customer, a Maryland teacher named Chris Buckler, said in a May 21 filing that his funds at crypto app Juno were locked because of the Synapse bankruptcy.', '""I am increasingly desperate and don\'t know where to turn,"" Buckler wrote. ""', 'I have nearly $38,000 tied up as a result of the halting of transaction processing.', 'This money took years to save up.', '""Until recently, Synapse, which calls itself the biggest ""banking as a service"" provider, helped a wide swath of the U.S. fintech universe provide services such as checking accounts and debit cards.', 'Former partners included Mercury, Dave and Juno, well-known fintech firms that catered to segments including startups, gig workers and crypto users.', 'Synapse had contracts with 20 banks and 100 fintech companies, resulting in about 10 million end users, according to an April filing from founder and CEO Sankaet Pathak.', 'Pathak did not immediately respond to an email from CNBC seeking comment.', 'A spokesman for Evolve Bank & Trust declined to comment, instead pointing to a statement on the bank\'s website that read, in part: ""Synapse\'s abrupt shutdown of essential systems without notice and failure to provide necessary records needlessly jeopardized end users by hindering our ability to verify transactions, confirm end user balances, and comply with applicable law.', '""It is unclear why Synapse switched the system off, and an explanation could not be found in filings.', 'Another customer, Joseph Dominguez of Sacramento, California, told the bankruptcy court on May 20 that he had more than $20,000 held up in his Yotta fintech account.', '""We are scared that money will be lost if Synapse can not provide ledgers and documents to Evolve or Yotta to prove we are the legitimate owners,"" Dominguez wrote. ""', ""We don't know where our direct deposit has gone, we don't know where our pending withdrawals are currently held."", '""The freeze-up of customer funds exposes the vulnerabilities in the banking as a service, or BAAS, partnership model and a possible blind spot for regulatory oversight.', 'The BAAS model, used most notably by the pre-IPO fintech firm Chime, allows Silicon Valley-style startups to tap the abilities of small FDIC-backed banks.', 'Together, the ecosystem helped these companies compete against the giants of American banking.', 'Customers mistakenly believed that because funds are ultimately held at real banks, they were as safe and available as any other FDIC-insured accounts, said Jason Mikula, a consultant and newsletter writer who has tracked this case closely.', '""This is 10 million-plus people who can\'t pay their mortgages, can\'t buy their groceries. …', 'This is another order of disaster,"" Mikula said.', 'Regulators have yet to take a role in the dispute, partly because the underlying banks involved have not failed, the point at which the FDIC would usually intervene to make customers whole, Mikula added.', 'The agencies have generally put the onus on banks for managing their risks to fintech partners, he said.', 'The FDIC and Federal Reserve declined to comment.', 'In pleading with the judge in this case, Martin Barash, to help the affected customers, Buckler noted in his testimonial that while he had other resources besides the locked account, others are not as lucky.', '""So far the federal government is not willing to help us,"" Buckler wrote. ""', 'As you heard, there are millions affected who are in far worse straits.', '""Reached by phone on Wednesday, Buckler said he had one message for Americans: ""I want to make people aware, yeah, your money might be safe at the bank, but it is not safe if the fintech or the processor fails,"" he said. ""', 'If this is another FTX, if they were doing funny business with my money, then what?""']",-0.0819259721267285,"A spokesman for Evolve Bank & Trust declined to comment, instead pointing to a statement on the bank's website that read, in part: ""Synapse's abrupt shutdown of essential systems without notice and failure to provide necessary records needlessly jeopardized end users by hindering our ability to verify transactions, confirm end user balances, and comply with applicable law.","""We are scared that money will be lost if Synapse can not provide ledgers and documents to Evolve or Yotta to prove we are the legitimate owners,"" Dominguez wrote. """,-0.7858791351318359,This money took years to save up.,The situation deteriorated in April after Synapse declared bankruptcy following the exodus of several key partners.,2024-05-28
"Warner Bros. Discovery's NBA rights offer could put it in competition with Amazon, not NBC",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/warner-bros-discovery-considers-matching-nba-package-slated-for-amazon.html,2024-05-23T17:52:31+0000,"In this articleWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast's NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter.It's the latest turn in what's been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney. Warner's Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years.Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, the people said. If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA. Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't yet seen the three potential packages, because the league hasn't officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners. It also hasn't communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, the people said.Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery's current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon.Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter. The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn't yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids. When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.It's possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games. It's unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions.Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment. Representatives from Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.If the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company's thinking.""We've had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,"" Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery's quarterly earnings conference call. ""We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.""That could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league. It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner.Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing. That package tentatively includes All-Star games and conference finals games, which have aired on TNT, according to a person familiar with the matter.The NBA wants a robust streaming offering as a third package to extend the reach of its product beyond cable TV. Warner Bros. Discovery owns both cable network TNT and its flagship streaming service, Max, which is expanding internationally. The company announced Wednesday it had struck a deal with ESPN to sublicense College Football Playoff games for five years — with the games to be aired on TNT and streamed on Max.Still, unlike Amazon's Prime Video streaming service, Max plans to tier its sports offerings to customers, forcing them to pay more and potentially diminishing reach, which the NBA may not prefer.It's possible Zaslav's focus on Amazon may be a strategic move to get a settlement from the league by focusing on a package specifically designed for a big tech streamer.The College Football Playoffs deal and the company's recent rights agreement for a package of NASCAR races beginning in 2025 has put Zaslav in a place where he's content to lose the NBA if Warner Bros. Discovery management decides the cost is too much, according to people familiar with the matter.Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter.An offer of $2.5 billion or more would more than double the NBA's previous asking price of $1.2 billion, and the new package would contain fewer games because of the introduction of a third media partner.Warner Bros. Discovery could use the money saved from not spending on the NBA for other sports, including UFC, which will likely sign a new rights deal next year.Zaslav views NBCUniversal as a direct competitor in a fight for survival among legacy media companies, according to people familiar with his thinking. If NBCUniversal ends up paying too much for the NBA, he views that as a competitive advantage for Warner Bros. Discovery, they said.If Warner Bros. Discovery chooses to match a potential Amazon package or stand down completely, it would clear the way for the NBA to get back in business with NBCUniversal, which lost league rights in 2002.A member of NBCUniversal's music licensing team recently reached out to John Tesh, the owner of ""Roundball Rock,"" the old ""NBA on NBC"" theme song, and mentioned potential interest in bringing the jingle back to NBC if the company gets the media rights, according to a person familiar with the matter.Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games. Neither Amazon nor Warner Bros. Discovery owns a broadcast network.NBCUniversal also owns Peacock, its domestic-only streaming service, which could also become a platform for NBA games.Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"[""In this articleWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast's NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter."", ""It's the latest turn in what's been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney."", ""Warner's Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years."", 'Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.', 'The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, the people said.', 'If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.', 'Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA.', ""Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't yet seen the three potential packages, because the league hasn't officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners."", ""It also hasn't communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, the people said."", ""Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery's current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon."", 'Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter.', ""The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn't yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids."", 'When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.', ""It's possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games."", ""It's unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions."", 'Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment.', ""Representatives from Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment."", ""If the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company's thinking."", '""We\'ve had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,"" Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery\'s quarterly earnings conference call. ""', 'We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.', '""That could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league.', ""It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner."", ""Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing."", 'That package tentatively includes All-Star games and conference finals games, which have aired on TNT, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'The NBA wants a robust streaming offering as a third package to extend the reach of its product beyond cable TV.', 'Warner Bros. Discovery owns both cable network TNT and its flagship streaming service, Max, which is expanding internationally.', 'The company announced Wednesday it had struck a deal with ESPN to sublicense College Football Playoff games for five years — with the games to be aired on TNT and streamed on Max.', ""Still, unlike Amazon's Prime Video streaming service, Max plans to tier its sports offerings to customers, forcing them to pay more and potentially diminishing reach, which the NBA may not prefer."", ""It's possible Zaslav's focus on Amazon may be a strategic move to get a settlement from the league by focusing on a package specifically designed for a big tech streamer."", ""The College Football Playoffs deal and the company's recent rights agreement for a package of NASCAR races beginning in 2025 has put Zaslav in a place where he's content to lose the NBA if Warner Bros. Discovery management decides the cost is too much, according to people familiar with the matter."", ""Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter."", ""An offer of $2.5 billion or more would more than double the NBA's previous asking price of $1.2 billion, and the new package would contain fewer games because of the introduction of a third media partner."", 'Warner Bros. Discovery could use the money saved from not spending on the NBA for other sports, including UFC, which will likely sign a new rights deal next year.', 'Zaslav views NBCUniversal as a direct competitor in a fight for survival among legacy media companies, according to people familiar with his thinking.', 'If NBCUniversal ends up paying too much for the NBA, he views that as a competitive advantage for Warner Bros. Discovery, they said.', 'If Warner Bros. Discovery chooses to match a potential Amazon package or stand down completely, it would clear the way for the NBA to get back in business with NBCUniversal, which lost league rights in 2002.A member of NBCUniversal\'s music licensing team recently reached out to John Tesh, the owner of ""Roundball Rock,"" the old ""NBA on NBC"" theme song, and mentioned potential interest in bringing the jingle back to NBC if the company gets the media rights, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games.', 'Neither Amazon nor Warner Bros. Discovery owns a broadcast network.', 'NBCUniversal also owns Peacock, its domestic-only streaming service, which could also become a platform for NBA games.', 'Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.']",0.1136224515371988,"Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games.",It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner.,0.4549682140350342,Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing.,"Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter.",2024-05-28
McDonald's franchisee group says $5 value meal can't last without company investment,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/21/mcdonalds-franchisee-group-value-meal.html,2024-05-21T21:34:30+0000,"In this articleAn independent advocacy group of McDonald's franchisees is weighing in on the company's upcoming value meal promotion, cheering affordability for the consumer, but pushing for future contributions from the company to make the discounted offering sustainable for operators in the long run. ""The fact remains that in order to provide the consumer with more affordable options, they must be affordable for the owner/operators. McDonald's vast resources and financial investment are essential to any sustainable affordable strategy,"" the board of the National Owners Association wrote in a letter to membership.The letter calls the McDonald's business model a ""penny profit business, with 10-15% margins,"" and says ""There simply is not enough profit to discount 30% for this model to be sustainable. It necessitates a financial contribution by McDonald's.""CNBC reported last week that the $5 value meal would be hitting menu boards beginning June 25 and lasting roughly a month. It will include a McChicken or McDouble, four piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. The combo would be substantially less than purchasing those items individually.The offering comes as lower-income consumers pull back from certain restaurants in the face of stubborn inflation, and brands look to offer greater value to customers.CNBC reported Coca-Cola had added marketing funds to make the deal more appealing for McDonald's and its franchisees after an initial proposal did not pass internal hurdles. In a statement last week, Coca-Cola said, ""We routinely partner with our customers on marketing programs to meet consumer needs. This helps us grow our businesses together.""McDonald's declined to comment on the NOA letter to its membership. In a statement to CNBC last week on the value meal, the company said, ""We know how much it means to our customers when McDonald's offers meaningful value and communicates it through national advertising. That's been true since our very beginning and never more important than it is today.""The company has previously noted cash flows for U.S. franchisees are up nearly 50% on average since 2018. Even when accounting for inflation, 2023 was one of the best years for franchisee cash flow in the company's history, McDonald's has previously said.Beyond the $5 promotion, the NOA letter goes on to suggest the company should continue to innovate on the menu, bringing back items such as snack wraps that use existing chicken breasts, creating affordable options with lower food costs so they are more affordable for owners to sell.The group also suggested taking the top two beverages from McDonald's spinoff chain, CosMc's, and bringing them to flagship locations as a way to excite both customers and employees.These ideas were initially floated by the advocacy group earlier in the year, as it pushed to add affordable options to the menu without discounting ""core and iconic"" items.""Recently [McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski] has made public comments about the US consumers' growing need for affordability. This is not a new or unique message; value has always been at our Brands's core,"" NOA said in a letter to membership viewed by CNBC in February.",CNBC,21/05/2024,"[""In this articleAn independent advocacy group of McDonald's franchisees is weighing in on the company's upcoming value meal promotion, cheering affordability for the consumer, but pushing for future contributions from the company to make the discounted offering sustainable for operators in the long run."", '""The fact remains that in order to provide the consumer with more affordable options, they must be affordable for the owner/operators.', 'McDonald\'s vast resources and financial investment are essential to any sustainable affordable strategy,"" the board of the National Owners Association wrote in a letter to membership.', 'The letter calls the McDonald\'s business model a ""penny profit business, with 10-15% margins,"" and says ""There simply is not enough profit to discount 30% for this model to be sustainable.', ""It necessitates a financial contribution by McDonald's."", '""CNBC reported last week that the $5 value meal would be hitting menu boards beginning June 25 and lasting roughly a month.', 'It will include a McChicken or McDouble, four piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink.', 'The combo would be substantially less than purchasing those items individually.', 'The offering comes as lower-income consumers pull back from certain restaurants in the face of stubborn inflation, and brands look to offer greater value to customers.', ""CNBC reported Coca-Cola had added marketing funds to make the deal more appealing for McDonald's and its franchisees after an initial proposal did not pass internal hurdles."", 'In a statement last week, Coca-Cola said, ""We routinely partner with our customers on marketing programs to meet consumer needs.', 'This helps us grow our businesses together.', '""McDonald\'s declined to comment on the NOA letter to its membership.', 'In a statement to CNBC last week on the value meal, the company said, ""We know how much it means to our customers when McDonald\'s offers meaningful value and communicates it through national advertising.', ""That's been true since our very beginning and never more important than it is today."", '""The company has previously noted cash flows for U.S. franchisees are up nearly 50% on average since 2018.', ""Even when accounting for inflation, 2023 was one of the best years for franchisee cash flow in the company's history, McDonald's has previously said."", 'Beyond the $5 promotion, the NOA letter goes on to suggest the company should continue to innovate on the menu, bringing back items such as snack wraps that use existing chicken breasts, creating affordable options with lower food costs so they are more affordable for owners to sell.', ""The group also suggested taking the top two beverages from McDonald's spinoff chain, CosMc's, and bringing them to flagship locations as a way to excite both customers and employees."", 'These ideas were initially floated by the advocacy group earlier in the year, as it pushed to add affordable options to the menu without discounting ""core and iconic"" items.', '""Recently [McDonald\'s CEO Chris Kempczinski] has made public comments about the US consumers\' growing need for affordability.', 'This is not a new or unique message; value has always been at our Brands\'s core,"" NOA said in a letter to membership viewed by CNBC in February.']",0.2217713614432277,"In a statement to CNBC last week on the value meal, the company said, ""We know how much it means to our customers when McDonald's offers meaningful value and communicates it through national advertising.",,0.7626634041468302,"""The company has previously noted cash flows for U.S. franchisees are up nearly 50% on average since 2018.","The letter calls the McDonald's business model a ""penny profit business, with 10-15% margins,"" and says ""There simply is not enough profit to discount 30% for this model to be sustainable.",2024-05-28
"Daily marijuana use surpasses alcohol consumption, new study finds. Here's what it means for the booze business",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/daily-marijuana-use-surpasses-alcohol-consumption-new-study-finds.html,2024-05-24T12:20:09+0000,"Americans are reaching for buds more than booze.Daily or near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of drinking in the U.S., according to 40 years of data analyzed by Carnegie Mellon University.The report looks at U.S. data from more than 1.6 million participants collected across 27 surveys between 1979 and 2022.Although alcohol overall remains more widely used, first-time daily marijuana use overtook drinking at the same frequency in 2022, with roughly 17.7 million cannabis users and 14.7 million drinkers.That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.""We believe — and data clearly indicates — the younger demographic cohort is increasingly accepting cannabis on a daily and monthly use at a higher rate than other generations,"" said Roth MKM analyst Scott Fortune.""As there are indications of consumers substituting away from other pleasure uses (alcohol, tobacco), we think as younger generations grow up with legal cannabis options, the acceptance of cannabis will become more prevalent and substitute away from traditional options,"" he added.This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.The spirits and alcohol industry, however, has been working to defend its market share despite shifting trends among younger consumers.""From the U.S. alcohol side, the youngest legal drinking-age consumers are turning to alcohol less often, and when they do imbibe, it is fewer drinks,"" said Roth MKM analyst Bill Kirk.Kirk said there have been growing trends that are contributing to that, including more abstinence from drinking, better availability of quality non-alcoholic options and increased cannabis use.""From the cannabis side, we wouldn't say alcohol stands to be necessarily hurt by this trend, but would look for alcohol to partner, invest or acquire into U.S. cannabis when federal regulations allow it to capitalize on anticipated industry growth,"" Fortune said.However, some analysts on Wall Street expect greater impact to the alcohol industry from cannabis adoption.""We estimate that legal cannabis could be negatively impacting beer volume [compound annual growth rate] by up to 230 bps in Canada and 75 bps in the U.S. where legal,"" said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat, referring to basis points (bps). One basis point equals one-hundredth of a percentage point.She added that conflicting state-by-state policies for cannabis soften the blow to the biggest brewers and distillers like Constellation Brands, Diageo, AB InBev and Molson Coors.""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['Americans are reaching for buds more than booze.', 'Daily or near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of drinking in the U.S., according to 40 years of data analyzed by Carnegie Mellon University.', 'The report looks at U.S. data from more than 1.6 million participants collected across 27 surveys between 1979 and 2022.Although alcohol overall remains more widely used, first-time daily marijuana use overtook drinking at the same frequency in 2022, with roughly 17.7 million cannabis users and 14.7 million drinkers.', 'That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.', '""We believe — and data clearly indicates — the younger demographic cohort is increasingly accepting cannabis on a daily and monthly use at a higher rate than other generations,"" said Roth MKM analystScott Fortune.', '""As there are indications of consumers substituting away from other pleasure uses (alcohol, tobacco), we think as younger generations grow up with legal cannabis options, the acceptance of cannabis will become more prevalent and substitute away from traditional options,"" he added.', 'This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.', 'The spirits and alcohol industry, however, has been working to defend its market share despite shifting trends among younger consumers.', '""From the U.S. alcohol side, the youngest legal drinking-age consumers are turning to alcohol less often, and when they do imbibe, it is fewer drinks,"" said Roth MKM analyst Bill Kirk.', 'Kirk said there have been growing trends that are contributing to that, including more abstinence from drinking, better availability of quality non-alcoholic options and increased cannabis use.', '""From the cannabis side, we wouldn\'t say alcohol stands to be necessarily hurt by this trend, but would look for alcohol to partner, invest or acquire into U.S. cannabis when federal regulations allow it to capitalize on anticipated industry growth,"" Fortune said.', 'However, some analysts on Wall Street expect greater impact to the alcohol industry from cannabis adoption.', '""We estimate that legal cannabis could be negatively impacting beer volume [compound annual growth rate] by up to 230 bps in Canada and 75 bps in the U.S. where legal,"" said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat, referring to basis points (bps).', 'One basis point equals one-hundredth of a percentage point.', 'She added that conflicting state-by-state policies for cannabis soften the blow to the biggest brewers and distillers like Constellation Brands, Diageo, AB InBev and Molson Coors.', '""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.']",0.3385642761353466,"This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.",,0.4357439225370234,"That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.","""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.",2024-05-28
"Justice Department sues to break up Live Nation, parent of Ticketmaster",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/justice-department-sues-live-nation-ticketmaster.html,2024-05-23T21:27:05+0000,"In this articleThe U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.The lawsuit, joined by 30 states and filed Thursday, follows a DOJ investigation into whether Live Nation maintains a monopoly in the ticketing industry, a probe launched in 2022 and bolstered by fan complaints after a botched rollout for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.""We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,"" said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. ""The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.In a statement, Live Nation said the DOJ's allegations of a monopoly are ""absurd.""""The DOJ's complaint attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry. It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies—neither of which control ticket prices—for high ticket prices. It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public's willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost,"" said Dan Wall, Live Nation executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs.Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, creating a dominant entity in the live event industry. The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.Through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts, the complaint said.""Taken individually and considered together, Live Nation's and Ticketmaster's conduct allows them to exploit their conflicts of interest — as a promoter, ticketer, venue owner and artist manager — across the live music industry and further entrench their dominant position,"" the complaint reads.The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses Live Nation of violating the Sherman Act and maintaining a self-reinforcing business model by capturing fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorships, which it then uses to lock artists into exclusive promotion deals that give the artists access to key entertainment venues across the country. Live Nation then uses that dominance to lock new concert venues into long-term exclusionary contracts, thereby restarting the cycle, the lawsuit claims.Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions.The lawsuit claims that Live Nation has discouraged bidding wars for artists and has unlawfully pressured artists into signing on for promotional services if they want to use the company's venues, at times sacrificing profits it can earn as a venue owner by preferring to let its venues sit empty rather than have artists with other promotional contracts.""In its own words, Live Nation uses its exclusionary conduct as a 'hedge against significant improvements by the competition or even a new competitor.' But the cost of that hedge is one that we all pay, for example a broken ticketing website with substandard customer service that still captures your valuable data,"" Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said during a press conference.""It is through these exclusive ticketing arrangements that Americans face the dreaded Ticketmaster tax, the seemingly endless set of fees ironically named service fee or convenience fee when they are anything but,"" Kanter said.Live Nation made headlines last year when a surge of demand from 14 million users, including bots, for Taylor Swift concert tickets led to site disruptions and slow queues. A Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster in November 2023, following a monthslong probe prompted by the exorbitant inflated ticket prices in Swift's Eras Tour.Steep prices for the U.S. shows led scores of fans to seek out tickets to Swift's tour in other countries, which could often be cheaper even after international air travel.""In other countries where venues are not bound by Ticketmaster's exclusive ticketing contracts, venues often use multiple ticketing companies for the same event and fans see lower fees and more innovative ticketing products as a result,"" Garland said in a news conference.Live Nation said Thursday it doesn't benefit from monopoly pricing, saying that Ticketmaster service charges ""are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower."" The company noted its overall net profit margin is at the low end of S&P 500 companies.Live Nation further argued the lawsuit won't reduce ticket prices or service fees. It said artist teams set prices for their tickets and the venues set and keep the majority of ticket fees.""Some call this 'anti-monopoly', but in reality it is just anti-business,"" Live Nation's Wall said. ""There is no legal basis for objecting to vertical integration on these grounds.""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.The company has also been in the public eye in the past year over transparency issues regarding hidden fees in ticket pricing.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleThe U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.', ""The lawsuit, joined by 30 states and filed Thursday, follows a DOJ investigation into whether Live Nation maintains a monopoly in the ticketing industry, a probe launched in 2022 and bolstered by fan complaints after a botched rollout for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour."", '""We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,"" said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. ""', 'The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services.', 'It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.', '""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.', 'In a statement, Live Nation said the DOJ\'s allegations of a monopoly are ""absurd.', '""""The DOJ\'s complaint attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry.', 'It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies—neither of which control ticket prices—for high ticket prices.', 'It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public\'s willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost,"" said Dan Wall, Live Nation executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs.', 'Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, creating a dominant entity in the live event industry.', 'The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.', ""Through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts, the complaint said."", '""Taken individually and considered together, Live Nation\'s and Ticketmaster\'s conduct allows them to exploit their conflicts of interest — as a promoter, ticketer, venue owner and artist manager — across the live music industry and further entrench their dominant position,"" the complaint reads.', 'The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses Live Nation of violating the Sherman Act and maintaining a self-reinforcing business model by capturing fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorships, which it then uses to lock artists into exclusive promotion deals that give the artists access to key entertainment venues across the country.', 'Live Nation then uses that dominance to lock new concert venues into long-term exclusionary contracts, thereby restarting the cycle, the lawsuit claims.', ""Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions."", ""The lawsuit claims that Live Nation has discouraged bidding wars for artists and has unlawfully pressured artists into signing on for promotional services if they want to use the company's venues, at times sacrificing profits it can earn as a venue owner by preferring to let its venues sit empty rather than have artists with other promotional contracts."", '""In its own words, Live Nation uses its exclusionary conduct as a \'hedge against significant improvements by the competition or even a new competitor.\'', 'But the cost of that hedge is one that we all pay, for example a broken ticketing website with substandard customer service that still captures your valuable data,"" Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said during a press conference.', '""It is through these exclusive ticketing arrangements that Americans face the dreaded Ticketmaster tax, the seemingly endless set of fees ironically named service fee or convenience fee when they are anything but,"" Kanter said.', 'Live Nation made headlines last year when a surge of demand from 14 million users, including bots, for Taylor Swift concert tickets led to site disruptions and slow queues.', ""A Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster in November 2023, following a monthslong probe prompted by the exorbitant inflated ticket prices in Swift's Eras Tour."", ""Steep prices for the U.S. shows led scores of fans to seek out tickets to Swift's tour in other countries, which could often be cheaper even after international air travel."", '""In other countries where venues are not bound by Ticketmaster\'s exclusive ticketing contracts, venues often use multiple ticketing companies for the same event and fans see lower fees and more innovative ticketing products as a result,"" Garland said in a news conference.', 'Live Nation said Thursday it doesn\'t benefit from monopoly pricing, saying that Ticketmaster service charges ""are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower.""', 'The company noted its overall net profit margin is at the low end of S&P 500 companies.', ""Live Nation further argued the lawsuit won't reduce ticket prices or service fees."", 'It said artist teams set prices for their tickets and the venues set and keep the majority of ticket fees.', '""Some call this \'anti-monopoly\', but in reality it is just anti-business,"" Live Nation\'s Wall said. ""', 'There is no legal basis for objecting to vertical integration on these grounds.', '""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.', 'The company has also been in the public eye in the past year over transparency issues regarding hidden fees in ticket pricing.']",-0.0308866198552047,"The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.","Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions.",-0.2345751208417555,"""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.","""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.",2024-05-28
Harvard to stay silent on issues that don’t impact university’s ‘core function’,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/business/harvard-core-function/index.html,"
  Published
        2:28 PM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Harvard University announced Tuesday it will no longer weigh in on public matters that don’t impact the Ivy League school’s core function, a shift that follows a historic period of turmoil at the storied university.
    
            Harvard leaders announced the new policy after forming a working group in April to debate when the university should speak out.
    
            That group concluded that Harvard has a “responsibility to speak out to protect and promote its core function,” including to “defend the university’s autonomy and academic freedom when threatened.”
    
            “The university and its leaders should not, however, issue official statements about public matters that do not directly affect the university’s core function,” the working group said in its report.
    
            The report went on to warn that the “integrity and credibility of the institution are compromised when the university speaks officially on matters outside its institutional area of expertise.”
    
            The move comes after Claudine Gay, the first Black president in Harvard’s nearly 400-year history, stepped down in January amid a swirl of controversy and plagiarism allegations.
    
            Gay faced intense pressure following her initial public statements on the October 7 terror attack on Israel and then after her testimony before lawmakers on campus antisemitism.
    
            Alan Garber, who replaced Gay as president on interim basis, announced Tuesday the university has accepted the working group’s report and recommendations, which have also been endorsed by The Harvard Corporation, the university’s top governing body.
    
            “The process of translating these principles into concrete practice will, of course, require time and experience, and we look forward to the work ahead,” Garber said.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Harvard University announced Tuesday it will no longer weigh in on public matters that don’t impact the Ivy League school’s core function, a shift that follows a historic period of turmoil at the storied university.', 'Harvard leaders announcedthe new policy after forming a working group in April to debate when the university should speak out.', 'Thatgroup concludedthat Harvard has a “responsibility to speak out to protect and promote its core function,” including to “defend the university’s autonomy and academic freedom when threatened.”', '“The university and its leaders should not, however, issue official statements about public matters that do not directly affect the university’s core function,” the working group said in its report.', 'The report went on to warn that the “integrity and credibility of the institution are compromised when the university speaks officially on matters outside its institutional area of expertise.”', 'The move comes after Claudine Gay, the first Black president in Harvard’s nearly 400-year history, stepped down in January amid a swirl of controversyand plagiarism allegations.', 'Gay faced intense pressure following her initial public statements on theOctober 7terror attack on Israel and then after her testimony before lawmakers on campus antisemitism.', 'Alan Garber, who replaced Gay as president on interim basis, announced Tuesday the university has accepted the working group’s report and recommendations, which have also been endorsed by The Harvard Corporation, the university’s top governing body.', '“The process of translating these principles into concrete practice will, of course, require time and experience, and we look forward to the work ahead,” Garber said.']",0.0582536576677575,"Thatgroup concludedthat Harvard has a “responsibility to speak out to protect and promote its core function,” including to “defend the university’s autonomy and academic freedom when threatened.”",Gay faced intense pressure following her initial public statements on theOctober 7terror attack on Israel and then after her testimony before lawmakers on campus antisemitism.,-0.7662350237369537,,The report went on to warn that the “integrity and credibility of the institution are compromised when the university speaks officially on matters outside its institutional area of expertise.”,2024-05-28
Maybe you should stay home? 4 charts break down a busy Memorial Day weekend travel outlook,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/memorial-day-travel-dg/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:54 AM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","The nation’s highways and airports have been crowded with people marking the unofficial start of summer this Memorial Day weekend. Travel volumes for the first few days of the holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data from the Transportation Security Administration.
    
            The more than 2.9 million travelers who passed through airports Friday set the record for the most passengers screened in a single day by the agency. TSA says five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month — a sign that travel is ramping up headed into summer.
    
            Last year, TSA reported passenger volumes that slightly exceeded those of 2019 for the stretch from Thursday before Memorial Day to the Wednesday after.
    
            This year, airlines were gearing up for an even busier weekend, with more than 269,000 flights scheduled from Thursday through Tuesday — up from more than 264,000 during the same period last year.
    
            AAA also forecasted a significant surge in air travel, with more than 3.5 million people expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase from 2019.
    
            Across all methods of transportation, AAA projected nearly 44 million travelers, which could be the most since 2005. The vast majority of American travelers — nearly 90%, according to AAA — will opt for the nation’s roadways.
    
            For the more than 38 million travelers AAA projected to drive, gas prices will average around $3.65 per gallon nationally, as of May 23. Prices vary dramatically by region, with the highest levels on the West Coast: In California, a gallon of regular gasoline averages about $5.16. By contrast, motorists in the South will find the cheapest prices, with Mississippi having the lowest price: Just over $3.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['The nation’s highways and airports have been crowded with people marking the unofficial start of summer this Memorial Day weekend.', 'Travel volumes for the first few days of the holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data from the Transportation Security Administration.', 'The more than 2.9 million travelers who passed through airports Friday set the record for the most passengers screened in a single day by the agency.', 'TSA says five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month — a sign that travel is ramping up headed into summer.', 'Last year, TSA reported passenger volumes that slightly exceeded those of 2019 for the stretch from Thursday before Memorial Day to the Wednesday after.', 'This year, airlines were gearing up for an even busier weekend, with more than 269,000 flights scheduled from Thursday through Tuesday —up from more than 264,000 during the same period last year.', 'AAA also forecasteda significant surge in air travel, withmore than 3.5 million people expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase from 2019.', 'Across all methods of transportation, AAA projected nearly 44 million travelers, which could be the most since 2005.', 'The vast majority of American travelers— nearly 90%, according to AAA — will opt for the nation’s roadways.', 'For the more than 38 million travelers AAA projected to drive, gas prices will average around $3.65 per gallon nationally, as of May 23.', 'Prices vary dramatically by region, with the highest levels on the West Coast: In California, a gallon of regular gasoline averages about $5.16.', 'By contrast, motorists in the South will find the cheapest prices, with Mississippi having the lowest price: Just over $3.']",0.0599776470492368,"Travel volumes for the first few days of the holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data from the Transportation Security Administration.","By contrast, motorists in the South will find the cheapest prices, with Mississippi having the lowest price: Just over $3.",0.9421618580818176,"AAA also forecasteda significant surge in air travel, withmore than 3.5 million people expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase from 2019.",,2024-05-28
"CFPB says buy now, pay later firms must comply with U.S. credit card laws",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/cfpb-buy-now-pay-later-credit-card-laws.html,2024-05-22T20:39:22+0000,"In this articleThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau declared on Wednesday that customers of the burgeoning buy now, pay later industry have the same federal protections as users of credit cards.The agency unveiled what it called an ""interpretive rule"" that deemed BNPL lenders essentially the same as traditional credit card providers under the decades-old Truth in Lending Act.That means the industry — currently dominated by fintech firms like Affirm, Klarna and PayPal — must make refunds for returned products or canceled services, must investigate merchant disputes and pause payments during those probes, and must provide bills with fee disclosures.""Regardless of whether a shopper swipes a credit card or uses Buy Now, Pay Later, they are entitled to important consumer protections under long-standing laws and regulations already on the books,"" CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a release.The CFPB, which last week was handed a crucial victory by the Supreme Court, has pushed hard against the U.S. financial industry, issuing rules that slashed credit card late fees and overdraft penalties. The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing. Among CFPB concerns are that some users are given more debt than they can handle, he said.""Buy now, pay later is now a major part of our consumer credit market as these loans provide a meaningful alternative to other options for consumers,"" Chopra told reporters. ""The CFPB wants to make sure that these new competitive offerings are not gaining an advantage by sidestepping longstanding rights and responsibilities enshrined under the law.""It's unclear how many BNPL providers don't comply with refund and dispute requirements; on the website for Affirm, for instance, there are pages for both activities.While the CFPB acknowledged that many BNPL players offer those services, the new rule will ensure that they are applied consistently across the industry, a senior agency official told reporters.The new rule will go into effect in 60 days, and the agency is now accepting public commentary on it, the official said.Shares of Affirm were off 5.2% Wednesday, while PayPal slipped 3%.For some time, BNPL providers have anticipated greater regulation, including efforts to apply existing card rules onto the industry. In March, Klarna published a post arguing that its no-interest product was less risky for customers than credit cards — which can often come with steep interest rates — thus requiring less oversight.""Instead of trying to jam BNPL into an outdated credit card framework that does little to actually protect consumers, leaders in Washington should draft and implement a framework for BNPL that is proportionate to the risk it poses,"" Klarna said at the time.In a statement provided Wednesday, Klarna called the CFPB move a ""significant step forward"" in BNPL regulation, adding that it already adhered to standards for refunds, disputes and billing information.""But it is baffling that the CFPB has overlooked the fundamental differences between interest-free BNPL and credit cards, whose whole business model is based on trapping customers into a cycle of paying sky-high interest rates month after month,"" said a Klarna spokesperson.An Affirm spokesman said the company was ""encouraged"" that the CFPB was promoting industry standards, ""many of which already reflect how Affirm operates,"" and that it was engaged with the regulator on improving how it operates.""Affirm's success is aligned with responsibly extending access to credit as we do not charge late or hidden fees,"" the spokesman said. ""We urge other companies that offer buy now, pay later products to live up to the industry's promise to provide consumers with a more flexible and transparent alternative to other payment options.""The industry's stance raises the possibility that, like other financial players including payday lenders, BNPL companies could push back against the CFPB rule by suing the agency.The CFPB rule capping credit card late fees at $8 per incident, which was set to go into effect this month, was challenged and paused by a federal judge recently.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"['In this articleThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau declared on Wednesday that customers of the burgeoning buy now, pay later industry have the same federal protections as users of credit cards.', 'The agency unveiled what it called an ""interpretive rule"" that deemed BNPL lenders essentially the same as traditional credit card providers under the decades-old Truth in Lending Act.', 'That means the industry — currently dominated by fintech firms like Affirm, Klarna and PayPal — must make refunds for returned products or canceled services, must investigate merchant disputes and pause payments during those probes, and must provide bills with fee disclosures.', '""Regardless of whether a shopper swipes a credit card or uses Buy Now, Pay Later, they are entitled to important consumer protections under long-standing laws and regulations already on the books,"" CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a release.', 'The CFPB, which last week was handed a crucial victory by the Supreme Court, has pushed hard against the U.S. financial industry, issuing rules that slashed credit card late fees and overdraft penalties.', 'The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing.', 'Among CFPB concerns are that some users are given more debt than they can handle, he said.', '""Buy now, pay later is now a major part of our consumer credit market as these loans provide a meaningful alternative to other options for consumers,"" Chopra told reporters. ""', 'The CFPB wants to make sure that these new competitive offerings are not gaining an advantage by sidestepping longstanding rights and responsibilities enshrined under the law.', '""It\'s unclear how many BNPL providers don\'t comply with refund and dispute requirements; on the website for Affirm, for instance, there are pages for both activities.', 'While the CFPB acknowledged that many BNPL players offer those services, the new rule will ensure that they are applied consistently across the industry, a senior agency official told reporters.', 'The new rule will go into effect in 60 days, and the agency is now accepting public commentary on it, the official said.', 'Shares of Affirm were off 5.2% Wednesday, while PayPal slipped 3%.For some time, BNPL providers have anticipated greater regulation, including efforts to apply existing card rules onto the industry.', 'In March, Klarna published a post arguing that its no-interest product was less risky for customers than credit cards — which can often come with steep interest rates — thus requiring less oversight.', '""Instead of trying to jam BNPL into an outdated credit card framework that does little to actually protect consumers, leaders in Washington should draft and implement a framework for BNPL that is proportionate to the risk it poses,"" Klarna said at the time.', 'In a statement provided Wednesday, Klarna called the CFPB move a ""significant step forward"" in BNPL regulation, adding that it already adhered to standards for refunds, disputes and billing information.', '""But it is baffling that the CFPB has overlooked the fundamental differences between interest-free BNPL and credit cards, whose whole business model is based on trapping customers into a cycle of paying sky-high interest rates month after month,"" said a Klarna spokesperson.', 'An Affirm spokesman said the company was ""encouraged"" that the CFPB was promoting industry standards, ""many of which already reflect how Affirm operates,"" and that it was engaged with the regulator on improving how it operates.', '""Affirm\'s success is aligned with responsibly extending access to credit as we do not charge late or hidden fees,"" the spokesman said. ""', ""We urge other companies that offer buy now, pay later products to live up to the industry's promise to provide consumers with a more flexible and transparent alternative to other payment options."", '""The industry\'s stance raises the possibility that, like other financial players including payday lenders, BNPL companies could push back against the CFPB rule by suing the agency.', 'The CFPB rule capping credit card late fees at $8 per incident, which was set to go into effect this month, was challenged and paused by a federal judge recently.']",0.3036623994723746,"""But it is baffling that the CFPB has overlooked the fundamental differences between interest-free BNPL and credit cards, whose whole business model is based on trapping customers into a cycle of paying sky-high interest rates month after month,"" said a Klarna spokesperson.","The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing.",0.3937838352643527,"The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing.","Shares of Affirm were off 5.2% Wednesday, while PayPal slipped 3%.For some time, BNPL providers have anticipated greater regulation, including efforts to apply existing card rules onto the industry.",2024-05-28
Shaking seats and piped-in fog: How 4DX is carving out a niche moviegoing market,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/27/4dx-movie-experience.html,2024-05-27T20:12:29+0000,"In George Miller's new Mad Max film ""Furiosa,"" a red paint flare explodes and casts the theater screen in a saturated crimson cloud.Feet away, among the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, plumes of fog roll in, catching the red hue from the screen as if the flare somehow transcended the fourth wall and infiltrated the cinema. The fog parts, Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into focus and grins at the audience.This is the 4DX viewing experience. It's one of many multi-sensory moments programmed for ""Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,"" which opened in theaters Friday, in order to immerse audiences in Miller's latest visit to the vast Wasteland. And it amounts to a key value proposition at a time when cinemas are desperate to lure back moviegoers, particularly those in the younger demographics.""We make movies different,"" said Duncan Macdonald, head of worldwide marketing and theatre development for CJ 4DPlex Americas. ""We are so different out there, with our motion capabilities and our environmental effects.""In the wake of the pandemic, audiences grew used to shorter theatrical windows and having access to more content at home. At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters. As a result, consumers fell out of the habit of going to cinemas.Moviegoers who have returned are seeking premium experiences — higher-quality picture and sound — and are willing to pay more for those tickets. 4DX is one option in the premium large format market alongside the likes of IMAX and Dolby Cinema. CJ 4DPlex also owns the ScreenX format.""Premium movie theatre experiences are key to the health of the industry and with fewer films in the marketplace on average than in past years, the importance and essential nature of a company like 4DX comes into sharp focus,"" said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.4DX utilizes motion seats, practical effects and sensory elements to immerse viewers in a movie. For Warner Bros.' ""Wonka,"" the company piped in the smell of chocolate during screenings.CJ 4DPlex Americas CEO Don Savant says the experience is ""complementary"" to routine moviegoing experiences, noting that 4DX cinemas attract younger consumers, predominantly in the 10-to-30 age range, who are seeking more experiential viewing.For consumers, the 4DX experience costs an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, meaning a ticket can range from $20 to $30 each. But the extra cost doesn't seem to be detering audiences.Last year, 4DX's domestic locations tallied $53.4 million in ticket sales.""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often."" And, for major blockbuster titles, 4DX is proving to be even more popular. Ticket sales for Disney's ""Avatar: The Way of Water"" topped $83.6 million from 4DX screens, or about 3.6% of the film's total box office haul. It is currently the highest-grossing film for the screen format, Savant said.""We want to give customers an easy excuse to leave their homes and visit a local Regal theater,"" said CEO Eduardo Acuna of Regal Cinemas. ""Premium formats like 4DX offer a movie-watching experience that cannot be replicated by any home theater setup. Each premium format serves a different purpose for storytelling, and each increases the enjoyment of watching a movie in a different and immersive way.""Acuna noted that 4DX auditoriums are ""a strong box office performer"" for Regal.Regal is the largest operator of 4DX screens domestically, with 50 of the 62 locations found in the U.S. and Canada. Globally, there are nearly 750 4DX screens with numerous theatrical partners. The highest volume is in Asia and Europe.Savant said 4DX is adding around 25 to 30 screens per year worldwide, but is looking to push that figure up to 50 to 60 screens a year. The company is seeking to have around 1,200 4DX locations in the next five years. On average, each theater has around 140 seats.Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it's flicked in the face of a character on the screen.Last year, 4DX programmed more than 100 films for the souped-up viewing experience. Around 40 to 45 of those were major Hollywood titles, Savant said. Others included concert content, musical singalongs, anniversary titles and local language films.Typically, the 4DX programmers, who are based in Seoul, have two to three weeks to craft the motion and special effects, although Savant said they can turn around a film in a week if the need arises. 4DX can program three titles at a time.Both Macdonald and Savant referred to 4DX's programmers as ""artists,"" describing the process — from the subwoofers in the seats to the fog machines — as different brushstrokes in a work of art.""Every film is different,"" said Macdonald. ""So we look at the nuances of the different films that we have and how those are programmed.""In some cases filmmakers will get involved, offering suggestions for when certain effects should be used and how subtle or bombastic they should feel or look.""It's the most dynamic way to see [a film],"" Savant said.",CNBC,27/05/2024,"['In George Miller\'s new Mad Max film ""Furiosa,"" a red paint flare explodes and casts the theater screen in a saturated crimson cloud.', 'Feet away, among the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, plumes of fog roll in, catching the red hue from the screen as if the flare somehow transcended the fourth wall and infiltrated the cinema.', 'The fog parts, Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into focus and grins at the audience.', 'This is the 4DX viewing experience.', 'It\'s one of many multi-sensory moments programmed for ""Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,"" which opened in theaters Friday, in order to immerse audiences in Miller\'s latest visit to the vast Wasteland.', 'And it amounts to a key value proposition at a time when cinemas are desperate to lure back moviegoers, particularly those in the younger demographics.', '""We make movies different,"" said Duncan Macdonald, head of worldwide marketing and theatre development for CJ 4DPlex Americas. ""', 'We are so different out there, with our motion capabilities and our environmental effects.', '""In the wake of the pandemic, audiences grew used to shorter theatrical windows and having access to more content at home.', 'At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters.', 'As a result, consumers fell out of the habit of going to cinemas.', 'Moviegoers who have returned are seeking premium experiences — higher-quality picture and sound — and are willing to pay more for those tickets.', '4DX is one option in the premium large format market alongside the likes of IMAX and Dolby Cinema.', 'CJ 4DPlex also owns the ScreenX format.', '""Premium movie theatre experiences are key to the health of the industry and with fewer films in the marketplace on average than in past years, the importance and essential nature of a company like 4DX comes into sharp focus,"" said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.4DX utilizes motion seats, practical effects and sensory elements to immerse viewers in a movie.', 'For Warner Bros.\' ""Wonka,"" the company piped in the smell of chocolate during screenings.', 'CJ 4DPlex Americas CEO Don Savant says the experience is ""complementary"" to routine moviegoing experiences, noting that 4DX cinemas attract younger consumers, predominantly in the 10-to-30 age range, who are seeking more experiential viewing.', 'For consumers, the 4DX experience costs an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, meaning a ticket can range from $20 to $30 each.', ""But the extra cost doesn't seem to be detering audiences."", ""Last year, 4DX's domestic locations tallied $53.4 million in ticket sales."", '""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""', 'This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often.', '""And, for major blockbuster titles, 4DX is proving to be even more popular.', 'Ticket sales for Disney\'s ""Avatar: The Way of Water"" topped $83.6 million from 4DX screens, or about 3.6% of the film\'s total box office haul.', 'It is currently the highest-grossing film for the screen format, Savant said.', '""We want to give customers an easy excuse to leave their homes and visit a local Regal theater,"" said CEO Eduardo Acuna of Regal Cinemas. ""', 'Premium formats like 4DX offer a movie-watching experience that cannot be replicated by any home theater setup.', 'Each premium format serves a different purpose for storytelling, and each increases the enjoyment of watching a movie in a different and immersive way.', '""Acuna noted that 4DX auditoriums are ""a strong box office performer"" for Regal.', 'Regal is the largest operator of 4DX screens domestically, with 50 of the 62 locations found in the U.S. and Canada.', 'Globally, there are nearly 750 4DX screens with numerous theatrical partners.', 'The highest volume is in Asia and Europe.', 'Savant said 4DX is adding around 25 to 30 screens per year worldwide, but is looking to push that figure up to 50 to 60 screens a year.', 'The company is seeking to have around 1,200 4DX locations in the next five years.', 'On average, each theater has around 140 seats.', 'Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.\' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it\'s flicked in the face of a character on the screen.', 'Last year, 4DX programmed more than 100 films for the souped-up viewing experience.', 'Around 40 to 45 of those were major Hollywood titles, Savant said.', 'Others included concert content, musical singalongs, anniversary titles and local language films.', 'Typically, the 4DX programmers, who are based in Seoul, have two to three weeks to craft the motion and special effects, although Savant said they can turn around a film in a week if the need arises.', '4DX can program three titles at a time.', 'Both Macdonald and Savant referred to 4DX\'s programmers as ""artists,"" describing the process — from the subwoofers in the seats to the fog machines — as different brushstrokes in a work of art.', '""Every film is different,"" said Macdonald. ""', 'So we look at the nuances of the different films that we have and how those are programmed.', '""In some cases filmmakers will get involved, offering suggestions for when certain effects should be used and how subtle or bombastic they should feel or look.', '""It\'s the most dynamic way to see [a film],"" Savant said.']",0.1083172602505117,"""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""","Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it's flicked in the face of a character on the screen.",0.6972404505525317,"This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often.","At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters.",2024-05-28
Here's how U.S. health officials are responding to bird flu in humans after second case,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/bird-flu-what-to-know-about-human-cases-vaccines.html,2024-05-24T23:09:44+0000,"U.S. health officials are monitoring and preparing to combat bird flu in humans, even as they emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low. A strain of bird flu called H5N1 has been confirmed in dairy cows across nine U.S. states, as well as in two people, amid a global outbreak among poultry and other animals. The latest case was announced Wednesday in a dairy farm worker in Michigan. A child in Australia was also recently infected with bird flu, the country announced Tuesday.H5N1 has been spreading among more animal species worldwide since 2020, but its detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was a twist health officials did not expect. In rare cases, bird flu viruses spread to humans and can cause mild to severe symptoms that can require hospitalization. There is currently no evidence that H5N1 is spreading from person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population. Still, the U.S. government, along with state and local health departments, are monitoring new and emerging infections among humans and animals. Federal agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere have also tracked the H5N1 virus for years to monitor its evolution. The U.S. government has long stockpiled vaccines and drugs to be used in a possible bird flu pandemic. Last week, it started the process of preparing nearly 5 million doses of vaccines expected to be well-matched against H5N1, among other efforts to respond, the Health and Human Services Department confirmed to CNBC. Some infectious disease experts told CNBC the U.S. government appears to be generally prepared if bird flu begins to spread more widely and easily to humans, especially compared with how equipped the country was for the Covid pandemic. The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed. ""There's a lot of pieces that are already in place that help us understand that we can respond to this faster,"" said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. ""As is always the case, though, it's about the efficiency of our responses, right? We know what we can do. We just have to be able to do it effectively.""The latest human infection, in the Michigan dairy worker, is not a surprise, according to both experts and the government. The CDC said Wednesday that similar cases in humans could be identified because high levels of the virus have been found in raw milk from infected cows.The U.S. government currently has two vaccine virus candidates that it believes are a good match for H5N1. Those candidates are weakened versions of a virus that trigger a protective immune response against it in the body and can be used to produce vaccines.Both of the candidates are already available to manufacturers, according to the CDC. The government last week started the process of manufacturing 4.8 million doses of those human vaccines in case they are needed, HHS confirmed. Pekosz called those doses a ""first line of defense in case we do see some human-to-human transmission."" He said that number is enough to stem an outbreak in its early stages, which could include vaccinating farm workers and some health-care workers. But he said far more are needed for the more than 300 million people in the U.S. if the virus spreads widely among humans. ""Five million doesn't really get us very far. It's just a quick start,"" Pekosz said. U.S. health officials said May 1 that the government could ship more than 100 million doses of human bird flu vaccines within three to four months if needed, NBC News reported. Notably, people will need two doses of a vaccine, meaning that 100 million doses is enough for only 50 million people. That suggests the U.S. would need roughly 600 million shots if it wanted to vaccinate the entire population. The government faces a difficult decision on how many shots to prepare, especially since it takes a few months to make them.""It's either too little or too much. For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. ""That's really the whole big conundrum now with a vaccine whenever you have a potential threat. It's the high cost and high-risk aspects.""Chin-Hong said misinformation and vaccine hesitancy after Covid makes that decision all the more challenging. But he said he believes ""you can never really invest too much"" in preparing for potential pandemics, especially at a time when climate change, population growth and other factors make them increasingly likely to happen.The Food and Drug Administration would need to approve bird flu vaccines before they roll out. But Pekosz said that will likely be a ""rapid procedure"" since the FDA is accustomed to clearing seasonal flu vaccines, which are made using the same manufacturing process as bird flu shots. U.S. health officials are also in talks with messenger RNA vaccine makers about potential bird flu shots for humans. Few details have been shared about those negotiations, but HHS said a final announcement is expected soon. Unlike traditional flu shots, mRNA works by teaching cells to produce a harmless piece of a virus, which triggers an immune response against certain diseases. It is the same technology both Pfizer and Moderna have used in their Covid vaccines. Chin-Hong said mRNA vaccines could be updated more quickly to match the currently circulating strains of the bird flu. But he said those vaccines have their own challenges, such as needing to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.In a statement to CNBC, Moderna confirmed that it is involved in negotiations with the government regarding its experimental pandemic influenza shot, mRNA-1018. It targets the exact strain of the virus responsible for the outbreak in dairy cattle. The biotech company began testing that shot in an early- to mid-stage trial last summer.Pfizer declined to confirm negotiations with the government. The company said it is continuing to monitor the spread of H5N1 and study its mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine candidates in an early trial. The CDC and its partners, including state and local health departments, use multiple surveillance systems to monitor seasonal influenza and other illnesses. They also have specialized methods to detect and monitor new flu viruses. Seasonal influenza spreads mostly among humans with predictable peaks during the year, while bird flu spreads mostly among wild birds and other animals.The CDC said it is looking for the spread of H5N1 to or among people in areas where the virus has been identified in animals or humans. So far, the agency has found ""no indicators of unusual influenza activity in people,"" including H5N1, according to an update on the agency's site from last week. The CDC also performs ongoing analyses of seasonal and new influenza viruses to identify genetic changes that might allow for them to cause more serious infections in humans, spread more easily to and between people or become less susceptible to vaccines and drugs.While there is robust testing on the federal, state and local levels, it is far more difficult for an average person to self-screen and get diagnosed for bird flu like they can for Covid, Chin-Hong said. That's ""the big barrier, particularly in the populations that are getting affected now,"" he said.Chin-Hong is referring to farm workers, a large share of whom are immigrants, who may struggle to navigate the U.S. health system due to language barriers and health-care access. If people do contract the virus, there are a few FDA-approved antiviral drugs for seasonal flu that can be used for bird flu. That includes Tamiflu, which is an oral prescription medication that should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms. A Texas dairy farm worker who was diagnosed with bird flu in March was treated with an antiviral drug and recovered, according to a CDC report.But Pekosz said the antiviral drugs in the nation's stockpile are likely not enough for the vast majority of the population, so manufacturers may be asked to scale up supply.The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.People who need to make contact with those animals should wear the appropriate mask and eye protection and wash their hands afterward.Torriani added that pasteurized milk and cheese are likely safer to consume than raw dairy products since the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['U.S. health officials are monitoring and preparing to combat bird flu in humans, even as they emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low.', 'A strain of bird flu called H5N1 has been confirmed in dairy cows across nine U.S. states, as well as in two people, amid a global outbreak among poultry and other animals.', 'The latest case was announced Wednesday in a dairy farm worker in Michigan.', 'A child in Australia was also recently infected with bird flu, the country announced Tuesday.', 'H5N1 has been spreading among more animal species worldwide since 2020, but its detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was a twist health officials did not expect.', 'In rare cases, bird flu viruses spread to humans and can cause mild to severe symptoms that can require hospitalization.', 'There is currently no evidence that H5N1 is spreading from person to person.', 'The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population.', 'Still, the U.S. government, along with state and local health departments, are monitoring new and emerging infections among humans and animals.', 'Federal agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere have also tracked the H5N1 virus for years to monitor its evolution.', 'The U.S. government has long stockpiled vaccines and drugs to be used in a possible bird flu pandemic.', 'Last week, it started the process of preparing nearly 5 million doses of vaccines expected to be well-matched against H5N1, among other efforts to respond, the Health and Human Services Department confirmed to CNBC.Some infectious disease experts told CNBC the U.S. government appears to be generally prepared if bird flu begins to spread more widely and easily to humans, especially compared with how equipped the country was for the Covid pandemic.', 'The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed.', '""There\'s a lot of pieces that are already in place that help us understand that we can respond to this faster,"" said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. ""', ""As is always the case, though, it's about the efficiency of our responses, right?"", 'We know what we can do.', 'We just have to be able to do it effectively.', '""The latest human infection, in the Michigan dairy worker, is not a surprise, according to both experts and the government.', 'The CDC said Wednesday that similar cases in humans could be identified because high levels of the virus have been found in raw milk from infected cows.', 'The U.S. government currently has two vaccine virus candidates that it believes are a good match for H5N1.', 'Those candidates are weakened versions of a virus that trigger a protective immune response against it in the body and can be used to produce vaccines.', 'Both of the candidates are already available to manufacturers, according to the CDC.', 'The government last week started the process of manufacturing 4.8 million doses of those human vaccines in case they are needed, HHS confirmed.', 'Pekosz called those doses a ""first line of defense in case we do see some human-to-human transmission.""', 'He said that number is enough to stem an outbreak in its early stages, which could include vaccinating farm workers and some health-care workers.', 'But he said far more are needed for the more than 300 million people in the U.S. if the virus spreads widely among humans.', '""Five million doesn\'t really get us very far.', 'It\'s just a quick start,"" Pekosz said.', 'U.S. health officials said May 1 that the government could ship more than 100 million doses of human bird flu vaccines within three to four months if needed, NBC News reported.', 'Notably, people will need two doses of a vaccine, meaning that 100 million doses is enough for only 50 million people.', 'That suggests the U.S. would need roughly 600 million shots if it wanted to vaccinate the entire population.', 'The government faces a difficult decision on how many shots to prepare, especially since it takes a few months to make them.', '""It\'s either too little or too much.', 'For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. ""', ""That's really the whole big conundrum now with a vaccine whenever you have a potential threat."", ""It's the high cost and high-risk aspects."", '""Chin-Hong said misinformation and vaccine hesitancy after Covid makes that decision all the more challenging.', 'But he said he believes ""you can never really invest too much"" in preparing for potential pandemics, especially at a time when climate change, population growth and other factors make them increasingly likely to happen.', 'The Food and Drug Administration would need to approve bird flu vaccines before they roll out.', 'But Pekosz said that will likely be a ""rapid procedure"" since the FDA is accustomed to clearing seasonal flu vaccines, which are made using the same manufacturing process as bird flu shots.', 'U.S. health officials are also in talks with messenger RNA vaccine makers about potential bird flu shots for humans.', 'Few details have been shared about those negotiations, but HHS said a final announcement is expected soon.', 'Unlike traditional flu shots, mRNA works by teaching cells to produce a harmless piece of a virus, which triggers an immune response against certain diseases.', 'It is the same technology both Pfizer and Moderna have used in their Covid vaccines.', 'Chin-Hong said mRNA vaccines could be updated more quickly to match the currently circulating strains of the bird flu.', 'But he said those vaccines have their own challenges, such as needing to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.', 'In a statement to CNBC, Moderna confirmed that it is involved in negotiations with the government regarding its experimental pandemic influenza shot, mRNA-1018.', 'It targets the exact strain of the virus responsible for the outbreak in dairy cattle.', 'The biotech company began testing that shot in an early- to mid-stage trial last summer.', 'Pfizer declined to confirm negotiations with the government.', 'The company said it is continuing to monitor the spread of H5N1 and study its mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine candidates in an early trial.', 'The CDC and its partners, including state and local health departments, use multiple surveillance systems to monitor seasonal influenza and other illnesses.', 'They also have specialized methods to detect and monitor new flu viruses.', 'Seasonal influenza spreads mostly among humans with predictable peaks during the year, while bird flu spreads mostly among wild birds and other animals.', 'The CDC said it is looking for the spread of H5N1 to or among people in areas where the virus has been identified in animals or humans.', 'So far, the agency has found ""no indicators of unusual influenza activity in people,"" including H5N1, according to an update on the agency\'s site from last week.', 'The CDC also performs ongoing analyses of seasonal and new influenza viruses to identify genetic changes that might allow for them to cause more serious infections in humans, spread more easily to and between people or become less susceptible to vaccines and drugs.', 'While there is robust testing on the federal, state and local levels, it isfar more difficult for an average person to self-screen and get diagnosed for bird flu like they can for Covid, Chin-Hong said.', 'That\'s ""the big barrier, particularly in the populations that are getting affected now,""he said.', 'Chin-Hong is referring to farm workers, a large share of whom are immigrants, who may struggle to navigate the U.S. health system due to language barriers and health-care access.', 'If people do contract the virus, there are a few FDA-approved antiviral drugs for seasonal flu that can be used for bird flu.', 'That includes Tamiflu, which is an oral prescription medication that should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms.', 'A Texas dairy farm worker who was diagnosed with bird flu in March was treated with an antiviral drug and recovered, according to a CDC report.', ""But Pekosz said the antiviral drugs in the nation's stockpile are likely not enough for the vast majority of the population, so manufacturers may be asked to scale up supply."", 'The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.', 'People who need to make contact with those animals should wear the appropriate mask and eye protection and wash their hands afterward.', 'Torriani added that pasteurized milk and cheese are likely safer to consume than raw dairy products since the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria.']",-0.0904653041936938,"The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed.","The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.",0.4238584800200028,The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population.,"For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. """,2024-05-28
Target shares slide as consumers buy fewer groceries and home goods,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/target-tgt-q1-2024-earnings.html,2024-05-22T20:31:45+0000,"In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries. The Minneapolis-based discounter's revenue in the fiscal first quarter was about in line with expectations.On a call with reporters, CEO Brian Cornell said the company's results reflect ""continued soft trends in discretionary categories."" He said the company wants to make sure it offers customers value and communicates that in a clear way, with moves like its relaunched loyalty program. Target also announced Monday it was cutting prices on thousands of everyday items, including milk, bread, paper towels and diapers.Target stuck with its prior full-year forecast, saying it expects comparable sales will range from flat to up 2% and adjusted earnings per share will be $8.60 to $9.60. Company leaders said the retailer is on track to return to sales growth in the second quarter.Shares of the company closed about 8% lower on Wednesday.Here's what Target reported for the three-month period that ended May 4 compared with what Wall Street expected, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:It marked the first time since November 2022 that Target missed earnings expectations. Target's net income for the period fell by less than 1% to $942 million, or $2.03 per share, from $950 million, or $2.05 per share, in the year-ago quarter. Total revenue declined about 3% from $25.32 billion in the prior year.Like other retailers, Target has tried to win over consumers who are not spending as freely on clothing, home goods or other discretionary items. The cheap chic retailer has been particularly hurt by the dynamic because it gets less of its sales from food than rival Walmart, which draws about 60% of its U.S. sales from groceries. That compares with roughly 20% at Target.Inflation cooled slightly in April, but the consumer price index was still up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. The key measure gauges how much goods and services cost at the cash register.Target acknowledged that challenge with this week's price cuts. The company is also competing with other discounters, including Walmart, Aldi and Lidl, that are chasing deal-hunting shoppers.Walmart, for example, has gained market share from higher-income shoppers and recently introduced a premium food brand with most items under $5. The company's CFO, John David Rainey, also said last week that customers are turning to its grocery aisles for cheaper meals because of the rising prices of fast food.In Target's first quarter, customer traffic, which includes online and stores, fell 1.9%. The average amount that customers spent on those visits dropped 1.9%, too.Digital sales grew 1.4%. It marked the first increase in digital sales in more than a year.Comparable sales, also called same-store sales, tumbled 3.7%, as shoppers bought beauty items but less of other discretionary categories like apparel and home. That decline was in line with what analysts expected, according to StreetAccount.Discretionary merchandise wasn't the only part of the store under pressure. Sales in frequency categories, food and beverage and beauty and household essentials, declined by low single digits, Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said on a call with reporters.Still, Hennington said Target is seeing some encouraging trends compared with recent quarters. Sales of apparel improved by nearly 4 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter, as customers bought outfits for spring.She said Target's limited-time collection with Diane von Furstenberg drove millions of unique visits to the retailer's website each day of the launch week and lifted the size of customers' baskets by around 15% on average.Other unique items also drove spending, she said. They included its partnership with tennis and lifestyle brand Prince to sell pickleball gear and Taylor Swift's latest album, which Target capitalized on with in-store events and photo ops.– CNBC's Robert Hum contributed to this report.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries."", ""The Minneapolis-based discounter's revenuein the fiscal first quarterwas about in line with expectations."", 'On a call with reporters, CEO Brian Cornell said the company\'s results reflect ""continued soft trends in discretionary categories.', '""He said the company wants to make sure it offers customers value and communicates that in a clear way, with moves like its relaunched loyalty program.', 'Target also announced Monday it was cutting prices on thousands of everyday items, including milk, bread, paper towels and diapers.', 'Target stuck with its prior full-year forecast, saying it expects comparable sales will range from flat to up 2% and adjusted earnings per share will be $8.60 to $9.60.Company leaders said the retailer is on track to return to sales growth in the second quarter.', 'Shares of the company closed about 8% lower on Wednesday.', ""Here's what Target reported for thethree-month periodthat ended May 4 compared with what Wall Street expected, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:It marked the first time since November 2022 that Target missed earnings expectations."", ""Target's net income for the period fell by less than 1% to $942 million, or $2.03 per share, from $950 million, or $2.05 per share, in the year-ago quarter."", 'Total revenue declined about 3% from $25.32 billion in the prior year.', 'Like other retailers, Target has tried to win over consumers who are not spending as freely on clothing, home goods or other discretionary items.', 'The cheap chic retailer has been particularly hurt by the dynamic because it gets less of its sales from food than rival Walmart, which draws about 60% of its U.S. sales from groceries.', 'That compares with roughly 20% at Target.', 'Inflation cooled slightly in April, but the consumer price index was still up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis.', 'The key measure gauges how much goods and services cost at the cash register.', ""Target acknowledged that challenge with this week's price cuts."", 'The company is also competing with other discounters, including Walmart, Aldi and Lidl, that are chasing deal-hunting shoppers.', 'Walmart, for example, has gained market share from higher-income shoppers and recently introduced a premium food brand with most items under $5.', ""The company's CFO, John David Rainey, also said last week that customers are turning to its grocery aisles for cheaper meals because of the rising prices of fast food."", ""In Target's first quarter, customer traffic, which includes online and stores, fell 1.9%."", 'The average amount that customers spent on those visits dropped 1.9%, too.', 'Digital sales grew 1.4%.', 'It marked the first increase in digital sales in more than a year.', 'Comparable sales, also called same-store sales, tumbled 3.7%, as shoppers bought beauty items but less of other discretionary categories like apparel and home.', 'That decline was in line with what analysts expected, according to StreetAccount.', ""Discretionary merchandise wasn't the only part of the store under pressure."", 'Sales in frequency categories, food and beverage and beauty and household essentials, declined by low single digits, Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said on a call with reporters.', 'Still, Hennington said Target is seeing some encouraging trends compared with recent quarters.', 'Sales of apparel improved by nearly 4 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter, as customers bought outfits for spring.', ""She said Target's limited-time collection with Diane von Furstenberg drove millions ofunique visits to the retailer's website each day of the launch week and lifted the size of customers' baskets by around 15% on average."", 'Other unique items also drove spending, she said.', ""They included its partnership with tennis and lifestyle brand Prince to sell pickleball gear and Taylor Swift's latest album, which Target capitalized on with in-store events and photo ops.–"", ""CNBC's Robert Hum contributed to this report.""]",0.1263318924181622,"""He said the company wants to make sure it offers customers value and communicates that in a clear way, with moves like its relaunched loyalty program.","In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries.",0.0501110100746154,Digital sales grew 1.4%.,"In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries.",2024-05-28
E.l.f. Beauty shares soar 19% after retailer indicates its torrid growth may not be over,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/elf-beauty-elf-earnings-q4-2024.html,2024-05-23T20:05:14+0000,"In this articleE.l.f. Beauty posted its first billion-dollar fiscal year on Wednesday as sales spiked 77%, but the retailer is expecting its growth to slow down in the current fiscal year.The eyes, lip, face company, known for its viral marketing and prowess in winning over younger consumers, issued guidance that came in lower than analysts had forecast.Shares of E.l.f. fell after its report was initially released, but later jumped after the company suggested that its guidance was conservative.""Last year, we started our guidance at 22% to 24% range, ended the year at 77%,"" finance chief Mandy Fields told analysts. ""I'm not saying that we're promising 77% this year for sure. But what I will say is that gives you a little bit of insight into our guidance philosophy and what has worked well for us over these last five years, taking it one quarter at a time.""Shares closed about 19% higher on Thursday. Here is how E.l.f. Beauty did in its fourth fiscal quarter compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company reported net income for the three-month period that ended March 31 was $14.53 million, or 25 cents per share, compared to $16.25 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, E.l.f. posted earnings of 53 cents per share. Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.For the full year, the company's sales grew to $1.02 billion, an increase of 77% from the year-ago period.E.l.f. Beauty has been on a tear over the past year, posting sales gains in the high double-digit percentages quarter after quarter as consumers flock to its low-priced beauty products either through its own website or at retailers such as Walmart and Target. In a statement, E.l.f. CEO Tarang Amin said he believes the company is still in the ""early innings"" of its growth story and expects more to come in cosmetics, skin care and in international markets. Its guidance reflects that sentiment, but even so, the company expects to grow at a slower pace than Wall Street anticipated. E.l.f. expects net sales to be between $1.23 billion and $1.25 billion, which would be an increase of 20% to 22%. That is below the $1.27 billion, or 27.4% uptick, that analysts had expected.The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share. That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG. Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.""We have seen a slowdown in the total category,"" Kimbell said at an investor conference hosted by JPMorgan Chase. ""We came into the year — and we talked about this on our [earnings] call a few weeks ago — expecting the category to moderate. It has [had], as I said, several years of strong growth. We did not anticipate it would continue at the rate that it's been growing.""He added that the slowdown has been ""a bit earlier"" and a ""bit bigger than we thought."" Just how much Ulta's sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f. products. During a call with analysts, Amin said that it grew its business with Ulta by 80% in fiscal 2024 — ""well above where the overall growth rates were.""Read E.l.f.'s full earnings release here.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleE.l.f.', 'Beauty posted its first billion-dollar fiscal year on Wednesday as sales spiked 77%, but the retailer is expecting its growth to slow down in the current fiscal year.', 'The eyes, lip, face company, known for its viral marketing and prowess in winning over younger consumers, issued guidance that came in lower than analysts had forecast.', 'Shares of E.l.f.', 'fell after its report was initially released, but later jumped after the company suggested that its guidance was conservative.', '""Last year, we started our guidance at 22% to 24% range, ended the year at 77%,"" finance chief Mandy Fields told analysts. ""', ""I'm not saying that we're promising 77% this year for sure."", 'But what I will say is that gives you a little bit of insight into our guidance philosophy and what has worked well for us over these last five years, taking it one quarter at a time.', '""Shares closed about 19% higher on Thursday.', 'Here is how E.l.f.', 'Beauty did in its fourth fiscal quarter compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company reported net income for the three-month period that ended March 31 was $14.53 million, or 25 cents per share, compared to $16.25 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier.', 'Excluding one-time items, E.l.f.', 'posted earnings of 53 cents per share.', 'Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.', ""For the full year, the company's sales grew to $1.02 billion, an increase of 77% from the year-ago period."", 'E.l.f.', 'Beauty has been on a tear over the past year, posting sales gains in the high double-digit percentages quarter after quarter as consumers flock to its low-priced beauty products either through its own website or at retailers such as Walmart and Target.', 'In a statement, E.l.f.', 'CEO Tarang Amin said he believes the company is still in the ""early innings"" of its growth story and expects more to come in cosmetics, skin care and in international markets.', 'Its guidance reflects that sentiment, but even so, the company expects to grow at a slower pace than Wall Street anticipated.', 'E.l.f.', 'expects net sales to be between $1.23 billion and $1.25 billion, which would be an increase of 20% to 22%.', 'That is below the $1.27 billion, or 27.4% uptick, that analysts had expected.', 'The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share.', 'That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.', '""We have seen a slowdown in the total category,"" Kimbell said at an investor conference hosted by JPMorgan Chase. ""', 'We came into the year — and we talked about this on our [earnings] call a few weeks ago — expecting the category to moderate.', 'It has [had], as I said, several years of strong growth.', ""We did not anticipate it would continue at the rate that it's been growing."", '""He added that the slowdown has been ""a bit earlier"" and a ""bit bigger than we thought.', '""Just how much Ulta\'s sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f.', 'products.', 'During a call with analysts, Amin said that it grew its business with Ulta by 80% in fiscal 2024 — ""well above where the overall growth rates were.', '""Read E.l.f.', ""'s full earnings release here.""]",0.2522435666175583,"""Just how much Ulta's sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f.","The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share.",0.4884643696603321,"Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.","That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.",2024-05-28
Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN strike 5-year deal for College Football Playoff games,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/warner-bros-discovery-espn-college-football-playoff-deal.html,2024-05-22T21:46:01+0000,"In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games.Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT will carry two first-round games this year and next year and will add two additional quarterfinals games starting in 2026. Disney also has an option to sublicense a semifinals game to Warner Bros. Discovery starting with the third year of the deal if it chooses, according to people familiar with the matter.Disney will keep exclusivity on the championship game throughout the terms of the contract, which runs through 2031, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details are private. Disney is paying about $1.3 billion per year for rights to the entire College Football Playoff.The new 12-team College Football Playoff slate debuts in December, replacing a four-team tournament that began in 2014. Under the new format, the top four teams get byes while teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 play first-round games at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team.ESPN will produce the games and primarily use ESPN talent for the broadcasts, which will be TNT branded, said the people familiar. As part of the sublicensing agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery is paying ESPN an average of ""hundreds of millions"" per year for the games over the course of five years, though less in years one and two when it only has two games per year, said the people.Warner Bros. Discovery has the exclusive rights to sublicense the games for the length of the deal.""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games.""This year's first round of the CFP will take place on Dec. 20 and 21.Warner Bros. Discovery plans to add the games to its Max sports tier. The company is bulking up on live sports while in the middle of a difficult negotiation with the National Basketball Association for a package of live games.TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.College football is some of the most popular programming on television. Michigan's semifinals victory over Alabama last year drew an average audience of 27.2 million viewers — the most watched non-NFL sporting event since 2018.Even if Warner Bros. Discovery loses the NBA, it will now have both CFP and the NBA until mid-2025, in addition to several weeks of games for the NCAA men's basketball March Madness tournament, men's and women's soccer, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. That should help the company in its upcoming carriage renewal deals for TNT and its other cable networks.ESPN sublicensing to Warner Bros. Discovery also keeps all of the CFP games on Venu Sports, the new sports streaming service that's being developed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and is expected to launch in the fall.Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal.WATCH: The root problem facing streamers is the lack of daily usage, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games."", ""Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT will carry two first-round games this year and next year and will add two additional quarterfinals games starting in 2026."", 'Disney also has an option to sublicense a semifinals game to Warner Bros. Discovery starting with the third year of the deal if it chooses, according to people familiar with the matter.', 'Disney will keep exclusivity on the championship game throughout the terms of the contract, which runs through 2031, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details are private.', 'Disney is paying about $1.3 billion per year for rights to the entire College Football Playoff.', 'The new 12-team College Football Playoff slate debuts in December, replacing a four-team tournament that began in 2014.', 'Under the new format, the top four teams get byes while teams seeded No.', '5 through No.', '12 play first-round games at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team.', 'ESPN will produce the games and primarily use ESPN talent for the broadcasts, which will be TNT branded, said the people familiar.', 'As part of the sublicensing agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery is paying ESPN an average of ""hundreds of millions"" per year for the games over the course of five years, though less in years one and two when it only has two games per year, said the people.', 'Warner Bros. Discovery has the exclusive rights to sublicense the games for the length of the deal.', '""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""', 'Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games.', '""This year\'s first round of the CFP will take place on Dec. 20 and 21.Warner Bros. Discovery plans to add the games to its Max sports tier.', 'The company is bulking up on live sports while in the middle of a difficult negotiation with the National Basketball Association for a package of live games.', 'TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.', 'College football is some of the most popular programming on television.', ""Michigan's semifinals victory over Alabama last year drew an average audience of 27.2 million viewers — the most watched non-NFL sporting event since 2018.Even if Warner Bros. Discovery loses the NBA, it will now have both CFP and the NBA until mid-2025, in addition to several weeks of games for the NCAA men's basketball March Madness tournament, men's and women's soccer, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League."", 'That should help the company in its upcoming carriage renewal deals for TNT and its other cable networks.', ""ESPN sublicensing to Warner Bros. Discovery also keeps all of the CFP games on Venu Sports, the new sports streaming service that's being developed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and is expected to launch in the fall."", ""Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal."", ""WATCH: The root problem facing streamers is the lack of daily usage, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield""]",0.0846016602445628,"""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""","TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.",0.1424879431724548,"In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games.","TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.",2024-05-28
"New AI tools much hyped but not much used, study says",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c511x4g7x7jo,2024-05-28T14:28:48.477Z,"Very few people are regularly using ""much hyped"" artificial intelligence (AI) products like ChatGPT, a survey suggests. Researchers surveyed 12,000 people in six countries, including the UK, with only 2% of British respondents saying they use such tools on a daily basis. But the study, from the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, says young people are bucking the trend, with 18 to 24-year-olds the most eager adopters of the tech. Dr Richard Fletcher, the report's lead author, told the BBC there was a ""mismatch"" between the ""hype"" around AI and the ""public interest"" in it. The study examined views on generative AI tools - the new generation of products that can respond to simple text prompts with human-sounding answers as well as images, audio and video. Generative AI burst into the public consciousness when ChatGPT was launched in November 2022. The attention OpenAI's chatbot attracted set off an almighty arms race among tech firms, who ever since have been pouring billions of dollars into developing their own generative AI features. However this research indicates that, for all the money and attention lavished on generative AI, it is yet to become part of people’s routine internet use. ""Large parts of the public are not particularly interested in generative AI, and 30% of people in the UK say they have not heard of any of the most prominent products, including ChatGPT,"" Dr Fletcher said. The new generation of AI products has also sparked an intense public debate about whether they will have a positive or negative impact. Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs. The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself. This research attempted to gauge what the public thinks, finding: ""People’s hopes and fears for generative AI vary a lot depending on the sector,"" Dr Fletcher told the BBC. ""People are generally optimistic and about the use of generative AI in science and healthcare, but more wary about it being used in news and journalism, and worried about the effect it might have on job security."" He said the research showed it was important for everyone, including governments and regulators, to apply nuance to the debate around AI. The findings were based on responses to an online questionnaire fielded in six countries: Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan, the UK, and the USA. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Very few people are regularly using ""much hyped"" artificial intelligence (AI) products like ChatGPT, a survey suggests.', 'Researchers surveyed 12,000 people in six countries, including the UK, with only 2% of British respondents saying they use such tools on a daily basis.', 'But the study, from the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, says young people are bucking the trend, with 18 to 24-year-olds the most eager adopters of the tech.', 'Dr Richard Fletcher, the report\'s lead author, told the BBC there was a ""mismatch"" between the ""hype"" around AI and the ""public interest"" in it.', 'The study examined views on generative AI tools - the new generation of products that can respond to simple text prompts with human-sounding answers as well as images, audio and video.', 'Generative AI burst into the public consciousness when ChatGPT was launched in November 2022.', ""The attention OpenAI's chatbot attracted set off an almighty arms race among tech firms, who ever since have been pouring billions of dollars into developing their own generative AI features."", 'However this research indicates that, for all the money and attention lavished on generative AI, it is yet to become part of people’s routine internet use. ""', 'Large parts of the public are not particularly interested in generative AI, and 30% of people in the UK say they have not heard of any of the most prominent products, including ChatGPT,"" Dr Fletcher said.', 'The new generation of AI products has also sparked an intense public debate about whether they will have a positive or negative impact.', 'Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs.', 'The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself.', 'This research attempted to gauge what the public thinks, finding: ""People’s hopes and fears for generative AI vary a lot depending on the sector,"" Dr Fletcher told the BBC. ""', 'People are generally optimistic and about the use of generative AI in science and healthcare, but more wary about it being used in news and journalism, and worried about the effect it might have on job security.""', 'He said the research showed it was important for everyone, including governments and regulators, to apply nuance to the debate around AI.', 'The findings were based on responses to an online questionnaire fielded in six countries: Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan, the UK, and the USA.']",0.1987586757564674,"Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs.","The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself.",0.598349928855896,"Predicted outcomes have ranged, for the optimists, from a boost to economic growth to the discovery of new live-saving drugs.","The pessimists, meanwhile, have gone so far as to suggest the tech is a threat to humanity itself.",2024-05-28
"Boeing expects a 2024 cash burn, slow recovery of airplane deliveries amid crisis, CFO says",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/boeing-cfo-deliveries-cash-flow-max-crisis.html,2024-05-23T20:20:45+0000,"In this articleBoeing will burn through cash this year and deliveries of new planes won't improve in the second quarter from the first, as the manufacturer deals with a host of production challenges tied to its bestselling planes, the company's CFO, Brian West, said Thursday.A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions."" The new forecast shows the mounting costs of the plane maker's latest crises.Boeing burned through nearly $4 billion in cash in the first quarter and West said that figure could be similar or ""possibly a little worse"" in the second quarter, but that the company would likely return to generating cash in the second half of 2024.The company's aircraft deliveries in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the pandemic. The bulk of a plane's price is paid when it's handed over to a customer.Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average.""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we're up against,"" West said at the conference. ""And while I understand that frustration, the most important thing we can do for our customers and the supply chain in the industry is to focus on the actions that are underway as we speak so that we could stabilize this production system, improve quality, and get more predictable.""Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in March said he would step down by the end of the year, and the company replaced the chairman and chief executive of its commercial airplane unit. Leading up to the shake-up, CEOs of major airline customers complained about delivery delays and difficulty planning flights because of surprise disruptions.Boeing's latest production issues surfaced after a door plug blew out midair from a nearly new 737 Max 9 at the start of the year, just as the company was trying to repair years of reputational damage from two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.The accident increased federal scrutiny of the company, whose executives have vowed to stamp out production flaws and regain the trust of regulators, airline customers and the public.Next Thursday, Boeing leaders are set to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration to present the company's plan to improve its quality control, the FAA said. The agency gave Boeing 90 days to complete the plan starting in late February.Other problems have also sprung up, including a pause on deliveries of 737 Max planes to China to review batteries for the cockpit voice recorder. Boeing said in a statement that it is working with ""our Chinese customers on the timing of their deliveries as the Civil Aviation Administration of China completes its review of batteries contained within the 25-hour cockpit voice recorder assembly unit.""Earlier this month, the FAA said it opened a new probe into the 787 Dreamliner inspections after the company disclosed ""misconduct"" by some employees. The agency said it was looking into whether employees falsified records.Parts shortages have also slowed deliveries of Dreamliners, Boeing has said. American Airlines last month said it would cut some international flights because of delays of the wide-body jets. Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"[""In this articleBoeing will burn through cash this year and deliveries of new planes won't improve in the second quarter from the first, as the manufacturer deals with a host of production challenges tied to its bestselling planes, the company's CFO, Brian West, said Thursday."", 'A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions.""', ""The new forecast shows the mounting costs of the plane maker's latest crises."", 'Boeing burned through nearly $4 billion in cash in the first quarter and West said that figure could be similar or ""possibly a little worse"" in the second quarter, but that the company would likely return to generating cash in the second half of 2024.The company\'s aircraft deliveries in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the pandemic.', ""The bulk of a plane's price is paid when it's handed over to a customer."", ""Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average."", '""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we\'re up against,"" West said at the conference. ""', 'And while I understand that frustration, the most important thing we can do for our customers and the supply chain in the industry is to focus on the actions that are underway as we speak so that we could stabilize this production system, improve quality, and get more predictable.', '""Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in March said he would step down by the end of the year, and the company replaced the chairman and chief executive of its commercial airplane unit.', 'Leading up to the shake-up, CEOs of major airline customers complained about delivery delays and difficulty planning flights because of surprise disruptions.', ""Boeing's latest production issues surfaced after a door plug blew out midair from a nearly new 737 Max 9 at the start of the year, just as the company was trying to repair years of reputational damage from two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.The accident increased federal scrutiny of the company, whose executives have vowed to stamp out production flaws and regain the trust of regulators, airline customers and the public."", ""Next Thursday, Boeing leaders are set to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration to present the company's plan to improve its quality control, the FAA said."", 'The agency gave Boeing 90 days to complete the plan starting in late February.', 'Other problems have also sprung up, including a pause on deliveries of 737 Max planes to China to review batteries for the cockpit voice recorder.', 'Boeing said in a statement that it is working with ""our Chinese customers on the timing of their deliveries as the Civil Aviation Administration of China completes its review of batteries contained within the 25-hour cockpit voice recorder assembly unit.', '""Earlier this month, the FAA said it opened a new probe into the 787 Dreamliner inspections after the company disclosed ""misconduct"" by some employees.', 'The agency said it was looking into whether employees falsified records.', 'Parts shortages have also slowed deliveries of Dreamliners, Boeing has said.', 'American Airlines last month said it would cut some international flights because of delays of the wide-body jets.', 'Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.']",-0.1026539320202483,"Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.","""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we're up against,"" West said at the conference. """,-0.5336503065549411,"A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions.""","Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average.",2024-05-28
"Sales of newly built homes tank in April, as prices and interest rates rise",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/newly-built-home-sales-april.html,2024-05-23T15:59:01+0000,"Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.March sales were also revised significantly lower.Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales. The monthly reading is based on signed contracts, so it reflects people shopping during the month and inking deals based on current rates.The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was in the high 6% range at the end of March, but then shot up to 7.5% during April, cutting into affordability.Adding to that, the median price of a new home sold in April was $433,500, 4% higher than it was in April 2023. Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market. Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash.Builders say they cannot lower prices due to high costs for land, labor and materials. The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size. D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers reported strong earnings in their latest quarters, beating expectations and citing growing demand due to low supply in the resale market.""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.In the first quarter of 2024, 38% of a median household income nationally was needed to make the mortgage payment on a median-priced new single-family home, according to a new index launched Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home. Prices continue to rise for both new and existing homes due to a lack of supply. There is very little available for sale on the lower end of the resale market. While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.""With a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.5 million homes, the lack of housing units is the primary cause of growing housing affordability challenges,"" said Robert Dietz, NAHB's chief economist. ""Policymakers at all levels of government need to enact policy changes that will allow builders to construct more homes, such as speeding up permit approval times, providing resources for skilled labor training and fixing building material supply chains.""",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.', 'March sales were also revised significantly lower.', 'Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales.', 'The monthly reading is based on signed contracts, so it reflects people shopping during the month and inking deals based on current rates.', 'The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was in the high 6% range at the end of March, but then shot up to 7.5% during April, cutting into affordability.', 'Adding to that, the median price of a new home sold in April was $433,500, 4% higher than it was in April 2023.', 'Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market.', 'Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash.', 'Builders say they cannot lower prices due to high costs for land, labor and materials.', 'The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size.', 'D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers reported strong earnings in their latest quarters, beating expectations and citing growing demand due to low supply in the resale market.', '""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.', 'In the first quarter of 2024, 38% of a median household income nationally was needed to make the mortgage payment on a median-priced new single-family home, according to a new index launched Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.', ""Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home."", 'Prices continue to rise for both new and existing homes due to a lack of supply.', 'There is very little available for sale on the lower end of the resale market.', 'While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.', '""With a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.5 million homes, the lack of housing units is the primary cause of growing housing affordability challenges,"" said Robert Dietz, NAHB\'s chief economist. ""', 'Policymakers at all levels of government need to enact policy changes that will allow builders to construct more homes, such as speeding up permit approval times, providing resources for skilled labor training and fixing building material supply chains.""']",0.0290192252213069,"""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.","Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home.",0.2314275365609389,"While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.","Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.",2024-05-28
"Home sales slipped unexpectedly in April, despite big gains in supply",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/april-existing-home-sales.html,2024-05-22T17:08:01+0000,"Sales of previously owned homes fell 1.9% in April from March to 4.14 million units, on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. The forecast had been for a slight gain.Sales were also down from April 2023, off 1.9% from last year.These sales are based on closings, so contracts likely signed in February and March. Mortgage rates jumped at the start of February and then held around 7% for the next two months before moving even higher in April.""When we see these mortgage rates, which is a 300 basis point increase from pre-Covid pace, we are in a new territory as to how the lock-in effect will restrain home sales,"" said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors.Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% month to month and up 16% from the year before, but still just a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace. A six-month supply is considered balanced between buyer and seller. The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million, however, was up 34% year over year, which is why that segment of the market is most active.Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%.Tight supply kept prices under pressure. The median price of an existing home sold in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% year over year. That is another record high price for April. With multiple offers, due to strong demand, 27% of homes sold above list price.""Home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners,"" said Yun. ""However, the pace of price increases should taper off since more housing inventory is becoming available.""First-time buyers made a slight comeback, making up 33% of April sales, up from 29% the year before. The all-cash share was still relatively high, at 28% of all transactions.Regionally, sales in the Northeast fell 4% from March and 4% from April 2023. The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% year over year.In the Midwest, sales dropped 1% month to month and were also down 1% year over year. The median price in the Midwest was $303,600, up 6% from April 2023.Sales in the South dropped 1.6% from March and 3.1% from the year before. The median price in the South was $366,200, up 3.7% from last year.And in the West, sales were down 2.6% for the month and rose 1.3% from one year before. The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023.Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year. An earlier version misstated the percentage.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"['Sales of previously owned homes fell 1.9% in April from March to 4.14 million units, on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors.', 'The forecast had been for a slight gain.', 'Sales were also down from April 2023, off 1.9% from last year.', 'These sales are based on closings, so contracts likely signed in February and March.', 'Mortgage rates jumped at the start of February and then held around 7% for the next two months before moving even higher in April.', '""When we see these mortgage rates, which is a 300 basis point increase from pre-Covid pace, we are in a new territory as to how the lock-in effect will restrain home sales,"" said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors.', 'Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% month to month and up 16% from the year before, but still just a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace.', 'A six-month supply is considered balanced between buyer and seller.', 'The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million, however, was up 34% year over year, which is why that segment of the market is most active.', 'Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%.Tight supply kept prices under pressure.', 'The median price of an existing home sold in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% year over year.', 'That is another record high price for April.', 'With multiple offers, due to strong demand, 27% of homes sold above list price.', '""Home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners,"" said Yun. ""', 'However, the pace of price increases should taper off since more housing inventory is becoming available.', '""First-time buyers made a slight comeback, making up 33% of April sales, up from 29% the year before.', 'The all-cash share was still relatively high, at 28% of all transactions.', 'Regionally, sales in the Northeast fell 4% from March and 4% from April 2023.', 'The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% year over year.', 'In the Midwest, sales dropped 1% month to month and were also down 1% year over year.', 'The median price in the Midwest was $303,600, up 6% from April 2023.Sales in the South dropped 1.6% from March and 3.1% from the year before.', 'The median price in the South was $366,200, up 3.7% from last year.', 'And in the West, sales were down 2.6% for the month and rose 1.3% from one year before.', 'The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023.Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year.', 'An earlier version misstated the percentage.']",0.1041924059185371,"""Home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners,"" said Yun. ""","Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%.Tight supply kept prices under pressure.",0.1457016354515439,"The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023.Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year.","And in the West, sales were down 2.6% for the month and rose 1.3% from one year before.",2024-05-28
Here's where rents are rising — and where they're falling,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/21/where-rents-are-rising.html,2024-05-21T18:27:06+0000,"Driven by the work-from-home dynamic, as well as by new migration patterns, both single-family and multifamily rent prices were red-hot during the first years of the pandemic.Now different drivers are pushing some rents higher — and throwing cold water on others.Multifamily rents in April were 0.8% lower than they were in the same month last year, according to Apartment List. Rents cooled because a massive amount of new supply entered the market, with still more in the pipeline.Apartment rents did rise for the third straight month, but the growth, at 0.5%, is very small. Rents usually begin to rise in the spring, and the gain this year is not only smaller than usual but smaller than the previous month's gain. The national median rent in April was $1,396.""This is typically the time of year when rent growth is accelerating heading into the busy moving season, so the fact that growth stalled this month could be a sign that the market is headed for another slow summer,"" according to the Apartment List report.Apartment vacancies are also climbing, hitting 6.7% as of March, marking the highest reading since August 2020. New multifamily building permits are slowing down, but the number of units currently under construction is near a record high, and last year saw the most new apartments hit the market in over 30 years.Single-family rents are much stronger, up 3.4% in March year over year, according to a new report from CoreLogic. That annual increase, however, continues to shrink as more supply comes onto the market from build-for-rent companies.Roughly 18,000 single-family, built-for-rent homes were started during the first quarter, a 20% increase from the first quarter of 2023, according to an analysis of Census data by the National Association of Home Builders. Over the last four quarters, 80,000 such homes began construction, representing a nearly 16% jump from the prior four quarters.""U.S. single-family rent growth strengthened overall in March, though some weaknesses are revealed in the latest numbers,"" said Molly Boesel, principal economist for CoreLogic. ""Overbuilt areas, such as Austin, Texas, continued to soften, decreasing by 3.5% annually in March.""The continued strength overall in single-family rents indicates that potential homebuyers who are priced out of the home-purchase market are choosing to rent similar alternatives, according to Boesel. Mortgage rates have risen back into the 7% range, and home prices continue to rise, making it harder to buy a home.Of the nation's 20 largest cities, Seattle saw the highest year-over-year increase in single-family rents at 6.3%, followed by New York at 5.3% and Boston at 5.2%. Those leading the declines were Austin, Texas, down 3.5%; Miami, down 3.2%; and New Orleans, down 1.4%.For the first time in 14 years, however, single-family attached properties, namely townhomes, posted a year-over-year rent decline.""The decrease in the attached segment is being driven by a subset of markets, mostly in Florida, but including Austin and New Orleans. As multifamily apartments are being completed, some markets are gaining rental supply, which competes with the attached segment of the single-family rental market,"" Boesel added.",CNBC,21/05/2024,"['Driven by the work-from-home dynamic, as well as by new migration patterns, both single-family and multifamily rent prices were red-hot during the first years of the pandemic.', 'Now different drivers are pushing some rents higher — and throwing cold water on others.', 'Multifamily rents in April were 0.8% lower than they were in the same month last year, according to Apartment List.', 'Rents cooled because a massive amount of new supply entered the market, with still more in the pipeline.', 'Apartment rents did rise for the third straight month, but the growth, at 0.5%, is very small.', ""Rents usually begin to rise in the spring, and the gain this year is not only smaller than usual but smaller than the previous month's gain."", 'The national median rent in April was $1,396.""This is typically the time of year when rent growth is accelerating heading into the busy moving season, so the fact that growth stalled this month could be a sign that the market is headed for another slow summer,"" according to the Apartment List report.', 'Apartment vacancies are also climbing, hitting 6.7% as of March, marking the highest reading since August 2020.', 'New multifamily building permits are slowing down, but the number of units currently under construction is near a record high, and last year saw the most new apartments hit the market in over 30 years.', 'Single-family rents are much stronger, up 3.4% in March year over year, according to a new report from CoreLogic.', 'That annual increase, however, continues to shrink as more supply comes onto the market from build-for-rent companies.', 'Roughly 18,000 single-family, built-for-rent homes were started during the first quarter, a 20% increase from the first quarter of 2023, according to an analysis of Census data by the National Association of Home Builders.', 'Over the last four quarters, 80,000 such homes began construction, representing a nearly 16% jump from the prior four quarters.', '""U.S. single-family rent growth strengthened overall in March, though some weaknesses are revealed in the latest numbers,"" said Molly Boesel, principal economist for CoreLogic. ""', 'Overbuilt areas, such as Austin, Texas, continued to soften, decreasing by 3.5% annually in March.', '""The continued strength overall in single-family rents indicates that potential homebuyers who are priced out of the home-purchase market are choosing to rent similar alternatives, according to Boesel.', 'Mortgage rates have risen back into the 7% range, and home prices continue to rise, making it harder to buy a home.', ""Of the nation's 20 largest cities, Seattle saw the highest year-over-year increase in single-family rents at 6.3%, followed by New York at 5.3% and Boston at 5.2%."", 'Those leading the declines were Austin, Texas, down 3.5%; Miami, down 3.2%; and New Orleans, down 1.4%.For the first time in 14 years, however, single-family attached properties, namely townhomes, posted a year-over-year rent decline.', '""The decrease in the attached segment is being driven by a subset of markets, mostly in Florida, but including Austin and New Orleans.', 'As multifamily apartments are being completed, some markets are gaining rental supply, which competes with the attached segment of the single-family rental market,"" Boesel added.']",0.2372042158816055,"Rents usually begin to rise in the spring, and the gain this year is not only smaller than usual but smaller than the previous month's gain.","Multifamily rents in April were 0.8% lower than they were in the same month last year, according to Apartment List.",0.1080934524536132,"Single-family rents are much stronger, up 3.4% in March year over year, according to a new report from CoreLogic.","Those leading the declines were Austin, Texas, down 3.5%; Miami, down 3.2%; and New Orleans, down 1.4%.For the first time in 14 years, however, single-family attached properties, namely townhomes, posted a year-over-year rent decline.",2024-05-28
"Boeing, NASA say Starliner astronaut launch will move forward despite spacecraft helium leak",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/boeing-nasa-starliner-astronaut-launch-moving-forward.html,2024-05-24T18:07:24+0000,"In this articleBoeing and NASA are moving forward with the launch of the company's Starliner capsule, set to carry U.S. astronauts for the first time, despite a ""stable"" leak in the spacecraft's propulsion system.""We are comfortable with the causes that we've identified for this specific leak,"" Mark Nappi, Boeing vice president and manager of the company's Commercial Crew program, said during a press conference on Friday.""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft, with backup opportunities on June 2, June 5 and June 6.The mission, known as the Starliner Crew Flight Test, is intended to serve as the final major development test of the capsule by delivering a pair of NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station before flying routine missions.Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter.Starliner's crew debut has been delayed by years, with SpaceX's competing Dragon capsule flying astronauts for NASA regularly since 2020 under the agency's Commercial Crew program. To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.NASA and Boeing called off a launch attempt on May 6 about two hours before liftoff due to an issue detected with the Atlas V rocket that will lift Starliner into orbit. Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.During the press conference Friday, a ULA official noted that the rocket's problematic valve was replaced a week after the launch was postponed.But after calling off the launch attempt, a ""small"" helium leak with Starliner was identified, causing Boeing and NASA to begin new assessments of the capsule and its safety for the mission. NASA Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox, one of the agency's most senior officials, explained to the press on Friday that ""it's taken a while for us to be ready to discuss"" the helium leak problem.""It's so complicated. There's so many things going on. We really just needed to work through it as a team,"" Bowersox said.After analysis, NASA and Boeing believe the source of the leak is a seal in one of the flanges of the spacecraft's helium propulsion system. In testing after the May 6 postponement, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that teams ""have seen that the leak rate isn't changing.""Stich explained that the plan is to monitor the leak in the lead-up to launch and, after reaching the International Space Station, reassess the leak rate.""We don't expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that's a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.Stich also emphasized that NASA has ""flown vehicles with small helium leaks"" before, including ""a couple of cases"" from missions flown by the Space Shuttle and SpaceX's Dragon.NASA, Boeing and ULA will hold another review on May 29 to review the leak. They plan to roll the rocket and capsule out to the launch pad on May 30 for the June 1 attempt.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleBoeing and NASA are moving forward with the launch of the company\'s Starliner capsule, set to carry U.S. astronauts for the first time, despite a ""stable"" leak in the spacecraft\'s propulsion system.', '""We are comfortable with the causes that we\'ve identified for this specific leak,"" Mark Nappi, Boeing vice president and manager of the company\'s Commercial Crew program, said during a press conference on Friday.', '""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.', 'Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft, with backup opportunities on June 2, June 5 and June 6.The mission, known as the Starliner Crew Flight Test, is intended to serve as the final major development test of the capsule by delivering a pair of NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station before flying routine missions.', ""Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter."", ""Starliner's crew debut has been delayed by years, with SpaceX's competing Dragon capsule flying astronauts for NASA regularly since 2020 under the agency's Commercial Crew program."", 'To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.', 'NASA and Boeing called off a launch attempt on May 6 about two hours before liftoff due to an issue detected with the Atlas V rocket that will lift Starliner into orbit.', 'Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.', ""During the press conference Friday, a ULA official noted that the rocket's problematic valve was replaced a week after the launch was postponed."", 'But after calling off the launch attempt, a ""small"" helium leak with Starliner was identified, causing Boeing and NASA to begin new assessments of the capsule and its safety for the mission.', 'NASA Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox, one of the agency\'s most senior officials, explained to the press on Friday that ""it\'s taken a while for us to be ready to discuss"" the helium leak problem.', '""It\'s so complicated.', ""There's so many things going on."", 'We really just needed to work through it as a team,"" Bowersox said.', ""After analysis, NASA and Boeing believe the source of the leak is a seal in one of the flanges of the spacecraft's helium propulsion system."", 'In testing after the May 6 postponement, NASA\'s Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that teams ""have seen that the leak rate isn\'t changing.', '""Stich explained that the plan is to monitor the leak in the lead-up to launch and, after reaching the International Space Station, reassess the leak rate.', '""We don\'t expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that\'s a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.', 'Stich also emphasized that NASA has ""flown vehicles with small helium leaks"" before, including ""a couple of cases"" from missions flown by the Space Shuttle and SpaceX\'s Dragon.', 'NASA, Boeing and ULA will hold another review on May 29 to review the leak.', 'They plan to roll the rocket and capsule out to the launch pad on May 30 for the June 1 attempt.']",-0.1073292969112571,"Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.","""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.",-0.2581701676050822,"""We don't expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that's a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.","To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.",2024-05-28
Meta created an AI advisory council that’s composed entirely of White men,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/23/tech/meta-ai-adivsory-council-white-men/index.html,"
  Published
        12:59 PM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","Meta this week appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its artificial intelligence strategy. The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of White men.
    
            The tech giant said the group, which includes tech entrepreneurs and investors, will periodically consult with Meta’s management “on strategic opportunities related to our technology and product roadmap.” The move comes as Meta plans to invest tens of billions of dollars this year in AI infrastructure, research and product development.
    
            The council includes Patrick Collison, the co-founder and chief executive of financial technology company Stripe; Nat Friedman, the tech investor and former CEO of GitHub; Tobi Lütke, the founder and CEO of online shopping firm Shopify; and Charlie Songhurst, the tech investor who formerly led corporate strategy and drove several key acquisitions at Microsoft. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the group will not be paid.
    
            Despite the group’s significant combined experience, Meta is already taking heat for failing to include women or people of color — or anyone else outside of the wealthy, White, male, Silicon Valley mold — in a group advising one of the world’s most powerful tech companies on a revolutionary new technology. The members of the group are also all in their 30s or 40s.
    
            The situation mirrors an incident last year at OpenAI when, in the wake of a leadership shakeup, it came under fire for appointing a board composed entirely of White men. Months later, OpenAI added three women directors to the board.
    
            Artificial intelligence is poised to disrupt nearly every area of life in coming years, from how we get hired and work to how we consume entertainment or search for information.
    
            The large language models that underpin AI systems are trained on vast troves of data, often written by humans and coming from the internet. Experts say that can create the risk of further spreading all-too-human biases already entrenched in internet discourse, but at a frighteningly larger scale.
    
            And historically, women and people of color have borne the brunt of harms from tech advancements — making their inclusion in decision-making processes all the more important. Already, women are increasingly becoming the targets of nonconsensual pornography enabled by AI. Meta’s AI-generated photo tool also faced backlash last month for its apparent struggles to create images of couples or friends from different racial backgrounds.
    
            Research released last year also suggested that Meta’s Facebook algorithm targets users with job postings based on gender stereotypes, although the company does not allow advertisers themselves to target ads based on gender.
    
            “When AI systems are used as the gatekeeper of opportunities, it is critical that the oversight of the design, development, and deployment of these systems reflect the communities that will be impacted by them,” Joy Buolamwini, the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, an organization tracking the harms of artificial intelligence, told CNN earlier this year.
    
            Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the council’s lack of diversity.",CNN,23/05/2024,"['Meta this week appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its artificial intelligence strategy.', 'The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of White men.', 'The tech giant said the group, which includes tech entrepreneurs and investors, will periodically consult with Meta’s management “on strategic opportunities related to our technology and product roadmap.”', 'The move comes as Meta plans to invest tens of billions of dollars this year in AI infrastructure, research and product development.', 'The council includes Patrick Collison, the co-founder and chief executive of financial technology company Stripe; Nat Friedman, the tech investor and former CEO of GitHub; Tobi Lütke, the founder and CEO of online shopping firm Shopify; and Charlie Songhurst, the tech investor who formerly led corporate strategy and drove several key acquisitions at Microsoft.', 'A Meta spokesperson confirmed the group will not be paid.', 'Despite the group’s significant combined experience, Meta is already taking heat for failing to include women or people of color — or anyone else outside of the wealthy, White, male, Silicon Valley mold — in a group advising one of the world’s most powerful tech companies on a revolutionary new technology.', 'The members of the group are also all in their 30s or 40s.', 'The situation mirrors an incident last year at OpenAI when, in the wake of a leadership shakeup, it came under fire for appointing a board composed entirely of White men.', 'Months later, OpenAI added three women directors to the board.', 'Artificial intelligence is poised to disrupt nearly every area of life in coming years, from how we get hired and work to how we consume entertainment or search for information.', 'The large language models that underpin AI systems are trained on vast troves of data, often written by humans and coming from the internet.', 'Experts say that can create the risk offurther spreading all-too-human biasesalready entrenched in internet discourse, but at a frighteningly larger scale.', 'And historically, women and people of color have borne the brunt of harms from tech advancements — making their inclusion in decision-making processes all the more important.', 'Already, women are increasingly becoming the targets of nonconsensual pornography enabled by AI.', 'Meta’s AI-generated photo tool also faced backlash last month for its apparent struggles to create images of couples or friends from different racial backgrounds.', 'Research released last year also suggested that Meta’s Facebook algorithm targets users with job postings based on gender stereotypes, although the company does not allow advertisers themselves to target ads based on gender.', '“When AI systemsare used as the gatekeeper of opportunities, it is critical that the oversight of the design,development, and deployment of these systems reflect the communities that will be impacted by them,” Joy Buolamwini, the founder of theAlgorithmic Justice League, an organization tracking the harms of artificial intelligence, told CNN earlier this year.', 'Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the council’s lack of diversity.']",0.0779287359566236,"“When AI systemsare used as the gatekeeper of opportunities, it is critical that the oversight of the design,development, and deployment of these systems reflect the communities that will be impacted by them,” Joy Buolamwini, the founder of theAlgorithmic Justice League, an organization tracking the harms of artificial intelligence, told CNN earlier this year.","Experts say that can create the risk offurther spreading all-too-human biasesalready entrenched in internet discourse, but at a frighteningly larger scale.",-0.9403713196516036,,Meta’s AI-generated photo tool also faced backlash last month for its apparent struggles to create images of couples or friends from different racial backgrounds.,2024-05-28
Pfizer aims to save $1.5 billion by 2027 in first wave of new cost cuts,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/pfizer-announces-new-cost-cutting-program.html,2024-05-22T19:13:22+0000,"In this articlePfizer on Wednesday said it has launched a new multiyear program to reduce costs as it works to rebound from the rapid decline of its Covid business. The announcement is in addition to another $4 billion cost-cutting effort, which Pfizer announced last year as demand for its Covid vaccine and oral drug Paxlovid slumped. In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees. The company expects to record the majority of those charges this year. Pfizer also expects the program to involve ""product portfolio enhancements"" and changes to the company's manufacturing and supply network, a spokesperson told CNBC.""The program will focus on streamlining our ways of working, reducing complexity and increasing productivity in Pfizer Global Supply,"" the spokesperson said in a statement.Pfizer in the filing added that ""given the complexity in manufacturing and longer lead times required to make changes, this program will be a multi-phased effort.""Pfizer is trying to shore up investor sentiment after its shares fell nearly 50% in 2023, making it the worst-performing pharmaceutical stock last year. That share drop erased more than $100 billion in Pfizer's market value.As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a new RSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill that fell short in clinical trials and an initial 2024 forecast that missed expectations.But Pfizer pleased investors earlier this month after it reported first-quarter revenue and adjusted profit that beat expectations and hiked its full-year earnings outlook. The pharmaceutical giant said its new profit guidance accounts for its ""confidence"" in its business and its ability to slash costs.""We are cautiously optimistic about the year,"" Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an earnings call on May 1.Shares of the company closed 6% higher on that day. Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"['In this articlePfizer on Wednesday said it has launched a new multiyear program to reduce costs as it works to rebound from the rapid decline of its Covid business.', 'The announcement is in addition to another $4 billion cost-cutting effort, which Pfizer announced last year as demand for its Covid vaccine and oral drug Paxlovid slumped.', 'In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees.', 'The company expects to record the majority of those charges this year.', 'Pfizer also expects the program to involve ""product portfolio enhancements"" and changes to the company\'s manufacturing and supply network, a spokesperson told CNBC.""The program will focus on streamlining our ways of working, reducing complexity and increasing productivity in Pfizer Global Supply,"" the spokesperson said in a statement.', 'Pfizer in the filing added that ""given the complexity in manufacturing and longer lead times required to make changes, this program will be a multi-phased effort.', '""Pfizer is trying to shore up investor sentiment after its shares fell nearly 50% in 2023, making it the worst-performing pharmaceutical stock last year.', ""That share drop erased more than $100 billion in Pfizer's market value."", 'As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.', 'But Pfizer pleased investors earlier this month after itreportedfirst-quarter revenue and adjusted profit that beat expectations and hiked its full-year earnings outlook.', 'The pharmaceutical giant said its new profit guidance accounts for its ""confidence"" in its business and its ability to slash costs.', '""We are cautiously optimistic about the year,"" Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an earnings call on May 1.Shares of the company closed 6% higher on that day.', ""Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.""]",0.1117123241806072,"In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees.","As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.",0.4545602852647954,Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.,"As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.",2024-05-28
Your ultimate guide to the American Express Membership Rewards program,https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/american-express-membership-rewards-guide,"
  Updated
        1:03 PM EDT, Mon April 1, 2024
    ","American Express Membership Rewards® are among the most valuable travel rewards points out there. That’s primarily because they fall into the category of “transferable rewards,” meaning you’re not tied down to a single airline or hotel program with which you can redeem them.
    
            In other words, you’re not just earning points that can transfer to Delta SkyMiles, but they can also transfer to any of the other 16 airlines in the Membership Rewards portfolio.
    
            Having Membership Rewards points gives you options, and that’s always a good thing. If you’re ready to give your rewards portfolio a boost, here’s everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards.
    
            You can earn Membership Rewards points in various ways. Some require little effort, while others involve a heavier lift. It’s a good idea to take advantage of all the options out there in order to maximize your earnings. Here’s a look at how to earn Membership Rewards most efficiently.
    
            The primary way to earn Amex points is through credit cards that earn Membership Rewards. Amex has an extensive lineup of personal and business cards offering generous welcome bonuses and recurring benefits to help you earn maximum points.
    
            These include well-known cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card. With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance. Here’s a look at the current welcome bonus offers on personal credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.
    
            Keep in mind, too, that many of these cards carry an annual fee:
    
            All information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card and the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
    
            Similarly, American Express offers a suite of business credit cards.
    
            All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
    
            Keep in mind that several of these cards also carry an annual fee:
    
            Beyond the welcome bonus offers available, American Express makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards through category bonuses. If you spend a lot on groceries, it may be worth considering the Amex Gold card to earn 4 points per dollar spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).
    
            If you travel often, the Amex Platinum card is a great option for earning 5 points per dollar spent on eligible bookings made directly with an airline or with Amex Travel. Plus, you’ll have access to airport lounges, like American Express Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, among others.
    
            When applying for American Express cards, be sure to take note of the application rules. For example, you can’t earn an Amex welcome bonus more than once (with a few exceptions), and you generally won’t be approved for more than two cards every 90 days. Before applying for a credit card, it’s important to do your research.
    
            As mentioned before, American Express makes it manageable to earn bonus points long after the welcome bonus offer. One of those ways is by adding an authorized user to your Amex card, which will occasionally earn you bonus points.
    
             Aside from the special promotions where Amex will offer you bonus points for adding an authorized user, doing so can also help you double up your point earnings. That’s because you’ll not only earn points per dollar spent on your purchases, but you’ll also earn rewards on the authorized user’s purchases.
    
            Of course, you’ll only want to consider adding a member of your household or someone you trust to pay you back as an authorized user on your account. Authorized users can make charges on the credit card they’ve been added to but have no liability when it comes to paying the bill — that onus falls on you, the primary card holder. Choose carefully who you add to your account, and you can earn extra Amex points without lifting a finger.
    
            If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.
    
            American Express offers bonuses to current card holders when you refer someone and they are approved for an eligible card. You can earn up to 20,000 points per successful approval, though the exact bonus varies by card.
    
            To find out your card’s current referral bonus, head over to the Amex referral site. You’ll see referral bonuses based on your card. Simply enter your friend’s name and email address for each card you want to refer and they’ll get an email, inviting them to apply for the card. You can also copy the referral link on the page and share that with your friends and family directly.
    
            Referrals are a lucrative way to earn Amex Membership Rewards points for recommending credit cards to your friends and family. Keep in mind there is a limit to how many friends you can refer in a year.
    
            Booking travel with American Express is rewarding, too — you can earn bonus points on your credit card, plus you can often get additional perks and rewards. For example, with the Amex Platinum, you’ll get 5 points per dollar spent on hotels booked through Amex Travel.
    
            As an added incentive, you’ll receive perks like free breakfast for two, room upgrades when available and hotel credits to use at the spa or onsite restaurant just by booking with Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Hotel Collection. In general, booking travel through American Express pays off in more ways than one.
    
            Card holders can also utilize one of the most underrated benefits of having an Amex card: Amex Offers. With Amex Offers, card holders can earn statement credits or bonus points at select retailers. In other words, it’s the perfect opportunity to save some cash or earn bonus points for purchases you were already planning on making.
    
            To find and take advantage of Amex Offers, you’ll need to log in to your account. From there, scroll to the bottom of the page to the Amex Offers & Benefits section of the page. Be sure to click “View All” to load all of your eligible offers, and also be sure to select “Add to Card” in order to activate your Amex Offer. From there, you’ll be eligible to earn the bonus points or cash savings that come as part of each Amex Offer — so long as you use the registered card to make your purchase. Amex Offers are a massive perk of Amex cards that can save you money or earn you bonus points on purchases you were already planning to make.
    
            Thanks to a partnership with American Express, you can turn your Rakuten cash back rewards into Membership Rewards. It’s a great way to earn Membership Rewards points on regular purchases, without much added effort.
    
            If you already have a Rakuten account, you can easily switch your earning preference to Membership Rewards. Simply log into your account and follow these steps:
    
            After this, rewards get transferred to your Membership Rewards account quarterly.
    
            Now, for the fun part! Once you’ve earned Membership Rewards points, it’s time to put them to good use. Amex gives you several options to redeem points, but the best option is travel. You can choose between statement credits for travel bookings or transferring them to airline or hotel partners.
    
            Here’s a closer look at your options and how they work.
    
            American Express has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners — in other words, the Amex points you’ve earned can be transferred to any of the 20 hotel and airline partners. The best way to redeem Membership Rewards for maximum value is through airline transfers. But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.
    
            Ultimately, you’ll want to research which program will offer you the most in return, depending on what your travel plans are. With each of the partners, you’ll need to link your accounts, and you’ll also need to search for award availability with the airline of your choice before transferring any points.
    
            If you’re looking to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points, these are the 20 airline and hotel partner options, as well as the transfer rate.
    
            It’s worth noting that Amex occasionally runs transfer promotions for certain airlines or hotels. So, at times, you can get more points in return than the standard transfer rate listed above. Bonuses like these can increase the value of your points by enabling you to book sought-after award tickets for substantially less.
    
            By transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to partner airlines, you unlock the ability to travel for next to nothing — in most cases when redeeming points and miles, you’ll just have to pay the taxes and fees on a ticket. As a result, points and miles open up the door for flying experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.
    
            Keep in mind that the most obvious airline choice may not always be your best option. Airlines typically have extensive alliance networks, allowing you to redeem points for partner airlines through their respective programs. For example, British Airways and American Airlines are both members of the Oneworld alliance, meaning you can transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club and redeem for flights operated by American Airlines.
    
            Because of the vast number of airline transfer partners, your options are virtually endless for where your Membership Rewards points can take you. But, some redemptions are better than others — particularly when it comes to award sweet spots.
    
            Some examples of these sweet spot awards using your Amex Membership Rewards points include the following:
    
            Generally speaking, you’ll get the most value out of your Amex Membership Rewards points by transferring them to airline partners. But that may not always make sense for all card holders — and it’s not your only option.
    
            If figuring out transfer partner options and award charts sounds daunting, you can also use your Membership Rewards for fixed redemptions. This includes using points for statement credits, travel bookings via Amex Travel, charitable donations, online shopping and gift cards.
    
            Using points for statement credits toward qualifying purchases isn’t a great use of your points because you’ll only get 0.6 cents per point in value. If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Amex points, this isn’t the best route to take.
    
            You’ll get slightly more value by redeeming your Membership Rewards for travel bookings. By doing so, you’ll get 1 cent per point toward airfare and 0.7 cents per point toward car rentals, hotels, cruises and vacation bookings. Business Platinum card holders also get a 35% rebate when redeeming points for flight bookings through Amex Travel.
    
            If you choose to redeem your points for gift cards, you’ll get 1 cent per point in value. However, if you use Pay With Points (valid with Amazon, Best Buy, Boxed, Dell and GrubHub and others), you’ll get a value of just 0.5 cents to 1 cent each (depending on the Amex card) — one of the lowest-value options out there.
    
            Generally speaking, you should try to extract as much value as possible out of your Amex Membership Rewards points. However, that’s not always the case for everyone. You may want to save a few dollars here or there on a purchase you’re making online. Ultimately, we love Membership Rewards points so much because you have the option to use them however you like — whether for travel, Amazon purchases, gift cards and more.
    
            When it comes to the worth of your Membership Rewards points, it ultimately comes down to how you use them. The value you can get ranges from about 0.6 cents each to about 2 cents each. Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece.
    
            Amex offers 0.6 cents per point in value when you use points for statement credits. Meanwhile, travel bookings will get you a somewhat higher 1 cent per point. The highest value comes from transferring points to airline and hotel partners, as detailed above. Convert your points to airline miles and you can get 2 cents or more in value on premium award redemptions.
    
            American Express Membership Rewards points are some of the most versatile and valuable out there. By earning them, you give yourself the option to save money on travel, buying gift cards, Amazon purchases and so much more. Ultimately, it’s the flexibility that makes having an Amex credit card so rewarding.
    
            Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Gold card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus card.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,01/04/2024,"['American Express Membership Rewards® are among the most valuable travel rewards points out there.', 'That’s primarily because they fall into the category of “transferable rewards,” meaning you’re not tied down to a single airline or hotel program with which you can redeem them.', 'In other words, you’re not just earning points that can transfer to Delta SkyMiles, but they can also transfer to any of the other 16 airlines in the Membership Rewards portfolio.', 'Having Membership Rewards points gives you options, and that’s always a good thing.', 'If you’re ready to give your rewards portfolio a boost, here’s everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards.', 'You can earn Membership Rewards points in various ways.', 'Some require little effort, while others involve a heavier lift.', 'It’s a good idea to take advantage of all the options out there in order to maximize your earnings.', 'Here’s a look at how to earn Membership Rewards most efficiently.', 'The primary way to earn Amex points is through credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.', 'Amex has an extensive lineup of personal and business cards offering generous welcome bonuses and recurring benefits to help you earn maximum points.', 'These include well-known cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card.', 'With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance.', 'Here’s a look at the current welcome bonus offers on personal credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.', 'Keep in mind, too, that many of these cards carry an annual fee:  All information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card and the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.', 'Similarly, American Express offers a suite of business credit cards.', 'All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.', 'Keep in mind that several of these cards also carry an annual fee:  Beyond the welcome bonus offers available, American Express makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards through category bonuses.', 'If you spend a lot on groceries, it may be worth considering the Amex Gold card to earn 4 points per dollar spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).', 'If you travel often, the Amex Platinum card is a great option for earning 5 points per dollar spent on eligible bookings made directly with an airline or with Amex Travel.', 'Plus, you’ll have access to airport lounges, like American Express Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, among others.', 'When applying for American Express cards, be sure to take note of the application rules.', 'For example, you can’t earn an Amex welcome bonus more than once (with a few exceptions), and you generally won’t be approved for more than two cards every 90 days.', 'Before applying for a credit card, it’s important to do your research.', 'As mentioned before, American Express makes it manageable to earn bonus points long after the welcome bonus offer.', 'One of those ways is by adding an authorized user to your Amex card, which will occasionally earn you bonus points.', 'Aside from the special promotions where Amex will offer you bonus points for adding an authorized user, doing so can also help you double up your point earnings.', 'That’s because you’ll not only earn points per dollar spent on your purchases, but you’ll also earn rewards on the authorized user’s purchases.', 'Of course, you’ll only want to consider adding a member of your household or someone you trust to pay you back as an authorized user on your account.', 'Authorized users can make charges on the credit card they’ve been added to but have no liability when it comes to paying the bill — that onus falls on you, the primary card holder.', 'Choose carefully who you add to your account, and you can earn extra Amex points without lifting a finger.', 'If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.', 'American Express offers bonuses to current card holders when you refer someone and they are approved for an eligible card.', 'You can earn up to 20,000 points per successful approval, though the exact bonus varies by card.', 'To find out your card’s current referral bonus, head over to the Amex referral site.', 'You’ll see referral bonuses based on your card.', 'Simply enter your friend’s name and email address for each card you want to refer and they’ll get an email, inviting them to apply for the card.', 'You can also copy the referral link on the page and share that with your friends and family directly.', 'Referrals are a lucrative way to earn Amex Membership Rewards points for recommending credit cards to your friends and family.', 'Keep in mind there is a limit to how many friends you can refer in a year.', 'Booking travel with American Express is rewarding, too — you can earn bonus points on your credit card, plus you can often get additional perks and rewards.', 'For example, with the Amex Platinum, you’ll get 5 points per dollar spent on hotels booked through Amex Travel.', 'As an added incentive, you’ll receive perks like free breakfast for two, room upgrades when available and hotel credits to use at the spa or onsite restaurant just by booking with Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Hotel Collection.', 'In general, booking travel through American Express pays off in more ways than one.', 'Card holders can also utilize one of the most underrated benefits of having an Amex card: Amex Offers.', 'With Amex Offers, card holders can earn statement credits or bonus points at select retailers.', 'In other words, it’s the perfect opportunity to save some cash or earn bonus points for purchases you were already planning on making.', 'To find and take advantage of Amex Offers, you’ll need to log in to your account.', 'From there, scroll to the bottom of the page to the Amex Offers & Benefits section of the page.', 'Be sure to click “View All” to load all of your eligible offers, and also be sure to select “Add to Card” in order to activate your Amex Offer.', 'From there, you’ll be eligible to earn the bonus points or cash savings that come as part of each Amex Offer — so long as you use the registered card to make your purchase.', 'Amex Offers are a massive perk of Amex cards that can save you money or earn you bonus points on purchases you were already planning to make.', 'Thanks to a partnership with American Express, you can turn your Rakuten cash back rewards into Membership Rewards.', 'It’s a great way to earn Membership Rewards points on regular purchases, without much added effort.', 'If you already have a Rakuten account, you can easily switch your earning preference to Membership Rewards.', 'Simply log into your account and follow these steps:  After this, rewards get transferred to your Membership Rewards account quarterly.', 'Now, for the fun part!', 'Once you’ve earned Membership Rewards points, it’s time to put them to good use.', 'Amex gives you several options to redeem points, but the best option is travel.', 'You can choose between statement credits for travel bookings or transferring them to airline or hotel partners.', 'Here’s a closer look at your options and how they work.', 'American Express has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners — in other words, the Amex points you’ve earned can be transferred to any of the 20 hotel and airline partners.', 'The best way to redeem Membership Rewards for maximum value is through airline transfers.', 'But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.', 'Ultimately, you’ll want to research which program will offer you the most in return, depending on what your travel plans are.', 'With each of the partners, you’ll need to link your accounts, and you’ll also need to search for award availability with the airline of your choice before transferring any points.', 'If you’re looking to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points, these are the 20 airline and hotel partner options, as well as the transfer rate.', 'It’s worth noting that Amex occasionally runs transfer promotions for certain airlines or hotels.', 'So, at times, you can get more points in return than the standard transfer rate listed above.', 'Bonuses like these can increase the value of your points by enabling you to book sought-after award tickets for substantially less.', 'By transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to partner airlines, you unlock the ability to travel for next to nothing — in most cases when redeeming points and miles, you’ll just have to pay the taxes and fees on a ticket.', 'As a result, points and miles open up the door for flying experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.', 'Keep in mind that the most obvious airline choice may not always be your best option.', 'Airlines typically have extensive alliance networks, allowing you to redeem points for partner airlines through their respective programs.', 'For example, British Airways and American Airlines are both members of the Oneworld alliance, meaning you can transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club and redeem for flights operated by American Airlines.', 'Because of the vast number of airline transfer partners, your options are virtually endless for where your Membership Rewards points can take you.', 'But, some redemptions are better than others — particularly when it comes to award sweet spots.', 'Some examples of these sweet spot awards using your Amex Membership Rewards points include the following:  Generally speaking, you’ll get the most value out of your Amex Membership Rewards points by transferring them to airline partners.', 'But that may not always make sense for all card holders — and it’s not your only option.', 'If figuring out transfer partner options and award charts sounds daunting, you can also use your Membership Rewards for fixed redemptions.', 'This includes using points for statement credits, travel bookings via Amex Travel, charitable donations, online shopping and gift cards.', 'Using points for statement credits toward qualifying purchases isn’t a great use of your points because you’ll only get 0.6 cents per point in value.', 'If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Amex points, this isn’t the best route to take.', 'You’ll get slightly more value by redeeming your Membership Rewards for travel bookings.', 'By doing so, you’ll get 1 cent per point toward airfare and 0.7 cents per point toward car rentals, hotels, cruises and vacation bookings.', 'Business Platinum card holders also get a 35% rebate when redeeming points for flight bookings through Amex Travel.', 'If you choose to redeem your points for gift cards, you’ll get 1 cent per point in value.', 'However, if you use Pay With Points (valid with Amazon, Best Buy, Boxed, Dell and GrubHub and others), you’ll get a value of just 0.5 cents to 1 cent each (depending on the Amex card) — one of the lowest-value options out there.', 'Generally speaking, you should try to extract as much value as possible out of your Amex Membership Rewards points.', 'However, that’s not always the case for everyone.', 'You may want to save a few dollars here or there on a purchase you’re making online.', 'Ultimately, we love Membership Rewards points so much because you have the option to use them however you like — whether for travel, Amazon purchases, gift cards and more.', 'When it comes to the worth of your Membership Rewards points, it ultimately comes down to how you use them.', 'The value you can get ranges from about 0.6 cents each to about 2 cents each.', 'Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece.', 'Amex offers 0.6 cents per point in value when you use points for statement credits.', 'Meanwhile, travel bookings will get you a somewhat higher 1 cent per point.', 'The highest value comes from transferring points to airline and hotel partners, as detailed above.', 'Convert your points to airline miles and you can get 2 cents or more in value on premium award redemptions.', 'American Express Membership Rewards points are some of the most versatile and valuable out there.', 'By earning them, you give yourself the option to save money on travel, buying gift cards, Amazon purchases and so much more.', 'Ultimately, it’s the flexibility that makes having an Amex credit card so rewarding.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Gold card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus card.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.5246481979610982,"If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.",But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.,0.9622429311275482,"With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance.",,2024-05-28
General election: 121 business chiefs sign letter backing Labour,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckvv8qwl4y4o,2024-05-27T20:22:22.988Z,"Dozens of business leaders have signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party’s economic plans ahead of the 4 July general election saying it is “time for a change”. In a letter published in Tuesday's Times newspaper, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms say Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long term growth. It comes as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to deliver her first major speech of the election campaign to business supporters, including some former Conservative backers in the East Midlands later. She is expected to say she will lead the most “pro-growth Treasury in our country’s history”. Labour is borrowing from the Conservatives’ playbook in getting business leaders to endorse their economic plans. Ahead of the 2015 election, 100 corporate leaders endorsed the Conservatives.  One of those, Malcolm Walker - the founder of supermarket chain Iceland - will now endorse Labour instead.  Other former Tory business letter signatories have told BBC News they will keep their counsel amid disappointment over Liz Truss's mini-budget, the Brexit deal and a general expectation of a change of government. Among those who have signed the letter in the Times is the TV chef and restaurateur Tom Kerridge, some chief executives of smaller companies, former Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye, JD Sports chairman Andrew Higginson and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. Speaking to the BBC's Today programme on Tuesday, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride pointed out that no chief executives of the UK's very largest FTSE 100 companies were among the signatories. Following the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), many household names learned that taking sides in a key election period may annoy their customers. It is also unclear how representative this group of Labour backers are of business in general and their sectors in particular. But Ms Reeves believes this public display of support for Labour will demonstrate its credibility to the public. Some Conservative business figures said there had been no effort similar to 2015 to organise a Tory business endorsement letter. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s advisers are known to be warning businesses about what they say is a move to French-style workers’ rights should Labour win.  Some top retailers have expressed concern about the plan, including a repeal of Conservative anti-strike laws. But Mr Wales of Wikipedia told the BBC's Today programme: ""We’re not talking about an extreme left-wing government by any means, we’re talking about a sensible, solid centrist government."" He added that he is ""very convinced"" by Labour.  ""I've talked to Rachel Reeves [and] talked to Keir. They're not going to veer off into something completely mad, but they're going to run the country in a much more sensible way."" Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: ""Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan that businesses can rely on.  ""We took the bold action to deliver the biggest business tax cut in modern history”. The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said. The Green Party of England and Wales told the BBC it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said. The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union."" Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said Wales needs ""economic plans to break the economic doom loop we’re in"" and his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"". ",BBC,27/05/2024,"['Dozens of business leaders have signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party’s economic plans ahead of the 4 July general election saying it is “time for a change”.', ""In a letter published in Tuesday's Times newspaper, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms say Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long term growth."", 'It comes as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to deliver her first major speech of the election campaign to business supporters, including some former Conservative backers in the East Midlands later.', 'She is expected to say she will lead the most “pro-growth Treasury in our country’s history”.', 'Labour is borrowing from the Conservatives’ playbook in getting business leaders to endorse their economic plans.', 'Ahead of the 2015 election, 100 corporate leaders endorsed the Conservatives.', 'One of those, Malcolm Walker - the founder of supermarket chain Iceland - will now endorse Labour instead.', ""Other former Tory business letter signatories have told BBC News they will keep their counsel amid disappointment over Liz Truss's mini-budget, the Brexit deal and a general expectation of a change of government."", 'Among those who have signed the letter in the Times is the TV chef and restaurateur Tom Kerridge, some chief executives of smaller companies, former Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye, JD Sports chairman Andrew Higginson and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.', ""Speaking to the BBC's Today programme on Tuesday, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride pointed out that no chief executives of the UK's very largest FTSE 100 companies were among the signatories."", ""Following the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), many household names learned that taking sides in a key election period may annoy their customers."", 'It is also unclear how representative this group of Labour backers are of business in general and their sectors in particular.', 'But Ms Reeves believes this public display of support for Labour will demonstrate its credibility to the public.', 'Some Conservative business figures said there had been no effort similar to 2015 to organise a Tory business endorsement letter.', 'Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s advisers are known to be warning businesses about what they say is a move to French-style workers’ rights should Labour win.', 'Some top retailers have expressed concern about the plan, including a repeal of Conservative anti-strike laws.', 'But Mr Wales of Wikipedia told the BBC\'s Today programme: ""We’re not talking about an extreme left-wing government by any means, we’re talking about a sensible, solid centrist government.""', 'He added that he is ""very convinced"" by Labour. ""', ""I've talked to Rachel Reeves [and] talked to Keir."", 'They\'re not going to veer off into something completely mad, but they\'re going to run the country in a much more sensible way.""', 'Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: ""Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan that businesses can rely on. ""', 'We took the bold action to deliver the biggest business tax cut in modern history”.', 'The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “', 'The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said.', 'The Green Party of England and Wales told the BBC it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""', 'We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said.', 'The Scottish National Party\'s Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""', 'Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said Wales needs ""economic plans to break the economic doom loop we’re in"" and his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"".']",0.1279472699563915,"The Green Party of England and Wales told the BBC it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""","The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""",0.3291802058617274,"The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said.","Following the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), many household names learned that taking sides in a key election period may annoy their customers.",2024-05-28
Porsche reveals a new hybrid 911 as more consumers embrace hybrids over electric vehicles,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/cars/hybrid-porsche-911-revealed/index.html,"
  Published
        11:07 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Porsche unveiled the first hybrid version of its most famous sports car, the 911, on Tuesday, a move that could help electric motors become more accepted even in performance cars.
    
            The move also marks a major step in the evolution of one of the most recognizable cars in the world. Given their generally greater fuel efficiency without the sacrifice of power, hybrids have become commonplace in many types of vehicles. They have become increasingly popular in the United States even as sales of purely electric models have started to slow.
    
            The German automaker Porsche, a division of Volkswagen AG, already sells plug-in hybrid models like the Cayenne e-Hybrid SUV and Panamera e-Hybrid four-door car, but a hybrid 911 is another matter.
    
            Initially, hybrid power will be available in only one version of the car, the high performance 911 Carrera GTS. With an electric motor integrated into the car’s eight-speed transmission assisting the car’s six-cylinder gas engine, the new 911 model will produce up to 532 horsepower, 59 more than the current Carrera GTS model.
    
            Few cars are as defined by a gasoline engine as the 911, and few automakers are as defined by one model as Porsche is by the 911. While Porsche sells far more SUVs than sports cars these days, the 911 remains the automaker’s core model. Even the Porsche Macan and Cayenne SUVs, with their rounded edges and sloped hoods, have nods in their designs to the 911.
    
            In another major change for Porsche, this car will not be a plug-in hybrid, as other Porsche hybrid models have been. The Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid and Panamera e-Hybrid are plug-in hybrids with batteries that can be charged from an EV charger as well as by the vehicles’ own engine. Those models can also drive some distance on only electric power after the battery has been fully charged. The 911 Carrera GTS will be a fully self-contained hybrid, charged only by power from the engine and from braking. It will not be able to drive significant distances on electric power alone.
    
            Besides hybrids, Porsche also sells fully electric cars, the Taycan and the new Macan Electric SUV. But executives have said the 911 would be the last Porsche to become all-electric, because its engineering is so unique and quintessential to its brand. By taking away the engine in the back, which gave the car the distinctive shape and rear-weighted driving feel, what makes it a 911? This new hybrid model, which still has its gas engine mounted in the back, will be the closest Porsche can get to an electric 911 without raising those sorts of questions.
    
            Although electric vehicle sales in the US continue to rise, the rate of growth has slowed sharply in recent months. Meanwhile, sales of hybrids are growing faster. Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers. Hybrids are generally cheaper and don’t require a charger.
    
            This particular hybrid will not be cheap, though. Prices for the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS will start at around $165,000.
    
            A Porsche test driver drove the hybrid around Germany’s famed Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack in 7 minutes and 17 seconds — 8.7 seconds faster than a comparable current-generation 911 Carrra GTS. The Nürburgring is a twisty, challenging track, so the faster time also indicates the car’s handling isn’t hindered by the added weight of batteries and electric motors.
    
            The unveiling of the new hybrid version comes about 60 years after Porsche launched the 911. The first 911 was unveiled in 1963 but didn’t go into production until 1964. It was a larger and more powerful addition to Porsche’s original model — the 356.
    
            Both models, which were produced together for only a few years, had small back seats and engines mounted behind the rear wheels. The layout was similar to the Volkswagen Beetle, a car designed by Ferdinand Porsche Sr., the father of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, who created the 356. Ferry’s son, Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche, worked on the design of the 911, modeled after the 356’s teardrop shape. Its form, including the increasingly cramped back seats, has remained fundamentally the same since the original model.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Porsche unveiled the first hybrid version of its most famous sports car, the 911, on Tuesday, a move that could help electric motors become more accepted even in performance cars.', 'The move also marks a major step in the evolution of one of the most recognizable cars in the world.', 'Given their generally greater fuel efficiency without the sacrifice of power, hybrids have become commonplace in many types of vehicles.', 'They have become increasingly popular in the United States even as sales of purely electric models have started to slow.', 'The German automaker Porsche, a division of Volkswagen AG, already sells plug-in hybrid models like the Cayenne e-Hybrid SUV and Panamera e-Hybrid four-door car, but a hybrid 911 is another matter.', 'Initially, hybrid power will be available in only one version of the car, the high performance 911 Carrera GTS.', 'With an electric motor integrated into the car’s eight-speed transmission assisting the car’s six-cylinder gas engine, the new 911 model will produce up to 532 horsepower, 59 more than the current Carrera GTS model.', 'Few cars are as defined by a gasoline engine as the 911, and few automakers are as defined by one model as Porsche is by the 911.', 'While Porsche sells far more SUVs than sports cars these days, the 911 remains the automaker’score model.', 'Even the Porsche Macan and Cayenne SUVs, with their rounded edges and sloped hoods, have nods in their designs to the 911.', 'In another major change for Porsche, this car will not be a plug-in hybrid, as other Porsche hybrid models have been.', 'The Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid and Panamera e-Hybrid are plug-in hybrids with batteries that can be charged from an EV charger as well as by the vehicles’ own engine.', 'Those models can also drive some distance on only electric power after the battery has been fully charged.', 'The 911 Carrera GTS will be a fully self-contained hybrid, charged only by power from the engine and from braking.', 'It will not be able to drive significant distances on electric power alone.', 'Besides hybrids, Porsche also sells fully electric cars, the Taycan and the new Macan Electric SUV.', 'But executives have said the911 would be the last Porsche to become all-electric, because its engineering is so unique and quintessential to its brand.', 'By taking away the engine in the back, which gave the car the distinctive shape and rear-weighted driving feel, what makes it a 911?', 'This new hybrid model, which still has its gas engine mounted in the back, will be the closest Porsche can get to an electric 911 without raising those sorts of questions.', 'Although electric vehicle sales in the US continue to rise, the rate of growth has slowed sharply in recent months.', 'Meanwhile, sales of hybrids are growing faster.', 'Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers.', 'Hybrids are generally cheaper and don’t require a charger.', 'This particular hybrid will not be cheap, though.', 'Prices for the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS will start at around $165,000.', 'A Porsche test driver drove the hybrid around Germany’s famedNürburgring Nordschleife racetrack in 7 minutes and 17 seconds — 8.7 seconds faster than a comparable current-generation 911 Carrra GTS.', 'The Nürburgring is a twisty, challenging track, so the faster time also indicates the car’s handling isn’t hindered by the added weight of batteries and electric motors.', 'The unveiling of the new hybrid version comes about 60 years after Porsche launched the 911.', 'The first 911 was unveiled in 1963 but didn’t go into production until 1964.', 'It was a larger and more powerful addition to Porsche’s original model — the 356.', 'Both models, which were produced together for only a few years, had small back seats and engines mounted behind the rear wheels.', 'The layout was similar to theVolkswagen Beetle, a car designed by Ferdinand Porsche Sr.,', 'the father of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, who created the 356.', 'Ferry’s son, Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche, worked on the design of the 911, modeled after the 356’s teardrop shape.', 'Its form, including the increasingly cramped back seats, has remained fundamentally the same since the original model.']",0.091183806935274,They have become increasingly popular in the United States even as sales of purely electric models have started to slow.,Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers.,0.8040594187649813,"Meanwhile, sales of hybrids are growing faster.",Blame for slowing EV sales has been placed on relatively high prices of the models currently for sale and a lack of reliable public EV chargers.,2024-05-28
"US IT services firm fined $38,000 for 'whites only' job posting",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggwg0y3exo,2024-05-28T16:19:28.200Z,"A company whose job advertisement sought only white, US-born applicants has agreed to pay a $38,500 (£30,000) fine, the federal government has announced. The advert from Arthur Grand Technologies was ""generated by a disgruntled recruiter in India and was intended to embarrass the company"", the justice department said. It was found to violate both federal civil rights and labour laws. Arthur Grand will pay $7,500 in civil penalties to the US treasury as well as $31,000 in total compensation to people who filed complaints over the incident. The Virginia-based IT services firm has served federal and commercial clients since 2012, according to its website. In March 2023, a recruiter working for its subsidiary in India posted an advert for a Salesforce business analyst and insurance claims vacancy on the Indeed job-hunting website. In bolded text, the long-term contract role includes a note: ""Only Born US Citizens [White] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates]"". The position lists clients as including HTC Global in Michigan and Berkshire Hathaway in Nebraska. US Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke called the job posting ""shameful"" in a statement on Thursday. “I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, colour and race,"" she wrote. “Companies like Arthur Grand, that accept federal contracts cannot have a ‘whites only’ hiring process,” Michele Hodge, the US labour department's acting director of federal contract compliance, added in her own statement. As part of its settlement agreement with the two federal agencies, Arthur Grand is also required to train its employees on the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which bars hiring or firing people based on their citizenship status and national origin. It must also revise its employment policies and undergo justice department monitoring. In a statement to CNN, the company's CEO said it ""vehemently denies any guilt or wrongdoing"". “This unauthorized posting was made by an upset employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) from their personal email address and account,"" Sheik Rahmathullah said. ""Upon discovering this, we took immediate and decisive action to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again, including the immediate termination of the responsible employee.” ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['A company whose job advertisement sought only white, US-born applicants has agreed to pay a $38,500 (£30,000) fine, the federal government has announced.', 'The advert from Arthur Grand Technologies was ""generated by a disgruntled recruiter in India and was intended to embarrass the company"", the justice department said.', 'It was found to violate both federal civil rights and labour laws.', 'Arthur Grand will pay $7,500 in civil penalties to the US treasury as well as $31,000 in total compensation to people who filed complaints over the incident.', 'The Virginia-based IT services firm has served federal and commercial clients since 2012, according to its website.', 'In March 2023, a recruiter working for its subsidiary in India posted an advert for a Salesforce business analyst and insurance claims vacancy on the Indeed job-hunting website.', 'In bolded text, the long-term contract role includes a note: ""Only Born US Citizens [White] who are local within 60 miles from Dallas, TX [Don’t share with candidates]"".', 'The position lists clients as including HTC Global in Michigan and Berkshire Hathaway in Nebraska.', 'US Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke called the job posting ""shameful"" in a statement on Thursday. “', 'I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, colour and race,"" she wrote. “', ""Companies like Arthur Grand, that accept federal contracts cannot have a ‘whites only’ hiring process,” Michele Hodge, the US labour department's acting director of federal contract compliance, added in her own statement."", 'As part of its settlement agreement with the two federal agencies, Arthur Grand is also required to train its employees on the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which bars hiring or firing people based on their citizenship status and national origin.', 'It must also revise its employment policies and undergo justice department monitoring.', 'In a statement to CNN, the company\'s CEO said it ""vehemently denies any guilt or wrongdoing"". “', 'This unauthorized posting was made by an upset employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) from their personal email address and account,"" Sheik Rahmathullah said. ""', 'Upon discovering this, we took immediate and decisive action to ensure that this type of incident will never happen again, including the immediate termination of the responsible employee.”']",0.1606771891547495,"Companies like Arthur Grand, that accept federal contracts cannot have a ‘whites only’ hiring process,” Michele Hodge, the US labour department's acting director of federal contract compliance, added in her own statement.","I share the public’s outrage at Arthur Grand’s appalling and discriminatory ban on job candidates based on citizenship status, national origin, colour and race,"" she wrote. “",-0.0015706419944763,"A company whose job advertisement sought only white, US-born applicants has agreed to pay a $38,500 (£30,000) fine, the federal government has announced.","US Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke called the job posting ""shameful"" in a statement on Thursday. “",2024-05-28
Melinda French Gates explains why she resigned from the Gates Foundation — and what she’ll do now,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/investing/melinda-french-gates-women/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:07 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Melinda French Gates says that after the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that let individual states decide abortion rights, the philanthropist felt compelled to offer Americans financial support for their reproductive freedoms — support that she says she had been giving exclusively overseas.
    
            “While I have long focused on improving contraceptive access overseas, in the post-Dobbs era, I now feel compelled to support reproductive rights here at home,” French Gates said in an op-ed Tuesday in the New York Times. “For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women’s rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense. I want to help even the match.”
    
            French Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month, announcing June 7 will be her last day at the organization she helped create more than two decades ago. As part of her divorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation, and she hinted she would focus her philanthropic efforts on women and girls — but she offered no specifics.
    
            Tuesday, she gave the first details of her new plan.
    
            French Gates said she will donate $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the world through her organization, Pivotal Ventures. That will include $200 million in grants to organizations that are fighting for women’s reproductive rights.
    
            Among those recipients is The 19th, a nonprofit news organization that reports on gender policy. “Pinch me,” Emily Ramshaw, the company’s co-founder and CEO, said in a post on X.
    
            “Sometimes dreams do come true,” Ramshaw said in a blog post on the company’s website. “This support will bolster our critical politics and policy coverage in a seismic election year, allow us to make strategic investments in our audiences and our future, and lay the foundation for our long-term sustainability in a turbulent time for our industry.”
    
            Another recipient, The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, said its grant will help advance its work to improve women’s health across the United States and narrow the gender pay gap.
    
            “We are deeply honored to receive this support from Melinda French Gates, a true pioneer for women’s empowerment,” said Dr. Jamila Taylor, IWPR President and CEO, in a statement.
    
            French Gates will also give $250 million in awards to organizations working to help improve women’s mental and physical health.
    
            In an innovative effort that echoes those by mega-philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, French Gates also said she will grant $240 million to a group of 12 advocates and influential leaders around the world ($20 million each) to allow them to give the money to groups they believe are performing urgent and meaningful work in women’s health. Scott has shaken up the charitable world by shelling out large sums of money at rapid speed to organizations she favors — with no demands or strings attached.
    
            “I’m also experimenting with novel tactics to bring a wider range of perspectives into philanthropy,” French Gates wrote in her op-ed. “I’m eager to see the landscape of funding opportunities through their eyes, and the results their approaches unlock.”
    
            French Gates said the group of leaders includes former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, maternal-health advocate Allyson Felix and Afghan women’s education activist Shabana Basij-Rasikh.
    
            In her op-ed, French Gates said she was once told to set her own agenda before someone else sets it — and that’s why she chose to leave the Gates Foundation.
    
            She said naysayers about charitable efforts to empower women have frustrated her with their shortsightedness. She called America’s high maternal mortality rate “unconscionable” and decried America’s status as the only advanced economy without paid family leave at a national level.
    
            Just 2% of donations in the United States go to organizations focused on women and girls, French Gates noted. But she said investments in women’s health will add significantly to the global economy.
    
            “Because I have been given this extraordinary opportunity, I am determined to do everything I can to seize it and to set an agenda that helps other women and girls set theirs, too,” she wrote in her op-ed.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Melinda French Gates says that after the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that let individual states decide abortion rights, the philanthropist felt compelled to offer Americans financial support for their reproductive freedoms — support that she says she had been giving exclusively overseas.', '“While I have long focused on improving contraceptive access overseas, in the post-Dobbs era, I now feel compelled to support reproductive rights here at home,” French Gates said in an op-ed Tuesday in the New York Times. “', 'For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women’s rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense.', 'I want to help even the match.”', 'French Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month, announcing June 7 will be her last day at the organization she helped create more than two decades ago.', 'As part of her divorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation, and she hinted she would focus her philanthropic efforts on women and girls — but she offered no specifics.', 'Tuesday, she gave the first details of her new plan.', 'French Gates said she will donate $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the worldthrough her organization, Pivotal Ventures.', 'That will include $200 million in grants to organizations that are fighting for women’s reproductive rights.', 'Among those recipients is The 19th, a nonprofit news organization that reports on gender policy. “', 'Pinch me,” Emily Ramshaw, the company’s co-founder and CEO, said in a post on X.  “Sometimes dreams do come true,” Ramshaw said in a blog post on the company’s website. “', 'This support will bolster our critical politics and policy coverage in a seismic election year, allow us to make strategic investments in our audiences and our future, and lay the foundation for our long-term sustainability in a turbulent time for our industry.”', 'Another recipient, The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, said its grant will help advance its work to improve women’s health across the United States and narrow the gender pay gap.', '“We are deeply honored to receive this support from Melinda French Gates, a true pioneer for women’s empowerment,” said Dr. Jamila Taylor, IWPR President and CEO, in a statement.', 'French Gates will also give $250 million in awards to organizations working to help improve women’s mental and physical health.', 'In an innovative effort that echoes those by mega-philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, French Gates also said she will grant $240 million to a group of 12 advocates and influential leaders around the world ($20 million each) to allow them to give the money to groups they believe are performing urgent and meaningful work in women’s health.', 'Scott has shaken up the charitable world by shelling out large sums of money at rapid speed to organizations she favors — with no demands or strings attached.', '“I’m also experimenting with novel tactics to bring a wider range of perspectives into philanthropy,” French Gates wrote in her op-ed. “', 'I’m eager to see the landscape of funding opportunities through their eyes, and the results their approaches unlock.”', 'French Gates said the group of leaders includes former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, maternal-health advocate Allyson Felix and Afghan women’s education activist Shabana Basij-Rasikh.', 'In her op-ed, French Gates said she was once told to set her own agenda before someone else sets it — and that’s why she chose to leave the Gates Foundation.', 'She said naysayers about charitable efforts to empower women have frustrated her with their shortsightedness.', 'She called America’s high maternal mortality rate “unconscionable” and decried America’s status as the only advanced economy without paid family leave at a national level.', 'Just 2% of donations in the United States go to organizations focused on women and girls, French Gates noted.', 'But she said investments in women’s health will add significantly to the global economy.', '“Because I have been given this extraordinary opportunity, I am determined to do everything I can to seize it and to set an agenda that helps other women and girls set theirs, too,” she wrote in her op-ed.']",0.3391479458249217,"Melinda French Gates says that after the US Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that let individual states decide abortion rights, the philanthropist felt compelled to offer Americans financial support for their reproductive freedoms — support that she says she had been giving exclusively overseas.","For too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women’s rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense.",0.3619431674480438,"This support will bolster our critical politics and policy coverage in a seismic election year, allow us to make strategic investments in our audiences and our future, and lay the foundation for our long-term sustainability in a turbulent time for our industry.”",She said naysayers about charitable efforts to empower women have frustrated her with their shortsightedness.,2024-05-28
3 ways Apple’s monopoly lawsuit could change the iPhone experience for fans,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/apples-iphone-changes-lawsuit/index.html,"
  Published
        6:30 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","When Apple launched its first Mac computer in 1984, with its iconic Mac smiley-face “hello” greeting, it wanted to differentiate itself in the fledgling PC market. The Mac was approachable with its friendly, innovative design – Apple’s way of setting the Mac apart in the confusing PC landscape.
    
            That consumer-friendly mantra still exists today, with Apple carefully curating an easy-breezy yet controlled user experience across its products, including the billions of iPhones used around the world.
    
            But the Biden administration believes Apple took that too far. On Thursday, the Department of Justice sued Apple for illegally monopolizing the smartphone market. In a press conference, the government provided a long list of how Apple has allegedly squashed competition with restrictive app store terms, high fees and its “walled-garden” approach, restricting how third-party companies interact with its brands and services.
    
            The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them. Apple added that the lawsuit could empower the government “to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”
    
            But if successful, the lawsuit could ripple across Apple’s products and services. Although the suit could take years to play out, here’s a closer look what it may eventually mean for iPhone users:
    
            If found liable, the company could be forced to change a number of things.
    
            One such change is how iPhone users could get greater access to “super apps” that have been largely restricted before. The term refers to one-stop-shop apps that allow for messaging, ordering food, payment processing and other capabilities all within one platform.
    
             According to Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst at market research firm Forrester, super apps most threaten Apple’s preeminence in the lives of its customers.
    
            “An offering like WeChat, dubbed China’s everything app, can provide an alternative to the Apple ecosystem for people to communicate, bank, share memories, talk to businesses and more,” he said. “What Apple fears most is becoming irrelevant to its customers.”
    
            At the same time, super apps like WeChat are created by larger companies and could, therefore, put some smaller companies at a disadvantage. And the concept hasn’t been welcomed much in the US anyway.
    
            The US government, however, could argue that lack of interest may be due to Apple’s high share of the smartphone market and its resistance to offer super apps in its store, Chatterjee said.
    
            Apple may also be required to offer more support for cross-platform messaging, an issue the company previously said it’s already working on.
    
            The company lets iPhone users send high-quality photos and videos to one another, but similar texts to Android phones are slower and grainy. It also maintains those messages in green bubbles, creating a kind of class divide, critics argue.
    
            In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap. Apple’s move to add support for the standard called RCS (rich communication services) is intended to roll out later this year. RCS is considered the replacement to alternatives such as SMS, or short messaging service, and can work over both Wi-Fi and mobile data.
    
            The change followed pressure from both regulators and competitors to more seamlessly work across operating systems. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, for example, requires companies to make their key services interoperable between platforms. The US government could require the same.
    
            Another likely change is how hardware from other companies, such as smartwatches, will interact with the Apple range of devices and software, including the iPhone and Apple’s services like Fitness+. The company has also required Apple Watch users to own iOS devices as a way to keep them locked into its existing ecosystem.
    
            Chatterjee said making this change would have both positives and negatives.
    
            “The net result would reside somewhere along the spectrum of access to more and cheaper options but also the devaluation of the customer experience that is so highly prized by Apple’s customers,” he said.
    
            The Biden administration has also taken issue with Apple’s lack of support for mobile cloud services. Loosening this could allow users to access games and other cloud-based apps without having to pay for pricey hardware.
    
            The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating. Although the Biden administration will have to prove these harms, some critics say any potential changes Apple could make will negatively impact the user experience.
    
            David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research, said he recognizes that the content and applications market should be open, and Apple needs to avoid monopolistic advantages that can restrict competition, push up prices or block innovation. But Apple’s success stems in part to its tight grip on its products and services, keeping things intuitive and seamless.
    
            “If Apple is forced to comply, it could potentially spell the end to the provision of this consistent and unified user experience, although by the same token, consumers will be open to a greater choice of apps and services, helping more developers and providers,” McQueen said.
    
            Chatterjee noted some people are drawn to the Apple family of products precisely because of the carefully managed ecosystem’s ease of use. Apple may have to work that much harder to preserve the integrity of its experience, but any changes probably won’t be enough to make customers to leave and go elsewhere.
    
            “The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.
    
            But he added those currently outside of the Apple ecosystem will likely benefit by “plugging in opportunistically without having to go all in with Apple.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['When Apple launched its first Mac computer in 1984, with its iconic Mac smiley-face “hello” greeting, it wanted to differentiate itself in the fledgling PC market.', 'The Mac was approachable with its friendly, innovative design – Apple’s way of setting the Mac apart in the confusing PC landscape.', 'That consumer-friendly mantra still exists today, with Apple carefully curating an easy-breezy yet controlled user experience across its products, including the billions of iPhones used around the world.', 'But the Biden administration believes Apple took that too far.', 'On Thursday, the Department of Justice sued Apple for illegally monopolizing the smartphone market.', 'In a press conference, the government provided a long list of how Apple has allegedly squashed competition with restrictive app store terms, high fees and its “walled-garden” approach, restricting how third-party companies interact with its brands and services.', 'The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them.', 'Apple added that the lawsuit could empower the government “to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”', 'But if successful, the lawsuit could ripple across Apple’s products and services.', 'Although the suit could take years to play out, here’s a closer look what it may eventually mean for iPhone users:  If found liable, the company could be forced to change a number of things.', 'One such change is how iPhone users could get greater access to “super apps” that have been largely restricted before.', 'The term refers to one-stop-shop apps that allow for messaging, ordering food, payment processing and other capabilities all within one platform.', 'According to Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst at market research firm Forrester, super apps most threaten Apple’s preeminence in the lives of its customers.', '“An offering like WeChat, dubbed China’s everything app, can provide an alternative to the Apple ecosystem for people to communicate, bank, share memories, talk to businesses and more,” he said.', '“What Apple fears most is becoming irrelevant to its customers.”', 'At the same time, super apps like WeChat are created by larger companies and could, therefore, put some smaller companies at a disadvantage.', 'And the concept hasn’t been welcomed much in the US anyway.', 'The US government, however, could argue that lack of interest may be due to Apple’s high share of the smartphone market and its resistance to offer super apps in its store, Chatterjee said.', 'Apple may also be required to offer more support for cross-platform messaging, an issue the company previously said it’s already working on.', 'The company lets iPhone users send high-quality photos and videos to one another, but similar texts to Android phones are slower and grainy.', 'It also maintains those messages in green bubbles, creating a kind of class divide, critics argue.', 'In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap.', 'Apple’s move to add support for the standard called RCS (rich communication services) is intended to roll out later this year.', 'RCS is considered the replacement to alternatives such as SMS, or short messaging service, and can work over both Wi-Fi and mobile data.', 'The change followed pressure from both regulators and competitors to more seamlessly work across operating systems.', 'The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, for example, requires companies to make their key services interoperable between platforms.', 'The US government could require the same.', 'Another likely change is how hardware from other companies, such as smartwatches, will interact with the Apple range of devices and software, including the iPhone and Apple’s services like Fitness+.', 'The company has also required Apple Watch users to own iOS devices as a way to keep them locked into its existing ecosystem.', 'Chatterjee said making this change would have both positives and negatives.', '“The net result would reside somewhere along the spectrum of access to more and cheaper options but also the devaluation of the customer experience that is so highly prized by Apple’s customers,” he said.', 'The Biden administration has also taken issue with Apple’s lack of support for mobile cloud services.', 'Loosening this could allow users to access games and other cloud-based apps without having to pay for pricey hardware.', 'The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating.', 'Although the Biden administration will have to prove these harms, some critics say any potential changes Apple could make will negatively impact the user experience.', 'David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research, said he recognizes that the content and applications market should be open, and Apple needs to avoid monopolistic advantages that can restrict competition, push up prices or block innovation.', 'But Apple’s success stems in part to its tight grip on its products and services, keeping things intuitive and seamless.', '“If Apple is forced to comply, it could potentially spell the end to the provision of this consistent and unified user experience, although by the same token, consumers will be open to a greater choice of apps and services, helping more developers and providers,” McQueen said.', 'Chatterjee noted some people are drawn to the Apple family of products precisely because of the carefully managed ecosystem’s ease of use.', 'Apple may have to work that much harder to preserve the integrity of its experience, but any changes probably won’t be enough to make customers to leave and go elsewhere.', '“The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.', 'But he added those currently outside of the Apple ecosystem will likely benefit by “plugging in opportunistically without having to go all in with Apple.”']",0.2470050112228104,"In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap.",The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them.,-0.151834687590599,"“The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.","The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating.",2024-05-28
McDonald's might never expand CosMc's. But the spinoff could still pay dividends,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/28/mcdonalds-cosmcs-chain-expansion.html,2024-05-28T13:51:32+0000,"In this articleNearly six months since McDonald's opened its first CosMc's location, the hours-long drive-thru lines have died down, but the chain is just getting started.The burger giant created the spinoff using one of its lesser-known McDonaldland mascots, CosMc, an alien who loves McDonald's cheeseburgers. While unveiling CosMc's at an investor event in December, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company set out to create a brand that could sell customizable drinks and coffee popular in the afternoon segment to attract younger consumers.The new brand rollout comes as beverages are increasingly ""looked at now as part of that snack area — more affordable, indulgent and perhaps even a healthier treat,"" said Katie Belflower, an editor at restaurant research firm Technomic. ""It's a good profit margin for restaurants. With beverages, you can get really creative, without necessarily having the product lines that you would have to invest in with food.""Since opening the initial location in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, McDonald's has opened three more CosMc's restaurants, all in Texas. For now, the chain is planning to open 10 locations by the end of this year for a test run, with all but one located in the Lone Star State.In another sign of the new brand's expansion, it will launch its own mobile app and loyalty program, called CosMc's Club, on Tuesday. Customers can use the app to place orders that they pick up either inside the restaurant or in the drive-thru lane. And loyalty program members earn 10 points for every dollar they spend; once they rack up 400 points, they can redeem them for $2 rewards.While the long-term fate of CosMc's is still too soon to tell, the gamble could pay off for McDonald's even if the spinoff never makes it past the 10-location test phase. The app and loyalty program will give the chain even more consumer insight.""The cost of doing this, to McDonald's, is a rounding error. Even if they shut them all down six months from now, they still learn some things. Sometimes the learnings can be more valuable than you might imagine they would be,"" Mark Kalinowski, restaurant industry analyst and chief executive of Kalinowski Equity Research, told CNBC.At McDonald's December investor presentation, Kempczinski downplayed the short-term effect of CosMc's.""Let me emphasize again, we're talking about 10 stores,"" he said at the event. ""The big story isn't about CosMc's, per se. The big story is what it says about McDonald's and our potential.""But for many consumers, CosMc's was the headline. When the first location opened days later in Illinois, eager customers waited for hours in drive-thru lines that dragged around the shopping center for the chance to buy McPops and Churro Frappes.Weeks later, the buzz had started dying. According to Intouch Insight, the average wait time from entering the CosMc's drive-thru line to reaching the speaker to order was 11 minutes and 13 seconds, based on visits from mystery shoppers in January and February. But the average service time, after ordering, was just four minutes and one second, trailing the industry benchmark by just six seconds.On a Monday afternoon in May, there was no line for this CNBC reporter to reach one of the four drive-thru intercoms to place an order.Investors' interest has also cooled as other parts of McDonald's business draw more attention.""Six months ago, there was a lot of curiosity, but now that you've seen McDonald's same-store sales decelerate, that's where my clients' focus is,"" Kalinowski said.In the first quarter, McDonald's reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 2.5%, a slowdown as price increases fade and diners pull back their restaurant spending.From the outside, the CosMc's location in Bolingbrook isn't much to look at. Four drive-thru lines await customers to place their orders. The building's indigo exterior features the brand's name – but no sign of its namesake mascot.In fact, while CosMc plays an outsize role in the brand's fictional origin story on the CosMc's website, he's basically invisible from its branding or restaurant.""He is not as well-known of a character,"" Belflower said. ""I think that's almost to their benefit, because people can understand how CosMc's is different from McDonald's itself — but it still has a retro font and coloring and things like that, so I think all of that helps tie it into the nostalgia.""CosMc's absence could also be due to the fact that the chain's target customer likely wasn't born yet when McDonald's advertisements featuring CosMc aired in the '80's and '90's.  ""Just in looking at the menu, it looks like it's designed for half my age and under,"" said Kalinowski, whose industry experience spans more than two decades.CosMc's customers can choose from a vast array of drinks and a smaller snack menu. Sour Cherry Energy Burst, Island Pick-Me-Up Punch and Popping Pear Slush are among the beverages that McDonald's created specifically for the chain.Drinks, like a Tropical Spiceade, can be customized with ""boosts,"" like a vitamin C shot or an energy shot, tapioca pearls known as boba or a choice of eight different syrups. The chain also offers coffee drinks – like its Churro Cold Brew Frappe, whose largest size contains nearly five times the amount of caffeine found in an average cup of brewed coffee.CosMc's is also the latest example of a beverage-focused restaurant that doesn't just sell coffee. There's Utahan soda chain Swig, now majority-owned by Larry Miller's family office. Dutch Bros gets about a quarter of its sales from its Blue Rebel energy drink. And Starbucks' Refreshers, first introduced a dozen years ago, are the chain's fastest-growing beverage category in the U.S., with new spicy flavors available this spring.Non-coffee drinks tend to appeal more to consumers looking for a pick-me-up in the afternoon. While they still might want caffeine, a flavored beverage like a Blueberry Ginger Boost from CosMc's might be more appealing than another coffee.CosMc's level of customization would be difficult at a traditional McDonald's because it would slow down its drive-thru lanes too much. For example, Starbucks has credited the shift to cold drinks and pricy customizations, like cold foam, for its sales growth in recent years, but both customers and baristas have griped about complicated orders slowing service too much.One way to speed up CosMc's service could be using its digital menu boards differently. The CosMc's menu board plays ads until a car pulls up next to the nearby intercom, leaving customers little time to ponder the menu of more than 70 drinks and food items. The launch of mobile and online ordering will likely also help speed up wait times.Once customers finish ordering, they can pay at the speaker or wait to pay with a cashier at the pick-up window. CosMc's also has customers wait by the intercom where they ordered until their order is ready to pick up. The menu board relays what pick-up window to drive up to grab the order.Envisioned as a small-format location, CosMc's doesn't offer any in-restaurant seating, leaving it up to customers to sit in the 10-spot parking lot or keep driving. The Bolingbrook CosMc's, a former Boston Market location, is much larger than McDonald's intends for the rest of the brand's locations. But with empty real estate, a 45-minute drive from the company's Chicago headquarters and a traditional McDonald's right next door, it makes sense why the company chose that location as the first spot for the spinoff.But the location's history is also a warning for McDonald's. The company bought Boston Market out of bankruptcy in 2000, intending to use its real estate. But it instead kept running the brand.Seven years later, McDonald's sold it off, following a broader divestment in other secondary brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill. At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.",CNBC,28/05/2024,"[""In this articleNearly six months since McDonald's opened its first CosMc's location, the hours-long drive-thru lines have died down, but the chain is just getting started."", ""The burger giant created the spinoff using one of its lesser-known McDonaldland mascots, CosMc, an alien who loves McDonald's cheeseburgers."", ""While unveiling CosMc's at an investor event in December, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company set out to create a brand that could sell customizable drinks and coffee popular in the afternoon segment to attract younger consumers."", 'The new brand rollout comes as beverages are increasingly ""looked at now as part of that snack area — more affordable, indulgent and perhaps even a healthier treat,"" said Katie Belflower, an editor at restaurant research firm Technomic. ""', ""It's a good profit margin for restaurants."", 'With beverages, you can get really creative, without necessarily having the product lines that you would have to invest in with food.', '""Since opening the initial location in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, McDonald\'s has opened three more CosMc\'s restaurants, all in Texas.', 'For now, the chain is planning to open 10 locations by the end of this year for a test run, with all but one located in the Lone Star State.', ""In another sign of the new brand's expansion, it will launch its own mobile app and loyalty program, called CosMc's Club, on Tuesday."", 'Customers can use the app to place orders that they pick up either inside the restaurant or in the drive-thru lane.', 'And loyalty program members earn 10 points for every dollar they spend; once they rack up 400 points, they can redeem them for $2 rewards.', ""While the long-term fate of CosMc's is still too soon to tell, the gamble could pay off for McDonald's even if the spinoff never makes it past the 10-location test phase."", 'The app and loyalty program will give the chain even more consumer insight.', '""The cost of doing this, to McDonald\'s, is a rounding error.', 'Even if they shut them all down six months from now, they still learn some things.', 'Sometimes the learnings can be more valuable than you might imagine they would be,"" Mark Kalinowski, restaurant industry analyst and chief executive of Kalinowski Equity Research, told CNBC.At McDonald\'s December investor presentation, Kempczinski downplayed the short-term effect of CosMc\'s.', '""Let me emphasize again, we\'re talking about 10 stores,"" he said at the event. ""', ""The big story isn't about CosMc's, per se."", ""The big story is what it says about McDonald's and our potential."", '""But for many consumers, CosMc\'s was the headline.', 'When the first location opened days later in Illinois, eager customers waited for hours in drive-thru lines that dragged around the shopping center for the chance to buy McPops and Churro Frappes.', 'Weeks later, the buzz had started dying.', ""According to Intouch Insight, the average wait time from entering the CosMc's drive-thru line to reaching the speaker to order was 11 minutes and 13 seconds, based on visits from mystery shoppers in January and February."", 'But the average service time, after ordering, was just four minutes and one second, trailing the industry benchmark by just six seconds.', 'On a Monday afternoon in May, there was no line for this CNBC reporter to reach one of the four drive-thru intercoms to place an order.', ""Investors' interest has also cooled as other parts of McDonald's business draw more attention."", '""Six months ago, there was a lot of curiosity, but now that you\'ve seen McDonald\'s same-store sales decelerate, that\'s where my clients\' focus is,"" Kalinowski said.', ""In the first quarter, McDonald's reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 2.5%, a slowdown as price increases fade and diners pull back their restaurant spending."", ""From the outside, the CosMc's location in Bolingbrook isn't much to look at."", 'Four drive-thru lines await customers to place their orders.', ""The building's indigo exterior features the brand's name – but no sign of its namesake mascot."", ""In fact, while CosMc plays an outsize role in the brand's fictional origin story on the CosMc's website, he's basically invisible from its branding or restaurant."", '""He is not as well-known of a character,"" Belflower said. ""', ""I think that's almost to their benefit, because people can understand how CosMc's is different from McDonald's itself — but it still has a retro font and coloring and things like that, so I think all of that helps tie it into the nostalgia."", '""CosMc\'s absence could also be due to the fact that the chain\'s target customer likely wasn\'t born yet when McDonald\'s advertisements featuring CosMc aired in the \'80\'s and \'90\'s. ""', 'Just in looking at the menu, it looks like it\'s designed for half my age and under,"" said Kalinowski, whose industry experience spans more than two decades.', ""CosMc's customers can choose from a vast array of drinks and a smaller snack menu."", ""Sour Cherry Energy Burst, Island Pick-Me-Up Punch and Popping Pear Slush are among the beverages that McDonald's created specifically for the chain."", 'Drinks, like a Tropical Spiceade, can be customized with ""boosts,"" like a vitamin C shot or an energy shot, tapioca pearls known as boba or a choice of eight different syrups.', 'The chain also offers coffee drinks – like its Churro Cold Brew Frappe, whose largest size contains nearly five times the amount of caffeine found in an average cup of brewed coffee.', ""CosMc's is also the latest example of a beverage-focused restaurant that doesn't just sell coffee."", ""There's Utahan soda chain Swig, now majority-owned by Larry Miller's family office."", 'Dutch Bros gets about a quarter of its sales from its Blue Rebel energy drink.', ""And Starbucks' Refreshers, first introduced a dozen years ago, are the chain's fastest-growing beverage category in the U.S., with new spicy flavors available this spring."", 'Non-coffee drinks tend to appeal more to consumers looking for a pick-me-up in the afternoon.', ""While they still might want caffeine, a flavored beverage like a Blueberry Ginger Boost from CosMc's might be more appealing than another coffee."", ""CosMc's level of customization would be difficult at a traditional McDonald's because it would slow down its drive-thru lanes too much."", 'For example, Starbucks has credited the shift to cold drinks and pricy customizations, like cold foam, for its sales growth in recent years, but both customers and baristas have griped about complicated orders slowing service too much.', ""One way to speed up CosMc's service could be using its digital menu boards differently."", ""The CosMc's menu board plays ads until a car pulls up next to the nearby intercom, leaving customers little time to ponder the menu of more than 70 drinks and food items."", 'The launch of mobile and online ordering will likely also help speed up wait times.', 'Once customers finish ordering, they can pay at the speaker or wait to pay with a cashier at the pick-up window.', ""CosMc's also has customers wait by the intercom where they ordered until their order is ready to pick up."", 'The menu board relays what pick-up window to drive up to grab the order.', ""Envisioned as a small-format location, CosMc's doesn't offer any in-restaurant seating, leaving it up to customers to sit in the 10-spot parking lot or keep driving."", ""The Bolingbrook CosMc's, a former Boston Market location, is much larger than McDonald's intends for the rest of the brand's locations."", ""But with empty real estate, a 45-minute drive from the company's Chicago headquarters and a traditional McDonald's right next door, it makes sense why the company chose that location as the first spot for the spinoff."", ""But the location's history is also a warning for McDonald's."", 'The company bought Boston Market out of bankruptcy in 2000, intending to use its real estate.', 'But it instead kept running the brand.', ""Seven years later, McDonald's sold it off, following a broader divestment in other secondary brands like Chipotle Mexican Grill."", ""At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.""]",0.1469648012819918,"Drinks, like a Tropical Spiceade, can be customized with ""boosts,"" like a vitamin C shot or an energy shot, tapioca pearls known as boba or a choice of eight different syrups.","At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.",0.143024511197034,It's a good profit margin for restaurants.,"At the time, McDonald's sales were struggling, and executives blamed some of its woes on a lack of focus.",2024-05-28
OpenAI announces new safety board after employee revolt,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/tech/openai-announces-new-safety-board-after-employee-revolt/index.html,"
  Published
        7:31 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","OpenAI said Tuesday it has established a new committee to make recommendations to the company’s board about safety and security, weeks after dissolving a team focused on AI safety.
    
            In a blog post, OpenAI said the new committee would be led by CEO Sam Altman as well as Bret Taylor, the company’s board chair, and board member Nicole Seligman.
    
            The announcement follows the high-profile exit this month of an OpenAI executive focused on safety, Jan Leike. Leike resigned from OpenAI leveling criticisms that the company had underinvested in AI safety work and that tensions with OpenAI’s leadership had “reached a breaking point.”
    
            It also comes after the departure of Ilya Sutskever, another leader of OpenAI’s so-called “superalignment” team focused on ensuring that AI development serves human needs and priorities. Sutskever played a key role in Altman’s surprise ouster as CEO last year, only to reverse course and later throw his support behind Altman’s return.
    
            Earlier this month, an OpenAI spokesperson told CNN that dismantling the superalignment team and reassigning those employees across the company would help it better achieve its superalignment goals.
    
            In its blog post Tuesday, OpenAI also said it has begun training a new AI model to succeed the one currently powering ChatGPT. The company said the new AI model succeeding GPT-4 would be another step along the way to artificial general intelligence.
    
            “While we are proud to build and release models that are industry-leading on both capabilities and safety, we welcome a robust debate at this important moment,” the company said.
    
            “A first task of the Safety and Security Committee will be to evaluate and further develop OpenAI’s processes and safeguards over the next 90 days,” the blog post added. “At the conclusion of the 90 days, the Safety and Security Committee will share their recommendations with the full Board. Following the full Board’s review, OpenAI will publicly share an update on adopted recommendations in a manner that is consistent with safety and security.”",CNN,28/05/2024,"['OpenAI said Tuesday it has established a new committee to make recommendations to the company’s board about safety and security, weeks after dissolving a team focused on AI safety.', 'In ablog post, OpenAI said the new committee would be led by CEO Sam Altman as well as Bret Taylor, the company’s board chair, and board member Nicole Seligman.', 'The announcement followsthe high-profile exitthis month of an OpenAI executive focused on safety, Jan Leike.', 'Leike resigned from OpenAI leveling criticisms that the company had underinvested in AI safety work and that tensions with OpenAI’s leadership had “reached a breaking point.”', 'It also comes after the departure of Ilya Sutskever, another leader of OpenAI’s so-called “superalignment” team focused on ensuring that AI development serves human needs and priorities.', 'Sutskever played a key role in Altman’ssurprise ousteras CEO last year, only to reverse course and later throw his support behind Altman’s return.', 'Earlier this month, an OpenAI spokesperson told CNN that dismantling the superalignment team and reassigning those employees across the company would help it better achieve its superalignment goals.', 'In its blog post Tuesday, OpenAI also said it has begun training a new AI model to succeed the one currently powering ChatGPT.', 'The company said the new AI model succeeding GPT-4 would be another step along the way to artificial general intelligence.', '“While we are proud to build and release models that are industry-leading on both capabilities and safety, we welcome a robust debate at this important moment,” the company said.', '“A first task of the Safety and Security Committee will be to evaluate and further develop OpenAI’s processes and safeguards over the next 90 days,” the blog post added. “', 'At the conclusion of the 90 days, the Safety and Security Committee will share their recommendations with the full Board.', 'Following the full Board’s review, OpenAI will publicly share an update on adopted recommendations in a manner that is consistent with safety and security.”']",0.5952628145051168,"“While we are proud to build and release models that are industry-leading on both capabilities and safety, we welcome a robust debate at this important moment,” the company said.",Leike resigned from OpenAI leveling criticisms that the company had underinvested in AI safety work and that tensions with OpenAI’s leadership had “reached a breaking point.”,0.3332017262776692,"“While we are proud to build and release models that are industry-leading on both capabilities and safety, we welcome a robust debate at this important moment,” the company said.",Leike resigned from OpenAI leveling criticisms that the company had underinvested in AI safety work and that tensions with OpenAI’s leadership had “reached a breaking point.”,2024-05-28
Top soccer clubs are using an AI-powered app to scout future stars,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/01/tech/aiscout-app-soccer-scouting-spc-intl/index.html,"
  Published
        7:14 AM EST, Fri March 1, 2024
    ","A London-based technology company is looking to “democratize” talent-identification and scouting in soccer using a mobile app.
    
            Free to download and available globally, the aiScout app allows aspiring soccer stars to enter virtual trials for professional clubs by uploading self-recorded footage of themselves completing a series of drills. It offers 75 exercises, designed to test a range of skills, with videos showing users how to complete them.
    
            Performances are automatically scored by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The data can then be accessed by clubs, allowing their scouts to peruse scores for viable talent, honing their search with a variety of filters; from age and gender to position on the pitch.
    
            The app currently has two English Premier League (EPL) partners, Chelsea and Burnley, and clubs can tailor their in-app trials to meet specific needs and set their own benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same drills.
    
            “We’re putting that data up front to make better use of [the scouts’] time,” said Richard Felton-Thomas, chief operating officer of ai.io, the company behind the app.
    
            “To say [to scouts], ‘Go over to this place today because there’s three players in that game that are all actually beating your Chelsea standard’ — that’s going to be the best use of your time.’”
    
            It already appears to be working for some. Ben Greenwood had never had a trial with a professional club until he downloaded the app in 2019. After uploading footage of himself, the 17-year-old landed a trial with Chelsea, becoming the first user of the app to get a trial with a pro club. He signed a contract with EPL team Bournemouth in 2021.
    
            Having beta-tested in with players spanning 125 countries, Greenwood among them, 135 players have been trialed or signed by pro clubs or national teams through the app — which fully launched in September 2023 — according to Felton-Thomas.
    
            Just over 100,000 players make up the current database, but with over 100 clubs lined up to join Chelsea and Burnley, as well as a multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer in the US announced last May, Felton-Thomas projects user numbers to surge into the millions as the operation ramps up this year.
    
            Felton-Thomas said the “lion’s share” of its income comes from charging clubs a license fee to run the platform. Annual fees vary depending on the size of the club and the tools they require, ranging from six figures for “tier one” sides like Chelsea, to thousands of pounds for clubs lower down the footballing pyramid.
    
            The use of smart technology in sport continues to expand, including AI commentary tools and wearable tech for elite athletes. The global market for sports analytics, valued at $2.7 billion in 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.
    
            Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry? For Felton-Thomas, new technologies can co-exist with traditional methods.
    
            “It’s more about evolution than revolution,” Felton-Thomas explained.
    
            “We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity? What happens when he’s 2-0 down? What happens when someone’s shouting at him? What happens when he’s just made a massive mistake?”
    
            “We’ve got the ability to just augment real people to do their jobs better and faster, which then gives an opportunity to the player through the AI, but you’re still actually just connecting them to the human on the other side, which is the club and the scout.”
    
            While football remains ai.io’s primary focus, the company is looking into opportunities in other sports to launch in the coming years. Further ahead, it may branch out beyond sports.
    
            “You think about the notion that you can be at home and analyze your movements, and how this could spin into health care, physical assessments for military disciplines and emergency services,” Felton-Thomas told CNN.",CNN,01/03/2024,"['A London-based technology company is looking to “democratize” talent-identification and scouting in soccer using a mobile app.', 'Free to download and available globally, the aiScout app allows aspiring soccer stars to enter virtual trials for professional clubs by uploading self-recorded footage of themselves completing a series of drills.', 'It offers 75 exercises, designed to test a range of skills, with videos showing users how to complete them.', 'Performances are automatically scored by artificial intelligence (AI) technology.', 'The data can then be accessed by clubs, allowing their scouts to peruse scores for viable talent, honing their search with a variety of filters; from age and gender to position on the pitch.', 'The app currently has two English Premier League (EPL) partners, Chelsea and Burnley, and clubs can tailor their in-app trials to meet specific needs and set their own benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same drills.', '“We’re putting that data up front to make better use of [the scouts’] time,” said Richard Felton-Thomas, chief operating officer of ai.io, the company behind the app.', '“To say [to scouts], ‘Go over to this place today because there’s three players in that game that are all actually beating your Chelsea standard’ — that’s going to be the best use of your time.’”', 'It already appears to be working for some.', 'Ben Greenwood had never had a trial with a professional club until he downloaded the app in 2019.', 'After uploading footage of himself, the 17-year-old landed a trial with Chelsea, becoming the first user of the app to get a trial with a pro club.', 'He signed a contractwith EPL team Bournemouthin 2021.', 'Having beta-tested in with players spanning 125 countries, Greenwood among them, 135 players have been trialed or signed by pro clubs or national teams through the app — which fully launched in September 2023 — according to Felton-Thomas.', 'Just over 100,000 players make up the current database, but with over 100 clubs lined up to join Chelsea and Burnley, as well as a multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer in the US announced last May, Felton-Thomas projects user numbers to surge into the millions as the operation ramps up this year.', 'Felton-Thomas said the “lion’s share” of its income comes from charging clubs a license fee to run the platform.', 'Annual fees vary depending on the size of the club and the tools they require, ranging from six figures for “tier one” sides like Chelsea, to thousands of pounds for clubs lower down the footballing pyramid.', 'The use of smart technology in sport continues to expand, includingAI commentary tools and wearable tech for elite athletes.', 'The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.', 'Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry?', 'For Felton-Thomas, new technologies can co-exist with traditional methods.', '“It’s more about evolution than revolution,” Felton-Thomas explained.', '“We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity?', 'What happens when he’s 2-0 down?', 'What happens when someone’s shouting at him?', 'What happens when he’s just made a massive mistake?”', '“We’ve got the ability to just augment real people to do their jobs better and faster, which then gives an opportunity to the player through the AI, but you’re still actually just connecting them to the human on the other side, which is the club and the scout.”', 'While football remains ai.io’s primary focus, the company is looking into opportunities in other sports to launch in the coming years.', 'Further ahead, it may branch out beyond sports.', '“You think about the notion that you can be at home and analyze your movements, and how this could spin into health care, physical assessments for military disciplines and emergency services,” Felton-Thomas told CNN.']",0.2022322827681825,"The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.","“We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity?",0.6922526359558105,"The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.",Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry?,2024-05-28
Former FTX executive Ryan Salame sentenced to seven and a half years in prison,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/business/former-ftx-executive-ryan-salame-sentenced-to-seven-and-a-half-years-in-prison/index.html,"
  Published
        12:53 PM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Ryan Salame, the former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary and a top lieutenant to the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced on Tuesday to 90 months in prison, U.S. federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.
    
            Salame pleaded guilty in September to making tens of millions of dollars in unlawful campaign donations to boost causes supported by his boss.
    
            Bankman-Fried himself was sentenced earlier this year to 25 years in prison for stealing $8 billion from FTX customers. A jury found him guilty in November on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX’s 2022 collapse, which prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history.
    
            Prosecutors say Salame, Bankman-Fried and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh used FTX customer funds to donate to political candidates supporting crypto-friendly legislation.
    
            In addition to the prison term, Salame, 30, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6 million in forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution, prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday.
    
            “Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,” said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
    
            Salame, who could not immediately be reached for comment, gave more than $24 million to Republican candidates and causes in the 2022 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commision data, making him one of that year’s top donors.
    
            He had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['RyanSalame, the former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary and a top lieutenant to the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was sentenced on Tuesday to 90 months in prison, U.S. federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.', 'Salamepleaded guiltyin September to making tens of millions of dollars in unlawful campaign donations to boost causes supported by his boss.', 'Bankman-Fried himselfwas sentenced earlier this yearto 25 years in prison for stealing $8 billion from FTX customers.', 'A jury found him guilty in November on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX’s 2022 collapse, which prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history.', 'Prosecutors saySalame, Bankman-Fried and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh used FTX customer funds to donate to political candidates supporting crypto-friendly legislation.', 'In addition to the prison term,Salame, 30, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $6 million in forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution, prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday.', '“Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,” said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.', 'Salame, who could not immediately be reached for comment, gave more than $24 million to Republican candidates and causes in the 2022 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commision data, making him one of that year’s top donors.', 'He had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.']",-0.2202850196490431,"Prosecutors saySalame, Bankman-Fried and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh used FTX customer funds to donate to political candidates supporting crypto-friendly legislation.","A jury found him guilty in November on seven fraud and conspiracy counts stemming from FTX’s 2022 collapse, which prosecutors have called one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history.",-0.996936559677124,,"“Salame’s involvement in two serious federal crimes undermined public trust in American elections and the integrity of the financial system,” said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.",2024-05-28
"Shop price rises back to 'normal', British Retail Consortium says",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nnmrqp1vqo,2024-05-28T02:26:12.068Z,"Shop price rises are back to ""normal levels"" as the cost of furniture, televisions and other non-food items have fallen, according to a UK retail industry body. Prices rose at an annual rate of 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in the previous month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research firm NielsenIQ. The figures also showed that food inflation fell for the thirteenth month in a row to 3.2%. Household budgets have come under pressure as prices soared in the wake of the pandemic and the Ukraine war pushed up the cost of energy. The ease in shop price rises ""was helped by slowing food inflation, with fresh food inflation falling to its lowest level since November 2021,"" Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC said. While the cost of food has continued to rise, although at a slower pace, prices of non-food items have been falling, the BRC said. This included furniture, TVs and audio equipment, which it said have been their prices cut by retailers ahead of the Euros football tournament. Unusually wet weather has also been credited with helping to ease prices. ""The unseasonable weather has dampened retail sales so lower prices look set to continue and promotional activity is likely to increase drive demand,” Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, said. Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time. For example, if a bottle of milk costs £1 but is £1.05 a year later, then annual milk inflation is 5%. Erica Moore, founder and owner of Eteaket leaf tea company in Edinburgh, said it felt like price rises have stabilised since the start of the year. ""The prices that we've got at the moment are higher than they used to be across the board, but it does feel like there's a levelling off, at least for the next little while"". While it might offer some breathing space, she added that different factors can affect tea prices, such as harvest variability and weather. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Shop price rises are back to ""normal levels"" as the cost of furniture, televisions and other non-food items have fallen, according to a UK retail industry body.', 'Prices rose at an annual rate of 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in the previous month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research firm NielsenIQ.', 'The figures also showed that food inflation fell for the thirteenth month in a row to 3.2%.', 'Household budgets have come under pressure as prices soared in the wake of the pandemic and the Ukraine war pushed up the cost of energy.', 'The ease in shop price rises ""was helped by slowing food inflation, with fresh food inflation falling to its lowest level since November 2021,"" Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC said.', 'While the cost of food has continued to rise, although at a slower pace, prices of non-food items have been falling, the BRC said.', 'This included furniture, TVs and audio equipment, which it said have been their prices cut by retailers ahead of the Euros football tournament.', 'Unusually wet weather has also been credited with helping to ease prices. ""', 'The unseasonable weather has dampened retail sales so lower prices look set to continue and promotional activity is likely to increase drive demand,” Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, said.', 'Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time.', 'For example, if a bottle of milk costs £1 but is £1.05 a year later, then annual milk inflation is 5%.', 'Erica Moore, founder and owner of Eteaket leaf tea company in Edinburgh, said it felt like price rises have stabilised since the start of the year. ""', 'The prices that we\'ve got at the moment are higher than they used to be across the board, but it does feel like there\'s a levelling off, at least for the next little while"".', 'While it might offer some breathing space, she added that different factors can affect tea prices, such as harvest variability and weather.']",0.0352835216220172,"Unusually wet weather has also been credited with helping to ease prices. """,Household budgets have come under pressure as prices soared in the wake of the pandemic and the Ukraine war pushed up the cost of energy.,0.3395757625500361,"Erica Moore, founder and owner of Eteaket leaf tea company in Edinburgh, said it felt like price rises have stabilised since the start of the year. ""","Prices rose at an annual rate of 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in the previous month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research firm NielsenIQ.",2024-05-28
OpenAI’s Sam Altman vows to give away most of his wealth through the Giving Pledge,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/tech/sam-altman-giving-pledge/index.html,"
  Published
        11:39 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his husband have become the newest billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge, a charity that encourages the ultra-rich to donate their wealth to philanthropic causes.
    
            In their letter, released Tuesday, Altman and husband Oliver Mulherin credited “the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here.”
    
            “There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward, and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher,” the pair added.
    
            Bloomberg reports that Altman is worth at least $2 billion, with much of his wealth drawn from startup investments, including a sizable investment in Reddit. He doesn’t have a stake in OpenAI, the tech company that’s at the forefront of artificial intelligence.
    
            The Giving Pledge was started in 2010 by billionaires Warren Buffett and the formerly married couple, Bill and Melinda French Gates, to get the world’s wealthiest to commit to donating at least half of their fortunes to charities and philanthropic causes either during their lifetimes or in their wills.
    
            The pledge isn’t a legally binding contract, but more of a moral commitment. The campaign’s intention is to “inspire conversations, discussions, and action, not just about how much [to give] but also for what purposes and to what end,” according to the website.
    
            There are currently more than 245 couples and individuals from 30 countries that have signed on.
    
            Earlier Tuesday, French Gates, who is one of the world’s wealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, announced that she was donating $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the world through her organization, Pivotal Ventures.
    
            She recently resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month following her divorce from Bill. As part of her divorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his husband have become the newest billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge, a charity that encourages the ultra-rich to donate their wealth to philanthropic causes.', 'In their letter, released Tuesday, Altman and husband Oliver Mulherin credited “the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here.”', '“There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward, and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher,” the pair added.', 'Bloomberg reports that Altman is worth at least $2 billion, with much of his wealth drawn from startup investments, including a sizable investment in Reddit.', 'He doesn’t have a stake in OpenAI, the tech company that’s at the forefront of artificial intelligence.', 'The Giving Pledge was started in 2010 by billionaires Warren Buffett and the formerly married couple, Bill and Melinda French Gates, to get the world’s wealthiest to commit to donating at least half of their fortunes to charities and philanthropic causes either during their lifetimes or in their wills.', 'The pledge isn’t a legally binding contract, but more of a moral commitment.', 'The campaign’s intention is to “inspire conversations, discussions, and action, not just about how much [to give] but also for what purposes and to what end,” according to the website.', 'There are currently more than 245 couples and individuals from 30 countries that have signed on.', 'Earlier Tuesday, French Gates, who is one of the world’swealthiest and most prominent philanthropists, announced that she was donating $1 billion through 2026 to advance women’s rights around the worldthrough her organization, Pivotal Ventures.', 'She recently resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month following her divorce from Bill.', 'As part of herdivorce agreement, she received $12.5 billion from the Gates Foundation for her work upon her resignation.']",0.4753200136891286,"OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his husband have become the newest billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge, a charity that encourages the ultra-rich to donate their wealth to philanthropic causes.",She recently resigned from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this month following her divorce from Bill.,0.8382419943809509,"“There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward, and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher,” the pair added.",,2024-05-28
Judge’s stern rebuke of Elon Musk’s X gives researchers fresh hope,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/judges-stern-rebuke-of-elon-musks-x-gives-researchers-fresh-hope/index.html,"
  Published
        1:17 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say.
    
            On Monday, District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed and excoriated a lawsuit by X against online watchdog group Center for Countering Digital Hate as an attempt to silence the non-profit group for sounding alarms about hate speech on the platform.
    
            Breyer wrote in Monday’s order that the lawsuit was “unabashedly” about “punishing” reports written by CCDH, which X had accused of campaigning to drive away its advertisers. Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights.
    
            Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire.
    
            The CCDH case — in the US District Court for the Northern District of California — has been widely viewed as a bellwether for research and accountability on X, where Musk has restored the accounts of previously banned White supremacists and spreaders of misinformation and where Musk himself has amplified various conspiracy theories.
    
            And CCDH is not the only organization that has faced attacks by self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Musk after criticizing or raising concerns about his platform.
    
            “This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.
    
            “Society needs reliable and ethical research into social media platforms, and often that research relies on being able to study publicly available posts,” Abdo said.
    
            X said it plans to appeal Breyer’s decision.
    
            In his first year as owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League for defamation, as well as against Microsoft and Meta for allegedly improper data and trade secret access, respectively. None of those threats ever amounted to real lawsuits.
    
            He did, however, sue the progressive media watchdog Media Matters over its analysis highlighting antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on X, alleging that the group’s testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site and that the report was designed to drive away advertisers. Legal experts have described that case as “weak” on the merits and as a “bogus” attempt to chill criticism of X.
    
            This week’s court decision may be only a temporary setback in Musk’s wider plan to stifle criticism, said Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone. Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.
    
            The states of Texas and Missouri each announced probes into Media Matters following X’s lawsuit against the group, to which Musk responded, “Great!”
    
            As recently as Monday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a petition in state court seeking to compel Media Matters’ cooperation with his investigation. The filing came a week after he appeared with Musk in a live event on X — which Carusone said shows how Musk hopes to deputize the power of government to silence his critics.
    
            “They have every reason to do it,” Carusone said of the AGs’ investigations. “They get the political benefits, they get the attention. There doesn’t seem to be any cost to them yet. And if they are successful at developing this new playbook, this new terrain, legally, then it’s going to pave the way for them to just use this tool and tactic over and over and over again.”
    
            A representative for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Carusone’s claims.
    
            Researchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022. Academics need large samples of posts, shares, likes and other data to study social media trends in mis- and disinformation, public health, elections and other key topics. But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.
    
            Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year — were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.
    
            The change may have forced some researchers to rely more heavily on first-person observational data to draw conclusions about user behavior on X. Groups like CCDH have also used automated “scraping” of publicly viewable content from X rather than paying the company for data directly, a tactic that helped give rise to X’s initial lawsuit.
    
            Efforts by X and other social media companies to limit research transparency makes them less accountable to the public at best and, at worst, could mask malicious behavior, said David Karpf, an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.
    
            “We need independent research to have any real measure of what’s going on at X/Twitter. Musk is only ever going to release data that makes his company look good,” Karpf said. “These platforms are too big and too vital to the spread of information to be left unmonitored.”
    
            “This is an election year,” Karpf added, “and the platforms are taking steps to make it harder to monitor how their services are used for malignant ends.”
    
            Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.
    
            “The guardrails for democracy are hanging by a thread and we have dwindling insights into platform practices as researchers face lawsuits, congressional subpoenas and other scare tactics,” said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of digital rights at Free Press.
    
            Ultimately, Benavidez called the ruling “a reminder that platform accountability is essential and will inevitably prevail when up against bullies like Musk who try to silence us.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say.', 'On Monday, District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed and excoriated a lawsuit by X against online watchdog group Center for Countering Digital Hate as an attempt to silence the non-profit group for sounding alarms about hate speech on the platform.', 'Breyer wrote in Monday’s order that the lawsuit was “unabashedly” about “punishing” reports written by CCDH, which X had accused of campaigning to drive away its advertisers.', 'Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights.', 'Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire.', 'The CCDH case — in the US District Court for the Northern District of California —has been widely viewed as a bellwether for research and accountability on X, where Musk has restored the accounts of previously banned White supremacists and spreaders of misinformation and where Musk himself has amplified various conspiracy theories.', 'And CCDH is not the only organization that has faced attacks by self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Musk after criticizing or raising concerns about his platform.', '“This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.', '“Society needs reliable and ethical research into social media platforms, and often that research relies on being able to study publicly available posts,” Abdo said.', 'X said it plans to appeal Breyer’s decision.', 'In his first year as owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League for defamation, as well as against Microsoft and Meta for allegedly improper data and trade secret access, respectively.', 'None of those threats ever amounted to real lawsuits.', 'He did, however, sue the progressive media watchdog Media Matters over itsanalysishighlighting antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on X, alleging that the group’s testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site and that the report was designed to drive away advertisers.', 'Legal experts have described that case as “weak” on the merits and as a “bogus” attempt to chill criticism of X.  This week’s court decision may be only a temporary setback in Musk’s wider plan to stifle criticism, said Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone.', 'Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.', 'The states of Texas and Missouri each announced probes into Media Matters following X’s lawsuit against the group, to which Musk responded, “Great!”', 'As recently as Monday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a petition in state court seeking to compel Media Matters’ cooperation with his investigation.', 'The filing came a week after he appeared with Musk in a live event on X — which Carusone said shows how Musk hopes to deputize the power of government to silence his critics.', '“They have every reason to do it,” Carusone said of the AGs’ investigations. “', 'They get the political benefits, they get the attention.', 'There doesn’t seem to be any cost to them yet.', 'And if they are successful at developing this new playbook, this new terrain, legally, then it’s going to pave the way for them to just use this tool and tactic over and over and over again.”', 'A representative for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Carusone’s claims.', 'Researchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022.', 'Academics need large samples of posts, shares, likes and other data to study social media trends in mis- and disinformation, public health, elections and other key topics.', 'But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.', 'Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year —were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.', 'The change may have forced some researchers to rely more heavily on first-person observational data to draw conclusions about user behavior on X. Groups like CCDH have also used automated “scraping” of publicly viewable content from X rather than paying the company for data directly, a tactic that helped give rise to X’s initial lawsuit.', 'Efforts by X and other social media companies to limit research transparency makes them less accountable to the public at best and, at worst, could mask malicious behavior, said David Karpf, an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.', '“We need independent research to have any real measure of what’s going on at X/Twitter.', 'Musk is only ever going to release data that makes his company look good,” Karpf said. “', 'These platforms are too big and too vital to the spread of information to be left unmonitored.”', '“This is an election year,” Karpf added, “and the platforms are taking steps to make it harder to monitor how their services are used for malignant ends.”', 'Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.', '“The guardrails for democracy are hanging by a thread and we have dwindling insights into platform practices as researchers face lawsuits, congressional subpoenas and other scare tactics,” said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of digital rights at Free Press.', 'Ultimately, Benavidez called the ruling “a reminder that platform accountability is essential and will inevitably prevail when up against bullies like Musk who try to silence us.”']",0.0427064270235155,"Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.","“This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.",-0.3806276832308088,"Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.","Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year —were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.",2024-05-28
The Chevrolet Corvette is officially going electric,https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/25/business/electric-hybrid-corvette/index.html,"
  Updated
        12:22 PM EDT, Mon April 25, 2022
    ","General Motors will produce a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette, GM President Mark Reuss announced in a LinkedIn post Monday morning. 
    
            Reuss didn’t say when the electric Corvette would come, but he hinted that a hybrid model could come relatively soon. “We will offer an electrified Corvette as early as next year,” he wrote. An accompanying video the company posted to Twitter showed what appeared to be a hybrid Corvette, and in another first, showed the front wheels spinning and throwing snow as if being powered. All Corvettes produced by the company previously have been rear-wheel-drive only.
    
            While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.
    
            “Electrified” is an auto industry term encompassing everything from hybrid to fully electric vehicles, and anything with an electric motor can count as “electrified.” It has long been rumored that the current generation of the Corvette, the first with its gasoline engine mounted behind the seats instead of in the front, could be built with a hybrid system. Reuss has also previously hinted there would be electrified variants of the car.
    
            Various companies are working on electric sports cars. Most all-electric vehicles in production so far have been four-door sedans and SUVs, as the need for batteries lends itself to larger and heavier vehicles. Tesla’s first car, the Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster, was an electric sports car, but the second-generation of Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled as a prototype in 2017, has yet to go into production.
    
            Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle. Lamborghini has been working on plug-in hybrid sports cars, though.
    
            To date, the Corvette is only available in the base Stingray version with 6.2-liter V8 engine producing up to 495 horsepower. A 670 horsepower Corvette Z06 with a 5.5-liter V8 was unveiled last fall. The previous generation of the Corvette included included a 755-horsepower ZR1 version. Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.
    
            Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines. Ferrari’s most powerful sports cars are hybrids, for instance.  
    
            GM has said it plans to produce only zero-emission vehicles, meaning fully electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells, by 2035.",CNN,25/04/2022,"['General Motors will produce a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette, GM President Mark Reuss announced in a LinkedIn post Monday morning.', 'Reuss didn’t say when the electric Corvette would come, but he hinted that a hybrid model could come relatively soon. “', 'We will offer an electrified Corvette as early as next year,” he wrote.', 'An accompanying video the company posted to Twitter showed what appeared to be a hybrid Corvette, and in another first, showed the front wheels spinning and throwing snow as if being powered.', 'All Corvettes produced by the company previously have been rear-wheel-drive only.', 'While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.', '“Electrified” is an auto industry term encompassing everything from hybrid to fully electric vehicles, and anything with an electric motor can count as “electrified.”', 'It has long been rumored that the current generation of the Corvette, the first with its gasoline engine mounted behind the seats instead of in the front, could be built with a hybrid system.', 'Reuss has also previously hinted there would be electrified variants of the car.', 'Various companies are working on electric sports cars.', 'Most all-electric vehicles in production so far have been four-door sedans and SUVs, as the need for batteries lends itself to larger and heavier vehicles.', 'Tesla’s first car, the Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster, was an electric sports car, but the second-generation of Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled as a prototype in 2017, has yet to go into production.', 'Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle.', 'Lamborghini has been working on plug-in hybrid sports cars, though.', 'To date, the Corvette is only available in the base Stingray version with 6.2-liter V8 engine producing up to 495 horsepower.', 'A 670 horsepower Corvette Z06 with a 5.5-liter V8 was unveiled last fall.', 'The previous generation of the Corvette included included a 755-horsepower ZR1 version.', 'Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.', 'Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines.', 'Ferrari’s most powerful sports cars are hybrids, for instance.', 'GM has said it plans to produce only zero-emission vehicles, meaning fully electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells, by 2035.']",0.0521320736918344,Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.,"While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.",0.3646016319592793,"Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines.","Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle.",2024-05-28
NBC News ousts Ronna McDaniel after network’s anchors launch unprecedented on-air rebellion,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/media/nbc-news-ousts-ronna-mcdaniel/index.html,"
  Updated
        7:44 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","NBC News on Tuesday ousted former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, just days after her hiring as a paid political analyst sparked intense backlash from the network’s top television anchors over McDaniel’s role in subverting the 2020 election and attacks on the press.
    
            “There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff. “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.”
    
            “I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde continued. “While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”
    
            Ahead of the network’s decision, McDaniel spent the day Tuesday interviewing attorneys in preparation for a potential legal battle with NBC, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Creative Artists Agency, the talent agency that brokered McDaniel’s deal with NBC, also parted ways with her, the person said.
    
            The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.
    
            McDaniel, who recently stepped down from the RNC under pressure from former President Donald Trump, was involved in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
    
            As head of the RNC, she was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead. McDaniel told the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. … We will get you attorneys.”
    
            In the years since, McDaniel continued to claim that the election had “problems” and that Biden did not legitimately win the election, fanning the flames of election denialism.
    
            NBC’s announcement Friday that it had hired McDaniel was quickly met with alarm by the network’s journalists. The revolt spilled into public view on Sunday when McDaniel appeared on “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristen Welker in her first interview since she was hired by the network. Welker disclosed that the interview had been scheduled to take place prior to NBC announcing McDaniel would become a paid contributor for the network, stating that she had no involvement in her hiring.
    
            Following the interview, Chuck Todd, NBC News’ chief political analyst, delivered a stinging on-air criticism of NBC executives for their decision to hire McDaniel, telling Welker, “I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation.”
    
            “There’s a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this,” Todd said, explaining that under McDaniel, the RNC engaged in “gaslighting” and “character assassination” when dealing with the news media.
    
            The following day, MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough joined Todd in protesting the decision on their program “Morning Joe.”
    
            “To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage, but it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,” Brzezinski said. “We hope NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”
    
            Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” later joined in the rebuke, saying on her program that the network’s decision to hire McDaniel was nothing short of a potential threat to democracy.
    
            “NBC News is, either wittingly or unwittingly, teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections,” Wallace told viewers.
    
            Rachel Maddow — the network’s biggest star — later devoted the first half-hour of her prime-time program to the controversy, saying the decision to hire McDaniel was “inexplicable.” Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.
    
            “We do not take it personally when we get attacked, when they say they want to put us on trial and execute us for treason,” she said.
    
            “And so I want to associate myself with all my colleagues at MSNBC and NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company for putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government,” she said of McDaniel. “Someone who is still trying to convince Americans that this election stuff doesn’t really work. That this last election wasn’t a real result. That American elections are fraudulent.“
    
            The on-air revolt ensnared NBC’s top leaders, including NBCUniversal News Group chair Cesar Conde, NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown, who were responsible for McDaniel’s hiring. MSNBC president Rashida Jones also did not object to the decision, people familiar with the matter said.
    
            In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”
    
            “I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['NBC News on Tuesday ousted former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, just days after her hiring as a paid political analyst sparked intense backlash from the network’s top television anchors over McDaniel’s role in subverting the 2020 election and attacks on the press.', '“There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff. “', 'After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.”', '“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde continued. “', 'While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”', 'Ahead of the network’s decision, McDaniel spent the day Tuesday interviewing attorneys in preparation for a potential legal battle with NBC, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.', 'Creative Artists Agency, the talent agency that brokered McDaniel’s deal with NBC, also parted ways with her, the person said.', 'The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.', 'McDaniel, who recently stepped down from the RNC under pressure from former President Donald Trump, was involved in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.', 'As head of the RNC, she was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead.', 'McDanieltold the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. …', 'We will get you attorneys.”', 'In the years since, McDaniel continued to claim that the election had “problems” and that Biden did not legitimately win the election, fanning the flames of election denialism.', 'NBC’s announcement Friday that it had hired McDaniel was quickly met with alarm by the network’s journalists.', 'The revolt spilled into public view on Sunday when McDaniel appeared on “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristen Welker in her first interview since she was hired by the network.', 'Welker disclosed that the interview had been scheduled to take place prior to NBC announcing McDaniel would become a paid contributor for the network, stating that she had no involvement in her hiring.', 'Following the interview, Chuck Todd, NBC News’ chief political analyst, delivered a stinging on-air criticism of NBC executives for their decision to hire McDaniel, telling Welker, “I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation.”', '“There’s a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this,” Todd said, explaining that under McDaniel, the RNC engaged in “gaslighting” and “character assassination” when dealing with the news media.', 'The following day, MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough joined Todd in protesting the decision on their program “Morning Joe.”', '“To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage, but it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,”Brzezinski said. “', 'We hope NBC will reconsider its decision.', 'It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”', 'Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” later joined in the rebuke, saying on her program that the network’s decision to hire McDaniel was nothing short of a potential threat to democracy.', '“NBC News is, either wittingly or unwittingly, teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections,” Wallace told viewers.', 'Rachel Maddow — the network’s biggest star — later devoted the first half-hour of her prime-time program to the controversy, saying the decision to hire McDaniel was “inexplicable.”', 'Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.', '“We do not take it personally when we get attacked, when they say they want to put us on trial and execute us for treason,” she said.', '“And so I want to associate myself with all my colleagues at MSNBC and NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company for putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government,” she said of McDaniel. “', 'Someone who is still trying to convince Americans that this election stuff doesn’t really work.', 'That this last election wasn’t a real result.', 'That American elections are fraudulent.“', 'The on-air revolt ensnared NBC’s top leaders, including NBCUniversal News Group chair Cesar Conde, NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown, who were responsible for McDaniel’s hiring.', 'MSNBC president Rashida Jones also did not object to the decision, people familiar with the matter said.', 'In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”', '“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “', 'That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”']",-0.0710578434549836,"In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”","Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.",-0.4204912036657333,"In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”",The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.,2024-05-28
Post Office Horizon scandal: Why hundreds were wrongly prosecuted,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56718036,2021-04-21T23:08:36.000Z,"A bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters has entered into law after being brought forward due to the general election. Many were wrongly prosecuted after faulty software said money was missing from their Post Office branch accounts.  More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from a computer system called Horizon.  It has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice. The Post Office itself took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015. Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially ruined. In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office. In 2019, it agreed to pay them £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees. Although campaigners won the right for their cases to be reconsidered, only 102 convictions had been overturned by March 2024. The Metropolitan Police is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences. In January, the government said it would ""swiftly exonerate and compensate"" those affected. New legislation to clear victims' names and pay them compensation was brought forward after a general election was called. It became law on Friday 24 May and applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish parliament is to pass its own bill. Convictions will be automatically quashed if they were: Former sub-postmasters described their ""joy"" and ""disbelief"" at the move. In an open letter, the Department for Business told those affected: ""This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve."" The government also said a new scheme will process compensation applications ""as soon as possible"" for those whose convictions are overturned. Affected sub-postmasters will receive an interim payment, or can instead accept a fixed and final offer of £600,000.  Many former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses say the scandal ruined their lives.  Some used their own money to cover non-existent shortfalls because their contracts said they were responsible for unexplained losses. Many faced bankruptcy or lost their livelihoods.  Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death. Horizon was developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu, for tasks such as accounting and stocktaking.  It was introduced by the Post Office in 1999.  Sub-postmasters quickly complained about bugs in the system after it falsely reported shortfalls - often for many thousands of pounds - but their concerns were dismissed. The Horizon system is still used by the Post Office, which describes the latest version as ""robust"". A public inquiry began in February 2021 and has heard evidence from Post Office and Fujitsu employees. The fifth phase began on Tuesday 9 April, with campaigner Alan Bates the first to appear.  He told the inquiry that the Post Office has spent 23 years trying to ""discredit and silence"" him. Paula Vennells, chief executive between 2012 and 2019, gave evidence for three days in late May. She began by saying sorry to the sub-postmasters and their families ""who have suffered as a result of all that the inquiry has been looking into for so long"". Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake previously said the government has budgeted £1bn for compensation. More than 4,000 people were told they are eligible, under three schemes: Prof Chris Hodges, chair of the the independent Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, told the BBC that some individual compensation claims were ""well over £1m"". Ms Vennells resigned in 2019 over the scandal. In January 2024, she said she would hand back her CBE. In August 2023, current chief executive Nick Read said he would return bonus money awarded for his work on the Horizon inquiry.  Fujitsu Europe director Paul Patterson said the firm had a ""moral obligation"" to help fund compensation payments. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been criticised for refusing to meet Mr Bates when he was postal affairs minister, in May 2010. He says he was ""deeply misled by Post Office executives"". The BBC discovered that former Prime Minister David Cameron's government knew the Post Office had dropped a secret investigation that might have helped postmasters prove their innocence. Separately, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch denied claims from former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton that he was told to delay compensation payments to allow the government to ""limp into the [next] election"".  ",BBC,21/04/2021,"['A bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters has entered into law after being brought forward due to the general election.', 'Many were wrongly prosecuted after faulty software said money was missing from their Post Office branch accounts.', 'More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from a computer system called Horizon.', ""It has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice."", 'The Post Office itself took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015.', 'Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).', 'Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially ruined.', 'In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office.', 'In 2019, it agreed to pay them £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees.', 'Although campaigners won the right for their cases to be reconsidered, only 102 convictions had been overturned by March 2024.', 'The Metropolitan Police is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences.', 'In January, the government said it would ""swiftly exonerate and compensate"" those affected.', ""New legislation to clear victims' names and pay them compensation was brought forward after a general election was called."", 'It became law on Friday 24 May and applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.', 'The Scottish parliament is to pass its own bill.', 'Convictions will be automatically quashed if they were: Former sub-postmasters described their ""joy"" and ""disbelief"" at the move.', 'In an open letter, the Department for Business told those affected: ""This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve.""', 'The government also said a new scheme will process compensation applications ""as soon as possible"" for those whose convictions are overturned.', 'Affected sub-postmasters will receive an interim payment, or can instead accept a fixed and final offer of £600,000.', 'Many former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses say the scandal ruined their lives.', 'Some used their own money to cover non-existent shortfalls because their contracts said they were responsible for unexplained losses.', 'Many faced bankruptcy or lost their livelihoods.', 'Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death.', 'Horizon was developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu, for tasks such as accounting and stocktaking.', 'It was introduced by the Post Office in 1999.', 'Sub-postmasters quickly complained about bugs in the system after it falsely reported shortfalls - often for many thousands of pounds - but their concerns were dismissed.', 'The Horizon system is still used by the Post Office, which describes the latest version as ""robust"".', 'A public inquiry began in February 2021 and has heard evidence from Post Office and Fujitsu employees.', 'The fifth phase began on Tuesday 9 April, with campaigner Alan Bates the first to appear.', 'He told the inquiry that the Post Office has spent 23 years trying to ""discredit and silence"" him.', 'Paula Vennells, chief executive between 2012 and 2019, gave evidence for three days in late May.', 'She began by saying sorry to the sub-postmasters and their families ""who have suffered as a result of all that the inquiry has been looking into for so long"".', 'Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake previously said the government has budgeted £1bn for compensation.', 'More than 4,000 people were told they are eligible, under three schemes: Prof Chris Hodges, chair of the the independent Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, told the BBC that some individual compensation claims were ""well over £1m"".', 'Ms Vennells resigned in 2019 over the scandal.', 'In January 2024, she said she would hand back her CBE.', 'In August 2023, current chief executive Nick Read said he would return bonus money awarded for his work on the Horizon inquiry.', 'Fujitsu Europe director Paul Patterson said the firm had a ""moral obligation"" to help fund compensation payments.', 'Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been criticised for refusing to meet Mr Bates when he was postal affairs minister, in May 2010.', 'He says he was ""deeply misled by Post Office executives"".', ""The BBC discovered that former Prime Minister David Cameron's government knew the Post Office had dropped a secret investigation that might have helped postmasters prove their innocence."", 'Separately, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch denied claims from former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton that he was told to delay compensation payments to allow the government to ""limp into the [next] election"".']",-0.0408959223823883,"In August 2023, current chief executive Nick Read said he would return bonus money awarded for his work on the Horizon inquiry.","Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death.",-0.3786128759384155,"In an open letter, the Department for Business told those affected: ""This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve.""","Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death.",2024-05-28
"Luxury perfumes linked to child labour, BBC finds",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68172560,2024-05-28T01:19:48.000Z,"Children have picked ingredients used by suppliers to two major beauty companies, the BBC can reveal. A BBC investigation into last summer's perfume supply chains found jasmine used by Lancôme and Aerin Beauty's suppliers was picked by minors.  All the luxury perfume brands claim to have zero tolerance on child labour.  L'Oréal, Lancôme's owner, said it was committed to respecting human rights. Estée Lauder, Aerin Beauty's owner, said it had contacted its suppliers.  The jasmine used in Lancôme Idôle L'Intense - and Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty - comes from Egypt, which produces about half the world's supply of jasmine flowers - a key perfume ingredient. Industry insiders told us the handful of companies that own many luxury brands are squeezing budgets, resulting in very low pay. Egyptian jasmine pickers say this forces them to involve their children. And we have discovered the auditing systems the perfume industry uses to check on supply chains are deeply flawed.  The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata, said he was disturbed by the World Service's evidence, which includes undercover filming in Egyptian jasmine fields during last year's picking season. ""On paper, they [the industry] are promising so many good things, like supply chain transparency and the fight against child labour. Looking at this footage, they are not actually doing things that they promised to do."" Heba - who lives in a village in the district of Gharbia, the heart of Egypt's jasmine region - wakes her family at 03:00 to begin picking the flowers before the sun's heat damages them.  Heba says she needs her four children - aged from 5 to 15 - to help. Like most jasmine pickers in Egypt, she is what is known as an ""independent picker"" and works on a smallholder farm. The more she and her children can pick, the more they earn. On the night we filmed her, she and her children managed to pick 1.5kg of jasmine flowers. After paying a third of her earnings to the land owner, she was left with roughly US$1.5 [£1.18] for that night's work. This is worth less than ever before, given inflation in Egypt is at an all-time high, and pickers are often living below the poverty line. Heba's 10-year-old daughter Basmalla has also been diagnosed with a severe eye allergy. At a medical consultation we attended with her, the doctor told her that her vision will be affected if she continues jasmine picking without treating the inflammation. Once the jasmine has been picked and weighed, it is transferred via collection points to one of several local factories which extract oil from the flowers - the main three being A Fakhry and Co, Hashem Brothers and Machalico. Each year, it is the factories that set the price for the jasmine picked by people like Heba.  It is difficult to say exactly how many of the 30,000 people involved in Egypt's jasmine industry are children. But during the summer of 2023 the BBC filmed across this region and spoke to many residents who told us the low price for jasmine meant they needed to include their children in their work.  We witnessed that, at four different locations, a significant number of pickers working on smallholder farms - which supply the main factories - were children under the age of 15. Multiple sources also told us that there were children working on farms directly owned by the Machalico factory, so we went undercover to film there and found pickers who told us their ages ranged from 12 to 14.  It is illegal for anyone under the age of 15 to work in Egypt between the hours of 19:00 and 07:00. The factories export the jasmine oil to international fragrance houses where the perfumes are created. Givaudan, based in Switzerland is one of the largest, and has a longstanding relationship with A Fakhry and Co.  But it is the perfume companies above them - which include L'Oréal and Estée Lauder - which hold all the power, according to independent perfumer Christophe Laudamiel and several other industry insiders. Known as ""the masters"", they set the brief and a very tight budget for the fragrance houses, he said.  ""The masters' interest is to have the cheapest oil possible to put in the fragrance bottle,"" and then to sell it at the highest possible price, said Mr Laudamiel, who spent years working inside one of the fragrance houses. ""They actually don't govern the salary or the wages of the harvesters, nor the actual price of jasmine, because they are beyond that,"" he explained.  But he said that because of the budget that they set, the pressure on wages ""trickles down"" - to the factories, and ultimately, the pickers.  ""There's a big disconnect between the preciousness that is talked about in the marketing talk, and what is actually given to the harvesters,"" he added.  In their promotional material, the perfume companies and fragrance houses paint a picture of ethical sourcing practices. Every employer in the supply chain has also signed a letter of commitment to the UN, pledging to abide by its guidelines regarding safe working practices and eliminating child labour.  The issue, according to a senior executive with fragrance house Givaudan, is the lack of oversight the perfume companies have of their supply chains. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the executive said these companies relied on the fragrance houses to instruct third-party auditing companies to check for due diligence.  Perfume's Dark Secret Top perfume brands may have ""worst form of child labour"" in their supply chain, a BBC Eye investigation reveals. Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only). For international audiences, watch on YouTube Perfume's Dark Secret BBC Eye Investigations has discovered that, when the sun goes down in Egypt, there is a hidden human cost to this industry. Listen now on BBC Sounds  The auditing firms most often mentioned by the conglomerates and fragrance houses on their websites, and in letters to the UN, are Sedex and UEBT. Their audit reports are not publicly available but by posing as a buyer looking for ethically sourced jasmine, we managed to get the factory A Fakhry and Co to send both of them to us. The report from UEBT, based on a visit to the factory last year, shows there was an indication of a human rights issue, but it doesn't go into detail. Despite this, the company was given a ""verification"", which means it can say it offers ""responsibly sourced jasmine oil"".  UEBT, in its response to this, said: ""One company has been issued a responsible sourcing attestation, subject to an action plan… valid till mid 2024, and will be withdrawn if… not implemented."" The Sedex report gave the factory a glowing assessment, but it was clear from its write-up that the visit had been pre-announced, and only the factory site itself had been audited, and not the smallholder farms it sourced jasmine from. Sedex told us that it was ""firmly against all forms of labour rights abuses. But no one tool alone can or should be relied on to uncover and remediate all environmental and human rights risks or impacts."" Lawyer Sarah Dadush, founder of the Responsible Contracting Project, which seeks to improve human rights in global supply chains, said the BBC's investigation ""reveals… that those systems aren't working"". The issue, she said, is that ""the auditors are only auditing what they're paid to audit"", and this might not include the price paid to the labour force - ""a major root cause"" of child labour. A Fakhry and Co told us that child labour is prohibited in both its farm and factory, but that the vast majority of its jasmine is sourced from independent collectors. ""In 2018, under the monitoring of the UEBT, we commenced the Jasmine Plant Protection Products Mitigation Project, which imposes a prohibition on individuals under the age of 18 working on the farms."" It added that ""by any comparable standards in Egypt, jasmine picking is well-remunerated"".  Machalico said it does not use pickers under the age of 18, and said it had increased the price it pays for jasmine for the past two years, and will do so again this year. Hashem Brothers said our report was ""based on misleading information"". Givaudan, the fragrance house which makes Lancôme Idôle L'Intense, described our investigation as ""deeply alarming"", adding ""it's incumbent upon us all to continue taking action to remove the risk of child labour entirely"".  Firmenich, the fragrance house which makes Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty, and in summer 2023 sourced jasmine from Machalico, told us it was now using a new supplier in Egypt. It added that it will ""support initiatives that seek to collectively address this issue with industry partners and local jasmine farmers"".  We also put the findings of the investigation to the perfume masters. L'Oréal said it was ""actively committed to respecting the most protective internationally recognised human rights standards"", adding that it ""never request[s] Fragrance Houses to go lower than the market price for ingredients at the expense of farmers. Despite our strong commitments… we know that in certain parts of the world where L'Oréal suppliers operate there are risks to our commitments being upheld."" It added: ""Whenever an issue arises, L'Oréal works proactively to identify the underlying causes and the way to resolve the issue. In January 2024, our partner performed an on-site human rights impact assessment to identify potential human rights violations and find ways to prevent and mitigate them, with a focus on the child labour risks."" Estée Lauder said: ""We believe the rights of all children should be protected. And we have contacted our suppliers to investigate this very serious matter. We recognise the complex socio-economic environment surrounding the local jasmine supply chain, and we are taking action to gain better transparency and to work toward improving the livelihoods of sourcing communities.""  Back in Gharbia, jasmine picker Heba was shocked when we told her the price perfume was selling for on the international market. ""People here are worth nothing,"" she said. ""I don't mind people using perfume, but I want the people using this perfume to see in it the pain of children. And to speak up."" But lawyer Sarah Dadush said the responsibility does not lie with the consumer.  ""This is not a problem that should be for us to solve. We need law… we need corporate accountability, and that cannot just be on the consumers."" ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Children have picked ingredients used by suppliers to two major beauty companies, the BBC can reveal.', ""A BBC investigation into last summer's perfume supply chains found jasmine used by Lancôme and Aerin Beauty's suppliers was picked by minors."", 'All the luxury perfume brands claim to have zero tolerance on child labour.', ""L'Oréal, Lancôme's owner, said it was committed to respecting human rights."", ""Estée Lauder, Aerin Beauty's owner, said it had contacted its suppliers."", ""The jasmine used in Lancôme Idôle L'Intense - and Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty - comes from Egypt, which produces about half the world's supply of jasmine flowers - a key perfume ingredient."", 'Industry insiders told us the handful of companies that own many luxury brands are squeezing budgets, resulting in very low pay.', 'Egyptian jasmine pickers say this forces them to involve their children.', 'And we have discovered the auditing systems the perfume industry uses to check on supply chains are deeply flawed.', 'The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata, said he was disturbed by the World Service\'s evidence, which includes undercover filming in Egyptian jasmine fields during last year\'s picking season. ""', 'On paper, they [the industry] are promising so many good things, like supply chain transparency and the fight against child labour.', 'Looking at this footage, they are not actually doing things that they promised to do.""', ""Heba - who lives in a village in the district of Gharbia, the heart of Egypt's jasmine region - wakes her family at 03:00 to begin picking the flowers before the sun's heat damages them."", 'Heba says she needs her four children - aged from 5 to 15 - to help.', 'Like most jasmine pickers in Egypt, she is what is known as an ""independent picker"" and works on a smallholder farm.', 'The more she and her children can pick, the more they earn.', 'On the night we filmed her, she and her children managed to pick 1.5kg of jasmine flowers.', ""After paying a third of her earnings to the land owner, she was left with roughly US$1.5 [£1.18] for that night's work."", 'This is worth less than ever before, given inflation in Egypt is at an all-time high, and pickers are often living below the poverty line.', ""Heba's 10-year-old daughter Basmalla has also been diagnosed with a severe eye allergy."", 'At a medical consultation we attended with her, the doctor told her that her vision will be affected if she continues jasmine picking without treating the inflammation.', 'Once the jasmine has been picked and weighed, it is transferred via collection points to one of several local factories which extract oil from the flowers - the main three being A Fakhry and Co, Hashem Brothers and Machalico.', 'Each year, it is the factories that set the price for the jasmine picked by people like Heba.', ""It is difficult to say exactly how many of the 30,000 people involved in Egypt's jasmine industry are children."", 'But during the summer of 2023 the BBC filmed across this region and spoke to many residents who told us the low price for jasmine meant they needed to include their children in their work.', 'We witnessed that, at four different locations, a significant number of pickers working on smallholder farms - which supply the main factories - were children under the age of 15.', 'Multiple sources also told us that there were children working on farms directly owned by the Machalico factory, so we went undercover to film there and found pickers who told us their ages ranged from 12 to 14.', 'It is illegal for anyone under the age of 15 to work in Egypt between the hours of 19:00 and 07:00.', 'The factories export the jasmine oil to international fragrance houses where the perfumes are created.', ""Givaudan, based in Switzerland is one of the largest, and has a longstanding relationship with A Fakhry and Co. But it is the perfume companies above them - which include L'Oréal and Estée Lauder - which hold all the power, according to independent perfumer Christophe Laudamiel and several other industry insiders."", 'Known as ""the masters"", they set the brief and a very tight budget for the fragrance houses, he said. ""', 'The masters\' interest is to have the cheapest oil possible to put in the fragrance bottle,"" and then to sell it at the highest possible price, said Mr Laudamiel, who spent years working inside one of the fragrance houses. ""', 'They actually don\'t govern the salary or the wages of the harvesters, nor the actual price of jasmine, because they are beyond that,"" he explained.', 'But he said that because of the budget that they set, the pressure on wages ""trickles down"" - to the factories, and ultimately, the pickers. ""', 'There\'s a big disconnect between the preciousness that is talked about in the marketing talk, and what is actually given to the harvesters,"" he added.', 'In their promotional material, the perfume companies and fragrance houses paint a picture of ethical sourcing practices.', 'Every employer in the supply chain has also signed a letter of commitment to the UN, pledging to abide by its guidelines regarding safe working practices and eliminating child labour.', 'The issue, according to a senior executive with fragrance house Givaudan, is the lack of oversight the perfume companies have of their supply chains.', 'Speaking on condition of anonymity, the executive said these companies relied on the fragrance houses to instruct third-party auditing companies to check for due diligence.', 'Perfume\'s Dark Secret Top perfume brands may have ""worst form of child labour"" in their supply chain, a BBC Eye investigation reveals.', 'Watch now on BBC iPlayer (UK Only).', ""For international audiences, watch on YouTube Perfume's Dark Secret BBC Eye Investigations has discovered that, when the sun goes down in Egypt, there is a hidden human cost to this industry."", 'Listen now on BBC Sounds The auditing firms most often mentioned by the conglomerates and fragrance houses on their websites, and in letters to the UN, are Sedex and UEBT.', 'Their audit reports are not publicly available but by posing as a buyer looking for ethically sourced jasmine, we managed to get the factory A Fakhry and Co to send both of them to us.', ""The report from UEBT, based on a visit to the factory last year, shows there was an indication of a human rights issue, but it doesn't go into detail."", 'Despite this, the company was given a ""verification"", which means it can say it offers ""responsibly sourced jasmine oil"".', 'UEBT, in its response to this, said: ""One company has been issued a responsible sourcing attestation, subject to an action plan… valid till mid 2024, and will be withdrawn if… not implemented.""', 'The Sedex report gave the factory a glowing assessment, but it was clear from its write-up that the visit had been pre-announced, and only the factory site itself had been audited, and not the smallholder farms it sourced jasmine from.', 'Sedex told us that it was ""firmly against all forms of labour rights abuses.', 'But no one tool alone can or should be relied on to uncover and remediate all environmental and human rights risks or impacts.""', 'Lawyer Sarah Dadush, founder of the Responsible Contracting Project, which seeks to improve human rights in global supply chains, said the BBC\'s investigation ""reveals… that those systems aren\'t working"".', 'The issue, she said, is that ""the auditors are only auditing what they\'re paid to audit"", and this might not include the price paid to the labour force - ""a major root cause"" of child labour.', 'A Fakhry and Co told us that child labour is prohibited in both its farm and factory, but that the vast majority of its jasmine is sourced from independent collectors. ""', 'In 2018, under the monitoring of the UEBT, we commenced the Jasmine Plant Protection Products Mitigation Project, which imposes a prohibition on individuals under the age of 18 working on the farms.""', 'It added that ""by any comparable standards in Egypt, jasmine picking is well-remunerated"".', 'Machalico said it does not use pickers under the age of 18, and said it had increased the price it pays for jasmine for the past two years, and will do so again this year.', 'Hashem Brothers said our report was ""based on misleading information"".', 'Givaudan, the fragrance house which makes Lancôme Idôle L\'Intense, described our investigation as ""deeply alarming"", adding ""it\'s incumbent upon us all to continue taking action to remove the risk of child labour entirely"".', 'Firmenich, the fragrance house which makes Ikat Jasmine and Limone Di Sicilia for Aerin Beauty, and in summer 2023 sourced jasmine from Machalico, told us it was now using a new supplier in Egypt.', 'It added that it will ""support initiatives that seek to collectively address this issue with industry partners and local jasmine farmers"".', 'We also put the findings of the investigation to the perfume masters.', 'L\'Oréal said it was ""actively committed to respecting the most protective internationally recognised human rights standards"", adding that it ""never request[s] Fragrance Houses to go lower than the market price for ingredients at the expense of farmers.', 'Despite our strong commitments… we know that in certain parts of the world where L\'Oréal suppliers operate there are risks to our commitments being upheld.""', 'It added: ""Whenever an issue arises, L\'Oréal works proactively to identify the underlying causes and the way to resolve the issue.', 'In January 2024, our partner performed an on-site human rights impact assessment to identify potential human rights violations and find ways to prevent and mitigate them, with a focus on the child labour risks.""', 'Estée Lauder said: ""We believe the rights of all children should be protected.', 'And we have contacted our suppliers to investigate this very serious matter.', 'We recognise the complex socio-economic environment surrounding the local jasmine supply chain, and we are taking action to gain better transparency and to work toward improving the livelihoods of sourcing communities.""', 'Back in Gharbia, jasmine picker Heba was shocked when we told her the price perfume was selling for on the international market. ""', 'People here are worth nothing,"" she said. ""', ""I don't mind people using perfume, but I want the people using this perfume to see in it the pain of children."", 'And to speak up.""', 'But lawyer Sarah Dadush said the responsibility does not lie with the consumer. ""', 'This is not a problem that should be for us to solve.', 'We need law… we need corporate accountability, and that cannot just be on the consumers.""']",0.0670092116370095,"We recognise the complex socio-economic environment surrounding the local jasmine supply chain, and we are taking action to gain better transparency and to work toward improving the livelihoods of sourcing communities.""","But no one tool alone can or should be relied on to uncover and remediate all environmental and human rights risks or impacts.""",-0.3126949932840135,"On paper, they [the industry] are promising so many good things, like supply chain transparency and the fight against child labour.","But he said that because of the budget that they set, the pressure on wages ""trickles down"" - to the factories, and ultimately, the pickers. """,2024-05-28
Microsoft stock hits all-time high after hiring former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/20/investing/microsoft-stock-record-high-altman-openai/index.html,"
  Updated
        4:19 PM EST, Mon November 20, 2023
    ","Microsoft stock reached a record high on Monday after the company said that Sam Altman, former chief executive of OpenAI, will join the company to head its artificial intelligence innovation leg.
    
            Shares of the tech behemoth rose 2.1% to an all-time high close of $377.44 on Monday, beating the previous record of $376.17.
    
            That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup. Microsoft is the artificial intelligence firm’s biggest stakeholder, with a $13 billion investment in the company.
    
            Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.
    
            Altman’s hiring ended days of speculation that the former chief executive could return to the firm after his dramatic firing. Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, will replace OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati as interim chief executive.
    
            Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year. The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.
    
            Dan Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, reiterated his $425 price target for Microsoft’s stock following Altman’s and Brockman’s hires.
    
            “We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position from an AI perspective with Altman and Brockman” at the company, Ives wrote in a note on Monday.
    
            Other members of the “Magnificent Seven” saw a boost on Monday. Nvidia shares gained 2.3% to end the trading session at $504.20 ahead of its earnings due on Tuesday, notching a record-high close for the chipmaker.",CNN,20/11/2023,"['Microsoft stock reached a record high on Monday after the company said that Sam Altman, former chief executive of OpenAI, will join the company to head its artificial intelligence innovation leg.', 'Shares of the tech behemoth rose 2.1% to an all-time high close of $377.44 on Monday, beating the previous record of $376.17.', 'That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup.', 'Microsoft is the artificial intelligence firm’s biggest stakeholder, with a $13 billion investment in the company.', 'Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.', 'Altman’s hiring ended days of speculation that the former chief executive could return to the firm after his dramatic firing.', 'Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, will replace OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati as interim chief executive.', 'Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year.', 'The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.', 'Dan Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, reiterated his $425 price target for Microsoft’s stock following Altman’s and Brockman’s hires.', '“We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position from an AI perspective with Altman and Brockman” at the company, Ives wrote in a note on Monday.', 'Other members of the “Magnificent Seven” saw a boost on Monday.', 'Nvidia shares gained 2.3% to end the trading session at $504.20 ahead of its earnings due on Tuesday, notching a record-high close for the chipmaker.']",0.3148943375907157,"The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.","Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.",0.7688216765721639,Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year.,"That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup.",2024-05-28
Beckham: Ex-England captain in deal with Euros sponsor AliExpress,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0091d3l0xo,2024-05-28T03:57:12.723Z,"David Beckham has signed a deal to be a global ambassador for AliExpress, an online retail platform owned by Chinese technology giant Alibaba. The announcement comes as the Euros football tournament is due to kick off in Germany next month. The company did not reveal how much it is paying the former England captain. In March, AliExpress agreed an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with European football's governing body UEFA. Under the deal, the football superstar turned entrepreneur will be the face of AliExpress' Score More promotion, which will run during games. “AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” David Beckham said. AliExpress joins other major Chinese firms that are sponsoring the Euros, including electric vehicle maker BYD and electronics giant Vivo. Since hanging up his football boots more than a decade ago, Beckham has been linked to a host of brands and major sporting events. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Beckham and his wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl and fashion designer, have a combined fortune of £455m ($581.6m).  After the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the tournament is set to be the biggest sporting event of the year. A total of 2.7 million tickets were made available for the competition, which runs from 14 June to 14 July across 10 cities including Munich and Hamburg. According to UEFA, the 2020 Euros had a total global live television audience of 5.2 billion. The final, that England lost on penalties, was watched by 328 million people, it said. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['David Beckham has signed a deal to be a global ambassador for AliExpress, an online retail platform owned by Chinese technology giant Alibaba.', 'The announcement comes as the Euros football tournament is due to kick off in Germany next month.', 'The company did not reveal how much it is paying the former England captain.', ""In March, AliExpress agreed an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with European football's governing body UEFA."", ""Under the deal, the football superstar turned entrepreneur will be the face of AliExpress' Score More promotion, which will run during games. “"", 'AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” David Beckham said.', 'AliExpress joins other major Chinese firms that are sponsoring the Euros, including electric vehicle maker BYD and electronics giant Vivo.', 'Since hanging up his football boots more than a decade ago, Beckham has been linked to a host of brands and major sporting events.', 'According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Beckham and his wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl and fashion designer, have a combined fortune of £455m ($581.6m).', 'After the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the tournament is set to be the biggest sporting event of the year.', 'A total of 2.7 million tickets were made available for the competition, which runs from 14 June to 14 July across 10 cities including Munich and Hamburg.', 'According to UEFA, the 2020 Euros had a total global live television audience of 5.2 billion.', 'The final, that England lost on penalties, was watched by 328 million people, it said.']",0.1132980453803464,"AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” David Beckham said.","The final, that England lost on penalties, was watched by 328 million people, it said.",0.9993786215782166,"In March, AliExpress agreed an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership with European football's governing body UEFA.",,2024-05-28
BuzzFeed stock soars after Vivek Ramaswamy acquires activist stake,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/investing/buzzfeed-stock-vivek-ramaswamy-activist-stake/index.html,"
  Updated
        7:40 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","BuzzFeed’s stock is soaring after former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramasamy revealed that he’s taken an activist stake in the beleaguered media company in a bid to adjust the firm’s strategy.
    
            Shares of BuzzFeed gained about 20% on Wednesday after a securities filing revealed that Ramaswamy has acquired a 7.7% stake in the company. The stock popped more than 82% earlier in the day at its highs.
    
            “Stay tuned,” Ramaswamy told CNN through spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
    
            In a statement, BuzzFeed Inc said: “BuzzFeed is purposely structured to protect its editorial integrity. We are always open to hearing ideas from our shareholders.
    
            Ramaswamy “believes the securities of the Issuer are undervalued and represent an attractive investment opportunity,” the filing.
    
            He also seeks a “shift in the Company’s strategy,” the filing said.
    
            Shares of BuzzFeed have plummeted roughly 92% since its initial public offering in 2021, though it remains above its record low closing price of 67 cents per share.
    
            BuzzFeed has struggled in recent years along with other digital publishers, battered by a softening advertising market, sinking social media referral traffic and the rise of artificial intelligence.
    
            The company in February sold Complex Networks for $108.6 million, after purchasing it for $300 million three years ago, as part of its effort to slash costs while improving the company’s profitability. BuzzFeed’s portfolio of brands includes HuffPost, Tasty and the First We Feast brand that houses its “Hot Ones” YouTube series.
    
            Last year, BuzzFeed shuttered its Pulitzer Prize-winning digital news site as part of a broader move to slash the company’s headcount by 15%.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['BuzzFeed’s stock is soaring after former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramasamy revealed that he’s taken an activist stake in the beleaguered media company in a bid to adjust the firm’s strategy.', 'Shares of BuzzFeed gained about 20% on Wednesday after a securities filing revealed that Ramaswamy has acquired a 7.7% stake in the company.', 'The stock popped more than 82% earlier in the day at its highs.', '“Stay tuned,” Ramaswamy told CNN through spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.', 'In a statement, BuzzFeed Inc said: “BuzzFeed is purposely structured to protect its editorial integrity.', 'We are always open to hearing ideas from our shareholders.', 'Ramaswamy “believes the securities of the Issuer are undervalued and represent an attractive investment opportunity,” the filing.', 'He also seeks a “shift in the Company’s strategy,” the filing said.', 'Shares of BuzzFeed have plummeted roughly 92% since its initial public offering in 2021, though it remains above its record low closing price of 67 cents per share.', 'BuzzFeed has struggled in recent years along with other digital publishers, battered by a softening advertising market, sinking social media referral traffic and the rise of artificial intelligence.', 'The company in February sold Complex Networks for $108.6 million, after purchasing it for $300 million three years ago, as part of its effort to slash costs while improving the company’s profitability.', 'BuzzFeed’s portfolio of brands includes HuffPost, Tasty and the First We Feast brand that houses its “Hot Ones” YouTube series.', 'Last year, BuzzFeed shuttered its Pulitzer Prize-winning digital news site as part of a broader move to slash the company’s headcount by 15%.']",0.2875579407818034,"Ramaswamy “believes the securities of the Issuer are undervalued and represent an attractive investment opportunity,” the filing.",,0.2509742453694343,Shares of BuzzFeed gained about 20% on Wednesday after a securities filing revealed that Ramaswamy has acquired a 7.7% stake in the company.,"BuzzFeed has struggled in recent years along with other digital publishers, battered by a softening advertising market, sinking social media referral traffic and the rise of artificial intelligence.",2024-05-28
It’s back: Targeted Amex card holders can get up to 30% off at Amazon,https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/deals/amazon-amex-discount-promotion,"
  
        11:21 AM EST, Wed February 14, 2024
    ","Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities. While that’s true, there’s another lesser-known use for them — redeeming them for purchases at Amazon. Right now, you may be eligible for an Amazon promotion where you can save big on Amazon purchases by redeeming as little as one Amex point.
    
            Targeted American Express card members can save as much as 30% on their next Amazon purchase, for up to $30 in savings when you use Amex points to pay for at least a portion of your purchase at checkout. However, your offer may be higher or lower.
    
            This offer is set to expire on June 30, 2024, so even if you aren’t in the market to shop at Amazon right now, you have some time to take advantage of the savings. That said, Amazon also states it will deactivate the offer after 24,167 customers have redeemed it.
    
            With many Amazon discounted offers, scoring the deal can be a little complicated. But we’re going to take you through it step by step to make sure you’re getting as much of a discount as possible when you’re shopping at Amazon.
    
            To start, you must have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points. Amex cards that earn other types of rewards, such as cash back or airline miles, won’t work. But there are plenty of Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points — a small sampling of them is at the end of this story.
    
            Next, you’ll need to link your Amazon and American Express accounts. Add your American Express card as a payment method in your Amazon account, if you haven’t already. Then look for the option to enroll in “Shop with Points” under the “Your Account” tab, and click the “Enroll” button for the Amex card you just added.
    
            Once your accounts are connected, you’ll need to activate the offer by clicking on this link. Remember, this is a targeted promotion, so not everyone will be eligible for it — you could be targeted for any one of the offers or none of them. When you click on the link, if you see a message that you’re not eligible, then you’re unfortunately not targeted for this particular promotion.
    
            But even if you’re not targeted, don’t give up hope. If you just enrolled in “Shop with Points,” you may need to wait 24 hours for Amazon’s records to refresh before knowing if you’re targeted, so check back in a day or so.
    
            If you’re eligible, activate the offer by clicking on the “Activate now” button — the enrollment page will indicate your particular discount. You can then shop at Amazon as you normally would, though only products sold and shipped by Amazon are eligible for these discounts. Additionally, Amazon gift cards are excluded, though other third-party retailer gift cards sold by Amazon might be eligible.
    
            But wait! There’s one more step. When you’re ready to check out, you’ll want to make sure to select your linked American Express card as your payment method. Then you’ll need to use at least 1 point to pay for your purchase for the discount to apply.
    
            When paying with Amex Membership Rewards points at Amazon, 1 point equals 0.7 cents. That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points. Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Membership Rewards points as high as 2 cents each when redeemed for travel.
    
            However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to pay for your entire Amazon purchase with points to get these discounts. In fact, you can use just 1 point and pay for the rest with your Amex card, and you’ll still see the discount applied to your order. However, some accounts might see that you need to redeem slightly more points — 714 to be exact — to receive the savings, so make sure to check the terms of your exact offer.
    
            To pay with the minimum number of points required, enter $0.01 in the points section at checkout, which will apply just 1 point to your payment, You can use any number of points you want, but if you don’t make this change, Amazon may automatically apply the maximum number of points to cover the entire purchase, so you’ll want to make sure to update the amount before you place the order.
    
            Once you’ve applied at least 1 point to your payment, you’ll see the discount added to your order. The discount will apply on every order you place through June 30 until you hit the total maximum in savings — which will depend on your particular offer.
    
            Let’s take a look at some examples of how you can apply this discount to your upcoming Amazon purchases, even if you don’t need anything from Amazon right at the moment.
    
            With airlines having regular delays and cancellations over the last year, placing an Apple AirTag on your luggage can be a great way to track the location of your belongings. An Apple AirTag 4 Pack is currently priced at $78.99 before taxes and shipping, but if you’re targeted for the 30% off American Express offer, that’ll bring the pack down to $55.30, or around $13.83 per AirTag before tax.
    
            Or, if you’re hoping to pick up a set of new Apple AirPods Pro 2, right now Amazon is selling them for $189.99. But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.
    
            Even if you aren’t eligible for any of these particular Amex promotions, offers like this typically resurface many times throughout the year, so keep on checking back.
    
            Amazon often runs similar promotions for other credit cards, so check out our guides to discounts for Chase and Discover card holders to see what’s available. You might also find that even if you aren’t eligible now for one of these offers, you could magically become targeted in a few weeks, so keep on checking the link to see if you’ve been granted access.
    
            Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, so keep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.
    
            Also, make sure you read our guide to the best credit cards for Amazon to be sure you’re using the right card when you buy at Amazon.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,14/02/2024,"['Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities.', 'While that’s true, there’s another lesser-known use for them — redeeming them for purchases at Amazon.', 'Right now, you may be eligible for anAmazonpromotion where you can save big on Amazon purchases by redeeming as little as one Amex point.', 'Targeted American Express card members cansave as much as 30% on their next Amazon purchase, for up to $30 in savings when you use Amex points to pay for at least a portion of your purchase at checkout.', 'However, your offer may be higher or lower.', 'This offer is set to expire on June 30, 2024, so even if you aren’t in the market to shop at Amazon right now, you have some time to take advantage of the savings.', 'That said, Amazon also states it will deactivate the offer after 24,167 customers have redeemed it.', 'With many Amazon discounted offers, scoring the deal can be a little complicated.', 'But we’re going to take you through it step by step to make sure you’re getting as much of a discount as possible when you’re shopping atAmazon.', 'To start, you must have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points.', 'Amex cards that earn other types of rewards, such as cash back or airline miles, won’t work.', 'But there are plenty of Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points — a small sampling of them is at the end of this story.', 'Next, you’ll need tolink your Amazon and American Express accounts.', 'Add your American Express card as a payment method in your Amazon account, if you haven’t already.', 'Then look for the option toenroll in “Shop with Points”under the “Your Account” tab, and click the “Enroll” button for the Amex card you just added.', 'Once your accounts are connected, you’ll need to activate the offer byclicking on this link.', 'Remember, this is a targeted promotion, so not everyone will be eligible for it — you could be targeted for any one of the offers or none of them.', 'When you click on the link, if you see a message that you’re not eligible, then you’re unfortunately not targeted for this particular promotion.', 'But even if you’re not targeted, don’t give up hope.', 'If you just enrolled in “Shop with Points,” you may need to wait 24 hours for Amazon’s records to refresh before knowing if you’re targeted, so check back in a day or so.', 'If you’re eligible, activate the offer byclicking on the “Activate now” button— the enrollment page will indicate your particular discount.', 'You can thenshop at Amazonas you normally would, though only products sold and shipped by Amazon are eligible for these discounts.', 'Additionally, Amazon gift cards are excluded, though otherthird-party retailer gift cardssold by Amazon might be eligible.', 'But wait!', 'There’s one more step.', 'When you’re ready to check out, you’ll want to make sure to select your linked American Express card as your payment method.', 'Then you’ll need to use at least 1 point to pay for your purchase for the discount to apply.', 'When paying with Amex Membership Rewards points at Amazon, 1 point equals 0.7 cents.', 'That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points.', 'Frequent flyer websiteThe Points Guyvalues Membership Rewards points as high as 2 cents each when redeemed for travel.', 'However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to pay for your entireAmazonpurchase with points to get these discounts.', 'In fact,you can use just 1 point and pay for the rest with your Amex card, and you’ll still see the discount applied to your order.', 'However, some accounts might see that you need to redeem slightly more points —714 to be exact —to receive the savings, so make sure to check the terms of your exact offer.', 'To pay with the minimum number of points required, enter $0.01 in the points section at checkout, which will apply just 1 point to your payment, You can use any number of points you want, but if you don’t make this change,Amazonmay automatically apply the maximum number of points to cover the entire purchase, so you’ll want to make sure to update the amount before you place the order.', 'Once you’ve applied at least 1 point to your payment, you’ll see the discount added to your order.', 'The discount will apply on every order you place through June 30 until you hit the total maximum in savings —which will depend on your particular offer.', 'Let’s take a look at some examples of how you can apply this discount to your upcomingAmazonpurchases, even if you don’t need anything from Amazon right at the moment.', 'With airlines having regular delays and cancellations over the last year, placing an Apple AirTag on your luggage can be a great way to track the location of your belongings.', 'An Apple AirTag 4 Pack is currently priced at $78.99 before taxes and shipping, but if you’re targeted for the 30% off American Express offer, that’ll bring the pack down to $55.30, or around $13.83 per AirTag before tax.', 'Or, if you’re hoping to pick up a set of new Apple AirPods Pro 2, right now Amazon is selling them for $189.99.', 'But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.', 'Even if you aren’t eligible for any of these particular Amex promotions, offers like this typically resurface many times throughout the year, so keep on checking back.', 'Amazon often runs similar promotions for other credit cards, so check out our guides to discounts for Chase and Discover card holders to see what’s available.', 'You might also find that even if you aren’t eligible now for one of these offers, you could magically become targeted in a few weeks, so keep on checking the link to see if you’ve been granted access.', 'Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, sokeep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.', 'Also, make sure you read our guide to thebest credit cards for Amazonto be sure you’re using the right card when you buy at Amazon.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.2766683229921542,Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities.,That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points.,-0.0578339397907257,"Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, sokeep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.",But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.,2024-05-28
Fed officials aren’t easing Wall Street’s nerves,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/economy/fed-minutes-wall-street-inflation/index.html,"
  Updated
        5:36 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Earlier this week, some officials at the Federal Reserve said they’re no longer worried about inflation reaccelerating, after data showed that progress stalled in the first quarter. Optimism spurred by the latest inflation data pushed all three major stock indexes to new record highs. But now Wall Street, eager for rate cuts, is on edge again.
    
            That’s because minutes from the central bank’s latest policy meeting released Wednesday showed that “various” officials said they would be willing to raise interest rates if necessary and that there were doubts as to whether financial conditions are restrictive enough to keep inflation from resurging.
    
            It spooked investors: The Dow slid more than 300 points following the release of the minutes.
    
            Moreover, the Fed minutes seemed to outweigh comments from Fed Governor Christopher Waller, a key messenger of monetary policy moves, who told CNBC in an interview Tuesday that the Fed could cut rates by the “end of the year.” In a separate speech earlier that day, he said “the data suggests that inflation isn’t accelerating.”
    
            “More recent data on the economy indicate that restrictive monetary policy is helping to cool off aggregate demand and the inflation data for April suggests that progress toward 2% has likely resumed,” Waller said at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
    
            He pointed to recent figures on employment and retail spending coming in weaker than expected, both of which should help take some steam out of inflation.
    
            But some financial leaders remain doubtful that the Fed is feeling confident enough to cut rates soon. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said Wednesday at an event hosted by Boston College that the Fed probably won’t begin to cut rates this year.
    
            “I’m still at zero cuts,” he said. “I think we’re set up for stickier inflation.”
    
            Fed officials have mostly sounded a little more optimistic about inflation recently, after the Consumer Price Index for April finally provided some welcome news. The inflation report was mostly in line with expectations, which was an improvement from the disappointing figures for the first three months of the year.
    
            “It’s important not to focus too much on just one data point,” said Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson at an event hosted by the Mortgage Bankers Association on Monday. However, he noted that the April CPI data was nonetheless “a good sign for us.”
    
            San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly told Axios in an interview that published Monday that she doesn’t “see any evidence right now that we need to adjust upwards.”
    
            Fed Chair Jerome Powell said earlier this month that it may just be a matter of giving high interest rates some time to kick in.
    
            “What that has told us is that we’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work,” he said during a moderated discussion with European Central Bank Governing Council member Klaas Knot.
    
            Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester told Bloomberg on Monday that she also thinks interest rates are high enough to deal with inflation. But despite the hopeful Fedspeak on inflation, there is still an uneasiness in the air about what’s really happening and what the central bank will do.
    
            “For now, the Fed says it wants to see more evidence that inflation is easing, which implies higher-for-longer rates until that data materializes,” wrote Chris Larkin, managing director of trading and investing for E*TRADE in a note Wednesday.
    
            “Traders will have to wait until next week’s PCE price index to get another read on inflation and update their expectations for rate cuts,” he said.
    
            The April Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, is due next Friday at 8:30 am ET, along with data on household incomes and spending.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Earlier this week, some officials at the Federal Reserve said they’re no longer worried about inflation reaccelerating, after data showed that progress stalled in the first quarter.', 'Optimism spurred by the latest inflation data pushed all three major stock indexes to new record highs.', 'But now Wall Street, eager for rate cuts, is on edge again.', 'That’s because minutes from the central bank’s latest policy meeting released Wednesday showed that “various” officials said they would be willing to raise interest rates if necessary and that there were doubts as to whether financial conditions are restrictive enough to keep inflation from resurging.', 'It spooked investors: The Dow slid more than 300 points following the release of the minutes.', 'Moreover, the Fed minutes seemed to outweigh comments from Fed Governor Christopher Waller, a key messenger of monetary policy moves, who told CNBC in an interview Tuesday that the Fed could cut rates by the “end of the year.”', 'In a separate speech earlier that day, he said “the data suggests that inflation isn’t accelerating.”', '“More recent data on the economy indicate that restrictive monetary policy is helping to cool off aggregate demand and the inflation data for April suggests that progress toward 2% has likely resumed,” Waller said at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.', 'He pointed to recent figures on employment and retail spending coming in weaker than expected, both of which should help take some steam out of inflation.', 'But some financial leaders remain doubtful that the Fed is feeling confident enough to cut rates soon.', 'Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said Wednesday at an event hosted by Boston College that the Fed probably won’t begin to cut rates this year.', '“I’m still at zero cuts,” he said. “', 'I think we’re set up for stickier inflation.”', 'Fed officials have mostly sounded a little more optimistic about inflation recently, after the Consumer Price Index for April finally provided some welcome news.', 'The inflation report was mostly in line with expectations, which was an improvement from the disappointing figures for the first three months of the year.', '“It’s important not to focus too much on just one data point,” said Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson at an event hosted by the Mortgage Bankers Association on Monday.', 'However, he noted that the April CPI data was nonetheless “a good sign for us.”', 'San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly told Axios in an interview that published Monday that she doesn’t “see any evidence right now that we need to adjust upwards.”', 'Fed Chair Jerome Powell said earlier this month that it may just be a matter of giving high interest rates some time to kick in.', '“What that has told us is that we’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work,” he said during a moderated discussion with European Central Bank Governing Council member Klaas Knot.', 'Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester told Bloomberg on Monday that she also thinks interest rates are high enough to deal with inflation.', 'But despite the hopeful Fedspeak on inflation, there is still an uneasiness in the air about what’s really happening and what the central bank will do.', '“For now, the Fed says it wants to see more evidence that inflation is easing, which implies higher-for-longer rates until that data materializes,” wrote Chris Larkin, managing director of trading and investing for E*TRADE in a note Wednesday.', '“Traders will have to wait until next week’s PCE price index to get another read on inflation and update their expectations for rate cuts,” he said.', 'The April Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, is due next Friday at 8:30 am ET, along with data on household incomes and spending.']",0.0776266220603488,"“More recent data on the economy indicate that restrictive monetary policy is helping to cool off aggregate demand and the inflation data for April suggests that progress toward 2% has likely resumed,” Waller said at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.","But despite the hopeful Fedspeak on inflation, there is still an uneasiness in the air about what’s really happening and what the central bank will do.",0.2231529131531715,Optimism spurred by the latest inflation data pushed all three major stock indexes to new record highs.,It spooked investors: The Dow slid more than 300 points following the release of the minutes.,2024-05-28
Singapore Airlines boss thanks staff after turbulence incident,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c511xldw587o,2024-05-27T05:05:33.383Z,"The boss of Singapore Airlines, Goh Choon Pong, has thanked the carrier's staff for their hard work in the aftermath of a severe turbulence incident in which a British man died and tens more people were injured. ""The last five days have been immensely challenging for everyone at Singapore Airlines,"" Mr Goh wrote in a memo seen by the BBC. The message comes after flight SQ321 from London to Singapore diverted to Bangkok, Thailand after an incident over the Indian Ocean on 21 May. The Boeing B777-ER was flown back to Singapore on Sunday. ""Our agility, dedication, and team spirit were evident during this period,"" Mr Goh's memo said. ""On behalf of the [Singapore Airlines] Board and the entire management team, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart,"" he added. Flight SQ321diverted to Bangkok last Tuesday due to a medical emergency, with 211 passengers and 18 crew members aboard. Geoff Kitchen, a 73-year-old from Gloucestershire, died from a suspected heart attack after the plane was hit by turbulence, while more than 100 other people were treated at a hospital in the Thai capital. Passengers and crew who were not seriously injured in the incident were flown to Singapore early the following day. The memo also said the airline is continuing to support injured passengers and staff and that Mr Goh had personally visited the hospital last week.  In a video address the day after the incident, Mr Goh offered his deepest condolences to Mr Kitchen's family and apologised to everyone affected. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also sent his condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, adding that his country was ""working closely with Thai authorities"". He said Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Accidents involving Singapore Airlines are rare, with the carrier consistently ranking among the world's safest carriers. The last fatal accident occurred in 2000, when a Boeing 747 crashed while attempting to take off from the wrong runway at a Taiwan airport. Some 83 people of the 179 people onboard were killed. ",BBC,27/05/2024,"['The boss of Singapore Airlines, Goh Choon Pong, has thanked the carrier\'s staff for their hard work in the aftermath of a severe turbulence incident in which a British man died and tens more people were injured. ""', 'The last five days have been immensely challenging for everyone at Singapore Airlines,"" Mr Goh wrote in a memo seen by the BBC.', 'The message comes after flight SQ321 from London to Singapore diverted to Bangkok, Thailand after an incident over the Indian Ocean on 21 May.', 'The Boeing B777-ER was flown back to Singapore on Sunday. ""', 'Our agility, dedication, and team spirit were evident during this period,"" Mr Goh\'s memo said. ""', 'On behalf of the [Singapore Airlines] Board and the entire management team, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart,"" he added.', 'Flight SQ321diverted to Bangkok last Tuesday due to a medical emergency, with 211 passengers and 18 crew members aboard.', 'Geoff Kitchen, a 73-year-old from Gloucestershire, died from a suspected heart attack after the plane was hit by turbulence, while more than 100 other people were treated at a hospital in the Thai capital.', 'Passengers and crew who were not seriously injured in the incident were flown to Singapore early the following day.', 'The memo also said the airline is continuing to support injured passengers and staff and that Mr Goh had personally visited the hospital last week.', ""In a video address the day after the incident, Mr Goh offered his deepest condolences to Mr Kitchen's family and apologised to everyone affected."", 'Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also sent his condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, adding that his country was ""working closely with Thai authorities"".', ""He said Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident."", ""Accidents involving Singapore Airlines are rare, with the carrier consistently ranking among the world's safest carriers."", 'The last fatal accident occurred in 2000, when a Boeing 747 crashed while attempting to take off from the wrong runway at a Taiwan airport.', 'Some 83 people of the 179 people onboard were killed.']",-0.0660638289223354,"On behalf of the [Singapore Airlines] Board and the entire management team, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart,"" he added.","The last fatal accident occurred in 2000, when a Boeing 747 crashed while attempting to take off from the wrong runway at a Taiwan airport.",-0.0026468634605407,"Our agility, dedication, and team spirit were evident during this period,"" Mr Goh's memo said. ""","The last five days have been immensely challenging for everyone at Singapore Airlines,"" Mr Goh wrote in a memo seen by the BBC.",2024-05-28
Digital humans: the relatable face of artificial intelligence?,https://edition.cnn.com/business/digital-humans-ai-dj-dex-spc/index.html,"
  Published
        5:33 AM EDT, Tue March 19, 2024
    ","Scrolling through the Instagram account of DJ and aspiring model Dex you’ll see her wearing new outfits, performing at shows around the world and chatting to her thousands of followers about her hobbies.
    
            However, it’s clear that there is something different about Dex; she’s an entirely virtual “digital human,” designed by a startup in the UK.
    
            For her performances, Dex is displayed on a video screen or as a holographic projection, with her mixes created by humans. She is animated using Unreal Engine — a 3D modeling software widely used in video games — combined with motion-capture. Generative artificial intelligence allows her to remember information and respond to questions, using a voice also generated by AI.
    
            “She’s probably one of the only digital humans in the performance space that you can have a conversation and interact with,” says Denise Harris, CCO of startup Sum Vivas. “You can ask her anything. She is a genius about music.”
    
            Last month, Dex performed at Digital Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and she has modeled outfits by Prada and Louis Vuitton at digital fashion events.
    
            For Liverpool-based Sum Vivas she’s a “showpiece” for more practical applications. The company is now developing digital humans that can “listen” to people’s questions and converse in real time. “Shellie” can provide product information as an avatar on company websites, while “Arif” is set to direct passengers and answer questions as a multilingual concierge on screens at airports.
    
            According to CEO and founder Rob Sims, digital humans can help bridge the gap between AI technology and people. “What we’ve found is when people start working with and conversing with a digital human, they very quickly suspend disbelief,” Sims tells CNN. “It becomes natural.”
    
            Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.
    
            Record levels of investment into generative AI have followed, with over $21 billion poured into the industry during the first nine months of last year, according to data insights company Pitchbook. In March 2023, Google launched Bard (recently renamed Gemini) and around the same time Anthropic released its AI assistant Claude. As generative AI chatbots become increasingly ubiquitous, Sum Vivas is one of several companies looking to make them more human.
    
            US and New Zealand-based UneeQ has developed animated conversational “digital humans” that can be used as virtual sales reps and customer service agents on company websites, and this month it debuted Sama 2.0, an animated cabin crew member that answers questions on Qatar Airways’ website and app.
    
            Microsoft recently announced that users of its Azure software would be able to create lifelike avatars capable of turning text prompts into animated speech. However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market. 
    
            “When we rely on automated tools, what skills are we losing in the process?” asks Jennifer Ding, senior researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. “In some ways, we think of AI as something that’s helping us or augmenting our work,” she says. “However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”
    
            Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “Every scenario that we found, we’re creating jobs and working in harmony with people rather than taking away jobs,” she says.
    
            “Digital humans, first and foremost, should work with other human colleagues,” adds Sims. “We’ll move into a stage where digital humans will start to become just another member of the team, with added benefits for that team, and obviously the customers they serve.”",CNN,19/03/2024,"['Scrolling through the Instagram account of DJ and aspiring model Dex you’ll see her wearing new outfits, performing at shows around the world and chatting to her thousands of followers about her hobbies.', 'However, it’s clear that there is something different about Dex; she’s an entirely virtual “digital human,” designed by a startup in the UK.', 'For her performances, Dex is displayed on a video screen or as a holographic projection, with her mixes created by humans.', 'She is animated using Unreal Engine — a 3D modeling software widely used in video games — combined with motion-capture.', 'Generative artificial intelligence allows her to remember information and respond to questions, using a voice also generated by AI.', '“She’s probably one of the only digital humans in the performance space that you can have a conversation and interact with,” says Denise Harris, CCO of startup Sum Vivas. “', 'You can ask her anything.', 'She is a genius about music.”', 'Last month, Dex performed at Digital Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and she has modeled outfits by Prada and Louis Vuitton at digital fashion events.', 'For Liverpool-based Sum Vivas she’s a “showpiece” for more practical applications.', 'The company is now developing digital humans that can “listen” to people’s questions and converse in real time. “', 'Shellie” can provide product information as an avatar on company websites, while “Arif” is set to direct passengers and answer questions as a multilingual concierge on screens at airports.', 'According to CEO and founder Rob Sims, digital humans can help bridge the gap between AI technology and people. “', 'What we’ve found is when people start working with and conversing with a digital human, they very quickly suspend disbelief,” Sims tells CNN. “', 'It becomes natural.”', 'Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.', 'Record levels of investment into generative AI have followed, with over $21 billion poured into the industry during the first nine months of last year, according to data insights company Pitchbook.', 'In March 2023, Google launched Bard (recently renamed Gemini) and around the same time Anthropic released its AI assistant Claude.', 'As generative AI chatbots become increasingly ubiquitous, Sum Vivas is one of several companies looking to make them more human.', 'US and New Zealand-based UneeQ has developed animated conversational “digital humans” that can be used as virtual sales reps and customer service agents on company websites, and this month it debuted Sama 2.0, an animated cabin crew member that answers questions on Qatar Airways’ website and app.', 'Microsoft recently announced that users of its Azure software would be able to create lifelike avatars capable of turning text prompts into animated speech.', 'However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market.', '“When we rely on automated tools, what skills are we losing in the process?”', 'asks Jennifer Ding, senior researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. “', 'In some ways, we think of AI as something that’s helping us or augmenting our work,” she says. “', 'However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”', 'Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “', 'Every scenario that we found, we’re creating jobs and working in harmony with people rather than taking away jobs,” she says.', '“Digital humans, first and foremost, should work with other human colleagues,” adds Sims. “', 'We’ll move into a stage where digital humans will start to become just another member of the team, with added benefits for that team, and obviously the customers they serve.”']",0.1214444180579973,"Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.","However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”",0.2107271328568458,"Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “","However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market.",2024-05-28
Their Nissan SUV was parked in the driveway. Then it caught fire and exploded,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/nissan-suv-driveway-explosion/index.html,"
  Updated
        3:51 PM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","In the early morning of May 14, Vicki Hill was startled awake by the sound of explosions outside her home in Bethesda, Maryland. The loud bangs, she learned later, had come from the airbags of the family’s SUV, a 2015 Nissan Murano that was parked in the driveway. It was on fire.
    
            “I thought someone was trying to get into our house with a sledgehammer and I woke my husband up and I said something’s wrong,” she told CNN. “And he ran downstairs and shouted up, ‘Call 911, the car’s on fire!’”
    
            Video from the home’s doorbell camera, which the family provided to CNN, shows smoke before the fire erupts and then engulfs the car.
    
            The cause of the fire in the Murano remains unknown. The fire is under investigation by Nissan. The National Highway Traffic Administration is gathering information on the fire, as well.
    
            “The safety and security of our customers is our primary concern,” a Nissan spokesperson said in a statement in response to an email asking about the fire. “We have opened an investigation into this incident.”
    
            The Hills’ Murano was recalled by Nissan in 2016 and 2019, to fix a problem that could allow brake fluid to leak and start a fire, even while the vehicle is parked. At the time, owners were warned to park their vehicles outside and away from buildings until the issue was repaired because of fire risks.
    
            A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano. The couple said a local fire investigator suggested the unrepaired recall could have caused the fire. But the Hills remember getting the work done and provided CNN with a photograph of the receipt from a local Nissan dealership that showed the repair was made. CNN has not confirmed whether the receipt is authentic.
    
            The Hills said that because the recall work had been done, the possibility of a fire wasn’t something that crossed their minds.
    
            Philip Hill had been fixing the garage, so the couple’s two cars were parked in the driveway. Otherwise, the Murano would have been parked inside the garage adjoining the house.
    
            “As you can see from the video, that vehicle is so close to the house,” Philip Hill told CNN. “Minutes later, the house could have gone up.”
    
            As it was, the garage door melted from the flames, they said. The Hills credit a neighbor’s dog with saving them and their three children. The neighbor was able to call 911 before the Hills, after being alerted by her dog.
    
            The intense flames from the burning Nissan also damaged the side of the family’s other car, a 2012 Mercedes C-class, leaving it unusable.
    
            Initially, the Hills were concerned they might have been victims of vandalism. But they said the video footage from their Nest doorbell camera clearly showed the vehicle spontaneously combusting.
    
            Nissan took possession of the Murano on Wednesday to study it more closely, the Hills said.
    
            As surprising as the Hills’ situation may seem, vehicle fires are not uncommon. In 2022, an estimated 188,500 car and truck fires blazed in the United States, an average of more than 500 a day, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Vehicle fires caused 610 civilian deaths that year, according the NFPA.",CNN,25/05/2024,"['In the early morning of May 14, Vicki Hill was startled awake by the sound of explosions outside her home in Bethesda, Maryland.', 'The loud bangs, she learned later, had come from the airbags of the family’s SUV, a 2015 Nissan Murano that was parked in the driveway.', 'It was on fire.', '“I thought someone was trying to get into our house with a sledgehammer and I woke my husband up and I said something’s wrong,” she told CNN. “', 'And he ran downstairs and shouted up, ‘Call 911, the car’s on fire!’”', 'Video from the home’s doorbell camera,which the family provided to CNN,shows smoke before the fire erupts and thenengulfs the car.', 'The cause of the fire in the Murano remains unknown.', 'The fire isunder investigationby Nissan.', 'The National Highway Traffic Administration is gathering informationon the fire, as well.', '“The safety and security of our customers is our primary concern,” a Nissan spokesperson said in a statement in response to an email asking about the fire. “', 'We have opened an investigation into this incident.”', 'TheHills’ Murano was recalled by Nissanin 2016 and 2019, to fix a problem that could allow brake fluid to leak and start a fire, even while the vehicle is parked.', 'At the time, owners were warned to park their vehicles outside and away from buildings until the issue was repaired because of fire risks.', 'A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano.', 'The couple said a local fire investigator suggested the unrepaired recall could have caused the fire.', 'But the Hills remember getting the work done and provided CNN with a photograph of the receipt from a local Nissan dealership that showed the repair was made.', 'CNN has not confirmed whether the receipt is authentic.', 'The Hills said that because the recall work had been done, the possibility of a fire wasn’t something that crossed their minds.', 'Philip Hill had been fixing the garage, so the couple’s two cars were parked in the driveway.', 'Otherwise, the Murano would have been parked inside the garage adjoining the house.', '“As you can see from the video, that vehicle is so close to the house,” Philip Hill told CNN. “', 'Minutes later, the house could have gone up.”', 'As it was, the garage door melted from the flames, they said.', 'The Hills credit a neighbor’s dog with saving them and their three children.', 'The neighbor was able to call 911 before the Hills, after being alerted by her dog.', 'The intense flames from the burning Nissan also damaged the side of the family’s other car, a 2012 Mercedes C-class, leaving it unusable.', 'Initially, the Hills were concerned they might have been victims of vandalism.', 'Butthey saidthe video footage from their Nest doorbell cameraclearlyshowed the vehicle spontaneously combusting.', 'Nissan took possession of the Murano on Wednesday to study it more closely, the Hills said.', 'As surprising as the Hills’ situation may seem, vehicle fires are not uncommon.', 'In 2022, an estimated 188,500 car and truck fires blazed in the United States, an average of more than 500 a day, according to the National Fire Protection Association.', 'Vehicle fires caused 610 civilian deaths that year, according the NFPA.']",-0.115243302764866,A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano.,"TheHills’ Murano was recalled by Nissanin 2016 and 2019, to fix a problem that could allow brake fluid to leak and start a fire, even while the vehicle is parked.",-0.827258655003139,,A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano.,2024-05-28
WhatsApp boss in online spat with Elon Musk over message security,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ddwymz8ero,2024-05-28T12:14:59.763Z,"WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has hit back at claims from Elon Musk that the messaging app ""exports your user data every night."" Posting on X, Mr Cathcart said the allegation was simply ""not correct"". He pointed to the fact WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they cannot be read by the company at all. Yann LeCun - artificial intelligence chief at parent company, Meta - has also weighed in, using more industrial language in his X post attacking Mr Musk's claims. On another Meta platform, Threads, Mr LeCun also levelled further criticisms at Mr Musk, accusing him of making contradictory and unrealistic claims about artificial intelligence and ""spewing conspiracy theories"" on his own social media platform. Mr Musk has a well-established reputation for getting himself into online rows, from submariners to sacked former employees. In this case, Mr Cathcart is right to say only the sender and recipient of a WhatsApp message can read its contents. In fact, the firm's commitment to encrypting messages is so significant that it previously said it would rather be blocked in the UK than weaken the encryption it uses. Mr Musk's vague language - simply saying that ""user data"" was being uploaded - could however be interpreted to refer to metadata, the extra bits of information sent alongside the actual message. ""WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, but user data is not only about messages,"" said security researcher Tommy Mysk in a post on X.  ""That also includes the metadata such as user location, which contacts the user is communicating with, the patterns of when the user is online, etc."" It is known that WhatsApp does share some metadata with other platforms Meta owns - but this does not include messages. ""One area of particular concern has been WhatsApp sharing data with other Meta companies,"" said Dr Tristan Henderson, lecturer in computer science at the University of St Andrews. ""This does include sufficient metadata for these Meta companies to make suggestions and show personalised adverts, which in itself shows what metadata can reveal."" The WhatsApp Privacy Policy specifically states that the firm will use some user data for ""showing relevant offers and ads across the Meta Company Products"". The BBC has approached Meta for comment. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has hit back at claims from Elon Musk that the messaging app ""exports your user data every night.""', 'Posting on X, Mr Cathcart said the allegation was simply ""not correct"".', 'He pointed to the fact WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they cannot be read by the company at all.', ""Yann LeCun - artificial intelligence chief at parent company, Meta - has also weighed in, using more industrial language in his X post attacking Mr Musk's claims."", 'On another Meta platform, Threads, Mr LeCun also levelled further criticisms at Mr Musk, accusing him of making contradictory and unrealistic claims about artificial intelligence and ""spewing conspiracy theories"" on his own social media platform.', 'Mr Musk has a well-established reputation for getting himself into online rows, from submariners to sacked former employees.', 'In this case, Mr Cathcart is right to say only the sender and recipient of a WhatsApp message can read its contents.', ""In fact, the firm's commitment to encrypting messages is so significant that it previously said it would rather be blocked in the UK than weaken the encryption it uses."", 'Mr Musk\'s vague language - simply saying that ""user data"" was being uploaded - could however be interpreted to refer to metadata, the extra bits of information sent alongside the actual message. ""', 'WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, but user data is not only about messages,"" said security researcher Tommy Mysk in a post on X. ""That also includes the metadata such as user location, which contacts the user is communicating with, the patterns of when the user is online, etc.""', 'It is known that WhatsApp does share some metadata with other platforms Meta owns - but this does not include messages. ""', 'One area of particular concern has been WhatsApp sharing data with other Meta companies,"" said Dr Tristan Henderson, lecturer in computer science at the University of St Andrews. ""', 'This does include sufficient metadata for these Meta companies to make suggestions and show personalised adverts, which in itself shows what metadata can reveal.""', 'The WhatsApp Privacy Policy specifically states that the firm will use some user data for ""showing relevant offers and ads across the Meta Company Products"".', 'The BBC has approached Meta for comment.']",0.0363718507087438,"WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, but user data is not only about messages,"" said security researcher Tommy Mysk in a post on X. ""That also includes the metadata such as user location, which contacts the user is communicating with, the patterns of when the user is online, etc.""","On another Meta platform, Threads, Mr LeCun also levelled further criticisms at Mr Musk, accusing him of making contradictory and unrealistic claims about artificial intelligence and ""spewing conspiracy theories"" on his own social media platform.",-0.0632106065750122,"In fact, the firm's commitment to encrypting messages is so significant that it previously said it would rather be blocked in the UK than weaken the encryption it uses.","WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has hit back at claims from Elon Musk that the messaging app ""exports your user data every night.""",2024-05-28
"Uvalde families sue Meta, video game creator and gunmaker",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8449dxw23do,2024-05-25T02:45:31.076Z,"Families of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting are suing the manufacturer of the gun used in the attack, the maker of a video game and Instagram parent company Meta.  In two new lawsuits, they claim the companies helped promote dangerous weapons to a generation of “socially vulnerable” young men, including the 18-year old gunman. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the attack at Robb Elementary School.  Friday marked the second anniversary of the Texas school shooting. The dual lawsuits - filed in Texas and California - are against Activision, the developer of the military video game series “Call of Duty”;  Daniel Defense, the gun manufacturer known for its high-end rifles; and Meta.   The companies are accused of being responsible for “grooming” a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world, with easily accessible weapons of war.  The gunman, Salvador Ramos, used an AR-15 style rifle in the attack. The lawsuits contend that Meta and Activision ""knowingly exposed"" him to the gun he used at Uvalde and conditioned him to see it as the solution to his problems. The lawsuits claim that Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense have been ""partnering…in a scheme that preys upon insecure, adolescent boys"", attorneys said in a news release. “There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” the statement said. “This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.” According to lawsuits, the gunman had been playing Call of Duty, a war-based video game with a rifle similar to the one used in the shooting, since he was 15 years old. The lawsuit says the gunman was ""simultaneously"" the subject of ""aggressive marketing"" by Daniel Defense, which targeted the teen with ads on Instagram.  ""Instagram creates a connection between …an adolescent …and the gun and a gun company,"" Josh Koskoff, the plaintiffs' attorney, told the BBC's US media partner CBS, on Friday.  ""And nobody exploited Instagram for this purpose more than Daniel Defense.""  An Activision spokesperson told CBS that the ""Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way"", adding that the company expresses its ""deepest sympathies"" to victims and their families.  ""Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts"", the spokesman said.  The BBC has reached out to Meta, Daniel Defense and Activision for comment.  Daniel Defense, which is facing other lawsuits filed by some victims' families, said in a 2022 statement that such litigation was “frivolous” and “politically motivated”. On Wednesday, families of the victims reached a $2m (£1.5m) settlement with the city of Uvalde. More than 370 officers from various local, state and federal departments were at Robb Elementary during the attack.  It took police more than an hour to stop the gunman, who was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms.  Additionally, the families announced that they will be taking new legal action against 92 individual officers from the state's Department of Public Safety for ""shocking and extensive failures"" during the shooting response. With files from Peter Bowes ",BBC,25/05/2024,"['Families of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting are suing the manufacturer of the gun used in the attack, the maker of a video game and Instagram parent company Meta.', 'In two new lawsuits, they claim the companies helped promote dangerous weapons to a generation of “socially vulnerable” young men, including the 18-year old gunman.', 'Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the attack at Robb Elementary School.', 'Friday marked the second anniversary of the Texas school shooting.', 'The dual lawsuits - filed in Texas and California - are against Activision, the developer of the military video game series “Call of Duty”; Daniel Defense, the gun manufacturer known for its high-end rifles; and Meta.', 'The companies are accused of being responsible for “grooming” a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world, with easily accessible weapons of war.', 'The gunman, Salvador Ramos, used an AR-15 style rifle in the attack.', 'The lawsuits contend that Meta and Activision ""knowingly exposed"" him to the gun he used at Uvalde and conditioned him to see it as the solution to his problems.', 'The lawsuits claim that Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense have been ""partnering…in a scheme that preys upon insecure, adolescent boys"", attorneys said in a news release. “', 'There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” the statement said. “', 'This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.”', 'According to lawsuits, the gunman had been playing Call of Duty, a war-based video game with a rifle similar to the one used in the shooting, since he was 15 years old.', 'The lawsuit says the gunman was ""simultaneously"" the subject of ""aggressive marketing"" by Daniel Defense, which targeted the teen with ads on Instagram. ""', 'Instagram creates a connection between …an adolescent …and the gun and a gun company,"" Josh Koskoff, the plaintiffs\' attorney, told the BBC\'s US media partner CBS, on Friday. ""', 'And nobody exploited Instagram for this purpose more than Daniel Defense.""', 'An Activision spokesperson told CBS that the ""Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way"", adding that the company expresses its ""deepest sympathies"" to victims and their families. ""', 'Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts"", the spokesman said.', 'The BBC has reached out to Meta, Daniel Defense and Activision for comment.', ""Daniel Defense, which is facing other lawsuits filed by some victims' families, said in a 2022 statement that such litigation was “frivolous” and “politically motivated”."", 'On Wednesday, families of the victims reached a $2m (£1.5m) settlement with the city of Uvalde.', 'More than 370 officers from various local, state and federal departments were at Robb Elementary during the attack.', 'It took police more than an hour to stop the gunman, who was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms.', 'Additionally, the families announced that they will be taking new legal action against 92 individual officers from the state\'s Department of Public Safety for ""shocking and extensive failures"" during the shooting response.', 'With files from Peter Bowes']",-0.346953993505112,"Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts"", the spokesman said.","The companies are accused of being responsible for “grooming” a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world, with easily accessible weapons of war.",0.0772000253200531,"On Wednesday, families of the victims reached a $2m (£1.5m) settlement with the city of Uvalde.","Daniel Defense, which is facing other lawsuits filed by some victims' families, said in a 2022 statement that such litigation was “frivolous” and “politically motivated”.",2024-05-28
A 220-year-old American corporate powerhouse is breaking up,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/business/dupont-de-nemours-company-split/index.html,"
  Updated
        10:47 AM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","DuPont de Nemours, the American multinational chemical company that traces its history back to 1802, announced plans to split into three publicly traded companies on Wednesday.
    
            The company plans to spin off its electronics and water businesses into their own yet-to-be-named companies in a transaction that is tax-free to shareholders. DuPont said it expects to complete the breakup transactions within the next 18 to 24 months, and it is subject to final approval by DuPont’s board of directors.
    
            The announcement also included a shakeup in leadership: Effective June 1, DuPont’s chief financial officer, Lori Koch, will step into the CEO role. DuPont’s current CEO, Ed Breen, will stay on as executive chairman. Koch will remain CEO of the new, slimmed-down DuPont once the spin-offs are complete, according to the company.
    
            Shares of DuPont were slightly higher in Thursday morning trading, rising by around 1.5% after the opening bell.
    
            DuPont’s breakup comes amid other large, multinational companies announcing breakups in recent years, with many CEOs and corporate boards touting the agility of smaller companies.
    
            In a statement, Breen echoed a similar refrain, saying the three smaller companies would have greater flexibility after the spin-off.
    
            “The three-way separation will unlock incremental value for shareholders and customers and also create new opportunities for employees,” he said. “Critically, each company will have greater flexibility to pursue their own focused growth strategies, including portfolio enhancing M&A (mergers and acquisitions).”
    
            In the last several years, major American companies like J&J, Kellogg and General Electric announced company break-ups and spin-offs, signaling a preference for smaller, more nimble companies over the conglomerates that gained prominence in previous decades.
    
            This is the second DuPont breakup in half a decade. In 2019, DowDuPont, which was created in a DuPont merger with Dow Chemical, broke apart into three separate entities: DuPont, Dow Chemical and Corteva, the company’s agriculture business.
    
            On Wednesday, DuPont said the newly formed electronics company would focus on “semiconductor solutions and advanced electronics products,” while the new water company would be “a comprehensive water solutions provider.” The leftover divisions will remain as part of DuPont.",CNN,23/05/2024,"['DuPont de Nemours, the American multinational chemical company that traces its history back to 1802, announced plans to split into three publicly traded companies on Wednesday.', 'The company plans to spin off its electronics and water businesses into their own yet-to-be-named companies in a transaction that is tax-free to shareholders.', 'DuPont said it expects to complete the breakup transactions within the next 18 to 24 months, and it is subject to final approval by DuPont’s board of directors.', 'The announcement also included a shakeup in leadership: Effective June 1, DuPont’s chief financial officer, Lori Koch, will step into the CEO role.', 'DuPont’s current CEO, Ed Breen, will stay on as executive chairman.', 'Koch will remain CEO of the new, slimmed-down DuPont once the spin-offs are complete, according to the company.', 'Shares of DuPont were slightly higher in Thursday morning trading, rising by around 1.5% after the opening bell.', 'DuPont’s breakup comes amid other large, multinational companies announcing breakups in recent years, with many CEOs and corporate boards touting the agility of smaller companies.', 'In a statement, Breen echoed a similar refrain, saying the three smaller companies would have greater flexibility after the spin-off.', '“The three-way separation will unlock incremental value for shareholders and customers and also create new opportunities for employees,” he said. “', 'Critically, each company will have greater flexibility to pursue their own focused growth strategies, including portfolio enhancing M&A (mergers and acquisitions).”', 'In the last several years, major American companies like J&J, Kellogg and General Electric announced company break-ups and spin-offs, signaling a preference for smaller, more nimble companies over the conglomerates that gained prominence in previous decades.', 'This is the second DuPont breakup in half a decade.', 'In 2019, DowDuPont, which was created in a DuPont merger with Dow Chemical, broke apart into three separate entities: DuPont, Dow Chemical and Corteva, the company’s agriculture business.', 'On Wednesday, DuPont said the newly formed electronics company would focus on “semiconductor solutions and advanced electronics products,” while the new water company would be “a comprehensive water solutions provider.”', 'The leftover divisions will remain as part of DuPont.']",0.296888629319359,"Critically, each company will have greater flexibility to pursue their own focused growth strategies, including portfolio enhancing M&A (mergers and acquisitions).”","In 2019, DowDuPont, which was created in a DuPont merger with Dow Chemical, broke apart into three separate entities: DuPont, Dow Chemical and Corteva, the company’s agriculture business.",0.8975565731525421,"“The three-way separation will unlock incremental value for shareholders and customers and also create new opportunities for employees,” he said. “",,2024-05-28
Here’s how new AI tech could change the iPhone,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/tech/ai-iphone/index.html,"
  Updated
        10:24 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","Imagine asking Apple’s Siri to show you an old photo taken from a child’s second birthday, or summarizing lengthy emails and writing drafts. Then consider Siri learning your schedule, preferences, even your personality, so it can better communicate with you throughout the day.
    
            Generative AI, artificial intelligence that can provide thoughtful and thorough responses to questions and prompts, could potentially breathe new life into Apple’s iPhone lineup at a time when competitors are threatening to leave the company behind in the race to shape what could be a world-changing technology.
    
            The company is widely expected to partner with ChatGPT maker OpenAI ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where it will likely show off its first batch of AI tools coming to the iOS software.
    
            Although artificial intelligence has powered some of the iPhone’s experiences for years, such as Live Text and improved autocorrect, generative AI could unlock new levels of interaction and personalization. All this during a time when the company is under pressure to catch up to rivals such as Google and Samsung, which are already using the technology in its smartphones.
    
            “We see generative AI as a key opportunity across our products and believe we have advantages that set us apart there,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company’s most recent earnings call in early May, noting there would be news announced in the “weeks ahead.”
    
            Apple is not always first to adopt to emerging technologies — it typically researches, develops and aims to perfect them for years before including them in new products — but the speed at which the world is adopting generative AI is perhaps expediting the company’s need to have a smartphone with the most cutting-edge technology.
    
            The debut of an AI iPhone could also entice consumers to upgrade at a time when they’ve been holding onto older models longer. Apple reported first-quarter revenue of $90.8 billion, down 4% year over year, as the tech giant continues to struggle with growth challenges, particularly in China, amid an uncertain economic environment.
    
            Now all eyes shift to Apple for its take on generative AI. Here’s how that could play out on the iPhone:
    
            Although it’s unclear what exactly an iPhone in the generative AI world would look like, experts largely believe the biggest entrypoint is through Siri, the company’s virtual assistant with a hit-or-miss track record.
    
            Integration with OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT-4o model could catapult Siri years forward, essentially turning the feature into an iPhone chatbot. This would enable Siri to perform specific tasks such as recalling a picture taken years ago on the device or answering detailed questions about the weather, the news or trivia. Over time, it could learn the user’s preferences and even personality, and respond accordingly.
    
            Looking at how competitors have already introduced generative tools, the iPhone will also likely assist users with other tasks, such as offering to summarize and draft emails, or starting an online purchase return process.
    
            Samsung’s “circle to search” feature, which allows users to quickly search for information on a device’s screen with a finger gesture, has received a lot of attention and is featured in marketing campaigns. Multimodal features – which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — like analysis of video footage and in-call spam detection could also form part of the tools, according to Paul Schell, industry analyst at tech intelligence firm ABI Research.
    
            “Something similar would likely be included in an Apple offering, given its relative simplicity and appeal that goes beyond simple image search,” Schell said. “But verbal interactions with a bot like Siri will be much more natural and fluent, and its capabilities will go far beyond the previous, narrow domains, like news and weather updates.”
    
            An AI iPhone could also adapt automatically and seamlessly to users, based on voice, audio and natural language, along with images and contextual cues.
    
            “Generative AI will allow the next generations of iPhones to become a sixth sense, empowering us to scan and interact with the world around us,” said Thomas Husson, an analyst with market research firm Forrester.
    
            Generative AI will also likely change Apple’s whole ecosystem by embedding it through its own apps, such as Apple Maps, iMovie and iPhoto, and release tools for developers for brands to develop new experiences through their own apps.
    
            Behind the scenes, Apple reportedly has been working on its on-device generative AI capabilities and acquiring companies for awhile, such as Canadian startup DarwinAI. It also has a machine learning research division dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence.
    
             But after the launch of ChatGPT ignited an AI arms race in late 2022, followed by companies such as Google, Microsoft and Meta heavily pouring resources into developing related tools, Apple has remained relatively quiet about its visions for an AI-powered future.
    
            Nabila Popal, a senior research director at market research firm IDC, said the pressure to be part of the conversation likely moved up the company’s timeline. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported Apple was closing in on a deal with OpenAI to use its ChatGPT technology on iPhones, after holding similar talks with Google.
    
            “Apple normally takes their time and doesn’t let the Android race rush [impact its moves], be it with foldables or 5G or even augmented and virtual reality,” Popal said. “And Apple then comes out and does it better than anyone else.”
    
            “However this time, with AI, it is different,” she said. “It’s almost like Apple is being forced to show its hand early.”
    
            She said consumers are considering AI capabilities of greater importance than any other feature when choosing their premium device, especially in China, where Apple is losing its marketshare.
    
            “It’s not just because of the resurgence of Huawei but also because of ‘lack of AI’ in their devices,” she said. “Chinese consumers want more from their premium phones.”
    
            During its most recent iPad event, Apple reminded onlookers that it’s been using artificial intelligence in its products for years, including a neural processing engine to support its A11 bionic chip. But now it needs to show it’s going all in on artificial intelligence to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry.
    
            “It’s no longer a question about whether or not Apple will announce something around generative AI, but Apple has to if they want to achieve growth in this highly competitive and innovative smartphone market, especially in China. … AI is one train Apple can’t afford to miss.”",CNN,28/05/2024,"['Imagine asking Apple’s Siri to show you an old photo taken from a child’s second birthday, or summarizing lengthy emails and writing drafts.', 'Then consider Siri learning your schedule, preferences, even your personality, so it can better communicate with you throughout the day.', 'Generative AI, artificial intelligence that can provide thoughtful and thorough responses to questions and prompts, could potentially breathe new life into Apple’s iPhone lineup at a time when competitors are threatening to leave the company behind in the race to shape what could be a world-changing technology.', 'The company is widely expected to partner with ChatGPT maker OpenAI ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where it will likely show off its first batch of AI tools coming to the iOS software.', 'Although artificial intelligence has powered some of the iPhone’s experiences for years, such as Live Text and improved autocorrect, generative AI could unlock new levels of interaction and personalization.', 'All this during a time when the company is under pressure to catch up to rivals such as Google and Samsung, which are already using the technology in its smartphones.', '“We see generative AI as a key opportunity across our products and believe we have advantages that set us apart there,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company’s most recent earnings call in early May, noting there would be news announced in the “weeks ahead.”', 'Apple is not always first to adopt to emerging technologies — it typically researches, develops and aims to perfect them for years before including them in new products — but the speed at which the world is adopting generative AI is perhaps expediting the company’s need to have a smartphone with the most cutting-edge technology.', 'The debut of an AI iPhone could also entice consumers to upgrade at a time when they’ve been holding onto older models longer.', 'Apple reported first-quarter revenue of $90.8 billion, down 4% year over year, as the tech giant continues to struggle with growth challenges, particularly in China, amid an uncertain economic environment.', 'Now all eyes shift to Apple for its take on generative AI.', 'Here’s how that could play out on the iPhone:  Although it’s unclear what exactly an iPhone in the generative AI world would look like, experts largely believe the biggest entrypoint is through Siri, the company’s virtual assistant with a hit-or-miss track record.', 'Integration with OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT-4o model could catapult Siri years forward, essentially turning the feature into an iPhone chatbot.', 'This would enable Siri to perform specific tasks such as recalling a picture taken years ago on the device or answering detailed questions about the weather, the news or trivia.', 'Over time, it could learn the user’s preferences and even personality, and respond accordingly.', 'Looking at how competitors have already introduced generative tools, the iPhone will also likely assist users with other tasks, such as offering to summarize and draft emails, or starting an online purchase return process.', 'Samsung’s “circle to search” feature, which allows users to quickly search for information on a device’s screen with a finger gesture, has received a lot of attention and is featured in marketing campaigns.', 'Multimodal features – which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — like analysis of video footage and in-call spam detection could also form part of the tools, according to Paul Schell, industry analyst at tech intelligence firm ABI Research.', '“Something similar would likely be included in an Apple offering, given its relative simplicity and appeal that goes beyond simple image search,” Schell said. “', 'But verbal interactions with a bot like Siri will be much more natural and fluent, and its capabilities will go far beyond the previous, narrow domains, like news and weather updates.”', 'An AI iPhone could also adapt automatically and seamlessly to users, based on voice, audio and natural language, along with images and contextual cues.', '“Generative AI will allow the next generations of iPhones to become a sixth sense, empowering us to scan and interact with the world around us,” said Thomas Husson, an analyst with market research firm Forrester.', 'Generative AI will also likely change Apple’s whole ecosystem by embedding it through its own apps, such as Apple Maps, iMovie and iPhoto, and release tools for developers for brands to develop new experiences through their own apps.', 'Behind the scenes, Apple reportedly has been working on its on-device generative AI capabilities and acquiring companies for awhile, such as Canadian startup DarwinAI.', 'It also has a machine learning research division dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence.', 'But after the launch of ChatGPT ignited an AI arms race in late 2022, followed by companies such as Google, Microsoft and Meta heavily pouring resources into developing related tools, Apple has remained relatively quiet about its visions for an AI-powered future.', 'Nabila Popal, a senior research director at market research firm IDC, said the pressure to be part of the conversation likely moved up the company’s timeline.', 'Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported Apple was closing in on a deal with OpenAI to use its ChatGPT technology on iPhones, after holding similar talks with Google.', '“Apple normally takes their time and doesn’t let the Android race rush [impact its moves], be it with foldables or 5G or even augmented and virtual reality,” Popal said. “', 'And Apple then comes out and does it better than anyone else.”', '“However this time, with AI, it is different,” she said. “', 'It’s almost like Apple is being forced to show its hand early.”', 'She said consumers are considering AI capabilities of greater importance than any other feature when choosing their premium device, especially in China, where Apple is losing its marketshare.', '“It’s not just because of the resurgence of Huawei but also because of ‘lack of AI’ in their devices,” she said. “', 'Chinese consumers want more from their premium phones.”', 'During its most recent iPad event, Apple reminded onlookers that it’s been using artificial intelligence in its products for years, including a neural processing engine to support its A11 bionic chip.', 'But now it needs to show it’s going all in on artificial intelligence to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry.', '“It’s no longer a question about whether or not Apple will announce something around generative AI, but Apple has to if they want to achieve growth in this highly competitive and innovative smartphone market, especially in China. …', 'AI is one train Apple can’t afford to miss.”']",0.1961873928476232,"But verbal interactions with a bot like Siri will be much more natural and fluent, and its capabilities will go far beyond the previous, narrow domains, like news and weather updates.”","“It’s not just because of the resurgence of Huawei but also because of ‘lack of AI’ in their devices,” she said. “",0.6929118505546025,"Integration with OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT-4o model could catapult Siri years forward, essentially turning the feature into an iPhone chatbot.","Apple reported first-quarter revenue of $90.8 billion, down 4% year over year, as the tech giant continues to struggle with growth challenges, particularly in China, amid an uncertain economic environment.",2024-05-28
US home prices hit another record high in March,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/28/economy/us-home-prices-case-shiller-march/index.html,"
  Updated
        10:40 AM EDT, Tue May 28, 2024
    ","US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.
    
            The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, a measure of home prices across the country, jumped 6.5% in March from a year earlier to a record high. It is the sixth time the index has reached a new record high over the past year.
    
            The report showed that there’s strong demand for housing in urban population centers such as San Diego, New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles. The 20-city index rose in March at a slightly faster pace than in February.
    
            “This month’s report boasts another all-time high,” said Brian Luke, head of commodities, real and digital assets, at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “We’ve witnessed records repeatedly break in both stock and housing markets over the past year.”
    
            In addition to unrelentingly high home prices, the housing market is also grappling with a chronic lack of homes on the market and elevated mortgage rates. Put together, it has resulted in a tough housing market, especially first-time buyers.
    
            Housing affordability, which factors in incomes, home prices and mortgage rates, remains in the doldrums. But there have been some steps in the right direction recently.
    
            The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 7% last week, after rates began to surge in mid-April. Still, mortgage rates are higher than anything seen in the decade leading up to 2022. Economists don’t expect mortgage rates to decline meaningfully this year and could very well remain above 6%.
    
            That’s because inflation got stuck earlier this year, causing the Federal Reserve to push back the timing of its interest rate cut. The Fed’s key interest rate is currently at its highest level in more than two decades. The central bank doesn’t directly set mortgage rates, but its actions do influence them. Mortgage rates track the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which moves in anticipation of the Fed’s policy moves.
    
            One persistent headache for buyers has been sky-high home prices. Annual home price growth is down from a record high of 20.8% in March 2022, but it has picked up steam in the past several months. Since the spring of 2022, there have only been two months in which homes prices declined.
    
            A persistent under-supply of housing is a key factor putting some upward pressure on prices, but there have been some consistent improvements this year. The National Association of Realtors reported last week that total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% higher from a year earlier. However, that is nowhere close to keeping up with demand, economists say.
    
             This story is developing and will be updated.",CNN,28/05/2024,"['US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.', 'The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, a measure of home prices across the country, jumped 6.5% in March from a year earlier to a record high.', 'It is the sixth time the index has reached a new record high over the past year.', 'The report showed that there’s strong demand for housing in urban population centers such as San Diego, New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles.', 'The 20-city index rose in March at a slightly faster pace than in February.', '“This month’s report boasts another all-time high,” said Brian Luke, head of commodities, real and digital assets, at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “', 'We’ve witnessed records repeatedly break in both stock and housing markets over the past year.”', 'In addition to unrelentingly high home prices, the housing market is also grappling with a chronic lack of homes on the market and elevated mortgage rates.', 'Put together, it has resulted in a tough housing market, especially first-time buyers.', 'Housing affordability, which factors in incomes, home prices and mortgage rates, remains in the doldrums.', 'But there have been some steps in the right direction recently.', 'The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 7% last week, after rates began to surge in mid-April.', 'Still, mortgage rates are higher than anything seen in the decade leading up to 2022.', 'Economists don’t expect mortgage rates to decline meaningfully this year and could very well remain above 6%.', 'That’s because inflation got stuck earlier this year, causing the Federal Reserve to push back the timing of its interest rate cut.', 'The Fed’s key interest rate is currently at its highest level in more than two decades.', 'The central bank doesn’t directly set mortgage rates, but its actions do influence them.', 'Mortgage rates track the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which moves in anticipation of the Fed’s policy moves.', 'One persistent headache for buyers has been sky-high home prices.', 'Annual home price growth is down from a record high of 20.8% in March 2022, but it has picked up steam in the past several months.', 'Since the spring of 2022, there have only been two months in which homes prices declined.', 'A persistent under-supply of housing is a key factor putting some upward pressure on prices, but there have been some consistent improvements this year.', 'The National Association of Realtors reported last week that total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% higher from a year earlier.', 'However, that is nowhere close to keeping up with demand, economists say.', 'This story is developing and will be updated.']",0.0461897163063653,The Fed’s key interest rate is currently at its highest level in more than two decades.,"US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis.",0.0383320569992065,"The National Association of Realtors reported last week that total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% higher from a year earlier.","The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below 7% last week, after rates began to surge in mid-April.",2024-05-28
Adam Neumann drops effort to return to WeWork,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnlljlrzjwgo,2024-05-28T16:19:39.829Z,"Former WeWork boss Adam Neumann said he is moving on after trying to buy the bankrupt company that specialises in shared office spaces. Mr Neumann had revealed his interest in buying the firm earlier this year, reportedly offering some $500m (£391m).  At the time, he accused the firm of resisting the idea despite its financial issues.  WeWork recently submitted a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, which it said would help reduce its rent burden by billions of dollars. In a statement on Tuesday Mr Neumann, who now leads a new property firm called Flow, criticised his former company's plans.  “For several months, we tried to work constructively with WeWork to create a strategy that would allow it to thrive,"" he said in a statement, which was first reported by the New York Times. ""Instead, the company looks to be emerging from bankruptcy with a plan that appears unrealistic and unlikely to succeed.” WeWork declined to comment. Mr Neumann made his name steering WeWork on a breakneck global expansion, which he promised would revolutionise the office property sector.  But the growth proved too costly to sustain, leaving the firm with multi-billion dollar losses. Mr Neumann was ousted in 2019, after his effort to list the company on the stock exchange revealed cracks in its business model and drew scrutiny of his leadership. His fall from grace was later portrayed in the Apple TV series WeCrashed.  Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company. But WeWork, once privately valued at nearly $50bn (£39bn) and hailed as the future of the office, continued to struggle especially after the pandemic shut down offices and gave rise to remote work, often from home.  It filed for bankruptcy last November, seeking court protection as it tried to reduce its rent burden. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Former WeWork boss Adam Neumann said he is moving on after trying to buy the bankrupt company that specialises in shared office spaces.', 'Mr Neumann had revealed his interest in buying the firm earlier this year, reportedly offering some $500m (£391m).', 'At the time, he accused the firm of resisting the idea despite its financial issues.', 'WeWork recently submitted a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, which it said would help reduce its rent burden by billions of dollars.', ""In a statement on Tuesday Mr Neumann, who now leads a new property firm called Flow, criticised his former company's plans. “"", 'For several months, we tried to work constructively with WeWork to create a strategy that would allow it to thrive,"" he said in a statement, which was first reported by the New York Times. ""', 'Instead, the company looks to be emerging from bankruptcy with a plan that appears unrealistic and unlikely to succeed.”', 'WeWork declined to comment.', 'Mr Neumann made his name steering WeWork on a breakneck global expansion, which he promised would revolutionise the office property sector.', 'But the growth proved too costly to sustain, leaving the firm with multi-billion dollar losses.', 'Mr Neumann was ousted in 2019, after his effort to list the company on the stock exchange revealed cracks in its business model and drew scrutiny of his leadership.', 'His fall from grace was later portrayed in the Apple TV series WeCrashed.', 'Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company.', 'But WeWork, once privately valued at nearly $50bn (£39bn) and hailed as the future of the office, continued to struggle especially after the pandemic shut down offices and gave rise to remote work, often from home.', 'It filed for bankruptcy last November, seeking court protection as it tried to reduce its rent burden.']",0.1099722987022685,"Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company.","It filed for bankruptcy last November, seeking court protection as it tried to reduce its rent burden.",-0.0272693261504173,"Mr Neumann, whose exit from WeWork was accompanied by a significant payout, soon bounced back, winning backing from famous Silicon Valley venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz for his new company.","But the growth proved too costly to sustain, leaving the firm with multi-billion dollar losses.",2024-05-28
Tackling water shortages with the 'Star Wars' tech,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd11nnwp646o,2024-05-28T00:49:45.249Z,"When a severe drought hit the Indian city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, in 2016, residents including student Swapnil Shrivastav had access to a limited amount of water each day.  “We were rationed to two buckets of water a day, which we collected from water tanks,” he says. While he says it’s not uncommon for water supply issues to impact parts of India, it was a tough month for Mr Shrivastav and others in the region. “It was a very humid area; it was unmanageable.” Mr Shrivastav was already interested in water scarcity having won a student competition in 2012 on imagining the future of water in cities, but the experience pushed him to explore solutions. “One element of inspiration was from Star Wars where there’s an air to water device. I thought why don’t we give it a try? It was more of a curiosity project.” Several years later, in 2019, that idea led him, Govinda Balaji and Venkatesh Raja to set up Uravu Labs, a Bangalore-based startup. Their system converts air to water using atmospheric water generators that contain a liquid desiccant, which absorbs moisture from the air. Using sunlight or renewable electricity they heat the desiccant to 65C which releases the moisture, which can then be condensed into drinking water. Mr Shrivastav says the whole process takes about 12 hours. Today each unit produces about 2,000 litres of drinking water. However, while his vision was to supply drinking water to communities facing water shortages, he says it wasn’t financially viable. “We realised the tech still needs more time to scale up and come down in cost,” says Mr Shrivastav. “Or someone should fund it, but we haven’t found the support in India.” Instead, they currently sell the water to 40 clients in the hospitality industry, who in turn use it to provide drinking water for customers. “We tried non-profit and CSR departments [corporate social responsibility]... but many companies shy away from tech. They thought it wouldn’t work. We had to shift to commercial consumption applications as they were ready to pay us and it’s a sustainability driver for them.” Water shortages are not new, but many countries, especially in the global south, are experiencing climate change-related intense drought and flooding that contaminates water sources. More than 50% of the global population – four billion people - experience water shortfalls at least once a month, while by 2025, 1.8 billion people are expected to be living in countries or regions with “absolute” water scarcity, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Could atmospheric water generation technology be the answer? Energy efficient – it can be powered by renewable sources – it’s one way of providing a fresh source of water without the need for traditional water infrastructure, making it an attractive option in remote locations. There appears to be a market for the technology. Valued at $3.4bn (£2.7bn) in 2022, the atmospheric water generation market is expected to be worth $13.5bn in 2032, according to a report by Global Market Insights. There are two main methods for atmospheric water generation. Firstly, there’s the cooling and condensation process which cools humid air to its dew point, causing water vapour to condense into liquid water. The second is a desiccant-based system which uses hygroscopic materials to absorb moisture from the air, then release it through a heating process, he says. Through her social enterprise Majik Water, co-founder and chief executive Beth Koigi manages about 40 atmospheric water generator units across arid and semi-arid regions across Kenya, using a cooling and condensation-based techniques to capture moisture from the air. Founded in 2017, Ms Koigi was inspired to start Majik Water after experiencing water scarcity for the first time during a drought when she was studying in Nairobi in 2016. While many visited a nearby river to fetch water for cooking, drinking and washing, Koigi says she couldn’t bring herself to drink the contaminated water. “It made me realise that you take for granted water as it’s always there.”  She started looking for other water source ideas and set up a water filter company before developing an air-to-water system. Majik Water works with NGOs and humanitarian organisations, as well as being sold in stores. Majik's biggest unit produces 500 litres of water in 24 hours and is installed in schools and small communities. While there is demand for her company's system, Ms Koigi does not see it as a permanent solution. “Honestly, I feel like this is not the solution to water scarcity,” says Ms Koigi. “It’s a temporary solution… mostly because it’s not cheap."" Manufacturers are focused on making air-to-water generation systems more energy efficient, says Avinash Singh, associate director of research and consulting at Global Market Insights. “For instance, innovations in compressors, heat exchangers, and desiccants have improved the energy efficiency of such systems."" He adds that government support, subsidies, or environmental regulations could drive further adoption of the technology. One development which has helped the adoption of such water systems is the move to digital payments.  Headquartered in Italy, Veragon has water production units across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America. “When we originally started with off-grid communities, it was a cash-based society which wasn’t really viable… nowadays it’s being digitalised,” says Veragon global business director Stephen White. “For example, the majority of Cambodia is covered by 4G and Covid saw an explosion of e-wallets. There’s much better private infrastructure and partnership -  the government doesn’t have to be involved, and we sell water at much lower price.” He says all units will be moved to digital in the next few months. However, the prices of the units is not cheap. Veragon says its units, which use the cooling and condensing system, cost between $60,000 and $70,000. Meanwhile, Ms Koigi says a large unit of theirs costs $18,000. But Mr Shrivastav points that making water in situ has a cost advantage as water is quite heavy and not easy to transport around.  Looking ahead, Uravu Labs is exploring how advancements in material science can improve the efficiency of desiccants, or how utilising a different material for absorbing more moisture from the air could make the process more effective. Mr Shrivastav says these advancements will also result in reducing the heat required from 60C to 40C.  They are also hoping to run pilot projects involving installing its units in data centres in India and Singapore. Data centres generate a lot of heat which is usually lost, but Uravu plans to instead to use it create fresh water.  “This process will result in up to 95% reduction in fresh water consumption [by the datacentre] as Uravu's system captures most of the waste heat and gives back cold water, thus very little freshwater is needed as a top-up,” says Mr Shrivastav. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['When a severe drought hit the Indian city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, in 2016, residents including student Swapnil Shrivastav had access to a limited amount of water each day. “', 'We were rationed to two buckets of water a day, which we collected from water tanks,” he says.', 'While he says it’s not uncommon for water supply issues to impact parts of India, it was a tough month for Mr Shrivastav and others in the region. “', 'It was a very humid area; it was unmanageable.”', 'Mr Shrivastav was already interested in water scarcity having won a student competition in 2012 on imagining the future of water in cities, but the experience pushed him to explore solutions. “', 'One element of inspiration was from Star Wars where there’s an air to water device.', 'I thought why don’t we give it a try?', 'It was more of a curiosity project.”', 'Several years later, in 2019, that idea led him, Govinda Balaji and Venkatesh Raja to set up Uravu Labs, a Bangalore-based startup.', 'Their system converts air to water using atmospheric water generators that contain a liquid desiccant, which absorbs moisture from the air.', 'Using sunlight or renewable electricity they heat the desiccant to 65C which releases the moisture, which can then be condensed into drinking water.', 'Mr Shrivastav says the whole process takes about 12 hours.', 'Today each unit produces about 2,000 litres of drinking water.', 'However, while his vision was to supply drinking water to communities facing water shortages, he says it wasn’t financially viable. “', 'We realised the tech still needs more time to scale up and come down in cost,” says Mr Shrivastav. “', 'Or someone should fund it, but we haven’t found the support in India.”', 'Instead, they currently sell the water to 40 clients in the hospitality industry, who in turn use it to provide drinking water for customers. “', 'We tried non-profit and CSR departments [corporate social responsibility]... but many companies shy away from tech.', 'They thought it wouldn’t work.', 'We had to shift to commercial consumption applications as they were ready to pay us and it’s a sustainability driver for them.”', 'Water shortages are not new, but many countries, especially in the global south, are experiencing climate change-related intense drought and flooding that contaminates water sources.', 'More than 50% of the global population – four billion people - experience water shortfalls at least once a month, while by 2025, 1.8 billion people are expected to be living in countries or regions with “absolute” water scarcity, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.', 'Could atmospheric water generation technology be the answer?', 'Energy efficient – it can be powered by renewable sources – it’s one way of providing a fresh source of water without the need for traditional water infrastructure, making it an attractive option in remote locations.', 'There appears to be a market for the technology.', 'Valued at $3.4bn (£2.7bn) in 2022, the atmospheric water generation market is expected to be worth $13.5bn in 2032, according to a report by Global Market Insights.', 'There are two main methods for atmospheric water generation.', 'Firstly, there’s the cooling and condensation process which cools humid air to its dew point, causing water vapour to condense into liquid water.', 'The second is a desiccant-based system which uses hygroscopic materials to absorb moisture from the air, then release it through a heating process, he says.', 'Through her social enterprise Majik Water, co-founder and chief executive Beth Koigi manages about 40 atmospheric water generator units across arid and semi-arid regions across Kenya, using a cooling and condensation-based techniques to capture moisture from the air.', 'Founded in 2017, Ms Koigi was inspired to start Majik Water after experiencing water scarcity for the first time during a drought when she was studying in Nairobi in 2016.', 'While many visited a nearby river to fetch water for cooking, drinking and washing, Koigi says she couldn’t bring herself to drink the contaminated water. “', 'It made me realise that you take for granted water as it’s always there.”', 'She started looking for other water source ideas and set up a water filter company before developing an air-to-water system.', 'Majik Water works with NGOs and humanitarian organisations, as well as being sold in stores.', ""Majik's biggest unit produces 500 litres of water in 24 hours and is installed in schools and small communities."", ""While there is demand for her company's system, Ms Koigi does not see it as a permanent solution. “"", 'Honestly, I feel like this is not the solution to water scarcity,” says Ms Koigi. “', 'It’s a temporary solution… mostly because it’s not cheap.""', 'Manufacturers are focused on making air-to-water generation systems more energy efficient, says Avinash Singh, associate director of research and consulting at Global Market Insights. “', 'For instance, innovations in compressors, heat exchangers, and desiccants have improved the energy efficiency of such systems.""', 'He adds that government support, subsidies, or environmental regulations could drive further adoption of the technology.', 'One development which has helped the adoption of such water systems is the move to digital payments.', 'Headquartered in Italy, Veragon has water production units across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America. “', 'When we originally started with off-grid communities, it was a cash-based society which wasn’t really viable… nowadays it’s being digitalised,” says Veragon global business director Stephen White. “', 'For example, the majority of Cambodia is covered by 4G and Covid saw an explosion of e-wallets.', 'There’s much better private infrastructure and partnership - the government doesn’t have to be involved, and we sell water at much lower price.”', 'He says all units will be moved to digital in the next few months.', 'However, the prices of the units is not cheap.', 'Veragon says its units, which use the cooling and condensing system, cost between $60,000 and $70,000.', 'Meanwhile, Ms Koigi says a large unit of theirs costs $18,000.', 'But Mr Shrivastav points that making water in situ has a cost advantage as water is quite heavy and not easy to transport around.', 'Looking ahead, Uravu Labs is exploring how advancements in material science can improve the efficiency of desiccants, or how utilising a different material for absorbing more moisture from the air could make the process more effective.', 'Mr Shrivastav says these advancements will also result in reducing the heat required from 60C to 40C. They are also hoping to run pilot projects involving installing its units in data centres in India and Singapore.', 'Data centres generate a lot of heat which is usually lost, but Uravu plans to instead to use it create fresh water. “', ""This process will result in up to 95% reduction in fresh water consumption [by the datacentre] as Uravu's system captures most of the waste heat and gives back cold water, thus very little freshwater is needed as a top-up,” says Mr Shrivastav.""]",0.152520547064964,"Energy efficient – it can be powered by renewable sources – it’s one way of providing a fresh source of water without the need for traditional water infrastructure, making it an attractive option in remote locations.","When a severe drought hit the Indian city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, in 2016, residents including student Swapnil Shrivastav had access to a limited amount of water each day. “",0.4410035279062059,"For instance, innovations in compressors, heat exchangers, and desiccants have improved the energy efficiency of such systems.""","While he says it’s not uncommon for water supply issues to impact parts of India, it was a tough month for Mr Shrivastav and others in the region. “",2024-05-28
Ex-Post Office Paula Vennells accused of being in 'la-la land',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd11e45n3p5o,2024-05-24T14:29:32.087Z,"Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has been accused of living in ""la-la land"" by a lawyer representing sub-postmasters. Speaking at the inquiry into the Horizon scandal, Edward Henry KC grilled Ms Vennells on how much she knew about remote access to sub-postmasters' computers. He also pressed Ms Vennells on how fallout from the scandal could have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation in 2013. She said it would have done, but that she was not involved in the strategy around privatisation. Friday was the third day that Ms Vennells gave evidence at the long-running inquiry into the Horizon scandal. The room was packed with people, including many former sub-postmasters. Their mood became more defiant as the day progressed, until at the end many booed Ms Vennells. The question of remote access has been one of the themes of the inquiry.  The Post Office said in hundreds of wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters that they must have been to blame for money missing from accounts, which were calculated using the Horizon IT system. Prosecutions between 1999 and 2015 meant some people went to prison, while many others were left financially ruined and lost their jobs, businesses and homes. Some died while waiting for justice. On Friday, a landmark bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of former sub-postmasters received Royal Assent. It was one of the final bills to become law ahead of the general election, and will apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish parliament will pass its own bill to overturn such convictions. In certain key cases in the past, such as the landmark Bates vs Post Office in 2019, the organisation insisted that the Horizon software could not be accessed remotely by any other party. But Mr Henry said that external lawyers acting for the Post Office knew about remote access earlier than that, during Ms Vennells time as chief executive between 2012 and 2019. She denied knowledge, and said she did not think the board or the executive knew either. Mr Henry said: ""It is extraordinary, isn't it, because Cartwright King, your external lawyers, know all about it, and yet you're saying that you didn't, the board didn't - I mean, this is la-la land isn't it?"" She said: ""I don't recall that at all from the time. If our external lawyers were aware of that, and that was shared within the Post Office at the time, it is completely unacceptable."" Ms Vennells also conceded that Horizon fallout would have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation. Mr Henry said: ""If it were to be established that the Royal Mail group had wrongly prosecuted dozens, hundreds of sub-postmasters who might sue them, it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation in October 2013, wouldn't it?"" ""I'm sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said. It would also have posed a reputational and financial risk to the Royal Mail group because until 2012 they were the prosecuting authority, he said - ""they were responsible for the legacy of prosecutions."" ""Yes, that's correct,"" she responded. In July 2013, the government announced the Royal Mail privatisation, and forensic accountants Second Sight presented their interim report, ""which was a bit of a bombshell"" Mr Henry said, because it indicated Horizon bugs. ""It must have been staring you in the face that if you had a blow up concerning the Second Sight report, the prospect of criminal convictions would have been challenged, this would have been hugely embarrassing politically, and potentially damaging to the flotation?"" Mr Henry said. Ms Vennells responded, saying: ""I don't believe I was involved in any of those conversations. The two organisations were now working separately, I had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation."" Mr Henry pressed Ms Vennells, saying she ""wanted to keep a lid on this because you wanted to please stakeholders - the Post Office board, government, Whitehall."" He said Ms Vennells was ""anxious to please"" the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) at the time. The Post Office is 100% owned by the UK government. ""I had no role at all in relation to the privatisation, I had no conversations with BIS with regards to the privatisation,"" she said. ""My concerns at this stage were only about the Post Office, and as the inquiry has seen there were many conversations at this time about how we might find a way through this. I don't believe I made any connection between this and the Royal Mail privatisation at all,"" she said. It also emerged that Ms Vennells made an amendment to the prospectus that was made available to potential shareholders before the Royal Mail stock market flotation. ""Why did you get involved in bowdlerising or amending the prospectus?"" Mr Henry said. She responded: ""This was at the very last minute, I wasn't involved in the prospectus at all, I can't remember how it occurred, but it was flagged to me, which was complete news, that in the IT section of the Royal Mail prospectus, there was a reference to risks related to the Horizon IT system. ""The line that was put in said that no systemic issues had been found with the Horizon system. The Horizon system was no longer anything to do with the Royal Mail group"". So she had the reference removed. ""I felt it was an irrelevant statement about the Royal Mail IT system,"" Ms Vennells said. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has been accused of living in ""la-la land"" by a lawyer representing sub-postmasters.', ""Speaking at the inquiry into the Horizon scandal, Edward Henry KC grilled Ms Vennells on how much she knew about remote access to sub-postmasters' computers."", 'He also pressed Ms Vennells on how fallout from the scandal could have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation in 2013.', 'She said it would have done, but that she was not involved in the strategy around privatisation.', 'Friday was the third day that Ms Vennells gave evidence at the long-running inquiry into the Horizon scandal.', 'The room was packed with people, including many former sub-postmasters.', 'Their mood became more defiant as the day progressed, until at the end many booed Ms Vennells.', 'The question of remote access has been one of the themes of the inquiry.', 'The Post Office said in hundreds of wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters that they must have been to blame for money missing from accounts, which were calculated using the Horizon IT system.', 'Prosecutions between 1999 and 2015 meant some people went to prison, while many others were left financially ruined and lost their jobs, businesses and homes.', 'Some died while waiting for justice.', 'On Friday, a landmark bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of former sub-postmasters received Royal Assent.', 'It was one of the final bills to become law ahead of the general election, and will apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.', 'Scottish parliament will pass its own bill to overturn such convictions.', 'In certain key cases in the past, such as the landmark Bates vs Post Office in 2019, the organisation insisted that the Horizon software could not be accessed remotely by any other party.', 'But Mr Henry said that external lawyers acting for the Post Office knew about remote access earlier than that, during Ms Vennells time as chief executive between 2012 and 2019.', 'She denied knowledge, and said she did not think the board or the executive knew either.', 'Mr Henry said: ""It is extraordinary, isn\'t it, because Cartwright King, your external lawyers, know all about it, and yet you\'re saying that you didn\'t, the board didn\'t - I mean, this is la-la land isn\'t it?""', 'She said: ""I don\'t recall that at all from the time.', 'If our external lawyers were aware of that, and that was shared within the Post Office at the time, it is completely unacceptable.""', 'Ms Vennells also conceded that Horizon fallout would have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation.', 'Mr Henry said: ""If it were to be established that the Royal Mail group had wrongly prosecuted dozens, hundreds of sub-postmasters who might sue them, it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation in October 2013, wouldn\'t it?"" ""', 'I\'m sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said.', 'It would also have posed a reputational and financial risk to the Royal Mail group because until 2012 they were the prosecuting authority, he said - ""they were responsible for the legacy of prosecutions."" ""', 'Yes, that\'s correct,"" she responded.', 'In July 2013, the government announced the Royal Mail privatisation, and forensic accountants Second Sight presented their interim report, ""which was a bit of a bombshell"" Mr Henry said, because it indicated Horizon bugs. ""', 'It must have been staring you in the face that if you had a blow up concerning the Second Sight report, the prospect of criminal convictions would have been challenged, this would have been hugely embarrassing politically, and potentially damaging to the flotation?""', 'Mr Henry said.', 'Ms Vennells responded, saying: ""I don\'t believe I was involved in any of those conversations.', 'The two organisations were now working separately, I had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation.""', 'Mr Henry pressed Ms Vennells, saying she ""wanted to keep a lid on this because you wanted to please stakeholders - the Post Office board, government, Whitehall.""', 'He said Ms Vennells was ""anxious to please"" the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) at the time.', 'The Post Office is 100% owned by the UK government. ""', 'I had no role at all in relation to the privatisation, I had no conversations with BIS with regards to the privatisation,"" she said. ""', 'My concerns at this stage were only about the Post Office, and as the inquiry has seen there were many conversations at this time about how we might find a way through this.', 'I don\'t believe I made any connection between this and the Royal Mail privatisation at all,"" she said.', 'It also emerged that Ms Vennells made an amendment to the prospectus that was made available to potential shareholders before the Royal Mail stock market flotation. ""', 'Why did you get involved in bowdlerising or amending the prospectus?""', 'Mr Henry said.', 'She responded: ""This was at the very last minute, I wasn\'t involved in the prospectus at all, I can\'t remember how it occurred, but it was flagged to me, which was complete news, that in the IT section of the Royal Mail prospectus, there was a reference to risks related to the Horizon IT system. ""', 'The line that was put in said that no systemic issues had been found with the Horizon system.', 'The Horizon system was no longer anything to do with the Royal Mail group"".', 'So she had the reference removed. ""', 'I felt it was an irrelevant statement about the Royal Mail IT system,"" Ms Vennells said.']",-0.1310337398364907,"In certain key cases in the past, such as the landmark Bates vs Post Office in 2019, the organisation insisted that the Horizon software could not be accessed remotely by any other party.","It must have been staring you in the face that if you had a blow up concerning the Second Sight report, the prospect of criminal convictions would have been challenged, this would have been hugely embarrassing politically, and potentially damaging to the flotation?""",-0.8957185447216034,,Ms Vennells also conceded that Horizon fallout would have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation.,2024-05-28
What calculations will Scotland's parties make in Election 2024?,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nn9g2r20no,2024-05-28T19:41:11.167Z,"Money makes an election whirl round.  Yes, there's party fund-raising for the leaflets, battle buses and billboards, but more significant are the big questions of how we make more money in this country, how we tax it, and how that revenue is then distributed. And over the next five weeks, I'll be watching issues with pound signs attached. There has been a prolonged period of real earnings struggling to return to their 2007 peak. Part of that has been due to price inflation over the past two years, and the cost of living going up. Taxes as a share of the economy are higher than they have been for seven decades. Spending is under severe pressure, as the cost of servicing debt rises and the health service devours a fast-rising share of what is available. Holyrood has gone further on raising income tax from higher earners.  The SNP administration is more constrained by the promises it has made on free provision of, for instance, university tuition, and use of its welfare powers. These will be up for debate at the Holyrood election scheduled for 2026. The choices this summer will shape the amount of money available to MSPs before and after that vote. Promises on devolved areas, such as health, education, police or prisons, should feed through, proportionately, to the block grant which Holyrood distributes. Some spending promises may have no direct impact on Holyrood's budgets, such as measures to reduce immigration or increased defence spending. Also, some non-financial measures - restricting visas for foreign students, changing workers' rights, oil and gas drilling licences - could affect the Scottish economy while having little or no role for Holyrood. Scotland's business sector is diverse. But it tends to want capital projects that help get goods to and from market, a good system for training recruits, it would prefer workers to be healthy and not on waiting lists, and either lower taxes, reform of taxes or both, starting with business rates. You could say that doesn't matter: businesses don't vote. But business figures can have an influence. So Labour has 120 signatories to a letter backing it as the credible challenger to the Tories. Signatories are mostly from a narrow range of sectors; technology, creatives, boutique finance and entrepreneurs. Few now represent big business, which has good reason to keep clear of party endorsements. Among the few notable Scots on the list are Iain Anderson, founder of public affairs consultancy Cicero.  He has been a Conservative supporter for 40 years.  Benny Higgins was boss of Tesco Bank, and has become a serial appointee of the SNP government, setting up its investment bank and chairing its national art galleries. Both men now back Labour. This letter is to challenge perceptions of Labour, demonstrating it has changed since the last election in 2019, when Jeremy Corbyn was leader.  Some trade union leaders are unimpressed by the lean towards business, and a dilution of plans to strengthen worker rights.  But unhappy union leaders could be just what Labour wants swing voters to hear. Tories don't have to work so hard to show business supports the party, as its campaign contributions demonstrate, though recent years have seen business and party fall out over Brexit and the consequences of it. But this is only week one. There will be more letters. In past elections, such endorsements have worked well for both the Tories and the SNP. Older people are more likely to vote, and more likely to vote Conservative. Rishi Sunak's ""bold plan"" includes a promise not to tax the state pension.  Was there a threat to do so? Yes, there was.  It's risen because it has matched price and wage inflation (whichever is higher, as part of the so-called ""Triple Lock"" to ensure the state pension keeps up). The ""new"" state pension, for younger pensioners, is a pay-out of £11,502 this year.  If it were to rise by another £1,070, income would become taxable. For those receiving a work-related pension, it already is. The Conservative leader says he will add to the Triple Lock promise, by raising the personal allowance from £12,570 to ensure it is no lower than the annual pension pay-out. Independent analysts say it was already an expensive pledge to retain. Labour says the tax promise is another ""gimmick"", and points to inflation as the reason this has become an issue.  But the pledge puts Labour under pressure to match it, as it said this weekend it would not raise income tax or National Insurance. That starting threshold is the one part of income tax which Holyrood does not control. SNP ministers do not have to say if they would match it or not. Labour is making much of plans to increase tax on less popular groups that currently have tax advantages: private schools, non-doms (rich resident foreigners) and oil producers.  Those are far from what's needed to meet its aspirations, but it may be enough to get through the election. The major parties vying for at least a share of power are under pressure at all elections to say how promises will be funded.  This requires a lot of effort, and is of dubious value, except to indicate some commitment to fiscal prudence. Beware when any party balancing bills by promising to improve tax collection. They all do. And when you hear a policy will cost, for instance, £2.5bn - the estimated cost of compulsory national service - consider that would be 0.02% of this year's government spending. The point here is that election campaigns spend a lot of time on issues of marginal spending significance, and areas of disagreement which can be relatively small. Under Boris Johnson, Tories were turning against continued drilling for oil and gas. Under Rishi Sunak, they’re enthusiastic backers of more drilling licences. Labour has taken a firm and uncompromising line that it will accept licences granted up until the election, but won’t allow further ones.   Having the election earlier than expected this year may have curtailed the number of licences issued, and a more rapid run-down of its investment and production.  In addition, Labour wants to increase the windfall tax revenue from the sector. The industry, in a fierce lobbying offensive, is using the election as an opportunity to put pressure on Labour to soften its opposition to drilling.  If it did so, it would help Scottish leader Anas Sarwar sound more alert to the concerns of the offshore workforce and Scotland’s north-east. The role of the SNP is worth watching. It is straddling support for offshore oil and gas workers while wanting to be in the vanguard of climate change action.  The compromise is what they call a ""just transition"" - taking care to bring oil and gas workers with them. Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, fighting to retain an Aberdeen seat, has left little doubt that he is pushing within the party to change the Scottish government’s draft energy strategy, to move away from ""a presumption"" against new drilling licences.  There’s no word when that document will be published. ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Money makes an election whirl round.', ""Yes, there's party fund-raising for the leaflets, battle buses and billboards, but more significant are the big questions of how we make more money in this country, how we tax it, and how that revenue is then distributed."", ""And over the next five weeks, I'll be watching issues with pound signs attached."", 'There has been a prolonged period of real earnings struggling to return to their 2007 peak.', 'Part of that has been due to price inflation over the past two years, and the cost of living going up.', 'Taxes as a share of the economy are higher than they have been for seven decades.', 'Spending is under severe pressure, as the cost of servicing debt rises and the health service devours a fast-rising share of what is available.', 'Holyrood has gone further on raising income tax from higher earners.', 'The SNP administration is more constrained by the promises it has made on free provision of, for instance, university tuition, and use of its welfare powers.', 'These will be up for debate at the Holyrood election scheduled for 2026.', 'The choices this summer will shape the amount of money available to MSPs before and after that vote.', 'Promises on devolved areas, such as health, education, police or prisons, should feed through, proportionately, to the block grant which Holyrood distributes.', ""Some spending promises may have no direct impact on Holyrood's budgets, such as measures to reduce immigration or increased defence spending."", ""Also, some non-financial measures - restricting visas for foreign students, changing workers' rights, oil and gas drilling licences - could affect the Scottish economy while having little or no role for Holyrood."", ""Scotland's business sector is diverse."", 'But it tends to want capital projects that help get goods to and from market, a good system for training recruits, it would prefer workers to be healthy and not on waiting lists, and either lower taxes, reform of taxes or both, starting with business rates.', ""You could say that doesn't matter: businesses don't vote."", 'But business figures can have an influence.', 'So Labour has 120 signatories to a letter backing it as the credible challenger to the Tories.', 'Signatories are mostly from a narrow range of sectors; technology, creatives, boutique finance and entrepreneurs.', 'Few now represent big business, which has good reason to keep clear of party endorsements.', 'Among the few notable Scots on the list are Iain Anderson, founder of public affairs consultancy Cicero.', 'He has been a Conservative supporter for 40 years.', 'Benny Higgins was boss of Tesco Bank, and has become a serial appointee of the SNP government, setting up its investment bank and chairing its national art galleries.', 'Both men now back Labour.', 'This letter is to challenge perceptions of Labour, demonstrating it has changed since the last election in 2019, when Jeremy Corbyn was leader.', 'Some trade union leaders are unimpressed by the lean towards business, and a dilution of plans to strengthen worker rights.', 'But unhappy union leaders could be just what Labour wants swing voters to hear.', ""Tories don't have to work so hard to show business supports the party, as its campaign contributions demonstrate, though recent years have seen business and party fall out over Brexit and the consequences of it."", 'But this is only week one.', 'There will be more letters.', 'In past elections, such endorsements have worked well for both the Tories and the SNP.', 'Older people are more likely to vote, and more likely to vote Conservative.', 'Rishi Sunak\'s ""bold plan"" includes a promise not to tax the state pension.', 'Was there a threat to do so?', 'Yes, there was.', 'It\'s risen because it has matched price and wage inflation (whichever is higher, as part of the so-called ""Triple Lock"" to ensure the state pension keeps up).', 'The ""new"" state pension, for younger pensioners, is a pay-out of £11,502 this year.', 'If it were to rise by another £1,070, income would become taxable.', 'For those receiving a work-related pension, it already is.', 'The Conservative leader says he will add to the Triple Lock promise, by raising the personal allowance from £12,570 to ensure it is no lower than the annual pension pay-out.', 'Independent analysts say it was already an expensive pledge to retain.', 'Labour says the tax promise is another ""gimmick"", and points to inflation as the reason this has become an issue.', 'But the pledge puts Labour under pressure to match it, as it said this weekend it would not raise income tax or National Insurance.', 'That starting threshold is the one part of income tax which Holyrood does not control.', 'SNP ministers do not have to say if they would match it or not.', 'Labour is making much of plans to increase tax on less popular groups that currently have tax advantages: private schools, non-doms (rich resident foreigners) and oil producers.', ""Those are far from what's needed to meet its aspirations, but it may be enough to get through the election."", 'The major parties vying for at least a share of power are under pressure at all elections to say how promises will be funded.', 'This requires a lot of effort, and is of dubious value, except to indicate some commitment to fiscal prudence.', 'Beware when any party balancing bills by promising to improve tax collection.', 'They all do.', ""And when you hear a policy will cost, for instance, £2.5bn - the estimated cost of compulsory national service - consider that would be 0.02% of this year's government spending."", 'The point here is that election campaigns spend a lot of time on issues of marginal spending significance, and areas of disagreement which can be relatively small.', 'Under Boris Johnson, Tories were turning against continued drilling for oil and gas.', 'Under Rishi Sunak, they’re enthusiastic backers of more drilling licences.', 'Labour has taken a firm and uncompromising line that it will accept licences granted up until the election, but won’t allow further ones.', 'Having the election earlier than expected this year may have curtailed the number of licences issued, and a more rapid run-down of its investment and production.', 'In addition, Labour wants to increase the windfall tax revenue from the sector.', 'The industry, in a fierce lobbying offensive, is using the election as an opportunity to put pressure on Labour to soften its opposition to drilling.', 'If it did so, it would help Scottish leader Anas Sarwar sound more alert to the concerns of the offshore workforce and Scotland’s north-east.', 'The role of the SNP is worth watching.', 'It is straddling support for offshore oil and gas workers while wanting to be in the vanguard of climate change action.', 'The compromise is what they call a ""just transition"" - taking care to bring oil and gas workers with them.', 'Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, fighting to retain an Aberdeen seat, has left little doubt that he is pushing within the party to change the Scottish government’s draft energy strategy, to move away from ""a presumption"" against new drilling licences.', 'There’s no word when that document will be published.']",0.1362812871528089,"Labour is making much of plans to increase tax on less popular groups that currently have tax advantages: private schools, non-doms (rich resident foreigners) and oil producers.","Spending is under severe pressure, as the cost of servicing debt rises and the health service devours a fast-rising share of what is available.",0.0357785017594047,"It's risen because it has matched price and wage inflation (whichever is higher, as part of the so-called ""Triple Lock"" to ensure the state pension keeps up).",There has been a prolonged period of real earnings struggling to return to their 2007 peak.,2024-05-28
Apple announces its annual developers conference is set for June 10,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/apple-annual-developers-conference-june-10/index.html,"
  Updated
        2:20 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","Apple announced its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on June 10, when the company is expected to show off its latest AI advancements.
    
            The conference, which is widely anticipated each year as a major showcase for Apple software news, will run Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14.
    
            Although last year’s WWDC focused on the unveiling of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which launched in stores in February, this year is expected to turn to Apple’s AI efforts. The company is reportedly interested in licensing and building Google’s Gemini AI engine, which includes chatbots and other AI tools, into upcoming iPhones and its iOS 18 features.
    
            As more tech companies pour billions of dollars into the development and rollout of artificial intelligence, Apple has largely been left out of the conversation, with many other tech companies making big strides in the space. A partnership with Google would catapult Apple into the growing AI arms race.
    
            Apple researchers also recently said they’ve developed a family of multimodal models — which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — called MM1. A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.
    
            In a press release on Tuesday, the company said WWDC 2024 will also share software updates coming to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro headset.",CNN,26/03/2024,"['Apple announced its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on June 10, when the company is expected to show off its latest AI advancements.', 'The conference, which is widely anticipated each year as a major showcase for Apple software news, will run Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14.', 'Although last year’s WWDC focused on the unveiling of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which launched in stores in February, this year is expected to turn to Apple’s AI efforts.', 'The company is reportedly interested in licensing and building Google’s Gemini AI engine, which includes chatbots and other AI tools, into upcoming iPhones and its iOS 18 features.', 'As more tech companies pour billions of dollars into the development and rollout of artificial intelligence, Apple has largely been left out of the conversation, with many other tech companies making big strides in the space.', 'A partnership with Google would catapult Apple into the growing AI arms race.', 'Apple researchers also recently said they’ve developed a family of multimodal models — which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — called MM1.', 'A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.', 'In a press release on Tuesday, the company said WWDC 2024 will also share software updates coming to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro headset.']",0.3259092919755588,A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.,,0.9975101351737976,A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.,,2024-05-28
"NBC hires former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, who has demonized the press and refused to acknowledge Biden was fairly elected",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/22/media/ronna-mcdaniel-nbc/index.html,"
  Published
        1:53 PM EDT, Fri March 22, 2024
    ","NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedly attacked the network and its journalists, assailed the news media as “fake news” and promoted false claims around the 2020 vote, as an on-air commentator ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
    
            “It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, senior vice president of politics at NBC News, said in a memo to staff.
    
            McDaniel exited the RNC earlier this month after leading the organization since 2016.
    
            During her time as chair, McDaniel repeatedly attacked the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Donald Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions.
    
            McDaniel echoed many such attacks, labeling the press as “fake news” and calling the media “corrupt.” At times, she even targeted NBC News and MSNBC with dishonest attacks.
    
            In 2019, for instance, McDaniel accused Richard Engel, NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent, of “actively cheering for an economic downturn.”
    
            “How can NBC let him keep his job when he’s made his bias so clear?” McDaniel asked.
    
            McDaniel has a lengthier history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role. In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for “spreading lies” and blasted those she described as the network’s “primetime propagandists.”
    
            An NBC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about her attacks on the news media and NBC.
    
            In her role as RNC chief, McDaniel also fanned the flames of election denialism after the 2020 presidential contest.
    
            McDaniel was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead. McDaniel told the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. … We will get you attorneys.”
    
            The Michigan Department of State’s office condemned her claims of supposed voter fraud in the wake of the election, stating they had “no merit.” The state’s “elections were conducted fairly, effectively and transparently and are an accurate reflection of the will of Michigan voters,” it said in a detailed fact check posted online.
    
            In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace last year, McDaniel defended her claims of voting “irregularity” in the election.
    
            “I think saying that there were problems with 2020 is very real. I don’t think that’s election denying,” McDaniel told Wallace. “I’m from Wayne County. We had a woman send a note saying I’m being told to backdate ballots. We had to look into that. That’s deeply concerning. When you have friends who are poll-watching and being kicked out, that’s deeply concerning. We have every right to look at that.”
    
            In the interview, Wallace pressed McDaniel if she believed Biden legitimately won the election.
    
            “I think there were lots of problems with 2020. Ultimately, he won the election but there were lots of problems with the 2020 election,” she said. “But I don’t think he won it fair. I don’t. I’m not going to say that.”
    
            NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at the network’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.
    
            Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network’s anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on air without scrutiny.
    
            MSNBC has even started carrying Trump’s remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do. Star host Rachel Maddow, who has said carrying Trump’s lies on the air is dangerous, even objected to the network broadcasting a recent speech from the presumptive Republican nominee, calling it “irresponsible.”",CNN,22/03/2024,"['NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedlyattacked the network and its journalists,assailed thenewsmedia as “fake news” and promoted false claims around the 2020vote,as an on-air commentatorahead of the 2024 presidential election.', '“It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, senior vice president of politics at NBC News, said in a memoto staff.', 'McDaniel exited the RNC earlier this month after leading the organization since 2016.', 'During her time as chair, McDaniel repeatedly attacked the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Donald Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions.', 'McDaniel echoed many such attacks, labeling the press as “fake news” and calling the media “corrupt.”', 'At times, she even targeted NBC Newsand MSNBCwith dishonest attacks.', 'In 2019, for instance, McDaniel accused Richard Engel, NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent, of “actively cheering for an economic downturn.”', '“How can NBC let him keep his job when he’s made his bias so clear?”', 'McDaniel asked.', 'McDaniel has a lengthier history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role.', 'In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for “spreading lies” and blasted those she described as the network’s “primetime propagandists.”', 'An NBC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about her attacks on the news media and NBC.', 'In her role as RNC chief, McDaniel also fanned the flames of election denialism after the 2020 presidential contest.', 'McDaniel was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead.', 'McDanieltold the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. …', 'We will get you attorneys.”', 'The Michigan Department of State’s office condemned her claims of supposed voter fraud in the wake of the election, stating they had “no merit.', '”The state’s “elections were conducted fairly, effectively and transparently and are an accurate reflection of the will of Michigan voters,” it said in adetailed fact checkposted online.', 'In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace last year, McDaniel defended her claims of voting “irregularity” in the election.', '“I think saying that there were problems with 2020 is very real.', 'I don’t think that’s election denying,” McDaniel told Wallace. “', 'I’m from Wayne County.', 'We had a woman send a note saying I’m being told to backdate ballots.', 'We had to look into that.', 'That’s deeply concerning.', 'When you have friends who are poll-watching and being kicked out, that’s deeply concerning.', 'We have every right to look at that.”', 'In the interview,Wallace pressed McDaniel if she believed Biden legitimately won the election.', '“I think there were lots of problems with 2020.', 'Ultimately, he won the electionbut there were lots of problems with the 2020 election,” she said. “', 'But I don’t think he won it fair.', 'I don’t.', 'I’m not going to say that.”', 'NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at thenetwork’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.', 'Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network’s anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on airwithout scrutiny.', 'MSNBC has even started carrying Trump’s remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do.', 'Star host Rachel Maddow, who has said carrying Trump’s lieson the airis dangerous, even objected to the network broadcasting a recent speech from the presumptive Republican nominee, calling it “irresponsible.”']",-0.069193576701305,But I don’t think he won it fair.,"At times, she even targeted NBC Newsand MSNBCwith dishonest attacks.",-0.2803101042906443,"NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at thenetwork’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.",“I think there were lots of problems with 2020.,2024-05-28
Walmart and Target are slashing prices. What does that mean for inflation?,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/23/investing/premarket-stocks-trading-target-walmart-inflation/index.html,"
  Published
        7:23 AM EDT, Thu May 23, 2024
    ","A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.
    
            Americans might be noticing markdowns for some everyday essentials during their weekly grocery runs. That doesn’t mean the battle against inflation is won.
    
            Walmart saw first-quarter sales at stores open at least a year climb 3.8% from the prior year, in part thanks to its ability to keep prices low even as inflation remains sticky. The largest retailer in the United States has been a mainstay for cash-strapped consumers shopping for deals on groceries and other merchandise.
    
            Now Walmart is taking things one step further. The superstore said on May 16 that it has rolled back prices on nearly 7,000 items in its stores, noting deflationary trends in general merchandise. Inflation during the first quarter increased at half the rate seen last year, it added.
    
            “Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating” with consumers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a call with analysts.
    
            On Monday, Target slashed prices on more than 1,500 items, ranging from laundry detergent to cat food to sunscreen, with thousands more price cuts expected over the summer. For example, the price of a pack of 16 Huggies baby wipes fell to 99 cents from $1.19 and roasted nuts from the Good & Gather brand now cost $5.29 from $6.89, according to a press release.
    
            The company on Wednesday reported its fourth consecutive quarter of sales declines at stores open for at least one year as higher prices strain Target’s core middle-class customer base.
    
            Other retailers including Ikea and Aldi have also reduced prices in recent months.
    
            Some economists say that while price cuts from retailers are a welcome sign that inflation overall has come down, inflation in other areas also needs to ebb to reach the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
    
            Price cuts at big box retailers are “going to be helpful, but we’re still going to have to see housing inflation come down, which is an issue, and wage growth continue to normalize,” said Preston Caldwell, senior US economist at Morningstar Research Services.
    
            The median price of a previously owned home in the United States grew 5.7% in April from a year earlier to $407,600, the highest April price on record. Wage gains slowed last month but are still above historical averages.
    
            The Fed’s progress on tamping down inflation stalled during the first quarter of this year, raising concerns that the central bank won’t cut rates until this fall or even next year. Unemployment remains at historic lows, worrying some that the Fed will want to see the job market cool further before deciding to ease its restrictive policy.
    
            Still, recent data has suggested that inflation is cooling again. Consumer prices rose 3.4% for the 12 months ended in April, easing from 3.5% the month before, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Investors will get more inflation data next week from the Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April.
    
            The economy is also showing signs of cooling. Americans are falling behind on their payments, running down their pandemic savings and becoming more frugal. Retail sales were unchanged last month from March, when spending increased by a downwardly revised 0.6%, in another sign that consumers are dialing down their spending.
    
            Will Scarlett Johansson sue OpenAI for creating a voice assistant that sounds like the actor’s performance in the 2013 film “Her,” about a man who falls in love with an artificial intelligence?
    
            That’s how things could go after Johansson said OpenAI tried to hire her to voice an AI assistant for ChatGPT and, when she refused, forged ahead with a sound-alike voice. OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman, could be directly in the crosshairs of such a lawsuit, writes my colleague Brian Fung.
    
            Now, legal experts say Johansson may have a powerful and credible claim in court if she does decide to sue, pointing to a long string of past cases that could lead to significant damages for one of the world’s leading AI companies and raise questions about the industry’s readiness to deal with AI’s many messy complications.
    
            That OpenAI was apparently unaware of that legal history, or at worst willfully ignorant of it, highlights what some critics say is a lack of industry oversight in AI and a need for greater protections for creators.
    
            OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
    
            There are two types of law that could potentially be involved here, according to legal experts, but only one is likely to come into play based on the currently known facts.
    
            Read more here.
    
            UK regulators slapped a combined £62 million ($79 million) fine on Citigroup Wednesday for failures in its trading systems that almost resulted in stocks worth $189 billion being dumped onto European markets, reports my colleague Anna Cooban.
    
            The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed a fine of nearly £28 million ($36 million) on Citigroup (C), while the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority fined it almost £34 million ($43 million) following investigations into the US bank, according to statements from the authorities.
    
            The regulators reduced their fines by 30% because Citigroup agreed to settle the matter. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million).
    
            “We are pleased to resolve this matter from more than two years ago, which arose from an individual error that was identified and corrected within minutes,” a Citigroup spokesperson told CNN. “We immediately took steps to strengthen our systems and controls, and remain committed to ensuring full regulatory compliance.”
    
            The spokesperson declined to comment on reports that the trade was the result of a fat-finger error, where incorrect data is inputted because the wrong key is pressed.
    
            Read more here.",CNN,23/05/2024,"['A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter.', 'Not a subscriber?', 'You can sign upright here.', 'You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.', 'Americans might be noticing markdowns for some everyday essentials during their weekly grocery runs.', 'That doesn’t mean the battle against inflation is won.', 'Walmart saw first-quarter sales at stores open at least a year climb 3.8% from the prior year, in part thanks to its ability to keep prices low even as inflation remains sticky.', 'The largest retailer in the United States has been a mainstay for cash-strapped consumers shopping for deals on groceries and other merchandise.', 'Now Walmart is taking things one step further.', 'The superstore said on May 16 that it has rolled back prices on nearly 7,000 items in its stores, noting deflationary trends in general merchandise.', 'Inflation during the first quarter increased at half the rate seen last year, it added.', '“Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating” with consumers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a call with analysts.', 'On Monday, Target slashed prices on more than 1,500 items, ranging from laundry detergent to cat food to sunscreen, with thousands more price cuts expected over the summer.', 'For example, the price of a pack of 16 Huggies baby wipes fell to 99 cents from $1.19 and roasted nuts from the Good & Gather brand now cost $5.29 from $6.89, according to a press release.', 'The company on Wednesday reported its fourth consecutive quarter of sales declines at stores open for at least one year as higher prices strain Target’s core middle-class customer base.', 'Other retailers including Ikea and Aldi have also reduced prices in recent months.', 'Some economists say that while price cuts from retailers are a welcome sign that inflation overall has come down, inflation in other areas also needs to ebb to reach the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.', 'Price cuts at big box retailers are “going to be helpful, but we’re still going to have to see housing inflation come down, which is an issue, and wage growth continue to normalize,” said Preston Caldwell, senior US economist at Morningstar Research Services.', 'The median price of a previously owned home in the United States grew 5.7% in April from a year earlier to $407,600, the highest April price on record.', 'Wage gains slowed last month but are still above historical averages.', 'The Fed’s progress on tamping down inflation stalled during the first quarter of this year, raising concerns that the central bank won’t cut rates until this fall or even next year.', 'Unemployment remains at historic lows, worrying some that the Fed will want to see the job market cool further before deciding to ease its restrictive policy.', 'Still, recent data has suggested that inflation is cooling again.', 'Consumer prices rose 3.4% for the 12 months ended in April, easing from 3.5% the month before, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.', 'Investors will get more inflation data next week from the Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April.', 'The economy is also showing signs of cooling.', 'Americans are falling behind on their payments, running down their pandemic savings and becoming more frugal.', 'Retail sales were unchanged last month from March, when spending increased by a downwardly revised 0.6%, in another sign that consumers are dialing down their spending.', 'Will Scarlett Johansson sue OpenAI for creating a voice assistant that sounds like the actor’s performance in the 2013 film “Her,” about a man who falls in love with an artificial intelligence?', 'That’s how things could go after Johansson said OpenAI tried to hire her to voice an AI assistant for ChatGPT and, when she refused, forged ahead with a sound-alike voice.', 'OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman, could be directly in the crosshairs of such a lawsuit, writes my colleague Brian Fung.', 'Now, legal experts say Johansson may have a powerful and credible claim in court if she does decide to sue, pointing to a long string of past cases that could lead to significant damages for one of the world’s leading AI companies and raise questions about the industry’s readiness to deal with AI’s many messy complications.', 'That OpenAI was apparently unaware of that legal history, or at worst willfully ignorant of it, highlights what some critics say is a lack of industry oversight in AI and a need for greater protections for creators.', 'OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.', 'There are two types of law that could potentially be involved here, according to legal experts, but only one is likely to come into play based on the currently known facts.', 'Read more here.', 'UK regulators slapped a combined £62 million ($79 million) fine on Citigroup Wednesday for failures in its trading systems that almost resulted in stocks worth $189 billion being dumped onto European markets, reports my colleague Anna Cooban.', 'The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed a fine of nearly £28 million ($36 million) on Citigroup (C), while the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority fined it almost £34 million ($43 million) following investigations into the US bank, according to statements from the authorities.', 'The regulators reduced their fines by 30% because Citigroup agreed to settle the matter.', 'Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million).', '“We are pleased to resolve this matter from more than two years ago, which arose from an individual error that was identified and corrected within minutes,” a Citigroup spokesperson told CNN. “', 'We immediately took steps to strengthen our systems and controls, and remain committed to ensuring full regulatory compliance.”', 'The spokesperson declined to comment on reports that the trade was the result of a fat-finger error, where incorrect data is inputted because the wrong key is pressed.', 'Read more here.']",0.0765646596432277,"Will Scarlett Johansson sue OpenAI for creating a voice assistant that sounds like the actor’s performance in the 2013 film “Her,” about a man who falls in love with an artificial intelligence?","That OpenAI was apparently unaware of that legal history, or at worst willfully ignorant of it, highlights what some critics say is a lack of industry oversight in AI and a need for greater protections for creators.",0.1230229161403797,"The median price of a previously owned home in the United States grew 5.7% in April from a year earlier to $407,600, the highest April price on record.",The company on Wednesday reported its fourth consecutive quarter of sales declines at stores open for at least one year as higher prices strain Target’s core middle-class customer base.,2024-05-28
"Service charges: I'm now paying £8,000 a year for my flat",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgllrdljj57o,2024-05-26T23:54:46.184Z,"""The worst decision of my life,"" reflects Richard Moore, as he sits in the small flat he bought as an investment to provide him with a pension in his old age. ""My service charges have doubled from £4,000 to £8,000 a year. I feel like I'm being robbed"". Problems with the building's cladding also render the flat effectively worthless unless it is fixed, he says. The flat Richard paid £300,000 for in 2016 is leasehold – which means he doesn’t own the physical flat - but a lease allowing him to own it for a specified number of years.  A freeholder owns the physical building and the land it’s built on, and employs a managing agent to act on their behalf and collect services charges to cover the cost of maintaining and insuring the building. The managing agent says the increase is justified because the roof needs repairing. Richard points out the flats are less than 10 years old. Reforms to leasehold and freehold became law on Friday - one of the last pieces of legislation to make it through Parliament before it was shut down for the general election. They will help the estimated five million leasehold property owners  – the vast majority of them in flats in England and Wales, the only countries still to operate the leasehold system.  It will make extending their leases cheaper and simpler with a standard 990-year lease on renewal. There is also a duty on managing agents to be more transparent about their costs when billing leaseholders for service charges and maintenance. Richard's say they already are, although he disagrees. According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard's have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""We have got above-inflation increases in service charges and that comes as no surprise to any leaseholders,"" the TPI’s Andrew Bulmer says. ""Some service charges have gone up a moderate amount, but there are some, especially those in tall and complex buildings that are difficult to insure, where the service charges have rocketed and those individuals will certainly be hurting."" Mr Bulmer denies managing agents are making excessive profits saying ""margins are tight"". He points to TPI data which suggests the only cost that has not seen above-inflation rises is the fees managing agents charge to cover their own admin and running costs. Mr Bulmer suggests the new legislation is a missed opportunity for proper regulation with penalties for managing agents who step out of line. ""What regulation would do it wouldn't just regulate technical performance in terms of transparency or publishing information. But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers."" The TPI data suggests the biggest single factor driving up service charge costs are buildings insurance premiums – up 92% in five years. Insurers say that in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent cladding and building safety crisis they have no option. ""We empathise with the plight of leaseholders and the fact that they're under emotional and financial strain and we are doing all we can to support that,"" says Mervyn Skeet from the Association of British Insurers. However, he adds: ""I think the industry is correctly pricing the risk that's there. ""Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell. Now, the risk is well known."" But premiums are still going up year on year despite government pledging several billion pounds to remove flammable cladding and other building safety issues. The new leasehold laws will also restrict insurance brokers' ability to charge large commissions for writing the policies, which it is claimed some managing agents have passed on to leaseholders with an additional administration charge of their own. Nearly all of the tower blocks with the same cladding as Grenfell have now been fixed, according to government figures. Mr Skeet said the government was only fixing buildings to what he called a ""life safety"" standard – so that people could escape - but the insurance industry had to go further. ""Getting buildings to a life safety standards is obviously very important,"" he said. ""But we need to assess the resilience of the building, price for the cost of the whole building being lost."" Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues. The government has been putting pressure on the industry over soaring premiums charged by those still prepared to take on the risk. As a result, insurers have just launched a new scheme which aims to better share the risk of the most dangerous blocks which have yet to be repaired – of which there are still several thousand, according to the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign. Mr Skeet said: ""We hope to see that scheme having an impact over the next 12 months.  ""The capacity in the market and the basic supply and demand should lead to changes in premiums."" Among those as yet unremediated flats with cladding and safety issues is Richard’s in Croydon. His experience means he thinks fewer and fewer people will consider ever buying or living in a leasehold property. “It’s affecting millions of people in this country. I’m not the only cladding hostage out there."" ",BBC,26/05/2024,"['""The worst decision of my life,"" reflects Richard Moore, as he sits in the small flat he bought as an investment to provide him with a pension in his old age. ""', 'My service charges have doubled from £4,000 to £8,000 a year.', 'I feel like I\'m being robbed"".', ""Problems with the building's cladding also render the flat effectively worthless unless it is fixed, he says."", 'The flat Richard paid £300,000 for in 2016 is leasehold – which means he doesn’t own the physical flat - but a lease allowing him to own it for a specified number of years.', 'A freeholder owns the physical building and the land it’s built on, and employs a managing agent to act on their behalf and collect services charges to cover the cost of maintaining and insuring the building.', 'The managing agent says the increase is justified because the roof needs repairing.', 'Richard points out the flats are less than 10 years old.', 'Reforms to leasehold and freehold became law on Friday - one of the last pieces of legislation to make it through Parliament before it was shut down for the general election.', 'They will help the estimated five million leasehold property owners – the vast majority of them in flats in England and Wales, the only countries still to operate the leasehold system.', 'It will make extending their leases cheaper and simpler with a standard 990-year lease on renewal.', 'There is also a duty on managing agents to be more transparent about their costs when billing leaseholders for service charges and maintenance.', ""Richard's say they already are, although he disagrees."", 'According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard\'s have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""', 'We have got above-inflation increases in service charges and that comes as no surprise to any leaseholders,"" the TPI’s Andrew Bulmer says. ""', 'Some service charges have gone up a moderate amount, but there are some, especially those in tall and complex buildings that are difficult to insure, where the service charges have rocketed and those individuals will certainly be hurting.""', 'Mr Bulmer denies managing agents are making excessive profits saying ""margins are tight"".', 'He points to TPI data which suggests the only cost that has not seen above-inflation rises is the fees managing agents charge to cover their own admin and running costs.', 'Mr Bulmer suggests the new legislation is a missed opportunity for proper regulation with penalties for managing agents who step out of line. ""', ""What regulation would do it wouldn't just regulate technical performance in terms of transparency or publishing information."", 'But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers.""', 'The TPI data suggests the biggest single factor driving up service charge costs are buildings insurance premiums – up 92% in five years.', 'Insurers say that in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent cladding and building safety crisis they have no option. ""', 'We empathise with the plight of leaseholders and the fact that they\'re under emotional and financial strain and we are doing all we can to support that,"" says Mervyn Skeet from the Association of British Insurers.', 'However, he adds: ""I think the industry is correctly pricing the risk that\'s there. ""', ""Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell."", 'Now, the risk is well known.""', 'But premiums are still going up year on year despite government pledging several billion pounds to remove flammable cladding and other building safety issues.', ""The new leasehold laws will also restrict insurance brokers' ability to charge large commissions for writing the policies, which it is claimed some managing agents have passed on to leaseholders with an additional administration charge of their own."", 'Nearly all of the tower blocks with the same cladding as Grenfell have now been fixed, according to government figures.', 'Mr Skeet said the government was only fixing buildings to what he called a ""life safety"" standard – so that people could escape - but the insurance industry had to go further. ""', 'Getting buildings to a life safety standards is obviously very important,"" he said. ""', 'But we need to assess the resilience of the building, price for the cost of the whole building being lost.""', 'Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues.', 'The government has been putting pressure on the industry over soaring premiums charged by those still prepared to take on the risk.', 'As a result, insurers have just launched a new scheme which aims to better share the risk of the most dangerous blocks which have yet to be repaired – of which there are still several thousand, according to the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign.', 'Mr Skeet said: ""We hope to see that scheme having an impact over the next 12 months. ""', 'The capacity in the market and the basic supply and demand should lead to changes in premiums.""', 'Among those as yet unremediated flats with cladding and safety issues is Richard’s in Croydon.', 'His experience means he thinks fewer and fewer people will consider ever buying or living in a leasehold property. “', 'It’s affecting millions of people in this country.', 'I’m not the only cladding hostage out there.""']",-0.0485725932640262,"But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers.""","Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell.",0.1205124069343913,"According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard's have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""","Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues.",2024-05-28
Trying to buy a house is 'playing a game you can't win',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmj66r4lvzzo,2024-05-26T23:49:55.706Z,"When Nathan Wilkins moved back in with his mother and sister in 2019, he hoped it would help him save money to buy a home.  But in the years since, the US housing market has been transformed by rising rents, surging home prices, and a massive jump in mortgage rates, making homeownership seem ever more impossible.  He and his sister are making more money than ever, the 32-year-old insurance adjuster from Utah says. But shelling out $2,500 (£1,960) a month in rent doesn't leave much left over.  “It’s like I’m playing a game that you can’t win,” he says. “The fact that we’re being priced out just makes me want to throw up.” Such frustrations are spreading, fuelling dissatisfaction and contributing to the widespread pessimism about the US economy that is looming over the country's upcoming election. The median home sale price in the US has jumped by nearly 30% since the end of 2019, hitting $420,000 this spring.  At a time of rising property values globally, the leap has been one of the most dramatic in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. And that's not factoring in the added costs from higher interest rates, which now stand at roughly 7% for the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage that is typical in the US, up from about 3% in 2020. Homebuyers today need an annual income of more than $100,000 - well above the country's household median of about $75,000 - to comfortably afford a home in most places in the US, research firms such as Zillow and Bankrate say, and face monthly payments that have roughly doubled in just four years. “It makes me cry a bit,” says Megan Holter, who started looking to buy in Austin, Texas, back in 2019, when banks were offering her a 30-year fixed rate of about 4.75%. She halted her search when the pandemic hit, priced out by the surging cost of building materials and homes.  She and her wife finally bought a home this year, but only after swallowing a 6.625% rate  - and moving 1,200 miles north to Columbus, Ohio, a spot selected from a spreadsheet she created of cities with lower costs. “Housing affordability was the number one thing that we’ve been considering for five years,” says the 30-year-old, who also switched jobs from the public sector to the private sector to make homebuying happen.  “We have moved mountains to make it possible. “I’m just eternally grateful that we can afford it. I know a lot of other people cannot,"" she adds. Just 40.1% of renters expect to ever own a home one day, according to the New York Federal Reserve, the smallest share since the bank started asking renters the question in 2014. Even homeowners, whose long-term mortgages shield them from immediate financial impact and who benefit from rising property values, tell pollsters that the changes in the market are a source of concern  – as they push up property taxes and insurance costs, while making moving a less affordable prospect. Nearly one third of all households now spend more than a third of their income on housing - the standard cut-off for affordability - the highest level since 2015, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.  A recent Harris poll found more than 70% of Americans believe the market is only going to get worse.  The issue is feeding into wider worries about rising living costs, which have jumped 20% since 2021. It is among the biggest challenges facing President Joe Biden, whose time in office has coincided with the housing market's transformation and who receives dismal ratings for his handling of the economy in national polls. Challenger Donald Trump, who fares better, has sought to blame Mr Biden for inflation, and though he does not typically call out housing specifically, he regularly spotlights ""skyrocketing"" interest rates to argue that the economy is heading in the wrong direction. ""Inflation has been a political noose for Biden in recent years,"" says Brian Connolly, professor of business law at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, whose work focuses on housing issues. ""Housing costs are another place where people are experiencing this financial squeeze."" In recent months, the White House has tried to address concerns about affordability head on, offering proposals such as rules to limit closing costs and a $10,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers. It marks a shift in tone, after years of focusing on the economy's strengths, including low unemployment. But with few immediate levers for Mr Biden to pull, it's not clear the efforts are resonating.  His support has especially eroded among younger people - whose record turnout in 2020 helped put him in office. Voters in this demographic are least likely to own homes and most likely to see housing affordability as a top concern.  ""I don't see any platform that purposely looks out for somebody like first-time homebuyers, wanting to ease their pain,"" says Braiden Dogherty, a 30-year-old from Florida who works in manufacturing and has been checking for houses daily for three years.  Despite a $50,000 inheritance, no debt, and decent jobs, he and his wife can't find an affordable two-bedroom near their families in the Orlando area.   He says the problem of housing costs is too big to blame on any one politician or party, but the seeming lack of solutions has contributed to his wider political disillusionment. He is uncertain how he will vote in November. ""I'm fed up,"" he says. ""Housing is part of it."" The growing outcry has raised pressure on the US central bank to cut interest rates to bring relief, a move Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has said is likely at some point. But expectations that a cut would happen early this year, helping to improve the country's mood, have been steadily pushed back. This reflects concerns that progress in lowering inflation - which was hovering at 3.4% in April, still well above the bank's 2% target - could be stalling. Instead, since January mortgage rates have mostly moved higher.  Mimi Than, a 29-year-old who recently bought a three-bedroom condo in the Boston, Massachusetts area, says she is facing roughly $200 more in monthly costs than when she and her husband were pre-approved for a loan in March.  They did not lock in the rate then, unaware borrowing costs might shift significantly. When they returned to their lender in April after making an offer, the interest rate they were offered was 6.9%, up from 6.5%. She’s hoping that they will drop back later this year, allowing them to refinance. ""I'm obsessively checking the rates,"" she says.  Many analysts maintain it is only a matter of time until inflation slows down, clearing the way for a cut.  They note reports by private firms that show rental increases - which play a big role in calculations of US inflation - cooling from the torrid pace of the pandemic amid a jump in apartment supply. With wages growing, an increase in new homes under construction and rents and home prices rising more slowly,  Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at the housing site Zillow, says he sees affordability challenges easing as well - albeit not in time for November's election. ""It's working itself out,"" he says. ""We still have a long way to go, of course, but we're seeing some improvement and I think we're going to see more improvement."" But there's a gloomier view.  With more people priced out of homeownership, rental rates may prove more resilient than expected, keeping inflation elevated. And if mortgage rates do not drop significantly, the step-change in borrowing costs may act as a long-term constraint on supply, as builders pull back and homeowners who secured mortgages when rates were lower forego moving.   Braiden, from Florida, sees no easy fix from the Fed, which he fears helped shape the current crisis by letting rates stay unusually low in the decade after the 2008 financial crisis.  ""No matter what happens - whether they raise, lower or hold them - I feel as though the next decade is probably just going to be difficult no matter what for most people,"" he says. ",BBC,26/05/2024,"['When Nathan Wilkins moved back in with his mother and sister in 2019, he hoped it would help him save money to buy a home.', 'But in the years since, the US housing market has been transformed by rising rents, surging home prices, and a massive jump in mortgage rates, making homeownership seem ever more impossible.', 'He and his sister are making more money than ever, the 32-year-old insurance adjuster from Utah says.', ""But shelling out $2,500 (£1,960) a month in rent doesn't leave much left over. “"", 'It’s like I’m playing a game that you can’t win,” he says. “', 'The fact that we’re being priced out just makes me want to throw up.”', ""Such frustrations are spreading, fuelling dissatisfaction and contributing to the widespread pessimism about the US economy that is looming over the country's upcoming election."", 'The median home sale price in the US has jumped by nearly 30% since the end of 2019, hitting $420,000 this spring.', 'At a time of rising property values globally, the leap has been one of the most dramatic in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund.', ""And that's not factoring in the added costs from higher interest rates, which now stand at roughly 7% for the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage that is typical in the US, up from about 3% in 2020."", ""Homebuyers today need an annual income of more than $100,000 - well above the country's household median of about $75,000 - to comfortably afford a home in most places in the US, research firms such as Zillow and Bankrate say, and face monthly payments that have roughly doubled in just four years. “"", 'It makes me cry a bit,” says Megan Holter, who started looking to buy in Austin, Texas, back in 2019, when banks were offering her a 30-year fixed rate of about 4.75%.', 'She halted her search when the pandemic hit, priced out by the surging cost of building materials and homes.', 'She and her wife finally bought a home this year, but only after swallowing a 6.625% rate - and moving 1,200 miles north to Columbus, Ohio, a spot selected from a spreadsheet she created of cities with lower costs. “', 'Housing affordability was the number one thing that we’ve been considering for five years,” says the 30-year-old, who also switched jobs from the public sector to the private sector to make homebuying happen. “', 'We have moved mountains to make it possible. “', 'I’m just eternally grateful that we can afford it.', 'I know a lot of other people cannot,"" she adds.', 'Just 40.1% of renters expect to ever own a home one day, according to the New York Federal Reserve, the smallest share since the bank started asking renters the question in 2014.', 'Even homeowners, whose long-term mortgages shield them from immediate financial impact and who benefit from rising property values, tell pollsters that the changes in the market are a source of concern – as they push up property taxes and insurance costs, while making moving a less affordable prospect.', ""Nearly one third of all households now spend more than a third of their income on housing - the standard cut-off for affordability - the highest level since 2015, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies."", 'A recent Harris poll found more than 70% of Americans believe the market is only going to get worse.', 'The issue is feeding into wider worries about rising living costs, which have jumped 20% since 2021.', ""It is among the biggest challenges facing President Joe Biden, whose time in office has coincided with the housing market's transformation and who receives dismal ratings for his handling of the economy in national polls."", 'Challenger Donald Trump, who fares better, has sought to blame Mr Biden for inflation, and though he does not typically call out housing specifically, he regularly spotlights ""skyrocketing"" interest rates to argue that the economy is heading in the wrong direction. ""', 'Inflation has been a political noose for Biden in recent years,"" says Brian Connolly, professor of business law at the University of Michigan\'s Ross School of Business, whose work focuses on housing issues. ""', 'Housing costs are another place where people are experiencing this financial squeeze.""', 'In recent months, the White House has tried to address concerns about affordability head on, offering proposals such as rules to limit closing costs and a $10,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers.', ""It marks a shift in tone, after years of focusing on the economy's strengths, including low unemployment."", ""But with few immediate levers for Mr Biden to pull, it's not clear the efforts are resonating."", 'His support has especially eroded among younger people - whose record turnout in 2020 helped put him in office.', 'Voters in this demographic are least likely to own homes and most likely to see housing affordability as a top concern. ""', 'I don\'t see any platform that purposely looks out for somebody like first-time homebuyers, wanting to ease their pain,"" says Braiden Dogherty, a 30-year-old from Florida who works in manufacturing and has been checking for houses daily for three years.', ""Despite a $50,000 inheritance, no debt, and decent jobs, he and his wife can't find an affordable two-bedroom near their families in the Orlando area."", 'He says the problem of housing costs is too big to blame on any one politician or party, but the seeming lack of solutions has contributed to his wider political disillusionment.', 'He is uncertain how he will vote in November. ""', 'I\'m fed up,"" he says. ""', 'Housing is part of it.""', 'The growing outcry has raised pressure on the US central bank to cut interest rates to bring relief, a move Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has said is likely at some point.', ""But expectations that a cut would happen early this year, helping to improve the country's mood, have been steadily pushed back."", ""This reflects concerns that progress in lowering inflation - which was hovering at 3.4% in April, still well above the bank's 2% target - could be stalling."", 'Instead, since January mortgage rates have mostly moved higher.', 'Mimi Than, a 29-year-old who recently bought a three-bedroom condo in the Boston, Massachusetts area, says she is facing roughly $200 more in monthly costs than when she and her husband were pre-approved for a loan in March.', 'They did not lock in the rate then, unaware borrowing costs might shift significantly.', 'When they returned to their lender in April after making an offer, the interest rate they were offered was 6.9%, up from 6.5%.', 'She’s hoping that they will drop back later this year, allowing them to refinance. ""', 'I\'m obsessively checking the rates,"" she says.', 'Many analysts maintain it is only a matter of time until inflation slows down, clearing the way for a cut.', 'They note reports by private firms that show rental increases - which play a big role in calculations of US inflation - cooling from the torrid pace of the pandemic amid a jump in apartment supply.', 'With wages growing, an increase in new homes under construction and rents and home prices rising more slowly, Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at the housing site Zillow, says he sees affordability challenges easing as well - albeit not in time for November\'s election. ""', 'It\'s working itself out,"" he says. ""', 'We still have a long way to go, of course, but we\'re seeing some improvement and I think we\'re going to see more improvement.""', ""But there's a gloomier view."", 'With more people priced out of homeownership, rental rates may prove more resilient than expected, keeping inflation elevated.', 'And if mortgage rates do not drop significantly, the step-change in borrowing costs may act as a long-term constraint on supply, as builders pull back and homeowners who secured mortgages when rates were lower forego moving.', 'Braiden, from Florida, sees no easy fix from the Fed, which he fears helped shape the current crisis by letting rates stay unusually low in the decade after the 2008 financial crisis. ""', 'No matter what happens - whether they raise, lower or hold them - I feel as though the next decade is probably just going to be difficult no matter what for most people,"" he says.']",0.0304925068100852,"We still have a long way to go, of course, but we're seeing some improvement and I think we're going to see more improvement.""","Braiden, from Florida, sees no easy fix from the Fed, which he fears helped shape the current crisis by letting rates stay unusually low in the decade after the 2008 financial crisis. """,-0.1680922319249409,"When they returned to their lender in April after making an offer, the interest rate they were offered was 6.9%, up from 6.5%.","This reflects concerns that progress in lowering inflation - which was hovering at 3.4% in April, still well above the bank's 2% target - could be stalling.",2024-05-28
Paula Vennells: Five key moments from Post Office inquiry,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgxx1zgpn0ko,2024-05-24T21:25:27.792Z,"Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has broken her almost decade-long silence on the Horizon IT scandal.  She was quizzed over the course of three days on how things unfolded during her time at the head of the organisation by both the counsel to the public inquiry and lawyers speaking on behalf of sub-postmasters. It was the most anticipated appearance in the long-running inquiry into what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. Here is a summary of five of the key moments: She wasn’t on trial – but she might just as well have been. Over the three days, Paula Vennells faced an onslaught of hostile questions. Lead counsel to the inquiry, Jason Beer, was subtle but probing. The lawyers for the sub-postmasters, who had the final say, were hard-hitting and merciless. To begin with, the former Post Office boss was poised. There were carefully prepared apologies to the sub-postmasters, to Alan Bates – whose campaign for justice formed the centrepiece of the ITV drama Mr Bates v the Post Office - and to others. There was a great deal she said she couldn’t remember. There was even more she claimed she had never been told. The Post Office may have been aware that the Horizon IT system was deeply flawed, and that a key witness had failed to disclose vital information to the courts. But Ms Vennells, it seems, wasn’t. Then, her composure failed. Asked by Mr Beer whether she had misled MPs about court cases involving Horizon, she broke down in tears. She recovered, then cried again when asked about the case of Martin Griffiths, a sub-postmaster who took his own life after being financially ruined by the Post Office. It wouldn’t be the last time. But her tears attracted scant sympathy from the victims of the scandal watching her in the room. The emergence of blistering texts between Ms Vennells and Dame Moya Greene, Royal Mail's former boss, was one of the week's more shocking moments. The two exchanged messages after ITV aired its drama in January, which thrust the decades-old scandal back into the spotlight. ""When it was clear the system was at fault, the [Post Office] should have raised a red flag, stopped all proceedings, given people back their money and then tried to compensate them for the ruin this caused in their lives,"" Dame Moya said in a text message. Ms Vennells agreed: ""This has/is taking too long Moya. The toll on everyone affected is dreadful.” Then came the gut punch.  ""I don’t know what to say. I think you knew,"" said Dame Moya. ""No Moya, that isn’t the case,"" replied Ms Vennells. It was the question that Jason Beer also wanted an answer to: ""How could you not know?""  ""This is a situation that is so complex, it is a question I have asked myself as well,"" said Ms Vennells. ""I have learned some things that I did not know as a result of the inquiry and I imagine that we will go through some of the detail of that. I wish I had known."" Ms Vennells was running a big business and in charge of thousands of staff. The Inquiry wanted to know how much she knew about what was going on in her organisation. In key areas, she claims her knowledge was limited. According to Ms Vennells’ 775 page witness statement, she wasn’t being given the information and documents she needed to find out the truth about the Horizon IT system. Mr Beer wasn’t impressed and asked her: “Do you think you’re the unluckiest CEO in history?” Ms Vennells says the problem was “I was too trusting” and some of her staff let her down. But some weren’t allowed to be heard - her head of legal was kept out of a Post Office board meeting “like a naughty schoolgirl”, according to Mr Beer. One key element of the Horizon scandal is that the Post Office conducted its own prosecution of sub-postmasters.  Ms Vennells told the inquiry it took five years of working at the Post Office for her to find that out. Mr Beer seemed baffled by this and there was incredulous laughter from those in the room. Some of the most revealing exchanges weren't about IT systems, but about the press. Sub-postmasters long suspected the organisation was more focused on its brand than its people.  In 2013, when issues with bugs were discovered, Ms Vennells was internally questioning if there should be a review of past prosecutions going back many years. The PR boss advised against this: ""We don't want to be front page news"", he told his boss. Ms Vennells said she would never make a legal decision based on optics. The problem? Her response contained the phrase: ""I will take your steer"". On another occasion, the chief executive sent an email in which she said her ""goal"" was that all press be ""scoured for negative comment and refuted"". Ms Vennells claimed the email was being read all wrong. She was only trying to make sure inaccurate misrepresentations were corrected. Is that believable or a sign of a defensive culture? That is for the inquiry chair to decide. Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged. Another stand-out moment came when Ms Vennells was asked about the flotation of Royal Mail in 2013.  The Post Office used to be part of Royal Mail but was split off when the then coalition government decided to privatise the UK's postal service.  The board of the Post Office had become alarmed about potential civil claims for wrongful prosecutions, to the point where it notified the Post Office’s insurers. Ms Vennells admitted that revelations about possible prosecution failures during the time when Royal Mail was in charge of the Post Office would have been devastating for the privatisation. Royal Mail director Les Owen had wanted to include a reference to the Horizon IT system in the prospectus for the flotation. But Ms Vennells admitted that she'd arranged for it to be removed, telling her boss afterwards: ""I have earned my keep on this one."" In fact, she listed keeping Horizon out of the Royal Mail flotation prospectus as one of her ""key achievements"" for the year.    Edward Henry KC, who is representing some of sub-postmasters at the inquiry,  asked that if it had emerged that people were being wrongly prosecuted ""it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation"". ""I'm sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said. But she added that she “had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation"". Reporting by Tom Espiner, Tom Beal, Peter Ruddick, Theo Leggett and Dearbail Jordan ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has broken her almost decade-long silence on the Horizon IT scandal.', 'She was quizzed over the course of three days on how things unfolded during her time at the head of the organisation by both the counsel to the public inquiry and lawyers speaking on behalf of sub-postmasters.', 'It was the most anticipated appearance in the long-running inquiry into what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history.', 'Here is a summary of five of the key moments: She wasn’t on trial – but she might just as well have been.', 'Over the three days, Paula Vennells faced an onslaught of hostile questions.', 'Lead counsel to the inquiry, Jason Beer, was subtle but probing.', 'The lawyers for the sub-postmasters, who had the final say, were hard-hitting and merciless.', 'To begin with, the former Post Office boss was poised.', 'There were carefully prepared apologies to the sub-postmasters, to Alan Bates – whose campaign for justice formed the centrepiece of the ITV drama Mr Bates v the Post Office - and to others.', 'There was a great deal she said she couldn’t remember.', 'There was even more she claimed she had never been told.', 'The Post Office may have been aware that the Horizon IT system was deeply flawed, and that a key witness had failed to disclose vital information to the courts.', 'But Ms Vennells, it seems, wasn’t.', 'Then, her composure failed.', 'Asked by Mr Beer whether she had misled MPs about court cases involving Horizon, she broke down in tears.', 'She recovered, then cried again when asked about the case of Martin Griffiths, a sub-postmaster who took his own life after being financially ruined by the Post Office.', 'It wouldn’t be the last time.', 'But her tears attracted scant sympathy from the victims of the scandal watching her in the room.', ""The emergence of blistering texts between Ms Vennells and Dame Moya Greene, Royal Mail's former boss, was one of the week's more shocking moments."", 'The two exchanged messages after ITV aired its drama in January, which thrust the decades-old scandal back into the spotlight. ""', 'When it was clear the system was at fault, the [Post Office] should have raised a red flag, stopped all proceedings, given people back their money and then tried to compensate them for the ruin this caused in their lives,"" Dame Moya said in a text message.', 'Ms Vennells agreed: ""This has/is taking too long Moya.', 'The toll on everyone affected is dreadful.”', 'Then came the gut punch. ""', 'I don’t know what to say.', 'I think you knew,"" said Dame Moya. ""', 'No Moya, that isn’t the case,"" replied Ms Vennells.', 'It was the question that Jason Beer also wanted an answer to: ""How could you not know?"" ""', 'This is a situation that is so complex, it is a question I have asked myself as well,"" said Ms Vennells. ""', 'I have learned some things that I did not know as a result of the inquiry and I imagine that we will go through some of the detail of that.', 'I wish I had known.""', 'Ms Vennells was running a big business and in charge of thousands of staff.', 'The Inquiry wanted to know how much she knew about what was going on in her organisation.', 'In key areas, she claims her knowledge was limited.', 'According to Ms Vennells’ 775 page witness statement, she wasn’t being given the information and documents she needed to find out the truth about the Horizon IT system.', 'Mr Beer wasn’t impressed and asked her: “Do you think you’re the unluckiest CEO in history?”', 'Ms Vennells says the problem was “I was too trusting” and some of her staff let her down.', 'But some weren’t allowed to be heard - her head of legal was kept out of a Post Office board meeting “like a naughty schoolgirl”, according to Mr Beer.', 'One key element of the Horizon scandal is that the Post Office conducted its own prosecution of sub-postmasters.', 'Ms Vennells told the inquiry it took five years of working at the Post Office for her to find that out.', 'Mr Beer seemed baffled by this and there was incredulous laughter from those in the room.', ""Some of the most revealing exchanges weren't about IT systems, but about the press."", 'Sub-postmasters long suspected the organisation was more focused on its brand than its people.', 'In 2013, when issues with bugs were discovered, Ms Vennells was internally questioning if there should be a review of past prosecutions going back many years.', 'The PR boss advised against this: ""We don\'t want to be front page news"", he told his boss.', 'Ms Vennells said she would never make a legal decision based on optics.', 'The problem?', 'Her response contained the phrase: ""I will take your steer"".', 'On another occasion, the chief executive sent an email in which she said her ""goal"" was that all press be ""scoured for negative comment and refuted"".', 'Ms Vennells claimed the email was being read all wrong.', 'She was only trying to make sure inaccurate misrepresentations were corrected.', 'Is that believable or a sign of a defensive culture?', 'That is for the inquiry chair to decide.', 'Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged.', 'Another stand-out moment came when Ms Vennells was asked about the flotation of Royal Mail in 2013.', ""The Post Office used to be part of Royal Mail but was split off when the then coalition government decided to privatise the UK's postal service."", 'The board of the Post Office had become alarmed about potential civil claims for wrongful prosecutions, to the point where it notified the Post Office’s insurers.', 'Ms Vennells admitted that revelations about possible prosecution failures during the time when Royal Mail was in charge of the Post Office would have been devastating for the privatisation.', 'Royal Mail director Les Owen had wanted to include a reference to the Horizon IT system in the prospectus for the flotation.', 'But Ms Vennells admitted that she\'d arranged for it to be removed, telling her boss afterwards: ""I have earned my keep on this one.""', 'In fact, she listed keeping Horizon out of the Royal Mail flotation prospectus as one of her ""key achievements"" for the year.', 'Edward Henry KC, who is representing some of sub-postmasters at the inquiry, asked that if it had emerged that people were being wrongly prosecuted ""it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation"". ""', 'I\'m sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said.', 'But she added that she “had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation"".', 'Reporting by Tom Espiner, Tom Beal, Peter Ruddick, Theo Leggett and Dearbail Jordan']",-0.0625431560050078,"Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged.",Ms Vennells admitted that revelations about possible prosecution failures during the time when Royal Mail was in charge of the Post Office would have been devastating for the privatisation.,-0.6002627064784368,"But Ms Vennells admitted that she'd arranged for it to be removed, telling her boss afterwards: ""I have earned my keep on this one.""","Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged.",2024-05-28
Retiring abroad can mean more bureaucracy than bruschetta. But it’s growing in popularity,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/economy/more-americans-are-retiring-abroad-heres-why/index.html,"
  Updated
        9:45 AM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","Laura Barnett has always had a bit of wanderlust.
    
            When she was a kid, her father took a job as a teacher with the US Department of Defense and moved his family from rural Kentucky to Poitiers, France, which is when the travel bug hit. She’s been to over 38 countries in her 54 years.
    
            But during the pandemic, something changed. Travel was impossible, and her life in Fayetteville, North Carolina, started to feel small.
    
            “I just got sick of living in suburbia. It felt like the world was potentially going to end, and I [said to my husband], ‘dude, I don’t think we’ve done everything we want to do.’” She brought up the idea of moving to Portugal.
    
            As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad where cities are walkable, social services plentiful and the cost of living affordable: Gelato in the piazza, white sand and year-round sun, little villages tucked into ocean coves and cheap health care all sound pretty good.
    
            But while retirees might imagine spending their golden years full of pasta and palazzos, the realities of moving abroad are much less romantic. There’s often more bureaucracy than bruschetta.
    
            Laura’s husband, Chris, was initially skeptical about the move. He didn’t think retiring abroad was feasible. Plus, they’d be leaving behind their two sons and two grandsons.
    
            But Laura persisted. “We’ve done everything they told us to do. We’ve saved our money. We’ve worked for the same company for decades. We’ve done everything, and I keep looking to the future — and I can’t stomach having to work until I’m 65 years old just because we can’t afford health care otherwise,” she said.
    
            “[The US] has set up a system where even if we have the money to cover our day-to-day expenses — rent, food, travel — all of a sudden there’s this other line item called health care. That’s about $1,500 a month, more than our house payment.”
    
            Chris and Laura have traveled to Portugal three times to look for places to settle and have a three-year plan set in place to move there permanently.
    
            There are a lot of upsides: The weather is favorable year-round, it’s affordable, private health insurance costs about $300 per month for couples and there’s a better sense of work-life balance. (CNN converted prices throughout this story into US dollars from local currencies.)
    
            But there are also some downsides. Leaving behind family is a big one.
    
            Until the Barnetts receive their residency card, they’ll only be allowed to leave and enter Portugal twice, and their initial arrival into the country counts.
    
            “We have aging parents in their late 80s. Not having the freedom to easily respond if we are needed until we have that card is very concerning. Being lonely and not having friends and having to start from scratch with that is also in this mix,” said Laura.
    
            Portuguese is not an easy language to learn, and adapting to a new culture late in life won’t be easy. Recent revisions to Portuguese immigration programs also make the tax situation much less favorable for Americans.
    
            But in the end, the finances won out.
    
            “Our goal, which is very doable based on research, is to live on less than $3,500 per month in Portugal while still being able to afford travel in Europe,” said Laura.
    
            Their financial adviser told them that to comfortably retire in the US, they’d need to have about double that amount — $7,000 per month.
    
            As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad.
    
            It’s becoming increasingly expensive to retire in the US. Just 43% of non-retired adults in the US think they will have enough money to live comfortably when they retire, according to Gallup in 2023. That’s the lowest level for that metric since 2012.
    
            At the same time, the number of Americans looking to settle outside of the country has tripled over the past 30 years, according to a 2024 Monmouth poll. The number of Social Security recipients living outside the US increased from 307,000 in 2008 to more than 450,000 in 2022.
    
            Some countries are even taking advantage of this boom and have eased their visa requirements to attract older US expats.
    
            But packing up a life and moving it abroad is not a simple task, and retirees often find themselves in over their heads.
    
            “People need to think about estate planning, which is often different abroad,” said Brett Spencer, the founder of Impact Financial, a financial advisory firm that specializes in Americans living abroad. “They need to think about currency, complicated taxes and their investments. Even opening a bank account abroad can be complicated.”
    
            Spencer says he’s had clients who have had their bank accounts closed with no warning, leaving them working through nuanced protocol in another language and without access to any funds. These types of complications aren’t uncommon.
    
            Patience Dunbar, who will be 63 next month, and her husband, Charles Ippoliti, 69, have been living full time in Arona, a lakeside town in northern Italy, since 2022. Their typical day consists of coffee and the crossword, a leisurely stroll around the lake, stops at the local outdoor market for fresh fruit and vegetables and a lunch in the town square. Occasionally, they’ll take the train into Milan, about 40 minutes away.
    
            “It’s a very leisurely pace,” said Charles.
    
            They feel healthier than they did back home, they’ve lost weight and they are exercising more. That’s part of the reason they decided to look abroad in the first place.
    
            In 2020, when the couple was living in Oregon, Charles suffered from severe Covid complications. He was hospitalized for a few weeks and then put on oxygen at home for a few more.
    
            “We thought ‘well this is silly, why are we wasting our time?’ As soon as we could we decided to make the most of this,” said Patience. “I didn’t want to wait five more years until Charles was in his late 70s to retire. What if he’s not able to enjoy those years?”
    
            The pair applied for their codice fiscale, similar to a Social Security number, and purchased their apartment in Arona.
    
            They paid about $72,000 for their first apartment there and later sold it and upgraded to a larger home for $160,000. The food is less expensive and a fancy dinner with wine runs them about $55.
    
            Most importantly, they pay $2,200 a year for their health care. That includes visits with specialists for Charles, who has a heart condition.
    
            But it’s hard to be away from family, and they have struggled to learn Italian. They thought the language would come more easily.
    
            Dealing with the government can be troubling at times, and filing paperwork has become a full-time job for them. Plus, they’re starting to worry about the political landscape. Giorgia Meloni, a far-right leader, is the current Italian premier and has anti-immigration views. They worry that policy could change and they might have to go back to the States.
    
            “I would say that, without a doubt, whatever lifestyle you want, you’ll be able to find it at a lower cost than you could in the United States,” said Kathleen Peddicord, the founder and CEO of advisory firm Live and Invest Overseas.
    
            “Unless the lifestyle you want is living in a small town in the Midwest,” she added. “If what you want in retirement is to live in a small town, surrounded by your family and your grandkids, that’s great.”
    
            Living abroad isn’t for everyone. It probably won’t work for those who seek out creature comforts in their retirement.
    
            “It’s hard work. I think that’s the reality that a lot of people probably aren’t prepared for,” said Peddicord, who splits her time with her husband between Paris and Panama City, Panama.
    
            Some people Peddicord advises don’t make it to another country because they get burned out by the loads of administrative work involved.
    
            “You have to create a whole new life for yourself in a very short space of time, in another culture, in another language,” she said. “All of the things that you do to create your life in the States: You got a driver’s license at 15 or 16, you opened a bank account, you got your first credit card, you bought a car, you rented a house, you paid utilities, you did all that over time. Now you have to do it at once and without the support of friends and family.”
    
            Many people who make the move end up feeling isolated and lonely.
    
            Still, Peddicord says her business has exploded as more Americans retire abroad, and a cottage industry to help people navigate the nuances of the task has quickly sprung up.
    
            As retirement decisions loomed for Bill and Jacki Dahl, now 69 and 75, respectively, they were forced to confront the fact that their retirement income would not continue to support the same lifestyle they had enjoyed in the US while working.
    
            They decided that moving to a less expensive country was a good way to stretch their dollar and keep their lifestyle the same.
    
            After four years of research and four exploratory trips, they made the move to Querétaro, a city in the center of Mexico.
    
            In 2019, the Dahls sold nearly everything they had accumulated during 30 years of marriage — including their home in Oregon — to fund the trip, said goodbye to their four children and grandchildren, and drove to Mexico. Upon arriving, they finalized their official immigration documents — they’re both “residente-permanente,” permanent residents, meaning they’re still US citizens.
    
            They rent a three-bedroom, two-story home with a large garden for about $940 a month. Food is cheap, and they have Medicare so that they can return to the United States for any serious medical care. But for smaller things, they remain local — it costs about $35 to visit the dentist, for example.
    
            “We live on a fixed monthly income,” said Bill. “We do not have a bunch of savings. We do not have a bunch of investments,” but they’re able to get by and still have money left over for travel and adventure.
    
            “We both adore people, art, food, travel and cultural diversity,” said Bill. “We love it here.”
    
            Still, it hasn’t been smooth sailing.
    
            “Relocation to Mexico is not for everyone,” he warned.
    
            Climate change means that there are more droughts in Mexico and more pollution, water can be scarce, and sometimes the power goes out, said Bill.
    
            Another surprise for the Dahls has been the rising strength of the peso against the US dollar. Bill estimates that his purchasing power is now worth about 30% less than it was before the pandemic.
    
            The financial requirements for legal, permanent residency in Mexico have also increased substantially, and immigration services are “cumbersome and inefficient,” said Bill. Violence is on the rise ahead of national elections later this year, he added.
    
            It’s not for the faint of heart, or people who want a carefree retirement, he said.
    
            But, he added, “we have no desire whatsoever to return to live in the US…we are deeply grateful to be resident-guests of such a marvelous place to live during the retirement season of our life.”",CNN,27/05/2024,"['Laura Barnett has always had a bit of wanderlust.', 'When she was a kid, her father took a job as a teacher with the US Department of Defense and moved his family from rural Kentucky to Poitiers, France, which is when the travel bug hit.', 'She’s been to over 38 countries in her 54 years.', 'But during the pandemic, something changed.', 'Travel was impossible, and her life in Fayetteville, North Carolina, started to feel small.', '“I just got sick of living in suburbia.', 'It felt like the world was potentially going to end, and I [said to my husband], ‘dude, I don’t think we’ve done everything we want to do.’”', 'She brought up the idea of moving to Portugal.', 'As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad where cities are walkable, social services plentiful and the cost of living affordable: Gelato in the piazza, white sand and year-round sun, little villages tucked into ocean coves and cheap health care all sound pretty good.', 'But while retirees might imagine spending their golden years full of pasta and palazzos, the realities of moving abroad are much less romantic.', 'There’s often more bureaucracy than bruschetta.', 'Laura’s husband, Chris, was initially skeptical about the move.', 'He didn’t think retiring abroad was feasible.', 'Plus, they’d be leaving behind their two sons and two grandsons.', 'But Laura persisted. “', 'We’ve done everything they told us to do.', 'We’ve saved our money.', 'We’ve worked for the same company for decades.', 'We’ve done everything, and I keep looking to the future — and I can’t stomach having to work until I’m 65 years old just because we can’t afford health care otherwise,” she said.', '“[The US] has set up a system where even if we have the money to cover our day-to-day expenses — rent, food, travel — all of a sudden there’s this other line item called health care.', 'That’s about $1,500 a month, more than our house payment.”', 'Chris and Laura have traveled to Portugal three times to look for places to settle and have a three-year plan set in place to move there permanently.', 'There are a lot of upsides: The weather is favorable year-round, it’s affordable, private health insurance costs about $300 per month for couples and there’s a better sense of work-life balance. (', 'CNN converted prices throughout this story into US dollars from local currencies.)', 'But there are also some downsides.', 'Leaving behind family is a big one.', 'Until the Barnetts receive their residency card, they’ll only be allowed to leave and enter Portugal twice, and their initial arrival into the country counts.', '“We have aging parents in their late 80s.', 'Not having the freedom to easily respond if we are needed until we have that card is very concerning.', 'Being lonely and not having friends and having to start from scratch with that is also in this mix,” said Laura.', 'Portuguese is not an easy language to learn, and adapting to a new culture late in life won’t be easy.', 'Recent revisions to Portuguese immigration programs also make the tax situation much less favorable for Americans.', 'But in the end, the finances won out.', '“Our goal, which is very doable based on research, is to live on less than $3,500 per month in Portugal while still being able to afford travel in Europe,” said Laura.', 'Their financial adviser told them that to comfortably retire in the US, they’d need to have about double that amount — $7,000 per month.', 'As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad.', 'It’s becoming increasingly expensive to retire in the US.', 'Just 43% of non-retired adults in the US think they will have enough money to live comfortably when they retire, according to Gallup in 2023.', 'That’s the lowest level for that metric since 2012.', 'At the same time, the number of Americans looking to settle outside of the country has tripled over the past 30 years, according to a 2024 Monmouth poll.', 'The number of Social Security recipients living outside the US increased from 307,000 in 2008 to more than 450,000 in 2022.', 'Some countries are even taking advantage of this boom and have eased their visa requirements to attract older US expats.', 'But packing up a life and moving it abroad is not a simple task, and retirees often find themselves in over their heads.', '“People need to think about estate planning, which is often different abroad,” said Brett Spencer, the founder of Impact Financial, a financial advisory firm that specializes in Americans living abroad. “', 'They need to think about currency, complicated taxes and their investments.', 'Even opening a bank account abroad can be complicated.”', 'Spencer says he’s had clients who have had their bank accounts closed with no warning, leaving them working through nuanced protocol in another language and without access to any funds.', 'These types of complications aren’t uncommon.', 'Patience Dunbar, who will be 63 next month, and her husband, Charles Ippoliti, 69, have been living full time in Arona, a lakeside town in northern Italy, since 2022.', 'Their typical day consists of coffee and the crossword, a leisurely stroll around the lake, stops at the local outdoor market for fresh fruit and vegetables and a lunch in the town square.', 'Occasionally, they’ll take the train into Milan, about 40 minutes away.', '“It’s a very leisurely pace,” said Charles.', 'They feel healthier than they did back home, they’ve lost weight and they are exercising more.', 'That’s part of the reason they decided to look abroad in the first place.', 'In 2020, when the couple was living in Oregon, Charles suffered from severe Covid complications.', 'He was hospitalized for a few weeks and then put on oxygen at home for a few more.', '“We thought ‘well this is silly, why are we wasting our time?’', 'As soon as we could we decided to make the most of this,” said Patience. “', 'I didn’t want to wait five more years until Charles was in his late 70s to retire.', 'What if he’s not able to enjoy those years?”', 'The pair applied for their codice fiscale, similar to a Social Security number, and purchased their apartment in Arona.', 'They paid about $72,000 for their first apartment there and later sold it and upgraded to a larger home for $160,000.', 'The food is less expensive and a fancy dinner with wine runs them about $55.', 'Most importantly, they pay $2,200 a year for their health care.', 'That includes visits with specialists for Charles, who has a heart condition.', 'But it’s hard to be away from family, and they have struggled to learn Italian.', 'They thought the language would come more easily.', 'Dealing with the government can be troubling at times, and filing paperwork has become a full-time job for them.', 'Plus, they’re starting to worry about the political landscape.', 'Giorgia Meloni, a far-right leader, is the current Italian premier and has anti-immigration views.', 'They worry that policy could change and they might have to go back to the States.', '“I would say that, without a doubt, whatever lifestyle you want, you’ll be able to find it at a lower cost than you could in the United States,” said Kathleen Peddicord, the founder and CEO of advisory firm Live and Invest Overseas.', '“Unless the lifestyle you want is living in a small town in the Midwest,” she added. “', 'If what you want in retirement is to live in a small town, surrounded by your family and your grandkids, that’s great.”', 'Living abroad isn’t for everyone.', 'It probably won’t work for those who seek out creature comforts in their retirement.', '“It’s hard work.', 'I think that’s the reality that a lot of people probably aren’t prepared for,” said Peddicord, who splits her time with her husband between Paris and Panama City, Panama.', 'Some people Peddicord advises don’t make it to another country because they get burned out by the loads of administrative work involved.', '“You have to create a whole new life for yourself in a very short space of time, in another culture, in another language,” she said. “', 'All of the things that you do to create your life in the States: You got a driver’s license at 15 or 16, you opened a bank account, you got your first credit card, you bought a car, you rented a house, you paid utilities, you did all that over time.', 'Now you have to do it at once and without the support of friends and family.”', 'Many people who make the move end up feeling isolated and lonely.', 'Still, Peddicord says her business has exploded as more Americans retire abroad, and a cottage industry to help people navigate the nuances of the task has quickly sprung up.', 'As retirement decisions loomed for Bill and Jacki Dahl, now 69 and 75, respectively, they were forced to confront the fact that their retirement income would not continue to support the same lifestyle they had enjoyed in the US while working.', 'They decided that moving to a less expensive country was a good way to stretch their dollar and keep their lifestyle the same.', 'After four years of research and four exploratory trips, they made the move to Querétaro, a city in the center of Mexico.', 'In 2019, the Dahls sold nearly everything they had accumulated during 30 years of marriage — including their home in Oregon — to fund the trip, said goodbye to their four children and grandchildren, and drove to Mexico.', 'Upon arriving, they finalized their official immigration documents — they’re both “residente-permanente,” permanent residents, meaning they’re still US citizens.', 'They rent a three-bedroom, two-story home with a large garden for about $940 a month.', 'Food is cheap, and they have Medicare so that they can return to the United States for any serious medical care.', 'But for smaller things, they remain local — it costs about $35 to visit the dentist, for example.', '“We live on a fixed monthly income,” said Bill. “', 'We do not have a bunch of savings.', 'We do not have a bunch of investments,” but they’re able to get by and still have money left over for travel and adventure.', '“We both adore people, art, food, travel and cultural diversity,” said Bill. “', 'We love it here.”', 'Still, it hasn’t been smooth sailing.', '“Relocation to Mexico is not for everyone,” he warned.', 'Climate change means that there are more droughts in Mexico and more pollution, water can be scarce, and sometimes the power goes out, said Bill.', 'Another surprise for the Dahls has been the rising strength of the peso against the US dollar.', 'Bill estimates that his purchasing power is now worth about 30% less than it was before the pandemic.', 'The financial requirements for legal, permanent residency in Mexico have also increased substantially, and immigration services are “cumbersome and inefficient,” said Bill.', 'Violence is on the rise ahead of national elections later this year, he added.', 'It’s not for the faint of heart, or people who want a carefree retirement, he said.', 'But, he added, “we have no desire whatsoever to return to live in the US…we are deeply grateful to be resident-guests of such a marvelous place to live during the retirement season of our life.”']",0.0844915518370366,"But, he added, “we have no desire whatsoever to return to live in the US…we are deeply grateful to be resident-guests of such a marvelous place to live during the retirement season of our life.”","In 2020, when the couple was living in Oregon, Charles suffered from severe Covid complications.",-0.0514470355851309,"The number of Social Security recipients living outside the US increased from 307,000 in 2008 to more than 450,000 in 2022.",That’s the lowest level for that metric since 2012.,2024-05-28
What’s open and closed on Memorial Day 2024,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/26/business/memorial-day-open-closed/index.html,"
  Published
        9:30 AM EDT, Sun May 26, 2024
    ","Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.
    
            The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars. This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.
    
            Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.
    
            Most national retailers will be open on Monday. Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.
    
            All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger. Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.
    
            Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday. Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.
    
            The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq (NDAQ) will not be trading on Monday.
    
            Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks. But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.
    
            The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.
    
            Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday. Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.
    
            FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.",CNN,26/05/2024,"['Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.', 'The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars.', 'This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.', 'Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.', 'Most national retailers will be open on Monday.', 'Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.', 'All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger.', 'Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.', 'Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday.', 'Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.', 'The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq(NDAQ)will not be trading on Monday.', 'Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.', 'But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.', 'The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.', 'Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday.', 'Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.', 'FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.']",0.0221235396143286,"Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.","Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.",,,,2024-05-28
"Finances a 'dark cloud' hanging over election campaign, says IFS",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c100n7djyr6o,2024-05-24T23:50:14.042Z,"A leading think tank has issued a stark warning about the financial challenges awaiting the next government. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"". It warns more tax rises or cuts to public services could lie ahead. It calls for an ""open and robust"" discussion about how all the parties will tackle these. Both Labour and the Conservatives have committed to get debt falling as a share of national income. All the major parties would likely have a similar form of self-imposed rules in order to keep the government’s cost of borrowing from financial markets down. But the independent IFS claims that high interest payments on existing debt and low expected economic growth could make reducing future debt more difficult to achieve, whoever is in government, than in any Parliament since at least the 1950s, without further measures. To meet existing rules, the current chancellor had already pencilled in what could amount to potential cuts in funding for some public services – such as justice or higher education - of more than 10% in coming years, once population growth and inflation is taken into account.  Taxes are also on track to absorb a larger share of the nation’s income, up from 36.5% in the current tax year to 37.1% in 2028–29, in particular as the thresholds at which different rates of taxes on income apply are frozen, instead of rising with inflation as they have traditionally done. As such, the IFS says that barring a dramatic improvement in growth, the next government could face three broad choices: to go forward with the spending squeeze for services, raise taxes further or increase annual borrowing, which could risk preventing total debt from falling. Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, said: ""Money is tight. We could get miraculously lucky with growth and escape having to make these tough choices. But we might not.  ""Just because thousands of English and Scottish football fans are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best this summer doesn’t mean that the next cabinet should do the same."" He added that the next government should not wait until it enters office to ""open the books"", adding that they are published and available for anyone to inspect. ""We should use them as the basis for an open and robust discussion during the election campaign,"" he added. The IFS’s warning echoes one it made after the Budget in March, when it spoke of a ""conspiracy of silence"" that meant major parties were failing to acknowledge potential challenges, or spell out how it would tackle those. All parties will be putting forward policies they say will make voters better off in coming weeks.  But with most economists coming to a similar conclusion as the IFS, such pledges will be made against a backdrop of constrained public finances - which may mean tough choices ahead that may ultimately impact voters' fortunes. Responding to the findings of the IFS, Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said that the Labour party was under no illusions about the scale of the challenge it may face. ""The country will only see the full scale of the challenge if we win the election. We have promised to deliver an immediate injection of cash into our public services and will then get to work to turn the country around,"" he said. The BBC has also approached the Conservatives for comment. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['A leading think tank has issued a stark warning about the financial challenges awaiting the next government.', 'The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"".', 'It warns more tax rises or cuts to public services could lie ahead.', 'It calls for an ""open and robust"" discussion about how all the parties will tackle these.', 'Both Labour and the Conservatives have committed to get debt falling as a share of national income.', 'All the major parties would likely have a similar form of self-imposed rules in order to keep the government’s cost of borrowing from financial markets down.', 'But the independent IFS claims that high interest payments on existing debt and low expected economic growth could make reducing future debt more difficult to achieve, whoever is in government, than in any Parliament since at least the 1950s, without further measures.', 'To meet existing rules, the current chancellor had already pencilled in what could amount to potential cuts in funding for some public services – such as justice or higher education - of more than 10% in coming years, once population growth and inflation is taken into account.', 'Taxes are also on track to absorb a larger share of the nation’s income, up from 36.5% in the current tax year to 37.1% in 2028–29, in particular as the thresholds at which different rates of taxes on income apply are frozen, instead of rising with inflation as they have traditionally done.', 'As such, the IFS says that barring a dramatic improvement in growth, the next government could face three broad choices: to go forward with the spending squeeze for services, raise taxes further or increase annual borrowing, which could risk preventing total debt from falling.', 'Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, said: ""Money is tight.', 'We could get miraculously lucky with growth and escape having to make these tough choices.', 'But we might not. ""', 'Just because thousands of English and Scottish football fans are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best this summer doesn’t mean that the next cabinet should do the same.""', 'He added that the next government should not wait until it enters office to ""open the books"", adding that they are published and available for anyone to inspect. ""', 'We should use them as the basis for an open and robust discussion during the election campaign,"" he added.', 'The IFS’s warning echoes one it made after the Budget in March, when it spoke of a ""conspiracy of silence"" that meant major parties were failing to acknowledge potential challenges, or spell out how it would tackle those.', 'All parties will be putting forward policies they say will make voters better off in coming weeks.', ""But with most economists coming to a similar conclusion as the IFS, such pledges will be made against a backdrop of constrained public finances - which may mean tough choices ahead that may ultimately impact voters' fortunes."", 'Responding to the findings of the IFS, Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said that the Labour party was under no illusions about the scale of the challenge it may face. ""', 'The country will only see the full scale of the challenge if we win the election.', 'We have promised to deliver an immediate injection of cash into our public services and will then get to work to turn the country around,"" he said.', 'The BBC has also approached the Conservatives for comment.']",0.1768458311689707,"Just because thousands of English and Scottish football fans are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best this summer doesn’t mean that the next cabinet should do the same.""","The IFS’s warning echoes one it made after the Budget in March, when it spoke of a ""conspiracy of silence"" that meant major parties were failing to acknowledge potential challenges, or spell out how it would tackle those.",-0.2695056881223406,"Taxes are also on track to absorb a larger share of the nation’s income, up from 36.5% in the current tax year to 37.1% in 2028–29, in particular as the thresholds at which different rates of taxes on income apply are frozen, instead of rising with inflation as they have traditionally done.","But the independent IFS claims that high interest payments on existing debt and low expected economic growth could make reducing future debt more difficult to achieve, whoever is in government, than in any Parliament since at least the 1950s, without further measures.",2024-05-28
'I put off starting a family because of a £300 rent rise',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-69049450,2024-05-28T00:17:11.000Z,"For 32-year-old Aimee, the prospect of starting a family remains out of reach.  She and her husband were priced out of their two-bedroom house in Surrey when their landlord hiked their rent by £300 a month, forcing them to move into a smaller one-bedroom property. ""I'm at the age where I want to have children, but because we had to downsize, we are just unable to.""  She says she and her husband won't now try to start a family until they are able to move again. ""I now pretty much live out of one room. I pretty much work, sleep and everything from my bedroom."" UK rents rose by 9% over the 12 months leading up to February, the highest annual increase since the Office for National Statistics began keeping records in 2015. Housing has been a constant stress for Aimee, as she recalls her previous experience renting, involving black mould, damp and water dripping down the walls. ""There was a period when I had a lot of difficulty with anxiety and stress. I caught shingles nearly a year ago due to stress issues I had either with money or housing.""  She is considering relocating to the North of England as the only way to get on the property ladder, but that would mean moving away from her extended family and support network.  She fears that she will be a ""perpetual renter"".   Aimee is not alone. A recent survey conducted by Shelter and YouGov suggested that 54% of women feel that being a renter has held them back in some way. That is compared to 48% of men.  Rhiannon, 27, says renting has left her feeling reduced to a ""pay cheque"".  ""If you're not willing to pay more, you're gone,"" she explains, describing a dramatic ultimatum she faced while renting in London - accept a 65% rent increase or face a no-fault eviction.  Rhiannon was evicted. At the time she was a student and says the stress caused by the eviction made her delay her law exams and even her graduation.  The Renters (Reform) Bill, which intended to put an end to section 21 no-fault evictions, has been postponed until after the upcoming general election on 4 July. Rhiannon says that her managing agents would arrange for handymen to come around to do repairs without consulting her first. ""I woke up one day, went to shower in the morning. At around 8:15 I opened my bathroom door in a towel, and there was a man sat on my floor facing my bathroom door. I didn't even know what to say. I couldn't say anything."" After reporting it to the agency, she says they dismissed her, siding with the man who denied being at the property. ""It impacted every part of my life and my mental health. I was having a lot of panic attacks and I had to put cameras up. I felt so unsafe.""  On top of feeling violated, she says the eviction made her feel that ""nothing is permanent"".  ""How badly landlords behave affects everything, because it's your home. That's where you're based, that's your life, and for a lot of us it's now work and study and everything happens at home after Covid."" Although many aspects of renting, such as steep rent rises and poor property conditions, affect all tenants, Zubaida Haque, deputy director at the Women's Budget Group, believes women often are more severely impacted. ""Many women face harassment and intimidation from landlords, a reflection of persistent power imbalances which can also leave women feeling too afraid to challenge unfair practices or to assert their rights for fear of retaliation, eviction, rent increases or further harassment,"" she says. ""Because women earn less than men, they are less able to afford housing and their caring responsibilities mean they have specific needs when securing a suitable home for themselves and their children."" For 38-year-old single mum Chelsea, finding stability was a difficult journey, but she struggled to even find a place to rent to begin with.  ""I was sleeping on a blow-up mattress with my son in my boss's lounge room for six months living out of suitcases,"" she says. Chelsea recalls landlords proposing that she pay six months' rent upfront to gain a competitive advantage. ""As a single mum, I was really on the back foot because I couldn't offer that.""  Chelsea claims that as soon as she mentioned that she was a single parent, she was put on the backburner.  ""I just wanted to put a roof over my kid's head, and it was really hard.""  Balancing her job and motherhood was a constant struggle, she says. ""Mentally, I was a wreck all the time. I'm a chef, so I would be standing at work, cooking, and I would just start crying. ""I've been a very successful chef in London, and here I was feeling like a complete and utter failure.""  She is now happily settled in Somerset, but that meant taking the difficult decision to leave London. A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association, told the BBC: ""The ongoing shortage of rental homes in the market means that it can be very challenging for tenants to find a property to call home. ""There is, however, no reason why a rented property should not be a safe and secure home. It is in both landlords and tenants' interests to sustain long-term, stable tenancies. ""The overwhelming majority of landlords are responsible providers of high-quality private rented accommodation who have a positive relationship with their tenants."" A Conservative Party spokesman said: ""We are committed to creating a fairer market for renters, sticking to our plan to deliver a more secure future for the whole country. Our plan to deliver the homes people need is working, building one million more homes since 2019 and increasing Local Housing Allowance by £800."" Angela Rayner, Labour's shadow secretary of state for housing, said: ""No one should have to put their life on hold due to unaffordable housing. Regardless of whether someone is a homeowner, a leaseholder, or a tenant, everyone has the basic right to a decent, secure, and affordable home."" She added that Labour would abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions and prohibit landlords from demanding significant sums in advanced rent. For more on this story, listen to Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 at 10:00 BST on Tuesday, 28 May or catch up on BBC Sounds. There's more on your renting rights and where to go for help here. Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.  ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['For 32-year-old Aimee, the prospect of starting a family remains out of reach.', 'She and her husband were priced out of their two-bedroom house in Surrey when their landlord hiked their rent by £300 a month, forcing them to move into a smaller one-bedroom property. ""', 'I\'m at the age where I want to have children, but because we had to downsize, we are just unable to.""', 'She says she and her husband won\'t now try to start a family until they are able to move again. ""', 'I now pretty much live out of one room.', 'I pretty much work, sleep and everything from my bedroom.""', 'UK rents rose by 9% over the 12 months leading up to February, the highest annual increase since the Office for National Statistics began keeping records in 2015.', 'Housing has been a constant stress for Aimee, as she recalls her previous experience renting, involving black mould, damp and water dripping down the walls. ""', 'There was a period when I had a lot of difficulty with anxiety and stress.', 'I caught shingles nearly a year ago due to stress issues I had either with money or housing.""', 'She is considering relocating to the North of England as the only way to get on the property ladder, but that would mean moving away from her extended family and support network.', 'She fears that she will be a ""perpetual renter"".', 'Aimee is not alone.', 'A recent survey conducted by Shelter and YouGov suggested that 54% of women feel that being a renter has held them back in some way.', 'That is compared to 48% of men.', 'Rhiannon, 27, says renting has left her feeling reduced to a ""pay cheque"". ""', 'If you\'re not willing to pay more, you\'re gone,"" she explains, describing a dramatic ultimatum she faced while renting in London - accept a 65% rent increase or face a no-fault eviction.', 'Rhiannon was evicted.', 'At the time she was a student and says the stress caused by the eviction made her delay her law exams and even her graduation.', 'The Renters (Reform) Bill, which intended to put an end to section 21 no-fault evictions, has been postponed until after the upcoming general election on 4 July.', 'Rhiannon says that her managing agents would arrange for handymen to come around to do repairs without consulting her first. ""', 'I woke up one day, went to shower in the morning.', 'At around 8:15 I opened my bathroom door in a towel, and there was a man sat on my floor facing my bathroom door.', ""I didn't even know what to say."", 'I couldn\'t say anything.""', 'After reporting it to the agency, she says they dismissed her, siding with the man who denied being at the property. ""', 'It impacted every part of my life and my mental health.', 'I was having a lot of panic attacks and I had to put cameras up.', 'I felt so unsafe.""', 'On top of feeling violated, she says the eviction made her feel that ""nothing is permanent"". ""', ""How badly landlords behave affects everything, because it's your home."", 'That\'s where you\'re based, that\'s your life, and for a lot of us it\'s now work and study and everything happens at home after Covid.""', 'Although many aspects of renting, such as steep rent rises and poor property conditions, affect all tenants, Zubaida Haque, deputy director at the Women\'s Budget Group, believes women often are more severely impacted. ""', 'Many women face harassment and intimidation from landlords, a reflection of persistent power imbalances which can also leave women feeling too afraid to challenge unfair practices or to assert their rights for fear of retaliation, eviction, rent increases or further harassment,"" she says. ""', 'Because women earn less than men, they are less able to afford housing and their caring responsibilities mean they have specific needs when securing a suitable home for themselves and their children.""', 'For 38-year-old single mum Chelsea, finding stability was a difficult journey, but she struggled to even find a place to rent to begin with. ""', 'I was sleeping on a blow-up mattress with my son in my boss\'s lounge room for six months living out of suitcases,"" she says.', 'Chelsea recalls landlords proposing that she pay six months\' rent upfront to gain a competitive advantage. ""', 'As a single mum, I was really on the back foot because I couldn\'t offer that.""', 'Chelsea claims that as soon as she mentioned that she was a single parent, she was put on the backburner. ""', 'I just wanted to put a roof over my kid\'s head, and it was really hard.""', 'Balancing her job and motherhood was a constant struggle, she says. ""', 'Mentally, I was a wreck all the time.', 'I\'m a chef, so I would be standing at work, cooking, and I would just start crying. ""', 'I\'ve been a very successful chef in London, and here I was feeling like a complete and utter failure.""', 'She is now happily settled in Somerset, but that meant taking the difficult decision to leave London.', 'A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association, told the BBC: ""The ongoing shortage of rental homes in the market means that it can be very challenging for tenants to find a property to call home. ""', 'There is, however, no reason why a rented property should not be a safe and secure home.', 'It is in both landlords and tenants\' interests to sustain long-term, stable tenancies. ""', 'The overwhelming majority of landlords are responsible providers of high-quality private rented accommodation who have a positive relationship with their tenants.""', 'A Conservative Party spokesman said: ""We are committed to creating a fairer market for renters, sticking to our plan to deliver a more secure future for the whole country.', 'Our plan to deliver the homes people need is working, building one million more homes since 2019 and increasing Local Housing Allowance by £800.""', 'Angela Rayner, Labour\'s shadow secretary of state for housing, said: ""No one should have to put their life on hold due to unaffordable housing.', 'Regardless of whether someone is a homeowner, a leaseholder, or a tenant, everyone has the basic right to a decent, secure, and affordable home.""', 'She added that Labour would abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions and prohibit landlords from demanding significant sums in advanced rent.', ""For more on this story, listen to Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 at 10:00 BST on Tuesday, 28 May or catch up on BBC Sounds."", ""There's more on your renting rights and where to go for help here."", 'Are you affected by the issues raised in this story?', 'Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.', 'Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.', ""You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk."", 'Please include your name, age and location with any submission.']",-0.0531012439142308,"A Conservative Party spokesman said: ""We are committed to creating a fairer market for renters, sticking to our plan to deliver a more secure future for the whole country.","Many women face harassment and intimidation from landlords, a reflection of persistent power imbalances which can also leave women feeling too afraid to challenge unfair practices or to assert their rights for fear of retaliation, eviction, rent increases or further harassment,"" she says. """,-0.3246662020683288,"UK rents rose by 9% over the 12 months leading up to February, the highest annual increase since the Office for National Statistics began keeping records in 2015.","I've been a very successful chef in London, and here I was feeling like a complete and utter failure.""",2024-05-28
NBC briefly lost signal during Indy 500 pre-race coverage because of severe weather,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/26/business/indy-500-nbc-storm/index.html,"
  Published
        6:02 PM EDT, Sun May 26, 2024
    ","Severe weather on Sunday caused a brief outage on NBC during its Indianapolis 500 broadcast ahead of the start of the race.
    
            Powerful storms and tornadoes have wreaked havoc across the United States during the Memorial Day weekend, in some cases turning deadly. The storms have also disrupted the famed motor race, causing delays, evacuations and the satellite outage.
    
            “During pre-race coverage, severe weather impacted our signal and temporarily interrupted our feed,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “We immediately went to a commercial break and had service restored for viewers when we came back.”
    
            Meteorologists noted the disruption on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Rain so heavy it took out the NBC satellite uplink from the Indy 500. Severe storm over the track right now,” wrote Kevin Lighty, meteorologist for WCIA, a CBS affiliate in central Illinois. WCNC Charlotte’s chief meteorologist also clocked the incident and pointed it out on X.
    
            NBC’s pre-race coverage began in the morning, while the race itself was pushed back because of the inclement weather. Coverage resumed well before the start of the race.
    
            The Indy 500 was at first scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, but organizers delayed the start time to 4:44 p.m. ET. Organizers also paused pre-race festivities and evacuated fans from the grandstands because of the storm.
    
            “Thank you to those fans who waited out the rain with us. We hope to see racing action soon and track drying is underway,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which hosts the event, said Sunday afternoon on X.
    
            The changes to the schedule also impacted the way the race can be viewed on television.
    
            Typically, the Indy 500 is not broadcast in central Indiana due to a television blackout, which is designed to encourage residents to buy tickets and watch the event in person. But the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Sunday that the blackout was lifted because of the upheaval.
    
            “For those unable to be at the Speedway in person due to today’s schedule changes, NBC affiliate WTHR will televise the race live in Central Indiana, with the local blackout lifted due to the storm,” the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said on X.
    
            CNN’s Sam Joseph contributed to this report.",CNN,26/05/2024,"['Severe weather on Sunday caused a brief outage on NBC during its Indianapolis 500 broadcast ahead of the start of the race.', 'Powerful storms and tornadoes have wreaked havoc across the United States during the Memorial Day weekend, in some cases turning deadly.', 'The storms have also disrupted the famed motor race, causing delays, evacuations and the satellite outage.', '“During pre-race coverage, severe weather impacted our signal and temporarily interrupted our feed,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “', 'We immediately went to a commercial break and had service restored for viewers when we came back.”', 'Meteorologists noted the disruption on X, formerly known as Twitter. “', 'Rain so heavy it took out the NBC satellite uplink from the Indy 500.', 'Severe storm over the track right now,” wrote Kevin Lighty, meteorologist for WCIA, a CBS affiliate in central Illinois.', 'WCNC Charlotte’s chief meteorologist also clocked the incident and pointed it out on X.  NBC’s pre-race coverage began in the morning, while the race itself was pushed back because of the inclement weather.', 'Coverage resumed well before the start of the race.', 'The Indy 500 was at first scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, but organizers delayed the start time to 4:44 p.m. ET.', 'Organizers also paused pre-race festivities and evacuated fans from the grandstands because of the storm.', '“Thank you to those fans who waited out the rain with us.', 'We hope to see racing action soon and track drying is underway,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which hosts the event, said Sunday afternoon on X.  The changes to the schedule also impacted the way the race can be viewed on television.', 'Typically, the Indy 500 is not broadcast in central Indiana due to a television blackout, which is designed to encourage residents to buy tickets and watch the event in person.', 'But the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Sunday that the blackout was lifted because of the upheaval.', '“For those unable to be at the Speedway in person due to today’s schedule changes, NBC affiliate WTHR will televise the race live in Central Indiana, with the local blackout lifted due to the storm,” the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said on X.  CNN’s Sam Joseph contributed to this report.']",0.0317678053601335,"Typically, the Indy 500 is not broadcast in central Indiana due to a television blackout, which is designed to encourage residents to buy tickets and watch the event in person.","“During pre-race coverage, severe weather impacted our signal and temporarily interrupted our feed,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “",-0.9770081520080568,,"The storms have also disrupted the famed motor race, causing delays, evacuations and the satellite outage.",2024-05-28
India election: Fighting for votes in 'the world's biggest data mine',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggqx4lwp6o,2024-05-26T00:11:39.039Z,"They are the apps every Indian has on their phone - the one where you order your taxi, your food, find your next date. Innocuous, everyday, unremarkable to billions around the world. In India, these are also potentially the apps telling politicians everything they could possibly want to know about you - whether you want them to or not. A person's religion, mother tongue, ""the way you draft a message to your friend on social media"" have all become points of data politicians are keen to get their hands on, according to political strategist Rutwik Joshi, who is working with at least a dozen unnamed lawmakers on their re-election campaigns this election. And India’s combination of high smartphone take-up and lax regulations allowing private companies to sell data mean that most political parties have gathered ""the data to do everything"" - even down to knowing “what you are eating today"", he claims. The question is, why do they care? Put simply, says Mr Joshi, this level of information can predict the vote - ""and these predictions usually never go wrong"". But perhaps the bigger question is: why should you care? Microtargeting - described by Privacy International as the use of personal data “to target you with information and adverts to an unprecedented degree of personalisation” - is not new when it comes to elections. But it was in the wake of former US President Donald Trump’s 2016 win that it really hit the headlines. Back then, political consultancy Cambridge Analytica was credited with helping him to victory using data sold by Facebook to profile people and send them pro-Trump content. The firm denied these allegations but suspended its CEO, Alexander Nix. In 2022, Meta agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle a class action lawsuit over a data breach linked to Cambridge Analytica. It left people questioning whether the adverts they had seen had swayed their votes. Countries around the world were concerned enough about the impact on democracy that they swung into action. In India, a Cambridge Analytica affiliate said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress party were its clients - which both denied. The country's then IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also warned of action against the company and Facebook if it misused data of Indian citizens.  But there has since been little to stop micro-targeting of voters, data and security researcher Srinivas Kodali says. ""Every other election commission - like in the UK and Singapore - they all tried to understand the role of data and micro targeting in elections, they created certain forms of checks and balances, which is what normally an election commission should be doing, but we are not seeing that happen in India,"" he says. In India, the problem is compounded because it's ""a data society that was planned and built by the government without any safeguards"", Mr Kodali says. Indeed, there are some 650m smartphones users in the country - all boasting apps which could potentially share their data with a third party. But you don't necessarily need a smartphone to be vulnerable: one of the biggest holders of personal data is the government itself – and even it has been selling personal information to private companies.  “The government built large databases of citizens, shared it with the private sector,” Mr Kodali says. This has all left citizens vulnerable to increased surveillance with little control over what information remains private, warns Prateek Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation. Meanwhile, a data protection law passed by the government last year is yet to be implemented, experts say. The lack of rules is an issue, says Mr Kodali. ""It's like the wild, wild west - except on the internet."" And the result of all of this available data? As Mr Joshi puts it, India entered the election year as ""the biggest possible data mine in the world right now"". The thing is, no one is doing anything illegal, says Mr Joshi. "" I am not asking [the app], 'Give me mobile numbers of how many users you have and all the contact numbers of those users as well'. But I can ask, 'Are people eating veg or non-veg in your area?'"" he explains. And the apps are able to hand over that data – because the user gave them permission. ""For example, there are 10 different Indian apps in your mobile phone - you have given access to your contacts, to your gallery, to your mic, to your speakers, to your location, including the live location,"" Mr Joshi, whose company, Neeti I, has been using data to understand voter behaviour patterns in particular constituencies, says. And it is this data – along with data collected by party workers - which is then used to help decide who the candidate should be, where the candidate's wife should go to do a puja or aarti (offer prayers), what kind of speeches they should give - even what to wear. But does this level of targeting really work to change people’s mind? That remains unclear. But campaigners say on a basic level, it is a violation of people’s privacy. Extrapolating it further, having this level of detail could be used against people in the future. ""Just the fact that it is happening is problematic."" says Pratik Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation. ""What we've seen is that there often doesn't seem to be a clear distinction between how data is being handled when someone is beneficiary of a government scheme and how that information is then being used by that particular political party which happens to be in power in a particular state or at a national level to then use that to micro target people with campaign messages."" The law also allows the government and government bodies to exempt themselves from vast sections on its discretion. It also has the powers to process, use or share this personal data with third parties. Mr Waghre fears future administrations could take it a step further. ""It can also be: ‘Let's collectively see who's supporting us and only give them the benefits’.” The use of such data also comes against the backdrop of India's larger misinformation problem, Mr Kodali says. And when combined with the amount of data on offer, it is a real problem. ""When you talk about artificial intelligence, targeted advertisements, micro targeting of voters - a lot of this falls under the idea of computational propaganda,"" he explains. ""Questions of this were raised heavily during the 2016 Trump election, where this election is considered as something that was influenced by foreign actors."" Mr Kodali says use of data and technology in election campaigns must be regulated just like money and ad spending currently is in order to keep elections fair. “If you have one or few set of political parties or groups with access to these technologies gaming elections, they may be free but they will stop looking fair,” he warns. ",BBC,26/05/2024,"['They are the apps every Indian has on their phone - the one where you order your taxi, your food, find your next date.', 'Innocuous, everyday, unremarkable to billions around the world.', 'In India, these are also potentially the apps telling politicians everything they could possibly want to know about you - whether you want them to or not.', 'A person\'s religion, mother tongue, ""the way you draft a message to your friend on social media"" have all become points of data politicians are keen to get their hands on, according to political strategist Rutwik Joshi, who is working with at least a dozen unnamed lawmakers on their re-election campaigns this election.', 'And India’s combination of high smartphone take-up and lax regulations allowing private companies to sell data mean that most political parties have gathered ""the data to do everything"" - even down to knowing “what you are eating today"", he claims.', 'The question is, why do they care?', 'Put simply, says Mr Joshi, this level of information can predict the vote - ""and these predictions usually never go wrong"".', 'But perhaps the bigger question is: why should you care?', 'Microtargeting - described by Privacy International as the use of personal data “to target you with information and adverts to an unprecedented degree of personalisation” - is not new when it comes to elections.', 'But it was in the wake of former US President Donald Trump’s 2016 win that it really hit the headlines.', 'Back then, political consultancy Cambridge Analytica was credited with helping him to victory using data sold by Facebook to profile people and send them pro-Trump content.', 'The firm denied these allegations but suspended its CEO, Alexander Nix.', 'In 2022, Meta agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle a class action lawsuit over a data breach linked to Cambridge Analytica.', 'It left people questioning whether the adverts they had seen had swayed their votes.', 'Countries around the world were concerned enough about the impact on democracy that they swung into action.', 'In India, a Cambridge Analytica affiliate said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress party were its clients - which both denied.', ""The country's then IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also warned of action against the company and Facebook if it misused data of Indian citizens."", 'But there has since been little to stop micro-targeting of voters, data and security researcher Srinivas Kodali says. ""', 'Every other election commission - like in the UK and Singapore - they all tried to understand the role of data and micro targeting in elections, they created certain forms of checks and balances, which is what normally an election commission should be doing, but we are not seeing that happen in India,"" he says.', 'In India, the problem is compounded because it\'s ""a data society that was planned and built by the government without any safeguards"", Mr Kodali says.', 'Indeed, there are some 650m smartphones users in the country - all boasting apps which could potentially share their data with a third party.', ""But you don't necessarily need a smartphone to be vulnerable: one of the biggest holders of personal data is the government itself – and even it has been selling personal information to private companies. “"", 'The government built large databases of citizens, shared it with the private sector,” Mr Kodali says.', 'This has all left citizens vulnerable to increased surveillance with little control over what information remains private, warns Prateek Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation.', 'Meanwhile, a data protection law passed by the government last year is yet to be implemented, experts say.', 'The lack of rules is an issue, says Mr Kodali. ""', 'It\'s like the wild, wild west - except on the internet.""', 'And the result of all of this available data?', 'As Mr Joshi puts it, India entered the election year as ""the biggest possible data mine in the world right now"".', 'The thing is, no one is doing anything illegal, says Mr Joshi. ""', ""I am not asking [the app], 'Give me mobile numbers of how many users you have and all the contact numbers of those users as well'."", 'But I can ask, \'Are people eating veg or non-veg in your area?\'""', 'he explains.', 'And the apps are able to hand over that data – because the user gave them permission. ""', 'For example, there are 10 different Indian apps in your mobile phone - you have given access to your contacts, to your gallery, to your mic, to your speakers, to your location, including the live location,"" Mr Joshi, whose company, Neeti I, has been using data to understand voter behaviour patterns in particular constituencies, says.', ""And it is this data – along with data collected by party workers - which is then used to help decide who the candidate should be, where the candidate's wife should go to do a puja or aarti (offer prayers), what kind of speeches they should give - even what to wear."", 'But does this level of targeting really work to change people’s mind?', 'That remains unclear.', 'But campaigners say on a basic level, it is a violation of people’s privacy.', 'Extrapolating it further, having this level of detail could be used against people in the future. ""', 'Just the fact that it is happening is problematic.""', 'says Pratik Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation. ""', 'What we\'ve seen is that there often doesn\'t seem to be a clear distinction between how data is being handled when someone is beneficiary of a government scheme and how that information is then being used by that particular political party which happens to be in power in a particular state or at a national level to then use that to micro target people with campaign messages.""', 'The law also allows the government and government bodies to exempt themselves from vast sections on its discretion.', 'It also has the powers to process, use or share this personal data with third parties.', 'Mr Waghre fears future administrations could take it a step further. ""', ""It can also be: ‘Let's collectively see who's supporting us and only give them the benefits’.”"", ""The use of such data also comes against the backdrop of India's larger misinformation problem, Mr Kodali says."", 'And when combined with the amount of data on offer, it is a real problem. ""', 'When you talk about artificial intelligence, targeted advertisements, micro targeting of voters - a lot of this falls under the idea of computational propaganda,"" he explains. ""', 'Questions of this were raised heavily during the 2016 Trump election, where this election is considered as something that was influenced by foreign actors.""', 'Mr Kodali says use of data and technology in election campaigns must be regulated just like money and ad spending currently is in order to keep elections fair. “', 'If you have one or few set of political parties or groups with access to these technologies gaming elections, they may be free but they will stop looking fair,” he warns.']",0.1282252593277194,"And it is this data – along with data collected by party workers - which is then used to help decide who the candidate should be, where the candidate's wife should go to do a puja or aarti (offer prayers), what kind of speeches they should give - even what to wear.","The firm denied these allegations but suspended its CEO, Alexander Nix.",-0.593067603451865,"In 2022, Meta agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle a class action lawsuit over a data breach linked to Cambridge Analytica.","And when combined with the amount of data on offer, it is a real problem. """,2024-05-28
Americans are expected to splurge on travel this summer — again,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/26/economy/stocks-week-ahead-summer-travel-splurge/index.html,"
  Published
        7:30 AM EDT, Sun May 26, 2024
    ","A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.
    
            Millions of Americans have taken to the skies, hit the road, fired up the barbecue grill and jumped into the pool this weekend to celebrate the start of summer 2024. Analysts are expecting the Memorial Day weekend to usher in yet another summer of strong consumer spending on travel and other leisure activities.
    
            The season is already off to a solid start: The Transportation Security Administration said that Thursday was its second-busiest day at airports in history, adding that five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month. AAA projected earlier this month that 43.8 million Americans are driving at least 50 miles this weekend, up 4% from last year’s total and close to the all-time record of 44 million during the 2005 Memorial Day weekend.
    
            “We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a release.
    
            Royal Caribbean’s first-quarter earnings results topped expectations, thanks to strong bookings and robust onboard spending. Company executives said in a earnings call that they’re optimistic for the remainder of the year.
    
            If this momentum persists throughout the summer, that would mean solid revenue for leisure businesses such as Royal Caribbean, hotels, restaurants and theme parks, also providing an economic boost to cities with a big tourism scene.
    
            A Bank of America Institute analysis released last week expects that to be the case.
    
            In a virtual presentation to reporters, the bank’s analysts said the outlook for leisure spending this summer looks promising, based on trends reflected in the bank’s card data, results from a survey of 2,010 respondents and other resources from across the bank. Spending this summer will likely be a little softer than last year’s, they said, but still strong.
    
            “The strength of the data already speaks to it being a solid summer,” David Tinsley, senior economist at the Bank of America Institute, said during the presentation.
    
            The bank’s consumer travel survey showed that 72% of people said they’re planning to travel, with 36% saying they’ve already planned their trip. It showed that more younger Americans are planning to take an international trip than older generations, while also planning for longer trips and to spend more.
    
            From January through April, spending using a Bank of America card per household was the highest for Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Colombia and Costa Rica. In April, the share of total in-person international spending through Bank of America was the highest for Europe (32%), followed by Canada and Mexico (23%), then the Caribbean (13%).
    
            Domestically, California and Florida have seen some momentum recently when it comes to spending at restaurants. In the first four months of the year, spending rose more than 5% in California from the same period a year ago, while it was mostly flat in Florida. But compared to 2019, restaurant spending in California and Florida is up roughly 15% in each state.
    
            Even among respondents making less than $75,000 a year, more than 60% said they’re planning to travel this summer. That figure is north of 80% for respondents making more than $150,000 a year.
    
            But the good times may not last forever. Americans have come increasingly under pressure with household debt continuing to climb and delinquencies rising, according to New York Fed data.
    
            “In the first quarter of 2024, credit card and auto loan transition rates into serious delinquency continued to rise across all age groups,” Joelle Scally, regional economic principal within the Household and Public Policy Research Division at the New York Fed, said in a statement. Inflation is also still taking a bite out of people’s budgets and interest rates remain perched at a two-decade high.
    
            Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected. For some, this year’s summer splurge could well be the last hurrah.
    
            Kabosu, the dog who launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday.
    
            The Japanese Shiba Inu “fell into a deep sleep” on Friday morning at 18 years of age, Atsuko Sato wrote in a blogpost.
    
            “Outside the window, birds were singing on a beautiful morning. As I was touching her, she gently passed away,” wrote Sato, a kindergarten teacher in the Japanese city of Sakura. “I think she was the happiest dog in the world.”
    
            Kabosu became one of the most recognizable animals on the internet back in 2010 when a photo of her posing with folded paws and a quizzical expression spread across forums such as Reddit.
    
            That sparked a proliferation of “doge” memes, based on an intentional misspelling of the word “dog,” with internet users photoshopping Kabosu’s face onto pastries, landmarks and other animals.
    
            The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternative cryptocurrency dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes. Other meme tokens followed, including a Shiba Inu coin.
    
            Read more here.
    
            Monday: Earnings from Mizuho Financial. US financial markets closed in observance of Memorial Day.
    
            Tuesday: Earnings from CAVA. Federal Reserve officials Loretta Mester, Neel Kashkari and Lisa Cook deliver remarks. S&P Global releases its S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index for March. The Conference Board releases its May consumer survey.
    
            Wednesday: Earnings from Salesforce, HP, Dick’s Sporting Goods, U-Haul, Abercrombie & Fitch, Chewy, American Eagle Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret and Red Robin. Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Raphael Bostic deliver remarks.
    
            Thursday: Earnings from Costco, Dell, Dollar General, Hormel Foods, Ulta, Best Buy, Burlington, Birkenstock, Gap, Nordstrom, Asana, Kohl’s and Foot Locker. The US Commerce Department releases its second estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product. The US Labor Department reports the number of new applications for jobless benefits in the week ended May 25. The National Association of Realtors reports home sales based on contract signings in April. Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Lorie Logan deliver remarks. China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases May business surveys gauging economic activity in the country’s manufacturing and services sectors.
    
            Friday: The European Union’s statistics agency releases May inflation data. The US Commerce Department releases April figures on household income, spending and the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic delivers remarks.",CNN,26/05/2024,"['A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter.', 'Not a subscriber?', 'You can sign upright here.', 'You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.', 'Millions of Americans have taken to the skies, hit the road, fired up the barbecue grill and jumped into the pool this weekend to celebrate the start of summer 2024.', 'Analysts are expecting the Memorial Day weekend to usher in yet another summer of strong consumer spending on travel and other leisure activities.', 'The season is already off to a solid start: The Transportation Security Administration said that Thursday was its second-busiest day at airports in history, adding that five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month.', 'AAA projected earlier this month that 43.8 million Americans are driving at least 50 miles this weekend, up 4% from last year’s total and close to the all-time record of 44 million during the 2005 Memorial Day weekend.', '“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a release.', 'Royal Caribbean’s first-quarter earnings results topped expectations, thanks to strong bookings and robust onboard spending.', 'Company executives said in a earnings call that they’re optimistic for the remainder of the year.', 'If this momentum persists throughout the summer, that would mean solid revenue for leisure businesses such as Royal Caribbean, hotels, restaurants and theme parks, also providing an economic boost to cities with a big tourism scene.', 'A Bank of America Institute analysis released last week expects that to be the case.', 'In a virtual presentation to reporters, the bank’s analysts said the outlook for leisure spending this summer looks promising, based on trends reflected in the bank’s card data, results from a survey of 2,010 respondents and other resources from across the bank.', 'Spending this summer will likely be a little softer than last year’s, they said, but still strong.', '“The strength of the data already speaks to it being a solid summer,” David Tinsley, senior economist at the Bank of America Institute, said during the presentation.', 'The bank’s consumer travel survey showed that 72% of people said they’re planning to travel, with 36% saying they’ve already planned their trip.', 'It showed that more younger Americans are planning to take an international trip than older generations, while also planning for longer trips and to spend more.', 'From January through April, spending using a Bank of America card per household was the highest for Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Colombia and Costa Rica.', 'In April, the share of total in-person international spending through Bank of America was the highest for Europe (32%), followed by Canada and Mexico (23%), then the Caribbean (13%).', 'Domestically, California and Florida have seen some momentum recently when it comes to spending at restaurants.', 'In the first four months of the year, spending rose more than 5% in California from the same period a year ago, while it was mostly flat in Florida.', 'But compared to 2019, restaurant spending in California and Florida is up roughly 15% in each state.', 'Even among respondents making less than $75,000 a year, more than 60% said they’re planning to travel this summer.', 'That figure is north of 80% for respondents making more than $150,000 a year.', 'But the good times may not last forever.', 'Americans have come increasingly under pressure with household debt continuing to climb and delinquencies rising, according to New York Fed data.', '“In the first quarter of 2024, credit card and auto loan transition rates into serious delinquency continued to rise across all age groups,” Joelle Scally, regional economic principal within the Household and Public Policy Research Division at the New York Fed, said in a statement.', 'Inflation is also still taking a bite out of people’s budgets and interest rates remain perched at a two-decade high.', 'Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected.', 'For some, this year’s summer splurge could well be the last hurrah.', 'Kabosu, the dog who launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday.', 'The Japanese Shiba Inu “fell into a deep sleep” on Friday morning at 18 years of age, Atsuko Sato wrote in ablogpost.', '“Outside the window, birds were singing on a beautiful morning.', 'As I was touching her, she gently passed away,” wrote Sato, a kindergarten teacher in the Japanese city of Sakura. “', 'I think she was the happiest dog in the world.”', 'Kabosu became one of the most recognizable animals on the internet back in 2010 when a photo of her posing with folded paws and a quizzical expression spread across forums such as Reddit.', 'That sparked a proliferation of “doge” memes, based on an intentional misspelling of the word “dog,” with internet users photoshopping Kabosu’s face onto pastries, landmarks and other animals.', 'The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternative cryptocurrency dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes.', 'Other meme tokens followed, including a Shiba Inu coin.', 'Read more here.', 'Monday:Earnings from Mizuho Financial.', 'US financial markets closed in observance of Memorial Day.', 'Tuesday:Earnings from CAVA.', 'Federal Reserve officials Loretta Mester, Neel Kashkari and Lisa Cook deliver remarks.', 'S&P Global releases its S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index for March.', 'The Conference Board releases its May consumer survey.', 'Wednesday:Earnings from Salesforce, HP, Dick’s Sporting Goods, U-Haul, Abercrombie & Fitch, Chewy, American Eagle Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret and Red Robin.', 'Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Raphael Bostic deliver remarks.', 'Thursday:Earnings from Costco, Dell, Dollar General, Hormel Foods, Ulta, Best Buy, Burlington, Birkenstock, Gap, Nordstrom, Asana, Kohl’s and Foot Locker.', 'The US Commerce Department releases its second estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product.', 'The US Labor Department reports the number of new applications for jobless benefits in the week ended May 25.', 'The National Association of Realtors reports home sales based on contract signings in April.', 'Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Lorie Logan deliver remarks.', 'China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases May business surveys gauging economic activity in the country’s manufacturing and services sectors.', 'Friday:The European Union’s statistics agency releases May inflation data.', 'The US Commerce Department releases April figures on household income, spending and the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge.', 'Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic delivers remarks.']",0.1356143850095267,"Royal Caribbean’s first-quarter earnings results topped expectations, thanks to strong bookings and robust onboard spending.","Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected.",0.4375431622777666,"AAA projected earlier this month that 43.8 million Americans are driving at least 50 miles this weekend, up 4% from last year’s total and close to the all-time record of 44 million during the 2005 Memorial Day weekend.","Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected.",2024-05-28
Rachel Reeves promises no additional tax rises to fund spending,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce990eg3rq2o,2024-05-28T11:02:19.206Z,"Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has promised that there will be ""no additional tax rises"" beyond those she has set out if Labour wins the general election. In her first major speech of the election campaign, Ms Reeves said that every Labour policy ""will be fully funded and fully costed - no ifs, no ands, no buts"". But the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent think tank, has warned that whoever wins may have to raise taxes or cut spending. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that Labour's plans will cost ""every working family"" £2,000 each. Speaking at the engineering giant Rolls-Royce in Derby, Ms Reeves reiterated Labour's plans to recruit thousands of additional teachers and introduce 40,000 NHS appointments every week. She said that Labour's plan to restore stability to the economy would be ""underpinned by robust fiscal rules"", which are self-imposed, such as getting debt falling as a share of national income by the end of the parliament. However, the IFS has said that the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"" and the winning party may have to reduce spending or lift taxes - something that Ms Reeves ruled out on Tuesday.  The shadow chancellor said that she wants to lower taxes and increase the thresholds for those people who pay income tax. Income tax thresholds have been frozen since 2021. This can mean that if a person's pay increases, they may enter a higher tax bracket.  Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down and I want those tax thresholds to go up so people are not paying so much tax on their income but unlike the Conservatives I’m not going to make a promise and a pledge without being able to say where the money is going to come from because that is just a gimmick."" If Labour wins the election it is unlikely there will be a Budget before September. Ms Reeves said Labour would not hold a Budget without an independent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and these require 10 weeks notice. Ms Reeves used her speech to cast Labour as ""the natural partner of business"". She said: ""A few years ago, you might not have expected to have heard these things from the Labour party, think how far we have come in four short years. On Tuesday, 121 former and current business leaders signed a letter endorsing the Labour’s economic plans ahead of the general election, saying it is “time for a change”. In a letter published in The Times newspaper on Tuesday, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms said Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long-term growth. As well as recruiting more teachers and providing extra NHS appointments, Labour has promised to take on 13,000 additional police and community officers. It said it will raise some of the money by ending the VAT exemption for private schools. Labour also said it will fund its spending plans through a ""proper windfall tax"" on profits made by oil and gas companies, which will rise from 75% to 78%.  In addition, it has promised to raise £5bn a year by tackling tax avoidance and evasion and £2.6bn by closing ""loopholes"" in the government's plans to abolish non-dom exemptions. Non-doms are UK residents whose permanent home for tax purposes is abroad, meaning they do not have to pay UK tax on money they earn overseas. Ms Reeves reiterated that corporation tax, which is paid by businesses, will be capped at the current rate of 25%. But she added that Labour would ""act"" if ""our competitiveness came under threat"". Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, said that Labour ""do not have the courage or conviction to name a single tax they would cut"". Over the weekend, the Conservatives said that they would increase the the tax-free pension allowance Both the Conservatives and Labour have pledged to stick with the so-called Triple Lock guarantee. This means that pensions increase every year in line with either the inflation rate, earnings growth or 2.5% - whichever is higher. Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down for working people and for pensioners as well but I will do that in a costed and a funded way and I will do that through growing the economy because that is something the Conservatives haven’t been able to do these last few years.” But Mr Stride said: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan, backed by bold action, to end the double tax on work and ensure pensioners who have worked hard their entire lives will have a new tax-free threshold to protect them.” The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said. The Green Party of England and Wales said it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said. The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union."" Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"". ",BBC,28/05/2024,"['Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has promised that there will be ""no additional tax rises"" beyond those she has set out if Labour wins the general election.', 'In her first major speech of the election campaign, Ms Reeves said that every Labour policy ""will be fully funded and fully costed - no ifs, no ands, no buts"".', 'But the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent think tank, has warned that whoever wins may have to raise taxes or cut spending.', 'Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that Labour\'s plans will cost ""every working family"" £2,000 each.', ""Speaking at the engineering giant Rolls-Royce in Derby, Ms Reeves reiterated Labour's plans to recruit thousands of additional teachers and introduce 40,000 NHS appointments every week."", 'She said that Labour\'s plan to restore stability to the economy would be ""underpinned by robust fiscal rules"", which are self-imposed, such as getting debt falling as a share of national income by the end of the parliament.', 'However, the IFS has said that the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"" and the winning party may have to reduce spending or lift taxes - something that Ms Reeves ruled out on Tuesday.', 'The shadow chancellor said that she wants to lower taxes and increase the thresholds for those people who pay income tax.', 'Income tax thresholds have been frozen since 2021.', ""This can mean that if a person's pay increases, they may enter a higher tax bracket."", 'Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down and I want those tax thresholds to go up so people are not paying so much tax on their income but unlike the Conservatives I’m not going to make a promise and a pledge without being able to say where the money is going to come from because that is just a gimmick.""', 'If Labour wins the election it is unlikely there will be a Budget before September.', 'Ms Reeves said Labour would not hold a Budget without an independent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and these require 10 weeks notice.', 'Ms Reeves used her speech to cast Labour as ""the natural partner of business"".', 'She said: ""A few years ago, you might not have expected to have heard these things from the Labour party, think how far we have come in four short years.', 'On Tuesday, 121 former and current business leaders signed a letter endorsing the Labour’s economic plans ahead of the general election, saying it is “time for a change”.', 'In a letter published in The Times newspaper on Tuesday, 121 founders, chief executives, and former leaders at a range of financial services, retail and manufacturing firms said Labour has changed and “wants to work with business” on long-term growth.', 'As well as recruiting more teachers and providing extra NHS appointments, Labour has promised to take on 13,000 additional police and community officers.', 'It said it will raise some of the money by ending the VAT exemption for private schools.', 'Labour also said it will fund its spending plans through a ""proper windfall tax"" on profits made by oil and gas companies, which will rise from 75% to 78%.', 'In addition, it has promised to raise £5bn a year by tackling tax avoidance and evasion and £2.6bn by closing ""loopholes"" in the government\'s plans to abolish non-dom exemptions.', 'Non-doms are UK residents whose permanent home for tax purposes is abroad, meaning they do not have to pay UK tax on money they earn overseas.', 'Ms Reeves reiterated that corporation tax, which is paid by businesses, will be capped at the current rate of 25%.', 'But she added that Labour would ""act"" if ""our competitiveness came under threat"".', 'Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, said that Labour ""do not have the courage or conviction to name a single tax they would cut"".', 'Over the weekend, the Conservatives said that they would increase the the tax-free pension allowance Both the Conservatives and Labour have pledged to stick with the so-called Triple Lock guarantee.', 'This means that pensions increase every year in line with either the inflation rate, earnings growth or 2.5% - whichever is higher.', 'Ms Reeves told the BBC: ""I want to bring taxes down for working people and for pensioners as well but I will do that in a costed and a funded way and I will do that through growing the economy because that is something the Conservatives haven’t been able to do these last few years.”', 'But Mr Stride said: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan, backed by bold action, to end the double tax on work and ensure pensioners who have worked hard their entire lives will have a new tax-free threshold to protect them.”', 'The Lib Dems told BBC News that businesses are ""crying out for stability and certainty after years of the Conservatives’ chaos and mismanagement"". “', 'The Liberal Democrats would launch an industrial strategy to boost investment and reform the broken business rates system to support our high streets,"" a spokesperson said.', 'The Green Party of England and Wales said it ""would invest in the technologies we need to ensure a sustainable and secure future"". ""', 'We need to ensure our economy works in a way that safeguards our climate and enables nature to flourish,"" co-leader Adrian Ramsay said.', 'The Scottish National Party\'s Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""', 'Plaid Cymru Treasury spokesman Ben Lake said his party would ""invest in the Welsh economy to drive growth and reduce inequality"".']",0.1925690990836386,"But Mr Stride said: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a clear plan, backed by bold action, to end the double tax on work and ensure pensioners who have worked hard their entire lives will have a new tax-free threshold to protect them.”","The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""",0.4362195995118882,"This means that pensions increase every year in line with either the inflation rate, earnings growth or 2.5% - whichever is higher.","The Scottish National Party's Drew Hendry accused Labour of ""ignoring the most fundamental reason for the economic decline of the United Kingdom - Britain is broken and Brexit broke it"", adding: ""Only the SNP will fight for a future back at the heart of the European Union.""",2024-05-28
"Eli Lilly to invest another $5.3 billion in Indiana plant to expand Mounjaro, Zepbound supply",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/eli-lilly-invests-to-increase-mounjaro-zepbound-supply.html,2024-05-24T19:20:12+0000,"In this articleEli Lilly on Friday said it is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana, to boost supply of its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and other medicines.Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.That new commitment brings Eli Lilly's total investment at the site to $9 billion. That makes it Eli Lilly's largest manufacturing investment in its nearly 150-year history, the company's CEO David Ricks said in a statement.Eli Lilly expects the Lebanon site to start making medicines toward the end of 2026, and scale up operations through 2028. The company first announced its plans to build new Indiana sites in 2022. The plant will specifically increase Eli Lilly's capacity to manufacture the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, called tirzepatide. The company refers to those treatments as incretin drugs, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar. ""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.Eli Lilly said 900 employees, including engineers, scientists, operating personnel and lab technicians, will staff the site when it is fully operational.The company has spent more than $18 billion to build, expand and purchase manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe since 2020.Eli Lilly has several manufacturing sites either ""ramping up or under construction,"" Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told investors during an earnings call last month. That includes the Lebanon plant and another Indiana site, two locations in North Carolina, one in Ireland, one in Germany and a seventh site the company recently acquired from Nexus Pharmaceuticals. Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.""Now that we're four months into the year, we have greater visibility into that, into these nodes of capacity and feel more confident,"" Ashkenazi said during the call.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleEli Lilly on Friday said it is investing another $5.3 billion in a manufacturing plant in Lebanon, Indiana, to boost supply of its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound, diabetes treatment Mounjaro and other medicines.', 'Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.', ""That new commitment brings Eli Lilly's total investment at the site to $9 billion."", ""That makes it Eli Lilly's largest manufacturing investment in its nearly 150-year history, the company's CEO David Ricks said in a statement."", 'Eli Lilly expects the Lebanon site to start making medicines toward the end of 2026, and scale up operations through 2028.', ""The company first announced its plans to build new Indiana sites in 2022.The plant will specifically increase Eli Lilly's capacity to manufacture the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, called tirzepatide."", ""The company refers to those treatments as incretin drugs, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar."", '""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.', 'Eli Lilly said 900 employees, including engineers, scientists, operating personnel and lab technicians, will staff the site when it is fully operational.', 'The company has spent more than $18 billion to build, expand and purchase manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe since 2020.Eli Lilly has several manufacturing sites either ""ramping up or under construction,"" Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told investors during an earnings call last month.', 'That includes the Lebanon plant and another Indiana site, two locations in North Carolina, one in Ireland, one in Germany and a seventh site the company recently acquired from Nexus Pharmaceuticals.', 'Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.', '""Now that we\'re four months into the year, we have greater visibility into that, into these nodes of capacity and feel more confident,"" Ashkenazi said during the call.']",0.3245136263338123,"""This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control,"" Ricks said in a statement.","Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.",0.7496254295110703,"Investors cheered Eli Lilly after the company hiked its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, in part due to confidence about increased production of Zepbound, Mounjaro and other incretin drugs for the rest of the year.","Demand for those treatments has far outpaced supply over the past year, spurring shortages in the U.S. and forcing the pharmaceutical giant to invest heavily to scale up its manufacturing.",2024-05-27
GM CEO Mary Barra says she has no plans to retire soon as automaker's transformation continues,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/gm-ceo-mary-barra-has-no-plans-to-retire.html,2024-05-24T11:53:11+0000,"In this articleDETROIT – General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra on Thursday said she has no plans to retire any time soon as she tries to ensure the company's transformation is on ""a good path.""Barra, who is the longest tenured CEO outside of the company's founder, has been asked about retirement for several years. The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra's more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I'm having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. ""So, I'm young and in good health, I've got a supportive family, so I don't think I'm headed anywhere soon.""Many potential successors within GM have come and gone during Barra's tenure. Several left the company for other opportunities, while others retired or left the company for unspecified reasons.Barra, 62, reiterated she serves at the pleasure of the GM board and that she continues to have ""fun."" She said she is working through ""the most exciting time'' for the automotive industry during her career.GM, like other automakers, is investing billions of dollars into all-electric vehicles, despite consumer adoption coming more slowly than many expected just a couple years ago.The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleDETROIT – General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra on Thursday said she has no plans to retire any time soon as she tries to ensure the company\'s transformation is on ""a good path.', '""Barra, who is the longest tenured CEO outside of the company\'s founder, has been asked about retirement for several years.', 'The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra\'s more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I\'m having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. ""', ""So, I'm young and in good health, I've got a supportive family, so I don't think I'm headed anywhere soon."", '""Many potential successors within GM have come and gone during Barra\'s tenure.', 'Several left the company for other opportunities, while others retired or left the company for unspecified reasons.', 'Barra, 62, reiterated she serves at the pleasure of the GM board and that she continues to have ""fun.""', 'She said she is working through ""the most exciting time\'\' for the automotive industry during her career.', 'GM, like other automakers, is investing billions of dollars into all-electric vehicles, despite consumer adoption coming more slowly than many expected just a couple years ago.', 'The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.', 'Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.']",0.3805778623499848,"The questions have grown as executives of competitors have come and gone under Barra's more than 10-year tenure leading GM.""I'm having a lot of fun, and I want to make sure we have our transformation on a good path,"" she said during a fireside chat at a Detroit Economic Club meeting. """,The Detroit automaker also is attempting to relaunch its Cruise autonomous vehicle business after it ceased public operations following an Oct. 2 accident in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi.,0.9956700354814528,"Cruise and EVs, along with software-defined vehicles and services, have been among the largest potential growth areas under Barra, who became CEO in January 2014.",,2024-05-27
Target shares slide as consumers buy fewer groceries and home goods,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/target-tgt-q1-2024-earnings.html,2024-05-22T20:31:45+0000,"In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries. The Minneapolis-based discounter's revenue in the fiscal first quarter was about in line with expectations.On a call with reporters, CEO Brian Cornell said the company's results reflect ""continued soft trends in discretionary categories."" He said the company wants to make sure it offers customers value and communicates that in a clear way, with moves like its relaunched loyalty program. Target also announced Monday it was cutting prices on thousands of everyday items, including milk, bread, paper towels and diapers.Target stuck with its prior full-year forecast, saying it expects comparable sales will range from flat to up 2% and adjusted earnings per share will be $8.60 to $9.60. Company leaders said the retailer is on track to return to sales growth in the second quarter.Shares of the company closed about 8% lower on Wednesday.Here's what Target reported for the three-month period that ended May 4 compared with what Wall Street expected, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:It marked the first time since November 2022 that Target missed earnings expectations. Target's net income for the period fell by less than 1% to $942 million, or $2.03 per share, from $950 million, or $2.05 per share, in the year-ago quarter. Total revenue declined about 3% from $25.32 billion in the prior year.Like other retailers, Target has tried to win over consumers who are not spending as freely on clothing, home goods or other discretionary items. The cheap chic retailer has been particularly hurt by the dynamic because it gets less of its sales from food than rival Walmart, which draws about 60% of its U.S. sales from groceries. That compares with roughly 20% at Target.Inflation cooled slightly in April, but the consumer price index was still up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. The key measure gauges how much goods and services cost at the cash register.Target acknowledged that challenge with this week's price cuts. The company is also competing with other discounters, including Walmart, Aldi and Lidl, that are chasing deal-hunting shoppers.Walmart, for example, has gained market share from higher-income shoppers and recently introduced a premium food brand with most items under $5. The company's CFO, John David Rainey, also said last week that customers are turning to its grocery aisles for cheaper meals because of the rising prices of fast food.In Target's first quarter, customer traffic, which includes online and stores, fell 1.9%. The average amount that customers spent on those visits dropped 1.9%, too.Digital sales grew 1.4%. It marked the first increase in digital sales in more than a year.Comparable sales, also called same-store sales, tumbled 3.7%, as shoppers bought beauty items but less of other discretionary categories like apparel and home. That decline was in line with what analysts expected, according to StreetAccount.Discretionary merchandise wasn't the only part of the store under pressure. Sales in frequency categories, food and beverage and beauty and household essentials, declined by low single digits, Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said on a call with reporters.Still, Hennington said Target is seeing some encouraging trends compared with recent quarters. Sales of apparel improved by nearly 4 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter, as customers bought outfits for spring.She said Target's limited-time collection with Diane von Furstenberg drove millions of unique visits to the retailer's website each day of the launch week and lifted the size of customers' baskets by around 15% on average.Other unique items also drove spending, she said. They included its partnership with tennis and lifestyle brand Prince to sell pickleball gear and Taylor Swift's latest album, which Target capitalized on with in-store events and photo ops.– CNBC's Robert Hum contributed to this report.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries."", ""The Minneapolis-based discounter's revenuein the fiscal first quarterwas about in line with expectations."", 'On a call with reporters, CEO Brian Cornell said the company\'s results reflect ""continued soft trends in discretionary categories.', '""He said the company wants to make sure it offers customers value and communicates that in a clear way, with moves like its relaunched loyalty program.', 'Target also announced Monday it was cutting prices on thousands of everyday items, including milk, bread, paper towels and diapers.', 'Target stuck with its prior full-year forecast, saying it expects comparable sales will range from flat to up 2% and adjusted earnings per share will be $8.60 to $9.60.Company leaders said the retailer is on track to return to sales growth in the second quarter.', 'Shares of the company closed about 8% lower on Wednesday.', ""Here's what Target reported for thethree-month periodthat ended May 4 compared with what Wall Street expected, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:It marked the first time since November 2022 that Target missed earnings expectations."", ""Target's net income for the period fell by less than 1% to $942 million, or $2.03 per share, from $950 million, or $2.05 per share, in the year-ago quarter."", 'Total revenue declined about 3% from $25.32 billion in the prior year.', 'Like other retailers, Target has tried to win over consumers who are not spending as freely on clothing, home goods or other discretionary items.', 'The cheap chic retailer has been particularly hurt by the dynamic because it gets less of its sales from food than rival Walmart, which draws about 60% of its U.S. sales from groceries.', 'That compares with roughly 20% at Target.', 'Inflation cooled slightly in April, but the consumer price index was still up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis.', 'The key measure gauges how much goods and services cost at the cash register.', ""Target acknowledged that challenge with this week's price cuts."", 'The company is also competing with other discounters, including Walmart, Aldi and Lidl, that are chasing deal-hunting shoppers.', 'Walmart, for example, has gained market share from higher-income shoppers and recently introduced a premium food brand with most items under $5.', ""The company's CFO, John David Rainey, also said last week that customers are turning to its grocery aisles for cheaper meals because of the rising prices of fast food."", ""In Target's first quarter, customer traffic, which includes online and stores, fell 1.9%."", 'The average amount that customers spent on those visits dropped 1.9%, too.', 'Digital sales grew 1.4%.', 'It marked the first increase in digital sales in more than a year.', 'Comparable sales, also called same-store sales, tumbled 3.7%, as shoppers bought beauty items but less of other discretionary categories like apparel and home.', 'That decline was in line with what analysts expected, according to StreetAccount.', ""Discretionary merchandise wasn't the only part of the store under pressure."", 'Sales in frequency categories, food and beverage and beauty and household essentials, declined by low single digits, Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said on a call with reporters.', 'Still, Hennington said Target is seeing some encouraging trends compared with recent quarters.', 'Sales of apparel improved by nearly 4 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter, as customers bought outfits for spring.', ""She said Target's limited-time collection with Diane von Furstenberg drove millions ofunique visits to the retailer's website each day of the launch week and lifted the size of customers' baskets by around 15% on average."", 'Other unique items also drove spending, she said.', ""They included its partnership with tennis and lifestyle brand Prince to sell pickleball gear and Taylor Swift's latest album, which Target capitalized on with in-store events and photo ops.–"", ""CNBC's Robert Hum contributed to this report.""]",0.1263318924181622,"""He said the company wants to make sure it offers customers value and communicates that in a clear way, with moves like its relaunched loyalty program.","In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries.",0.0501110100746154,Digital sales grew 1.4%.,"In this articleTarget on Wednesday posted a year-over-year sales decline and missed Wall Street's earnings estimates, as consumers fatigued from high prices bought both fewer discretionary items and groceries.",2024-05-27
Here's how U.S. health officials are responding to bird flu in humans after second case,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/bird-flu-what-to-know-about-human-cases-vaccines.html,2024-05-24T23:09:44+0000,"U.S. health officials are monitoring and preparing to combat bird flu in humans, even as they emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low. A strain of bird flu called H5N1 has been confirmed in dairy cows across nine U.S. states, as well as in two people, amid a global outbreak among poultry and other animals. The latest case was announced Wednesday in a dairy farm worker in Michigan. A child in Australia was also recently infected with bird flu, the country announced Tuesday.H5N1 has been spreading among more animal species worldwide since 2020, but its detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was a twist health officials did not expect. In rare cases, bird flu viruses spread to humans and can cause mild to severe symptoms that can require hospitalization. There is currently no evidence that H5N1 is spreading from person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population. Still, the U.S. government, along with state and local health departments, are monitoring new and emerging infections among humans and animals. Federal agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere have also tracked the H5N1 virus for years to monitor its evolution. The U.S. government has long stockpiled vaccines and drugs to be used in a possible bird flu pandemic. Last week, it started the process of preparing nearly 5 million doses of vaccines expected to be well-matched against H5N1, among other efforts to respond, the Health and Human Services Department confirmed to CNBC. Some infectious disease experts told CNBC the U.S. government appears to be generally prepared if bird flu begins to spread more widely and easily to humans, especially compared with how equipped the country was for the Covid pandemic. The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed. ""There's a lot of pieces that are already in place that help us understand that we can respond to this faster,"" said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. ""As is always the case, though, it's about the efficiency of our responses, right? We know what we can do. We just have to be able to do it effectively.""The latest human infection, in the Michigan dairy worker, is not a surprise, according to both experts and the government. The CDC said Wednesday that similar cases in humans could be identified because high levels of the virus have been found in raw milk from infected cows.The U.S. government currently has two vaccine virus candidates that it believes are a good match for H5N1. Those candidates are weakened versions of a virus that trigger a protective immune response against it in the body and can be used to produce vaccines.Both of the candidates are already available to manufacturers, according to the CDC. The government last week started the process of manufacturing 4.8 million doses of those human vaccines in case they are needed, HHS confirmed. Pekosz called those doses a ""first line of defense in case we do see some human-to-human transmission."" He said that number is enough to stem an outbreak in its early stages, which could include vaccinating farm workers and some health-care workers. But he said far more are needed for the more than 300 million people in the U.S. if the virus spreads widely among humans. ""Five million doesn't really get us very far. It's just a quick start,"" Pekosz said. U.S. health officials said May 1 that the government could ship more than 100 million doses of human bird flu vaccines within three to four months if needed, NBC News reported. Notably, people will need two doses of a vaccine, meaning that 100 million doses is enough for only 50 million people. That suggests the U.S. would need roughly 600 million shots if it wanted to vaccinate the entire population. The government faces a difficult decision on how many shots to prepare, especially since it takes a few months to make them.""It's either too little or too much. For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. ""That's really the whole big conundrum now with a vaccine whenever you have a potential threat. It's the high cost and high-risk aspects.""Chin-Hong said misinformation and vaccine hesitancy after Covid makes that decision all the more challenging. But he said he believes ""you can never really invest too much"" in preparing for potential pandemics, especially at a time when climate change, population growth and other factors make them increasingly likely to happen.The Food and Drug Administration would need to approve bird flu vaccines before they roll out. But Pekosz said that will likely be a ""rapid procedure"" since the FDA is accustomed to clearing seasonal flu vaccines, which are made using the same manufacturing process as bird flu shots. U.S. health officials are also in talks with messenger RNA vaccine makers about potential bird flu shots for humans. Few details have been shared about those negotiations, but HHS said a final announcement is expected soon. Unlike traditional flu shots, mRNA works by teaching cells to produce a harmless piece of a virus, which triggers an immune response against certain diseases. It is the same technology both Pfizer and Moderna have used in their Covid vaccines. Chin-Hong said mRNA vaccines could be updated more quickly to match the currently circulating strains of the bird flu. But he said those vaccines have their own challenges, such as needing to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.In a statement to CNBC, Moderna confirmed that it is involved in negotiations with the government regarding its experimental pandemic influenza shot, mRNA-1018. It targets the exact strain of the virus responsible for the outbreak in dairy cattle. The biotech company began testing that shot in an early- to mid-stage trial last summer.Pfizer declined to confirm negotiations with the government. The company said it is continuing to monitor the spread of H5N1 and study its mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine candidates in an early trial. The CDC and its partners, including state and local health departments, use multiple surveillance systems to monitor seasonal influenza and other illnesses. They also have specialized methods to detect and monitor new flu viruses. Seasonal influenza spreads mostly among humans with predictable peaks during the year, while bird flu spreads mostly among wild birds and other animals.The CDC said it is looking for the spread of H5N1 to or among people in areas where the virus has been identified in animals or humans. So far, the agency has found ""no indicators of unusual influenza activity in people,"" including H5N1, according to an update on the agency's site from last week. The CDC also performs ongoing analyses of seasonal and new influenza viruses to identify genetic changes that might allow for them to cause more serious infections in humans, spread more easily to and between people or become less susceptible to vaccines and drugs.While there is robust testing on the federal, state and local levels, it is far more difficult for an average person to self-screen and get diagnosed for bird flu like they can for Covid, Chin-Hong said. That's ""the big barrier, particularly in the populations that are getting affected now,"" he said.Chin-Hong is referring to farm workers, a large share of whom are immigrants, who may struggle to navigate the U.S. health system due to language barriers and health-care access. If people do contract the virus, there are a few FDA-approved antiviral drugs for seasonal flu that can be used for bird flu. That includes Tamiflu, which is an oral prescription medication that should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms. A Texas dairy farm worker who was diagnosed with bird flu in March was treated with an antiviral drug and recovered, according to a CDC report.But Pekosz said the antiviral drugs in the nation's stockpile are likely not enough for the vast majority of the population, so manufacturers may be asked to scale up supply.The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.People who need to make contact with those animals should wear the appropriate mask and eye protection and wash their hands afterward.Torriani added that pasteurized milk and cheese are likely safer to consume than raw dairy products since the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['U.S. health officials are monitoring and preparing to combat bird flu in humans, even as they emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low.', 'A strain of bird flu called H5N1 has been confirmed in dairy cows across nine U.S. states, as well as in two people, amid a global outbreak among poultry and other animals.', 'The latest case was announced Wednesday in a dairy farm worker in Michigan.', 'A child in Australia was also recently infected with bird flu, the country announced Tuesday.', 'H5N1 has been spreading among more animal species worldwide since 2020, but its detection in U.S. livestock earlier this year was a twist health officials did not expect.', 'In rare cases, bird flu viruses spread to humans and can cause mild to severe symptoms that can require hospitalization.', 'There is currently no evidence that H5N1 is spreading from person to person.', 'The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population.', 'Still, the U.S. government, along with state and local health departments, are monitoring new and emerging infections among humans and animals.', 'Federal agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere have also tracked the H5N1 virus for years to monitor its evolution.', 'The U.S. government has long stockpiled vaccines and drugs to be used in a possible bird flu pandemic.', 'Last week, it started the process of preparing nearly 5 million doses of vaccines expected to be well-matched against H5N1, among other efforts to respond, the Health and Human Services Department confirmed to CNBC.Some infectious disease experts told CNBC the U.S. government appears to be generally prepared if bird flu begins to spread more widely and easily to humans, especially compared with how equipped the country was for the Covid pandemic.', 'The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed.', '""There\'s a lot of pieces that are already in place that help us understand that we can respond to this faster,"" said Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. ""', ""As is always the case, though, it's about the efficiency of our responses, right?"", 'We know what we can do.', 'We just have to be able to do it effectively.', '""The latest human infection, in the Michigan dairy worker, is not a surprise, according to both experts and the government.', 'The CDC said Wednesday that similar cases in humans could be identified because high levels of the virus have been found in raw milk from infected cows.', 'The U.S. government currently has two vaccine virus candidates that it believes are a good match for H5N1.', 'Those candidates are weakened versions of a virus that trigger a protective immune response against it in the body and can be used to produce vaccines.', 'Both of the candidates are already available to manufacturers, according to the CDC.', 'The government last week started the process of manufacturing 4.8 million doses of those human vaccines in case they are needed, HHS confirmed.', 'Pekosz called those doses a ""first line of defense in case we do see some human-to-human transmission.""', 'He said that number is enough to stem an outbreak in its early stages, which could include vaccinating farm workers and some health-care workers.', 'But he said far more are needed for the more than 300 million people in the U.S. if the virus spreads widely among humans.', '""Five million doesn\'t really get us very far.', 'It\'s just a quick start,"" Pekosz said.', 'U.S. health officials said May 1 that the government could ship more than 100 million doses of human bird flu vaccines within three to four months if needed, NBC News reported.', 'Notably, people will need two doses of a vaccine, meaning that 100 million doses is enough for only 50 million people.', 'That suggests the U.S. would need roughly 600 million shots if it wanted to vaccinate the entire population.', 'The government faces a difficult decision on how many shots to prepare, especially since it takes a few months to make them.', '""It\'s either too little or too much.', 'For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. ""', ""That's really the whole big conundrum now with a vaccine whenever you have a potential threat."", ""It's the high cost and high-risk aspects."", '""Chin-Hong said misinformation and vaccine hesitancy after Covid makes that decision all the more challenging.', 'But he said he believes ""you can never really invest too much"" in preparing for potential pandemics, especially at a time when climate change, population growth and other factors make them increasingly likely to happen.', 'The Food and Drug Administration would need to approve bird flu vaccines before they roll out.', 'But Pekosz said that will likely be a ""rapid procedure"" since the FDA is accustomed to clearing seasonal flu vaccines, which are made using the same manufacturing process as bird flu shots.', 'U.S. health officials are also in talks with messenger RNA vaccine makers about potential bird flu shots for humans.', 'Few details have been shared about those negotiations, but HHS said a final announcement is expected soon.', 'Unlike traditional flu shots, mRNA works by teaching cells to produce a harmless piece of a virus, which triggers an immune response against certain diseases.', 'It is the same technology both Pfizer and Moderna have used in their Covid vaccines.', 'Chin-Hong said mRNA vaccines could be updated more quickly to match the currently circulating strains of the bird flu.', 'But he said those vaccines have their own challenges, such as needing to be stored at extremely cold temperatures.', 'In a statement to CNBC, Moderna confirmed that it is involved in negotiations with the government regarding its experimental pandemic influenza shot, mRNA-1018.', 'It targets the exact strain of the virus responsible for the outbreak in dairy cattle.', 'The biotech company began testing that shot in an early- to mid-stage trial last summer.', 'Pfizer declined to confirm negotiations with the government.', 'The company said it is continuing to monitor the spread of H5N1 and study its mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine candidates in an early trial.', 'The CDC and its partners, including state and local health departments, use multiple surveillance systems to monitor seasonal influenza and other illnesses.', 'They also have specialized methods to detect and monitor new flu viruses.', 'Seasonal influenza spreads mostly among humans with predictable peaks during the year, while bird flu spreads mostly among wild birds and other animals.', 'The CDC said it is looking for the spread of H5N1 to or among people in areas where the virus has been identified in animals or humans.', 'So far, the agency has found ""no indicators of unusual influenza activity in people,"" including H5N1, according to an update on the agency\'s site from last week.', 'The CDC also performs ongoing analyses of seasonal and new influenza viruses to identify genetic changes that might allow for them to cause more serious infections in humans, spread more easily to and between people or become less susceptible to vaccines and drugs.', 'While there is robust testing on the federal, state and local levels, it isfar more difficult for an average person to self-screen and get diagnosed for bird flu like they can for Covid, Chin-Hong said.', 'That\'s ""the big barrier, particularly in the populations that are getting affected now,""he said.', 'Chin-Hong is referring to farm workers, a large share of whom are immigrants, who may struggle to navigate the U.S. health system due to language barriers and health-care access.', 'If people do contract the virus, there are a few FDA-approved antiviral drugs for seasonal flu that can be used for bird flu.', 'That includes Tamiflu, which is an oral prescription medication that should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms.', 'A Texas dairy farm worker who was diagnosed with bird flu in March was treated with an antiviral drug and recovered, according to a CDC report.', ""But Pekosz said the antiviral drugs in the nation's stockpile are likely not enough for the vast majority of the population, so manufacturers may be asked to scale up supply."", 'The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.', 'People who need to make contact with those animals should wear the appropriate mask and eye protection and wash their hands afterward.', 'Torriani added that pasteurized milk and cheese are likely safer to consume than raw dairy products since the pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria.']",-0.0904653041936938,"The experts said most of the necessary tools are already on hand but the government must ensure it deploys them effectively, if needed.","The average person can protect themselves from bird flu by avoiding any living or dead animals that might be infected, such as livestock or chickens, according to Francesca Torriani, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health.",0.4238584800200028,The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said the risk of infection is higher among farmworkers than in the general population.,"For example, if you make too much food, then a lot of food goes to waste,"" said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF Health. """,2024-05-27
"Macy’s beats earnings estimates, as turnaround plan shows early progress",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/21/macys-m-q1-2024-earnings.html,2024-05-21T21:34:25+0000,"In this articleMacy's fiscal first-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's expectations on Tuesday, and the retailer's revenue came in roughly in line with revenue expectations as it pointed to early signs of momentum in its turnaround strategy.The department store operator raised its full-year earnings expectations to reflect the first-quarter beat, along with the low end of its sales outlook. On Macy's earnings call, CFO and COO Adrian Mitchell said the company assumes in its outlook that consumers ""will remain under pressure for the balance of the year.""But he added that the retailer expects to get a lift this year as it pushes ahead with its turnaround strategy online and in stores.The company's shares closed about 5% higher Tuesday.On an earnings call with investors, CEO Tony Spring said the company is in the ""early innings"" of turning around its namesake stores. As the retailer has stepped up investments at 50 of its Macy's stores, customers have responded by visiting more often and buying more when they do, he said.For example, Macy's has made sure there are sales associates at those stores ready to help customers in the fitting rooms and shoe department, and at jewelry counters. The company has rolled out new brands like Donna Karan and expanded others like French Connection, Free People and Hugo Boss. And Macy's has tried to give shoppers more reasons to stop by, such as by offering personal styling sessions, fashion shows and fragrance bottle engraving, Spring added.""We need more variety,"" he said. ""We need less redundancy. We need more interest within the assortment and I think that's making a difference in the customer's reception to the stores.""Here's what Macy's reported for the three-month period that ended May 4 compared with what Wall Street expected, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:Macy's first-quarter net income tumbled 60% to $62 million, or 22 cents per share, compared with $155 million, or 56 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Net sales fell from $4.98 billion in the year-ago period.Macy's now anticipates net sales of between $22.3 billion and $22.9 billion, which would still represent a drop from $23.09 billion in 2023. It expects comparable sales, which take out the impact of store openings and closures, to range from a decline of about 1% to a gain of 1.5% on an owned-plus-licensed basis and including third-party marketplace sales. It had previously expected comparable sales to decline as much as 1.5%.It expects adjusted earnings per share of between $2.55 and $2.90, raising its previous outlook of between $2.45 and $2.85.Macy's is getting smaller as it tries to grow sales again. The department store operator, which includes Bloomingdale's and beauty chain Bluemercury, said earlier this year that it would close about 150 of its namesake stores. That's more than a quarter of its namesake Macy's locations. It had already announced five store closures and more than 2,300 layoffs in January.Yet the retailer said it will invest in parts of the business that have fared better, including the roughly 350 Macy's stores that will stay open. It plans to open more Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury locations, and smaller Macy's stores in suburban strip malls.In the first quarter, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury continued to fare better than the company's namesake brand. At Bluemercury, comparable sales, a metric that takes out the impact of store openings and closures, rose 4.3%. At Bloomingdale's, comparable sales increased 0.3% on an owned-plus-licensed basis, including third-party marketplace sales. At Macy's, comparable sales declined 0.4% on an owned-plus-licensed basis, including the third-party marketplace.The company said the 150 underperforming Macy's stores – which will close by early 2027 – dragged down the results.At the approximately 350 Macy's stores that will stay open, comparable sales were up 0.1% on an owned-plus-licensed basis. At the first 50 of those stores to get additional investment, comparable sales were even better: up 3.4% on an owned-plus-licensed basis.Along with taking a hard look at its store footprint, Macy's has tried to attract more customers, including more millennial and Gen Z shoppers, by launching new exclusive brands and overhauling its existing ones.Macy's has contended with another challenge: a takeover bid by an activist investor. Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital have made a bid to buy Macy's and take the company private. Arkhouse also waged a proxy battle, but settled the fight in April when Macy's agreed to add two new board members.Shares of Macy's closed Tuesday at $20.08, bringing the company's market value to $5.53 billion. As of Tuesday's close, the company's stock was about flat this year, lagging behind the S&P 500's approximately 11% gains during the same period.",CNBC,21/05/2024,"[""In this articleMacy's fiscal first-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's expectations on Tuesday, and the retailer's revenue came in roughly in line with revenue expectations as it pointed to early signs of momentum in its turnaround strategy."", 'The department store operator raised its full-year earnings expectations to reflect the first-quarter beat, along with the low end of its sales outlook.', 'On Macy\'s earnings call, CFO and COO Adrian Mitchell said the company assumes in its outlook that consumers ""will remain under pressure for the balance of the year.', '""But he added that the retailer expects to get a lift this year as it pushes ahead with its turnaround strategy online and in stores.', ""The company's shares closed about 5% higher Tuesday."", 'On an earnings call with investors, CEO Tony Spring said the company is in the ""early innings"" of turning around its namesake stores.', ""As the retailer has stepped up investments at 50 of its Macy's stores, customers have responded by visiting more often and buying more when they do, he said."", ""For example, Macy's has made sure there are sales associates at those stores ready to help customers in the fitting rooms and shoe department, and at jewelry counters."", 'The company has rolled out new brands like Donna Karan and expanded others like French Connection, Free People and Hugo Boss.', ""And Macy's has tried to give shoppers more reasons to stop by, such as by offering personal styling sessions, fashion shows and fragrance bottle engraving, Spring added."", '""We need more variety,"" he said. ""', 'We need less redundancy.', ""We need more interest within the assortment and I think that's making a difference in the customer's reception to the stores."", '""Here\'s what Macy\'s reported for the three-month period that ended May 4 compared with what Wall Street expected, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:Macy\'s first-quarter net income tumbled 60% to $62 million, or 22 cents per share, compared with $155 million, or 56 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.', 'Net sales fell from $4.98 billion in the year-ago period.', ""Macy's now anticipates net sales of between $22.3 billion and $22.9 billion, which would still represent a drop from $23.09 billion in 2023."", 'It expects comparable sales, which take out the impact of store openings and closures, to range from a decline of about 1% to a gain of 1.5% on an owned-plus-licensed basis and including third-party marketplace sales.', ""It had previously expected comparable sales to decline as much as 1.5%.It expects adjusted earnings per share of between $2.55 and $2.90, raising its previous outlook of between $2.45 and $2.85.Macy's is getting smaller as it tries to grow sales again."", ""The department store operator, which includes Bloomingdale's and beauty chain Bluemercury, said earlier this year that it would close about 150 of its namesake stores."", ""That's more than a quarter of its namesake Macy's locations."", 'It had already announced five store closures and more than 2,300 layoffs in January.', ""Yet the retailer said it will invest in parts of the business that have fared better, including the roughly 350 Macy's stores that will stay open."", ""It plans to open more Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury locations, and smaller Macy's stores in suburban strip malls."", ""In the first quarter, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury continued to fare better than the company's namesake brand."", 'At Bluemercury, comparable sales, a metric that takes out the impact of store openings and closures, rose 4.3%.', ""At Bloomingdale's, comparable sales increased 0.3% on an owned-plus-licensed basis, including third-party marketplace sales."", ""At Macy's, comparable sales declined 0.4% on an owned-plus-licensed basis, including the third-party marketplace."", ""The company said the 150 underperforming Macy's stores – which will close by early 2027 – dragged down the results."", ""At the approximately 350 Macy's stores that will stay open, comparable sales were up 0.1% on an owned-plus-licensed basis."", 'At the first 50 of those stores to get additional investment, comparable sales were even better: up 3.4% on an owned-plus-licensed basis.', ""Along with taking a hard look at its store footprint, Macy's has tried to attract more customers, including more millennial and Gen Z shoppers, by launching new exclusive brands and overhauling its existing ones."", ""Macy's has contended with another challenge: a takeover bid by an activist investor."", ""Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital have made a bid to buy Macy's and take the company private."", ""Arkhouse also waged a proxy battle, but settled the fight in April when Macy's agreed to add two new board members."", ""Shares of Macy's closed Tuesday at $20.08, bringing the company's market value to $5.53 billion."", ""As of Tuesday's close, the company's stock was about flat this year, lagging behind the S&P 500's approximately 11% gains during the same period.""]",0.1747220943551635,"The company has rolled out new brands like Donna Karan and expanded others like French Connection, Free People and Hugo Boss.","Arkhouse also waged a proxy battle, but settled the fight in April when Macy's agreed to add two new board members.",0.2025308990478515,"At Bluemercury, comparable sales, a metric that takes out the impact of store openings and closures, rose 4.3%.","It had previously expected comparable sales to decline as much as 1.5%.It expects adjusted earnings per share of between $2.55 and $2.90, raising its previous outlook of between $2.45 and $2.85.Macy's is getting smaller as it tries to grow sales again.",2024-05-27
McDonald's franchisee group says $5 value meal can't last without company investment,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/21/mcdonalds-franchisee-group-value-meal.html,2024-05-21T21:34:30+0000,"In this articleAn independent advocacy group of McDonald's franchisees is weighing in on the company's upcoming value meal promotion, cheering affordability for the consumer, but pushing for future contributions from the company to make the discounted offering sustainable for operators in the long run. ""The fact remains that in order to provide the consumer with more affordable options, they must be affordable for the owner/operators. McDonald's vast resources and financial investment are essential to any sustainable affordable strategy,"" the board of the National Owners Association wrote in a letter to membership.The letter calls the McDonald's business model a ""penny profit business, with 10-15% margins,"" and says ""There simply is not enough profit to discount 30% for this model to be sustainable. It necessitates a financial contribution by McDonald's.""CNBC reported last week that the $5 value meal would be hitting menu boards beginning June 25 and lasting roughly a month. It will include a McChicken or McDouble, four piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. The combo would be substantially less than purchasing those items individually.The offering comes as lower-income consumers pull back from certain restaurants in the face of stubborn inflation, and brands look to offer greater value to customers.CNBC reported Coca-Cola had added marketing funds to make the deal more appealing for McDonald's and its franchisees after an initial proposal did not pass internal hurdles. In a statement last week, Coca-Cola said, ""We routinely partner with our customers on marketing programs to meet consumer needs. This helps us grow our businesses together.""McDonald's declined to comment on the NOA letter to its membership. In a statement to CNBC last week on the value meal, the company said, ""We know how much it means to our customers when McDonald's offers meaningful value and communicates it through national advertising. That's been true since our very beginning and never more important than it is today.""The company has previously noted cash flows for U.S. franchisees are up nearly 50% on average since 2018. Even when accounting for inflation, 2023 was one of the best years for franchisee cash flow in the company's history, McDonald's has previously said.Beyond the $5 promotion, the NOA letter goes on to suggest the company should continue to innovate on the menu, bringing back items such as snack wraps that use existing chicken breasts, creating affordable options with lower food costs so they are more affordable for owners to sell.The group also suggested taking the top two beverages from McDonald's spinoff chain, CosMc's, and bringing them to flagship locations as a way to excite both customers and employees.These ideas were initially floated by the advocacy group earlier in the year, as it pushed to add affordable options to the menu without discounting ""core and iconic"" items.""Recently [McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski] has made public comments about the US consumers' growing need for affordability. This is not a new or unique message; value has always been at our Brands's core,"" NOA said in a letter to membership viewed by CNBC in February.",CNBC,21/05/2024,"[""In this articleAn independent advocacy group of McDonald's franchisees is weighing in on the company's upcoming value meal promotion, cheering affordability for the consumer, but pushing for future contributions from the company to make the discounted offering sustainable for operators in the long run."", '""The fact remains that in order to provide the consumer with more affordable options, they must be affordable for the owner/operators.', 'McDonald\'s vast resources and financial investment are essential to any sustainable affordable strategy,"" the board of the National Owners Association wrote in a letter to membership.', 'The letter calls the McDonald\'s business model a ""penny profit business, with 10-15% margins,"" and says ""There simply is not enough profit to discount 30% for this model to be sustainable.', ""It necessitates a financial contribution by McDonald's."", '""CNBC reported last week that the $5 value meal would be hitting menu boards beginning June 25 and lasting roughly a month.', 'It will include a McChicken or McDouble, four piece chicken nuggets, fries and a drink.', 'The combo would be substantially less than purchasing those items individually.', 'The offering comes as lower-income consumers pull back from certain restaurants in the face of stubborn inflation, and brands look to offer greater value to customers.', ""CNBC reported Coca-Cola had added marketing funds to make the deal more appealing for McDonald's and its franchisees after an initial proposal did not pass internal hurdles."", 'In a statement last week, Coca-Cola said, ""We routinely partner with our customers on marketing programs to meet consumer needs.', 'This helps us grow our businesses together.', '""McDonald\'s declined to comment on the NOA letter to its membership.', 'In a statement to CNBC last week on the value meal, the company said, ""We know how much it means to our customers when McDonald\'s offers meaningful value and communicates it through national advertising.', ""That's been true since our very beginning and never more important than it is today."", '""The company has previously noted cash flows for U.S. franchisees are up nearly 50% on average since 2018.', ""Even when accounting for inflation, 2023 was one of the best years for franchisee cash flow in the company's history, McDonald's has previously said."", 'Beyond the $5 promotion, the NOA letter goes on to suggest the company should continue to innovate on the menu, bringing back items such as snack wraps that use existing chicken breasts, creating affordable options with lower food costs so they are more affordable for owners to sell.', ""The group also suggested taking the top two beverages from McDonald's spinoff chain, CosMc's, and bringing them to flagship locations as a way to excite both customers and employees."", 'These ideas were initially floated by the advocacy group earlier in the year, as it pushed to add affordable options to the menu without discounting ""core and iconic"" items.', '""Recently [McDonald\'s CEO Chris Kempczinski] has made public comments about the US consumers\' growing need for affordability.', 'This is not a new or unique message; value has always been at our Brands\'s core,"" NOA said in a letter to membership viewed by CNBC in February.']",0.2217713614432277,"In a statement to CNBC last week on the value meal, the company said, ""We know how much it means to our customers when McDonald's offers meaningful value and communicates it through national advertising.",,0.7626634041468302,"""The company has previously noted cash flows for U.S. franchisees are up nearly 50% on average since 2018.","The letter calls the McDonald's business model a ""penny profit business, with 10-15% margins,"" and says ""There simply is not enough profit to discount 30% for this model to be sustainable.",2024-05-27
Advertisers boost spending at retailers such as Walmart and Amazon as TV shrinks,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/advertisers-retail-media-spending.html,2024-05-24T11:36:46+0000,"In this articleThe next frontier for the ad market isn't on TV — it's at screens near points of sale.Television had long been the key target for advertisers, until tech companies such as Alphabet and Meta-owned platforms like Facebook began to gobble up market share. While ad dollars are rapidly shifting from traditional TV to streaming, retail and consumer product companies are now taking up a significant part of the mix.The so-called retail media networks — the advertising publishing platforms — of e-commerce, retail and consumer companies like Amazon, Walmart and Kroger are attracting billions of dollars in advertising, according to data from eMarketer and GroupM, the media investment arm of WPP, the world's biggest advertising group.Global retail media ad spending is expected to more than double from $114.18 billion in 2023 to $233.89 billion in 2027, according to eMarketer. Retail media is expected to represent a larger percentage of digital advertising spending, which has begun to eclipse traditional media spending, growing from 18.9% of that segment in 2023 to 25.7% in 2027, according to eMarketer.""What we hear from brands most directly is they no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV, X amount of social, X amount of digital. They wake up every day trying to buy growth, trying to buy outcomes for their business,"" said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV, an on-the-go media network with over 29,000 screens at refueling points tied to convenience retail stores.GSTV screens reach 115 million viewers per month across 49 states.Brands are ""more open-minded as to where they can find those audiences,"" McCaffrey said.""It's the new TV for mass reach advertising,"" said Mark Boidman, head of media and entertainment investment banking at Solomon Partners. ""If you want to reach someone fast, it's best to get them in a store or on your app. ... It's a 360-degree approach.""The kind of advertising purchased through retail media networks is often found on in-store displays and screens, websites, mobile apps, streaming services, smart TVs and social media. Not only is it fertile ground for an advertiser to get their offerings in front of consumers looking to spend, it comes with a lot of first-party data.The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.""If [brands] advertise with a digital ad, for example, and a customer transacts a week later in a store or club, we can connect that up for them and let them know that the ad really worked,"" Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC earlier this year. ""That's the differentiating advantage that we've got.""Walmart has been a particularly big player. While it's still a new frontier for the retailer, advertising has propelled profits at the giant retailer in recent quarters. The company also recently agreed to buy TV maker Vizio in a bid to further boost its ad business.Of the companies eMarketer tracks, Amazon was considered the biggest retail media network in the U.S., with a roughly 75% share of retail media ad revenue. Other top networks by revenue include Walmart, Instacart, eBay and Etsy.The shift toward retail media comes as advertisers are faced with tech privacy changes that has led to a pullback in the collection of data.Earlier this year, Google began its revamp of how it and other companies track users online, namely the use of cookies, which keep tabs on the activity of internet users so that advertisers can target them with relevant ads.In January, Google began to restrict cookies for 1% of its Chrome browser users, with the goal of completely removing third-party cookies by the third quarter of this year. Advertisers have been grappling with how to make the transition.Advertising and media executives note that retail media networks now dominate conversations at conferences and other gatherings, such as the Cannes Lions advertising festival. It's often a highlight on earnings calls, too.""[Retail media networks] have that balance with targeting and privacy and compliance. I think that's where the money really starts shifting,"" Tim Hurd, vice president of media activation at Goodway Group. ""I think that's key. These retailers have that kind of data"" The rise of retail media ads comes against a backdrop of major shifts in the media landscape. Pay-TV customer numbers and traditional TV viewership (outside of sports) continue to decline as more viewers move toward streaming.And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags. That much was clear in the first-quarter earnings reports of media giants like Comcast's NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery.Disney saw a first-quarter decline in ad revenue for its traditional cable networks and Hulu, despite an increase at cable crown jewel ESPN; Warner Bros. Discovery reported a drop in ad revenue; Paramount Global got an expected boost from airing the Super Bowl; and NBCUniversal's domestic ad revenue was flat. Streaming ad revenue for the legacy media giants, however, showed growth.Outside of tentpole moments on TV, such as the Super Bowl and other live sports, advertisers are now strategizing on multiple fronts and divvying up spending across TV, social media, e-commerce and digital, said Goodway Group's Hurd.""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM's global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising.She added traditional TV revenue may move to smart TVs, however, informed by the data on customer spending habits that retailers can provide.Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"[""In this articleThe next frontier for the ad market isn't on TV — it's at screens near points of sale."", 'Television had long been the key target for advertisers, until tech companies such as Alphabet and Meta-owned platforms like Facebook began to gobble up market share.', 'While ad dollars are rapidly shifting from traditional TV to streaming, retail and consumer product companies are now taking up a significant part of the mix.', ""The so-called retail media networks — the advertising publishing platforms — of e-commerce, retail and consumer companies like Amazon, Walmart and Kroger are attracting billions of dollars in advertising, according to data from eMarketer and GroupM, the media investment arm of WPP, the world's biggest advertising group."", 'Global retail media ad spending is expected to more than double from $114.18 billion in 2023 to $233.89 billion in 2027, according to eMarketer.', 'Retail media is expected to represent a larger percentage of digital advertising spending, which has begun to eclipse traditional media spending, growing from 18.9% of that segment in 2023 to 25.7% in 2027, according to eMarketer.', '""What we hear from brands most directly is they no longer wake up with a recipe to buy X amount of TV, X amount of social, X amount of digital.', 'They wake up every day trying to buy growth, trying to buy outcomes for their business,"" said Sean McCaffrey, president and CEO of GSTV, an on-the-go media network with over 29,000 screens at refueling points tied to convenience retail stores.', 'GSTV screens reach 115 million viewers per month across 49 states.', 'Brands are ""more open-minded as to where they can find those audiences,"" McCaffrey said.', '""It\'s the new TV for mass reach advertising,"" said Mark Boidman, head of media and entertainment investment banking at Solomon Partners. ""', ""If you want to reach someone fast, it's best to get them in a store or on your app. ..."", ""It's a 360-degree approach."", '""The kind of advertising purchased through retail media networks is often found on in-store displays and screens, websites, mobile apps, streaming services, smart TVs and social media.', 'Not only is it fertile ground for an advertiser to get their offerings in front of consumers looking to spend, it comes with a lot of first-party data.', 'The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.', '""If [brands] advertise with a digital ad, for example, and a customer transacts a week later in a store or club, we can connect that up for them and let them know that the ad really worked,"" Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC earlier this year. ""', ""That's the differentiating advantage that we've got."", '""Walmart has been a particularly big player.', ""While it's still a new frontier for the retailer, advertising has propelled profits at the giant retailer in recent quarters."", 'The company also recently agreed to buy TV maker Vizio in a bid to further boost its ad business.', 'Of the companies eMarketer tracks, Amazon was considered the biggest retail media network in the U.S., with a roughly 75% share of retail media ad revenue.', 'Other top networks by revenue include Walmart, Instacart, eBay and Etsy.', 'The shift toward retail media comes as advertisers are faced with tech privacy changes that has led to a pullback in the collection of data.', 'Earlier this year, Google began its revamp of how it and other companies track users online, namely the use of cookies, which keep tabs on the activity of internet users so that advertisers can target them with relevant ads.', 'In January, Google began to restrict cookies for 1% of its Chrome browser users, with the goal of completely removing third-party cookies by the third quarter of this year.', 'Advertisers have been grappling with how to make the transition.', 'Advertising and media executives note that retail media networks now dominate conversations at conferences and other gatherings, such as the Cannes Lions advertising festival.', ""It's often a highlight on earnings calls, too."", '""[Retail media networks] have that balance with targeting and privacy and compliance.', 'I think that\'s where the money really starts shifting,"" Tim Hurd, vice president of media activation at Goodway Group. ""', ""I think that's key."", 'These retailers have that kind of data""The rise of retail media ads comes against a backdrop of major shifts in the media landscape.', 'Pay-TV customer numbers and traditional TV viewership (outside of sports) continue to decline as more viewers move toward streaming.', 'And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags.', ""That much was clear in the first-quarter earnings reports of media giants like Comcast's NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery."", ""Disney saw a first-quarter decline in ad revenue for its traditional cable networks and Hulu, despite an increase at cable crown jewel ESPN; Warner Bros. Discovery reported a drop in ad revenue; Paramount Global got an expected boost from airing the Super Bowl; and NBCUniversal's domestic ad revenue was flat."", 'Streaming ad revenue for the legacy media giants, however, showed growth.', ""Outside of tentpole moments on TV, such as the Super Bowl and other live sports, advertisers are now strategizing on multiple fronts and divvying up spending across TV, social media, e-commerce and digital, said Goodway Group's Hurd."", '""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM\'s global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.', ""Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising."", 'She added traditional TV revenue may move to smart TVs, however, informed by the data on customer spending habits that retailers can provide.', 'Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.']",0.2523880609774845,The amount of data that retailers have on customers — from one-time buyers to loyalists — is extremely valuable to advertisers who want to optimize their exposure.,"And although ad buying in digital and streaming is rebounding, traditional TV still lags.",0.3165857195854187,"Retail media revenue grew from less than $1 billion in the U.S. a decade ago to a projected $42 billion this year — or $129.4 billion globally, said Scott-Dawkins, citing GroupM's data, noting that brand advertising budgets may not directly shift from traditional TV into on-site retail advertising.","""Linear TV advertising is still declining,"" said Kate Scott-Dawkins, GroupM's global president of business intelligence, noting the last decade has seen ad revenue shift from print and radio to TV and now toward digital.",2024-05-27
Pfizer aims to save $1.5 billion by 2027 in first wave of new cost cuts,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/pfizer-announces-new-cost-cutting-program.html,2024-05-22T19:13:22+0000,"In this articlePfizer on Wednesday said it has launched a new multiyear program to reduce costs as it works to rebound from the rapid decline of its Covid business. The announcement is in addition to another $4 billion cost-cutting effort, which Pfizer announced last year as demand for its Covid vaccine and oral drug Paxlovid slumped. In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees. The company expects to record the majority of those charges this year. Pfizer also expects the program to involve ""product portfolio enhancements"" and changes to the company's manufacturing and supply network, a spokesperson told CNBC.""The program will focus on streamlining our ways of working, reducing complexity and increasing productivity in Pfizer Global Supply,"" the spokesperson said in a statement.Pfizer in the filing added that ""given the complexity in manufacturing and longer lead times required to make changes, this program will be a multi-phased effort.""Pfizer is trying to shore up investor sentiment after its shares fell nearly 50% in 2023, making it the worst-performing pharmaceutical stock last year. That share drop erased more than $100 billion in Pfizer's market value.As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a new RSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill that fell short in clinical trials and an initial 2024 forecast that missed expectations.But Pfizer pleased investors earlier this month after it reported first-quarter revenue and adjusted profit that beat expectations and hiked its full-year earnings outlook. The pharmaceutical giant said its new profit guidance accounts for its ""confidence"" in its business and its ability to slash costs.""We are cautiously optimistic about the year,"" Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an earnings call on May 1.Shares of the company closed 6% higher on that day. Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"['In this articlePfizer on Wednesday said it has launched a new multiyear program to reduce costs as it works to rebound from the rapid decline of its Covid business.', 'The announcement is in addition to another $4 billion cost-cutting effort, which Pfizer announced last year as demand for its Covid vaccine and oral drug Paxlovid slumped.', 'In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees.', 'The company expects to record the majority of those charges this year.', 'Pfizer also expects the program to involve ""product portfolio enhancements"" and changes to the company\'s manufacturing and supply network, a spokesperson told CNBC.""The program will focus on streamlining our ways of working, reducing complexity and increasing productivity in Pfizer Global Supply,"" the spokesperson said in a statement.', 'Pfizer in the filing added that ""given the complexity in manufacturing and longer lead times required to make changes, this program will be a multi-phased effort.', '""Pfizer is trying to shore up investor sentiment after its shares fell nearly 50% in 2023, making it the worst-performing pharmaceutical stock last year.', ""That share drop erased more than $100 billion in Pfizer's market value."", 'As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.', 'But Pfizer pleased investors earlier this month after itreportedfirst-quarter revenue and adjusted profit that beat expectations and hiked its full-year earnings outlook.', 'The pharmaceutical giant said its new profit guidance accounts for its ""confidence"" in its business and its ability to slash costs.', '""We are cautiously optimistic about the year,"" Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said during an earnings call on May 1.Shares of the company closed 6% higher on that day.', ""Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.""]",0.1117123241806072,"In a securities filing, the pharmaceutical giant said the first phase of its new program is focused on operational efficiencies and is expected to save the company about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027.One-time costs related to the initial stage of cuts are expected to be about $1.7 billion, including severance for an unspecified number of laid-off employees.","As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.",0.4545602852647954,Pfizer's stock is up nearly 14% since then.,"As demand for Covid products plummeted last year, Pfizer also disappointed Wall Street with the underwhelming launch of a newRSV shot, a twice-daily weight loss pill thatfell shortin clinical trials and an initial 2024forecastthat missed expectations.",2024-05-27
Frontier Airlines CEO urges crackdown of 'rampant abuse' of airport wheelchair service,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/frontier-airlines-ceo-passengers-abuse-airport-wheelchair-service.html,2024-05-23T23:20:15+0000,"In this articleThe 1986 Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide a wheelchair for passengers with disabilities at the airport. The problem, though, is that many travelers are faking it, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said.""There is massive, rampant abuse of special services. There are people using wheelchair assistance who don't need it at all,"" Biffle said at a Wings Club luncheon on Thursday in New York.He said he has seen some Frontier flights where 20 people were brought in wheelchairs at departure, with only three using them upon arrival. ""We are healing so many people,"" he joked.Biffle wasn't talking about travelers' personal wheelchairs, but rather the service airlines provide when travelers arrive at the airport.It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. ""There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.""Biffle isn't the only executive to complain about travelers falsely claiming they need access to a wheelchair at the airport.In July 2022, John Holland-Kaye, the then-CEO of London's Heathrow Airport, told LBC Radio amid staffing shortages that some travelers were ""using wheelchair support to try to get fast-tracked through the airport.""""If you go on TikTok, that is one of the travel hacks people are recommending,"" he said. ""Please don't do that. We need to protect the service for people who need it most.""John Morris, a triple amputee and founder of WheelchairTravel.org, noted there are reasons why some travelers might need wheelchairs on their outbound leg but not upon arrival. For example, they could need the help to get through a large airport like in Atlanta or New York City, but not so at smaller facilities.""Disability impacts people in a lot of different ways,"" he said.""I think there's a good case to be made that abusers should face some consequence but I'm not sure how we do that in a society when our disabilities aren't [always] visible,"" Morris said.Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation proposed stricter rules aimed at preventing wheelchair damage by airport ground handlers and ensuring ""prompt assistance"" to travelers with disabilities when getting on and off the plane.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleThe 1986 Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide a wheelchair for passengers with disabilities at the airport.', 'The problem, though, is that many travelers are faking it, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said.', '""There is massive, rampant abuse of special services.', 'There are people using wheelchair assistance who don\'t need it at all,"" Biffle said at a Wings Club luncheon on Thursday in New York.', 'He said he has seen some Frontier flights where 20 people were brought in wheelchairs at departure, with only three using them upon arrival. ""', 'We are healing so many people,"" he joked.', ""Biffle wasn't talking about travelers' personal wheelchairs, but rather the service airlines provide when travelers arrive at the airport."", 'It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.', '""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. ""', 'There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.', '""Biffle isn\'t the only executive to complain about travelers falsely claiming they need access to a wheelchair at the airport.', 'In July 2022, John Holland-Kaye, the then-CEO of London\'s Heathrow Airport, told LBC Radio amid staffing shortages that some travelers were ""using wheelchair support to try to get fast-tracked through the airport.', '""""If you go on TikTok, that is one of the travel hacks people are recommending,"" he said. ""', ""Please don't do that."", 'We need to protect the service for people who need it most.', '""John Morris, a triple amputee and founder ofWheelchairTravel.org, noted there are reasons why some travelers might need wheelchairs on their outbound leg but not upon arrival.', 'For example, they could need the help to get through a large airport like in Atlanta or New York City, but not so at smaller facilities.', '""Disability impacts people in a lot of different ways,"" he said.', '""I think there\'s a good case to be made that abusers should face some consequence but I\'m not sure how we do that in a society when our disabilities aren\'t [always] visible,"" Morris said.', 'Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation proposed stricter rules aimed at preventing wheelchair damage by airport ground handlers and ensuring ""prompt assistance"" to travelers with disabilities when getting on and off the plane.']",-0.0689599629529763,"""Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you,"" he told CNBC. """,There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.,-0.2533689339955647,"We are healing so many people,"" he joked.","It costs the airline between $30 and $35 each time a customer requests a wheelchair, Biffle said, and abuse of the service leads to delays for travelers with a genuine need for assistance.",2024-05-27
Burger prices are up. But your barbecue could still be relatively cheap,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/25/business/burger-prices-memorial-day/index.html,"
  Published
        7:00 AM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","Burger patties, buns and ketchup prices are high. But even with the increases, your home-grilled burger could end up being relatively inexpensive this year thanks to steep discounts offered by retailers vying for budget-conscious customers.
    
            In recent months, grocery prices have stayed flat and even started to fall. But some grilling staples are more expensive compared to last year.
    
            In the 12 months through April 21, ground beef prices rose 6.4% by volume compared to the period from a year earlier, according to US retail sales data from Circana. Packaged hamburger and hot dog bun prices were up 7% while potato chips were up 6.9%.
    
            Condiment prices saw a sharper jump with ketchup rising 8.9%, hot sauce increasing 7.6% and regular barbecue sauce spiking 14.6%.
    
            Some items had modest increases, like hot dogs, which went up by 1.4%.
    
            But the increases don’t take into account the year’s many Memorial Day deals.
    
            “This is going to be a year for aggressive discounting,” said Chris DuBois, EVP and practice leader for the fresh foods practice at Circana. Retailers “want to win the customer trip,” he said. “I would expect pretty sharp discounts to be able to bring people in.”
    
            Retailers often offer sale prices ahead of major holidays in order to lure in customers.
    
            For stores, it can be worthwhile to break even, or take a loss, on certain discounted items in order just to get people in the door. Once inside, shoppers may well fill up their carts with full-priced items. But if they don’t, at least they won’t be shopping at a competitor.
    
            This year, in particular, is stacking up to be a really good one for deals. Consumers remain  worried about inflation and have been spending less as a result. Retailers, vying for much-needed foot traffic, have already been slashing prices, and are adding more discounts for the holiday.
    
            Target recently said that it is lowering prices on thousands of items. In addition, the big-box retailer is offering a number of Memorial Day deals for a limited time, including buy one, get one 20% off ground beef and burgers for rewards members for May 19-27. Members also get a discount on soda in that period and all customers get a deal on chips.
    
            Supermarket chain Kroger also has Memorial Day specials, including reduced rates for home brand sliced cheese, hamburger buns and potato chips.
    
            Meanwhile, low-cost grocer Aldi, which has been gaining popularity with its no frills approach and bargain prices, is reducing the prices of steak and chicken breasts through July 10, among other deals.
    
            Chicken products are among the items that have gotten less expensive this year, even before discounts. Chicken breast prices, for example, fell 2.5% in the year through April, according to Circana, while wings have plunged 9.2%.",CNN,25/05/2024,"['Burger patties, buns and ketchup prices are high.', 'But even with the increases, your home-grilled burger could end up being relatively inexpensive this year thanks to steep discounts offered by retailers vying for budget-conscious customers.', 'In recent months, grocery prices have stayed flat and even started to fall.', 'But some grilling staples are more expensive compared to last year.', 'In the 12 months through April 21, ground beef prices rose 6.4% by volume compared to the period from a year earlier, according to US retail sales data from Circana.', 'Packaged hamburger and hot dog bun prices were up 7% while potato chips were up 6.9%.', 'Condiment prices saw a sharper jump with ketchup rising 8.9%, hot sauce increasing 7.6% and regular barbecue sauce spiking 14.6%.', 'Some items had modest increases, like hot dogs, which went up by 1.4%.', 'But the increases don’t take into account the year’s many Memorial Day deals.', '“This is going to be a year for aggressive discounting,” said Chris DuBois, EVP and practice leader for the fresh foods practice at Circana.', 'Retailers “want to win the customer trip,” he said. “', 'I would expect pretty sharp discounts to be able to bring people in.”', 'Retailers often offer sale prices ahead of major holidays in order to lure in customers.', 'For stores, it can be worthwhile to break even, or take a loss, on certain discounted items in order just to get people in the door.', 'Once inside, shoppers may well fill up their carts with full-priced items.', 'But if they don’t, at least they won’t be shopping at a competitor.', 'This year, in particular, is stacking up to be a really good one for deals.', 'Consumers remain worried about inflation and have been spending less as a result.', 'Retailers, vying for much-needed foot traffic, have already been slashing prices, and are adding more discounts for the holiday.', 'Target recently said that it is lowering prices on thousands of items.', 'In addition, the big-box retailer is offering a number of Memorial Day deals for a limited time, including buy one, get one 20% off ground beef and burgers for rewards members for May 19-27.', 'Members also get a discount on soda in that period and all customers get a deal on chips.', 'Supermarket chain Kroger also has Memorial Day specials, including reduced rates for home brand sliced cheese, hamburger buns and potato chips.', 'Meanwhile, low-cost grocer Aldi, which has been gaining popularity with its no frills approach and bargain prices, is reducing the prices of steak and chicken breasts through July 10, among other deals.', 'Chicken products are among the items that have gotten less expensive this year, even before discounts.', 'Chicken breast prices, for example,fell 2.5% in the year through April, according to Circana, while wings have plunged 9.2%.']",0.1650215049309264,"Retailers “want to win the customer trip,” he said. “",Consumers remain worried about inflation and have been spending less as a result.,0.5193211038907369,"In the 12 months through April 21, ground beef prices rose 6.4% by volume compared to the period from a year earlier, according to US retail sales data from Circana.","Chicken breast prices, for example,fell 2.5% in the year through April, according to Circana, while wings have plunged 9.2%.",2024-05-27
Traveling on Memorial Day? You could be making history,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/memorial-day-travel-record-breaking/index.html,"
  Updated
        2:17 PM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","If you’ve flown this weekend or are hopping on a flight today, it’s likely you’re making history.
    
            Passenger traffic at US airports is on pace to make this Memorial Day weekend the busiest on record, according to Transportation Security Administration screening data.
    
            Following record-setting traveler data for Friday (2.951 million, No. 1 screening day in TSA history) and Thursday (2.897 million, No. 3 ever), more than 2.4 million people passed through TSA checkpoints on each day this weekend.
    
            What’s amounting to be a blockbuster Memorial Day weekend could be a precursor to a chart-busting summer of travel.
    
            It’s also amounting to a frustrating weekend for many travelers. There have been nearly 3,550 flight delays and 350 cancelations within, into or out of the United States so far on Monday, according to FlightAware data. The number of flight cancellations is now tracking above the average for last year.
    
            Five of the top 10 busiest travel days in the TSA’s 22-year history have occurred in the past two weeks alone.
    
            “During the four-day Memorial Day weekend in 2019, approximately 9.5 million passengers were screened; In 2023, that number rose just above 9.8 million,” Regina Boateng, a TSA spokesperson, told CNN via email. “This year, we expect the four-day figure to rise well above 10 million.”
    
            She added: “It’s difficult to compare holidays, as some fall on varying days of the week. However, TSA expects this summer to also be the busiest in the agency’s history.”
    
            Three-plus years of high inflation have taken their toll on Americans’ budgets and, especially, their mindsets. But even though people may be feeling pinched, some are still willing to spend — if not splurge — on travel and leisure.
    
            And there is some good news on the inflation front in that regard: Airline fares dropped in April from March and are actually down a little more than 1% from February 2020, Consumer Price Index data shows.
    
            Americans aren’t just taking to the slightly cheaper skies: AAA projected that a record 38.4 million people will take road trips over the long weekend.
    
            Gas prices rose sharply to start the year but have held fairly steady in recent weeks. On Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.59, a penny higher than this time last year, according to AAA.
    
            However, the prices at the pump on Monday were cheaper than last Memorial Day as well as the 10-year average for the holiday, according to GasBuddy data.
    
            US gasoline demand breached the 9 million barrels for the week ended May 25, according to GasBuddy data. Demand was up just 0.3% from the comparable pre-Memorial Day week last year, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy spokesman, told CNN on Monday.
    
            “It was a weak start to the week but roared back on [Thursday through Saturday],” he said via email. “Still well below record gasoline demand, however.”
    
            Gas Buddy modeled the current demand at just 9.03 million barrels per day. In the late 2010s, specifically 2019, that figure would likely be 9.5 million barrels per day to 9.8 million barrels per day, De Haan said.
    
            This story is developing and will be updated.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['If you’ve flown this weekend or are hopping on a flight today, it’s likely you’re making history.', 'Passenger traffic at US airports is on pace to make this Memorial Day weekend the busiest on record, according to Transportation Security Administration screening data.', 'Following record-setting traveler data for Friday (2.951 million, No.', '1 screening day in TSA history) and Thursday (2.897 million, No.', '3 ever), more than 2.4 million people passed through TSA checkpoints on each day this weekend.', 'What’s amounting to be a blockbuster Memorial Day weekend could be a precursor to a chart-busting summer of travel.', 'It’s also amounting to a frustrating weekend for many travelers.', 'There have been nearly 3,550 flight delays and 350 cancelations within, into or out of the United States so far on Monday, according to FlightAware data.', 'The number of flight cancellations is now tracking above the average for last year.', 'Five of the top 10 busiest travel days in the TSA’s 22-year history have occurred in the past two weeks alone.', '“During thefour-day Memorial Day weekend in 2019, approximately 9.5 million passengers were screened; In 2023, that number rose just above 9.8 million,” Regina Boateng, a TSA spokesperson, told CNN via email. “', 'This year, we expect the four-dayfigure to rise well above 10 million.”', 'She added: “It’s difficult to compare holidays, as some fall on varying days of the week.', 'However, TSA expects this summer to also be the busiest in the agency’s history.”', 'Three-plus years of high inflation havetaken their tollon Americans’budgets and, especially, their mindsets.', 'But even though people may befeeling pinched, some are still willing to spend — if not splurge — on travel and leisure.', 'And there is some good news on the inflation front in that regard: Airline fares dropped in April from March and are actually down a little more than 1% from February 2020, Consumer Price Index data shows.', 'Americans aren’t just taking to the slightly cheaper skies: AAA projected that a record 38.4 million people will take road trips over the long weekend.', 'Gas prices rose sharply to start the year but have held fairly steady in recent weeks.', 'On Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.59, a penny higher than this time last year, according to AAA.', 'However, the prices at the pump on Monday were cheaper than last Memorial Day as well as the 10-year average for the holiday, according to GasBuddy data.', 'US gasoline demand breached the 9 million barrels for the week ended May 25, according to GasBuddy data.', 'Demand was up just 0.3% from the comparable pre-Memorial Day week last year, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy spokesman, told CNN on Monday.', '“It was a weak start to the week but roared back on [Thursday through Saturday],” he said via email. “', 'Still well below record gasoline demand, however.”', 'Gas Buddy modeled the current demand at just 9.03 million barrels per day.', 'In the late 2010s, specifically 2019, that figure would likely be 9.5 million barrels per day to 9.8 million barrels per day, De Haan said.', 'This story is developing and will be updated.']",0.0459791972299508,What’s amounting to be a blockbuster Memorial Day weekend could be a precursor to a chart-busting summer of travel.,It’s also amounting to a frustrating weekend for many travelers.,0.2498383992596676,"This year, we expect the four-dayfigure to rise well above 10 million.”","And there is some good news on the inflation front in that regard: Airline fares dropped in April from March and are actually down a little more than 1% from February 2020, Consumer Price Index data shows.",2024-05-27
FCC is considering AI rules for political ads,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/tech/fcc-weighs-ai-rules-political-ads/index.html,"
  Updated
        3:38 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","The Federal Communications Commission is taking initial steps toward new rules that could require political ads on TV and radio to include disclaimers about the use of artificial intelligence.
    
            On Wednesday, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called on other agency commissioners to support such regulations amid growing fears that AI-generated deepfakes could disrupt elections.
    
            “As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the Commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used,” Rosenworcel said in a news release. “Today, I’ve shared with my colleagues a proposal that makes clear consumers have a right to know when AI tools are being used in the political ads they see, and I hope they swiftly act on this issue.”
    
            Wednesday’s proposal aims to open a rulemaking process at the FCC that would likely take months to play out.
    
            The proposal calls for new rules governing broadcast TV and radio, as well as cable and satellite providers. Under the proposed rules, political advertisers on those mediums would have to make on-air disclosures if their ads contain AI-generated content. The FCC does not regulate internet-based media such as streaming video services or social media.
    
            As part of the proposed rule, political advertisers would also have to provide written disclosures in the files that broadcasters are required to make available to the public.
    
            The FCC move seeks to fill a yawning gap in the regulation of artificial intelligence in political advertising.
    
            Existing US election law prohibits campaigns from “fraudulently misrepresenting other candidates or political parties,” but whether this prohibition extends to AI-generated content is an open question.
    
            Last summer, Republicans on the Federal Election Commission blocked a move that could have made clear the law extended to AI-created depictions; the FEC has since agreed to revive the discussion, but it has not reached a decision on the matter.
    
            In the meantime, some US lawmakers have proposed legislation that could clamp down on AI in elections. In March, a bipartisan proposal by Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski unveiled the AI Transparency in Elections Act, which could require AI disclaimers on political ads.
    
            Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has stressed the urgent need for Congress to create guardrails for artificial intelligence, particularly for elections. Last week, he and a bipartisan group of senators released a blueprint for legislative action. But many policy analysts doubt that Congress can pass meaningful AI legislation during an election year.
    
            Online platforms such as Meta have taken their own steps to address AI in political ads, requiring campaigns to disclose the use of deepfakes and banning the use of its in-house generative AI tools for political advertising.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['The Federal Communications Commission is taking initial steps toward new rules that could require political ads on TV and radio to include disclaimers about the use of artificial intelligence.', 'On Wednesday, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called on other agency commissioners to support such regulations amid growing fears that AI-generated deepfakes could disrupt elections.', '“As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the Commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used,” Rosenworcel said in a news release.', '“Today, I’ve shared with my colleagues a proposal that makes clear consumers have a right to know when AI tools are being used in the political ads they see, and I hope they swiftly act on this issue.”', 'Wednesday’s proposal aims to open a rulemaking process at the FCC that would likely take months to play out.', 'The proposal calls for new rules governing broadcast TV and radio, as well as cable and satellite providers.', 'Under the proposed rules, political advertisers on those mediums would have to make on-air disclosures if their ads contain AI-generated content.', 'The FCC does not regulate internet-based media such as streaming video services or social media.', 'As part of the proposed rule, political advertisers would also have to provide written disclosures in the files that broadcasters arerequired to make availableto the public.', 'The FCC move seeks to filla yawning gapin the regulation of artificial intelligence in political advertising.', 'Existing US election law prohibits campaigns from “fraudulently misrepresenting other candidates or political parties,” but whether this prohibition extends to AI-generated content is an open question.', 'Last summer,Republicans on the Federal Election Commission blockeda move that could have made clear the law extended to AI-created depictions; the FEC has since agreed to revive the discussion, but it has not reached a decision on the matter.', 'In the meantime, some US lawmakers have proposed legislation that could clamp down on AI in elections.', 'In March, a bipartisan proposal by Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski unveiled theAI Transparency in Elections Act, which could require AI disclaimers on political ads.', 'Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has stressed the urgent need for Congress to create guardrails for artificial intelligence, particularly for elections.', 'Last week, he and a bipartisan group of senatorsreleased a blueprintfor legislative action.', 'But manypolicy analysts doubtthat Congress can pass meaningful AI legislation during an election year.', 'Online platforms such as Meta have taken their own steps to address AI in political ads,requiring campaignsto disclose the use of deepfakes and banning the use of itsin-house generative AI toolsfor political advertising.']",0.284207734823922,"“Today, I’ve shared with my colleagues a proposal that makes clear consumers have a right to know when AI tools are being used in the political ads they see, and I hope they swiftly act on this issue.”",,-0.9524238705635072,,But manypolicy analysts doubtthat Congress can pass meaningful AI legislation during an election year.,2024-05-27
Apple announces its annual developers conference is set for June 10,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/apple-annual-developers-conference-june-10/index.html,"
  Updated
        2:20 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","Apple announced its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on June 10, when the company is expected to show off its latest AI advancements.
    
            The conference, which is widely anticipated each year as a major showcase for Apple software news, will run Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14.
    
            Although last year’s WWDC focused on the unveiling of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which launched in stores in February, this year is expected to turn to Apple’s AI efforts. The company is reportedly interested in licensing and building Google’s Gemini AI engine, which includes chatbots and other AI tools, into upcoming iPhones and its iOS 18 features.
    
            As more tech companies pour billions of dollars into the development and rollout of artificial intelligence, Apple has largely been left out of the conversation, with many other tech companies making big strides in the space. A partnership with Google would catapult Apple into the growing AI arms race.
    
            Apple researchers also recently said they’ve developed a family of multimodal models — which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — called MM1. A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.
    
            In a press release on Tuesday, the company said WWDC 2024 will also share software updates coming to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro headset.",CNN,26/03/2024,"['Apple announced its annual Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off on June 10, when the company is expected to show off its latest AI advancements.', 'The conference, which is widely anticipated each year as a major showcase for Apple software news, will run Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14.', 'Although last year’s WWDC focused on the unveiling of the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which launched in stores in February, this year is expected to turn to Apple’s AI efforts.', 'The company is reportedly interested in licensing and building Google’s Gemini AI engine, which includes chatbots and other AI tools, into upcoming iPhones and its iOS 18 features.', 'As more tech companies pour billions of dollars into the development and rollout of artificial intelligence, Apple has largely been left out of the conversation, with many other tech companies making big strides in the space.', 'A partnership with Google would catapult Apple into the growing AI arms race.', 'Apple researchers also recently said they’ve developed a family of multimodal models — which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time — called MM1.', 'A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.', 'In a press release on Tuesday, the company said WWDC 2024 will also share software updates coming to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro headset.']",0.3259092919755588,A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.,,0.9975101351737976,A report from those researchers said those new methods boast “superior abilities” and can offer advanced reasoning and in-context learning to respond to text and images.,,2024-05-27
Shaking seats and piped-in fog: How 4DX is carving out a niche moviegoing market,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/27/4dx-movie-experience.html,2024-05-27T16:42:12+0000,"In George Miller's new Mad Max film ""Furiosa,"" a red paint flare explodes and casts the theater screen in a saturated crimson cloud.Feet away, among the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, plumes of fog roll in, catching the red hue from the screen as if the flare somehow transcended the fourth wall and infiltrated the cinema. The fog parts, Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into focus and grins at the audience.This is the 4DX viewing experience. It's one of many multi-sensory moments programmed for ""Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,"" which opened in theaters Friday, in order to immerse audiences in Miller's latest visit to the vast Wasteland. And it amounts to a key value proposition at a time when cinemas are desperate to lure back moviegoers, particularly those in the younger demographics.""We make movies different,"" said Duncan Macdonald, head of worldwide marketing and theatre development for CJ 4DPlex Americas. ""We are so different out there, with our motion capabilities and our environmental effects.""In the wake of the pandemic, audiences grew used to shorter theatrical windows and having access to more content at home. At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters. As a result, consumers fell out of the habit of going to cinemas.Moviegoers who have returned are seeking premium experiences — higher-quality picture and sound — and are willing to pay more for those tickets. 4DX is one option in the premium large format market alongside the likes of IMAX and Dolby Cinema. CJ 4DPlex also owns the ScreenX format.""Premium movie theatre experiences are key to the health of the industry and with fewer films in the marketplace on average than in past years, the importance and essential nature of a company like 4DX comes into sharp focus,"" said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.4DX utilizes motion seats, practical effects and sensory elements to immerse viewers in a movie. For Warner Bros.' ""Wonka,"" the company piped in the smell of chocolate during screenings.CJ 4DPlex Americas CEO Don Savant says the experience is ""complementary"" to routine moviegoing experiences, noting that 4DX cinemas attract younger consumers, predominantly in the 10-to-30 age range, who are seeking more experiential viewing.For consumers, the 4DX experience costs an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, meaning a ticket can range from $20 to $30 each. But the extra cost doesn't seem to be detering audiences.Last year, 4DX's domestic locations tallied $53.4 million in ticket sales.""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often."" And, for major blockbuster titles, 4DX is proving to be even more popular. Ticket sales for Disney's ""Avatar: The Way of Water"" topped $83.6 million from 4DX screens, or about 3.6% of the film's total box office haul. It is currently the highest-grossing film for the screen format, Savant said.""We want to give customers an easy excuse to leave their homes and visit a local Regal theater,"" said CEO Eduardo Acuna of Regal Cinemas. ""Premium formats like 4DX offer a movie-watching experience that cannot be replicated by any home theater setup. Each premium format serves a different purpose for storytelling, and each increases the enjoyment of watching a movie in a different and immersive way.""Acuna noted that 4DX auditoriums are ""a strong box office performer"" for Regal.Regal is the largest operator of 4DX screens domestically, with 50 of the 62 locations found in the U.S. and Canada. Globally, there are nearly 750 4DX screens with numerous theatrical partners. The highest volume is in Asia and Europe.Savant said 4DX is adding around 25 to 30 screens per year worldwide, but is looking to push that figure up to 50 to 60 screens a year. The company is seeking to have around 1,200 4DX locations in the next five years. On average, each theater has around 140 seats.Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it's flicked in the face of a character on the screen.Last year, 4DX programmed more than 100 films for the souped-up viewing experience. Around 40 to 45 of those were major Hollywood titles, Savant said. Others included concert content, musical singalongs, anniversary titles and local language films.Typically, the 4DX programmers, who are based in Seoul, have two to three weeks to craft the motion and special effects, although Savant said they can turn around a film in a week if the need arises. 4DX can program three titles at a time.Both Macdonald and Savant referred to 4DX's programmers as ""artists,"" describing the process — from the subwoofers in the seats to the fog machines — as different brushstrokes in a work of art.""Every film is different,"" said Macdonald. ""So we look at the nuances of the different films that we have and how those are programmed.""In some cases filmmakers will get involved, offering suggestions for when certain effects should be used and how subtle or bombastic they should feel or look.""It's the most dynamic way to see [a film],"" Savant said.",CNBC,27/05/2024,"['In George Miller\'s new Mad Max film ""Furiosa,"" a red paint flare explodes and casts the theater screen in a saturated crimson cloud.', 'Feet away, among the rows of gyroscopic 4DX chairs, plumes of fog roll in, catching the red hue from the screen as if the flare somehow transcended the fourth wall and infiltrated the cinema.', 'The fog parts, Chris Hemsworth as Dementus comes into focus and grins at the audience.', 'This is the 4DX viewing experience.', 'It\'s one of many multi-sensory moments programmed for ""Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,"" which opened in theaters Friday, in order to immerse audiences in Miller\'s latest visit to the vast Wasteland.', 'And it amounts to a key value proposition at a time when cinemas are desperate to lure back moviegoers, particularly those in the younger demographics.', '""We make movies different,"" said Duncan Macdonald, head of worldwide marketing and theatre development for CJ 4DPlex Americas. ""', 'We are so different out there, with our motion capabilities and our environmental effects.', '""In the wake of the pandemic, audiences grew used to shorter theatrical windows and having access to more content at home.', 'At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters.', 'As a result, consumers fell out of the habit of going to cinemas.', 'Moviegoers who have returned are seeking premium experiences — higher-quality picture and sound — and are willing to pay more for those tickets.', '4DX is one option in the premium large format market alongside the likes of IMAX and Dolby Cinema.', 'CJ 4DPlex also owns the ScreenX format.', '""Premium movie theatre experiences are key to the health of the industry and with fewer films in the marketplace on average than in past years, the importance and essential nature of a company like 4DX comes into sharp focus,"" said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.4DX utilizes motion seats, practical effects and sensory elements to immerse viewers in a movie.', 'For Warner Bros.\' ""Wonka,"" the company piped in the smell of chocolate during screenings.', 'CJ 4DPlex Americas CEO Don Savant says the experience is ""complementary"" to routine moviegoing experiences, noting that 4DX cinemas attract younger consumers, predominantly in the 10-to-30 age range, who are seeking more experiential viewing.', 'For consumers, the 4DX experience costs an average of $8 more than traditional ticket prices, meaning a ticket can range from $20 to $30 each.', ""But the extra cost doesn't seem to be detering audiences."", ""Last year, 4DX's domestic locations tallied $53.4 million in ticket sales."", '""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""', 'This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often.', '""And, for major blockbuster titles, 4DX is proving to be even more popular.', 'Ticket sales for Disney\'s ""Avatar: The Way of Water"" topped $83.6 million from 4DX screens, or about 3.6% of the film\'s total box office haul.', 'It is currently the highest-grossing film for the screen format, Savant said.', '""We want to give customers an easy excuse to leave their homes and visit a local Regal theater,"" said CEO Eduardo Acuna of Regal Cinemas. ""', 'Premium formats like 4DX offer a movie-watching experience that cannot be replicated by any home theater setup.', 'Each premium format serves a different purpose for storytelling, and each increases the enjoyment of watching a movie in a different and immersive way.', '""Acuna noted that 4DX auditoriums are ""a strong box office performer"" for Regal.', 'Regal is the largest operator of 4DX screens domestically, with 50 of the 62 locations found in the U.S. and Canada.', 'Globally, there are nearly 750 4DX screens with numerous theatrical partners.', 'The highest volume is in Asia and Europe.', 'Savant said 4DX is adding around 25 to 30 screens per year worldwide, but is looking to push that figure up to 50 to 60 screens a year.', 'The company is seeking to have around 1,200 4DX locations in the next five years.', 'On average, each theater has around 140 seats.', 'Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.\' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it\'s flicked in the face of a character on the screen.', 'Last year, 4DX programmed more than 100 films for the souped-up viewing experience.', 'Around 40 to 45 of those were major Hollywood titles, Savant said.', 'Others included concert content, musical singalongs, anniversary titles and local language films.', 'Typically, the 4DX programmers, who are based in Seoul, have two to three weeks to craft the motion and special effects, although Savant said they can turn around a film in a week if the need arises.', '4DX can program three titles at a time.', 'Both Macdonald and Savant referred to 4DX\'s programmers as ""artists,"" describing the process — from the subwoofers in the seats to the fog machines — as different brushstrokes in a work of art.', '""Every film is different,"" said Macdonald. ""', 'So we look at the nuances of the different films that we have and how those are programmed.', '""In some cases filmmakers will get involved, offering suggestions for when certain effects should be used and how subtle or bombastic they should feel or look.', '""It\'s the most dynamic way to see [a film],"" Savant said.']",0.1083172602505117,"""Notably, the higher price for premium movie tickets is not a barrier to their success but rather seen as representing a solid value proposition for fans in pursuit of the best possible big screen experience,"" Dergarabedian said. ""","Moviegoers who venture away from their couches and into a 4DX theater to see Warner Bros.' ""Furiosa"" will feel from their seat the rev of motorcycles racing through the desert, smell gunpowder in the air during epic gun battles and even get hit with a soft spray of water as it's flicked in the face of a character on the screen.",0.6972404505525317,"This is good news for theater owners who, facing fewer wide release films in the marketplace, can boost revenues on a per-ticket basis while giving their patrons a great experience that will have them returning to the multiplex more often.","At the same time, pandemic-related shutdowns and production stalls from two Hollywood strikes greatly limited the amount of content hitting theaters.",2024-05-27
Two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island join new national pharmacy union,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/two-cvs-pharmacies-join-new-national-pharmacy-union.html,2024-05-24T18:40:36+0000,"In this articlePharmacy staff at two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island voted to join a new national pharmacy union on Friday, signaling growing momentum in a movement to help thousands of U.S. pharmacy workers address what they allege are unsafe working conditions. Pharmacy workers at locations open 24 hours a day in Wakefield and Westerly won their union elections, making them the first stores to unionize in CVS' home state, according to a release from the union. It comes a month after a CVS Omnicare pharmacy in Las Vegas — which is not customer facing — became the first location to join the union, known as The Pharmacy Guild. The labor group will represent them in negotiations with CVS. ""These are the first brick-and-mortar classic CVS model"" stores to join the union, Shane Jerominski, a community pharmacist and co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild, told CNBC. ""This is really where my heart is … we've all worked for Walgreens or CVS in the classic retail setting, so we all know the working conditions there."" The two locations consist of nine of the company's roughly 30,000 pharmacists in the U.S., a CVS spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. Some 700 CVS pharmacists are already unionized with other groups, they noted.The spokesperson said the company respects its employees' right to unionize or refrain from doing so. They added that the vote is the first of several steps in the collective bargaining process. If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we'll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added. They said the company is committed to ensuring there are ""appropriate levels of staffing and resources"" at its pharmacies, using ""a combination of staffing, labor hours, workflow process, and technology to do so.""Jerominski and other organizers of a nationwide walkout of pharmacy staff in the fall partnered with IAM Healthcare, a union representing thousands of health-care professionals, to launch The Pharmacy Guild in November. That work stoppage spanned major drugstore chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, and drew widespread media attention to workers' concerns. The Pharmacy Guild aims to help pharmacy staff address what many workers call unsafe staffing levels and increasing workloads across the industry that put both employees and patients at risk. The union also calls for legislative and regulatory changes to establish higher standards of practice in pharmacies to protect patients. The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management. Many employees said the Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated those issues, with new duties such as vaccinations and testing stretching pharmacy staff even thinner. The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said. He added there could be more union filings for stores at companies other than CVS in the next several weeks.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articlePharmacy staff at two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island voted to join a new national pharmacy union on Friday, signaling growing momentum in a movement to help thousands of U.S. pharmacy workers address what they allege are unsafe working conditions.', ""Pharmacy workers at locations open 24 hours a day in Wakefield and Westerly won their union elections, making them the first stores to unionize in CVS' home state, according to a release from the union."", 'It comes a month after a CVS Omnicare pharmacy in Las Vegas — which is not customer facing — became the first location to join the union, known as The Pharmacy Guild.', 'The labor group will represent them in negotiations with CVS.""These are the first brick-and-mortar classic CVS model"" stores to join the union, Shane Jerominski, a community pharmacist and co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild, told CNBC. ""', ""This is really where my heart is … we've all worked for Walgreens or CVS in the classic retail setting, so we all know the working conditions there."", '""The two locations consist of nine of the company\'s roughly 30,000 pharmacists in the U.S., a CVS spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.Some 700 CVS pharmacists are already unionized with other groups, they noted.', ""The spokesperson said the company respects its employees' right to unionize or refrain from doing so."", 'They added that the vote is the first of several steps in the collective bargaining process.', 'If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we\'ll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added.', 'They said the company is committed to ensuring there are ""appropriate levels of staffing and resources"" at its pharmacies, using ""a combination of staffing, labor hours, workflow process, and technology to do so.', '""Jerominski and other organizers of a nationwide walkout of pharmacy staff in the fall partnered with IAM Healthcare, a union representing thousands of health-care professionals, to launch The Pharmacy Guild in November.', ""That work stoppage spanned major drugstore chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid, and drew widespread media attention to workers' concerns."", 'The Pharmacy Guild aims to help pharmacy staff address what many workers call unsafe staffing levels and increasing workloads across the industry that put both employees and patients at risk.', 'The union also calls for legislative and regulatory changes to establish higher standards of practice in pharmacies to protect patients.', 'The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management.', 'Many employees said the Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbated those issues, with new duties such as vaccinations and testing stretching pharmacy staff even thinner.', 'The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said.', 'He added there could be more union filings for stores at companies other than CVS in the next several weeks.']",0.2422728258979897,"If the National Labor Relations Board confirms the results, ""we'll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement,"" the CVS spokesperson added.",,0.0499576330184936,"The Pharmacy Guild is seeing momentum build in other parts of the country, Jerominski said.","The unionization effort reflects the years of growing discontent among retail pharmacy staff, who say they often grapple with understaffed teams and increasing work expectations imposed by corporate management.",2024-05-27
E.l.f. Beauty shares soar 19% after retailer indicates its torrid growth may not be over,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/elf-beauty-elf-earnings-q4-2024.html,2024-05-23T20:05:14+0000,"In this articleE.l.f. Beauty posted its first billion-dollar fiscal year on Wednesday as sales spiked 77%, but the retailer is expecting its growth to slow down in the current fiscal year.The eyes, lip, face company, known for its viral marketing and prowess in winning over younger consumers, issued guidance that came in lower than analysts had forecast.Shares of E.l.f. fell after its report was initially released, but later jumped after the company suggested that its guidance was conservative.""Last year, we started our guidance at 22% to 24% range, ended the year at 77%,"" finance chief Mandy Fields told analysts. ""I'm not saying that we're promising 77% this year for sure. But what I will say is that gives you a little bit of insight into our guidance philosophy and what has worked well for us over these last five years, taking it one quarter at a time.""Shares closed about 19% higher on Thursday. Here is how E.l.f. Beauty did in its fourth fiscal quarter compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company reported net income for the three-month period that ended March 31 was $14.53 million, or 25 cents per share, compared to $16.25 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, E.l.f. posted earnings of 53 cents per share. Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.For the full year, the company's sales grew to $1.02 billion, an increase of 77% from the year-ago period.E.l.f. Beauty has been on a tear over the past year, posting sales gains in the high double-digit percentages quarter after quarter as consumers flock to its low-priced beauty products either through its own website or at retailers such as Walmart and Target. In a statement, E.l.f. CEO Tarang Amin said he believes the company is still in the ""early innings"" of its growth story and expects more to come in cosmetics, skin care and in international markets. Its guidance reflects that sentiment, but even so, the company expects to grow at a slower pace than Wall Street anticipated. E.l.f. expects net sales to be between $1.23 billion and $1.25 billion, which would be an increase of 20% to 22%. That is below the $1.27 billion, or 27.4% uptick, that analysts had expected.The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share. That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG. Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.""We have seen a slowdown in the total category,"" Kimbell said at an investor conference hosted by JPMorgan Chase. ""We came into the year — and we talked about this on our [earnings] call a few weeks ago — expecting the category to moderate. It has [had], as I said, several years of strong growth. We did not anticipate it would continue at the rate that it's been growing.""He added that the slowdown has been ""a bit earlier"" and a ""bit bigger than we thought."" Just how much Ulta's sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f. products. During a call with analysts, Amin said that it grew its business with Ulta by 80% in fiscal 2024 — ""well above where the overall growth rates were.""Read E.l.f.'s full earnings release here.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleE.l.f.', 'Beauty posted its first billion-dollar fiscal year on Wednesday as sales spiked 77%, but the retailer is expecting its growth to slow down in the current fiscal year.', 'The eyes, lip, face company, known for its viral marketing and prowess in winning over younger consumers, issued guidance that came in lower than analysts had forecast.', 'Shares of E.l.f.', 'fell after its report was initially released, but later jumped after the company suggested that its guidance was conservative.', '""Last year, we started our guidance at 22% to 24% range, ended the year at 77%,"" finance chief Mandy Fields told analysts. ""', ""I'm not saying that we're promising 77% this year for sure."", 'But what I will say is that gives you a little bit of insight into our guidance philosophy and what has worked well for us over these last five years, taking it one quarter at a time.', '""Shares closed about 19% higher on Thursday.', 'Here is how E.l.f.', 'Beauty did in its fourth fiscal quarter compared to what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:The company reported net income for the three-month period that ended March 31 was $14.53 million, or 25 cents per share, compared to $16.25 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier.', 'Excluding one-time items, E.l.f.', 'posted earnings of 53 cents per share.', 'Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.', ""For the full year, the company's sales grew to $1.02 billion, an increase of 77% from the year-ago period."", 'E.l.f.', 'Beauty has been on a tear over the past year, posting sales gains in the high double-digit percentages quarter after quarter as consumers flock to its low-priced beauty products either through its own website or at retailers such as Walmart and Target.', 'In a statement, E.l.f.', 'CEO Tarang Amin said he believes the company is still in the ""early innings"" of its growth story and expects more to come in cosmetics, skin care and in international markets.', 'Its guidance reflects that sentiment, but even so, the company expects to grow at a slower pace than Wall Street anticipated.', 'E.l.f.', 'expects net sales to be between $1.23 billion and $1.25 billion, which would be an increase of 20% to 22%.', 'That is below the $1.27 billion, or 27.4% uptick, that analysts had expected.', 'The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share.', 'That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.', '""We have seen a slowdown in the total category,"" Kimbell said at an investor conference hosted by JPMorgan Chase. ""', 'We came into the year — and we talked about this on our [earnings] call a few weeks ago — expecting the category to moderate.', 'It has [had], as I said, several years of strong growth.', ""We did not anticipate it would continue at the rate that it's been growing."", '""He added that the slowdown has been ""a bit earlier"" and a ""bit bigger than we thought.', '""Just how much Ulta\'s sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f.', 'products.', 'During a call with analysts, Amin said that it grew its business with Ulta by 80% in fiscal 2024 — ""well above where the overall growth rates were.', '""Read E.l.f.', ""'s full earnings release here.""]",0.2522435666175583,"""Just how much Ulta's sales have slowed remains to be seen, but the beauty giant has seen strong sales of E.l.f.","The company is forecasting adjusted net income to be between $187 million and $191 million, and adjusted earnings to be between $3.20 and $3.25 per share.",0.4884643696603321,"Sales rose to $321.1 million, up about 71% from $187.4 million a year earlier.","That is below the $3.51 that analysts had expected, according to LSEG.Last month, Ulta Beauty CEO Dave Kimbell threw cold water on the red-hot beauty category when he warned that demand for cosmetics was cooling, sending its stock down 15% that day and hitting shares of E.l.f, Estée Lauder and Coty.",2024-05-27
Their Nissan SUV was parked in the driveway. Then it caught fire and exploded,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/nissan-suv-driveway-explosion/index.html,"
  Updated
        3:51 PM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","In the early morning of May 14, Vicki Hill was startled awake by the sound of explosions outside her home in Bethesda, Maryland. The loud bangs, she learned later, had come from the airbags of the family’s SUV, a 2015 Nissan Murano that was parked in the driveway. It was on fire.
    
            “I thought someone was trying to get into our house with a sledgehammer and I woke my husband up and I said something’s wrong,” she told CNN. “And he ran downstairs and shouted up, ‘Call 911, the car’s on fire!’”
    
            Video from the home’s doorbell camera, which the family provided to CNN, shows smoke before the fire erupts and then engulfs the car.
    
            The cause of the fire in the Murano remains unknown. The fire is under investigation by Nissan. The National Highway Traffic Administration is gathering information on the fire, as well.
    
            “The safety and security of our customers is our primary concern,” a Nissan spokesperson said in a statement in response to an email asking about the fire. “We have opened an investigation into this incident.”
    
            The Hills’ Murano was recalled by Nissan in 2016 and 2019, to fix a problem that could allow brake fluid to leak and start a fire, even while the vehicle is parked. At the time, owners were warned to park their vehicles outside and away from buildings until the issue was repaired because of fire risks.
    
            A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano. The couple said a local fire investigator suggested the unrepaired recall could have caused the fire. But the Hills remember getting the work done and provided CNN with a photograph of the receipt from a local Nissan dealership that showed the repair was made. CNN has not confirmed whether the receipt is authentic.
    
            The Hills said that because the recall work had been done, the possibility of a fire wasn’t something that crossed their minds.
    
            Philip Hill had been fixing the garage, so the couple’s two cars were parked in the driveway. Otherwise, the Murano would have been parked inside the garage adjoining the house.
    
            “As you can see from the video, that vehicle is so close to the house,” Philip Hill told CNN. “Minutes later, the house could have gone up.”
    
            As it was, the garage door melted from the flames, they said. The Hills credit a neighbor’s dog with saving them and their three children. The neighbor was able to call 911 before the Hills, after being alerted by her dog.
    
            The intense flames from the burning Nissan also damaged the side of the family’s other car, a 2012 Mercedes C-class, leaving it unusable.
    
            Initially, the Hills were concerned they might have been victims of vandalism. But they said the video footage from their Nest doorbell camera clearly showed the vehicle spontaneously combusting.
    
            Nissan took possession of the Murano on Wednesday to study it more closely, the Hills said.
    
            As surprising as the Hills’ situation may seem, vehicle fires are not uncommon. In 2022, an estimated 188,500 car and truck fires blazed in the United States, an average of more than 500 a day, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Vehicle fires caused 610 civilian deaths that year, according the NFPA.",CNN,25/05/2024,"['In the early morning of May 14, Vicki Hill was startled awake by the sound of explosions outside her home in Bethesda, Maryland.', 'The loud bangs, she learned later, had come from the airbags of the family’s SUV, a 2015 Nissan Murano that was parked in the driveway.', 'It was on fire.', '“I thought someone was trying to get into our house with a sledgehammer and I woke my husband up and I said something’s wrong,” she told CNN. “', 'And he ran downstairs and shouted up, ‘Call 911, the car’s on fire!’”', 'Video from the home’s doorbell camera,which the family provided to CNN,shows smoke before the fire erupts and thenengulfs the car.', 'The cause of the fire in the Murano remains unknown.', 'The fire isunder investigationby Nissan.', 'The National Highway Traffic Administration is gathering informationon the fire, as well.', '“The safety and security of our customers is our primary concern,” a Nissan spokesperson said in a statement in response to an email asking about the fire. “', 'We have opened an investigation into this incident.”', 'TheHills’ Murano was recalled by Nissanin 2016 and 2019, to fix a problem that could allow brake fluid to leak and start a fire, even while the vehicle is parked.', 'At the time, owners were warned to park their vehicles outside and away from buildings until the issue was repaired because of fire risks.', 'A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano.', 'The couple said a local fire investigator suggested the unrepaired recall could have caused the fire.', 'But the Hills remember getting the work done and provided CNN with a photograph of the receipt from a local Nissan dealership that showed the repair was made.', 'CNN has not confirmed whether the receipt is authentic.', 'The Hills said that because the recall work had been done, the possibility of a fire wasn’t something that crossed their minds.', 'Philip Hill had been fixing the garage, so the couple’s two cars were parked in the driveway.', 'Otherwise, the Murano would have been parked inside the garage adjoining the house.', '“As you can see from the video, that vehicle is so close to the house,” Philip Hill told CNN. “', 'Minutes later, the house could have gone up.”', 'As it was, the garage door melted from the flames, they said.', 'The Hills credit a neighbor’s dog with saving them and their three children.', 'The neighbor was able to call 911 before the Hills, after being alerted by her dog.', 'The intense flames from the burning Nissan also damaged the side of the family’s other car, a 2012 Mercedes C-class, leaving it unusable.', 'Initially, the Hills were concerned they might have been victims of vandalism.', 'Butthey saidthe video footage from their Nest doorbell cameraclearlyshowed the vehicle spontaneously combusting.', 'Nissan took possession of the Murano on Wednesday to study it more closely, the Hills said.', 'As surprising as the Hills’ situation may seem, vehicle fires are not uncommon.', 'In 2022, an estimated 188,500 car and truck fires blazed in the United States, an average of more than 500 a day, according to the National Fire Protection Association.', 'Vehicle fires caused 610 civilian deaths that year, according the NFPA.']",-0.115243302764866,A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano.,"TheHills’ Murano was recalled by Nissanin 2016 and 2019, to fix a problem that could allow brake fluid to leak and start a fire, even while the vehicle is parked.",-0.827258655003139,,A search on NHTSA’s website indicated there was an outstanding unrepaired recall on the Hills’ Murano.,2024-05-27
"CFPB says buy now, pay later firms must comply with U.S. credit card laws",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/cfpb-buy-now-pay-later-credit-card-laws.html,2024-05-22T20:39:22+0000,"In this articleThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau declared on Wednesday that customers of the burgeoning buy now, pay later industry have the same federal protections as users of credit cards.The agency unveiled what it called an ""interpretive rule"" that deemed BNPL lenders essentially the same as traditional credit card providers under the decades-old Truth in Lending Act.That means the industry — currently dominated by fintech firms like Affirm, Klarna and PayPal — must make refunds for returned products or canceled services, must investigate merchant disputes and pause payments during those probes, and must provide bills with fee disclosures.""Regardless of whether a shopper swipes a credit card or uses Buy Now, Pay Later, they are entitled to important consumer protections under long-standing laws and regulations already on the books,"" CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a release.The CFPB, which last week was handed a crucial victory by the Supreme Court, has pushed hard against the U.S. financial industry, issuing rules that slashed credit card late fees and overdraft penalties. The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing. Among CFPB concerns are that some users are given more debt than they can handle, he said.""Buy now, pay later is now a major part of our consumer credit market as these loans provide a meaningful alternative to other options for consumers,"" Chopra told reporters. ""The CFPB wants to make sure that these new competitive offerings are not gaining an advantage by sidestepping longstanding rights and responsibilities enshrined under the law.""It's unclear how many BNPL providers don't comply with refund and dispute requirements; on the website for Affirm, for instance, there are pages for both activities.While the CFPB acknowledged that many BNPL players offer those services, the new rule will ensure that they are applied consistently across the industry, a senior agency official told reporters.The new rule will go into effect in 60 days, and the agency is now accepting public commentary on it, the official said.Shares of Affirm were off 5.2% Wednesday, while PayPal slipped 3%.For some time, BNPL providers have anticipated greater regulation, including efforts to apply existing card rules onto the industry. In March, Klarna published a post arguing that its no-interest product was less risky for customers than credit cards — which can often come with steep interest rates — thus requiring less oversight.""Instead of trying to jam BNPL into an outdated credit card framework that does little to actually protect consumers, leaders in Washington should draft and implement a framework for BNPL that is proportionate to the risk it poses,"" Klarna said at the time.In a statement provided Wednesday, Klarna called the CFPB move a ""significant step forward"" in BNPL regulation, adding that it already adhered to standards for refunds, disputes and billing information.""But it is baffling that the CFPB has overlooked the fundamental differences between interest-free BNPL and credit cards, whose whole business model is based on trapping customers into a cycle of paying sky-high interest rates month after month,"" said a Klarna spokesperson.An Affirm spokesman said the company was ""encouraged"" that the CFPB was promoting industry standards, ""many of which already reflect how Affirm operates,"" and that it was engaged with the regulator on improving how it operates.""Affirm's success is aligned with responsibly extending access to credit as we do not charge late or hidden fees,"" the spokesman said. ""We urge other companies that offer buy now, pay later products to live up to the industry's promise to provide consumers with a more flexible and transparent alternative to other payment options.""The industry's stance raises the possibility that, like other financial players including payday lenders, BNPL companies could push back against the CFPB rule by suing the agency.The CFPB rule capping credit card late fees at $8 per incident, which was set to go into effect this month, was challenged and paused by a federal judge recently.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"['In this articleThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau declared on Wednesday that customers of the burgeoning buy now, pay later industry have the same federal protections as users of credit cards.', 'The agency unveiled what it called an ""interpretive rule"" that deemed BNPL lenders essentially the same as traditional credit card providers under the decades-old Truth in Lending Act.', 'That means the industry — currently dominated by fintech firms like Affirm, Klarna and PayPal — must make refunds for returned products or canceled services, must investigate merchant disputes and pause payments during those probes, and must provide bills with fee disclosures.', '""Regardless of whether a shopper swipes a credit card or uses Buy Now, Pay Later, they are entitled to important consumer protections under long-standing laws and regulations already on the books,"" CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a release.', 'The CFPB, which last week was handed a crucial victory by the Supreme Court, has pushed hard against the U.S. financial industry, issuing rules that slashed credit card late fees and overdraft penalties.', 'The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing.', 'Among CFPB concerns are that some users are given more debt than they can handle, he said.', '""Buy now, pay later is now a major part of our consumer credit market as these loans provide a meaningful alternative to other options for consumers,"" Chopra told reporters. ""', 'The CFPB wants to make sure that these new competitive offerings are not gaining an advantage by sidestepping longstanding rights and responsibilities enshrined under the law.', '""It\'s unclear how many BNPL providers don\'t comply with refund and dispute requirements; on the website for Affirm, for instance, there are pages for both activities.', 'While the CFPB acknowledged that many BNPL players offer those services, the new rule will ensure that they are applied consistently across the industry, a senior agency official told reporters.', 'The new rule will go into effect in 60 days, and the agency is now accepting public commentary on it, the official said.', 'Shares of Affirm were off 5.2% Wednesday, while PayPal slipped 3%.For some time, BNPL providers have anticipated greater regulation, including efforts to apply existing card rules onto the industry.', 'In March, Klarna published a post arguing that its no-interest product was less risky for customers than credit cards — which can often come with steep interest rates — thus requiring less oversight.', '""Instead of trying to jam BNPL into an outdated credit card framework that does little to actually protect consumers, leaders in Washington should draft and implement a framework for BNPL that is proportionate to the risk it poses,"" Klarna said at the time.', 'In a statement provided Wednesday, Klarna called the CFPB move a ""significant step forward"" in BNPL regulation, adding that it already adhered to standards for refunds, disputes and billing information.', '""But it is baffling that the CFPB has overlooked the fundamental differences between interest-free BNPL and credit cards, whose whole business model is based on trapping customers into a cycle of paying sky-high interest rates month after month,"" said a Klarna spokesperson.', 'An Affirm spokesman said the company was ""encouraged"" that the CFPB was promoting industry standards, ""many of which already reflect how Affirm operates,"" and that it was engaged with the regulator on improving how it operates.', '""Affirm\'s success is aligned with responsibly extending access to credit as we do not charge late or hidden fees,"" the spokesman said. ""', ""We urge other companies that offer buy now, pay later products to live up to the industry's promise to provide consumers with a more flexible and transparent alternative to other payment options."", '""The industry\'s stance raises the possibility that, like other financial players including payday lenders, BNPL companies could push back against the CFPB rule by suing the agency.', 'The CFPB rule capping credit card late fees at $8 per incident, which was set to go into effect this month, was challenged and paused by a federal judge recently.']",0.3036623994723746,"""But it is baffling that the CFPB has overlooked the fundamental differences between interest-free BNPL and credit cards, whose whole business model is based on trapping customers into a cycle of paying sky-high interest rates month after month,"" said a Klarna spokesperson.","The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing.",0.3937838352643527,"The agency, formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, began investigating the BNPL industry in late 2021.The use of digital installment loan-type services has ballooned in recent years, with volumes surging tenfold from 2019 to 2021, Chopra said during a media briefing.","Shares of Affirm were off 5.2% Wednesday, while PayPal slipped 3%.For some time, BNPL providers have anticipated greater regulation, including efforts to apply existing card rules onto the industry.",2024-05-27
"Home sales slipped unexpectedly in April, despite big gains in supply",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/april-existing-home-sales.html,2024-05-22T17:08:01+0000,"Sales of previously owned homes fell 1.9% in April from March to 4.14 million units, on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors. The forecast had been for a slight gain.Sales were also down from April 2023, off 1.9% from last year.These sales are based on closings, so contracts likely signed in February and March. Mortgage rates jumped at the start of February and then held around 7% for the next two months before moving even higher in April.""When we see these mortgage rates, which is a 300 basis point increase from pre-Covid pace, we are in a new territory as to how the lock-in effect will restrain home sales,"" said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors.Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% month to month and up 16% from the year before, but still just a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace. A six-month supply is considered balanced between buyer and seller. The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million, however, was up 34% year over year, which is why that segment of the market is most active.Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%.Tight supply kept prices under pressure. The median price of an existing home sold in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% year over year. That is another record high price for April. With multiple offers, due to strong demand, 27% of homes sold above list price.""Home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners,"" said Yun. ""However, the pace of price increases should taper off since more housing inventory is becoming available.""First-time buyers made a slight comeback, making up 33% of April sales, up from 29% the year before. The all-cash share was still relatively high, at 28% of all transactions.Regionally, sales in the Northeast fell 4% from March and 4% from April 2023. The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% year over year.In the Midwest, sales dropped 1% month to month and were also down 1% year over year. The median price in the Midwest was $303,600, up 6% from April 2023.Sales in the South dropped 1.6% from March and 3.1% from the year before. The median price in the South was $366,200, up 3.7% from last year.And in the West, sales were down 2.6% for the month and rose 1.3% from one year before. The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023.Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year. An earlier version misstated the percentage.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"['Sales of previously owned homes fell 1.9% in April from March to 4.14 million units, on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, according to the National Association of Realtors.', 'The forecast had been for a slight gain.', 'Sales were also down from April 2023, off 1.9% from last year.', 'These sales are based on closings, so contracts likely signed in February and March.', 'Mortgage rates jumped at the start of February and then held around 7% for the next two months before moving even higher in April.', '""When we see these mortgage rates, which is a 300 basis point increase from pre-Covid pace, we are in a new territory as to how the lock-in effect will restrain home sales,"" said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors.', 'Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% month to month and up 16% from the year before, but still just a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace.', 'A six-month supply is considered balanced between buyer and seller.', 'The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million, however, was up 34% year over year, which is why that segment of the market is most active.', 'Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%.Tight supply kept prices under pressure.', 'The median price of an existing home sold in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% year over year.', 'That is another record high price for April.', 'With multiple offers, due to strong demand, 27% of homes sold above list price.', '""Home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners,"" said Yun. ""', 'However, the pace of price increases should taper off since more housing inventory is becoming available.', '""First-time buyers made a slight comeback, making up 33% of April sales, up from 29% the year before.', 'The all-cash share was still relatively high, at 28% of all transactions.', 'Regionally, sales in the Northeast fell 4% from March and 4% from April 2023.', 'The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% year over year.', 'In the Midwest, sales dropped 1% month to month and were also down 1% year over year.', 'The median price in the Midwest was $303,600, up 6% from April 2023.Sales in the South dropped 1.6% from March and 3.1% from the year before.', 'The median price in the South was $366,200, up 3.7% from last year.', 'And in the West, sales were down 2.6% for the month and rose 1.3% from one year before.', 'The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023.Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year.', 'An earlier version misstated the percentage.']",0.1041924059185371,"""Home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners,"" said Yun. ""","Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%.Tight supply kept prices under pressure.",0.1457016354515439,"The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023.Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year.","And in the West, sales were down 2.6% for the month and rose 1.3% from one year before.",2024-05-27
"Sales of newly built homes tank in April, as prices and interest rates rise",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/newly-built-home-sales-april.html,2024-05-23T15:59:01+0000,"Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.March sales were also revised significantly lower.Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales. The monthly reading is based on signed contracts, so it reflects people shopping during the month and inking deals based on current rates.The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was in the high 6% range at the end of March, but then shot up to 7.5% during April, cutting into affordability.Adding to that, the median price of a new home sold in April was $433,500, 4% higher than it was in April 2023. Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market. Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash.Builders say they cannot lower prices due to high costs for land, labor and materials. The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size. D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers reported strong earnings in their latest quarters, beating expectations and citing growing demand due to low supply in the resale market.""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.In the first quarter of 2024, 38% of a median household income nationally was needed to make the mortgage payment on a median-priced new single-family home, according to a new index launched Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home. Prices continue to rise for both new and existing homes due to a lack of supply. There is very little available for sale on the lower end of the resale market. While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.""With a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.5 million homes, the lack of housing units is the primary cause of growing housing affordability challenges,"" said Robert Dietz, NAHB's chief economist. ""Policymakers at all levels of government need to enact policy changes that will allow builders to construct more homes, such as speeding up permit approval times, providing resources for skilled labor training and fixing building material supply chains.""",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.', 'March sales were also revised significantly lower.', 'Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales.', 'The monthly reading is based on signed contracts, so it reflects people shopping during the month and inking deals based on current rates.', 'The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was in the high 6% range at the end of March, but then shot up to 7.5% during April, cutting into affordability.', 'Adding to that, the median price of a new home sold in April was $433,500, 4% higher than it was in April 2023.', 'Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market.', 'Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash.', 'Builders say they cannot lower prices due to high costs for land, labor and materials.', 'The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size.', 'D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers reported strong earnings in their latest quarters, beating expectations and citing growing demand due to low supply in the resale market.', '""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.', 'In the first quarter of 2024, 38% of a median household income nationally was needed to make the mortgage payment on a median-priced new single-family home, according to a new index launched Thursday by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.', ""Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home."", 'Prices continue to rise for both new and existing homes due to a lack of supply.', 'There is very little available for sale on the lower end of the resale market.', 'While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.', '""With a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.5 million homes, the lack of housing units is the primary cause of growing housing affordability challenges,"" said Robert Dietz, NAHB\'s chief economist. ""', 'Policymakers at all levels of government need to enact policy changes that will allow builders to construct more homes, such as speeding up permit approval times, providing resources for skilled labor training and fixing building material supply chains.""']",0.0290192252213069,"""For all the happy talk from the big builders (who are taking market share), the entire new build industry is selling new homes at a pace below the 5 yr average,"" noted Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group and a CNBC contributor.","Low-income families, which it defines as those earning just 50% of the area's median income, would have to spend 77% of their earnings to pay for the same new home.",0.2314275365609389,"While the number of newly built homes continues to rise, up 12% year over year, new homes come at a price premium and are out of range for lower-income buyers.","Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and fell a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday.",2024-05-27
Here's where rents are rising — and where they're falling,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/21/where-rents-are-rising.html,2024-05-21T18:27:06+0000,"Driven by the work-from-home dynamic, as well as by new migration patterns, both single-family and multifamily rent prices were red-hot during the first years of the pandemic.Now different drivers are pushing some rents higher — and throwing cold water on others.Multifamily rents in April were 0.8% lower than they were in the same month last year, according to Apartment List. Rents cooled because a massive amount of new supply entered the market, with still more in the pipeline.Apartment rents did rise for the third straight month, but the growth, at 0.5%, is very small. Rents usually begin to rise in the spring, and the gain this year is not only smaller than usual but smaller than the previous month's gain. The national median rent in April was $1,396.""This is typically the time of year when rent growth is accelerating heading into the busy moving season, so the fact that growth stalled this month could be a sign that the market is headed for another slow summer,"" according to the Apartment List report.Apartment vacancies are also climbing, hitting 6.7% as of March, marking the highest reading since August 2020. New multifamily building permits are slowing down, but the number of units currently under construction is near a record high, and last year saw the most new apartments hit the market in over 30 years.Single-family rents are much stronger, up 3.4% in March year over year, according to a new report from CoreLogic. That annual increase, however, continues to shrink as more supply comes onto the market from build-for-rent companies.Roughly 18,000 single-family, built-for-rent homes were started during the first quarter, a 20% increase from the first quarter of 2023, according to an analysis of Census data by the National Association of Home Builders. Over the last four quarters, 80,000 such homes began construction, representing a nearly 16% jump from the prior four quarters.""U.S. single-family rent growth strengthened overall in March, though some weaknesses are revealed in the latest numbers,"" said Molly Boesel, principal economist for CoreLogic. ""Overbuilt areas, such as Austin, Texas, continued to soften, decreasing by 3.5% annually in March.""The continued strength overall in single-family rents indicates that potential homebuyers who are priced out of the home-purchase market are choosing to rent similar alternatives, according to Boesel. Mortgage rates have risen back into the 7% range, and home prices continue to rise, making it harder to buy a home.Of the nation's 20 largest cities, Seattle saw the highest year-over-year increase in single-family rents at 6.3%, followed by New York at 5.3% and Boston at 5.2%. Those leading the declines were Austin, Texas, down 3.5%; Miami, down 3.2%; and New Orleans, down 1.4%.For the first time in 14 years, however, single-family attached properties, namely townhomes, posted a year-over-year rent decline.""The decrease in the attached segment is being driven by a subset of markets, mostly in Florida, but including Austin and New Orleans. As multifamily apartments are being completed, some markets are gaining rental supply, which competes with the attached segment of the single-family rental market,"" Boesel added.",CNBC,21/05/2024,"['Driven by the work-from-home dynamic, as well as by new migration patterns, both single-family and multifamily rent prices were red-hot during the first years of the pandemic.', 'Now different drivers are pushing some rents higher — and throwing cold water on others.', 'Multifamily rents in April were 0.8% lower than they were in the same month last year, according to Apartment List.', 'Rents cooled because a massive amount of new supply entered the market, with still more in the pipeline.', 'Apartment rents did rise for the third straight month, but the growth, at 0.5%, is very small.', ""Rents usually begin to rise in the spring, and the gain this year is not only smaller than usual but smaller than the previous month's gain."", 'The national median rent in April was $1,396.""This is typically the time of year when rent growth is accelerating heading into the busy moving season, so the fact that growth stalled this month could be a sign that the market is headed for another slow summer,"" according to the Apartment List report.', 'Apartment vacancies are also climbing, hitting 6.7% as of March, marking the highest reading since August 2020.', 'New multifamily building permits are slowing down, but the number of units currently under construction is near a record high, and last year saw the most new apartments hit the market in over 30 years.', 'Single-family rents are much stronger, up 3.4% in March year over year, according to a new report from CoreLogic.', 'That annual increase, however, continues to shrink as more supply comes onto the market from build-for-rent companies.', 'Roughly 18,000 single-family, built-for-rent homes were started during the first quarter, a 20% increase from the first quarter of 2023, according to an analysis of Census data by the National Association of Home Builders.', 'Over the last four quarters, 80,000 such homes began construction, representing a nearly 16% jump from the prior four quarters.', '""U.S. single-family rent growth strengthened overall in March, though some weaknesses are revealed in the latest numbers,"" said Molly Boesel, principal economist for CoreLogic. ""', 'Overbuilt areas, such as Austin, Texas, continued to soften, decreasing by 3.5% annually in March.', '""The continued strength overall in single-family rents indicates that potential homebuyers who are priced out of the home-purchase market are choosing to rent similar alternatives, according to Boesel.', 'Mortgage rates have risen back into the 7% range, and home prices continue to rise, making it harder to buy a home.', ""Of the nation's 20 largest cities, Seattle saw the highest year-over-year increase in single-family rents at 6.3%, followed by New York at 5.3% and Boston at 5.2%."", 'Those leading the declines were Austin, Texas, down 3.5%; Miami, down 3.2%; and New Orleans, down 1.4%.For the first time in 14 years, however, single-family attached properties, namely townhomes, posted a year-over-year rent decline.', '""The decrease in the attached segment is being driven by a subset of markets, mostly in Florida, but including Austin and New Orleans.', 'As multifamily apartments are being completed, some markets are gaining rental supply, which competes with the attached segment of the single-family rental market,"" Boesel added.']",0.2372042158816055,"Rents usually begin to rise in the spring, and the gain this year is not only smaller than usual but smaller than the previous month's gain.","Multifamily rents in April were 0.8% lower than they were in the same month last year, according to Apartment List.",0.1080934524536132,"Single-family rents are much stronger, up 3.4% in March year over year, according to a new report from CoreLogic.","Those leading the declines were Austin, Texas, down 3.5%; Miami, down 3.2%; and New Orleans, down 1.4%.For the first time in 14 years, however, single-family attached properties, namely townhomes, posted a year-over-year rent decline.",2024-05-27
"Justice Department sues to break up Live Nation, parent of Ticketmaster",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/justice-department-sues-live-nation-ticketmaster.html,2024-05-23T21:27:05+0000,"In this articleThe U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.The lawsuit, joined by 30 states and filed Thursday, follows a DOJ investigation into whether Live Nation maintains a monopoly in the ticketing industry, a probe launched in 2022 and bolstered by fan complaints after a botched rollout for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.""We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,"" said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. ""The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.In a statement, Live Nation said the DOJ's allegations of a monopoly are ""absurd.""""The DOJ's complaint attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry. It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies—neither of which control ticket prices—for high ticket prices. It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public's willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost,"" said Dan Wall, Live Nation executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs.Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, creating a dominant entity in the live event industry. The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.Through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts, the complaint said.""Taken individually and considered together, Live Nation's and Ticketmaster's conduct allows them to exploit their conflicts of interest — as a promoter, ticketer, venue owner and artist manager — across the live music industry and further entrench their dominant position,"" the complaint reads.The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses Live Nation of violating the Sherman Act and maintaining a self-reinforcing business model by capturing fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorships, which it then uses to lock artists into exclusive promotion deals that give the artists access to key entertainment venues across the country. Live Nation then uses that dominance to lock new concert venues into long-term exclusionary contracts, thereby restarting the cycle, the lawsuit claims.Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions.The lawsuit claims that Live Nation has discouraged bidding wars for artists and has unlawfully pressured artists into signing on for promotional services if they want to use the company's venues, at times sacrificing profits it can earn as a venue owner by preferring to let its venues sit empty rather than have artists with other promotional contracts.""In its own words, Live Nation uses its exclusionary conduct as a 'hedge against significant improvements by the competition or even a new competitor.' But the cost of that hedge is one that we all pay, for example a broken ticketing website with substandard customer service that still captures your valuable data,"" Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said during a press conference.""It is through these exclusive ticketing arrangements that Americans face the dreaded Ticketmaster tax, the seemingly endless set of fees ironically named service fee or convenience fee when they are anything but,"" Kanter said.Live Nation made headlines last year when a surge of demand from 14 million users, including bots, for Taylor Swift concert tickets led to site disruptions and slow queues. A Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster in November 2023, following a monthslong probe prompted by the exorbitant inflated ticket prices in Swift's Eras Tour.Steep prices for the U.S. shows led scores of fans to seek out tickets to Swift's tour in other countries, which could often be cheaper even after international air travel.""In other countries where venues are not bound by Ticketmaster's exclusive ticketing contracts, venues often use multiple ticketing companies for the same event and fans see lower fees and more innovative ticketing products as a result,"" Garland said in a news conference.Live Nation said Thursday it doesn't benefit from monopoly pricing, saying that Ticketmaster service charges ""are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower."" The company noted its overall net profit margin is at the low end of S&P 500 companies.Live Nation further argued the lawsuit won't reduce ticket prices or service fees. It said artist teams set prices for their tickets and the venues set and keep the majority of ticket fees.""Some call this 'anti-monopoly', but in reality it is just anti-business,"" Live Nation's Wall said. ""There is no legal basis for objecting to vertical integration on these grounds.""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.The company has also been in the public eye in the past year over transparency issues regarding hidden fees in ticket pricing.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['In this articleThe U.S. Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, over alleged antitrust violations.', ""The lawsuit, joined by 30 states and filed Thursday, follows a DOJ investigation into whether Live Nation maintains a monopoly in the ticketing industry, a probe launched in 2022 and bolstered by fan complaints after a botched rollout for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour."", '""We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,"" said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement. ""', 'The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services.', 'It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.', '""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.', 'In a statement, Live Nation said the DOJ\'s allegations of a monopoly are ""absurd.', '""""The DOJ\'s complaint attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry.', 'It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies—neither of which control ticket prices—for high ticket prices.', 'It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public\'s willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost,"" said Dan Wall, Live Nation executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs.', 'Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010, creating a dominant entity in the live event industry.', 'The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.', ""Through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts, the complaint said."", '""Taken individually and considered together, Live Nation\'s and Ticketmaster\'s conduct allows them to exploit their conflicts of interest — as a promoter, ticketer, venue owner and artist manager — across the live music industry and further entrench their dominant position,"" the complaint reads.', 'The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses Live Nation of violating the Sherman Act and maintaining a self-reinforcing business model by capturing fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorships, which it then uses to lock artists into exclusive promotion deals that give the artists access to key entertainment venues across the country.', 'Live Nation then uses that dominance to lock new concert venues into long-term exclusionary contracts, thereby restarting the cycle, the lawsuit claims.', ""Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions."", ""The lawsuit claims that Live Nation has discouraged bidding wars for artists and has unlawfully pressured artists into signing on for promotional services if they want to use the company's venues, at times sacrificing profits it can earn as a venue owner by preferring to let its venues sit empty rather than have artists with other promotional contracts."", '""In its own words, Live Nation uses its exclusionary conduct as a \'hedge against significant improvements by the competition or even a new competitor.\'', 'But the cost of that hedge is one that we all pay, for example a broken ticketing website with substandard customer service that still captures your valuable data,"" Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said during a press conference.', '""It is through these exclusive ticketing arrangements that Americans face the dreaded Ticketmaster tax, the seemingly endless set of fees ironically named service fee or convenience fee when they are anything but,"" Kanter said.', 'Live Nation made headlines last year when a surge of demand from 14 million users, including bots, for Taylor Swift concert tickets led to site disruptions and slow queues.', ""A Senate subcommittee issued a subpoena to Live Nation and Ticketmaster in November 2023, following a monthslong probe prompted by the exorbitant inflated ticket prices in Swift's Eras Tour."", ""Steep prices for the U.S. shows led scores of fans to seek out tickets to Swift's tour in other countries, which could often be cheaper even after international air travel."", '""In other countries where venues are not bound by Ticketmaster\'s exclusive ticketing contracts, venues often use multiple ticketing companies for the same event and fans see lower fees and more innovative ticketing products as a result,"" Garland said in a news conference.', 'Live Nation said Thursday it doesn\'t benefit from monopoly pricing, saying that Ticketmaster service charges ""are no higher than elsewhere, and frequently lower.""', 'The company noted its overall net profit margin is at the low end of S&P 500 companies.', ""Live Nation further argued the lawsuit won't reduce ticket prices or service fees."", 'It said artist teams set prices for their tickets and the venues set and keep the majority of ticket fees.', '""Some call this \'anti-monopoly\', but in reality it is just anti-business,"" Live Nation\'s Wall said. ""', 'There is no legal basis for objecting to vertical integration on these grounds.', '""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.', 'The company has also been in the public eye in the past year over transparency issues regarding hidden fees in ticket pricing.']",-0.0308866198552047,"The company directly manages more than 400 artists, controls around 60% of concert promotions at major concert venues, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment globally, and also owns and operates more than 265 entertainment venues in North America, including over 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters, according to the DOJ lawsuit.","Live Nation is also accused of threatening financial retaliation against potential competitors and venues that work with rivals; strategically acquiring smaller and regional competitive threats for the purpose of growing their competitive moat; and exploiting a relationship with venue partner Oak View Group, flipping the latter's contracts over to Ticketmaster and discouraging competition in concert promotions.",-0.2345751208417555,"""Live Nation earlier this month reported its ""biggest Q1 ever,"" citing first-quarter revenue that was up 21% from the prior-year period.","""Shares of Live Nation fell more than 7% on Thursday.",2024-05-27
Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN strike 5-year deal for College Football Playoff games,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/warner-bros-discovery-espn-college-football-playoff-deal.html,2024-05-22T21:46:01+0000,"In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games.Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT will carry two first-round games this year and next year and will add two additional quarterfinals games starting in 2026. Disney also has an option to sublicense a semifinals game to Warner Bros. Discovery starting with the third year of the deal if it chooses, according to people familiar with the matter.Disney will keep exclusivity on the championship game throughout the terms of the contract, which runs through 2031, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details are private. Disney is paying about $1.3 billion per year for rights to the entire College Football Playoff.The new 12-team College Football Playoff slate debuts in December, replacing a four-team tournament that began in 2014. Under the new format, the top four teams get byes while teams seeded No. 5 through No. 12 play first-round games at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team.ESPN will produce the games and primarily use ESPN talent for the broadcasts, which will be TNT branded, said the people familiar. As part of the sublicensing agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery is paying ESPN an average of ""hundreds of millions"" per year for the games over the course of five years, though less in years one and two when it only has two games per year, said the people.Warner Bros. Discovery has the exclusive rights to sublicense the games for the length of the deal.""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games.""This year's first round of the CFP will take place on Dec. 20 and 21.Warner Bros. Discovery plans to add the games to its Max sports tier. The company is bulking up on live sports while in the middle of a difficult negotiation with the National Basketball Association for a package of live games.TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.College football is some of the most popular programming on television. Michigan's semifinals victory over Alabama last year drew an average audience of 27.2 million viewers — the most watched non-NFL sporting event since 2018.Even if Warner Bros. Discovery loses the NBA, it will now have both CFP and the NBA until mid-2025, in addition to several weeks of games for the NCAA men's basketball March Madness tournament, men's and women's soccer, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. That should help the company in its upcoming carriage renewal deals for TNT and its other cable networks.ESPN sublicensing to Warner Bros. Discovery also keeps all of the CFP games on Venu Sports, the new sports streaming service that's being developed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and is expected to launch in the fall.Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal.WATCH: The root problem facing streamers is the lack of daily usage, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games."", ""Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT will carry two first-round games this year and next year and will add two additional quarterfinals games starting in 2026."", 'Disney also has an option to sublicense a semifinals game to Warner Bros. Discovery starting with the third year of the deal if it chooses, according to people familiar with the matter.', 'Disney will keep exclusivity on the championship game throughout the terms of the contract, which runs through 2031, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details are private.', 'Disney is paying about $1.3 billion per year for rights to the entire College Football Playoff.', 'The new 12-team College Football Playoff slate debuts in December, replacing a four-team tournament that began in 2014.', 'Under the new format, the top four teams get byes while teams seeded No.', '5 through No.', '12 play first-round games at the home stadium of the higher-ranked team.', 'ESPN will produce the games and primarily use ESPN talent for the broadcasts, which will be TNT branded, said the people familiar.', 'As part of the sublicensing agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery is paying ESPN an average of ""hundreds of millions"" per year for the games over the course of five years, though less in years one and two when it only has two games per year, said the people.', 'Warner Bros. Discovery has the exclusive rights to sublicense the games for the length of the deal.', '""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""', 'Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games.', '""This year\'s first round of the CFP will take place on Dec. 20 and 21.Warner Bros. Discovery plans to add the games to its Max sports tier.', 'The company is bulking up on live sports while in the middle of a difficult negotiation with the National Basketball Association for a package of live games.', 'TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.', 'College football is some of the most popular programming on television.', ""Michigan's semifinals victory over Alabama last year drew an average audience of 27.2 million viewers — the most watched non-NFL sporting event since 2018.Even if Warner Bros. Discovery loses the NBA, it will now have both CFP and the NBA until mid-2025, in addition to several weeks of games for the NCAA men's basketball March Madness tournament, men's and women's soccer, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League."", 'That should help the company in its upcoming carriage renewal deals for TNT and its other cable networks.', ""ESPN sublicensing to Warner Bros. Discovery also keeps all of the CFP games on Venu Sports, the new sports streaming service that's being developed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and is expected to launch in the fall."", ""Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal."", ""WATCH: The root problem facing streamers is the lack of daily usage, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield""]",0.0846016602445628,"""It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,"" Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. ""","TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.",0.1424879431724548,"In this articleIn a move to strengthen its sports offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a five-year sublicensing deal with Disney's ESPN to broadcast first-round and quarterfinal College Football Playoff games.","TNT has been a partner to the NBA for nearly 40 years but risks losing the games to Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon if Warner Bros. Discovery decides to forgo its matching rights, or, potentially, if the league opts to ignore those rights.",2024-05-27
What’s open and closed on Memorial Day 2024,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/memorial-day-open-closed/index.html,"
  Updated
        1:56 PM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.
    
            The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars. This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.
    
            Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.
    
            Most national retailers will be open on Monday. Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.
    
            All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger. Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.
    
            Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday. Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.
    
            The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq (NDAQ) will not be trading on Monday.
    
            Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks. But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.
    
            The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.
    
            Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday. Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.
    
            FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.', 'The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars.', 'This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.', 'Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.', 'Most national retailers will be open on Monday.', 'Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.', 'All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger.', 'Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.', 'Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday.', 'Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.', 'The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq(NDAQ)will not be trading on Monday.', 'Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.', 'But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.', 'The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.', 'Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday.', 'Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.', 'FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.']",0.0221235396143286,"Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.","Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.",,,,2024-05-27
OpenAI’s wild week. How the Sam Altman story unfolded,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/22/tech/openai-sam-altman-chaos-explained-intl-hnk/index.html,"
  Updated
        3:32 PM EST, Wed November 22, 2023
    ","In a year of wild tech stories that has seen Elon Musk transform Twitter, cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapse and Silicon Valley Bank implode, this week’s whiplash-inducing turmoil at OpenAI is among the most captivating.
    
            Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps the most visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move. Less than five days later, he’s back as the company’s CEO, now with a board that is, in theory, more supportive of his vision.
    
            The series of extraordinary events unfolded just days after OpenAI held its first-ever developer conference, where it laid out new, commercialized versions of its technology, including the option to customize its ChatGPT AI chatbot.
    
            If you’re just catching up, here’s what you missed from a week so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking the script could have been written by an early version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
    
            Around 3 p.m. ET, Altman joined a Google Meet call with most of OpenAI’s board that had been convened by fellow co-founder and OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, during which Altman was fired and told that the news would soon be made public.
    
            Within the next half hour, the board also informed Greg Brockman, another co-founder and OpenAI president, that he would be removed from the board.
    
            Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board. The board said Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, would become interim CEO.
    
            OpenAI’s strategic partners, including its biggest financial backer Microsoft, were also reportedly informed of Altman’s ouster just minutes before the board’s announcement.
    
            Hours after being fired, Altman posted on X that he “loved working with such talented people” and that he would have “more to say about what’s next later.”
    
            Brockman promptly quit. “Please don’t spend any time being concerned. We will be fine,” Brockman said in a Friday post on X. “Greater things coming soon.”
    
            A key factor in the CEO’s firing was tension between Altman, who favored developing AI more aggressively, and members of the OpenAI board, who wanted to move more cautiously, according to CNN contributor Kara Swisher, who spoke to sources knowledgeable about the unfolding events.
    
            Within 24 hours of Altman being fired, reports emerged that he and other ex-OpenAI loyalists were mulling plans for their own venture.
    
            OpenAI’s board was also reportedly having second thoughts and considering asking the ousted CEO to return.
    
            By Sunday afternoon, Altman was back at OpenAI’s headquarters — this time with a guest badge — to negotiate his potential return. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly mediated the discussion. A 5 p.m. PT deadline was reportedly set for the board to agree to Altman’s demands, including adding a seat for Microsoft, and reinstating him as CEO.
    
            But those talks broke down.
    
            As Sunday turned into Monday, Nadella tweeted that Altman, along with Brockman, would join Microsoft to run a new AI research group. At OpenAI, the group found a new interim CEO: Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Amazon’s streaming service, Twitch. Murati would return to her role as OpenAI’s chief technology officer.
    
            In a post on X early Monday, Shear, who left his role at Twitch in March, described the chance to join OpenAI as “a once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. He added that the company would hire an independent investigator to report on what happened in the lead-up to Altman’s firing.
    
            But OpenAI employees were not convinced. More than 500 staffers signed an open letter calling on the company’s board to resign and reinstate Altman and Brockman. They also threatened to follow the co-founders to Microsoft if their demands were not met.
    
            Altman posted on X, saying, “we have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before. we are all going to work together some way or other, and i’m so excited. one team, one mission.”
    
            The drama was far from over. The Verge reported Monday afternoon that Altman and Brockman could still return to OpenAI if the board members who fired him resign.
    
            And Nadella, speaking to CNBC, said he was “open to both options” when asked whether Altman would actually join Microsoft.
    
            “Look, that is for the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose,” Nadella said. “We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI and we want to continue to do so, and obviously, that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft.”
    
            Altman was reinstated late Tuesday as OpenAI’s CEO, the company said on X.
    
            “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board,” the company said, adding that the board will be chaired by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will also join the board, alongside existing director, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo.
    
            “We are collaborating to figure out the details,” it said.
    
            In his own post on X, formerly Twitter, Altman wrote that he is “looking forward” to returning to OpenAI and building on the firm’s “strong partnership” with Microsoft.
    
            It’s unclear how Shear will be affected by Altman’s return. Posting on X, Shear wrote: “I am deeply pleased by this result, after (some) 72 very intense hours of work … I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.”
    
            Brockman is also returning to OpenAI, according to his post on X.
    
            Ultimately, Microsoft and Altman appear to be the big winners from the dust-up: Altman will continue leading the firm he helped to found. And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.
    
            “We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadella said on X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”",CNN,22/11/2023,"['In a year of wild tech stories that has seen Elon Musk transform Twitter, cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapse and Silicon Valley Bank implode, this week’s whiplash-inducing turmoil at OpenAI is among the most captivating.', 'Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps themost visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move.', 'Less than five days later, he’s back as the company’s CEO, now with a board that is, in theory, more supportive of his vision.', 'The series of extraordinary events unfolded just days after OpenAI held itsfirst-ever developer conference, where it laid out new, commercialized versions of its technology, including the option to customize its ChatGPT AI chatbot.', 'If you’re just catching up, here’s what you missed from a week so incredible you’d be forgiven for thinking the script could have been written by an early version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.', 'Around 3 p.m. ET, Altman joined a Google Meet call with most of OpenAI’s board that had been convened by fellow co-founder and OpenAI chief scientistIlya Sutskever, during which Altman was fired and told that the news would soon be made public.', 'Within the next half hour, the board also informed Greg Brockman, another co-founder and OpenAI president, that he would be removed from the board.', 'Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board.', 'The board said Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, would become interim CEO.', 'OpenAI’s strategic partners, including its biggest financial backer Microsoft, were also reportedly informed of Altman’s ouster just minutes before the board’s announcement.', 'Hours after being fired, Altman posted on X that he “loved working with such talented people” and that he would have “more to say about what’s next later.”', 'Brockman promptly quit. “', 'Please don’t spend any time being concerned.', 'We will be fine,” Brockmansaid in a Friday poston X. “Greater things coming soon.”', 'A key factor in the CEO’s firing wastension between Altman, who favored developing AImore aggressively, and members of the OpenAI board, who wanted to move more cautiously,according to CNN contributor Kara Swisher,who spoke to sources knowledgeable about the unfolding events.', 'Within 24 hours of Altman being fired, reports emerged that he and other ex-OpenAI loyalists were mulling plans for their own venture.', 'OpenAI’s board was also reportedly having second thoughts and considering asking the ousted CEO to return.', 'By Sunday afternoon, Altman wasback at OpenAI’s headquarters— this time with a guest badge — to negotiate his potential return.', 'Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly mediated the discussion.', 'A 5 p.m. PT deadline was reportedly set for the board to agree to Altman’s demands, including adding a seat for Microsoft, and reinstating him as CEO.', 'But those talks broke down.', 'As Sunday turned into Monday, Nadella tweeted that Altman, along with Brockman, would join Microsoft to run a new AI research group.', 'At OpenAI, the group found a new interim CEO: Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Amazon’s streaming service, Twitch.', 'Murati would return to her role as OpenAI’s chief technology officer.', 'In a post on X early Monday, Shear, who left his role at Twitch in March, described the chance to join OpenAI as “a once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.', 'He added that the company would hire an independent investigator to report on what happened in the lead-up to Altman’s firing.', 'But OpenAI employees were not convinced.', 'More than 500 staffers signed an open letter calling on the company’s board to resign and reinstate Altman and Brockman.', 'They also threatened to follow the co-founders to Microsoft if their demands were not met.', 'Altman posted on X, saying, “we have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before.', 'we are all going to work together some way or other, and i’m so excited.', 'one team, one mission.”', 'The drama was far from over.', 'The Verge reported Monday afternoonthat Altman and Brockman could still return to OpenAI if the board members who fired him resign.', 'And Nadella, speaking to CNBC, said he was “open to both options” when asked whether Altman would actually join Microsoft.', '“Look, that is for the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose,” Nadella said. “', 'We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI and we want to continue to do so, and obviously, that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft.”', 'Altmanwas reinstated late Tuesday as OpenAI’s CEO, the company said on X.  “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board,” the company said, adding that the board will be chaired by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce.', 'Former Treasury SecretaryLarry Summers will also join the board, alongside existing director, Quora CEOAdam D’Angelo.', '“We are collaborating to figure out the details,” it said.', 'In his own post on X, formerly Twitter, Altmanwrotethat he is “looking forward” to returning to OpenAI and building on the firm’s “strong partnership” with Microsoft.', 'It’s unclear how Shear will be affected by Altman’s return.', 'Posting on X, Shear wrote:“I am deeply pleased by this result, after (some) 72 very intense hours of work … I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.”', 'Brockman is also returning to OpenAI, according to hispost on X.  Ultimately, Microsoft and Altman appear to be the big winners from the dust-up: Altman will continue leading the firm he helped to found.', 'And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.', '“We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadellasaidon X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”']",0.062777217389235,"“We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board,” Nadellasaidon X. “We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”","Around 3:30 p.m. ET, OpenAI publicly announced that it had fired Altman over concerns that he was not always truthful with the board.",0.549453833273479,And Microsoft has wrested more control over the company it has backed with billions to bolster its ambitions in developing AI.,"Sam Altman — the leader of one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI, and perhaps themost visible figure in the fledgling industry — was fired Friday night by the startup’s directors in a surprise move.",2024-05-27
Court rules Elvis’ Graceland mansion cannot be foreclosed upon – for now,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/investing/graceland-foreclosure-hearing/index.html,"
  Updated
        3:28 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Graceland can stay in the hands of Elvis Presley’s family for the time being, after a Tennessee court chancellor ruled Wednesday that a mysterious company trying to sell it likely committed fraud.
    
            Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins said that a planned foreclosure sale of Graceland, Elvis Presley’s historic Memphis home, would be postponed at least until a future hearing determines who maintains rightful ownership of the estate. A bizarre series of events set the late singer’s granddaughter against a mysterious company that claimed Elvis’ daughter gave it Graceland’s deed.
    
            A hearing in the Shelby County, Tennessee, Chancery Court determined that Thursday’s planned foreclosure auction of Graceland would irreparably harm Elvis’ granddaughter, Danielle Riley Keough, who sued to block the sale. Keough took ownership of the estate and popular tourist attraction after her mother and Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died in January 2023.
    
            “The estate is considered unique under Tennessee law, and in being unique the loss of the real estate will be considered irreparable harm,” Jenkins said.
    
            Jenkins also said there was evidence that a company trying to foreclose on Graceland had forged documents that it claimed gave it the right to sell the property. After the hearing, a person who said he represented the company trying to foreclose said it would drop its claim.
    
            In a statement, Graceland said the property will continue to operate.
    
            “As the court has now made clear, there was no validity to the claims,” the statement read. “There will be no foreclosure.  Graceland will continue to operate as it has for the past 42 years, ensuring that Elvis fans from around the world can continue to have a best in class experience when visiting his iconic home.”
    
            A company called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC had claimed that Lisa Marie Presley failed to pay back a $3.8 million loan it had given her – and Naussany said Presley had put up Graceland as collateral against the loan. Seeking repayment, it had scheduled an auction of the estate.
    
            This was no typical foreclosure sale. Keough filed a lawsuit earlier this month, claiming there was no such loan. She also claims Naussany isn’t even a real company.
    
            “These documents are fraudulent,” Keough’s lawsuit alleges. “Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments.”
    
            The lawsuit alleges Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC “appears to be a false entity created for the purpose of defrauding.”
    
            Although Naussany provided what appears to be a 2018 notarized promissory note signed by Lisa Marie Presley to put up Graceland as collateral, Keough’s lawsuit said that was a forgery. In a signed affidavit, the notary public denied ever notarizing anything that Lisa Marie Presley had signed.
    
            Chancellor Jenkins said that affidavit was sufficient evidence to delay the foreclosure until a hearing can determine the facts. But Jenkins also said the evidence suggested Keough was telling the truth.
    
            “It appears you’ll be successful on the merits … provided you prove at the ultimate hearing fraud alleged by your client and the notary,” Jenkins said Wednesday.
    
            Naussany said it is not going to proceed with its claim and “will be withdrawing all claims with prejudice,” according to a statement released today by a person identified as a representative of Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, the company accused of trying to fraudulently foreclose on the historic property.
    
            “Due to the Deed of Trust not being recorded and the loan being obtained in different state, legal action would have to be filed in multiple states and Naussany Investments & Private Lending will not acquire to proceed,” the company said.. “That comes from consultation of the lawyers for the company. There was no harm meant on Ms. Keough for her mothers LMP mis habits and mis managing of money.”
    
            Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company that manages Presley’s estate, concurred that Naussany’s claim was illegitimate.
    
            “Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent,” the company said. “There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud.”
    
            A judge last week granted a temporary restraining order, preventing Naussany from selling Graceland. Jenkins extended that order Wednesday.
    
            Following Lisa Marie Presley’s death, Keogh and her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, fought over the rights to her estate – including Graceland. Ultimately, Keough and Presley settled, and Keough became Graceland’s sole owner.
    
            In 2004, Lisa Marie Presley sold 85% of Elvis Presley Enterprises’ assets in a deal reportedly worth more than $100 million. But she maintained complete ownership of the Graceland mansion and Elvis’ personal items housed in what is now the Graceland museum, according to the Graceland website.
    
            Graceland is one of the South’s biggest tourist draws, visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year, Graceland says on its website. Lisa Marie Presley annually earned seven figures from it, based on a court filing in her 2022 divorce.
    
            Keough was born to parents Lisa Marie Presley and musician Danny Keough in 1989. She is a well-known actor, appearing in “Mad Max Fury Road” and other Hollywood hits. She also appears in Hulu’s “Under the Bridge.”
    
            First credited as an actor in the movie the Runaways in 2010, Keough has racked up a number of acting roles. She recently starred in “Daisy Jones & The Six,” where she played a troubled musician in a band about to make it big.
    
            In a piece for Vanity Fair, Keough revealed she has a daughter, Tupelo Storm Smith-Petersen, who was born via surrogate in August 2022. Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1935, but Keough said the name is a tribute to her late brother, Benjamin Storm Keough, who died in 2020 at the age of 27.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Graceland can stay in the hands of Elvis Presley’s family for the time being, after a Tennessee court chancellor ruled Wednesday that a mysterious company trying to sell it likely committed fraud.', 'Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins said that a planned foreclosure sale of Graceland, Elvis Presley’s historic Memphis home, would be postponed at least until a future hearing determines who maintains rightful ownership of the estate.', 'A bizarre series of events set the late singer’s granddaughter against a mysterious company that claimed Elvis’ daughter gave it Graceland’s deed.', 'A hearing in the Shelby County, Tennessee, Chancery Court determined that Thursday’s planned foreclosure auction of Graceland would irreparably harm Elvis’ granddaughter, Danielle Riley Keough, who sued to block the sale.', 'Keough took ownership of the estate and popular tourist attraction after her mother and Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died in January 2023.', '“The estate is considered unique under Tennessee law, and in being unique the loss of the real estate will be considered irreparable harm,” Jenkins said.', 'Jenkins also said there was evidence that a company trying to foreclose on Graceland had forged documents that it claimed gave it the right to sell the property.', 'After the hearing, a person who said he represented the company trying to foreclose said it would drop its claim.', 'In a statement, Graceland said the property will continue to operate.', '“As the court has now made clear, there was no validity to the claims,” the statement read. “', 'There will be no foreclosure.', 'Graceland will continue to operate as it has for the past 42 years, ensuring that Elvis fans from around the world can continue to have a best in class experience when visiting his iconic home.”', 'A company called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC had claimed that Lisa Marie Presley failed to pay back a $3.8 million loan it had given her – and Naussany said Presley had put up Graceland as collateral against the loan.', 'Seeking repayment, it had scheduled an auction of the estate.', 'This was no typical foreclosure sale.', 'Keough filed a lawsuit earlier this month, claiming there was no such loan.', 'She also claimsNaussany isn’t even a real company.', '“These documents are fraudulent,” Keough’s lawsuit alleges. “', 'Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments.”', 'The lawsuit alleges Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC “appears to be a false entity created for the purpose of defrauding.”', 'Although Naussany provided what appears to be a 2018 notarized promissory note signed by Lisa Marie Presley to put up Graceland as collateral, Keough’s lawsuit said that was a forgery.', 'In a signed affidavit, the notary public denied ever notarizing anything that Lisa Marie Presley had signed.', 'Chancellor Jenkins said that affidavit was sufficient evidence to delay the foreclosure until a hearing can determine the facts.', 'But Jenkins also said the evidence suggested Keough was telling the truth.', '“It appears you’ll be successful on the merits … provided you prove at the ultimate hearing fraud alleged by your client and the notary,” Jenkins said Wednesday.', 'Naussany said it is not going to proceed with its claim and “will be withdrawing all claims with prejudice,” according to a statement releasedtodayby a personidentified as a representative ofNaussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, the company accused of trying to fraudulently foreclose on the historic property.', '“Due to the Deed of Trust not being recorded and the loan being obtained in different state, legal action would have to be filed in multiple states and Naussany Investments & Private Lending will not acquire to proceed,” the company said.. “That comes from consultation of the lawyers for the company.', 'There was no harm meant on Ms. Keough for her mothers LMP mis habits and mis managing of money.”', 'Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company that manages Presley’s estate, concurred that Naussany’s claim was illegitimate.', '“Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent,” the company said. “', 'There is no foreclosure sale.', 'Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud.”', 'A judge last week granted a temporary restraining order, preventing Naussany from selling Graceland.', 'Jenkins extended that order Wednesday.', 'Following Lisa Marie Presley’s death, Keogh and her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, fought over the rights to her estate – including Graceland.', 'Ultimately, Keough and Presley settled, and Keough became Graceland’s sole owner.', 'In 2004, Lisa Marie Presley sold 85% of Elvis Presley Enterprises’ assets in adeal reportedly worth more than $100 million.', 'But she maintained complete ownership of theGraceland mansion and Elvis’ personal items housed in what is now the Graceland museum, according to the Graceland website.', 'Graceland is one of the South’s biggest tourist draws, visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year, Graceland says on its website.', 'Lisa Marie Presley annually earned seven figures from it, based on a court filing in her 2022 divorce.', 'Keough was born to parents Lisa Marie Presley and musician Danny Keough in 1989.', 'She is a well-known actor, appearing in “Mad Max Fury Road” and other Hollywood hits.', 'She also appears in Hulu’s “Under the Bridge.”', 'First credited as an actor in the movie the Runaways in 2010, Keough has racked up a number of acting roles.', 'She recently starred in “Daisy Jones & The Six,” where she played a troubled musician in a band about to make it big.', 'In a piece for Vanity Fair, Keough revealed she has a daughter, Tupelo Storm Smith-Petersen, who was born via surrogate in August 2022.', 'Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1935, but Keough said the name is a tribute to her late brother, Benjamin Storm Keough, who died in 2020 at the age of 27.']",-0.151347125530013,"Graceland will continue to operate as it has for the past 42 years, ensuring that Elvis fans from around the world can continue to have a best in class experience when visiting his iconic home.”","Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud.”",-0.0540535052617391,"“It appears you’ll be successful on the merits … provided you prove at the ultimate hearing fraud alleged by your client and the notary,” Jenkins said Wednesday.",A company called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC had claimed that Lisa Marie Presley failed to pay back a $3.8 million loan it had given her – and Naussany said Presley had put up Graceland as collateral against the loan.,2024-05-27
"Boeing expects a 2024 cash burn, slow recovery of airplane deliveries amid crisis, CFO says",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/boeing-cfo-deliveries-cash-flow-max-crisis.html,2024-05-23T20:20:45+0000,"In this articleBoeing will burn through cash this year and deliveries of new planes won't improve in the second quarter from the first, as the manufacturer deals with a host of production challenges tied to its bestselling planes, the company's CFO, Brian West, said Thursday.A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions."" The new forecast shows the mounting costs of the plane maker's latest crises.Boeing burned through nearly $4 billion in cash in the first quarter and West said that figure could be similar or ""possibly a little worse"" in the second quarter, but that the company would likely return to generating cash in the second half of 2024.The company's aircraft deliveries in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the pandemic. The bulk of a plane's price is paid when it's handed over to a customer.Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average.""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we're up against,"" West said at the conference. ""And while I understand that frustration, the most important thing we can do for our customers and the supply chain in the industry is to focus on the actions that are underway as we speak so that we could stabilize this production system, improve quality, and get more predictable.""Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in March said he would step down by the end of the year, and the company replaced the chairman and chief executive of its commercial airplane unit. Leading up to the shake-up, CEOs of major airline customers complained about delivery delays and difficulty planning flights because of surprise disruptions.Boeing's latest production issues surfaced after a door plug blew out midair from a nearly new 737 Max 9 at the start of the year, just as the company was trying to repair years of reputational damage from two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.The accident increased federal scrutiny of the company, whose executives have vowed to stamp out production flaws and regain the trust of regulators, airline customers and the public.Next Thursday, Boeing leaders are set to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration to present the company's plan to improve its quality control, the FAA said. The agency gave Boeing 90 days to complete the plan starting in late February.Other problems have also sprung up, including a pause on deliveries of 737 Max planes to China to review batteries for the cockpit voice recorder. Boeing said in a statement that it is working with ""our Chinese customers on the timing of their deliveries as the Civil Aviation Administration of China completes its review of batteries contained within the 25-hour cockpit voice recorder assembly unit.""Earlier this month, the FAA said it opened a new probe into the 787 Dreamliner inspections after the company disclosed ""misconduct"" by some employees. The agency said it was looking into whether employees falsified records.Parts shortages have also slowed deliveries of Dreamliners, Boeing has said. American Airlines last month said it would cut some international flights because of delays of the wide-body jets. Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"[""In this articleBoeing will burn through cash this year and deliveries of new planes won't improve in the second quarter from the first, as the manufacturer deals with a host of production challenges tied to its bestselling planes, the company's CFO, Brian West, said Thursday."", 'A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions.""', ""The new forecast shows the mounting costs of the plane maker's latest crises."", 'Boeing burned through nearly $4 billion in cash in the first quarter and West said that figure could be similar or ""possibly a little worse"" in the second quarter, but that the company would likely return to generating cash in the second half of 2024.The company\'s aircraft deliveries in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the pandemic.', ""The bulk of a plane's price is paid when it's handed over to a customer."", ""Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average."", '""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we\'re up against,"" West said at the conference. ""', 'And while I understand that frustration, the most important thing we can do for our customers and the supply chain in the industry is to focus on the actions that are underway as we speak so that we could stabilize this production system, improve quality, and get more predictable.', '""Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in March said he would step down by the end of the year, and the company replaced the chairman and chief executive of its commercial airplane unit.', 'Leading up to the shake-up, CEOs of major airline customers complained about delivery delays and difficulty planning flights because of surprise disruptions.', ""Boeing's latest production issues surfaced after a door plug blew out midair from a nearly new 737 Max 9 at the start of the year, just as the company was trying to repair years of reputational damage from two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.The accident increased federal scrutiny of the company, whose executives have vowed to stamp out production flaws and regain the trust of regulators, airline customers and the public."", ""Next Thursday, Boeing leaders are set to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration to present the company's plan to improve its quality control, the FAA said."", 'The agency gave Boeing 90 days to complete the plan starting in late February.', 'Other problems have also sprung up, including a pause on deliveries of 737 Max planes to China to review batteries for the cockpit voice recorder.', 'Boeing said in a statement that it is working with ""our Chinese customers on the timing of their deliveries as the Civil Aviation Administration of China completes its review of batteries contained within the 25-hour cockpit voice recorder assembly unit.', '""Earlier this month, the FAA said it opened a new probe into the 787 Dreamliner inspections after the company disclosed ""misconduct"" by some employees.', 'The agency said it was looking into whether employees falsified records.', 'Parts shortages have also slowed deliveries of Dreamliners, Boeing has said.', 'American Airlines last month said it would cut some international flights because of delays of the wide-body jets.', 'Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.']",-0.1026539320202483,"Other carriers, including United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said they had to scale back growth and hiring plans because of delayed Boeing jets.","""We have frustrated and disappointed our customers because of some of the production supply chain issues that we're up against,"" West said at the conference. """,-0.5336503065549411,"A month ago, West forecast Boeing would generate free cash flow ""in the low single-digit billions.""","Boeing's shares lost more than 7% on Thursday after West's comments at a Wolfe Research industry conference, a slide that weighed down the Dow Jones Industrial Average.",2024-05-27
"Daily marijuana use surpasses alcohol consumption, new study finds. Here's what it means for the booze business",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/daily-marijuana-use-surpasses-alcohol-consumption-new-study-finds.html,2024-05-24T12:20:09+0000,"Americans are reaching for buds more than booze.Daily or near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of drinking in the U.S., according to 40 years of data analyzed by Carnegie Mellon University.The report looks at U.S. data from more than 1.6 million participants collected across 27 surveys between 1979 and 2022.Although alcohol overall remains more widely used, first-time daily marijuana use overtook drinking at the same frequency in 2022, with roughly 17.7 million cannabis users and 14.7 million drinkers.That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.""We believe — and data clearly indicates — the younger demographic cohort is increasingly accepting cannabis on a daily and monthly use at a higher rate than other generations,"" said Roth MKM analyst Scott Fortune.""As there are indications of consumers substituting away from other pleasure uses (alcohol, tobacco), we think as younger generations grow up with legal cannabis options, the acceptance of cannabis will become more prevalent and substitute away from traditional options,"" he added.This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.The spirits and alcohol industry, however, has been working to defend its market share despite shifting trends among younger consumers.""From the U.S. alcohol side, the youngest legal drinking-age consumers are turning to alcohol less often, and when they do imbibe, it is fewer drinks,"" said Roth MKM analyst Bill Kirk.Kirk said there have been growing trends that are contributing to that, including more abstinence from drinking, better availability of quality non-alcoholic options and increased cannabis use.""From the cannabis side, we wouldn't say alcohol stands to be necessarily hurt by this trend, but would look for alcohol to partner, invest or acquire into U.S. cannabis when federal regulations allow it to capitalize on anticipated industry growth,"" Fortune said.However, some analysts on Wall Street expect greater impact to the alcohol industry from cannabis adoption.""We estimate that legal cannabis could be negatively impacting beer volume [compound annual growth rate] by up to 230 bps in Canada and 75 bps in the U.S. where legal,"" said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat, referring to basis points (bps). One basis point equals one-hundredth of a percentage point.She added that conflicting state-by-state policies for cannabis soften the blow to the biggest brewers and distillers like Constellation Brands, Diageo, AB InBev and Molson Coors.""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['Americans are reaching for buds more than booze.', 'Daily or near-daily marijuana use is now more common than similar levels of drinking in the U.S., according to 40 years of data analyzed by Carnegie Mellon University.', 'The report looks at U.S. data from more than 1.6 million participants collected across 27 surveys between 1979 and 2022.Although alcohol overall remains more widely used, first-time daily marijuana use overtook drinking at the same frequency in 2022, with roughly 17.7 million cannabis users and 14.7 million drinkers.', 'That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.', '""We believe — and data clearly indicates — the younger demographic cohort is increasingly accepting cannabis on a daily and monthly use at a higher rate than other generations,"" said Roth MKM analystScott Fortune.', '""As there are indications of consumers substituting away from other pleasure uses (alcohol, tobacco), we think as younger generations grow up with legal cannabis options, the acceptance of cannabis will become more prevalent and substitute away from traditional options,"" he added.', 'This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.', 'The spirits and alcohol industry, however, has been working to defend its market share despite shifting trends among younger consumers.', '""From the U.S. alcohol side, the youngest legal drinking-age consumers are turning to alcohol less often, and when they do imbibe, it is fewer drinks,"" said Roth MKM analyst Bill Kirk.', 'Kirk said there have been growing trends that are contributing to that, including more abstinence from drinking, better availability of quality non-alcoholic options and increased cannabis use.', '""From the cannabis side, we wouldn\'t say alcohol stands to be necessarily hurt by this trend, but would look for alcohol to partner, invest or acquire into U.S. cannabis when federal regulations allow it to capitalize on anticipated industry growth,"" Fortune said.', 'However, some analysts on Wall Street expect greater impact to the alcohol industry from cannabis adoption.', '""We estimate that legal cannabis could be negatively impacting beer volume [compound annual growth rate] by up to 230 bps in Canada and 75 bps in the U.S. where legal,"" said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat, referring to basis points (bps).', 'One basis point equals one-hundredth of a percentage point.', 'She added that conflicting state-by-state policies for cannabis soften the blow to the biggest brewers and distillers like Constellation Brands, Diageo, AB InBev and Molson Coors.', '""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.']",0.3385642761353466,"This report comes as the cannabis industry is expecting the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease federal restrictions and reclassify marijuana, which would increase access to funding, research and investment opportunities for cannabis-related companies like Tilray, Canopy Growth and Curaleaf.",,0.4357439225370234,"That is a 15-fold increase for cannabis since 1992 when 900,000 Americans disclosed using the drug daily compared with 8.9 million daily drinkers.","""Federal legalization has the potential to increase the risk to alcohol, but this appears a long way off in the current political climate,"" Sarwat said.",2024-05-27
"UAW challenges Mercedes-Benz union vote, asks NLRB for new election",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/uaw-mercedes-benz-challenge.html,2024-05-24T20:49:47+0000,"In this articleDETROIT – The United Auto Workers union is challenging the results of last week's organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, in which workers voted against union representation, and is asking federal officials to order a new election.Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union.Union organizing failed at the Alabama plant with 56% of the vote, or 2,642 workers, casting ballots against the UAW, according to the NLRB, which oversaw the election. More than 90% of the 5,075 eligible Mercedes-Benz workers voted in the election.""All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions,"" the UAW said in a statement. ""And that's what we're asking for here. Let's get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide.""The National Labor Relations Board confirmed Friday afternoon that its Atlanta-based office received the UAW's objections to the election. Friday was the last day the union could file objections and challenge the election.Mercedes-Benz in a statement Friday said company officials ""worked with the NLRB to adhere to its guidelines and we will continue to do so"" through the objection process. The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members' decision.""The NLRB said its regional director will review the UAW's allegations of an unfair election. If she finds that the objections raise substantial and material issues of fact that could be best resolved by a hearing, she will order a hearing. If after the hearing, she finds that the employer's conduct affected the election, she can order a new election.The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.After the results were announced, UAW President Shawn Fain accused the company of conducting an anti-union campaign, including ""egregious illegal behavior,"" but he declined to discuss the union's potential plans to object to the results.Fain said on May 17 that the union would continue to move forward with its charges against Mercedes-Benz, which allege that Mercedes-Benz has ""disciplined employees for discussing unionization at work, prohibited distribution of union materials and paraphernalia, surveilled employees, discharged union supporters, forced employees to attend captive audience meetings, and made statements suggesting that union activity is futile,"" the NLRB previously said.The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee.The Mercedes-Benz vote was expected to be more challenging for the union than the vote at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where the union had already established a presence after two failed organizing drives in the past decade and where it faced less opposition from the automaker.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"[""In this articleDETROIT – The United Auto Workers union is challenging the results of last week's organizing vote of Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama, in which workers voted against union representation, and is asking federal officials to order a new election."", ""Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union."", 'Union organizing failed at the Alabama plant with 56% of the vote, or 2,642 workers, casting ballots against the UAW, according to the NLRB, which oversaw the election.', 'More than 90% of the 5,075 eligible Mercedes-Benz workers voted in the election.', '""All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions,"" the UAW said in a statement. ""', ""And that's what we're asking for here."", ""Let's get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide."", '""The National Labor Relations Board confirmed Friday afternoon that its Atlanta-based office received the UAW\'s objections to the election.', 'Friday was the last day the union could file objections and challenge the election.', 'Mercedes-Benz in a statement Friday said company officials ""worked with the NLRB to adhere to its guidelines and we will continue to do so"" through the objection process.', 'The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members\' decision.', '""The NLRB said its regional director will review the UAW\'s allegations of an unfair election.', 'If she finds that the objections raise substantial and material issues of fact that could be best resolved by a hearing, she will order a hearing.', ""If after the hearing, she finds that the employer's conduct affected the election, she can order a new election."", 'The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.', 'After the results were announced, UAW President Shawn Fain accused the company of conducting an anti-union campaign, including ""egregious illegal behavior,"" but he declined to discuss the union\'s potential plans to object to the results.', 'Fain said on May 17 that the union would continue to move forward with its charges against Mercedes-Benz, which allege that Mercedes-Benz has ""disciplined employees for discussing unionization at work, prohibited distribution of union materials and paraphernalia, surveilled employees, discharged union supporters, forced employees to attend captive audience meetings, and made statements suggesting that union activity is futile,"" the NLRB previously said.', ""The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee."", 'The Mercedes-Benz vote was expected to be more challenging for the union than the vote at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where the union had already established a presence after two failed organizing drives in the past decade and where it faced less opposition from the automaker.']",-0.0880846302605464,"The automaker said it ""sincerely hoped the UAW would respect our Team Members' decision.","The agency also reconfirmed that it is processing and investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the UAW against automakers, including six unfair labor practice charges against Mercedes-Benz since March.",-0.2524993896484375,"The Alabama results were a blow to the UAW's organizing efforts a month after it won an organizing drive of roughly 4,330 Volkswagen plant workers in Tennessee.","Among a dozen or so claims, the Detroit union alleges that the German automaker fired four pro-union workers, forced workers to attend anti-union meetings, and interfered with workers' ability to advocate for the union.",2024-05-27
"Fintech nightmare: 'I have nearly $38,000 tied up' after Synapse bankruptcy",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/synapse-bankruptcy-customer-funds.html,2024-05-23T17:18:03+0000,"A dispute between a fintech startup and its banking partners has ensnared potentially millions of Americans, leaving them without access to their money for nearly two weeks, according to recent court documents.Since last year, Synapse, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup that serves as a middle man between customer-facing fintech brands and FDIC-backed banks, has had disagreements with several of its partners about how much in customer balances it owed.The situation deteriorated in April after Synapse declared bankruptcy following the exodus of several key partners. On May 11, Synapse cut off access to a technology system that enabled lenders, including Evolve Bank & Trust, to process transactions and account information, according to the filings.That has left users of several fintech services stranded with no access to their funds, according to testimonials filed this week in a California bankruptcy court.One customer, a Maryland teacher named Chris Buckler, said in a May 21 filing that his funds at crypto app Juno were locked because of the Synapse bankruptcy.""I am increasingly desperate and don't know where to turn,"" Buckler wrote. ""I have nearly $38,000 tied up as a result of the halting of transaction processing. This money took years to save up.""Until recently, Synapse, which calls itself the biggest ""banking as a service"" provider, helped a wide swath of the U.S. fintech universe provide services such as checking accounts and debit cards. Former partners included Mercury, Dave and Juno, well-known fintech firms that catered to segments including startups, gig workers and crypto users.Synapse had contracts with 20 banks and 100 fintech companies, resulting in about 10 million end users, according to an April filing from founder and CEO Sankaet Pathak.Pathak did not immediately respond to an email from CNBC seeking comment. A spokesman for Evolve Bank & Trust declined to comment, instead pointing to a statement on the bank's website that read, in part: ""Synapse's abrupt shutdown of essential systems without notice and failure to provide necessary records needlessly jeopardized end users by hindering our ability to verify transactions, confirm end user balances, and comply with applicable law.""It is unclear why Synapse switched the system off, and an explanation could not be found in filings.Another customer, Joseph Dominguez of Sacramento, California, told the bankruptcy court on May 20 that he had more than $20,000 held up in his Yotta fintech account.""We are scared that money will be lost if Synapse can not provide ledgers and documents to Evolve or Yotta to prove we are the legitimate owners,"" Dominguez wrote. ""We don't know where our direct deposit has gone, we don't know where our pending withdrawals are currently held.""The freeze-up of customer funds exposes the vulnerabilities in the banking as a service, or BAAS, partnership model and a possible blind spot for regulatory oversight.The BAAS model, used most notably by the pre-IPO fintech firm Chime, allows Silicon Valley-style startups to tap the abilities of small FDIC-backed banks. Together, the ecosystem helped these companies compete against the giants of American banking.Customers mistakenly believed that because funds are ultimately held at real banks, they were as safe and available as any other FDIC-insured accounts, said Jason Mikula, a consultant and newsletter writer who has tracked this case closely.""This is 10 million-plus people who can't pay their mortgages, can't buy their groceries. … This is another order of disaster,"" Mikula said.Regulators have yet to take a role in the dispute, partly because the underlying banks involved have not failed, the point at which the FDIC would usually intervene to make customers whole, Mikula added. The agencies have generally put the onus on banks for managing their risks to fintech partners, he said.The FDIC and Federal Reserve declined to comment.In pleading with the judge in this case, Martin Barash, to help the affected customers, Buckler noted in his testimonial that while he had other resources besides the locked account, others are not as lucky.""So far the federal government is not willing to help us,"" Buckler wrote. ""As you heard, there are millions affected who are in far worse straits.""Reached by phone on Wednesday, Buckler said he had one message for Americans: ""I want to make people aware, yeah, your money might be safe at the bank, but it is not safe if the fintech or the processor fails,"" he said. ""If this is another FTX, if they were doing funny business with my money, then what?""",CNBC,23/05/2024,"['A dispute between a fintech startup and its banking partners has ensnared potentially millions of Americans, leaving them without access to their money for nearly two weeks, according to recent court documents.', 'Since last year, Synapse, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup that serves as a middle man between customer-facing fintech brands and FDIC-backed banks, has had disagreements with several of its partners about how much in customer balances it owed.', 'The situation deteriorated in April after Synapse declared bankruptcy following the exodus of several key partners.', 'On May 11, Synapse cut off access to a technology system that enabled lenders, including Evolve Bank & Trust, to process transactions and account information, according to the filings.', 'That has left users of several fintech services stranded with no access to their funds, according to testimonials filed this week in a California bankruptcy court.', 'One customer, a Maryland teacher named Chris Buckler, said in a May 21 filing that his funds at crypto app Juno were locked because of the Synapse bankruptcy.', '""I am increasingly desperate and don\'t know where to turn,"" Buckler wrote. ""', 'I have nearly $38,000 tied up as a result of the halting of transaction processing.', 'This money took years to save up.', '""Until recently, Synapse, which calls itself the biggest ""banking as a service"" provider, helped a wide swath of the U.S. fintech universe provide services such as checking accounts and debit cards.', 'Former partners included Mercury, Dave and Juno, well-known fintech firms that catered to segments including startups, gig workers and crypto users.', 'Synapse had contracts with 20 banks and 100 fintech companies, resulting in about 10 million end users, according to an April filing from founder and CEO Sankaet Pathak.', 'Pathak did not immediately respond to an email from CNBC seeking comment.', 'A spokesman for Evolve Bank & Trust declined to comment, instead pointing to a statement on the bank\'s website that read, in part: ""Synapse\'s abrupt shutdown of essential systems without notice and failure to provide necessary records needlessly jeopardized end users by hindering our ability to verify transactions, confirm end user balances, and comply with applicable law.', '""It is unclear why Synapse switched the system off, and an explanation could not be found in filings.', 'Another customer, Joseph Dominguez of Sacramento, California, told the bankruptcy court on May 20 that he had more than $20,000 held up in his Yotta fintech account.', '""We are scared that money will be lost if Synapse can not provide ledgers and documents to Evolve or Yotta to prove we are the legitimate owners,"" Dominguez wrote. ""', ""We don't know where our direct deposit has gone, we don't know where our pending withdrawals are currently held."", '""The freeze-up of customer funds exposes the vulnerabilities in the banking as a service, or BAAS, partnership model and a possible blind spot for regulatory oversight.', 'The BAAS model, used most notably by the pre-IPO fintech firm Chime, allows Silicon Valley-style startups to tap the abilities of small FDIC-backed banks.', 'Together, the ecosystem helped these companies compete against the giants of American banking.', 'Customers mistakenly believed that because funds are ultimately held at real banks, they were as safe and available as any other FDIC-insured accounts, said Jason Mikula, a consultant and newsletter writer who has tracked this case closely.', '""This is 10 million-plus people who can\'t pay their mortgages, can\'t buy their groceries. …', 'This is another order of disaster,"" Mikula said.', 'Regulators have yet to take a role in the dispute, partly because the underlying banks involved have not failed, the point at which the FDIC would usually intervene to make customers whole, Mikula added.', 'The agencies have generally put the onus on banks for managing their risks to fintech partners, he said.', 'The FDIC and Federal Reserve declined to comment.', 'In pleading with the judge in this case, Martin Barash, to help the affected customers, Buckler noted in his testimonial that while he had other resources besides the locked account, others are not as lucky.', '""So far the federal government is not willing to help us,"" Buckler wrote. ""', 'As you heard, there are millions affected who are in far worse straits.', '""Reached by phone on Wednesday, Buckler said he had one message for Americans: ""I want to make people aware, yeah, your money might be safe at the bank, but it is not safe if the fintech or the processor fails,"" he said. ""', 'If this is another FTX, if they were doing funny business with my money, then what?""']",-0.0819259721267285,"A spokesman for Evolve Bank & Trust declined to comment, instead pointing to a statement on the bank's website that read, in part: ""Synapse's abrupt shutdown of essential systems without notice and failure to provide necessary records needlessly jeopardized end users by hindering our ability to verify transactions, confirm end user balances, and comply with applicable law.","""We are scared that money will be lost if Synapse can not provide ledgers and documents to Evolve or Yotta to prove we are the legitimate owners,"" Dominguez wrote. """,-0.7858791351318359,This money took years to save up.,The situation deteriorated in April after Synapse declared bankruptcy following the exodus of several key partners.,2024-05-27
US box office on track to have worst Memorial Day weekend since 1995,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/summer-box-office-memorial-day/index.html,"
  Published
        1:41 PM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","The summer movie season typically starts with a bang during the month of May and, particularly, during Memorial Day weekend.
    
            This year, it’s a whimper.
    
            Memorial Day weekend (Friday through Monday) movie ticket sales are estimated at $128.3 million, according to Comscore data provided to CNN. That’s down from last year’s Memorial Day weekend, which recorded just shy of $205 million gross revenue, and it lands well under the record holiday in 2013, when “Fast & Furious 6” drove the weekend to $314.3 million in revenue.
    
            In fact, the US box office is on track to have its lowest-grossing Memorial Day weekend since the $117.1 million seen in 1995, when “Casper” haunted the screens — and that’s not even adjusting for inflation.
    
            “There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the numbers that are coming out this weekend are nothing to write home about,” Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore, told CNN in an interview.
    
            “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” was estimated to be the No. 1 movie with $32 million in sales for the weekend.
    
            The tepid Memorial Day weekend continues what’s been a lukewarm start to the summer box office, a movie-going season that’s still reeling from the effects of last year’s Hollywood strikes.
    
            Coupled with production delays — the aftershocks of the multi-month-long Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are still reverberating across studios — the season that has historically drawn the biggest movie theater audiences is off to a rocky start, potentially hurting the yearly box office totals for 2024.
    
            “Summer is the most important moviegoing season of the year, accounting on average for nearly 40% of the total domestic annual revenue, so as goes the summer so goes the year,” Dergarabedian said.
    
            Last summer, blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data. But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”
    
            “Barring some major overperformances, this summer looks like it’ll be down 20% to 25% in box office grosses between May and August from last year,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory.
    
            While there was no Marvel movie to kick off this May and no mega-blockbuster for Memorial Day, there’s still potentially a solid pipeline of movies to come this year, Degarabarian said.
    
            “We just now have to count on the films coming out in June and July to really perform — and there’s some big ones on the horizon,” he said, noting “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside-Out 2,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
    
            Until 2020, the period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Monday could be counted on to bring in upwards of $4 billion in domestic revenue, according to Comscore data. Summer 2023 saw the first post-pandemic $4-billion summer.
    
            Propelled by the success of “Sound of Freedom,” “Oppenheimer,” and the record-breaking $155 million “Barbie” opening weekend, summer 2023 grossed $4.09 billion, a 19.2% jump from the year prior.
    
            “Barbie” was distributed by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
    
            An opening weekend north of $100 million is typically only seen in intellectual property-driven action films like Star Wars movies and superhero flicks, as well as animated family fare like “The Incredibles 2” and “Finding Dory.” So far this year, no movie has crossed that threshold.
    
            “Sans a Marvel movie to provide a $100-million-plus opening weekend to get the momentum going, this summer will have to make up ground in June and July,” said Dergarabedian, adding that this summer has so far been a “late bloomer.”
    
            Two movies that analysts say could cross the $100 million threshold this summer are “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2,” both of which are distributed by Walt Disney Studios.
    
            The studio’s first wide release of 2024 under its flagship “Disney” banner is set to be “Inside Out 2,” an anomaly for the company and the movie business, according to Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which collects sales and showtimes data from thousands of movie theaters across the United States. (Disney-owned 20th Century Entertainment released its first movie of the year, “The First Omen,” in April.)
    
            “I can’t think of any other year where a studio as vital to this industry sits out the entire first half of the year,” Loria told CNN, adding that this is in large part due to production delays and schedule shifts caused by months of back and forth between studios, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union. “We tend to overemphasize the effect of Hollywood’s 2023 labor strikes at the box office, but it’s hard not to cite it when you look at the number of releases to have hit theaters from major studios in the first half of the year.”
    
            Disney has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
    
            Loria also emphasized that Disney’s summer offerings, both from its Pixar and Marvel divisions, will be critical to how the 2024 box office performs overall.
    
            “Inside Out 2” is forecast to open anywhere between $80 million and $100 million, according to Box Office Pro pre-sales data. Pixar’s offerings in recent years have fallen flat; 2022’s “Lightyear” debuted at $50.5 million domestically, while 2023’s “Elemental” made $29.6 million its opening weekend.
    
            Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.
    
            Last week, ticket seller Fandango announced that “Deadpool & Wolverine” had broken the company’s 2024 record for best first-day ticket presales, beating out “Dune: Part Two.” The film also had the best first day of ticket sales for an R-rated film in Fandango’s 24-year history, the company told CNN.
    
            “Deadpool & Wolverine has the potential to be the second movie (after 2021’s “Spiderman: No Way Home”) to earn a $200 million opening weekend of the post-pandemic era,” said Loria. “We are still two months out, but if pre-sales and awareness continue at this pace, we believe the film can open between $170 million and $210 million.”
    
            “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” “look particularly strong, and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will hands down be the top film of the summer,” said Dergarabedian.
    
            Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far, but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond.
    
            “Box office earnings have been down largely because of staggered gaps between widely appealing releases in the first half of the year,” said Robbins. “That’s been the status quo in the post-pandemic era for many reasons, mostly outside the control of theatrical exhibition. The industry had only a brief period between the impact of COVID production delays followed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year.”
    
            Robbins added that there’s still time for strong titles in the second half of the year to fill the gap, including September’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Transformers One,” and October’s “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
    
            “Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since the pandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “The data clearly shows that audiences can still support the studio tentpole model — but identifying the movies that will become those blockbuster hits continues to be as difficult to predict as ever before.”
    
            Box Office Pro projects that the 2024 box office will gross $8.2 billion, about 10% lower than last year’s $9 billion. The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['The summer movie season typically starts with a bang during the month of May and, particularly, during Memorial Day weekend.', 'This year, it’s a whimper.', 'Memorial Day weekend (Friday through Monday) movie ticket sales are estimated at $128.3 million, according to Comscore data provided to CNN.', 'That’s down from last year’s Memorial Day weekend, which recorded just shy of $205 million gross revenue, and it lands well under the record holiday in 2013, when “Fast & Furious 6” drove the weekend to $314.3 million in revenue.', 'In fact, the US box office is on track to have its lowest-grossing Memorial Day weekend since the $117.1 million seen in 1995, when “Casper” haunted the screens — and that’s not even adjusting for inflation.', '“There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the numbers that are coming out this weekend are nothing to write home about,” Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore, told CNN in an interview.', '“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” was estimated to be the No.', '1 movie with $32 million in sales for the weekend.', 'The tepid Memorial Day weekend continues what’s been a lukewarm start to the summer box office, a movie-going season that’s still reeling from the effects of last year’s Hollywood strikes.', 'Coupled with production delays — the aftershocks of the multi-month-long Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are still reverberating across studios — the season that has historically drawn the biggest movie theater audiences is off to a rocky start, potentially hurting the yearly box office totals for 2024.', '“Summer is the most important moviegoing season of the year, accounting on average for nearly 40% of the total domestic annual revenue, so as goes the summer so goes the year,” Dergarabedian said.', 'Lastsummer, blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data.', 'But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”', '“Barring some major overperformances, this summer looks like it’ll be down 20% to 25% in box office grosses between May and August from last year,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory.', 'While there was no Marvel movie to kick off this May and no mega-blockbuster for Memorial Day, there’s still potentially a solid pipeline of movies to come this year, Degarabarian said.', '“We just now have to count on the films coming out in June and July to really perform — and there’s some big ones on the horizon,” he said, noting “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside-Out 2,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”', 'Until 2020, the period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Monday could be counted on to bring in upwards of $4 billion in domestic revenue, according to Comscore data.', 'Summer 2023 saw the first post-pandemic $4-billion summer.', 'Propelled by the success of “Sound of Freedom,” “Oppenheimer,” and the record-breaking $155 million “Barbie” opening weekend, summer 2023 grossed $4.09 billion, a 19.2% jump from the year prior.', '“Barbie” was distributed by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.', 'An opening weekend north of $100 million is typically only seen in intellectual property-driven action films like Star Wars movies and superhero flicks, as well as animated family fare like “The Incredibles 2” and “Finding Dory.”', 'So far this year, no movie has crossed that threshold.', '“Sans a Marvel movie to provide a $100-million-plus opening weekend to get the momentum going, this summer will have to make up ground in June and July,” said Dergarabedian, adding that this summer has so far been a “late bloomer.”', 'Two movies that analysts say could cross the $100 million threshold this summer are “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2,” both of which are distributed by Walt Disney Studios.', 'The studio’s first wide release of 2024 under its flagship “Disney” banner is set to be “Inside Out 2,” an anomaly for the company and the movie business, according to Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which collects sales and showtimes data from thousands of movie theaters across the United States. (', 'Disney-owned 20th Century Entertainment released its first movie of the year, “The First Omen,” in April.)', '“I can’t think of any other year where a studio as vital to this industry sits out the entire first half of the year,” Loria told CNN, adding that this is in large part due to production delays and schedule shifts caused by months of back and forth between studios, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union. “', 'We tend to overemphasize the effect of Hollywood’s 2023 labor strikes at the box office, but it’s hard not to cite it when you look at the number of releases to have hit theaters from major studios in the first half of the year.”', 'Disney has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.', 'Loria also emphasized that Disney’s summer offerings, both from its Pixar and Marvel divisions, will be critical to how the 2024 box office performs overall.', '“Inside Out 2” is forecast to open anywhere between $80 million and $100 million, according to Box Office Pro pre-sales data.', 'Pixar’s offerings in recent years have fallen flat; 2022’s “Lightyear” debuted at $50.5 million domestically, while 2023’s “Elemental” made $29.6 million its opening weekend.', 'Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.', 'Last week, ticket seller Fandango announced that “Deadpool & Wolverine” had broken the company’s 2024 record for best first-day ticket presales, beating out “Dune: Part Two.”', 'The film also had the best first day of ticket sales for an R-rated film in Fandango’s 24-year history, the company told CNN.', '“Deadpool & Wolverine has the potential to be the second movie (after 2021’s “Spiderman: No Way Home”) to earn a $200 million opening weekend of the post-pandemic era,” said Loria. “', 'We are still two months out, but if pre-sales and awareness continue at this pace, we believe the film can open between $170 million and $210 million.”', '“Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” “look particularly strong, and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will hands down be the top film of the summer,” said Dergarabedian.', 'Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far, but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond.', '“Box office earnings have been down largely because of staggered gaps between widely appealing releases in the first half of the year,” said Robbins. “', 'That’s been the status quo in the post-pandemic era for many reasons, mostly outside the control of theatrical exhibition.', 'The industry had only a brief period between the impact of COVID production delays followed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year.”', 'Robbins added that there’s still time for strong titles in the second half of the year to fill the gap, including September’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Transformers One,” and October’s “Joker: Folie à Deux.”', '“Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since thepandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “', 'The data clearly shows that audiences can still support the studio tentpole model — but identifying the movies that will become those blockbuster hits continues to be as difficult to predict as ever before.”', 'Box Office Pro projects that the 2024 box office will gross $8.2 billion, about 10% lower than last year’s $9 billion.', 'The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.']",0.0539982442308759,"Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.","But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”",0.1576517088846727,"“Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since thepandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “","The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.",2024-05-27
TSA sets new record Friday for most travelers screened in a single day,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/25/business/tsa-travel-record-memorial-day-weekend/index.html,"
  Published
        9:11 AM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day on Friday, according to a post from the agency on X, formerly known as Twitter.
    
            TSA officers screened 2,951,163 individuals at checkpoints nationwide, surpassing its previous record from November 26, 2023, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
    
            “If you flew yesterday, congratulations, you were part of a record-setting day,” TSA public affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said on X. “@TSA officers screened more people at airport security checkpoints nationwide yesterday (May 24th) than any other day in our 22-year history.”
    
            Five of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history have occurred in 2024, the agency notes.",CNN,25/05/2024,"['The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it set a new record for most travelers screened in a single day on Friday, according to a post from the agency on X, formerly known as Twitter.', 'TSA officers screened 2,951,163 individuals at checkpoints nationwide, surpassing its previous record from November 26, 2023, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.', '“If you flew yesterday, congratulations, you were part of a record-setting day,” TSA public affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbsteinsaid on X. “@TSA officers screened more people at airport security checkpoints nationwide yesterday (May 24th) than any other day in our 22-year history.”', 'Five of the top 10 busiest travel days in TSA’s history have occurred in 2024, the agency notes.']",0.4218000818747581,"“If you flew yesterday, congratulations, you were part of a record-setting day,” TSA public affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbsteinsaid on X. “@TSA officers screened more people at airport security checkpoints nationwide yesterday (May 24th) than any other day in our 22-year history.”",,0.9992685119311014,"TSA officers screened 2,951,163 individuals at checkpoints nationwide, surpassing its previous record from November 26, 2023, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.",,2024-05-27
Here’s why we eat popcorn at the movies,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/25/business/why-do-we-eat-popcorn-at-the-movies/index.html,"
  Published
        11:30 AM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","Even before the house lights dim, the cinema experience is well under way, with one concession-stand food holding top billing.
    
            Its roasty, buttery aroma fills the lobby, a smell that’s both unmistakable and, often, core memory-inducing. A kernel smacks the side of a stainless steel kettle, a hint of the percussive symphony to come. As a white, fluffy wave boils up, the contents are scooped into a tub and drizzled — if you are lucky — with real melted butter.
    
            And as you slide into a cushioned seat, the delicate puffs give way to a soft crunch.
    
            It’s Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start to the summer blockbuster movie season, and for 90-plus years and through generation after generation, the salty and buttery treat’s symbiotic relationship with the cinema has remained.
    
            “Popcorn and the movies are as inextricably linked as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, peanut butter and chocolate; and, as such, represent perhaps one of the greatest duos in modern history,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, told CNN. “It’s hard to imagine a more perfect combination and one that has become part of the culture in such a profound and ubiquitous way.”
    
            The nation’s largest movie chain, AMC Theaters, pops enough popcorn to fill 222 Olympic-sized swimming pools every year, according to the company. But the perfect (and very profitable) pairing of today wasn’t always the case: For many years, movie theaters wanted nothing to do with the snack.
    
            There’s plenty of lore packed in to popcorn’s origin story and a fair bit of drama involved in its “shotgun wedding” with the movies, according to Andrew F. Smith’s “Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America.”
    
            Smith, in cataloging popcorn’s rise, debunked most of the long-ingrained fables behind the snack. It was not a “first Thanksgiving” side dish but rather landed in New England in the early half of the 19th century, likely brought there by American sailors returning from South America.
    
            Popping corn became a popular recreational activity by the 1840s, after “wire-on-the-fire” poppers and popping apparatuses were invented. In the following decades, popcorn vendors proliferated at fairs, circuses and on city streets. More commercial operations emerged, Cracker Jack became a ballpark staple and a slow courtship with the movie exhibition business began.
    
            That business, saved by the advent of the “talkie,” blossomed during the early 20th century. By 1930, a stunning 90 million people were going to the movies on a weekly basis, Smith wrote.
    
            The crowd appeared ripe for the picking to popcorn salesmen, but theater owners balked.
    
            “To some owners, vending all concessions was an unnecessary nuisance or ‘beneath their dignity,’” Smith wrote. “In the rowdy, burlesque days, hawkers went through the aisles with baskets selling Cracker Jack and popcorn. Much of the popcorn was tossed in the air or strewn on the floors.”
    
            In cinemas, the scattered popcorn bits would muck up the valuable carpet that was meant to emulate the grand theater lobbies.
    
            But cinema owners changed their tune, and popcorn’s boom came during one of the unlikeliest of economic periods: The Great Depression.
    
            “At five or 10 cents a bag, popcorn was an affordable luxury for most Americans,” Smith wrote.
    
            The popcorn-making initially took place outside of the theaters, where operators leased space to vendors as it was seen as too costly to outfit the buildings with vents. But once competitors started popping up and tales of “popcorn wealth” spread like wildfire, the concession was brought in-house.
    
            “Popcorn sold so well because of its aroma — the same smell that some theater owners had reportedly despised earlier,” Smith wrote. “The aroma was maximized during the popping process. As soon as the machines were placed in the lobbies, business picked up.”
    
            On a recent Sunday morning here in South Minneapolis, a decades-long father-son tradition continued at the Riverview Theater, a single-screen cinema nestled among century-old bungalows.
    
            Ever since John Aitkin, 44, was a kid, he and his father, John Sr., have been catching movies at the Riverview. As they awaited the start of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” they were accompanied by other longstanding members of the monthly custom: a bucket of popcorn and a couple of soda pops.
    
            “(Popcorn’s) a pastime,” the younger Aitkin said. “When I’m eating it, it makes everything feel OK. It’s just ‘popcorn and a movie,’ and you can disappear from the anxiety of daily living.”
    
            It’s also an affordable escape. The medium bucket ran Aitkin a cool $2.50, half the price of his ticket that day. (This is the exception: In some regions, popcorn can easily run three or four times that.)
    
            The Riverview popcorn’s fame and popularity extends beyond the walls of the 75-year-old building. For years, the neighborhood cinema has sold it to-go, an offering that helped the theater navigate 2020, said Loren Williams, the Riverview’s owner.
    
            “When the pandemic came, that was all we had,” he told CNN of the community support.
    
            After the pandemic reopenings, people were not only buying premium tickets, but also spending more on concessions, said Alicia Reese, an analyst who covers the media and entertainment industry for Wedbush.
    
            “We thought that there was just pent-up demand for going out and [people] treating themselves,” she said. “But this trend has persisted. It has not declined, and it’s still growing.”
    
            That’s good news for theater operators at a time when attendance hasn’t yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. That’s because, at their heart, cinemas are mostly food service and real estate operations, said Ricard Gil, an associate professor who specializes in organizational economics at Queen’s University in Canada.
    
            Generally, the ticket revenue is split 50-50 between the theater operators and the movie studios, said Gil, who previously researched why movie theater concessions come at steep prices.
    
            For the exhibitors, that half (or, oftentimes, less) isn’t enough to recoup all the other costs.
    
            Concessions account for about one-third of overall domestic sales at the largest US chains of AMC and Cinemark, Wedbush’s Reese said.
    
            “Over 80% of that revenue is going to profit, which is substantial and unlike most other businesses,” she said. “The reason for that is that most of the concession sales are popcorn, where the cost is quite low.”
    
            In 2023, AMC Theatres’ food and beverage business totaled $1.67 billion in revenue, financial filings show. (By comparison, that’s more than the annual revenue of restaurant chains like BJ’s, Waffle House and Red Robin).
    
            “The sun rises and sets on our concession business,” Nels Storm, AMC Theatres’ vice president of food and beverage product strategy, said in an interview. And popcorn, he said, remains the “venerable force” behind that business.
    
            But, given external threats to the industry, such as at-home entertainment and more options competing for consumers’ almighty dollar, popcorn has to evolve with the times.
    
            For AMC, that’s included launching a line of microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn for sale at retailers like Walmart and Kroger, offering unique or movie-themed flavors and leaning heavily into merchandising.
    
            Popular movies often bring collectible cups and popcorn buckets, or, in industry-speak, Collectible Concession Vehicles (CCVs).
    
            At AMC, these have included R2-D2 popcorn buckets; Ghostbusters’ Ecto 1; the infamous Dune: Part Two sandworm; and, coming in June, a “Garfield” CCV that includes a plush doll — a fitting throwback to the days when stuffed versions of the lasagna-loving tabby were suctioned-cupped to car windows.
    
            For years, cinemas have broadened their concessions, with some taking it to the next level of dine-in theaters. Alamo Drafthouse, which got its start in 1997, offers a full menu and bar (complete with servers). Despite the full menu, popcorn remains the most frequently purchased food item, said Heather Morgan, Alamo’s chief of staff and strategy.
    
            Alamo is quick to experiment with its popcorn and other concessions by tying them in to various theme nights, she said, noting that the chain created a berbere-spiced popcorn for “Dune: Part Two.”
    
            “We can see an uptick in sales, because people want to try the new and different flavors,” she said.
    
            Those unique takes extend to smaller theaters, as well.
    
            In Brooklyn, New York, Nitehawk Cinema is known for its truffle popcorn.  In Iowa City, Iowa, the nonprofit FilmScene cinema uses a recipe handed down from the University of Iowa’s student cinema group.
    
            “We don’t offer butter, and we promise you don’t need it,” Andrew Sherburne, FilmScene’s executive director and co-founder, wrote via email to CNN.
    
            In Seattle, Emerald City film-lovers rejoiced when the iconic Cinerama theater was resurrected after a pandemic closure and its famed chocolate popcorn returned.
    
            At Cinelounge Cinemas in California, founder Christian Meoli crafted a line of eight artisan popcorns to be sold onsite, online and in stores.
    
            The movie-themed offerings — featuring flavors such as cinnamon churro, bourbon caramel and rosemary — also serve as a vehicle to spur investment in the film community: The proceeds help fund grants, screenings and equipment for aspiring filmmakers, he said.
    
            The cinema business will continue to evolve, but one thing will remain constant, said Gil of Queen’s University.
    
            “The only economics of movie theaters that has changed is the romanticism of showing movies has gone away a little bit, and movie theater companies have realized that they are real estate companies, and they have capacity, and they need to fill the capacity, and they’ll do whatever (it takes) to actually do that,” Gil said. “Theaters will stop playing movies before they will actually stop selling popcorn.”",CNN,25/05/2024,"['Even before the house lights dim, the cinema experience is well under way, with one concession-stand food holding top billing.', 'Its roasty, buttery aroma fills the lobby, a smell that’s both unmistakable and, often, core memory-inducing.', 'A kernel smacks the side of a stainless steel kettle, a hint of the percussive symphony to come.', 'As a white, fluffy wave boils up, the contents are scooped into a tub and drizzled — if you are lucky — with real melted butter.', 'And as you slide into a cushioned seat, the delicate puffs give way to a soft crunch.', 'It’s Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start to the summer blockbuster movie season, and for 90-plus years and through generation after generation, the salty and buttery treat’s symbiotic relationship with the cinema has remained.', '“Popcorn and the movies are as inextricably linked as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, peanut butter and chocolate; and, as such, represent perhaps one of the greatest duos in modern history,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, told CNN. “', 'It’s hard to imagine a more perfect combination and one that has become part of the culture in such a profound and ubiquitous way.”', 'The nation’s largest movie chain, AMC Theaters, pops enough popcorn to fill 222 Olympic-sized swimming pools every year, according to the company.', 'But the perfect (and very profitable) pairing of today wasn’t always the case: For many years, movie theaters wanted nothing to do with the snack.', 'There’s plenty of lore packed in to popcorn’s origin story and a fair bit of drama involved in its “shotgun wedding” with the movies, according to Andrew F. Smith’s “Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America.”', 'Smith, in cataloging popcorn’s rise, debunked most of the long-ingrained fables behind the snack.', 'It was not a “first Thanksgiving” side dish but rather landed in New England in the early half of the 19th century, likely brought there by American sailors returning from South America.', 'Popping corn became a popular recreational activity by the 1840s, after “wire-on-the-fire” poppers and popping apparatuses were invented.', 'In the following decades, popcorn vendors proliferated at fairs, circuses and on city streets.', 'More commercial operations emerged, Cracker Jack became a ballpark staple and a slow courtship with the movie exhibition business began.', 'That business, saved by the advent of the “talkie,” blossomed during the early 20th century.', 'By 1930, a stunning 90 million people were going to the movies on a weekly basis, Smith wrote.', 'The crowd appeared ripe for the picking to popcorn salesmen, but theater owners balked.', '“To some owners, vending all concessions was an unnecessary nuisance or ‘beneath their dignity,’” Smith wrote. “', 'In the rowdy, burlesque days, hawkers went through the aisles with baskets selling Cracker Jack and popcorn.', 'Much of the popcorn was tossed in the air or strewn on the floors.”', 'In cinemas, the scattered popcorn bits would muck up the valuable carpet that was meant to emulate the grand theater lobbies.', 'But cinema owners changed their tune, and popcorn’s boom came during one of the unlikeliest of economic periods: The Great Depression.', '“At five or 10 cents a bag, popcorn was an affordable luxury for most Americans,” Smith wrote.', 'The popcorn-making initially took place outside of the theaters, where operators leased space to vendors as it was seen as too costly to outfit the buildings with vents.', 'But once competitors started popping up and tales of “popcorn wealth” spread like wildfire, the concession was brought in-house.', '“Popcorn sold so well because of its aroma — the same smell that some theater owners had reportedly despised earlier,” Smith wrote. “', 'The aroma was maximized during the popping process.', 'As soon as the machines were placed in the lobbies, business picked up.”', 'On a recent Sunday morning here in South Minneapolis, a decades-long father-son tradition continued at the Riverview Theater, a single-screen cinema nestled among century-old bungalows.', 'Ever since John Aitkin, 44, was a kid, he and his father, John Sr.,', 'have been catching movies at the Riverview.', 'As they awaited the start of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” they were accompanied by other longstanding members of the monthly custom: a bucket of popcorn and a couple of soda pops.', '“(Popcorn’s) a pastime,” the younger Aitkin said. “', 'When I’m eating it, it makes everything feel OK.', 'It’s just ‘popcorn and a movie,’ and you can disappear from the anxiety of daily living.”', 'It’s also an affordable escape.', 'The medium bucket ran Aitkin a cool $2.50, half the price of his ticket that day. (', 'This is the exception: In some regions, popcorn can easily run three or four times that.)', 'The Riverview popcorn’s fame and popularity extends beyond the walls of the 75-year-old building.', 'For years, the neighborhood cinema has sold it to-go, an offering that helped the theater navigate 2020, said Loren Williams, the Riverview’s owner.', '“When the pandemic came, that was all we had,” he told CNN of the community support.', 'After the pandemic reopenings, people were not only buying premium tickets, but also spending more on concessions, said Alicia Reese, an analyst who covers the media and entertainment industry for Wedbush.', '“We thought that there was just pent-up demand for going out and [people] treating themselves,” she said. “', 'But this trend has persisted.', 'It has not declined, and it’s still growing.”', 'That’s good news for theater operators at a time when attendance hasn’t yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.', 'That’s because, at their heart, cinemas are mostly food service and real estate operations, said Ricard Gil, an associate professor who specializes in organizational economics at Queen’s University in Canada.', 'Generally, the ticket revenue is split 50-50 between the theater operators and the movie studios, said Gil, who previously researched why movie theater concessions come at steep prices.', 'For the exhibitors, that half (or, oftentimes, less) isn’t enough to recoup all the other costs.', 'Concessions account for about one-third of overall domestic sales at the largest US chains of AMC and Cinemark, Wedbush’s Reese said.', '“Over 80% of that revenue is going to profit, which is substantial and unlike most other businesses,” she said. “', 'The reason for that is that most of the concession sales are popcorn, where the cost is quite low.”', 'In 2023, AMC Theatres’ food and beverage business totaled $1.67 billion in revenue, financial filings show. (', 'By comparison, that’s more than the annual revenue of restaurant chains like BJ’s, Waffle House and Red Robin).', '“The sun rises and sets on our concession business,” Nels Storm, AMC Theatres’ vice president of food and beverage product strategy, said in an interview.', 'And popcorn, he said, remains the “venerable force” behind that business.', 'But, given external threats to the industry, such as at-home entertainment and more options competing for consumers’ almighty dollar, popcorn has to evolve with the times.', 'For AMC, that’s included launching a line of microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn for sale at retailers like Walmart and Kroger, offering unique or movie-themed flavors and leaning heavily into merchandising.', 'Popular movies often bring collectible cups and popcorn buckets, or, in industry-speak, Collectible Concession Vehicles (CCVs).', 'At AMC, these have included R2-D2 popcorn buckets; Ghostbusters’ Ecto 1; the infamous Dune: Part Two sandworm; and, coming in June, a “Garfield” CCV that includes a plush doll — a fitting throwback to the days when stuffed versions of the lasagna-loving tabby were suctioned-cupped to car windows.', 'For years, cinemas have broadened their concessions, with some taking it to the next level of dine-in theaters.', 'Alamo Drafthouse, which got its start in 1997, offers a full menu and bar (complete with servers).', 'Despite the full menu, popcorn remains the most frequently purchased food item, said Heather Morgan, Alamo’s chief of staff and strategy.', 'Alamo is quick to experiment with its popcorn and other concessions by tying them in to various theme nights, she said, noting that the chain created a berbere-spiced popcorn for “Dune: Part Two.”', '“We can see an uptick in sales, because people want to try the new and different flavors,” she said.', 'Those unique takes extend to smaller theaters, as well.', 'In Brooklyn, New York, Nitehawk Cinema is known for its truffle popcorn.', 'In Iowa City, Iowa, the nonprofit FilmScene cinema uses a recipe handed down from the University of Iowa’s student cinema group.', '“We don’t offer butter, and we promise you don’t need it,” Andrew Sherburne, FilmScene’s executive director and co-founder, wrote via email to CNN.', 'In Seattle, Emerald City film-lovers rejoiced when the iconic Cinerama theater was resurrected after a pandemic closure and its famed chocolate popcorn returned.', 'At Cinelounge Cinemas in California, founder Christian Meoli crafted a line of eight artisan popcorns to be sold onsite, online and in stores.', 'The movie-themed offerings — featuring flavors such as cinnamon churro, bourbon caramel and rosemary — also serve as a vehicle to spur investment in the film community: The proceeds help fund grants, screenings and equipment for aspiring filmmakers, he said.', 'The cinema business will continue to evolve, but one thing will remain constant, said Gil of Queen’s University.', '“The only economics of movie theaters that has changed is the romanticism of showing movies has gone away a little bit, and movie theater companies have realized that they are real estate companies, and they have capacity, and they need to fill the capacity, and they’ll do whatever (it takes) to actually do that,” Gil said. “', 'Theaters will stop playing movies before they will actually stop selling popcorn.”']",0.1914053706281678,"But the perfect (and very profitable) pairing of today wasn’t always the case: For many years, movie theaters wanted nothing to do with the snack.","It’s just ‘popcorn and a movie,’ and you can disappear from the anxiety of daily living.”",0.7346684677260262,"“We can see an uptick in sales, because people want to try the new and different flavors,” she said.","“To some owners, vending all concessions was an unnecessary nuisance or ‘beneath their dignity,’” Smith wrote. “",2024-05-27
Why Target and McDonald's are cutting prices and offering deals,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/22/target-walmart-mcdonalds-price-cuts-deals.html,2024-05-22T19:17:37+0000,"Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters.The discounter is not alone.Target's first-quarter results on Wednesday not only show American consumers are more selective about spending in the face of sustained inflation that has squeezed their budgets for nearly three years. The company's declining sales also illustrate how the battle for shoppers' wallets has heated up as retailers — and even some restaurants — race to outmatch each other on low prices.Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April. The discounter also introduced a new premium grocery brand with most items under $5.Elsewhere, Aldi dropped prices earlier this month on more than 250 items, including chicken, steak, granola bars and frozen blueberries. And even McDonald's is debuting a limited-time $5 value meal in late June as some diners scoff at the price of fast food.Target made its move on Monday, saying it has already reduced prices on about 1,500 items and plans to cut prices on thousands more this summer. Many of those items are staples such as milk, peanut butter and diapers.Multiple major grocers and restaurants cutting prices or offering deals could offer relief at the checkout, at a time when consumer prices are still climbing more than 3% from last year. It could also give the Federal Reserve more confidence to cut interest rates. Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.Analysts on Target's earnings call on Wednesday asked about the timing and reasoning behind the price cuts and whether the retailer or its vendors are picking up the tab. The company declined to share details of that split, but Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said Target's vendors know the company is committed to passing on savings to its customers to drive traffic.Some businesses have held on to customers even with the same or higher prices: Chipotle and Sweetgreen, for example, have bucked the consumer slowdown.Target's earnings report revealed at least part of the reason why it is joining the race to cut prices. Sales of discretionary merchandise, such as clothing, dropped year over year. But so did sales of higher frequency items like groceries and paper towels.Some customers may be making those purchases at Walmart instead. Transactions on Walmart's website and stores rose 3.8% in the most recent quarter, and its e-commerce purchases shot up by 22% in the U.S., the company reported last week.In an interview with CNBC, Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said the retail giant is gaining share from higher-income households. He added some consumers are coming to its stores for meals because of sticker shock at fast-food chains.""We've got customers that are coming to us more frequently than they have before and newer customers that we haven't traditionally had,"" he said.On Target's earnings call, analysts asked tough questions about whether the retailer is losing ground with shoppers or is seen as too pricey, outside of sales events.CEO Brian Cornell said Target is putting value front and center as it fights to get back to growth.""We want to make sure America knows that Target's a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it's in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.When Target cuts prices, customers have noticed and responded, Hennington said on the earnings call. For example, it noticed it didn't have low-priced tech accessories that customers wanted, such as charging cables and phone cases, she said.Those items became part of Dealworthy, a new private brand launched in February that offers Target's lowest prices on basic items like laundry detergent and paper plates.""When we introduced the right price points in Dealworthy, the guests noticed immediately and that drove unit and traffic acceleration in those categories and that's what we're doing business by business,"" she said.It'll soon run a similar play with seasonal items, she said. After Target ""took a hard look at some of the most popular products from last year's summer assortment,"" customers can expect to see cheaper pool noodles, floats and coolers.— CNBC's Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.",CNBC,22/05/2024,"[""Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters."", 'The discounter is not alone.', ""Target's first-quarter results on Wednesday not only show American consumers are more selective about spending in the face of sustained inflation that has squeezed their budgets for nearly three years."", ""The company's declining sales also illustrate how the battle for shoppers' wallets has heated up as retailers — and even some restaurants — race to outmatch each other on low prices."", 'Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April.', 'The discounter also introduced a new premium grocery brand with most items under $5.Elsewhere, Aldi dropped prices earlier this month on more than 250 items, including chicken, steak, granola bars and frozen blueberries.', ""And even McDonald's is debuting a limited-time $5 value meal in late June as some diners scoff at the price of fast food."", 'Target made its move on Monday, saying it has already reduced prices on about 1,500 items and plans to cut prices on thousands more this summer.', 'Many of those items are staples such as milk, peanut butter and diapers.', 'Multiple major grocers and restaurants cutting prices or offering deals could offer relief at the checkout, at a time when consumer prices are still climbing more than 3% from last year.', 'It could also give the Federal Reserve more confidence to cut interest rates.', 'Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.', ""Analysts on Target's earnings call on Wednesday asked about the timing and reasoning behind the price cuts and whether the retailer or its vendors are picking up the tab."", ""The company declined to share details of that split, but Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said Target's vendors know the company is committed to passing on savings to its customers to drive traffic."", 'Some businesses have held on to customers even with the same or higher prices: Chipotle and Sweetgreen, for example, have bucked the consumer slowdown.', ""Target's earnings report revealed at least part of the reason why it is joining the race to cut prices."", 'Sales of discretionary merchandise, such as clothing, dropped year over year.', 'But so did sales of higher frequency items like groceries and paper towels.', 'Some customers may be making those purchases at Walmart instead.', ""Transactions on Walmart's website and stores rose 3.8% in the most recent quarter, and its e-commerce purchases shot up by 22% in the U.S., the company reported last week."", 'In an interview with CNBC, Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said the retail giant is gaining share from higher-income households.', 'He added some consumers are coming to its stores for meals because of sticker shock at fast-food chains.', '""We\'ve got customers that are coming to us more frequently than they have before and newer customers that we haven\'t traditionally had,"" he said.', ""On Target's earnings call, analysts asked tough questions about whether the retailer is losing ground with shoppers or is seen as too pricey, outside of sales events."", 'CEO Brian Cornell said Target is putting value front and center as it fights to get back to growth.', '""We want to make sureAmericaknows that Target\'s a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it\'s in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.', 'When Target cuts prices, customers have noticed and responded, Hennington said on the earnings call.', ""For example, it noticed it didn't have low-priced tech accessories that customers wanted, such as charging cables and phone cases, she said."", ""Those items became part of Dealworthy, a new private brand launched in February that offers Target's lowest prices on basic items like laundry detergent and paper plates."", '""When we introduced the right price points in Dealworthy, the guests noticed immediately and that drove unit and traffic acceleration in those categories and that\'s what we\'re doing business by business,"" she said.', ""It'll soon run a similar play with seasonal items, she said."", 'After Target ""took a hard look at some of the most popular products from last year\'s summer assortment,"" customers can expect to see cheaper pool noodles, floats and coolers.—', ""CNBC's Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.""]",0.0450573626859338,"""We want to make sureAmericaknows that Target's a great place to shop and we have great value every time you engage whether it's in-store or through our digital channels,"" he said, adding the company is on track to reverse sales declines in the second quarter.","Even so, the revenue lost from lower prices could force businesses to cut back elsewhere — potentially on labor costs.",0.3702837166033293,"Walmart said last week that its grocery ""rollbacks,"" short-term deals on specific items, were up 45% year over year in April.",Target's weak quarterly earnings underscored why it cut prices on thousands of household staples: It's struggling to win over bargain hunters.,2024-05-27
"NBC cut ties with Ronna McDaniel after extraordinary pressure, but its problems aren’t over",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/27/media/nbc-ronna-mcdaniel-problems-are-not-over/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:16 AM EDT, Wed March 27, 2024
    ","Only 80 hours elapsed between NBC News announcing Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor and the network ousting her from that very role. But for the leadership at NBC Universal News Group, those were 80 painful hours.
    
            On Tuesday evening, following another full day in which the media rumor mill churned at warp speed, NBCU News Group boss Cesar Conde sent staff a memo, notifying his troops that he had reversed his decision to welcome the former Republican National Committee chair to “the team.”
    
            “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Conde said, adding that he wanted to “personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down.”
    
            Conde had no real choice. The embattled NBCU boss, who I’m told dealt with the crisis from an unknown location outside of 30 Rock, was facing an unprecedented rebellion from his most high-profile stars, who one by one went on the air and excoriated leadership’s decision to hire McDaniel. The only aspect of Conde’s note that was surprising was the fact that it came 48 hours late, allowing what started off as a crisis to fester and balloon into one of the worst corporate public relations calamities in recent memory.
    
            “What a sh*t show!” a media executive exclaimed to me Tuesday shortly after Conde relieved McDaniel of her NBC News credentials.
    
            In his note, Conde said he took “full responsibility” for McDaniel’s hire. But, he also did point the finger, telling staffers that hiring her was “a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team.” Indeed, multiple people familiar with the matter have told me that the infighting among NBC executives over who was at fault for the disaster has reached a fever pitch, with various factions of the NBCU News Group assigning blame to others.
    
            Regardless of who is to blame, the entire affair made clear who is actually in control of the company — and it’s not Conde & Co. Despite the NBCU C-suite digging their heels in the sand as they resisted dumping McDaniel for days, they were ultimately forced to succumb to pressure from their talent. As a second media executive commented to me, it is now “very clear who is in charge” after the “weak leadership was put on full display.”
    
            “Has Cesar lost the room?” wondered a third media executive.
    
            While the Peacock family argues over who was really at fault, the company is facing a fresh public relations mess. Led by Donald Trump, right-wing personalities are already assailing the network as being overrun with intolerant woke leftists.
    
            “These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.
    
            Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote on X: “What NBC is saying is if you’re for Trump, you don’t belong. Good. Let NBC be for Democrats only.”
    
            Of course, that narrative is intellectually dishonest. The objection to McDaniel from both within and outside of NBCU was not that she is a Republican. It wasn’t even that she was a Trump-supporting Republican. No, the objection stemmed from the fact that McDaniel was an active participant in the plot to subvert the 2020 vote. And, in addition to that disgraceful history, she had a lengthy track record smearing NBC News and MSNBC.
    
            Nevertheless, NBCU will now have to contend with such dishonest attacks being leveled by the right, which will follow them in the days, months, and even years to come. As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.
    
            NBCU will also have to grapple with McDaniel, who spent the last 24 hours or so interviewing lawyers as she gears up for a possible legal fight with the network, according to a person familiar with the matter. The rift between McDaniel and NBCU had grown to such an extent by Tuesday that she was not informed by network brass that she had been dismissed, I’m told. Instead, McDaniel learned of her ouster in press reports.
    
            While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars. Shortly after Conde sent out his memo, Rachel Maddow appeared on Joy Reid’s show, where the two lauded Conde for reversing course.
    
            “I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”",CNN,27/03/2024,"['Only 80 hours elapsed between NBC News announcing Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor and the network ousting her from that very role.', 'But for the leadership at NBC Universal News Group, those were 80painful hours.', 'On Tuesday evening, following another full day in which the media rumor mill churned at warp speed, NBCU News Group boss Cesar Conde sent staff a memo, notifying his troops that he had reversed his decision to welcome the former Republican National Committee chair to “the team.”', '“After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Conde said, adding that he wanted to “personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down.”', 'Conde had no real choice.', 'The embattled NBCU boss, who I’m told dealt with the crisis from an unknown location outside of 30 Rock, was facing an unprecedented rebellion from his most high-profile stars, who one by one went on the air and excoriated leadership’s decision to hire McDaniel.', 'The only aspect of Conde’s note that was surprising was the fact that it came 48 hours late, allowing what started off as a crisis to fester and balloon into one of the worst corporate public relations calamities in recent memory.', '“What a sh*t show!”', 'a media executive exclaimed to me Tuesday shortly after Conde relieved McDaniel of her NBC News credentials.', 'In his note, Conde said he took “full responsibility” for McDaniel’s hire.', 'But, he also did point the finger, telling staffers that hiring her was “a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team.”', 'Indeed, multiple people familiar with the matter have told me that the infighting among NBC executives over who was at fault for the disaster has reached a fever pitch, with various factions of the NBCU News Group assigning blame to others.', 'Regardless of who is to blame, the entire affair made clear who is actually in control of the company — and it’s not Conde & Co. Despite the NBCU C-suite digging their heels in the sand as they resisted dumping McDaniel for days, they were ultimately forced to succumb to pressure from their talent.', 'As a second media executive commented to me, it is now “very clear who is in charge” after the “weak leadership was put on full display.”', '“Has Cesar lost the room?”', 'wondered a third media executive.', 'While the Peacock family argues over who was really at fault, the company is facing a fresh public relations mess.', 'Led by Donald Trump, right-wing personalities are already assailing the network as being overrun with intolerant woke leftists.', '“These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.', 'Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush, wrote on X: “What NBC is saying is if you’re for Trump, you don’t belong.', 'Good.', 'Let NBC be for Democrats only.”', 'Of course, that narrative is intellectually dishonest.', 'The objection to McDaniel from both within and outside of NBCU was not that she is a Republican.', 'It wasn’t even that she was a Trump-supporting Republican.', 'No, the objection stemmed from the fact that McDaniel was an active participant in the plot to subvert the 2020 vote.', 'And, in addition to that disgraceful history, she had a lengthy track record smearing NBC News and MSNBC.', 'Nevertheless, NBCU will now have to contend with such dishonest attacks being leveled by the right, which will follow them in the days, months, and even years to come.', 'As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.', 'NBCU will also have to grapple with McDaniel, who spent the last 24 hours or so interviewing lawyers as she gears up for a possible legal fight with the network, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'The rift between McDaniel and NBCU had grown to such an extent by Tuesday that she was not informed by network brass that she had been dismissed, I’m told.', 'Instead, McDaniel learned of her ouster in press reports.', 'While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars.', 'Shortly after Conde sent out his memo, Rachel Maddow appeared on Joy Reid’s show, where the two lauded Conde for reversing course.', '“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “', 'That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”']",-0.0743400881523301,"“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “","“These Radical Left Lunatics are CRAZY and the top people at NBC ARE WEAK,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.",-0.3914040706374428,"While NBCU is being beaten up on the right, the company’s leadership was quickly praised by its journalists and top stars.","As unfair as it may be, they will certainly damage the network’s brand in Republican circles — a place it had gone through great pains to appeal to.",2024-05-27
"Lowe's beats on earnings and revenue, even as consumers spend less on DIY projects",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/21/lowes-low-q1-2024-earnings.html,2024-05-21T17:51:56+0000,"In this articleLowe's topped Wall Street's quarterly earnings and revenue expectations on Tuesday, even as do-it-yourself customers bought fewer pricey items.The home improvement retailer's results echoed those of Home Depot last week. Home Depot missed revenue expectations, which it attributed to a tougher housing market and a delayed start to spring.Lowe's stuck by its full-year forecast. It said it expects total sales of between $84 billion and $85 billion, which would be a drop from $86.38 billion in fiscal 2023. It anticipates comparable sales will decline between 2% and 3% compared with the prior year, and expects earnings per share of approximately $12 to $12.30.In an interview with CNBC, Marvin Ellison said a mix of factors have kept consumers from spending more freely, including pressure from inflation and uncertainty around when the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates.""Interest rates can go down, but you still need consumer confidence come up,"" he said.He said Lowe's held off on raising its full-year outlook as it awaits some of its biggest sales days. Spring is the holiday season for home improvement.Here's what the company reported for the fiscal first quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:In the three-month period that ended May 3, Lowe's net income fell to $1.76 billion, or $3.06 per share, compared with $2.26 billion, or $3.77 per share, a year earlier.Sales dropped from $22.35 billion in the year-ago period. It marked the fifth quarter in a row that Lowe's posted a year-over-year sales decline.Shoppers visited Lowe's stores and website less, as homeowners put off larger projects and bought fewer pricey items. Transactions dropped 3.1% and average ticket dropped 1% year over year, Ellison said.He told CNBC that customers have been buying fewer discretionary items, such as outdoor grills and patio sets, and taking on fewer projects like kitchen remodels.Compared with Home Depot, Lowe's draws less of its business from painters, contractors and other home professionals who tend to provide steadier business even when do-it-yourself customers pull back. Roughly half of Home Depot's sales come from pros compared with about 20% to 25% at Lowe's.Yet Lowe's has been trying to win business from more of those pros. Gains with pros and online sales growth helped to partially offset a decline in do-it-yourself spending.Comparable sales for the quarter decreased 6.2%. For pro customers, however, comparable sales were flat for the quarter.Lowe's is lapping a year-ago quarter when the company slashed its full-year outlook and posted a year-over-year sales decline. At the time, Ellison warned investors that the retailer expected ""a pullback in discretionary consumer spending over the near term.""For each of the three quarters since then, Lowe's sales have also dropped from the year-ago periods.Shares of Lowe's closed Monday at $229.17, bringing the company's market value to $131.13 billion. As of Monday's close, the company's stock is up nearly 3% this year, trailing the 11% gains of the S&P 500.",CNBC,21/05/2024,"[""In this articleLowe's topped Wall Street's quarterly earnings and revenue expectations on Tuesday, even as do-it-yourself customers bought fewer pricey items."", ""The home improvement retailer's results echoed those of Home Depot last week."", 'Home Depot missed revenue expectations, which it attributed to a tougher housing market and a delayed start to spring.', ""Lowe's stuck by its full-year forecast."", 'It said it expects total sales of between $84 billion and $85 billion, which would be a drop from $86.38 billion in fiscal 2023.', 'It anticipates comparable sales will decline between 2% and 3% compared with the prior year, and expects earnings per share of approximately $12 to $12.30.In an interview with CNBC, Marvin Ellison said a mix of factors have kept consumers from spending more freely, including pressure from inflation and uncertainty around when the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates.', '""Interest rates can go down, but you still need consumer confidence come up,"" he said.', ""He said Lowe's held off on raising its full-year outlook as it awaits some of its biggest sales days."", 'Spring is the holiday season for home improvement.', ""Here's what the company reported for the fiscal first quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:In the three-month period that ended May 3, Lowe's net income fell to $1.76 billion, or $3.06 per share, compared with $2.26 billion, or $3.77 per share, a year earlier."", 'Sales dropped from $22.35 billion in the year-ago period.', ""It marked the fifth quarter in a row that Lowe's posted a year-over-year sales decline."", ""Shoppers visited Lowe's stores and website less, as homeowners put off larger projects and bought fewer pricey items."", 'Transactions dropped 3.1% and average ticket dropped 1% year over year, Ellison said.', 'He told CNBC that customers have been buying fewer discretionary items, such as outdoor grills and patio sets, and taking on fewer projects like kitchen remodels.', ""Compared with Home Depot, Lowe's draws less of its business from painters, contractors and other home professionals who tend to provide steadier business even when do-it-yourself customers pull back."", ""Roughly half of Home Depot's sales come from pros compared with about 20% to 25% at Lowe's."", ""Yet Lowe's has been trying to win business from more of those pros."", 'Gains with pros and online sales growth helped to partially offset a decline in do-it-yourself spending.', 'Comparable sales for the quarter decreased 6.2%.', 'For pro customers, however, comparable sales were flat for the quarter.', ""Lowe's is lapping a year-ago quarter when the company slashed its full-year outlook and posted a year-over-year sales decline."", 'At the time, Ellison warned investors that the retailer expected ""a pullback in discretionary consumer spending over the near term.', '""For each of the three quarters since then, Lowe\'s sales have also dropped from the year-ago periods.', ""Shares of Lowe's closed Monday at $229.17, bringing the company's market value to $131.13 billion."", ""As of Monday's close, the company's stock is up nearly 3% this year, trailing the 11% gains of the S&P 500.""]",0.2006188480062568,"""Interest rates can go down, but you still need consumer confidence come up,"" he said.","Home Depot missed revenue expectations, which it attributed to a tougher housing market and a delayed start to spring.",-0.303969019651413,"As of Monday's close, the company's stock is up nearly 3% this year, trailing the 11% gains of the S&P 500.",Lowe's is lapping a year-ago quarter when the company slashed its full-year outlook and posted a year-over-year sales decline.,2024-05-27
"Boeing, NASA say Starliner astronaut launch will move forward despite spacecraft helium leak",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/boeing-nasa-starliner-astronaut-launch-moving-forward.html,2024-05-24T18:07:24+0000,"In this articleBoeing and NASA are moving forward with the launch of the company's Starliner capsule, set to carry U.S. astronauts for the first time, despite a ""stable"" leak in the spacecraft's propulsion system.""We are comfortable with the causes that we've identified for this specific leak,"" Mark Nappi, Boeing vice president and manager of the company's Commercial Crew program, said during a press conference on Friday.""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft, with backup opportunities on June 2, June 5 and June 6.The mission, known as the Starliner Crew Flight Test, is intended to serve as the final major development test of the capsule by delivering a pair of NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station before flying routine missions.Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter.Starliner's crew debut has been delayed by years, with SpaceX's competing Dragon capsule flying astronauts for NASA regularly since 2020 under the agency's Commercial Crew program. To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.NASA and Boeing called off a launch attempt on May 6 about two hours before liftoff due to an issue detected with the Atlas V rocket that will lift Starliner into orbit. Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.During the press conference Friday, a ULA official noted that the rocket's problematic valve was replaced a week after the launch was postponed.But after calling off the launch attempt, a ""small"" helium leak with Starliner was identified, causing Boeing and NASA to begin new assessments of the capsule and its safety for the mission. NASA Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox, one of the agency's most senior officials, explained to the press on Friday that ""it's taken a while for us to be ready to discuss"" the helium leak problem.""It's so complicated. There's so many things going on. We really just needed to work through it as a team,"" Bowersox said.After analysis, NASA and Boeing believe the source of the leak is a seal in one of the flanges of the spacecraft's helium propulsion system. In testing after the May 6 postponement, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that teams ""have seen that the leak rate isn't changing.""Stich explained that the plan is to monitor the leak in the lead-up to launch and, after reaching the International Space Station, reassess the leak rate.""We don't expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that's a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.Stich also emphasized that NASA has ""flown vehicles with small helium leaks"" before, including ""a couple of cases"" from missions flown by the Space Shuttle and SpaceX's Dragon.NASA, Boeing and ULA will hold another review on May 29 to review the leak. They plan to roll the rocket and capsule out to the launch pad on May 30 for the June 1 attempt.",CNBC,24/05/2024,"['In this articleBoeing and NASA are moving forward with the launch of the company\'s Starliner capsule, set to carry U.S. astronauts for the first time, despite a ""stable"" leak in the spacecraft\'s propulsion system.', '""We are comfortable with the causes that we\'ve identified for this specific leak,"" Mark Nappi, Boeing vice president and manager of the company\'s Commercial Crew program, said during a press conference on Friday.', '""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.', 'Boeing is now targeting June 1 for the first crewed launch of its spacecraft, with backup opportunities on June 2, June 5 and June 6.The mission, known as the Starliner Crew Flight Test, is intended to serve as the final major development test of the capsule by delivering a pair of NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station before flying routine missions.', ""Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter."", ""Starliner's crew debut has been delayed by years, with SpaceX's competing Dragon capsule flying astronauts for NASA regularly since 2020 under the agency's Commercial Crew program."", 'To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.', 'NASA and Boeing called off a launch attempt on May 6 about two hours before liftoff due to an issue detected with the Atlas V rocket that will lift Starliner into orbit.', 'Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.', ""During the press conference Friday, a ULA official noted that the rocket's problematic valve was replaced a week after the launch was postponed."", 'But after calling off the launch attempt, a ""small"" helium leak with Starliner was identified, causing Boeing and NASA to begin new assessments of the capsule and its safety for the mission.', 'NASA Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox, one of the agency\'s most senior officials, explained to the press on Friday that ""it\'s taken a while for us to be ready to discuss"" the helium leak problem.', '""It\'s so complicated.', ""There's so many things going on."", 'We really just needed to work through it as a team,"" Bowersox said.', ""After analysis, NASA and Boeing believe the source of the leak is a seal in one of the flanges of the spacecraft's helium propulsion system."", 'In testing after the May 6 postponement, NASA\'s Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said that teams ""have seen that the leak rate isn\'t changing.', '""Stich explained that the plan is to monitor the leak in the lead-up to launch and, after reaching the International Space Station, reassess the leak rate.', '""We don\'t expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that\'s a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.', 'Stich also emphasized that NASA has ""flown vehicles with small helium leaks"" before, including ""a couple of cases"" from missions flown by the Space Shuttle and SpaceX\'s Dragon.', 'NASA, Boeing and ULA will hold another review on May 29 to review the leak.', 'They plan to roll the rocket and capsule out to the launch pad on May 30 for the June 1 attempt.']",-0.1073292969112571,"Atlas V is built and operated by United Launch Alliance, or ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.","""We know we can manage this [leak], so this is really not a safety of flight issue,"" Nappi added.",-0.2581701676050822,"""We don't expect the other [seals] to leak, and I think that's a confidence that we have,"" Stich said.","To date, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to Starliner setbacks, in addition to nearly $5 billion of NASA development funds.",2024-05-27
"After a rough start to the year, the summer box office is playing catch-up",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/25/business/summer-2024-box-office-earnings-forecast/index.html,"
  Published
        2:00 PM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","The summer box office is off to a lukewarm start.
    
            Last summer, blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data. But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”
    
            Coupled with production delays — the aftershocks of the multi-month-long Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are still reverberating across studios — the season that has historically drawn the biggest movie theater audiences is off to a rocky start, potentially hurting the yearly box office totals for 2024.
    
            “Summer is the most important moviegoing season of the year, accounting on average for nearly 40% of the total domestic annual revenue, so as goes the summer so goes the year,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, told CNN.
    
            “Barring some major overperformances, this summer looks like it’ll be down 20% to 25% in box office grosses between May and August from last year,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory.
    
            Until 2020, the period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Monday could be counted on to bring in upwards of $4 billion in domestic revenue, according to Comscore data. Summer 2023 saw the first post-pandemic $4-billion summer.
    
            Propelled by the success of “Sound of Freedom,” “Oppenheimer,” and the record-breaking $155 million “Barbie” opening weekend, summer 2023 grossed $4.09 billion, a 19.2% jump from the year prior.
    
            “Barbie” was distributed by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
    
            An opening weekend north of $100 million is typically only seen in intellectual property-driven action films like Star Wars movies and superhero flicks, as well as animated family fare like “The Incredibles 2” and “Finding Dory.” So far this year, no movie has crossed that threshold.
    
            “Sans a Marvel movie to provide a $100-million-plus opening weekend to get the momentum going, this summer will have to make up ground in June and July,” said Dergarabedian, adding that this summer has so far been a “late bloomer.”
    
            Two movies that analysts say could cross the $100 million threshold this summer are “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2,” both of which are distributed by Walt Disney Studios.
    
            The studio’s first wide release of 2024 under its flagship “Disney” banner is set to be “Inside Out 2,” an anomaly for the company and the movie business, according to Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which collects sales and showtimes data from thousands of movie theaters across the United States. (Disney-owned 20th Century Entertainment released its first movie of the year, “The First Omen,” in April.)
    
            “I can’t think of any other year where a studio as vital to this industry sits out the entire first half of the year,” Loria told CNN, adding that this is in large part due to production delays and schedule shifts caused by months of back and forth between studios, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union. “We tend to overemphasize the effect of Hollywood’s 2023 labor strikes at the box office, but it’s hard not to cite it when you look at the number of releases to have hit theaters from major studios in the first half of the year.”
    
            Disney has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
    
            Loria also emphasized that Disney’s summer offerings, both from its Pixar and Marvel divisions, will be critical to how the 2024 box office performs overall.
    
            “Inside Out 2” is forecast to open anywhere between $80 million and $100 million, according to Box Office Pro pre-sales data. Pixar’s offerings in recent years have fallen flat; 2022’s “Lightyear” debuted at $50.5 million domestically, while 2023’s “Elemental” made $29.6 million its opening weekend.
    
            Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.
    
            Last week, ticket seller Fandango announced that “Deadpool & Wolverine” had broken the company’s 2024 record for best first-day ticket presales, beating out “Dune: Part Two.” The film also had the best first day of ticket sales for an R-rated film in Fandango’s 24-year history, the company told CNN.
    
            “Deadpool & Wolverine has the potential to be the second movie (after 2021’s “Spiderman: No Way Home”) to earn a $200 million opening weekend of the post-pandemic era,” said Loria. “We are still two months out, but if pre-sales and awareness continue at this pace, we believe the film can open between $170 million and $210 million.”
    
            “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” “look particularly strong, and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will hands down be the top film of the summer,” said Dergarabedian.
    
            Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far, but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond.
    
            “Box office earnings have been down largely because of staggered gaps between widely appealing releases in the first half of the year,” said Robbins. “That’s been the status quo in the post-pandemic era for many reasons, mostly outside the control of theatrical exhibition. The industry had only a brief period between the impact of COVID production delays followed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year.”
    
            Robbins added that there’s still time for strong titles in the second half of the year to fill the gap, including September’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Transformers One,” and October’s “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
    
            “Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since the pandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “The data clearly shows that audiences can still support the studio tentpole model — but identifying the movies that will become those blockbuster hits continues to be as difficult to predict as ever before.”
    
            Box Office Pro projects that the 2024 box office will gross $8.2 billion, about 10% lower than last year’s $9 billion. The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.",CNN,25/05/2024,"['The summer box office is off to a lukewarm start.', 'Lastsummer, blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data.', 'But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”', 'Coupled with production delays — the aftershocks of the multi-month-long Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are still reverberating across studios — the season that has historically drawn the biggest movie theater audiences is off to a rocky start, potentially hurting the yearly box office totals for 2024.', '“Summer is the most important moviegoing season of the year, accounting on average for nearly 40% of the total domestic annual revenue, so as goes the summer so goes the year,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, told CNN.', '“Barring some major overperformances, this summer looks like it’ll be down 20% to 25% in box office grosses between May and August from last year,” said analyst Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory.', 'Until 2020, the period between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day Monday could be counted on to bring in upwards of $4 billion in domestic revenue, according to Comscore data.', 'Summer 2023 saw the first post-pandemic $4-billion summer.', 'Propelled by the success of “Sound of Freedom,” “Oppenheimer,” and the record-breaking $155 million “Barbie” opening weekend, summer 2023 grossed $4.09 billion, a 19.2% jump from the year prior.', '“Barbie” was distributed by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.', 'An opening weekend north of $100 million is typically only seen in intellectual property-driven action films like Star Wars movies and superhero flicks, as well as animated family fare like “The Incredibles 2” and “Finding Dory.”', 'So far this year, no movie has crossed that threshold.', '“Sans a Marvel movie to provide a $100-million-plus opening weekend to get the momentum going, this summer will have to make up ground in June and July,” said Dergarabedian, adding that this summer has so far been a “late bloomer.”', 'Two movies that analysts say could cross the $100 million threshold this summer are “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2,” both of which are distributed by Walt Disney Studios.', 'The studio’s first wide release of 2024 under its flagship “Disney” banner is set to be “Inside Out 2,” an anomaly for the company and the movie business, according to Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro, which collects sales and showtimes data from thousands of movie theaters across the United States. (', 'Disney-owned 20th Century Entertainment released its first movie of the year, “The First Omen,” in April.)', '“I can’t think of any other year where a studio as vital to this industry sits out the entire first half of the year,” Loria told CNN, adding that this is in large part due to production delays and schedule shifts caused by months of back and forth between studios, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union. “', 'We tend to overemphasize the effect of Hollywood’s 2023 labor strikes at the box office, but it’s hard not to cite it when you look at the number of releases to have hit theaters from major studios in the first half of the year.”', 'Disney has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.', 'Loria also emphasized that Disney’s summer offerings, both from its Pixar and Marvel divisions, will be critical to how the 2024 box office performs overall.', '“Inside Out 2” is forecast to open anywhere between $80 million and $100 million, according to Box Office Pro pre-sales data.', 'Pixar’s offerings in recent years have fallen flat; 2022’s “Lightyear” debuted at $50.5 million domestically, while 2023’s “Elemental” made $29.6 million its opening weekend.', 'Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.', 'Last week, ticket seller Fandango announced that “Deadpool & Wolverine” had broken the company’s 2024 record for best first-day ticket presales, beating out “Dune: Part Two.”', 'The film also had the best first day of ticket sales for an R-rated film in Fandango’s 24-year history, the company told CNN.', '“Deadpool & Wolverine has the potential to be the second movie (after 2021’s “Spiderman: No Way Home”) to earn a $200 million opening weekend of the post-pandemic era,” said Loria. “', 'We are still two months out, but if pre-sales and awareness continue at this pace, we believe the film can open between $170 million and $210 million.”', '“Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” “look particularly strong, and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will hands down be the top film of the summer,” said Dergarabedian.', 'Industry experts agree that the 2024 box office has been sluggish so far, but remain hopeful that the box office can rebound by the end of the year and beyond.', '“Box office earnings have been down largely because of staggered gaps between widely appealing releases in the first half of the year,” said Robbins. “', 'That’s been the status quo in the post-pandemic era for many reasons, mostly outside the control of theatrical exhibition.', 'The industry had only a brief period between the impact of COVID production delays followed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes last year.”', 'Robbins added that there’s still time for strong titles in the second half of the year to fill the gap, including September’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Transformers One,” and October’s “Joker: Folie à Deux.”', '“Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since thepandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “', 'The data clearly shows that audiences can still support the studio tentpole model — but identifying the movies that will become those blockbuster hits continues to be as difficult to predict as ever before.”', 'Box Office Pro projects that the 2024 box office will gross $8.2 billion, about 10% lower than last year’s $9 billion.', 'The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.']",0.1239508552240227,"Meanwhile, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the only Marvel property release this summer, is expected to reinvigorate audience enthusiasm after “The Marvels” disappointed last November with a $47 million opening weekend.","But this year, studios are betting on a large slate of mid-range sequels and prequels, as well as family-focused animated films to fill the Barbenheimer-shaped hole, including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Inside Out 2.”",0.273408430814743,"“Moviegoing habits have changed drastically since thepandemic, but we continue to see significant enthusiasm when it comes to the theatrical experience,” said Loria. “","The domestic earnings for 2023 were the highest since the pandemic, but still fell roughly $2 billion short of pre-pandemic yearly sales, according to Comscore.",2024-05-27
Pixar is laying off 14% of its workforce as Disney scales back content,https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/21/disneys-pixar-layoffs.html,2024-05-21T16:52:56+0000,"Long-expected layoffs are hitting Pixar Animation Studios on Tuesday.Pixar will lay off about 175 employees, or around 14% of the studio's workforce, a spokesperson for parent company Walt Disney told CNBC. The cuts come as CEO Bob Iger works toward his overarching mandate to focus on the quality of its content, not the quantity.Layoffs hit other Disney businesses last year, but Pixar's cuts were delayed because of production schedules. Initially, it was reported that 20% of the animation studio's employees would be laid off.Iger, who returned to the mantle of CEO in late 2022, has been working to reverse the company's box office woes, spurred both by the company's content decisions and pandemic shutdowns. While Disney has seen mixed box office success with several franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company has found it challenging to get its animated features to resonate with audiences.When theaters closed during the pandemic, Disney sought to pad the company's fledgling streaming service Disney+ with content, stretching its creative teams thin and sending theatrical movies straight to digital.The decision trained parents to seek out new Disney titles on streaming, not theaters, even when Disney opted to return its films to the big screen. Compounding Disney's woes, many audience members began to feel that the company's content had grown overly existential and too concerned with social issues beyond the reach of children.As a result, no Disney animated feature from Pixar or Walt Disney Animation has generated more than $480 million at the global box office since 2019. For comparison, just before the pandemic, ""Coco"" generated $796 million globally, while ""Incredibles 2"" tallied $1.24 billion globally, and ""Toy Story 4"" snared $1.07 billion globally.With Iger back at the helm, Pixar will refocus on theatrical releases and move away from short-form series for Disney+.— CNBC's Julia Boorstin contributed to this report",CNBC,21/05/2024,"['Long-expected layoffs are hitting Pixar Animation Studios on Tuesday.', ""Pixar will lay off about 175 employees, or around 14% of the studio's workforce, a spokesperson for parent company Walt Disney told CNBC."", 'The cuts come as CEO Bob Iger works toward his overarching mandate to focus on the quality of its content, not the quantity.', ""Layoffs hit other Disney businesses last year, but Pixar's cuts were delayed because of production schedules."", ""Initially, it was reported that 20% of the animation studio's employees would be laid off."", ""Iger, who returned to the mantle of CEO in late 2022, has been working to reverse the company's box office woes, spurred both by the company's content decisions and pandemic shutdowns."", 'While Disney has seen mixed box office success with several franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company has found it challenging to get its animated features to resonate with audiences.', ""When theaters closed during the pandemic, Disney sought topad the company's fledgling streaming service Disney+ with content, stretching its creative teams thin and sending theatrical moviesstraight to digital."", 'The decision trainedparents to seek out new Disney titles on streaming, not theaters, even when Disney opted to return its films to the big screen.', ""Compounding Disney's woes, many audience members began to feel that the company's content had grown overly existential and too concerned with social issues beyond the reach of children."", 'As a result, no Disney animated feature from Pixar or Walt Disney Animation has generated more than $480 million at the global box office since 2019.', 'For comparison, just before the pandemic, ""Coco"" generated $796 million globally, while ""Incredibles 2"" tallied $1.24 billion globally, and ""Toy Story 4"" snared $1.07 billion globally.', 'With Iger back at the helm, Pixar will refocus on theatrical releases and move away from short-form series for Disney+.—', ""CNBC's Julia Boorstin contributed to this report""]",-0.0605692620657825,"While Disney has seen mixed box office success with several franchises, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company has found it challenging to get its animated features to resonate with audiences.","Layoffs hit other Disney businesses last year, but Pixar's cuts were delayed because of production schedules.",-0.8452608287334442,,"Compounding Disney's woes, many audience members began to feel that the company's content had grown overly existential and too concerned with social issues beyond the reach of children.",2024-05-27
NBC News boss Cesar Conde faces backlash from his network’s anchors over ‘inexplicable’ decision to hire ex-RNC chair Ronna McDaniel,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/media/nbc-news-cesar-conde-ronna-mcdaniel-backlash/index.html,"
  Published
        8:05 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","Cesar Conde has a decision to make — and it’s not an especially difficult one.
    
            The NBCUniversal News Group chair is facing a torrent of backlash from his own staff after greenlighting the hire of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid network contributor.
    
            Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.” And they’re not doing it via anonymous comments to the press. They’re doing it on the record on NBCU’s own air. Chuck Todd broke the dam on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” with a set of candid comments about the hiring, and Rachel Maddow capped the flood of backlash Monday night with a blistering 30-minute monologue eviscerating the network’s leadership for the “inexplicable” move.
    
            Suffice to say, NBCU News Group is in unprecedented territory. Never has a network’s C-suite ever been so thoroughly flogged by its most high-profile stars in such no holds barred fashion. Saying that Conde simply has a crisis on his hands would be a contender for understatement of the year. It’s a five-alarm fire at NBCU News Group, and one of Conde’s own making.
    
            While NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown were most directly responsible for McDaniel’s hiring, a decision that MSNBC boss Rashida Jones did not object to it at the time, the buck ultimately stops with Conde, who hold the real power at the Peacock Network. McDaniel’s hiring could not have happened without Conde’s blessing.
    
            It does not take a brilliant political mind with prescient foresight to understand that hiring McDaniel would ignite a firestorm of outrage — from both within 30 Rock and outside it. Conde, someone who ostensibly supports American democracy, should have rejected McDaniel’s hiring on the grounds that NBCU News Group could not put someone on its payroll who tried to subvert the 2020 vote.
    
            As so many of NBCU’s staffers have underscored, the objection to McDaniel is not that she is a Republican. It’s not even that she is a Donald Trump-supporting Republican. It’s that she was an active participant in the plot to overthrow the last presidential election. That is not to even mention McDaniel’s years of demonizing the press, smearing the journalists who work at NBC News and MSNBC as she sought to destroy the credibility of the organization that she ran to after being chased out of the RNC.
    
            The notion put forward by NBC that it needed to hire McDaniel to bring its viewers “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party” is absurd. If that’s the case, the network should move to hire free agents like Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens. They too have their hands on the pulse of the Republican Party. In fact, they represent much more of where the GOP stands today than McDaniel. So, using NBC’s logic, why not hire them? (Spoiler: News organizations rightfully have established basic standards for paid contributors. Asking that your employees have a commitment to democracy, to the truth, and to basic decency is not a big ask.)
    
            But even if Conde has no allegiance to basic democratic principles, which this hire calls into question, given that he is known to be a political player who cares deeply about his own image in the press, he should have been wise enough to foresee that hiring McDaniel would be an ill-conceived move. How this did not occur to Conde is unfathomable and shows a tremendous lack of judgment.
    
            Even more bizarre is Conde’s management, or lack thereof, since the controversy erupted. It was clear early on that his employees at NBC News and MSNBC did not support McDaniel’s hiring. If that was not evident on Friday, it was clear as day on Sunday after “Meet the Press.” The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.
    
            At that point, the writing should have been on the wall for Conde — as it was for every other media executive that I have spoken with over the last 24 hours. It is evident that McDaniel has no real future as an NBC analyst and the decision to bring her on as a contributor will have to be reversed. After all, which NBC or MSNBC program is going to invite her on after all of this?
    
            The only real question for Conde after the Sunday morning scolding should have been how he chose to back out of the deal in the least painful way possible. To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.
    
            But no such announcement came.
    
            Instead, Conde has allowed the mess to spiral absolutely out of control. MSNBC’s top stars hammered the network’s leadership throughout the day Monday over the hire. NBC News’ Guild blasted Conde, saying in a statement that under him the company had quietly laid off employees over the last month and instead chosen to “prioritize an election denier over its reporters.” The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.
    
            All the while, Conde has remained silent. I asked his spokesperson, Stephen Labaton, on Monday whether the NBCU News Group boss had any comment on the situation. Does he have any regret? I didn’t get an on-the-record response. Suffice to say, however, that what Conde does moving forward will say a lot about his character and commitment to democratic values. It will also say a lot about the NBCU News Group and what type of organization it is.
    
            In her biting monologue on Monday night, however, Maddow did offer Conde a way out of this mess.
    
            “Mistakes will be made,” Maddow said.”But our resilience as a democracy is going to be recognizing when decisions are bad ones and reversing those bad decisions. Hearing legitimate criticism, responding to it, and correcting course. Not digging in. Not blaming others. Take a minute. Acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call.”
    
            “It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong,” Maddow added. “It is a sign of strength. And our country needs us to be strong now.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['Cesar Conde has a decision to make — and it’s not an especially difficult one.', 'The NBCUniversal News Group chair is facing a torrent of backlash from his own staff after greenlighting the hire of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid network contributor.', 'Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.”', 'And they’re not doing it via anonymous comments to the press.', 'They’re doing it on the record on NBCU’s own air.', 'Chuck Todd broke the dam on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” with a set of candid comments about the hiring, and Rachel Maddow capped the flood of backlash Monday night with a blistering 30-minute monologue eviscerating the network’s leadership for the “inexplicable” move.', 'Suffice to say, NBCU News Group is in unprecedented territory.', 'Never has a network’s C-suite ever been so thoroughly flogged by its most high-profile stars in such no holds barred fashion.', 'Saying that Conde simply has a crisis on his hands would be a contender for understatement of the year.', 'It’s a five-alarm fire at NBCU News Group, and one of Conde’s own making.', 'While NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown were most directly responsible for McDaniel’s hiring, a decision that MSNBC boss Rashida Jones did not object to it at the time, the buck ultimately stops with Conde, who hold the real power at the Peacock Network.', 'McDaniel’s hiring could not have happened without Conde’s blessing.', 'It does not take a brilliant political mind with prescient foresight to understand that hiring McDaniel would ignite a firestorm of outrage — from both within 30 Rock and outside it.', 'Conde, someone who ostensibly supports American democracy, should have rejected McDaniel’s hiring on the grounds that NBCU News Group could not put someone on its payroll who tried to subvert the 2020 vote.', 'As so many of NBCU’s staffers have underscored, the objection to McDaniel is not that she is a Republican.', 'It’s not even that she is a Donald Trump-supporting Republican.', 'It’s that she was an active participant in the plot to overthrow the last presidential election.', 'That is not to even mention McDaniel’s years of demonizing the press, smearing the journalists who work at NBC News and MSNBC as she sought to destroy the credibility of the organization that she ran to after being chased out of the RNC.', 'The notion put forward by NBC that it needed to hire McDaniel to bring its viewers “an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party” is absurd.', 'If that’s the case, the network should move to hire free agents like Tucker Carlson or Candace Owens.', 'They too have their hands on the pulse of the Republican Party.', 'In fact, they represent much more of where the GOP stands today than McDaniel.', 'So, using NBC’s logic, why not hire them? (', 'Spoiler: News organizations rightfully have established basic standards for paid contributors.', 'Asking that your employees have a commitment to democracy, to the truth, and to basic decency is not a big ask.)', 'But even if Conde has no allegiance to basic democratic principles, which this hire calls into question, given that he is known to be a political player who cares deeply about his own image in the press, he should have been wise enough to foresee that hiring McDaniel would be an ill-conceived move.', 'How this did not occur to Conde is unfathomable and shows a tremendous lack of judgment.', 'Even more bizarre is Conde’s management, or lack thereof, since the controversy erupted.', 'It was clear early on that his employees at NBC News and MSNBC did not support McDaniel’s hiring.', 'If that was not evident on Friday, it was clear as day on Sunday after “Meet the Press.”', 'The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.', 'At that point, the writing should have been on the wall for Conde — as it was for every other media executive that I have spoken with over the last 24 hours.', 'It is evident that McDaniel has no real future as an NBC analyst and the decision to bring her on as a contributor will have to be reversed.', 'After all, which NBC or MSNBC program is going to invite her on after all of this?', 'The only real question for Conde after the Sunday morning scolding should have been how he chose to back out of the deal in the least painful way possible.', 'To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.', 'But no such announcement came.', 'Instead, Conde has allowed the mess to spiral absolutely out of control.', 'MSNBC’s top stars hammered the network’s leadership throughout the day Monday over the hire.', 'NBC News’ Guild blasted Conde, saying in a statement that under him the company had quietly laid off employees over the last month and instead chosen to “prioritize an election denier over its reporters.”', 'The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.', 'All the while, Conde has remained silent.', 'I asked his spokesperson, Stephen Labaton, on Monday whether the NBCU News Group boss had any comment on the situation.', 'Does he have any regret?', 'I didn’t get an on-the-record response.', 'Suffice to say, however, that what Conde does moving forward will say a lot about his character and commitment to democratic values.', 'It will also say a lot about the NBCU News Group and what type of organization it is.', 'In her biting monologue on Monday night, however, Maddow did offer Conde a way out of this mess.', '“Mistakes will be made,” Maddow said.', '”But our resilience as a democracy is going to be recognizing when decisions are bad ones and reversing those bad decisions.', 'Hearing legitimate criticism, responding to it, and correcting course.', 'Not digging in.', 'Not blaming others.', 'Take a minute.', 'Acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call.”', '“It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong,” Maddow added. “', 'It is a sign of strength.', 'And our country needs us to be strong now.”']",-0.032955005531589,"Over the last 24 hours, the most prominent and recognizable NBC News and MSNBC personalities have voiced strong displeasure with the company’s decision to welcome McDaniel to “the team.”",The already severe crisis was allowed to blossom into one of the worst corporate public relations catastrophes in recent memory.,-0.5018035081716684,"To be fully honest, I very much expected a Sunday evening announcement from NBC, one that would have earned praise from the company’s staff and quickly been swept away by the rush of Trump news Monday morning.","The network’s employees were not only flabbergasted and demoralized by the move, but absolutely enraged by it.",2024-05-27
3 ways Apple’s monopoly lawsuit could change the iPhone experience for fans,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/apples-iphone-changes-lawsuit/index.html,"
  Published
        6:30 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","When Apple launched its first Mac computer in 1984, with its iconic Mac smiley-face “hello” greeting, it wanted to differentiate itself in the fledgling PC market. The Mac was approachable with its friendly, innovative design – Apple’s way of setting the Mac apart in the confusing PC landscape.
    
            That consumer-friendly mantra still exists today, with Apple carefully curating an easy-breezy yet controlled user experience across its products, including the billions of iPhones used around the world.
    
            But the Biden administration believes Apple took that too far. On Thursday, the Department of Justice sued Apple for illegally monopolizing the smartphone market. In a press conference, the government provided a long list of how Apple has allegedly squashed competition with restrictive app store terms, high fees and its “walled-garden” approach, restricting how third-party companies interact with its brands and services.
    
            The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them. Apple added that the lawsuit could empower the government “to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”
    
            But if successful, the lawsuit could ripple across Apple’s products and services. Although the suit could take years to play out, here’s a closer look what it may eventually mean for iPhone users:
    
            If found liable, the company could be forced to change a number of things.
    
            One such change is how iPhone users could get greater access to “super apps” that have been largely restricted before. The term refers to one-stop-shop apps that allow for messaging, ordering food, payment processing and other capabilities all within one platform.
    
             According to Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst at market research firm Forrester, super apps most threaten Apple’s preeminence in the lives of its customers.
    
            “An offering like WeChat, dubbed China’s everything app, can provide an alternative to the Apple ecosystem for people to communicate, bank, share memories, talk to businesses and more,” he said. “What Apple fears most is becoming irrelevant to its customers.”
    
            At the same time, super apps like WeChat are created by larger companies and could, therefore, put some smaller companies at a disadvantage. And the concept hasn’t been welcomed much in the US anyway.
    
            The US government, however, could argue that lack of interest may be due to Apple’s high share of the smartphone market and its resistance to offer super apps in its store, Chatterjee said.
    
            Apple may also be required to offer more support for cross-platform messaging, an issue the company previously said it’s already working on.
    
            The company lets iPhone users send high-quality photos and videos to one another, but similar texts to Android phones are slower and grainy. It also maintains those messages in green bubbles, creating a kind of class divide, critics argue.
    
            In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap. Apple’s move to add support for the standard called RCS (rich communication services) is intended to roll out later this year. RCS is considered the replacement to alternatives such as SMS, or short messaging service, and can work over both Wi-Fi and mobile data.
    
            The change followed pressure from both regulators and competitors to more seamlessly work across operating systems. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, for example, requires companies to make their key services interoperable between platforms. The US government could require the same.
    
            Another likely change is how hardware from other companies, such as smartwatches, will interact with the Apple range of devices and software, including the iPhone and Apple’s services like Fitness+. The company has also required Apple Watch users to own iOS devices as a way to keep them locked into its existing ecosystem.
    
            Chatterjee said making this change would have both positives and negatives.
    
            “The net result would reside somewhere along the spectrum of access to more and cheaper options but also the devaluation of the customer experience that is so highly prized by Apple’s customers,” he said.
    
            The Biden administration has also taken issue with Apple’s lack of support for mobile cloud services. Loosening this could allow users to access games and other cloud-based apps without having to pay for pricey hardware.
    
            The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating. Although the Biden administration will have to prove these harms, some critics say any potential changes Apple could make will negatively impact the user experience.
    
            David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research, said he recognizes that the content and applications market should be open, and Apple needs to avoid monopolistic advantages that can restrict competition, push up prices or block innovation. But Apple’s success stems in part to its tight grip on its products and services, keeping things intuitive and seamless.
    
            “If Apple is forced to comply, it could potentially spell the end to the provision of this consistent and unified user experience, although by the same token, consumers will be open to a greater choice of apps and services, helping more developers and providers,” McQueen said.
    
            Chatterjee noted some people are drawn to the Apple family of products precisely because of the carefully managed ecosystem’s ease of use. Apple may have to work that much harder to preserve the integrity of its experience, but any changes probably won’t be enough to make customers to leave and go elsewhere.
    
            “The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.
    
            But he added those currently outside of the Apple ecosystem will likely benefit by “plugging in opportunistically without having to go all in with Apple.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['When Apple launched its first Mac computer in 1984, with its iconic Mac smiley-face “hello” greeting, it wanted to differentiate itself in the fledgling PC market.', 'The Mac was approachable with its friendly, innovative design – Apple’s way of setting the Mac apart in the confusing PC landscape.', 'That consumer-friendly mantra still exists today, with Apple carefully curating an easy-breezy yet controlled user experience across its products, including the billions of iPhones used around the world.', 'But the Biden administration believes Apple took that too far.', 'On Thursday, the Department of Justice sued Apple for illegally monopolizing the smartphone market.', 'In a press conference, the government provided a long list of how Apple has allegedly squashed competition with restrictive app store terms, high fees and its “walled-garden” approach, restricting how third-party companies interact with its brands and services.', 'The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them.', 'Apple added that the lawsuit could empower the government “to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology.”', 'But if successful, the lawsuit could ripple across Apple’s products and services.', 'Although the suit could take years to play out, here’s a closer look what it may eventually mean for iPhone users:  If found liable, the company could be forced to change a number of things.', 'One such change is how iPhone users could get greater access to “super apps” that have been largely restricted before.', 'The term refers to one-stop-shop apps that allow for messaging, ordering food, payment processing and other capabilities all within one platform.', 'According to Dipanjan Chatterjee, a principal analyst at market research firm Forrester, super apps most threaten Apple’s preeminence in the lives of its customers.', '“An offering like WeChat, dubbed China’s everything app, can provide an alternative to the Apple ecosystem for people to communicate, bank, share memories, talk to businesses and more,” he said.', '“What Apple fears most is becoming irrelevant to its customers.”', 'At the same time, super apps like WeChat are created by larger companies and could, therefore, put some smaller companies at a disadvantage.', 'And the concept hasn’t been welcomed much in the US anyway.', 'The US government, however, could argue that lack of interest may be due to Apple’s high share of the smartphone market and its resistance to offer super apps in its store, Chatterjee said.', 'Apple may also be required to offer more support for cross-platform messaging, an issue the company previously said it’s already working on.', 'The company lets iPhone users send high-quality photos and videos to one another, but similar texts to Android phones are slower and grainy.', 'It also maintains those messages in green bubbles, creating a kind of class divide, critics argue.', 'In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap.', 'Apple’s move to add support for the standard called RCS (rich communication services) is intended to roll out later this year.', 'RCS is considered the replacement to alternatives such as SMS, or short messaging service, and can work over both Wi-Fi and mobile data.', 'The change followed pressure from both regulators and competitors to more seamlessly work across operating systems.', 'The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, for example, requires companies to make their key services interoperable between platforms.', 'The US government could require the same.', 'Another likely change is how hardware from other companies, such as smartwatches, will interact with the Apple range of devices and software, including the iPhone and Apple’s services like Fitness+.', 'The company has also required Apple Watch users to own iOS devices as a way to keep them locked into its existing ecosystem.', 'Chatterjee said making this change would have both positives and negatives.', '“The net result would reside somewhere along the spectrum of access to more and cheaper options but also the devaluation of the customer experience that is so highly prized by Apple’s customers,” he said.', 'The Biden administration has also taken issue with Apple’s lack of support for mobile cloud services.', 'Loosening this could allow users to access games and other cloud-based apps without having to pay for pricey hardware.', 'The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating.', 'Although the Biden administration will have to prove these harms, some critics say any potential changes Apple could make will negatively impact the user experience.', 'David McQueen, a research director at ABI Research, said he recognizes that the content and applications market should be open, and Apple needs to avoid monopolistic advantages that can restrict competition, push up prices or block innovation.', 'But Apple’s success stems in part to its tight grip on its products and services, keeping things intuitive and seamless.', '“If Apple is forced to comply, it could potentially spell the end to the provision of this consistent and unified user experience, although by the same token, consumers will be open to a greater choice of apps and services, helping more developers and providers,” McQueen said.', 'Chatterjee noted some people are drawn to the Apple family of products precisely because of the carefully managed ecosystem’s ease of use.', 'Apple may have to work that much harder to preserve the integrity of its experience, but any changes probably won’t be enough to make customers to leave and go elsewhere.', '“The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.', 'But he added those currently outside of the Apple ecosystem will likely benefit by “plugging in opportunistically without having to go all in with Apple.”']",0.2470050112228104,"In November, the company said it will add new features, such as read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms to help close the gap.",The company denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said it plans to fight them.,-0.151834687590599,"“The vast majority of Apple customers would probably be happier with some more choice and lower prices as long as it did not hamper their levels of customer experience, which is threatened by the less control Apple has over the experience,” Chatterjee said.","The DOJ lawsuit claims Apple’s behavior has illegally hindered competition, kept its customers locked into its products and prevented other companies from innovating.",2024-05-27
South Africa has failed its Black majority. Nelson Mandela’s political heirs may pay the price,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/business/south-africa-election-economy/index.html,"
  Updated
        2:50 AM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) swept to power in 1994 on a pledge to “build a better life for all,” winning almost 63% of the vote in the country’s first democratic election.
    
            Fast-forward 30 years and Nelson Mandela’s erstwhile liberation movement, which triumphed over the racist apartheid government, risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time, according to opinion polls and analysts.
    
            When South Africans vote Wednesday, an unhappy combination of rampant corruption, soaring joblessness, crippling power cuts and feeble economic growth will likely be top of mind.
    
            The economy has gone backward over the past decade, evidenced by a sharp fall in living standards. According to the World Bank, gross domestic product per capita has fallen from a peak in 2011, leaving the average South African 23% poorer.
    
            A third of the labor force is unemployed, more than in war-torn Sudan, and the highest rate of any country tracked by the World Bank. Income inequality is also the world’s worst. There are 18.4 million people on welfare benefits, compared with just 7 million taxpayers, according to Oxford Economics, a consultancy.
    
            Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, are at the sharp end of this dire situation. Unemployment and poverty remain concentrated in the Black majority, in large part due to the failure of public schooling, while most White South Africans have jobs and command considerably higher wages.
    
            Moreover, the government’s flagship policy for driving economic inclusion and racial equality in post-apartheid South Africa — Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, known as triple-BEE or simply BEE — has failed to achieve its aims, with wealth still concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of the many.
    
            “Three decades after the end of apartheid, the economy is defined by stagnation and exclusion, and current strategies are not achieving inclusion and empowerment in practice,” Harvard University concluded in a report published in November by its Growth Lab following two years of research.
    
            Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights. They were also systematically excluded from owning land, living in certain areas, and accessing a decent education and jobs.
    
            The end of White minority rule could not on its own compensate for such extreme and prolonged injustice. Restitution was needed — and that’s what BEE set out to deliver.
    
            There is now almost universal agreement that the policy failed to transform economic reality for the majority of Black and other South Africans who were historically disadvantaged, including Indians and Coloureds, the official term for South Africans with mixed heritage who have a distinct cultural identity.
    
            President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously described BEE as “a must for (economic) growth,” promised Saturday the ANC would “do better” if reelected, with a focus on creating more jobs. The Democratic Alliance, the official opposition party, has said it would replace BEE with an “Economic Justice policy” that “targets the poor black majority for redress, rather than a small, connected elite.”
    
            Critics of BEE argue there has been an overemphasis on increasing Black ownership of established businesses through giant deals that have, in fact, enriched only a handful of politically connected people.
    
            This is a view held by Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of former President Thabo Mbeki and chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs, an independent think tank located at Wits University in Johannesburg.
    
            BEE “creates a class of rich politicians who are then beholden to the people who are making them rich, but it disincentivizes people from becoming entrepreneurs,” he told CNN. “If I became president, the first thing I would do would be to scrap BEE,” he added.
    
            By Moeletsi’s telling, White executives devised BEE as a way to “coopt ANC leaders” in the early years of democracy by giving them shares in companies that they would then be disinclined to nationalize, a policy many in the party favored.
    
            Still, despite tens of billions of dollars’ worth of BEE deals, Black ownership of companies stands at just 34% on average, according to the latest report by the B-BBEE Commission, which monitors adherence to the policy.
    
            “Inroads are being made on the participation of Black people in the economy, although there is much further to go to realise the objectives (of BEE),” Commission head Tshediso Matona told CNN.
    
            Black people are also poorly represented in top management, another of the policy’s focus areas. According to a recent PwC report, just 19% of the 200 most valuable companies listed in Johannesburg are led by Black, Coloured, Indian or Asian CEOs.
    
            Many companies in the private sector “are not implementing the spirit of the (BEE) legislation… they’re (only) ticking boxes,” said Kganki Matabane, the CEO of the Black Business Council, a lobby group for Black business. “Businesses cannot continue to exclude the majority, they’ll render the country ungovernable one day,” he added.
    
            Matthew Parks, the parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, an umbrella body for labor unions and an ANC partner, says BEE has helped grow South Africa’s Black middle class but that more must be done for workers, particularly those on minimum wages.
    
            He also argues that the policy needs more time to bear fruit. “Three decades given to overcome the impact of three centuries (of White oppression) is not enough.”
    
            According to Matona, of the Commission, BEE is “only one part of a suite of policy tools to achieve transformation,” which also includes laws around public procurement, competition, employment equity and skills development. “The overall outcome of economic transformation requires an assessment of all of these policies,” he said.
    
            The sharpest criticism of BEE is that it has been corrupted by private interests, leading to severe maladministration in the public sector. “It’s a huge driver of corruption in the country,” said Mbeki.
    
            He and other experts who spoke to CNN explained that under the auspices of advancing empowerment, politically connected Black people have in some instances been put into senior positions in state-owned companies despite not having the right qualifications or experience.
    
            Similarly, some officials have abused public procurement rules that favor Black-owned businesses, awarding government contracts at inflated prices to underperforming companies in exchange for bribes, a phenomenon sometimes referred to locally as “tenderpreneurship.”
    
            “Tenderpreneurship” has devastated state-owned companies and local governments across the country, said Ricardo Hausmann, the director of Harvard’s Growth Lab, a hub for research on economic growth and development. “Poor implementation of affirmative action in the public sector” has contributed to “collapsing state capacity,” he told CNN. “The poster child of this is the electricity sector.”
    
            For much of last year, South Africans were without power for at least some portion of the day. “Loadshedding” — as it’s known locally — hit a new record, with power cuts on 335 days, according to state-owned power utility Eskom. The years-long electricity crisis has abated in recent months, but it is not yet over.
    
            Widespread graft at Eskom and other government institutions, primarily under former President Jacob Zuma, has been a core reason for the collapse of South Africa’s electricity, transport and, latterly, water infrastructure, according to Haroon Bhorat, an economics professor at the University of Cape Town.
    
            The result has been to cripple economic activity. Economists estimate that GDP growth could be as high as 3%-5.4% this year were it not for crumbling infrastructure. Instead, the International Monetary Fund forecasts a paltry 0.9% expansion.
    
            The “ultimate effect” of collapsing infrastructure leading to lower economic growth rates is “a governing party that is going to struggle to get urban voters to believe it can turn the economy around,” Bhorat added.
    
            South Africa’s economy hasn’t always been in dire straits. For the first 15 years of democracy, the ANC “managed the economy relatively well,” Bhorat said.
    
            Under Thabo Mbeki, public debt fell considerably and the government even recorded small budget surpluses between 2006 and 2008, meaning it spent less than it received in taxes. Economic growth averaged around 4% a year.
    
            In contrast, under Zuma, South Africa’s credit rating was downgraded to junk, or sub-investment grade, by S&P and Fitch. GDP growth averaged around 1.5% a year and the debt-to-GDP ratio more than doubled from a post-apartheid low of 24% in 2008, according to the IMF. It is now hovering around 75%.
    
            While South Africa was far from perfect under Mbeki — violent crime was high, the country remained extremely unequal and public services, particularly education, needed considerable work — it had a much stronger economic foundation on which to tackle its plentiful post-apartheid challenges.
    
            It is that foundation that the country must now painstakingly rebuild.
    
            One silver lining to South Africa’s economic crisis is a deepening partnership between government and business to meet the moment.
    
            Chief executives from more than 130 major South African companies, including the likes of Investec and Discovery, as well as the local leaders of JPMorgan, Shell and Unilever have formed an initiative called Business for South Africa.
    
            The group holds regular meetings with senior government officials, including President Ramaphosa and heads of state-owned companies, and is undertaking targeted interventions in areas including transport infrastructure and electricity.
    
            These are already yielding positive results and could mean that power cuts are banished for good next year, according to Cas Coovadia, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa, the country’s main business lobby group.
    
            “This has proven to be real partnership… we are making progress,” he told CNN. “The whole purpose of this intervention is to stop the slide and give us the space to begin to turn this big ship around.”
    
            For Hausmann, of the Harvard Growth Lab, the ANC’s waning influence might be just what the party needs. If political power is more contested, it “puts more of the fear of the wrath of the people into government, so they feel the urgency to improve performance,” he said.
    
            “In general, what disciplines governments is the fear of losing elections.”",CNN,27/05/2024,"['South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) swept to power in 1994 on apledgeto “build a better life for all,” winning almost 63% of the vote in the country’s first democratic election.', 'Fast-forward 30 years andNelson Mandela’serstwhile liberation movement, which triumphed over the racist apartheid government, risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time, according to opinion polls and analysts.', 'When South Africans vote Wednesday, an unhappy combination of rampant corruption, soaring joblessness, cripplingpower cutsand feeble economic growth will likely be top of mind.', 'The economy has gone backward over the past decade, evidenced by a sharp fall in living standards.', 'According to theWorld Bank, gross domestic product per capita has fallen from a peak in 2011, leaving the average South African 23% poorer.', 'A third of the labor force is unemployed,more than in war-torn Sudan, and the highestrateof any countrytracked by the World Bank.', 'Income inequality is also the world’s worst.', 'There are 18.4 million people on welfare benefits, compared with just7 million taxpayers, according to Oxford Economics, a consultancy.', 'Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, are at the sharp end of this dire situation.', 'Unemployment and poverty remain concentrated in the Black majority, in large part due to the failure of public schooling, while most White South Africans have jobs and command considerably higher wages.', 'Moreover, the government’s flagship policy for driving economic inclusion and racial equality in post-apartheid South Africa — Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, known as triple-BEE or simply BEE — has failed to achieve its aims, with wealth still concentrated in the hands of a few at the expense of the many.', '“Three decades after the end of apartheid, the economy is defined by stagnation and exclusion, and current strategies are not achieving inclusion and empowerment in practice,” Harvard University concluded in a report published in November by its Growth Lab following two years of research.', 'Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights.', 'They were also systematically excluded from owning land, living in certain areas, and accessing a decent education and jobs.', 'The end of White minority rule could not on its own compensate for such extreme and prolonged injustice.', 'Restitution was needed — and that’s what BEE set out to deliver.', 'There is now almost universal agreement that the policy failed to transform economic reality for the majority of Black and other South Africans who were historically disadvantaged, including Indians and Coloureds, the official term for South Africans with mixed heritage who have a distinct cultural identity.', 'President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously described BEE as “a must for (economic) growth,” promised Saturday the ANC would “do better” if reelected, with a focus on creating more jobs.', 'The Democratic Alliance, the official opposition party, has said it would replace BEE with an “Economic Justice policy” that “targets the poor black majority for redress, rather than a small, connected elite.”', 'Critics of BEE argue there has been an overemphasis on increasing Black ownership of established businesses through giant deals that have, in fact, enriched only a handful of politically connected people.', 'This is a view held by Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of former President Thabo Mbeki and chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs, an independent think tank located at Wits University in Johannesburg.', 'BEE “creates a class of rich politicians who are then beholden to the people who are making them rich, but it disincentivizes people from becoming entrepreneurs,” he told CNN. “', 'If I became president, the first thing I would do would be to scrap BEE,” he added.', 'By Moeletsi’s telling, White executives devised BEE as a way to “coopt ANC leaders” in the early years of democracyby giving them shares in companies that they would then be disinclined to nationalize, apolicymany in the party favored.', 'Still, despite tens of billions of dollars’ worth of BEE deals, Black ownership of companies standsat just 34% on average, according to thelatest reportby the B-BBEE Commission, which monitors adherence to the policy.', '“Inroads are being made on the participation of Blackpeople in the economy, although there is much further to go to realise the objectives (of BEE),” Commission head Tshediso Matona told CNN.', 'Black people are also poorly represented in top management, anotherof the policy’s focus areas.', 'According to a recentPwCreport, just 19% of the 200 most valuable companies listed in Johannesburg are led by Black, Coloured, Indian or Asian CEOs.', 'Many companies in the private sector “are not implementing the spirit of the (BEE) legislation… they’re (only) ticking boxes,” said Kganki Matabane, the CEO of the Black Business Council, a lobby group for Black business. “', 'Businesses cannot continue to exclude the majority, they’ll render the country ungovernable one day,” he added.', 'Matthew Parks, the parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions, an umbrella body for labor unions and an ANC partner, says BEE has helped grow South Africa’s Black middle class but that more must be done for workers, particularly those on minimum wages.', 'He also argues that the policy needs more time to bear fruit. “', 'Three decades given to overcome the impact of three centuries (of White oppression) is not enough.”', 'According to Matona, of the Commission, BEE is “only one part of a suite of policy tools to achieve transformation,” which also includes laws around public procurement, competition, employment equity and skills development. “', 'The overall outcome of economic transformation requires an assessment of all of these policies,” he said.', 'The sharpest criticism of BEE is that it has been corrupted by private interests, leading to severe maladministration in the public sector.', '“It’s a huge driver of corruption in the country,” said Mbeki.', 'He and other experts who spoke to CNN explained thatunder the auspices of advancing empowerment, politically connected Black people havein some instancesbeen putintosenior positions in state-owned companiesdespite not having the right qualifications or experience.', 'Similarly,some officials have abusedpublic procurement rulesthat favor Black-owned businesses,awardinggovernment contracts at inflated prices tounderperforming companiesin exchange for bribes, a phenomenon sometimes referred tolocallyas “tenderpreneurship.”', '“Tenderpreneurship”has devastated state-owned companies and local governments across the country, said Ricardo Hausmann, the director of Harvard’s Growth Lab, a hub for research on economic growth and development. “', 'Poor implementation of affirmative action in the public sector” has contributed to “collapsing state capacity,” he told CNN. “', 'The poster child of this is the electricity sector.”', 'For much of last year, South Africans were without power for at least some portion of the day. “', 'Loadshedding” — as it’s known locally — hit a new record, with power cuts on 335 days, according to state-owned power utility Eskom.', 'The years-long electricity crisis has abated in recent months, but it is not yetover.', 'Widespread graft at Eskom and other government institutions, primarily under former President Jacob Zuma, has been a core reason for the collapse of South Africa’s electricity, transport and, latterly,water infrastructure, according to Haroon Bhorat, an economics professor at the University of Cape Town.', 'The result has been to cripple economic activity.', 'Economists estimate that GDP growth could be as high as 3%-5.4% this year were it not for crumbling infrastructure.', 'Instead, the International Monetary Fund forecasts a paltry 0.9% expansion.', 'The “ultimate effect” of collapsing infrastructure leading to lower economicgrowth rates is “a governing party that is going to struggle to get urban voters to believe it can turn the economy around,” Bhorat added.', 'South Africa’s economy hasn’t always been in dire straits.', 'For the first 15 years of democracy, the ANC “managed the economy relatively well,” Bhorat said.', 'Under Thabo Mbeki, public debt fell considerably and the government even recorded small budget surpluses between 2006 and 2008, meaning it spent less than it received in taxes.', 'Economic growth averaged around 4% a year.', 'In contrast, under Zuma, South Africa’s credit rating was downgraded to junk, or sub-investment grade, by S&P and Fitch.', 'GDP growth averaged around 1.5% a year and the debt-to-GDP ratio more than doubled from a post-apartheid low of 24% in 2008, according to theIMF.', 'It is now hovering around 75%.', 'While South Africa was far from perfect under Mbeki — violent crime was high, the country remained extremely unequal and public services, particularlyeducation, needed considerable work — it had a much stronger economicfoundation on which to tackle its plentiful post-apartheid challenges.', 'It is that foundation that the country must now painstakingly rebuild.', 'One silver lining to South Africa’s economic crisis is a deepening partnership between government and business to meet the moment.', 'Chief executives from more than 130 major South African companies, including the likes of Investec and Discovery, as well as the local leaders of JPMorgan, Shell and Unilever have formedan initiative calledBusiness for South Africa.', 'The group holds regular meetings with senior government officials, including President Ramaphosa and heads of state-owned companies, and is undertaking targeted interventions in areas including transport infrastructure and electricity.', 'Theseare already yielding positive results andcould mean that power cuts are banished for good next year,according to Cas Coovadia, the CEO of Business Unity South Africa, the country’s main business lobby group.', '“This has proven to be real partnership… we are making progress,” he told CNN. “', 'The whole purpose of this intervention is to stop the slide and give us the space to begin to turn this big ship around.”', 'For Hausmann, of the Harvard Growth Lab, the ANC’s waning influence might be just what the party needs.', 'If political power is more contested, it “puts more of the fear of the wrath of the people into government, so they feel the urgency to improve performance,” he said.', '“In general, what disciplines governments is the fear of losing elections.”']",-0.0570475885606252,"President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously described BEE as “a must for (economic) growth,” promised Saturday the ANC would “do better” if reelected, with a focus on creating more jobs.",Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights.,-0.2527882059415181,"GDP growth averaged around 1.5% a year and the debt-to-GDP ratio more than doubled from a post-apartheid low of 24% in 2008, according to theIMF.","The economy has gone backward over the past decade, evidenced by a sharp fall in living standards.",2024-05-27
"Warner Bros. Discovery's NBA rights offer could put it in competition with Amazon, not NBC",https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/23/warner-bros-discovery-considers-matching-nba-package-slated-for-amazon.html,2024-05-23T17:52:31+0000,"In this articleWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast's NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter.It's the latest turn in what's been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney. Warner's Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years.Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, the people said. If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA. Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't yet seen the three potential packages, because the league hasn't officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners. It also hasn't communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, the people said.Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery's current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon.Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter. The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn't yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids. When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.It's possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games. It's unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions.Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment. Representatives from Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.If the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company's thinking.""We've had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,"" Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery's quarterly earnings conference call. ""We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.""That could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league. It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner.Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing. That package tentatively includes All-Star games and conference finals games, which have aired on TNT, according to a person familiar with the matter.The NBA wants a robust streaming offering as a third package to extend the reach of its product beyond cable TV. Warner Bros. Discovery owns both cable network TNT and its flagship streaming service, Max, which is expanding internationally. The company announced Wednesday it had struck a deal with ESPN to sublicense College Football Playoff games for five years — with the games to be aired on TNT and streamed on Max.Still, unlike Amazon's Prime Video streaming service, Max plans to tier its sports offerings to customers, forcing them to pay more and potentially diminishing reach, which the NBA may not prefer.It's possible Zaslav's focus on Amazon may be a strategic move to get a settlement from the league by focusing on a package specifically designed for a big tech streamer.The College Football Playoffs deal and the company's recent rights agreement for a package of NASCAR races beginning in 2025 has put Zaslav in a place where he's content to lose the NBA if Warner Bros. Discovery management decides the cost is too much, according to people familiar with the matter.Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter.An offer of $2.5 billion or more would more than double the NBA's previous asking price of $1.2 billion, and the new package would contain fewer games because of the introduction of a third media partner.Warner Bros. Discovery could use the money saved from not spending on the NBA for other sports, including UFC, which will likely sign a new rights deal next year.Zaslav views NBCUniversal as a direct competitor in a fight for survival among legacy media companies, according to people familiar with his thinking. If NBCUniversal ends up paying too much for the NBA, he views that as a competitive advantage for Warner Bros. Discovery, they said.If Warner Bros. Discovery chooses to match a potential Amazon package or stand down completely, it would clear the way for the NBA to get back in business with NBCUniversal, which lost league rights in 2002.A member of NBCUniversal's music licensing team recently reached out to John Tesh, the owner of ""Roundball Rock,"" the old ""NBA on NBC"" theme song, and mentioned potential interest in bringing the jingle back to NBC if the company gets the media rights, according to a person familiar with the matter.Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games. Neither Amazon nor Warner Bros. Discovery owns a broadcast network.NBCUniversal also owns Peacock, its domestic-only streaming service, which could also become a platform for NBA games.Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.",CNBC,23/05/2024,"[""In this articleWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast's NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter."", ""It's the latest turn in what's been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney."", ""Warner's Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years."", 'Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.', 'The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, the people said.', 'If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.', 'Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA.', ""Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't yet seen the three potential packages, because the league hasn't officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners."", ""It also hasn't communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, the people said."", ""Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery's current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon."", 'Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter.', ""The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn't yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids."", 'When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.', ""It's possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games."", ""It's unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions."", 'Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment.', ""Representatives from Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment."", ""If the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company's thinking."", '""We\'ve had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,"" Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery\'s quarterly earnings conference call. ""', 'We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.', '""That could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league.', ""It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner."", ""Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing."", 'That package tentatively includes All-Star games and conference finals games, which have aired on TNT, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'The NBA wants a robust streaming offering as a third package to extend the reach of its product beyond cable TV.', 'Warner Bros. Discovery owns both cable network TNT and its flagship streaming service, Max, which is expanding internationally.', 'The company announced Wednesday it had struck a deal with ESPN to sublicense College Football Playoff games for five years — with the games to be aired on TNT and streamed on Max.', ""Still, unlike Amazon's Prime Video streaming service, Max plans to tier its sports offerings to customers, forcing them to pay more and potentially diminishing reach, which the NBA may not prefer."", ""It's possible Zaslav's focus on Amazon may be a strategic move to get a settlement from the league by focusing on a package specifically designed for a big tech streamer."", ""The College Football Playoffs deal and the company's recent rights agreement for a package of NASCAR races beginning in 2025 has put Zaslav in a place where he's content to lose the NBA if Warner Bros. Discovery management decides the cost is too much, according to people familiar with the matter."", ""Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter."", ""An offer of $2.5 billion or more would more than double the NBA's previous asking price of $1.2 billion, and the new package would contain fewer games because of the introduction of a third media partner."", 'Warner Bros. Discovery could use the money saved from not spending on the NBA for other sports, including UFC, which will likely sign a new rights deal next year.', 'Zaslav views NBCUniversal as a direct competitor in a fight for survival among legacy media companies, according to people familiar with his thinking.', 'If NBCUniversal ends up paying too much for the NBA, he views that as a competitive advantage for Warner Bros. Discovery, they said.', 'If Warner Bros. Discovery chooses to match a potential Amazon package or stand down completely, it would clear the way for the NBA to get back in business with NBCUniversal, which lost league rights in 2002.A member of NBCUniversal\'s music licensing team recently reached out to John Tesh, the owner of ""Roundball Rock,"" the old ""NBA on NBC"" theme song, and mentioned potential interest in bringing the jingle back to NBC if the company gets the media rights, according to a person familiar with the matter.', 'Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games.', 'Neither Amazon nor Warner Bros. Discovery owns a broadcast network.', 'NBCUniversal also owns Peacock, its domestic-only streaming service, which could also become a platform for NBA games.', 'Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.']",0.1136224515371988,"Like Disney, which owns ABC, NBCUniversal has a broadcast network in NBC that is free over-the-air and can expand ratings for games.",It's unclear if the league can reject Warner Bros. Discovery's matching rights if it chooses a different partner.,0.4549682140350342,Warner Bros. Discovery is interested in a more affordable package of games given its gross debt of about $42 billion — more than double its current market capitalization of about $20 billion — making the package that's likely earmarked for Amazon appealing.,"Zaslav has told colleagues he believes NBCUniversal is overspending for the NBA, based on his company's research into ratings and potential subscriber value for a subscription streaming service, according to a person familiar with the matter.",2024-05-27
Post Office Horizon scandal: Why hundreds were wrongly prosecuted,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56718036,2021-04-21T23:08:36.000Z,"A bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters has entered into law after being brought forward due to the general election. Many were wrongly prosecuted after faulty software said money was missing from their Post Office branch accounts.  More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from a computer system called Horizon.  It has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice. The Post Office itself took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015. Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially ruined. In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office. In 2019, it agreed to pay them £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees. Although campaigners won the right for their cases to be reconsidered, only 102 convictions had been overturned by March 2024. The Metropolitan Police is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences. In January, the government said it would ""swiftly exonerate and compensate"" those affected. New legislation to clear victims' names and pay them compensation was brought forward after a general election was called. It became law on Friday 24 May and applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish parliament is to pass its own bill. Convictions will be automatically quashed if they were: Former sub-postmasters described their ""joy"" and ""disbelief"" at the move. In an open letter, the Department for Business told those affected: ""This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve."" The government also said a new scheme will process compensation applications ""as soon as possible"" for those whose convictions are overturned. Affected sub-postmasters will receive an interim payment, or can instead accept a fixed and final offer of £600,000.  Many former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses say the scandal ruined their lives.  Some used their own money to cover non-existent shortfalls because their contracts said they were responsible for unexplained losses. Many faced bankruptcy or lost their livelihoods.  Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death. Horizon was developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu, for tasks such as accounting and stocktaking.  It was introduced by the Post Office in 1999.  Sub-postmasters quickly complained about bugs in the system after it falsely reported shortfalls - often for many thousands of pounds - but their concerns were dismissed. The Horizon system is still used by the Post Office, which describes the latest version as ""robust"". A public inquiry began in February 2021 and has heard evidence from Post Office and Fujitsu employees. The fifth phase began on Tuesday 9 April, with campaigner Alan Bates the first to appear.  He told the inquiry that the Post Office has spent 23 years trying to ""discredit and silence"" him. Paula Vennells, chief executive between 2012 and 2019, gave evidence for three days in late May. She began by saying sorry to the sub-postmasters and their families ""who have suffered as a result of all that the inquiry has been looking into for so long"". Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake previously said the government has budgeted £1bn for compensation. More than 4,000 people were told they are eligible, under three schemes: Prof Chris Hodges, chair of the the independent Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, told the BBC that some individual compensation claims were ""well over £1m"". Ms Vennells resigned in 2019 over the scandal. In January 2024, she said she would hand back her CBE. In August 2023, current chief executive Nick Read said he would return bonus money awarded for his work on the Horizon inquiry.  Fujitsu Europe director Paul Patterson said the firm had a ""moral obligation"" to help fund compensation payments. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been criticised for refusing to meet Mr Bates when he was postal affairs minister, in May 2010. He says he was ""deeply misled by Post Office executives"". The BBC discovered that former Prime Minister David Cameron's government knew the Post Office had dropped a secret investigation that might have helped postmasters prove their innocence. Separately, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch denied claims from former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton that he was told to delay compensation payments to allow the government to ""limp into the [next] election"".  ",BBC,21/04/2021,"['A bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters has entered into law after being brought forward due to the general election.', 'Many were wrongly prosecuted after faulty software said money was missing from their Post Office branch accounts.', 'More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect information from a computer system called Horizon.', ""It has been called the UK's most widespread miscarriage of justice."", 'The Post Office itself took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015.', 'Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).', 'Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and many were financially ruined.', 'In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office.', 'In 2019, it agreed to pay them £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees.', 'Although campaigners won the right for their cases to be reconsidered, only 102 convictions had been overturned by March 2024.', 'The Metropolitan Police is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences.', 'In January, the government said it would ""swiftly exonerate and compensate"" those affected.', ""New legislation to clear victims' names and pay them compensation was brought forward after a general election was called."", 'It became law on Friday 24 May and applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.', 'The Scottish parliament is to pass its own bill.', 'Convictions will be automatically quashed if they were: Former sub-postmasters described their ""joy"" and ""disbelief"" at the move.', 'In an open letter, the Department for Business told those affected: ""This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve.""', 'The government also said a new scheme will process compensation applications ""as soon as possible"" for those whose convictions are overturned.', 'Affected sub-postmasters will receive an interim payment, or can instead accept a fixed and final offer of £600,000.', 'Many former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses say the scandal ruined their lives.', 'Some used their own money to cover non-existent shortfalls because their contracts said they were responsible for unexplained losses.', 'Many faced bankruptcy or lost their livelihoods.', 'Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death.', 'Horizon was developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu, for tasks such as accounting and stocktaking.', 'It was introduced by the Post Office in 1999.', 'Sub-postmasters quickly complained about bugs in the system after it falsely reported shortfalls - often for many thousands of pounds - but their concerns were dismissed.', 'The Horizon system is still used by the Post Office, which describes the latest version as ""robust"".', 'A public inquiry began in February 2021 and has heard evidence from Post Office and Fujitsu employees.', 'The fifth phase began on Tuesday 9 April, with campaigner Alan Bates the first to appear.', 'He told the inquiry that the Post Office has spent 23 years trying to ""discredit and silence"" him.', 'Paula Vennells, chief executive between 2012 and 2019, gave evidence for three days in late May.', 'She began by saying sorry to the sub-postmasters and their families ""who have suffered as a result of all that the inquiry has been looking into for so long"".', 'Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake previously said the government has budgeted £1bn for compensation.', 'More than 4,000 people were told they are eligible, under three schemes: Prof Chris Hodges, chair of the the independent Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, told the BBC that some individual compensation claims were ""well over £1m"".', 'Ms Vennells resigned in 2019 over the scandal.', 'In January 2024, she said she would hand back her CBE.', 'In August 2023, current chief executive Nick Read said he would return bonus money awarded for his work on the Horizon inquiry.', 'Fujitsu Europe director Paul Patterson said the firm had a ""moral obligation"" to help fund compensation payments.', 'Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been criticised for refusing to meet Mr Bates when he was postal affairs minister, in May 2010.', 'He says he was ""deeply misled by Post Office executives"".', ""The BBC discovered that former Prime Minister David Cameron's government knew the Post Office had dropped a secret investigation that might have helped postmasters prove their innocence."", 'Separately, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch denied claims from former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton that he was told to delay compensation payments to allow the government to ""limp into the [next] election"".']",-0.0408959223823883,"In August 2023, current chief executive Nick Read said he would return bonus money awarded for his work on the Horizon inquiry.","Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death.",-0.3786128759384155,"In an open letter, the Department for Business told those affected: ""This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve.""","Marriages broke down, and some families believe the stress led to serious health conditions, addiction and even premature death.",2024-05-27
How AI and bionics are helping Ukrainian soldiers return to action,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/tech/how-ai-and-bionics-are-helping-ukrainian-soldiers-return-to-action/index.html,"
  Published
        9:11 AM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Valera Kucherenko had already served a term in the Ukrainian army when Russia invaded in 2022. But he joined back up and, on a fateful October night in 2023, lost both hands in a grenade attack.
    
            It’s a story that’s all too common for Ukrainian soldiers. Since the start of the war, an estimated 20,000 Ukrainians have lost limbs. Such injuries typically end military careers, but advancements in bionics are enabling some veterans to resume what they see as their duty.
    
            “For me, prosthetics were made in such a way that I’m returning back to the army,” Kucherenko told CNN.
    
            Kucherenko was fitted with two bionic hands that are new to the market. The Esper Hand is the first product from Esper Bionics, a Ukrainian-US based company focused on next-generation prosthetics.
    
            Artificial Intelligence is disrupting many industries, but it is also offering up unprecedented solutions. In the field of bionic prosthetics, AI or machine learning can help patients who’ve lost limbs regain functions – and perhaps even gain functions they didn’t originally have with human limbs. At least that’s the hope of those at Esper.
    
            “I think AI will be the next step in bionics,” says Dima Gazda, CEO of Esper Bionics.
    
            Gazda, a physician and engineer from Ukraine, worked with his team for several years to perfect the Esper Hand and says their systems have been “built for AI since day one.”
    
            In this bionic hand, AI helps the prosthetic quickly learn its user’s behavior and choose hand grips the user will need.
    
            “If I take cup from a table several times, tomorrow, the system will understand,” says Gazda. The AI-empowered hand can also detect muscle activity.
    
            It’s not just AI that is helping users regain their functions quicker. Bionic prosthetics are also being built more precisely to mimic human limbs. The Esper Hand has 6 different motors – one for each finger and two for the thumb. This allows each finger to move separately.
    
            According to Esper Bionics, 70 Ukrainian soldiers are currently serving with Esper Hands, but the need greatly outnumbers the supply. Esper says there are currently around 170 people on the waitlist. With the fighting in Ukraine continuing every day, the number of those in need will continue to climb.
    
            Inside an office complex about 20 minutes from Minneapolis is a clinic run by the non-profit Protez Foundation. Every morning, a group of Ukrainian veterans gather inside the clinic and go over the schedule for the day. Each one of the veterans is missing at least one limb, in some cases two to three. Their schedules will consist of prosthetic fittings and training. Those with prosthetic legs will practice walking; those with prosthetic hands, like Kucherenko, will practice movements like building with blocks.
    
            The clinic is run by Yakov Gradinar, the Protez Foundation’s chief medical officer. Gradinar is a Ukrainian prosthetist living in Minnesota, who co-founded Protez a couple of months after the war started in 2022. “Protez” means “prosthetic” in Ukrainian.
    
            “You search for meaning in your life,” Gradinar said. “Ukraine needed prosthetics, and I’m a prosthetist. I can help.”
    
            The Protez Foundation and Esper Bionics have partnered together through a special initiative to help Ukrainians. Esper Bionics sells the Esper Hand (which normally sell for around $20,000) to Protez at manufacturing costs, and then Protez fits them to users for free.
    
            Gradinar has noted the speed with which veterans are adapting to the Esper Hands. His patient Valera Kucherenko – who lost both arms in that grenade attack — is now back in Ukraine with plans to re-join the army and train soldiers.
    
            The veterans’ personal grit and motivation play a big role. But so too does the technology.
    
            “We often talk about negativity [around AI], but we don’t talk about the part that technology can be adapting itself,” the prosthetist says. The hope is the technology will help bionic prosthetics get better and smarter.
    
            Esper is currently working on a leg model and an exoskeleton. The long view for Esper is health devices that help all of humanity, but right now, there is a central focus on helping those in Ukraine.
    
            “Our dedication is to help people who have the biggest need,” Gazda said. “I think by working together with the Protez Foundation, we are making Ukraine stronger.”",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Valera Kucherenko had already served a term in the Ukrainian army when Russia invaded in 2022.', 'But he joined back up and, on a fateful October night in 2023, lost both hands in a grenade attack.', 'It’s a story that’sall too common for Ukrainian soldiers.', 'Since the start of the war, an estimated 20,000 Ukrainianshave lost limbs.', 'Such injuries typicallyendmilitary careers, but advancementsin bionics areenablingsome veterans to resume what they see as theirduty.', '“For me, prosthetics were made in such a way that I’m returning back to the army,” Kucherenkotold CNN.', 'Kucherenko was fitted with two bionic hands that arenew to the market.', 'The Esper Hand is the first product from Esper Bionics, a Ukrainian-US based company focused on next-generationprosthetics.', 'ArtificialIntelligenceis disruptingmany industries, but it is also offering up unprecedented solutions.', 'In the field of bionic prosthetics, AI or machine learning can helppatients who’ve lost limbs regain functions – andperhaps even gain functions theydidn’toriginallyhave with human limbs.', 'At least that’s the hope of those at Esper.', '“I think AI will be the next step in bionics,” says Dima Gazda, CEO of Esper Bionics.', 'Gazda, a physician and engineer from Ukraine, worked with histeamfor several yearsto perfect the Esper Hand and says their systems havebeen “built for AI since day one.”', 'In this bionic hand, AI helps the prostheticquicklylearn its user’s behaviorandchoose hand grips the userwill need.', '“If I take cup from a table several times, tomorrow, the system will understand,” says Gazda.', 'TheAI-empoweredhand can also detect muscle activity.', 'It’s not just AI that is helping users regain their functions quicker.', 'Bionic prosthetics are also being built more precisely to mimic human limbs.', 'The Esper Hand has 6 different motors – one for each finger and two for the thumb.', 'This allowseach finger to move separately.', 'According to Esper Bionics, 70 Ukrainian soldiers are currently serving with Esper Hands, but the need greatly outnumbers the supply.', 'Esper says there are currently around 170 people on the waitlist.', 'With the fighting in Ukraine continuing every day, the number of those in need will continue to climb.', 'Inside an office complex about 20 minutes from Minneapolis is a clinic run by the non-profitProtez Foundation.', 'Every morning, a group of Ukrainian veterans gatherinside the clinic and go over the schedule for the day.', 'Each one of the veterans is missing at least one limb, in some cases two to three.', 'Their schedules will consist of prosthetic fittings and training.', 'Those with prosthetic legs will practice walking; those with prosthetic hands, like Kucherenko, will practice movements like building with blocks.', 'The clinic is run by Yakov Gradinar, the Protez Foundation’s chief medical officer.', 'Gradinar is a Ukrainian prosthetist living in Minnesota, who co-founded Protez a couple of months after the war started in 2022.“Protez”means“prosthetic”in Ukrainian.', '“You search for meaning in your life,” Gradinar said. “', 'Ukraine needed prosthetics, and I’m a prosthetist.', 'I can help.”', 'The Protez Foundation and Esper Bionics have partnered together through a special initiative to help Ukrainians.', 'Esper Bionics sells the Esper Hand (which normally sell for around $20,000) to Protez at manufacturing costs, and then Protezfits them to users for free.', 'Gradinar has noted the speed with which veterans are adapting to the Esper Hands.', 'His patient Valera Kucherenko – who lost both arms in that grenade attack — is now back in Ukraine with plans to re-join the army and train soldiers.', 'The veterans’ personal grit and motivation play a big role.', 'But so too does the technology.', '“We often talk about negativity [around AI], but we don’t talk about the part that technology can be adapting itself,” the prosthetist says.', 'The hope is the technology will help bionic prosthetics get better and smarter.', 'Esper iscurrently working on a leg model andan exoskeleton.', 'The long view for Esper is health devices thathelp all of humanity, but right now, there is a central focus on helping those in Ukraine.', '“Our dedication is to help people who have the biggest need,” Gazda said. “', 'I think by working together with the Protez Foundation, we are making Ukraine stronger.”']",0.1236599801481161,The hope is the technology will help bionic prosthetics get better and smarter.,"But he joined back up and, on a fateful October night in 2023, lost both hands in a grenade attack.",0.7519414573907852,"I think by working together with the Protez Foundation, we are making Ukraine stronger.”","Since the start of the war, an estimated 20,000 Ukrainianshave lost limbs.",2024-05-27
Digital humans: the relatable face of artificial intelligence?,https://edition.cnn.com/business/digital-humans-ai-dj-dex-spc/index.html,"
  Published
        5:33 AM EDT, Tue March 19, 2024
    ","Scrolling through the Instagram account of DJ and aspiring model Dex you’ll see her wearing new outfits, performing at shows around the world and chatting to her thousands of followers about her hobbies.
    
            However, it’s clear that there is something different about Dex; she’s an entirely virtual “digital human,” designed by a startup in the UK.
    
            For her performances, Dex is displayed on a video screen or as a holographic projection, with her mixes created by humans. She is animated using Unreal Engine — a 3D modeling software widely used in video games — combined with motion-capture. Generative artificial intelligence allows her to remember information and respond to questions, using a voice also generated by AI.
    
            “She’s probably one of the only digital humans in the performance space that you can have a conversation and interact with,” says Denise Harris, CCO of startup Sum Vivas. “You can ask her anything. She is a genius about music.”
    
            Last month, Dex performed at Digital Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and she has modeled outfits by Prada and Louis Vuitton at digital fashion events.
    
            For Liverpool-based Sum Vivas she’s a “showpiece” for more practical applications. The company is now developing digital humans that can “listen” to people’s questions and converse in real time. “Shellie” can provide product information as an avatar on company websites, while “Arif” is set to direct passengers and answer questions as a multilingual concierge on screens at airports.
    
            According to CEO and founder Rob Sims, digital humans can help bridge the gap between AI technology and people. “What we’ve found is when people start working with and conversing with a digital human, they very quickly suspend disbelief,” Sims tells CNN. “It becomes natural.”
    
            Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.
    
            Record levels of investment into generative AI have followed, with over $21 billion poured into the industry during the first nine months of last year, according to data insights company Pitchbook. In March 2023, Google launched Bard (recently renamed Gemini) and around the same time Anthropic released its AI assistant Claude. As generative AI chatbots become increasingly ubiquitous, Sum Vivas is one of several companies looking to make them more human.
    
            US and New Zealand-based UneeQ has developed animated conversational “digital humans” that can be used as virtual sales reps and customer service agents on company websites, and this month it debuted Sama 2.0, an animated cabin crew member that answers questions on Qatar Airways’ website and app.
    
            Microsoft recently announced that users of its Azure software would be able to create lifelike avatars capable of turning text prompts into animated speech. However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market. 
    
            “When we rely on automated tools, what skills are we losing in the process?” asks Jennifer Ding, senior researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. “In some ways, we think of AI as something that’s helping us or augmenting our work,” she says. “However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”
    
            Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “Every scenario that we found, we’re creating jobs and working in harmony with people rather than taking away jobs,” she says.
    
            “Digital humans, first and foremost, should work with other human colleagues,” adds Sims. “We’ll move into a stage where digital humans will start to become just another member of the team, with added benefits for that team, and obviously the customers they serve.”",CNN,19/03/2024,"['Scrolling through the Instagram account of DJ and aspiring model Dex you’ll see her wearing new outfits, performing at shows around the world and chatting to her thousands of followers about her hobbies.', 'However, it’s clear that there is something different about Dex; she’s an entirely virtual “digital human,” designed by a startup in the UK.', 'For her performances, Dex is displayed on a video screen or as a holographic projection, with her mixes created by humans.', 'She is animated using Unreal Engine — a 3D modeling software widely used in video games — combined with motion-capture.', 'Generative artificial intelligence allows her to remember information and respond to questions, using a voice also generated by AI.', '“She’s probably one of the only digital humans in the performance space that you can have a conversation and interact with,” says Denise Harris, CCO of startup Sum Vivas. “', 'You can ask her anything.', 'She is a genius about music.”', 'Last month, Dex performed at Digital Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris and Milan, and she has modeled outfits by Prada and Louis Vuitton at digital fashion events.', 'For Liverpool-based Sum Vivas she’s a “showpiece” for more practical applications.', 'The company is now developing digital humans that can “listen” to people’s questions and converse in real time. “', 'Shellie” can provide product information as an avatar on company websites, while “Arif” is set to direct passengers and answer questions as a multilingual concierge on screens at airports.', 'According to CEO and founder Rob Sims, digital humans can help bridge the gap between AI technology and people. “', 'What we’ve found is when people start working with and conversing with a digital human, they very quickly suspend disbelief,” Sims tells CNN. “', 'It becomes natural.”', 'Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.', 'Record levels of investment into generative AI have followed, with over $21 billion poured into the industry during the first nine months of last year, according to data insights company Pitchbook.', 'In March 2023, Google launched Bard (recently renamed Gemini) and around the same time Anthropic released its AI assistant Claude.', 'As generative AI chatbots become increasingly ubiquitous, Sum Vivas is one of several companies looking to make them more human.', 'US and New Zealand-based UneeQ has developed animated conversational “digital humans” that can be used as virtual sales reps and customer service agents on company websites, and this month it debuted Sama 2.0, an animated cabin crew member that answers questions on Qatar Airways’ website and app.', 'Microsoft recently announced that users of its Azure software would be able to create lifelike avatars capable of turning text prompts into animated speech.', 'However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market.', '“When we rely on automated tools, what skills are we losing in the process?”', 'asks Jennifer Ding, senior researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. “', 'In some ways, we think of AI as something that’s helping us or augmenting our work,” she says. “', 'However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”', 'Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “', 'Every scenario that we found, we’re creating jobs and working in harmony with people rather than taking away jobs,” she says.', '“Digital humans, first and foremost, should work with other human colleagues,” adds Sims. “', 'We’ll move into a stage where digital humans will start to become just another member of the team, with added benefits for that team, and obviously the customers they serve.”']",0.1214444180579973,"Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, considerable hype has surrounded the potential of generative AI — artificial intelligence powered by huge datasets of information, capable of generating text outputs in a conversational way.","However, alongside, this fear of replacement is bubbling up more and more.”",0.2107271328568458,"Harris, however, points to new opportunities within digital human design and development. “","However, there are widespread concerns about the impact AI could have on the job market.",2024-05-27
Newsmax denies destroying evidence in 2020 defamation case after Smartmatic alleges ‘cover-up’,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/media/newsmax-smartmatic-defamation-case/index.html,"
  Updated
        7:15 PM EDT, Fri May 24, 2024
    ","The right-wing cable channel Newsmax denied Friday that it intentionally destroyed or concealed internal emails in an ongoing defamation case filed by voting technology company Smartmatic over the network’s airing of false claims about the 2020 election.
    
            Lawyers for Smartmatic previously claimed Newsmax “concealed over 200,000 documents” and “made multiple material misrepresentations to the court,” by falsely asserting it had turned over everything before the discovery process wrapped up.
    
            But the network said in filings Friday that it never meant to hide anything, and that the vast majority of the supposedly new materials were duplicates of old files. Newsmax said the allegations are “implausible inferences” and “nothing more than speculation.”
    
            In the wake of the 2020 election, Newsmax and other right-wing media outlets gave airtime to the false assertion that electronic voting machines had switched votes from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden, costing Trump the election. No evidence has ever been found to support the claim.
    
            In the months that followed, Smartmatic filed a defamation lawsuit against Newsmax and other right-wing outlets and figures, including Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell. Smartmatic and Newsmax have since been embroiled in the years-long defamation case, which is slated to go to trial this September in Delaware Superior Court, barring an out-of-court settlement.
    
            In court filings, Smartmatic claimed some of the 200,000 documents include texts among Newsmax executives discussing the “decision not to call the (2020) election.” Parts of the court papers are redacted, but the context suggests that Newsmax also turned over new emails where top executives disparaged their own shows and reporters.
    
            Smartmatic further accused Newsmax of intentionally “destroying relevant evidence” by deleting texts and emails from senior officials. They claimed this “cover-up” was “carefully calculated” to block Smartmatic from ever seeing the material. They claimed Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy let his texts from 2020 get deleted, despite knowing they needed to be saved.
    
            “Repeatedly, Newsmax has kept documents showing its actual malice and bad motive out of Smartmatic’s hands,” Smartmatic wrote in a court filing that was made public last week. “These were not isolated mistakes. This was by design. Newsmax has intentionally destroyed and concealed crucial evidence that is damaging to its case.”
    
            But in its response Friday, Newsmax said the entire dispute over the newly found files is simply “an attempt (by Smartmatic) to manufacture an issue where none exists.”
    
            “Many of the documents Smartmatic claims were ‘newly produced’ and bear on ‘key issues’ were already in Smartmatic’s possession in duplicate or near duplicate versions having been produced by Newsmax,” the network said in filings made public Friday.
    
            Lawyers for the network said it transitioned legal teams in January and reviewed its previous document productions. They said they realized that some documents hadn’t been turned over, but this was fixed “as soon as Newsmax discovered this.”
    
            Barring a settlement between the two parties, the September trial over false claims of vote rigging in the 2020 election is set to coincide with the 2024 election season, as leading Republicans continue to express doubt over whether Biden legitimately won the previous election.
    
            Fox News famously paid more than $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a case last year over similar 2020 election lies on its airwaves.
    
            Newsmax, which is owned by Ruddy, isn’t a right-wing media juggernaut like Fox, but remains influential in the pro-Trump media ecosystem, even with its smaller audience. The network’s lineup features former Fox personalities like Eric Bolling and Greta Van Susteren, controversial Trump White House official Sebastian Gorka and Clinton ally-turned-foe Dick Morris.
    
            A trial could put Newsmax’s financial future in peril, but there is one major difference between the Newsmax and Fox cases. In the weeks following the election, Smartmatic threatened to sue Newsmax in 2020, the network ran an on-air segment and published an article saying there was “no evidence” that Smartmatic or Dominion ever “manipulated votes in the 2020 election.”
    
            Newsmax also faces a separate defamation suit from Dominion. The network denies wrongdoing and maintains that its 2020 election coverage is protected by the First Amendment.",CNN,24/05/2024,"['The right-wing cable channel Newsmax denied Friday that it intentionally destroyed or concealed internal emails in an ongoing defamation case filed by voting technology company Smartmatic overthe network’s airing of falseclaims about the 2020 election.', 'Lawyers for Smartmatic previously claimed Newsmax “concealed over 200,000 documents” and “made multiple material misrepresentations to the court,” by falsely assertingithad turned over everything before the discovery process wrapped up.', 'But the network said in filings Friday that it never meant to hide anything, and that the vast majority of the supposedly new materials were duplicates of old files.', 'Newsmax said the allegations are“implausible inferences” and “nothing more than speculation.”', 'In the wake of the 2020 election, Newsmax and other right-wing media outlets gaveairtimeto thefalseassertion that electronic voting machines had switched votes from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden, costing Trump the election.', 'No evidence has ever been found to support the claim.', 'In the months that followed, Smartmatic filed a defamation lawsuit against Newsmax and other right-wing outlets and figures, including Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell.', 'Smartmatic and Newsmax havesincebeen embroiled in theyears-long defamation case,whichis slated to go to trial this September in Delaware Superior Court, barring an out-of-court settlement.', 'In court filings, Smartmatic claimed some of the 200,000 documents include texts among Newsmax executives discussing the “decision not to call the (2020) election.”', 'Parts of the court papers are redacted, but the context suggests that Newsmax also turned over new emails where top executives disparaged their own shows and reporters.', 'Smartmatic further accused Newsmax of intentionally “destroying relevant evidence” by deleting texts and emails from senior officials.', 'They claimed this “cover-up” was “carefully calculated” to block Smartmatic from ever seeing the material.', 'They claimed Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy let his texts from 2020 get deleted, despite knowing they needed to be saved.', '“Repeatedly, Newsmax has kept documents showing its actual malice and bad motive out of Smartmatic’s hands,” Smartmatic wrote in a court filing that was made public last week. “', 'These were not isolated mistakes.', 'This was by design.', 'Newsmax has intentionally destroyed and concealed crucial evidence that is damaging to its case.”', 'But in its response Friday, Newsmax said the entire dispute over the newly found files is simply “an attempt (by Smartmatic) to manufacture an issue where none exists.”', '“Many of the documents Smartmatic claims were ‘newly produced’ and bear on ‘key issues’ were already in Smartmatic’s possession in duplicate or near duplicate versions having been produced by Newsmax,” the network said in filings made public Friday.', 'Lawyers for the network said it transitioned legal teams in January andreviewedits previous document productions.', 'They said they realized that some documents hadn’t been turned over, but this was fixed “as soon as Newsmax discovered this.”', 'Barring a settlement between the two parties,the September trialover false claims of vote rigging in the 2020 electionis setto coincide with the 2024 election season,as leadingRepublicans continue to express doubt over whether Biden legitimately won thepreviouselection.', 'Fox News famously paid more than $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a case last yearover similar 2020 election lies on its airwaves.', 'Newsmax, which is owned by Ruddy,isn’t aright-wingmedia juggernautlike Fox, butremainsinfluential in the pro-Trump media ecosystem, even with its smaller audience.', 'The network’s lineup featuresformerFox personalities likeEric Bollingand Greta Van Susteren, controversial Trump White House officialSebastian Gorkaand Clinton ally-turned-foe Dick Morris.', 'A trial could put Newsmax’s financial future in peril, but there is one major difference between the Newsmax and Fox cases.', 'In the weeks following the election, Smartmatic threatened to sue Newsmax in 2020,the networkran an on-air segmentandpublished an article saying there was “no evidence” that Smartmatic or Dominion ever “manipulated votes in the 2020 election.”', 'Newsmax also faces aseparatedefamation suit from Dominion.', 'The network denies wrongdoing and maintains that its 2020 election coverage is protected by the First Amendment.']",-0.1442589080314589,"Barring a settlement between the two parties,the September trialover false claims of vote rigging in the 2020 electionis setto coincide with the 2024 election season,as leadingRepublicans continue to express doubt over whether Biden legitimately won thepreviouselection.","The network’s lineup featuresformerFox personalities likeEric Bollingand Greta Van Susteren, controversial Trump White House officialSebastian Gorkaand Clinton ally-turned-foe Dick Morris.",-0.6169154445330302,Fox News famously paid more than $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a case last yearover similar 2020 election lies on its airwaves.,Newsmax has intentionally destroyed and concealed crucial evidence that is damaging to its case.”,2024-05-27
Live Nation: US sues in bid to break up Ticketmaster owner,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv22k054z5zo,2024-05-23T02:41:28.350Z,"US regulators have sued Live Nation, accusing the entertainment giant of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly over the live music industry. The lawsuit from the Department of Justice said the firm's practices had kept out competitors, and led to higher ticket prices and worse service for customers. Attorney General Merrick Garland called on the courts to break up the company. Live Nation said in a statement on its website that claims that it wielded monopoly power were ""absurd"". It said the lawsuit ""ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices"" citing online ticket scalping, artist popularity and higher production costs.  Along with its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, Live Nation puts on concerts, sells tickets and owns venues, serving multiple roles that the Department of Justice said had turned it into a ""gatekeeper"" for the industry.  It owns more than 250 venues in the US and manages about 60% of concert promotions at major venues nationwide, according to the lawsuit, which was brought by the federal government's Department of Justice, as well as 30 states.  The company also controls approximately 80% of all major entertainment ticket sales via Ticketmaster, the lawsuit said. It said the company had maintained its position by using exclusive long-term deals, threatening venues that used rival ticketing firms, acquiring potential competitors, tying use of its venues to its promotion services, and deploying other practices. Mr Garland said the result was that venues had fewer ""real choices"" of ticketing services and Ticketmaster could impose ""seemingly endless"" fees on fans.  He said the firm had also squeezed out smaller promoters and limited artists' opportunities to perform.  ""Live Nation controls the live entertainment industry in the United States because it is breaking the law,"" he said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit. ""It is time to break it up,"" he added. Live Nation said the lawsuit reflected political pressures and a White House that had turned over competition enforcement ""to a populist urge that simply rejects how antitrust law works"". ""Some call this “Anti-Monopoly”, but in reality it is just anti-business,"" it said. It said its share of the market had been shrinking and its profit margin of 1.4% was the ""opposite of monopoly power"". The lawsuit ""won't solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows,"" the company said. ""We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists."" Live Nation Entertainment was created by the merger in 2010 of US-based events promoter Live Nation and ticket sales and distribution company Ticketmaster.  Under the Obama administration, the US approved the deal despite concerns that it would create a giant capable of dominating the live entertainment industry. But the company has faced years of criticism from fans, lawmakers, artists and competitors that it wielded too much influence over live entertainment events in the US and around the world. In 2022, website failures that many Taylor Swift fans encountered when they tried to buy tickets for her US tour, focused attention on the issue.  John Breyault of the National Consumers League, who has been calling for action over Ticketmaster and Live Nation for years, said regulators had made a ""bad bet"" in 2010 and the lawsuit was long overdue.  He said it was ""unknowable"" if a break-up of the company would help reduce prices for the public. But he said he would expect to see more choice of ticketing services, and a less frustrating process for people trying to buy in-demand shows if the government is successful in court. ""Anybody who tried to go buy tickets to go see Taylor Swift can tell you that the experience is pretty terrible,"" he said.  Now, he said, ""consumers have nowhere else to go so there's no downside for the company. I think that will change if this lawsuit is successful,"" he said.  ",BBC,23/05/2024,"['US regulators have sued Live Nation, accusing the entertainment giant of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly over the live music industry.', ""The lawsuit from the Department of Justice said the firm's practices had kept out competitors, and led to higher ticket prices and worse service for customers."", 'Attorney General Merrick Garland called on the courts to break up the company.', 'Live Nation said in a statement on its website that claims that it wielded monopoly power were ""absurd"".', 'It said the lawsuit ""ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices"" citing online ticket scalping, artist popularity and higher production costs.', 'Along with its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, Live Nation puts on concerts, sells tickets and owns venues, serving multiple roles that the Department of Justice said had turned it into a ""gatekeeper"" for the industry.', ""It owns more than 250 venues in the US and manages about 60% of concert promotions at major venues nationwide, according to the lawsuit, which was brought by the federal government's Department of Justice, as well as 30 states."", 'The company also controls approximately 80% of all major entertainment ticket sales via Ticketmaster, the lawsuit said.', 'It said the company had maintained its position by using exclusive long-term deals, threatening venues that used rival ticketing firms, acquiring potential competitors, tying use of its venues to its promotion services, and deploying other practices.', 'Mr Garland said the result was that venues had fewer ""real choices"" of ticketing services and Ticketmaster could impose ""seemingly endless"" fees on fans.', 'He said the firm had also squeezed out smaller promoters and limited artists\' opportunities to perform. ""', 'Live Nation controls the live entertainment industry in the United States because it is breaking the law,"" he said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit. ""', 'It is time to break it up,"" he added.', 'Live Nation said the lawsuit reflected political pressures and a White House that had turned over competition enforcement ""to a populist urge that simply rejects how antitrust law works"". ""', 'Some call this “Anti-Monopoly”, but in reality it is just anti-business,"" it said.', 'It said its share of the market had been shrinking and its profit margin of 1.4% was the ""opposite of monopoly power"".', 'The lawsuit ""won\'t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows,"" the company said. ""', 'We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists.""', 'Live Nation Entertainment was created by the merger in 2010 of US-based events promoter Live Nation and ticket sales and distribution company Ticketmaster.', 'Under the Obama administration, the US approved the deal despite concerns that it would create a giant capable of dominating the live entertainment industry.', 'But the company has faced years of criticism from fans, lawmakers, artists and competitors that it wielded too much influence over live entertainment events in the US and around the world.', 'In 2022, website failures that many Taylor Swift fans encountered when they tried to buy tickets for her US tour, focused attention on the issue.', 'John Breyault of the National Consumers League, who has been calling for action over Ticketmaster and Live Nation for years, said regulators had made a ""bad bet"" in 2010 and the lawsuit was long overdue.', 'He said it was ""unknowable"" if a break-up of the company would help reduce prices for the public.', 'But he said he would expect to see more choice of ticketing services, and a less frustrating process for people trying to buy in-demand shows if the government is successful in court. ""', 'Anybody who tried to go buy tickets to go see Taylor Swift can tell you that the experience is pretty terrible,"" he said.', 'Now, he said, ""consumers have nowhere else to go so there\'s no downside for the company.', 'I think that will change if this lawsuit is successful,"" he said.']",0.1179080514003837,"We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists.""","Live Nation said the lawsuit reflected political pressures and a White House that had turned over competition enforcement ""to a populist urge that simply rejects how antitrust law works"". """,-0.435736076037089,"But he said he would expect to see more choice of ticketing services, and a less frustrating process for people trying to buy in-demand shows if the government is successful in court. ""","It said its share of the market had been shrinking and its profit margin of 1.4% was the ""opposite of monopoly power"".",2024-05-27
Strong spending is obscuring an economy that isn’t working for many Americans,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html,"
  Published
        7:35 AM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.
    
            Even after years of inflation, geopolitical chaos and recession in Europe, the US economy remains robust and resilient.
    
            The reason for that is mostly the American consumer, with spending accounting for about 70% of gross domestic product.
    
            But some observers now worry that the economy represents a tale of two Americas. Some businesses and consumers continue to thrive, while others are falling by the wayside.
    
            What’s happening: Economic activity in the US remains relatively strong, but there are some signs that the momentum is beginning to cool. Unemployment rose to 3.9% last month, lower-income consumers are spending less and businesses are limiting employee hours and pay.
    
            Consumer growth in general is beginning to moderate, but gently.
    
            “That may mask more pronounced financial difficulties for the bottom three income quintiles facing the strenuous combination of higher prices, larger interest burdens and softening job prospects,” said EY chief economist Gregory Daco in a note on Tuesday.
    
            While consumer balance sheets are still holding strong in aggregate — the US has added $40 trillion in wealth since the start of 2020, and Americans haven’t stopped spending —not every balance sheet looks the same.
    
            “The economy is bifurcated into the haves and have-nots, as middle class Americans are struggling with rising prices and lagging wage growth,” said Skyler Weinand, chief investment officer at Regan Capital in a statement.
    
            This earnings season exemplifies that growing divide.
    
            McDonald’s (MCD) reported that people of all income levels are seeking value. Starbucks (SBUX) said that customers are becoming more particular about where they spend their money. Mondelez (MDLZ) executives discussed an increase in price sensitivity in their earnings call.
    
            A recent survey by Santander Bank of its customers found that while inflation fears have largely subsided, middle-income Americans are pessimistic about the economy. About 60% believe the US will enter a recession in the next 12 months, and 62% are making significant cuts to their household spending, the bank found.
    
            “It’s well known that the lowest income consumer is really struggling with inflation, but from a purely economic standpoint, it is the higher quintiles of earners that do the most spending,” Nanette Abuhoff Jacobson, global investment strategist at Hartford Funds, told my colleague Bryan Mena.
    
            Why it matters: There are many shapes to a recession.
    
            Some economists have speculated that the US has been in a so-called “rolling recession” where only certain sectors of the economy are impacted. But there are also recessions that mostly hurt lower-income Americans.
    
            A K-shaped recession is what happens when separate communities are hit by and recover from economic downturns at varying rates.
    
            Some parts of society may experience renewed growth while others continue to lag behind. While the recovery from the 2020 recession can be described as V-shaped, many point out that it was actually two-pronged. Low-income Black and Hispanic families saw the fastest depletion of their savings during the pandemic, for example.
    
            Many who worked in white-collar jobs recovered quickly as the government handed out stimulus payments and as stocks and home prices appreciated. Those without savings and who worked service jobs continued to suffer. Employees receiving the lowest wages were the most likely to lose their jobs in nearly every sector of the economy between 2020 and 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    
            Those Americans could still be suffering, but their stories are obscured by data that paints a broad picture of a resilient economy.
    
            What’s next: That bifurcated economy, wrote Daco, will lead some businesses to succeed while others struggle. It “will also lead to conflicting inflation signals with some sectors experiencing outright deflation and others experiencing persistently elevated inflation,” he said.
    
            That could make it a lot more difficult for Federal Reserve officials to decide whether to lower interest rates or keep them steady during their next few policy meetings. There’s a danger that if monetary policy is too strict, it could quickly make financial conditions tougher, said Daco.
    
            “This, along with growing concerns about the country’s financial direction, might cause businesses and consumers to pull back on spending and investment,” he said.
    
            JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has bumped up his retirement plans, the longtime head of America’s largest bank said Monday.
    
            Dimon is one of the most well-known and closely listened to CEOs in the world. Over the course of his tenure at JPMorgan Chase, he’s become somewhat synonymous with the largest US bank by assets.
    
            But Dimon can’t lead forever, and at 68 years old, the question of succession has grown more important.
    
            The timetable for stepping down — which he has long joked was “five years away” any time the question was put to him — is “not five years anymore,” Dimon said at the bank’s investor conference this week.
    
            Dimon, who has led the bank since 2006, said that while “I still have the energy I’ve always had, I think when I can’t put on the jersey … I should leave.”
    
            Succession plans at the bank, he said, are “well on the way.”
    
            Shares of the company’s stock sold off after Dimon’s announcement, closing 4.3% lower.
    
            “We believe that it will take time for the street to gain comfort with the next CEO and [Monday’s] stock reaction was evidence of that,” wrote Bank of America analysts in a note on Tuesday. “Dimon has delivered unparalleled shareholder returns during his tenure as CEO while navigating the bank through some major macro-economic crises.”
    
            The Bank of America analysts forecast that Dimon will step down in late 2025 or 2026, but the specifics of JPMorgan’s succession plans have been the subject of speculation on Wall Street for many years.
    
            Earlier this year, some of the bank’s top executives were moved into new roles in order to expand their experience.
    
            The bank appointed Marianne Lake as the sole CEO of the consumer division, an area previously run by both Lake and Jennifer Piepszak.
    
            Piepszak, meanwhile, now leads the company’s newly combined commercial and investment bank with her co-CEO Troy Rohrbaugh. Rohrbaugh is the former head of trading and securities services for the bank.
    
            Other potential successors include Mary Erdoes, CEO of asset and wealth management; chief financial officer Jeremy Barnum and president and chief operating officer Daniel Pinto.
    
            In 2020, Dimon experienced an “acute aortic dissection” — a tear in the inner lining of the aorta blood vessel — requiring surgery. Then co-COOs Gordon Smith and Daniel Pinto led the company in his absence.
    
            Smith retired from the bank in January 2022.
    
            Microsoft jumped headfirst into building artificial intelligence directly into its Windows operating system on Monday, announcing new AI computers that could help ramp up flagging PC sales.
    
            The developments push the company closer to its long-time goal to “build computers that understand us versus us having to understand computers,” CEO Satya Nadella told the audience at the company’s annual developer conference at its Redmond, Washington headquarters.
    
            “I feel like we’re really close to that real breakthrough,” he added.
    
            The computers, which are packed with processors that power advanced AI tools, come as PC sales have stalled for years. The company hopes the new machines will boost sales and revive excitement, particularly as AI is expected to become increasingly part of everyday life.
    
            Microsoft’s new lineup of Copilot+ PCs, which feature a new Surface Pro tablet and Surface laptop, include AI tools that don’t require internet connection — the AI processing occurs directly on the device
    
            The new hardware runs on OpenAI’s new GPT-4o technology, which aims to turn ChatGPT into a digital personal assistant that can engage in real-time, spoken conversations and interact using text and “vision.” Announced last week, it can view screenshots, photos, documents or charts uploaded by users and have a conversation about them.
    
            The new hardware also plays up Microsoft’s existing AI assistant called Copilot, which works across various products, including Bing and Microsoft 365. It can help with tasks such as writing, keeping track of emails in Outlook or designing presentations in PowerPoint.
    
            Read more here.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter.', 'Not a subscriber?', 'You can sign upright here.', 'You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.', 'Even after years of inflation, geopolitical chaos and recession in Europe, the US economy remains robust and resilient.', 'The reason for that is mostly the American consumer, with spending accounting for about 70% of gross domestic product.', 'But some observers now worry that the economy represents a tale of two Americas.', 'Some businesses and consumers continue to thrive, while others are falling by the wayside.', 'What’s happening: Economic activity in the US remains relatively strong, but there are some signs that the momentum is beginning to cool.', 'Unemployment rose to 3.9% last month, lower-income consumers are spending less and businesses are limiting employee hours and pay.', 'Consumer growth in general is beginning to moderate, but gently.', '“That may mask more pronounced financial difficulties for the bottom three income quintiles facing the strenuous combination of higher prices, larger interest burdens and softening job prospects,” said EY chief economist Gregory Daco in a note on Tuesday.', 'While consumer balance sheets are still holding strong in aggregate — the US has added $40 trillion in wealth since the start of 2020, and Americans haven’t stopped spending —not every balance sheet looks the same.', '“The economy is bifurcated into the haves and have-nots, as middle class Americans are struggling with rising prices and lagging wage growth,” said Skyler Weinand, chief investment officer at Regan Capital in a statement.', 'This earnings season exemplifies that growing divide.', 'McDonald’s (MCD) reported that people of all income levels are seeking value.', 'Starbucks (SBUX) said that customers are becoming more particular about where they spend their money.', 'Mondelez (MDLZ) executives discussed an increase in price sensitivity in their earnings call.', 'A recent survey by Santander Bank of its customers found that while inflation fears have largely subsided, middle-income Americans are pessimistic about the economy.', 'About 60% believe the US will enter a recession in the next 12 months, and 62% are making significant cuts to their household spending, the bank found.', '“It’s well known that the lowest income consumer is really struggling with inflation, but from a purely economic standpoint, it is the higher quintiles of earners that do the most spending,” Nanette Abuhoff Jacobson, global investment strategist at Hartford Funds, told my colleague Bryan Mena.', 'Why it matters: There are many shapes to a recession.', 'Some economists have speculated that the US has been in a so-called “rolling recession” where only certain sectors of the economy are impacted.', 'But there are also recessions that mostly hurt lower-income Americans.', 'A K-shaped recession is what happens when separate communities are hit by and recover from economic downturns at varying rates.', 'Some parts of society may experience renewed growth while others continue to lag behind.', 'While the recovery from the 2020 recession can be described as V-shaped, many point out that it was actually two-pronged.', 'Low-income Black and Hispanic families saw the fastest depletion of their savings during the pandemic, for example.', 'Many who worked in white-collar jobs recovered quickly as the government handed out stimulus payments and as stocks and home prices appreciated.', 'Those without savings and who worked service jobs continued to suffer.', 'Employees receiving the lowest wages were the most likely to lose their jobs in nearly every sector of the economy between 2020 and 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.', 'Those Americans could still be suffering, but their stories are obscured by data that paints a broad picture of a resilient economy.', 'What’s next: That bifurcated economy, wrote Daco, will lead some businesses to succeed while others struggle.', 'It “will also lead to conflicting inflation signals with some sectors experiencing outright deflation and others experiencing persistently elevated inflation,” he said.', 'That could make it a lot more difficult for Federal Reserve officials to decide whether to lower interest rates or keep them steady during their next few policy meetings.', 'There’s a danger that if monetary policy is too strict, it could quickly make financial conditions tougher, said Daco.', '“This, along with growing concerns about the country’s financial direction, might cause businesses and consumers to pull back on spending and investment,” he said.', 'JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has bumped up his retirement plans, the longtime head of America’s largest bank said Monday.', 'Dimon is one of the most well-known and closely listened to CEOs in the world.', 'Over the course of his tenure at JPMorgan Chase, he’s become somewhat synonymous with the largest US bank by assets.', 'But Dimon can’t lead forever, and at 68 years old, thequestion of successionhas grown more important.', 'The timetable for stepping down — which he has long joked was “five years away” any time the question was put to him — is “not five years anymore,” Dimon said at the bank’s investor conference this week.', 'Dimon, who has led the bank since 2006, said that while “I still have the energy I’ve always had, I think when I can’t put on the jersey … I should leave.”', 'Succession plans at the bank, he said, are “well on the way.”', 'Shares of the company’s stock sold off after Dimon’s announcement, closing 4.3% lower.', '“We believe that it will take time for the street to gain comfort with the next CEO and [Monday’s] stock reaction was evidence of that,” wrote Bank of America analysts in a note on Tuesday.', '“Dimonhas delivered unparalleled shareholder returns during his tenure as CEO while navigating the bank through some major macro-economic crises.”', 'The Bank of America analysts forecast that Dimon will step down in late 2025 or 2026, but the specifics of JPMorgan’s succession plans have been the subject of speculation on Wall Street for many years.', 'Earlier this year, some of the bank’s top executives were moved into new roles in order to expand their experience.', 'The bank appointed Marianne Lake as the sole CEO of the consumer division, an area previously run by both Lake and Jennifer Piepszak.', 'Piepszak, meanwhile, now leads the company’s newly combined commercial and investment bank with her co-CEO Troy Rohrbaugh.', 'Rohrbaugh is the former head of trading and securities services for the bank.', 'Other potential successors include Mary Erdoes, CEO of asset and wealth management; chief financial officer Jeremy Barnum and president and chief operating officer Daniel Pinto.', 'In 2020, Dimon experienced an “acute aortic dissection” — a tear in the inner lining of the aorta blood vessel — requiring surgery.', 'Then co-COOs Gordon Smith and Daniel Pintoled the company in his absence.', 'Smith retired from the bank in January 2022.', 'Microsoftjumped headfirst into building artificial intelligence directly into its Windows operating system on Monday, announcing new AI computers that could help ramp up flagging PC sales.', 'Thedevelopments push the company closer to its long-time goalto “build computers that understand us versus us having to understand computers,”CEO Satya Nadella told the audienceat the company’s annual developer conferenceat its Redmond, Washington headquarters.', '“I feel like we’re really close to that real breakthrough,” he added.', 'The computers, which are packed with processors that power advanced AI tools, comeas PC sales have stalled for years.', 'The company hopes the new machineswillboost sales and revive excitement, particularlyasAI is expected to become increasingly part of everyday life.', 'Microsoft’s new lineup of Copilot+ PCs, which feature a new Surface Pro tabletand Surface laptop, includeAI tools that don’t require internet connection — the AI processing occurs directly on the device  The new hardware runs on OpenAI’s new GPT-4o technology, which aims to turn ChatGPT into a digital personal assistant that can engage in real-time, spoken conversations and interact using text and “vision.”', 'Announced last week, it can view screenshots, photos, documents or charts uploaded by users and have a conversation about them.', 'The new hardware also plays upMicrosoft’s existing AI assistant called Copilot, which works across various products, including Bing and Microsoft 365.', 'It can help with tasks such as writing, keeping track ofemails in Outlook or designingpresentations in PowerPoint.', 'Read more here.']",0.0315674955793293,"The company hopes the new machineswillboost sales and revive excitement, particularlyasAI is expected to become increasingly part of everyday life.",But there are also recessions that mostly hurt lower-income Americans.,-0.0473078102678866,"Unemployment rose to 3.9% last month, lower-income consumers are spending less and businesses are limiting employee hours and pay.","Low-income Black and Hispanic families saw the fastest depletion of their savings during the pandemic, for example.",2024-05-27
NBC briefly lost signal during Indy 500 pre-race coverage because of severe weather,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/26/business/indy-500-nbc-storm/index.html,"
  Published
        6:02 PM EDT, Sun May 26, 2024
    ","Severe weather on Sunday caused a brief outage on NBC during its Indianapolis 500 broadcast ahead of the start of the race.
    
            Powerful storms and tornadoes have wreaked havoc across the United States during the Memorial Day weekend, in some cases turning deadly. The storms have also disrupted the famed motor race, causing delays, evacuations and the satellite outage.
    
            “During pre-race coverage, severe weather impacted our signal and temporarily interrupted our feed,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “We immediately went to a commercial break and had service restored for viewers when we came back.”
    
            Meteorologists noted the disruption on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Rain so heavy it took out the NBC satellite uplink from the Indy 500. Severe storm over the track right now,” wrote Kevin Lighty, meteorologist for WCIA, a CBS affiliate in central Illinois. WCNC Charlotte’s chief meteorologist also clocked the incident and pointed it out on X.
    
            NBC’s pre-race coverage began in the morning, while the race itself was pushed back because of the inclement weather. Coverage resumed well before the start of the race.
    
            The Indy 500 was at first scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, but organizers delayed the start time to 4:44 p.m. ET. Organizers also paused pre-race festivities and evacuated fans from the grandstands because of the storm.
    
            “Thank you to those fans who waited out the rain with us. We hope to see racing action soon and track drying is underway,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which hosts the event, said Sunday afternoon on X.
    
            The changes to the schedule also impacted the way the race can be viewed on television.
    
            Typically, the Indy 500 is not broadcast in central Indiana due to a television blackout, which is designed to encourage residents to buy tickets and watch the event in person. But the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Sunday that the blackout was lifted because of the upheaval.
    
            “For those unable to be at the Speedway in person due to today’s schedule changes, NBC affiliate WTHR will televise the race live in Central Indiana, with the local blackout lifted due to the storm,” the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said on X.
    
            CNN’s Sam Joseph contributed to this report.",CNN,26/05/2024,"['Severe weather on Sunday caused a brief outage on NBC during its Indianapolis 500 broadcast ahead of the start of the race.', 'Powerful storms and tornadoes have wreaked havoc across the United States during the Memorial Day weekend, in some cases turning deadly.', 'The storms have also disrupted the famed motor race, causing delays, evacuations and the satellite outage.', '“During pre-race coverage, severe weather impacted our signal and temporarily interrupted our feed,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “', 'We immediately went to a commercial break and had service restored for viewers when we came back.”', 'Meteorologists noted the disruption on X, formerly known as Twitter. “', 'Rain so heavy it took out the NBC satellite uplink from the Indy 500.', 'Severe storm over the track right now,” wrote Kevin Lighty, meteorologist for WCIA, a CBS affiliate in central Illinois.', 'WCNC Charlotte’s chief meteorologist also clocked the incident and pointed it out on X.  NBC’s pre-race coverage began in the morning, while the race itself was pushed back because of the inclement weather.', 'Coverage resumed well before the start of the race.', 'The Indy 500 was at first scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, but organizers delayed the start time to 4:44 p.m. ET.', 'Organizers also paused pre-race festivities and evacuated fans from the grandstands because of the storm.', '“Thank you to those fans who waited out the rain with us.', 'We hope to see racing action soon and track drying is underway,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which hosts the event, said Sunday afternoon on X.  The changes to the schedule also impacted the way the race can be viewed on television.', 'Typically, the Indy 500 is not broadcast in central Indiana due to a television blackout, which is designed to encourage residents to buy tickets and watch the event in person.', 'But the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Sunday that the blackout was lifted because of the upheaval.', '“For those unable to be at the Speedway in person due to today’s schedule changes, NBC affiliate WTHR will televise the race live in Central Indiana, with the local blackout lifted due to the storm,” the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said on X.  CNN’s Sam Joseph contributed to this report.']",0.0317678053601335,"Typically, the Indy 500 is not broadcast in central Indiana due to a television blackout, which is designed to encourage residents to buy tickets and watch the event in person.","“During pre-race coverage, severe weather impacted our signal and temporarily interrupted our feed,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “",-0.9770081520080568,,"The storms have also disrupted the famed motor race, causing delays, evacuations and the satellite outage.",2024-05-27
The Chevrolet Corvette is officially going electric,https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/25/business/electric-hybrid-corvette/index.html,"
  Updated
        12:22 PM EDT, Mon April 25, 2022
    ","General Motors will produce a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette, GM President Mark Reuss announced in a LinkedIn post Monday morning. 
    
            Reuss didn’t say when the electric Corvette would come, but he hinted that a hybrid model could come relatively soon. “We will offer an electrified Corvette as early as next year,” he wrote. An accompanying video the company posted to Twitter showed what appeared to be a hybrid Corvette, and in another first, showed the front wheels spinning and throwing snow as if being powered. All Corvettes produced by the company previously have been rear-wheel-drive only.
    
            While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.
    
            “Electrified” is an auto industry term encompassing everything from hybrid to fully electric vehicles, and anything with an electric motor can count as “electrified.” It has long been rumored that the current generation of the Corvette, the first with its gasoline engine mounted behind the seats instead of in the front, could be built with a hybrid system. Reuss has also previously hinted there would be electrified variants of the car.
    
            Various companies are working on electric sports cars. Most all-electric vehicles in production so far have been four-door sedans and SUVs, as the need for batteries lends itself to larger and heavier vehicles. Tesla’s first car, the Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster, was an electric sports car, but the second-generation of Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled as a prototype in 2017, has yet to go into production.
    
            Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle. Lamborghini has been working on plug-in hybrid sports cars, though.
    
            To date, the Corvette is only available in the base Stingray version with 6.2-liter V8 engine producing up to 495 horsepower. A 670 horsepower Corvette Z06 with a 5.5-liter V8 was unveiled last fall. The previous generation of the Corvette included included a 755-horsepower ZR1 version. Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.
    
            Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines. Ferrari’s most powerful sports cars are hybrids, for instance.  
    
            GM has said it plans to produce only zero-emission vehicles, meaning fully electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells, by 2035.",CNN,25/04/2022,"['General Motors will produce a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette, GM President Mark Reuss announced in a LinkedIn post Monday morning.', 'Reuss didn’t say when the electric Corvette would come, but he hinted that a hybrid model could come relatively soon. “', 'We will offer an electrified Corvette as early as next year,” he wrote.', 'An accompanying video the company posted to Twitter showed what appeared to be a hybrid Corvette, and in another first, showed the front wheels spinning and throwing snow as if being powered.', 'All Corvettes produced by the company previously have been rear-wheel-drive only.', 'While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.', '“Electrified” is an auto industry term encompassing everything from hybrid to fully electric vehicles, and anything with an electric motor can count as “electrified.”', 'It has long been rumored that the current generation of the Corvette, the first with its gasoline engine mounted behind the seats instead of in the front, could be built with a hybrid system.', 'Reuss has also previously hinted there would be electrified variants of the car.', 'Various companies are working on electric sports cars.', 'Most all-electric vehicles in production so far have been four-door sedans and SUVs, as the need for batteries lends itself to larger and heavier vehicles.', 'Tesla’s first car, the Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster, was an electric sports car, but the second-generation of Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled as a prototype in 2017, has yet to go into production.', 'Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle.', 'Lamborghini has been working on plug-in hybrid sports cars, though.', 'To date, the Corvette is only available in the base Stingray version with 6.2-liter V8 engine producing up to 495 horsepower.', 'A 670 horsepower Corvette Z06 with a 5.5-liter V8 was unveiled last fall.', 'The previous generation of the Corvette included included a 755-horsepower ZR1 version.', 'Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.', 'Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines.', 'Ferrari’s most powerful sports cars are hybrids, for instance.', 'GM has said it plans to produce only zero-emission vehicles, meaning fully electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells, by 2035.']",0.0521320736918344,Nothing like that has yet been announced for the current model but GM engineers have said a major reason for putting the engine in the back was to allow for better performance at extremely high horsepower levels.,"While Reuss’s post implies a hybrid Corvette will be based on the current generation of the car, it’s not clear if the all-electric version will be a variation of this car or a completely different future model.",0.3646016319592793,"Besides saving gas, hybrid systems can also be used in high-performance cars to add additional power and to provide for quicker acceleration since electric motors can provide power to the wheels more quickly than gas engines.","Some manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, have said that current battery technology doesn’t allow for a optimum sports car performance from a purely electric vehicle.",2024-05-27
"Publisher of Call of Duty, maker of AR-15 style rifle and Meta named in wrongful death lawsuits by families of Uvalde victims",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/uvalde-lawsuit-meta-activision/index.html,"
  Updated
        10:06 PM EDT, Fri May 24, 2024
    ","Three companies are facing wrongful death lawsuits in the Uvalde school shooting of 2022, according to complaints filed in California and Texas.
    
            The suits, which accuse the companies of “grooming” the Robb Elementary School shooter, come after 19 families of students and teachers killed at the school announced on Wednesday that they settled a lawsuit with the city for $2 million.
    
            The companies – Meta, Activision and Daniel Defense – all contributed to the behavior of the shooter Salvador Ramos in one way or another, the suits allege.
    
            Ramos downloaded the video game “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” in November 2021, according to the complaint filed in California against the publisher of the game, Activision, Meta, and others.
    
            The game featured a weapon from Daniel Defense called the DDM4 V7, which served as “a teaser for players eager to try out the weapon,” the suit alleges.
    
            At the same time, Ramos “was being courted through explicit, aggressive marketing,” on Instagram, the suit said. Meta is the parent company of Instagram.
    
            “In addition to hundreds of images depicting and glorifying the thrill of combat, Daniel Defense used Instagram to extol the illegal, murderous use of its weapons,” the suit said. “Within weeks of downloading Modern Warfare, the Shooter was browsing assault weapons, acquiring firearm attachments popularized by the game, and returning repeatedly to Daniel Defense’s website.”
    
            “Mere minutes after midnight on May 16—the Shooter’s 18th birthday—he purchased a DDM4V7,” the suit said. “Eight days later, the Shooter inflicted unspeakable violence at Robb Elementary School, killing 21 and injuring and traumatizing many more.”
    
            Investigators in the Uvalde shooting found one of Ramos’ AR15-style rifles, manufactured by Daniel Defense, in the school, according to then-Texas state Sen. John Whitmire, who is now the mayor of Houston.
    
            “The Defendants bear responsibility for this profound corruption of our children,” the suit filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles says. “In concert with certain firearm manufacturers, they have groomed a generation of young men who are socially vulnerable, insecure about their masculinity, and eager to show strength and assert dominance.”
    
            According to the suit filed in Uvalde, Texas District Court, Daniel Defense courts adolescents by harnessing and exploiting “the power of social media and first-person shooter simulations to lure teenagers to its website where it can monitor their online activity, build a profile of their interests, and solicit their contact information.”
    
            In a statement, Josh Koskoff, a partner at Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder and an attorney for the families said: “There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting. Just 23 minutes after midnight on his 18th birthday, the Uvalde shooter bought an AR-15 made by a company with a market share of less than one percent. Why? Because, well before he was old enough to purchase it, he was targeted and cultivated online by Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense. This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.”
    
            A company spokesperson for Activision said in a statement to CNN Friday: “The Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way, and we express our deepest sympathies to the families and communities who remain impacted by this senseless act of violence. Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.”
    
            CNN has reached out to Meta and Daniel Defense for comment.
    
            CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz and Samantha Delouya contributed to this alert",CNN,24/05/2024,"['Three companies are facingwrongful death lawsuitsin the Uvalde school shooting of 2022, according to complaints filedinCalifornia and Texas.', 'The suits, which accuse the companies of “grooming” the Robb Elementary School shooter,come after 19 families of students and teachers killedat the school announced on Wednesday thatthey settled a lawsuit with the city for $2 million.', 'The companies – Meta, Activisionand Daniel Defense – all contributed to the behavior oftheshooterSalvador Ramosin one way or another, the suits allege.', 'Ramosdownloadedthe video game“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” in November 2021, according to the complaint filed in California against the publisher of the game, Activision, Meta, and others.', 'The game featured a weapon from Daniel Defense called the DDM4 V7, which served as “a teaser for players eager to try out the weapon,” the suit alleges.', 'At the same time, Ramos“was being courted through explicit, aggressive marketing,” on Instagram, the suit said.', 'Metais the parent company of Instagram.', '“In addition to hundreds of images depicting and glorifying the thrill of combat, Daniel Defense used Instagram to extol the illegal, murderous use of its weapons,” the suit said. “', 'Within weeks of downloading Modern Warfare, the Shooter was browsing assault weapons, acquiring firearm attachments popularized by the game, and returning repeatedly to Daniel Defense’s website.”', '“Mere minutes after midnight on May 16—the Shooter’s 18th birthday—he purchased a DDM4V7,” the suit said. “', 'Eight days later, the Shooter inflicted unspeakable violence at Robb Elementary School, killing 21 and injuring and traumatizing many more.”', 'Investigators in the Uvalde shooting foundone of Ramos’ AR15-style rifles, manufactured by Daniel Defense, in the school,according to then-Texas state Sen. John Whitmire, who is now the mayor of Houston.', '“The Defendants bear responsibility for this profound corruption of our children,” the suit filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles says. “', 'In concert with certain firearm manufacturers, they have groomed a generation of young men who are socially vulnerable, insecure about their masculinity, and eager to show strength and assert dominance.”', 'According to the suit filed in Uvalde, Texas District Court, Daniel Defensecourts adolescents by harnessing and exploiting “the power of social media and first-person shooter simulations to lure teenagers to its website where it can monitor their online activity, build a profile of their interests, and solicit their contact information.”', 'In a statement,JoshKoskoff,apartner atKoskoff,Koskoff& Bieder andanattorney for the families said:“There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting.', 'Just 23 minutes after midnight on his 18th birthday, the Uvalde shooter bought an AR-15 made by a company with a market share of less than one percent.', 'Why?', 'Because, well before he was old enough to purchase it, he was targeted and cultivated online by Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense.', 'This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.”', 'A company spokesperson for Activision said in a statement to CNN Friday: “The Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way, and we express our deepest sympathies to the families and communities who remain impacted by this senseless act of violence.', 'Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.”', 'CNN has reached out toMetaand Daniel Defense for comment.', 'CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz and Samantha Delouyacontributed to this alert']",-0.111698787835875,Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.”,"Eight days later, the Shooter inflicted unspeakable violence at Robb Elementary School, killing 21 and injuring and traumatizing many more.”",0.5793980360031128,"In concert with certain firearm manufacturers, they have groomed a generation of young men who are socially vulnerable, insecure about their masculinity, and eager to show strength and assert dominance.”",,2024-05-27
Retiring abroad can mean more bureaucracy than bruschetta. But it’s growing in popularity,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/economy/more-americans-are-retiring-abroad-heres-why/index.html,"
  Updated
        9:45 AM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","Laura Barnett has always had a bit of wanderlust.
    
            When she was a kid, her father took a job as a teacher with the US Department of Defense and moved his family from rural Kentucky to Poitiers, France, which is when the travel bug hit. She’s been to over 38 countries in her 54 years.
    
            But during the pandemic, something changed. Travel was impossible, and her life in Fayetteville, North Carolina, started to feel small.
    
            “I just got sick of living in suburbia. It felt like the world was potentially going to end, and I [said to my husband], ‘dude, I don’t think we’ve done everything we want to do.’” She brought up the idea of moving to Portugal.
    
            As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad where cities are walkable, social services plentiful and the cost of living affordable: Gelato in the piazza, white sand and year-round sun, little villages tucked into ocean coves and cheap health care all sound pretty good.
    
            But while retirees might imagine spending their golden years full of pasta and palazzos, the realities of moving abroad are much less romantic. There’s often more bureaucracy than bruschetta.
    
            Laura’s husband, Chris, was initially skeptical about the move. He didn’t think retiring abroad was feasible. Plus, they’d be leaving behind their two sons and two grandsons.
    
            But Laura persisted. “We’ve done everything they told us to do. We’ve saved our money. We’ve worked for the same company for decades. We’ve done everything, and I keep looking to the future — and I can’t stomach having to work until I’m 65 years old just because we can’t afford health care otherwise,” she said.
    
            “[The US] has set up a system where even if we have the money to cover our day-to-day expenses — rent, food, travel — all of a sudden there’s this other line item called health care. That’s about $1,500 a month, more than our house payment.”
    
            Chris and Laura have traveled to Portugal three times to look for places to settle and have a three-year plan set in place to move there permanently.
    
            There are a lot of upsides: The weather is favorable year-round, it’s affordable, private health insurance costs about $300 per month for couples and there’s a better sense of work-life balance. (CNN converted prices throughout this story into US dollars from local currencies.)
    
            But there are also some downsides. Leaving behind family is a big one.
    
            Until the Barnetts receive their residency card, they’ll only be allowed to leave and enter Portugal twice, and their initial arrival into the country counts.
    
            “We have aging parents in their late 80s. Not having the freedom to easily respond if we are needed until we have that card is very concerning. Being lonely and not having friends and having to start from scratch with that is also in this mix,” said Laura.
    
            Portuguese is not an easy language to learn, and adapting to a new culture late in life won’t be easy. Recent revisions to Portuguese immigration programs also make the tax situation much less favorable for Americans.
    
            But in the end, the finances won out.
    
            “Our goal, which is very doable based on research, is to live on less than $3,500 per month in Portugal while still being able to afford travel in Europe,” said Laura.
    
            Their financial adviser told them that to comfortably retire in the US, they’d need to have about double that amount — $7,000 per month.
    
            As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad.
    
            It’s becoming increasingly expensive to retire in the US. Just 43% of non-retired adults in the US think they will have enough money to live comfortably when they retire, according to Gallup in 2023. That’s the lowest level for that metric since 2012.
    
            At the same time, the number of Americans looking to settle outside of the country has tripled over the past 30 years, according to a 2024 Monmouth poll. The number of Social Security recipients living outside the US increased from 307,000 in 2008 to more than 450,000 in 2022.
    
            Some countries are even taking advantage of this boom and have eased their visa requirements to attract older US expats.
    
            But packing up a life and moving it abroad is not a simple task, and retirees often find themselves in over their heads.
    
            “People need to think about estate planning, which is often different abroad,” said Brett Spencer, the founder of Impact Financial, a financial advisory firm that specializes in Americans living abroad. “They need to think about currency, complicated taxes and their investments. Even opening a bank account abroad can be complicated.”
    
            Spencer says he’s had clients who have had their bank accounts closed with no warning, leaving them working through nuanced protocol in another language and without access to any funds. These types of complications aren’t uncommon.
    
            Patience Dunbar, who will be 63 next month, and her husband, Charles Ippoliti, 69, have been living full time in Arona, a lakeside town in northern Italy, since 2022. Their typical day consists of coffee and the crossword, a leisurely stroll around the lake, stops at the local outdoor market for fresh fruit and vegetables and a lunch in the town square. Occasionally, they’ll take the train into Milan, about 40 minutes away.
    
            “It’s a very leisurely pace,” said Charles.
    
            They feel healthier than they did back home, they’ve lost weight and they are exercising more. That’s part of the reason they decided to look abroad in the first place.
    
            In 2020, when the couple was living in Oregon, Charles suffered from severe Covid complications. He was hospitalized for a few weeks and then put on oxygen at home for a few more.
    
            “We thought ‘well this is silly, why are we wasting our time?’ As soon as we could we decided to make the most of this,” said Patience. “I didn’t want to wait five more years until Charles was in his late 70s to retire. What if he’s not able to enjoy those years?”
    
            The pair applied for their codice fiscale, similar to a Social Security number, and purchased their apartment in Arona.
    
            They paid about $72,000 for their first apartment there and later sold it and upgraded to a larger home for $160,000. The food is less expensive and a fancy dinner with wine runs them about $55.
    
            Most importantly, they pay $2,200 a year for their health care. That includes visits with specialists for Charles, who has a heart condition.
    
            But it’s hard to be away from family, and they have struggled to learn Italian. They thought the language would come more easily.
    
            Dealing with the government can be troubling at times, and filing paperwork has become a full-time job for them. Plus, they’re starting to worry about the political landscape. Giorgia Meloni, a far-right leader, is the current Italian premier and has anti-immigration views. They worry that policy could change and they might have to go back to the States.
    
            “I would say that, without a doubt, whatever lifestyle you want, you’ll be able to find it at a lower cost than you could in the United States,” said Kathleen Peddicord, the founder and CEO of advisory firm Live and Invest Overseas.
    
            “Unless the lifestyle you want is living in a small town in the Midwest,” she added. “If what you want in retirement is to live in a small town, surrounded by your family and your grandkids, that’s great.”
    
            Living abroad isn’t for everyone. It probably won’t work for those who seek out creature comforts in their retirement.
    
            “It’s hard work. I think that’s the reality that a lot of people probably aren’t prepared for,” said Peddicord, who splits her time with her husband between Paris and Panama City, Panama.
    
            Some people Peddicord advises don’t make it to another country because they get burned out by the loads of administrative work involved.
    
            “You have to create a whole new life for yourself in a very short space of time, in another culture, in another language,” she said. “All of the things that you do to create your life in the States: You got a driver’s license at 15 or 16, you opened a bank account, you got your first credit card, you bought a car, you rented a house, you paid utilities, you did all that over time. Now you have to do it at once and without the support of friends and family.”
    
            Many people who make the move end up feeling isolated and lonely.
    
            Still, Peddicord says her business has exploded as more Americans retire abroad, and a cottage industry to help people navigate the nuances of the task has quickly sprung up.
    
            As retirement decisions loomed for Bill and Jacki Dahl, now 69 and 75, respectively, they were forced to confront the fact that their retirement income would not continue to support the same lifestyle they had enjoyed in the US while working.
    
            They decided that moving to a less expensive country was a good way to stretch their dollar and keep their lifestyle the same.
    
            After four years of research and four exploratory trips, they made the move to Querétaro, a city in the center of Mexico.
    
            In 2019, the Dahls sold nearly everything they had accumulated during 30 years of marriage — including their home in Oregon — to fund the trip, said goodbye to their four children and grandchildren, and drove to Mexico. Upon arriving, they finalized their official immigration documents — they’re both “residente-permanente,” permanent residents, meaning they’re still US citizens.
    
            They rent a three-bedroom, two-story home with a large garden for about $940 a month. Food is cheap, and they have Medicare so that they can return to the United States for any serious medical care. But for smaller things, they remain local — it costs about $35 to visit the dentist, for example.
    
            “We live on a fixed monthly income,” said Bill. “We do not have a bunch of savings. We do not have a bunch of investments,” but they’re able to get by and still have money left over for travel and adventure.
    
            “We both adore people, art, food, travel and cultural diversity,” said Bill. “We love it here.”
    
            Still, it hasn’t been smooth sailing.
    
            “Relocation to Mexico is not for everyone,” he warned.
    
            Climate change means that there are more droughts in Mexico and more pollution, water can be scarce, and sometimes the power goes out, said Bill.
    
            Another surprise for the Dahls has been the rising strength of the peso against the US dollar. Bill estimates that his purchasing power is now worth about 30% less than it was before the pandemic.
    
            The financial requirements for legal, permanent residency in Mexico have also increased substantially, and immigration services are “cumbersome and inefficient,” said Bill. Violence is on the rise ahead of national elections later this year, he added.
    
            It’s not for the faint of heart, or people who want a carefree retirement, he said.
    
            But, he added, “we have no desire whatsoever to return to live in the US…we are deeply grateful to be resident-guests of such a marvelous place to live during the retirement season of our life.”",CNN,27/05/2024,"['Laura Barnett has always had a bit of wanderlust.', 'When she was a kid, her father took a job as a teacher with the US Department of Defense and moved his family from rural Kentucky to Poitiers, France, which is when the travel bug hit.', 'She’s been to over 38 countries in her 54 years.', 'But during the pandemic, something changed.', 'Travel was impossible, and her life in Fayetteville, North Carolina, started to feel small.', '“I just got sick of living in suburbia.', 'It felt like the world was potentially going to end, and I [said to my husband], ‘dude, I don’t think we’ve done everything we want to do.’”', 'She brought up the idea of moving to Portugal.', 'As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad where cities are walkable, social services plentiful and the cost of living affordable: Gelato in the piazza, white sand and year-round sun, little villages tucked into ocean coves and cheap health care all sound pretty good.', 'But while retirees might imagine spending their golden years full of pasta and palazzos, the realities of moving abroad are much less romantic.', 'There’s often more bureaucracy than bruschetta.', 'Laura’s husband, Chris, was initially skeptical about the move.', 'He didn’t think retiring abroad was feasible.', 'Plus, they’d be leaving behind their two sons and two grandsons.', 'But Laura persisted. “', 'We’ve done everything they told us to do.', 'We’ve saved our money.', 'We’ve worked for the same company for decades.', 'We’ve done everything, and I keep looking to the future — and I can’t stomach having to work until I’m 65 years old just because we can’t afford health care otherwise,” she said.', '“[The US] has set up a system where even if we have the money to cover our day-to-day expenses — rent, food, travel — all of a sudden there’s this other line item called health care.', 'That’s about $1,500 a month, more than our house payment.”', 'Chris and Laura have traveled to Portugal three times to look for places to settle and have a three-year plan set in place to move there permanently.', 'There are a lot of upsides: The weather is favorable year-round, it’s affordable, private health insurance costs about $300 per month for couples and there’s a better sense of work-life balance. (', 'CNN converted prices throughout this story into US dollars from local currencies.)', 'But there are also some downsides.', 'Leaving behind family is a big one.', 'Until the Barnetts receive their residency card, they’ll only be allowed to leave and enter Portugal twice, and their initial arrival into the country counts.', '“We have aging parents in their late 80s.', 'Not having the freedom to easily respond if we are needed until we have that card is very concerning.', 'Being lonely and not having friends and having to start from scratch with that is also in this mix,” said Laura.', 'Portuguese is not an easy language to learn, and adapting to a new culture late in life won’t be easy.', 'Recent revisions to Portuguese immigration programs also make the tax situation much less favorable for Americans.', 'But in the end, the finances won out.', '“Our goal, which is very doable based on research, is to live on less than $3,500 per month in Portugal while still being able to afford travel in Europe,” said Laura.', 'Their financial adviser told them that to comfortably retire in the US, they’d need to have about double that amount — $7,000 per month.', 'As America’s retirement crisis grows, so too does the dream of retiring abroad.', 'It’s becoming increasingly expensive to retire in the US.', 'Just 43% of non-retired adults in the US think they will have enough money to live comfortably when they retire, according to Gallup in 2023.', 'That’s the lowest level for that metric since 2012.', 'At the same time, the number of Americans looking to settle outside of the country has tripled over the past 30 years, according to a 2024 Monmouth poll.', 'The number of Social Security recipients living outside the US increased from 307,000 in 2008 to more than 450,000 in 2022.', 'Some countries are even taking advantage of this boom and have eased their visa requirements to attract older US expats.', 'But packing up a life and moving it abroad is not a simple task, and retirees often find themselves in over their heads.', '“People need to think about estate planning, which is often different abroad,” said Brett Spencer, the founder of Impact Financial, a financial advisory firm that specializes in Americans living abroad. “', 'They need to think about currency, complicated taxes and their investments.', 'Even opening a bank account abroad can be complicated.”', 'Spencer says he’s had clients who have had their bank accounts closed with no warning, leaving them working through nuanced protocol in another language and without access to any funds.', 'These types of complications aren’t uncommon.', 'Patience Dunbar, who will be 63 next month, and her husband, Charles Ippoliti, 69, have been living full time in Arona, a lakeside town in northern Italy, since 2022.', 'Their typical day consists of coffee and the crossword, a leisurely stroll around the lake, stops at the local outdoor market for fresh fruit and vegetables and a lunch in the town square.', 'Occasionally, they’ll take the train into Milan, about 40 minutes away.', '“It’s a very leisurely pace,” said Charles.', 'They feel healthier than they did back home, they’ve lost weight and they are exercising more.', 'That’s part of the reason they decided to look abroad in the first place.', 'In 2020, when the couple was living in Oregon, Charles suffered from severe Covid complications.', 'He was hospitalized for a few weeks and then put on oxygen at home for a few more.', '“We thought ‘well this is silly, why are we wasting our time?’', 'As soon as we could we decided to make the most of this,” said Patience. “', 'I didn’t want to wait five more years until Charles was in his late 70s to retire.', 'What if he’s not able to enjoy those years?”', 'The pair applied for their codice fiscale, similar to a Social Security number, and purchased their apartment in Arona.', 'They paid about $72,000 for their first apartment there and later sold it and upgraded to a larger home for $160,000.', 'The food is less expensive and a fancy dinner with wine runs them about $55.', 'Most importantly, they pay $2,200 a year for their health care.', 'That includes visits with specialists for Charles, who has a heart condition.', 'But it’s hard to be away from family, and they have struggled to learn Italian.', 'They thought the language would come more easily.', 'Dealing with the government can be troubling at times, and filing paperwork has become a full-time job for them.', 'Plus, they’re starting to worry about the political landscape.', 'Giorgia Meloni, a far-right leader, is the current Italian premier and has anti-immigration views.', 'They worry that policy could change and they might have to go back to the States.', '“I would say that, without a doubt, whatever lifestyle you want, you’ll be able to find it at a lower cost than you could in the United States,” said Kathleen Peddicord, the founder and CEO of advisory firm Live and Invest Overseas.', '“Unless the lifestyle you want is living in a small town in the Midwest,” she added. “', 'If what you want in retirement is to live in a small town, surrounded by your family and your grandkids, that’s great.”', 'Living abroad isn’t for everyone.', 'It probably won’t work for those who seek out creature comforts in their retirement.', '“It’s hard work.', 'I think that’s the reality that a lot of people probably aren’t prepared for,” said Peddicord, who splits her time with her husband between Paris and Panama City, Panama.', 'Some people Peddicord advises don’t make it to another country because they get burned out by the loads of administrative work involved.', '“You have to create a whole new life for yourself in a very short space of time, in another culture, in another language,” she said. “', 'All of the things that you do to create your life in the States: You got a driver’s license at 15 or 16, you opened a bank account, you got your first credit card, you bought a car, you rented a house, you paid utilities, you did all that over time.', 'Now you have to do it at once and without the support of friends and family.”', 'Many people who make the move end up feeling isolated and lonely.', 'Still, Peddicord says her business has exploded as more Americans retire abroad, and a cottage industry to help people navigate the nuances of the task has quickly sprung up.', 'As retirement decisions loomed for Bill and Jacki Dahl, now 69 and 75, respectively, they were forced to confront the fact that their retirement income would not continue to support the same lifestyle they had enjoyed in the US while working.', 'They decided that moving to a less expensive country was a good way to stretch their dollar and keep their lifestyle the same.', 'After four years of research and four exploratory trips, they made the move to Querétaro, a city in the center of Mexico.', 'In 2019, the Dahls sold nearly everything they had accumulated during 30 years of marriage — including their home in Oregon — to fund the trip, said goodbye to their four children and grandchildren, and drove to Mexico.', 'Upon arriving, they finalized their official immigration documents — they’re both “residente-permanente,” permanent residents, meaning they’re still US citizens.', 'They rent a three-bedroom, two-story home with a large garden for about $940 a month.', 'Food is cheap, and they have Medicare so that they can return to the United States for any serious medical care.', 'But for smaller things, they remain local — it costs about $35 to visit the dentist, for example.', '“We live on a fixed monthly income,” said Bill. “', 'We do not have a bunch of savings.', 'We do not have a bunch of investments,” but they’re able to get by and still have money left over for travel and adventure.', '“We both adore people, art, food, travel and cultural diversity,” said Bill. “', 'We love it here.”', 'Still, it hasn’t been smooth sailing.', '“Relocation to Mexico is not for everyone,” he warned.', 'Climate change means that there are more droughts in Mexico and more pollution, water can be scarce, and sometimes the power goes out, said Bill.', 'Another surprise for the Dahls has been the rising strength of the peso against the US dollar.', 'Bill estimates that his purchasing power is now worth about 30% less than it was before the pandemic.', 'The financial requirements for legal, permanent residency in Mexico have also increased substantially, and immigration services are “cumbersome and inefficient,” said Bill.', 'Violence is on the rise ahead of national elections later this year, he added.', 'It’s not for the faint of heart, or people who want a carefree retirement, he said.', 'But, he added, “we have no desire whatsoever to return to live in the US…we are deeply grateful to be resident-guests of such a marvelous place to live during the retirement season of our life.”']",0.0844915518370366,"But, he added, “we have no desire whatsoever to return to live in the US…we are deeply grateful to be resident-guests of such a marvelous place to live during the retirement season of our life.”","In 2020, when the couple was living in Oregon, Charles suffered from severe Covid complications.",-0.0514470355851309,"The number of Social Security recipients living outside the US increased from 307,000 in 2008 to more than 450,000 in 2022.",That’s the lowest level for that metric since 2012.,2024-05-27
Inflation is biting into Target’s ‘Tar-zhay’ luster,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/investing/target-earnings/index.html,"
  Updated
        9:53 AM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Target has spent decades building a reputation for cheap chic home goods, clothing and other merchandise. But surging prices in recent years dented the luster of “Tar-zhay.”
    
            The company reported Wednesday that sales at stores open for at least one year dropped 3.7% during its latest quarter from a year ago. It was the fourth-straight quarter of sales declines at Target (TGT). The company’s stock fell around 7% during pre-market trading.
    
            Sales dropped primarily in discretionary categories last quarter, Target said, continuing a trend during the inflation spike in which customers spend on necessary items but pare back on stuff they don’t really need.
    
            Target is a bellwether for consumers’ spending habits and the retail sector as a whole. Target’s core middle-class customer base has been strained by higher prices and pulled back on discretionary goods like home decor, electronics and nonessential clothing in favor of groceries and everyday essentials.
    
            Target has also slumped because of its merchandise mix and higher prices compared to rivals like Walmart.
    
            The chain stocks more non-essential merchandise compared to competitors such as Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST). More than half of Target’s merchandise is discretionary. Target in recent years has added more food and essentials to its stores, but still trails Walmart, which gets around half of sales from groceries.
    
            Walmart’s sales increased 3.8% last quarter.
    
            Target is trying to lure back shoppers by cutting prices on some key items and adding its own brands.
    
            Target has slashed prices on more than 1,500 popular items starting Monday, ranging from butter to laundry detergent, as the retailer attempts to attract inflation-wary shoppers turned off by high prices.
    
            The company also recently created a new house brand called Dealworthy to take on dollar stores and Walmart. The budget-friendly lineup consists of 400 items, from phone chargers to disposable plates and even underwear.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Target has spent decades building a reputation for cheap chic home goods, clothing and other merchandise.', 'But surging prices in recent years dented the luster of “Tar-zhay.”', 'The company reported Wednesday that sales at stores open for at least one year dropped 3.7% during its latest quarter from a year ago.', 'It was the fourth-straight quarter of sales declines at Target (TGT).', 'The company’s stock fell around 7% during pre-market trading.', 'Sales dropped primarily in discretionary categories last quarter, Target said, continuing a trend during the inflation spike in which customers spend on necessary items but pare back on stuff they don’t really need.', 'Target is a bellwether for consumers’ spending habits and the retail sector as a whole.', 'Target’s core middle-class customer base has been strained by higher prices and pulled back on discretionary goods like home decor, electronics and nonessential clothing in favor of groceries and everyday essentials.', 'Target has also slumped because of its merchandise mix and higher prices compared to rivals like Walmart.', 'The chain stocks more non-essential merchandise compared to competitors such as Walmart(WMT)and Costco(COST).', 'More than half of Target’smerchandise is discretionary.', 'Target in recent years has added more food and essentials to its stores, but still trails Walmart, which gets around half of sales from groceries.', 'Walmart’s sales increased 3.8% last quarter.', 'Target is trying to lure back shoppers by cutting prices on some key items and adding its own brands.', 'Targethas slashed prices on more than 1,500 popular items starting Monday, ranging from butter to laundry detergent, as the retailer attempts to attract inflation-wary shoppers turned off by high prices.', 'The company also recently created a new house brand calledDealworthyto take on dollar stores and Walmart.', 'The budget-friendly lineup consists of 400 items, from phone chargers to disposable plates and even underwear.']",0.1575084281344229,"Targethas slashed prices on more than 1,500 popular items starting Monday, ranging from butter to laundry detergent, as the retailer attempts to attract inflation-wary shoppers turned off by high prices.",,-0.3229859819014867,Walmart’s sales increased 3.8% last quarter.,Target has also slumped because of its merchandise mix and higher prices compared to rivals like Walmart.,2024-05-27
What’s open and closed on Memorial Day 2024,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/26/business/memorial-day-open-closed/index.html,"
  Published
        9:30 AM EDT, Sun May 26, 2024
    ","Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.
    
            The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars. This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.
    
            Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.
    
            Most national retailers will be open on Monday. Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.
    
            All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger. Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.
    
            Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday. Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.
    
            The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq (NDAQ) will not be trading on Monday.
    
            Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks. But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.
    
            The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.
    
            Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday. Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.
    
            FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.",CNN,26/05/2024,"['Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, with many students out of school and office workers enjoying the day off.', 'The federal holiday, falling on the last Monday of May, honors members of the US armed forces who died serving their country in wars.', 'This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 27.', 'Here’s what will be open and closed on Memorial Day 2024.', 'Most national retailers will be open on Monday.', 'Walmart and Target will be open on Memorial Day.', 'All Food Lion locations will be open during regular hours, as will most of the grocery stores under Kroger.', 'Aldi stores are operating on limited hours.', 'Notably, Costco warehouse stores will be closed on Monday.', 'Make sure to check with local grocers and retailers on closures or modified hours.', 'The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq(NDAQ)will not be trading on Monday.', 'Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.', 'But as always, ATMs and online banking will be available for use.', 'The United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Memorial Day.', 'Most UPS shipping services will also not be available Monday.', 'Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.', 'FedEx services will also be closed with the exception of custom critical for urgent, sensitive or potentially hazardous shipments.']",0.0221235396143286,"Since it’s a banking holiday, the Federal Reserve will be closed, as well as most major banks.","Limited stores are open, though UPS express critical will be available for emergency shipments that need a fast delivery.",,,,2024-05-27
China is pumping another $47.5 billion into its chip industry,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/27/tech/china-semiconductor-investment-fund-intl-hnk/index.html,"
  Published
        6:28 AM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","China is doubling down on its plan to dominate advanced technologies of the future by setting up its largest-ever semiconductor state investment fund, according to information posted by a government-run agency.
    
            Worth $47.5 billion, the fund is being created as the US imposes sweeping restrictions on the export of American chips and chip technology in a bid to throttle Beijing’s ambitions.
    
            With investments from six of the country’s largest state-owned banks, including ICBC and China Construction Bank, the fund underscores Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s push to bolster China’s position as a tech superpower.
    
            With its Made in China 2025 road map, Beijing has set a target for China to become a global leader in a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G wireless, and quantum computing.
    
            The latest investment vehicle is the third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. The “Big Fund,” as it is known, was officially established in Beijing on Friday, according to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.
    
            The first phase of the fund was set up in 2014 with 138.7 billion yuan ($19.2 billion). The second phase was established five years later, with a registered capital of 204.1 billion yuan ($28.2 billion).
    
            The investments aim to bring the country’s semiconductor industry up to international standards by 2030 and will pump money primarily into chip manufacturing, design, equipment and materials, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said when launching the first phase in 2014.
    
            The “Big Fund” has been hit by corruption scandals in recent years. In 2022, the country’s anti-graft watchdog launched a crackdown on the semiconductor industry, investigating some of China’s top figures in state-owned chip companies. Lu Jun, former chief executive of Sino IC Capital, which managed the “Big Fund,” was probed and indicted on bribery charges in March, according to a statement by the country’s top prosecutor.
    
            These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.
    
            In October 2022, the US unveiled a sweeping set of export controls that ban Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chip-making equipment without a license. The Biden administration has also pressed its allies, including Netherlands and Japan, to enact their own restrictions.
    
            Beijing hit back last year by imposing export controls on two strategic raw materials that are critical to the global chipmaking industry.
    
            The new chip fund is not only a defensive move to counter Western sanctions, but also part of Xi’s long-held ambitions to make China a global leader in technology.
    
            Last year, China’s Huawei shocked industry experts by introducing a new smartphone powered by a 7-nanometer processor made by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).
    
            At the time of the Huawei phone launch, analysts could not understand how the company would have the technology to make such a chip following sweeping efforts by the United States to restrict China’s access to foreign technology.
    
            In a meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in March, Xi said that “no force can stop China’s scientific and technological development.”
    
            The Netherlands is home to ASML, the world’s sole manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines needed to make advanced semiconductors. The company said in January that it had been prohibited by the Dutch government from shipping some of its lithography machines to China.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['China is doubling down on its plan todominate advanced technologies of the future by setting up its largest-ever semiconductor state investment fund, according to information posted by a government-run agency.', 'Worth $47.5 billion, the fund is being created as the US imposes sweeping restrictions on the export of American chips and chip technology in a bid to throttle Beijing’s ambitions.', 'With investments from six of the country’s largest state-owned banks, including ICBC and China Construction Bank, the fund underscores Chinese leaderXi Jinping’s push to bolster China’s position as a tech superpower.', 'With itsMade in China 2025 road map, Beijing has set a target for China to become a global leader in a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G wireless, and quantum computing.', 'The latest investment vehicle is the third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund.', 'The “Big Fund,” as it is known, was officially established in Beijing on Friday, according to the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System.', 'The first phase of the fund was set up in 2014 with 138.7 billion yuan ($19.2 billion).', 'The second phase was established five years later, with a registered capital of 204.1 billion yuan ($28.2 billion).', 'The investments aim to bring the country’s semiconductor industry up to international standards by 2030 and will pump money primarily into chip manufacturing, design, equipment and materials, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said when launching the first phase in 2014.', 'The “Big Fund” has been hit by corruption scandals in recent years.', 'In 2022, the country’s anti-graft watchdog launched a crackdown on the semiconductor industry, investigating some of China’s top figures in state-owned chip companies.', 'Lu Jun, former chief executive of Sino IC Capital, which managed the “Big Fund,” was probed and indicted on bribery charges in March, according to a statement by the country’s top prosecutor.', 'These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.', 'In October 2022, the US unveiled a sweeping set of export controls that ban Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chip-making equipment without a license.', 'The Biden administration has also pressed its allies, including Netherlands and Japan, to enact their own restrictions.', 'Beijing hit back last year by imposing export controls on two strategic raw materials that are critical to the global chipmaking industry.', 'The new chip fund is not only a defensive move to counter Western sanctions, but also part of Xi’s long-held ambitions to make China a global leader in technology.', 'Last year, China’s Huawei shocked industry experts by introducing a new smartphone powered by a 7-nanometer processor made by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).', 'At the time of the Huawei phone launch, analysts could not understand how the company would have the technology to make such a chip following sweeping efforts by the United States to restrict China’s access to foreign technology.', 'In a meeting with the Dutch Prime MinisterMark Rutte in March, Xi said that “no force can stop China’s scientific and technological development.”', 'The Netherlands is home to ASML, the world’s sole manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines needed to make advanced semiconductors.', 'The company said in January that it had beenprohibitedby the Dutch government from shipping some of its lithography machines to China.']",-0.0575143618403199,"With itsMade in China 2025 road map, Beijing has set a target for China to become a global leader in a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G wireless, and quantum computing.",These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.,0.1205896867646111,"The investments aim to bring the country’s semiconductor industry up to international standards by 2030 and will pump money primarily into chip manufacturing, design, equipment and materials, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said when launching the first phase in 2014.",These scandals aren’t the only roadblocks that could severely undermined Xi’s ambitions to get China to achieve tech self-reliance.,2024-05-27
Shop sales slump in April hit by heavy rain,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyee98xe730o,2024-05-24T08:06:19.514Z,"Retail sales fell by much more than expected in April as heavy rain kept shoppers at home. Sales volumes fell by 2.3% from the month before. Analysts had expected a drop of about 0.5%. Clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores all did particularly badly as poor weather reduced footfall, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. March's figure was also revised down to show a 0.2% fall from February, whereas previously sales had been estimated as flat. April saw storms and heavy rainfall, with several flood warnings issued across the UK. Online sales, which are usually less affected by bad weather, also fell 1.2% on the month. Although the ONS says sales figures are seasonally adjusted, last year Easter fell in April and this year it was in March, which sometimes is not fully allowed for. “It didn’t help that Easter came early and all those tasty chocolate eggs and family feasts were totted up in the previous month’s numbers, but even then, March’s flatlining sales were revised down,"" said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at stockbroker AJ Bell. ""The shock of the last few years on personal finances has made many wary. People have done without and can continue to make do if it means they can create a little pot of emergency cash to help keep their feet dry."" More broadly, there was a 0.7% rise in the three months to April 2024 when compared with the three months to January 2024, but the ONS said this was mainly because of an exceptionally poor December 2023. With people sticking close to home in the wet weather, fuel sales dropped 4.9% in April, the biggest monthly fall since October 2021. Meanwhile, a separate survey by research company GfK suggested consumer confidence is at its highest level for two years. However, GfK's index, which measures how people view their personal finances and the broader economic situation, remains in negative territory. ""Though consumer confidence continues to rise, many remain apprehensive and are not yet loosening their purse strings, especially on non-essential items and goods such as clothing and footwear,"" said Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, head of retail at Deloitte. ""Consumers are focused on value, with the likes of own-label food remaining resilient. ""Overall, this is a clear sign that, despite inflation easing, retailers' road to recovery will require them to continue to invest into product ranges that target consumers of all budgets."" Economists say that the outlook for the High Street is brighter over the summer, as wage growth outstrips price rises many households will start to feel more flush.  But the latest fall in retail sales doesn't bode well for the fate of overall economic activity, or GDP, in April - which is not the kind of news the government can use. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Retail sales fell by much more than expected in April as heavy rain kept shoppers at home.', 'Sales volumes fell by 2.3% from the month before.', 'Analysts had expected a drop of about 0.5%.', 'Clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores all did particularly badly as poor weather reduced footfall, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.', ""March's figure was also revised down to show a 0.2% fall from February, whereas previously sales had been estimated as flat."", 'April saw storms and heavy rainfall, with several flood warnings issued across the UK.', 'Online sales, which are usually less affected by bad weather, also fell 1.2% on the month.', 'Although the ONS says sales figures are seasonally adjusted, last year Easter fell in April and this year it was in March, which sometimes is not fully allowed for. “', 'It didn’t help that Easter came early and all those tasty chocolate eggs and family feasts were totted up in the previous month’s numbers, but even then, March’s flatlining sales were revised down,"" said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at stockbroker AJ Bell. ""', 'The shock of the last few years on personal finances has made many wary.', 'People have done without and can continue to make do if it means they can create a little pot of emergency cash to help keep their feet dry.""', 'More broadly, there was a 0.7% rise in the three months to April 2024 when compared with the three months to January 2024, but the ONS said this was mainly because of an exceptionally poor December 2023.', 'With people sticking close to home in the wet weather, fuel sales dropped 4.9% in April, the biggest monthly fall since October 2021.', 'Meanwhile, a separate survey by research company GfK suggested consumer confidence is at its highest level for two years.', 'However, GfK\'s index, which measures how people view their personal finances and the broader economic situation, remains in negative territory. ""', 'Though consumer confidence continues to rise, many remain apprehensive and are not yet loosening their purse strings, especially on non-essential items and goods such as clothing and footwear,"" said Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, head of retail at Deloitte. ""', 'Consumers are focused on value, with the likes of own-label food remaining resilient. ""', 'Overall, this is a clear sign that, despite inflation easing, retailers\' road to recovery will require them to continue to invest into product ranges that target consumers of all budgets.""', 'Economists say that the outlook for the High Street is brighter over the summer, as wage growth outstrips price rises many households will start to feel more flush.', ""But the latest fall in retail sales doesn't bode well for the fate of overall economic activity, or GDP, in April - which is not the kind of news the government can use.""]",-0.0279599045044642,"Consumers are focused on value, with the likes of own-label food remaining resilient. ""","Clothing retailers, sports equipment, games and toys stores, and furniture stores all did particularly badly as poor weather reduced footfall, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.",-0.3322977125644684,"Economists say that the outlook for the High Street is brighter over the summer, as wage growth outstrips price rises many households will start to feel more flush.","With people sticking close to home in the wet weather, fuel sales dropped 4.9% in April, the biggest monthly fall since October 2021.",2024-05-27
"NBC hires former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, who has demonized the press and refused to acknowledge Biden was fairly elected",https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/22/media/ronna-mcdaniel-nbc/index.html,"
  Published
        1:53 PM EDT, Fri March 22, 2024
    ","NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedly attacked the network and its journalists, assailed the news media as “fake news” and promoted false claims around the 2020 vote, as an on-air commentator ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
    
            “It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, senior vice president of politics at NBC News, said in a memo to staff.
    
            McDaniel exited the RNC earlier this month after leading the organization since 2016.
    
            During her time as chair, McDaniel repeatedly attacked the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Donald Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions.
    
            McDaniel echoed many such attacks, labeling the press as “fake news” and calling the media “corrupt.” At times, she even targeted NBC News and MSNBC with dishonest attacks.
    
            In 2019, for instance, McDaniel accused Richard Engel, NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent, of “actively cheering for an economic downturn.”
    
            “How can NBC let him keep his job when he’s made his bias so clear?” McDaniel asked.
    
            McDaniel has a lengthier history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role. In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for “spreading lies” and blasted those she described as the network’s “primetime propagandists.”
    
            An NBC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about her attacks on the news media and NBC.
    
            In her role as RNC chief, McDaniel also fanned the flames of election denialism after the 2020 presidential contest.
    
            McDaniel was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead. McDaniel told the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. … We will get you attorneys.”
    
            The Michigan Department of State’s office condemned her claims of supposed voter fraud in the wake of the election, stating they had “no merit.” The state’s “elections were conducted fairly, effectively and transparently and are an accurate reflection of the will of Michigan voters,” it said in a detailed fact check posted online.
    
            In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace last year, McDaniel defended her claims of voting “irregularity” in the election.
    
            “I think saying that there were problems with 2020 is very real. I don’t think that’s election denying,” McDaniel told Wallace. “I’m from Wayne County. We had a woman send a note saying I’m being told to backdate ballots. We had to look into that. That’s deeply concerning. When you have friends who are poll-watching and being kicked out, that’s deeply concerning. We have every right to look at that.”
    
            In the interview, Wallace pressed McDaniel if she believed Biden legitimately won the election.
    
            “I think there were lots of problems with 2020. Ultimately, he won the election but there were lots of problems with the 2020 election,” she said. “But I don’t think he won it fair. I don’t. I’m not going to say that.”
    
            NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at the network’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.
    
            Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network’s anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on air without scrutiny.
    
            MSNBC has even started carrying Trump’s remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do. Star host Rachel Maddow, who has said carrying Trump’s lies on the air is dangerous, even objected to the network broadcasting a recent speech from the presumptive Republican nominee, calling it “irresponsible.”",CNN,22/03/2024,"['NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedlyattacked the network and its journalists,assailed thenewsmedia as “fake news” and promoted false claims around the 2020vote,as an on-air commentatorahead of the 2024 presidential election.', '“It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” Carrie Budoff Brown, senior vice president of politics at NBC News, said in a memoto staff.', 'McDaniel exited the RNC earlier this month after leading the organization since 2016.', 'During her time as chair, McDaniel repeatedly attacked the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Donald Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions.', 'McDaniel echoed many such attacks, labeling the press as “fake news” and calling the media “corrupt.”', 'At times, she even targeted NBC Newsand MSNBCwith dishonest attacks.', 'In 2019, for instance, McDaniel accused Richard Engel, NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent, of “actively cheering for an economic downturn.”', '“How can NBC let him keep his job when he’s made his bias so clear?”', 'McDaniel asked.', 'McDaniel has a lengthier history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role.', 'In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for “spreading lies” and blasted those she described as the network’s “primetime propagandists.”', 'An NBC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment about her attacks on the news media and NBC.', 'In her role as RNC chief, McDaniel also fanned the flames of election denialism after the 2020 presidential contest.', 'McDaniel was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead.', 'McDanieltold the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. …', 'We will get you attorneys.”', 'The Michigan Department of State’s office condemned her claims of supposed voter fraud in the wake of the election, stating they had “no merit.', '”The state’s “elections were conducted fairly, effectively and transparently and are an accurate reflection of the will of Michigan voters,” it said in adetailed fact checkposted online.', 'In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace last year, McDaniel defended her claims of voting “irregularity” in the election.', '“I think saying that there were problems with 2020 is very real.', 'I don’t think that’s election denying,” McDaniel told Wallace. “', 'I’m from Wayne County.', 'We had a woman send a note saying I’m being told to backdate ballots.', 'We had to look into that.', 'That’s deeply concerning.', 'When you have friends who are poll-watching and being kicked out, that’s deeply concerning.', 'We have every right to look at that.”', 'In the interview,Wallace pressed McDaniel if she believed Biden legitimately won the election.', '“I think there were lots of problems with 2020.', 'Ultimately, he won the electionbut there were lots of problems with the 2020 election,” she said. “', 'But I don’t think he won it fair.', 'I don’t.', 'I’m not going to say that.”', 'NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at thenetwork’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.', 'Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network’s anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on airwithout scrutiny.', 'MSNBC has even started carrying Trump’s remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do.', 'Star host Rachel Maddow, who has said carrying Trump’s lieson the airis dangerous, even objected to the network broadcasting a recent speech from the presumptive Republican nominee, calling it “irresponsible.”']",-0.069193576701305,But I don’t think he won it fair.,"At times, she even targeted NBC Newsand MSNBCwith dishonest attacks.",-0.2803101042906443,"NBC’s hiring of McDaniel, however, plays into a recent trend at thenetwork’s outlets, which has seemingly softened its stance on Trump as he inches toward the Republican nomination for president.",“I think there were lots of problems with 2020.,2024-05-27
Maybe you should stay home? 4 charts break down a busy Memorial Day weekend travel outlook,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/memorial-day-travel-dg/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:54 AM EDT, Mon May 27, 2024
    ","The nation’s highways and airports have been crowded with people marking the unofficial start of summer this Memorial Day weekend. Travel volumes for the first few days of the holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data from the Transportation Security Administration.
    
            The more than 2.9 million travelers who passed through airports Friday set the record for the most passengers screened in a single day by the agency. TSA says five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month — a sign that travel is ramping up headed into summer.
    
            Last year, TSA reported passenger volumes that slightly exceeded those of 2019 for the stretch from Thursday before Memorial Day to the Wednesday after.
    
            This year, airlines were gearing up for an even busier weekend, with more than 269,000 flights scheduled from Thursday through Tuesday — up from more than 264,000 during the same period last year.
    
            AAA also forecasted a significant surge in air travel, with more than 3.5 million people expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase from 2019.
    
            Across all methods of transportation, AAA projected nearly 44 million travelers, which could be the most since 2005. The vast majority of American travelers — nearly 90%, according to AAA — will opt for the nation’s roadways.
    
            For the more than 38 million travelers AAA projected to drive, gas prices will average around $3.65 per gallon nationally, as of May 23. Prices vary dramatically by region, with the highest levels on the West Coast: In California, a gallon of regular gasoline averages about $5.16. By contrast, motorists in the South will find the cheapest prices, with Mississippi having the lowest price: Just over $3.",CNN,27/05/2024,"['The nation’s highways and airports have been crowded with people marking the unofficial start of summer this Memorial Day weekend.', 'Travel volumes for the first few days of the holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data from the Transportation Security Administration.', 'The more than 2.9 million travelers who passed through airports Friday set the record for the most passengers screened in a single day by the agency.', 'TSA says five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month — a sign that travel is ramping up headed into summer.', 'Last year, TSA reported passenger volumes that slightly exceeded those of 2019 for the stretch from Thursday before Memorial Day to the Wednesday after.', 'This year, airlines were gearing up for an even busier weekend, with more than 269,000 flights scheduled from Thursday through Tuesday —up from more than 264,000 during the same period last year.', 'AAA also forecasteda significant surge in air travel, withmore than 3.5 million people expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase from 2019.', 'Across all methods of transportation, AAA projected nearly 44 million travelers, which could be the most since 2005.', 'The vast majority of American travelers— nearly 90%, according to AAA — will opt for the nation’s roadways.', 'For the more than 38 million travelers AAA projected to drive, gas prices will average around $3.65 per gallon nationally, as of May 23.', 'Prices vary dramatically by region, with the highest levels on the West Coast: In California, a gallon of regular gasoline averages about $5.16.', 'By contrast, motorists in the South will find the cheapest prices, with Mississippi having the lowest price: Just over $3.']",0.0599776470492368,"Travel volumes for the first few days of the holiday weekend surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data from the Transportation Security Administration.","By contrast, motorists in the South will find the cheapest prices, with Mississippi having the lowest price: Just over $3.",0.9421618580818176,"AAA also forecasteda significant surge in air travel, withmore than 3.5 million people expected to fly over Memorial Day weekend in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase from 2019.",,2024-05-27
Judge’s stern rebuke of Elon Musk’s X gives researchers fresh hope,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/judges-stern-rebuke-of-elon-musks-x-gives-researchers-fresh-hope/index.html,"
  Published
        1:17 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say.
    
            On Monday, District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed and excoriated a lawsuit by X against online watchdog group Center for Countering Digital Hate as an attempt to silence the non-profit group for sounding alarms about hate speech on the platform.
    
            Breyer wrote in Monday’s order that the lawsuit was “unabashedly” about “punishing” reports written by CCDH, which X had accused of campaigning to drive away its advertisers. Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights.
    
            Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire.
    
            The CCDH case — in the US District Court for the Northern District of California — has been widely viewed as a bellwether for research and accountability on X, where Musk has restored the accounts of previously banned White supremacists and spreaders of misinformation and where Musk himself has amplified various conspiracy theories.
    
            And CCDH is not the only organization that has faced attacks by self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Musk after criticizing or raising concerns about his platform.
    
            “This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.
    
            “Society needs reliable and ethical research into social media platforms, and often that research relies on being able to study publicly available posts,” Abdo said.
    
            X said it plans to appeal Breyer’s decision.
    
            In his first year as owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League for defamation, as well as against Microsoft and Meta for allegedly improper data and trade secret access, respectively. None of those threats ever amounted to real lawsuits.
    
            He did, however, sue the progressive media watchdog Media Matters over its analysis highlighting antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on X, alleging that the group’s testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site and that the report was designed to drive away advertisers. Legal experts have described that case as “weak” on the merits and as a “bogus” attempt to chill criticism of X.
    
            This week’s court decision may be only a temporary setback in Musk’s wider plan to stifle criticism, said Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone. Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.
    
            The states of Texas and Missouri each announced probes into Media Matters following X’s lawsuit against the group, to which Musk responded, “Great!”
    
            As recently as Monday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a petition in state court seeking to compel Media Matters’ cooperation with his investigation. The filing came a week after he appeared with Musk in a live event on X — which Carusone said shows how Musk hopes to deputize the power of government to silence his critics.
    
            “They have every reason to do it,” Carusone said of the AGs’ investigations. “They get the political benefits, they get the attention. There doesn’t seem to be any cost to them yet. And if they are successful at developing this new playbook, this new terrain, legally, then it’s going to pave the way for them to just use this tool and tactic over and over and over again.”
    
            A representative for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Carusone’s claims.
    
            Researchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022. Academics need large samples of posts, shares, likes and other data to study social media trends in mis- and disinformation, public health, elections and other key topics. But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.
    
            Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year — were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.
    
            The change may have forced some researchers to rely more heavily on first-person observational data to draw conclusions about user behavior on X. Groups like CCDH have also used automated “scraping” of publicly viewable content from X rather than paying the company for data directly, a tactic that helped give rise to X’s initial lawsuit.
    
            Efforts by X and other social media companies to limit research transparency makes them less accountable to the public at best and, at worst, could mask malicious behavior, said David Karpf, an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.
    
            “We need independent research to have any real measure of what’s going on at X/Twitter. Musk is only ever going to release data that makes his company look good,” Karpf said. “These platforms are too big and too vital to the spread of information to be left unmonitored.”
    
            “This is an election year,” Karpf added, “and the platforms are taking steps to make it harder to monitor how their services are used for malignant ends.”
    
            Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.
    
            “The guardrails for democracy are hanging by a thread and we have dwindling insights into platform practices as researchers face lawsuits, congressional subpoenas and other scare tactics,” said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of digital rights at Free Press.
    
            Ultimately, Benavidez called the ruling “a reminder that platform accountability is essential and will inevitably prevail when up against bullies like Musk who try to silence us.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say.', 'On Monday, District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed and excoriated a lawsuit by X against online watchdog group Center for Countering Digital Hate as an attempt to silence the non-profit group for sounding alarms about hate speech on the platform.', 'Breyer wrote in Monday’s order that the lawsuit was “unabashedly” about “punishing” reports written by CCDH, which X had accused of campaigning to drive away its advertisers.', 'Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights.', 'Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire.', 'The CCDH case — in the US District Court for the Northern District of California —has been widely viewed as a bellwether for research and accountability on X, where Musk has restored the accounts of previously banned White supremacists and spreaders of misinformation and where Musk himself has amplified various conspiracy theories.', 'And CCDH is not the only organization that has faced attacks by self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Musk after criticizing or raising concerns about his platform.', '“This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.', '“Society needs reliable and ethical research into social media platforms, and often that research relies on being able to study publicly available posts,” Abdo said.', 'X said it plans to appeal Breyer’s decision.', 'In his first year as owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk threatened legal action against the Anti-Defamation League for defamation, as well as against Microsoft and Meta for allegedly improper data and trade secret access, respectively.', 'None of those threats ever amounted to real lawsuits.', 'He did, however, sue the progressive media watchdog Media Matters over itsanalysishighlighting antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on X, alleging that the group’s testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site and that the report was designed to drive away advertisers.', 'Legal experts have described that case as “weak” on the merits and as a “bogus” attempt to chill criticism of X.  This week’s court decision may be only a temporary setback in Musk’s wider plan to stifle criticism, said Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone.', 'Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.', 'The states of Texas and Missouri each announced probes into Media Matters following X’s lawsuit against the group, to which Musk responded, “Great!”', 'As recently as Monday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a petition in state court seeking to compel Media Matters’ cooperation with his investigation.', 'The filing came a week after he appeared with Musk in a live event on X — which Carusone said shows how Musk hopes to deputize the power of government to silence his critics.', '“They have every reason to do it,” Carusone said of the AGs’ investigations. “', 'They get the political benefits, they get the attention.', 'There doesn’t seem to be any cost to them yet.', 'And if they are successful at developing this new playbook, this new terrain, legally, then it’s going to pave the way for them to just use this tool and tactic over and over and over again.”', 'A representative for X did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Carusone’s claims.', 'Researchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022.', 'Academics need large samples of posts, shares, likes and other data to study social media trends in mis- and disinformation, public health, elections and other key topics.', 'But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.', 'Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year —were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.', 'The change may have forced some researchers to rely more heavily on first-person observational data to draw conclusions about user behavior on X. Groups like CCDH have also used automated “scraping” of publicly viewable content from X rather than paying the company for data directly, a tactic that helped give rise to X’s initial lawsuit.', 'Efforts by X and other social media companies to limit research transparency makes them less accountable to the public at best and, at worst, could mask malicious behavior, said David Karpf, an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University.', '“We need independent research to have any real measure of what’s going on at X/Twitter.', 'Musk is only ever going to release data that makes his company look good,” Karpf said. “', 'These platforms are too big and too vital to the spread of information to be left unmonitored.”', '“This is an election year,” Karpf added, “and the platforms are taking steps to make it harder to monitor how their services are used for malignant ends.”', 'Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.', '“The guardrails for democracy are hanging by a thread and we have dwindling insights into platform practices as researchers face lawsuits, congressional subpoenas and other scare tactics,” said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel and director of digital rights at Free Press.', 'Ultimately, Benavidez called the ruling “a reminder that platform accountability is essential and will inevitably prevail when up against bullies like Musk who try to silence us.”']",0.0427064270235155,"Musk’s new playbook, Carusone said, enlists the help of sympathetic Republican attorneys general to investigate independent reporting organizations and tie them up in legal proceedings.","“This is an important decision that sees Elon Musk’s lawsuit for what it is — an effort to punish his critics for constitutionally protected speech and to deter researchers from studying his platform,” said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which had filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case arguing that private companies should not be allowed to use breach of contract claims to punish criticism.",-0.3806276832308088,"Free Press, another media accountability organization that has been critical of Musk’s leadership of X and which called for advertisers to pause their spending on the platform shortly after his takeover, also celebrated Breyer’s ruling as potentially removing at least one hurdle that watchdog organizations face.","Researchers and civil society groups said the new subscription fees — costing up to $2.5 million a year —were “outrageously expensive” and made it impossible to do their work, reducing transparency of a critical platform.",2024-05-27
NBC News ousts Ronna McDaniel after network’s anchors launch unprecedented on-air rebellion,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/media/nbc-news-ousts-ronna-mcdaniel/index.html,"
  Updated
        7:44 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","NBC News on Tuesday ousted former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, just days after her hiring as a paid political analyst sparked intense backlash from the network’s top television anchors over McDaniel’s role in subverting the 2020 election and attacks on the press.
    
            “There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff. “After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.”
    
            “I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde continued. “While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”
    
            Ahead of the network’s decision, McDaniel spent the day Tuesday interviewing attorneys in preparation for a potential legal battle with NBC, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Creative Artists Agency, the talent agency that brokered McDaniel’s deal with NBC, also parted ways with her, the person said.
    
            The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.
    
            McDaniel, who recently stepped down from the RNC under pressure from former President Donald Trump, was involved in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
    
            As head of the RNC, she was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead. McDaniel told the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. … We will get you attorneys.”
    
            In the years since, McDaniel continued to claim that the election had “problems” and that Biden did not legitimately win the election, fanning the flames of election denialism.
    
            NBC’s announcement Friday that it had hired McDaniel was quickly met with alarm by the network’s journalists. The revolt spilled into public view on Sunday when McDaniel appeared on “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristen Welker in her first interview since she was hired by the network. Welker disclosed that the interview had been scheduled to take place prior to NBC announcing McDaniel would become a paid contributor for the network, stating that she had no involvement in her hiring.
    
            Following the interview, Chuck Todd, NBC News’ chief political analyst, delivered a stinging on-air criticism of NBC executives for their decision to hire McDaniel, telling Welker, “I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation.”
    
            “There’s a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this,” Todd said, explaining that under McDaniel, the RNC engaged in “gaslighting” and “character assassination” when dealing with the news media.
    
            The following day, MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough joined Todd in protesting the decision on their program “Morning Joe.”
    
            “To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage, but it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,” Brzezinski said. “We hope NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”
    
            Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” later joined in the rebuke, saying on her program that the network’s decision to hire McDaniel was nothing short of a potential threat to democracy.
    
            “NBC News is, either wittingly or unwittingly, teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections,” Wallace told viewers.
    
            Rachel Maddow — the network’s biggest star — later devoted the first half-hour of her prime-time program to the controversy, saying the decision to hire McDaniel was “inexplicable.” Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.
    
            “We do not take it personally when we get attacked, when they say they want to put us on trial and execute us for treason,” she said.
    
            “And so I want to associate myself with all my colleagues at MSNBC and NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company for putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government,” she said of McDaniel. “Someone who is still trying to convince Americans that this election stuff doesn’t really work. That this last election wasn’t a real result. That American elections are fraudulent.“
    
            The on-air revolt ensnared NBC’s top leaders, including NBCUniversal News Group chair Cesar Conde, NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown, who were responsible for McDaniel’s hiring. MSNBC president Rashida Jones also did not object to the decision, people familiar with the matter said.
    
            In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”
    
            “I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”",CNN,26/03/2024,"['NBC News on Tuesday ousted former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, just days after her hiring as a paid political analyst sparked intense backlash from the network’s top television anchors over McDaniel’s role in subverting the 2020 election and attacks on the press.', '“There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group,” NBCUniversal News Group President Cesar Conde said in a memo to staff. “', 'After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor.”', '“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde continued. “', 'While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”', 'Ahead of the network’s decision, McDaniel spent the day Tuesday interviewing attorneys in preparation for a potential legal battle with NBC, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.', 'Creative Artists Agency, the talent agency that brokered McDaniel’s deal with NBC, also parted ways with her, the person said.', 'The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.', 'McDaniel, who recently stepped down from the RNC under pressure from former President Donald Trump, was involved in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.', 'As head of the RNC, she was involved in a phone call in 2020 to pressure Michigan county officials not to certify the vote from the Detroit area, where Joe Biden had a commanding lead.', 'McDanieltold the officials, regarding the certification: “Do not sign it. …', 'We will get you attorneys.”', 'In the years since, McDaniel continued to claim that the election had “problems” and that Biden did not legitimately win the election, fanning the flames of election denialism.', 'NBC’s announcement Friday that it had hired McDaniel was quickly met with alarm by the network’s journalists.', 'The revolt spilled into public view on Sunday when McDaniel appeared on “Meet the Press” with moderator Kristen Welker in her first interview since she was hired by the network.', 'Welker disclosed that the interview had been scheduled to take place prior to NBC announcing McDaniel would become a paid contributor for the network, stating that she had no involvement in her hiring.', 'Following the interview, Chuck Todd, NBC News’ chief political analyst, delivered a stinging on-air criticism of NBC executives for their decision to hire McDaniel, telling Welker, “I think our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation.”', '“There’s a reason a lot of journalists at NBC News are uncomfortable with this,” Todd said, explaining that under McDaniel, the RNC engaged in “gaslighting” and “character assassination” when dealing with the news media.', 'The following day, MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough joined Todd in protesting the decision on their program “Morning Joe.”', '“To be clear, we believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage, but it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,”Brzezinski said. “', 'We hope NBC will reconsider its decision.', 'It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on ‘Morning Joe’ in her capacity as a paid contributor.”', 'Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” later joined in the rebuke, saying on her program that the network’s decision to hire McDaniel was nothing short of a potential threat to democracy.', '“NBC News is, either wittingly or unwittingly, teaching election deniers that what they can do stretches well beyond appearing on our air and interviews to peddle lies about the sanctity and integrity of our elections,” Wallace told viewers.', 'Rachel Maddow — the network’s biggest star — later devoted the first half-hour of her prime-time program to the controversy, saying the decision to hire McDaniel was “inexplicable.”', 'Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.', '“We do not take it personally when we get attacked, when they say they want to put us on trial and execute us for treason,” she said.', '“And so I want to associate myself with all my colleagues at MSNBC and NBC News who have voiced loud and principled objections to our company for putting on the payroll someone who hasn’t just attacked us as journalists, but someone who is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government,” she said of McDaniel. “', 'Someone who is still trying to convince Americans that this election stuff doesn’t really work.', 'That this last election wasn’t a real result.', 'That American elections are fraudulent.“', 'The on-air revolt ensnared NBC’s top leaders, including NBCUniversal News Group chair Cesar Conde, NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein and senior vice president of politics Carrie Budoff Brown, who were responsible for McDaniel’s hiring.', 'MSNBC president Rashida Jones also did not object to the decision, people familiar with the matter said.', 'In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”', '“I think it is a show of strength and a show of respect for the people who work at this company and make us who we are,” Maddow said. “', 'That leadership was willing to change on this, I’m grateful to them.”']",-0.0710578434549836,"In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”","Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, labeling the press as “fake news,” and launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts.",-0.4204912036657333,"In the wake of Conde’s announcement to sever ties with McDaniel, MSNBC host Joy Reid and Maddow addressed the reversal on the network’s air, praising the move as “bold” and “strong.”",The reversal comes after journalists and anchors at both NBC and its cable news sibling MSNBC publicly denounced the decision to hire McDaniel as a paid analyst in a stunning and unprecedented on-air rebuke of network brass that has embarrassed the Peacock Network.,2024-05-27
How a global seafood giant broke Red Lobster,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/25/business/red-lobster-bankruptcy-thai-union/index.html,"
  Published
        5:00 AM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","When seafood conglomerate Thai Union Group became Red Lobster’s leading shareholder in 2020, gaining 49% control of the chain, Red Lobster employees were assured Thai Union would not interfere in key decisions.
    
            Thai Union will “not be involved in Red Lobster’s day-to-day operations, including [its] supply chain standards and processes,” according to a document titled “Seafood Supplier Talking Points” viewed by CNN that was approved by top Thai Union and Red Lobster executives.
    
            “We intend to maintain relationships with all current seafood suppliers,” the talking points said.
    
            Those pledges didn’t last.
    
            By 2022, representatives from Thai Union in Thailand, whose $4 billion empire includes brands like Chicken of the Sea and John West Foods, were embedded in Red Lobster’s Orlando headquarters, serving in top roles and closely directing the largest seafood restaurant chain in the world.
    
            “We are much deeper involved in the management of Red Lobster,” Thai Union finance chief Ludovic Garnier said on an analyst call in November 2022.
    
            Now, Red Lobster has drowned in a relentless supply of Thai Union-supplied shrimp. Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday, and it plans to sell its business to its lenders. In turn, Red Lobster will receive financing to stay afloat.
    
            Thai Union’s damaging decisions drove the pioneering chain’s fall, according to 13 former Red Lobster executives and senior leaders in various areas of the business as well as analysts. All but two of the former Red Lobster employees spoke to CNN under the condition of anonymity because of either non-disclosure agreements with Thai Union; fear that speaking out would harm their careers; or because they don’t want to jeopardize deferred compensation from Red Lobster.
    
            Thai Union earlier this year blamed the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as “sustained industry headwinds, higher interest rates and rising material and labor costs” for Red Lobster’s struggles.
    
            In a statement to CNN, Thai Union said it “has a been a supplier to Red Lobster for more than 30 years, and we intend for that relationship to continue.” A bankruptcy process “will allow Red Lobster to restructure its financial obligations and realize its long-term potential in a more favorable operating environment,” the company said. Thai Union did not respond to CNN’s questions about the specific allegations raised in this story.
    
            Former Red Lobster employees say that while the pandemic, inflation and rent costs impacted Red Lobster, Thai Union’s ineptitude was the pivotal factor in Red Lobster’s decline.
    
            “It was miserable working there for the last year and a half I was there,” said Les Foreman, a West Coast division vice president who worked at Red Lobster for 20 years and was fired in 2022. “They didn’t have any idea about running a restaurant company in the United States.”
    
            At Red Lobster headquarters, employees prided themselves on a fiercely loyal culture and low turnover. Some employees had been with the chain for 30 and 40 years.
    
            But as Thai Union installed executives at the chain, dozens of veteran Red Lobster leaders with deep knowledge of the brand and restaurant industry were fired or resigned in rapid succession. Red Lobster ended up having five CEOs in five years.
    
            Thai Union CEO Thiraphong Chansiri visited Red Lobster’s headquarters in 2022 and toured restaurants around the country. He brought along a feng shui consultant named Angel to Orlando, former senior leaders at Red Lobster headquarters told CNN. The consultant determined that executive offices in Orlando were “bad Feng shui and no one should use them,” one former leader told CNN. The executive offices sat empty.
    
            Former Red Lobster employees describe a toxic and demoralizing environment as Thai Union-appointed executives descended on headquarters and interim CEO Paul Kenny eventually took over the chain in 2022. Kenny, an Australian-born former CEO of Minor Food, one of Asia’s largest casual dining and quick-service restaurants, was part of the Thai Union-led investor group that acquired Red Lobster.
    
            Kenny criticized Red Lobster employees at meetings and made derogatory comments about them, according to former Red Lobster leaders who worked closely with Kenny. Commenting on a woman’s weight at a Red Lobster annual conference in 2022 in Dallas as she walked across a stage to accept an award, Kenny said, “we need to institute an exercise program in this company,” another former Red Lobster executive told CNN.
    
            Kenny did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment on these allegations.
    
            Under Kenny, Red Lobster also cut two of its longtime shrimp suppliers— and competitors to Thai Union — to purchase more shrimp from Thai Union at higher costs, according to Red Lobster’s bankruptcy filing. Kenny’s decision came “in apparent coordination with Thai Union and under the guise of a ‘quality review,’” Red Lobster said.
    
            These changes culminated in a $20 endless shrimp promotion in 2023 that would come back to haunt Red Lobster.
    
            “Thai Union exercised an outsized influence on the Company’s shrimp purchasing,” Red Lobster alleged in its bankruptcy filing. Red Lobster said it was “investigating whether Mr. Kenny’s decision-making process circumvented the Company’s normal supply chain and demand planning.”
    
            Thai Union told CNN that Red Lobster’s accusations in the bankruptcy filing were “meritless,” and the company looks forward to a “full representation of the facts.”
    
            Red Lobster also slowed investments in dining room upgrades, raised prices and cut labor under Thai Union, former executives and operations leaders say. These decisions pushed away customers and cut into Red Lobster’s sales. Red Lobster’s annual customer count has dropped by 30% since 2019, Red Lobster said in its bankruptcy filing.
    
            Red Lobster was started in 1968 by Bill Darden, an architect of the casual dining revolution in America. General Mills quickly bought Red Lobster and in 1995 spun the chain off into a new company, Darden Restaurants, named after its founder.
    
            In 2014, Darden sold Red Lobster to Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm, for $2.1 billion.  To help fund the deal, Red Lobster spun off its real estate. The arrangement wound up hurting Red Lobster because it became stuck with leases it no longer could afford to pay as the business struggled.
    
            Two years later, Thai Union took a $575 million minority stake in Red Lobster. In 2020, Thai Union expanded that stake, leading an investor group to buy out Golden Gate Capital and acquire Red Lobster.
    
            During the first half of 2021, Red Lobster posted an operating profit, and Thai Union touted Red Lobster’s strength on calls with analysts and company presentations.
    
            “Red Lobster’s turnaround continued amid the pandemic,” Thai Union said in a quarterly earnings presentation in August of 2021. There was “clear improvement in Red Lobster operations.”
    
            Red Lobster re-hired 26,000 employees from January to August of 2021, Thai Union said in the presentation, and appointed Kelli Valade CEO. Valade brought on a new leadership team, including a new head of finance, chief marketing officer and chief information officer.
    
            But Kenny, then a Red Lobster board member, soon began exercising more control.
    
            In early 2022, Kenny began visiting Red Lobster’s headquarters more frequently and touring restaurants, former Red Lobster employees who worked closely with Kenny say.
    
            At a tense board meeting in late March 2022, Kenny disagreed with Valade that significant further investment was needed in Red Lobster, according to a former Red Lobster leader. He chastised Red Lobster’s management team, which included Valade’s three recently hired executives, this person said. Within 48 hours, Valade resigned, just eight months into her tenure. Another Red Lobster board member who had decades of experience running casual dining restaurants in the United States resigned a day after.
    
            Valade was appointed Denny’s CEO two months later. She did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.
    
            Kenny was initially described in a press release announcing Valade’s resignation as a “liaison” between Red Lobster’s leadership and the board of directors “during this time of transition.”
    
            But, at the direction of Thai Union, Kenny became interim CEO, according to Red Lobster’s bankruptcy filing.
    
            In the months after Kenny took over, Valade’s leadership team and other veteran leaders left. In July of 2022, the chief operations officer and six vice presidents of operations overseeing restaurants were abruptly fired shortly before Red Lobster’s annual general manager conference.
    
            Kenny appointed a Thai Union frozen seafood manager, Trin Tapanya, as Red Lobster’s chief operations officer overseeing restaurants. Tapanya had no experience running restaurants. He did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.
    
            Other Thai Union representatives also became more closely involved across Red Lobster’s supply chain, finance, operations and strategy teams.
    
            Under Kenny, changes to restaurant operations and menus alienated customers and staff and hurt sales. Red Lobster started charging for a side salad for the first time, angering some customers.
    
            “When you spend $43.99 for a meal the salad should be part of it,” one customer said recently on Facebook. “Texas Roadhouse does not charge extra for a side salad. Red Lobster was my favorite place to eat, but no longer.”
    
            The chain started leaving tails on shrimp in pasta and eliminated sauté stations in kitchens to save on labor costs, according to a different former Red Lobster employee.
    
            It also squeezed Red Lobster’s waitstaff, switching from servers covering three tables to 10 and removing a host at the entrance during lunch hours. Thai Union said at the time it was to improve customer service, but former Red Lobster employees say the change taxed restaurant staff.
    
            Overstretched restaurant staff had fewer managers and cooks than ever, said Barry Fulghum, who started out as a dishwasher at Red Lobster in the 1970s and worked his way up to become an operations director, retiring last year.
    
            “There would be times we would have one or two people working the kitchen line,” he said.  “What those cooks did on the line was amazing given the staffing situation they were dealt.”
    
            Meanwhile, Thai Union took a larger role in Red Lobster’s supply chain decisions, despite pledges in 2020 that it would not interfere.
    
            Red Lobster had spent decades developing a wide array of suppliers to buy at competitive prices and mitigate the risks of becoming too reliant on any single supplier.
    
            Thai Union blew that up.
    
            Red Lobster employees say they were pressured by Thai Union representatives to buy more seafood from Thai Union. Thai Union representatives also began sitting in on meetings between Red Lobster and seafood suppliers, said one of the former Red Lobster employees who witnessed these conversations. Thai Union was the direct competitor of these other seafood suppliers, and suddenly had intimate access to their products, prices and strategy.
    
            “Our suppliers were really upset that [Thai Union representatives] were in those meetings with them,” this person said.
    
            Shrimp dishes also became a larger focus of Red Lobster’s menu under Thai Union, which was a large shrimp supplier to Red Lobster.
    
            “Every promotion was shrimp-centric,” this person said.
    
            Then came the endless shrimp.
    
            Endless shrimp had been a successful limited-time promotion at Red Lobster for nearly 20 years. But last summer, Red Lobster turned $20 “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” into a permanent menu item instead.
    
            Kenny had been warned by Red Lobster leaders that $20 was too cheap to make a profit, according to a former employee who witnessed these conversations. But Red Lobster went ahead, turning it into an everyday offer in June 2023 and pushing the promotion heavily.
    
            (Kenny’s decision was met with “significant pushback from other members of the [company’s] management team,” Red Lobster also said in its bankruptcy filing.)
    
            “We have a very, very bold proposition for the consumers in the US. It’s $20, so it’s really affordable,” Thai Union finance chief Ludovic Garnier said on an earnings call in August 2023.
    
            But the move backfired.
    
            Customers sat at tables for long stretches of time, eating course after course of shrimp. Service slowed and wait times grew.
    
            Red Lobster lost $11 million following the deal, its bankruptcy filing states.
    
            Endless shrimp was an embarrassment for Red Lobster, spoofed on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and social media. To former Red Lobster employees, it was the latest sign Thai Union was ill-suited to run the chain.
    
            Thai Union announced in January it was divesting from Red Lobster and taking a $530 million loss on its investment. A month later, Thai Union CEO Chansiri said the company was looking to sell the chain.
    
            Red Lobster, he said, “is done [and] over with.”",CNN,25/05/2024,"['When seafood conglomerate Thai Union Group became Red Lobster’s leading shareholder in 2020, gaining 49% control of the chain, Red Lobster employees were assured Thai Union would not interfere in key decisions.', 'Thai Union will “not be involved in Red Lobster’s day-to-day operations, including [its] supply chain standards and processes,” according to a document titled “Seafood Supplier Talking Points” viewed by CNN that was approved by top Thai Union and Red Lobster executives.', '“We intend to maintain relationships with all current seafood suppliers,” the talking points said.', 'Those pledges didn’t last.', 'By 2022, representatives from Thai Union in Thailand, whose $4 billion empire includes brands like Chicken of the Sea and John West Foods, were embedded in Red Lobster’s Orlando headquarters, serving in top roles and closely directing the largest seafood restaurant chain in the world.', '“We are much deeper involved in the management of Red Lobster,” Thai Union finance chief Ludovic Garnier said on an analyst call in November 2022.', 'Now, Red Lobster has drowned in a relentless supply of Thai Union-supplied shrimp.', 'Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday, and it plans to sell its business to its lenders.', 'In turn, Red Lobster will receive financing to stay afloat.', 'Thai Union’s damaging decisions drove the pioneering chain’s fall, according to 13 former Red Lobster executives and senior leaders in various areas of the business as well as analysts.', 'All but two of the former Red Lobster employees spoke to CNN under the condition of anonymity because of either non-disclosure agreements with Thai Union; fear that speaking out would harm their careers; or because they don’t want to jeopardize deferred compensation from Red Lobster.', 'Thai Union earlier this year blamed the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as “sustained industry headwinds, higher interest rates and rising material and labor costs” for Red Lobster’s struggles.', 'In a statement to CNN, Thai Union said it “has a been a supplier to Red Lobster for more than 30 years, and we intend for that relationship to continue.”', 'A bankruptcy process “will allow Red Lobster to restructure its financial obligations and realize its long-term potential in a more favorable operating environment,” the company said.', 'Thai Union did not respond to CNN’s questions about the specific allegations raised in this story.', 'Former Red Lobster employees say that while the pandemic, inflation and rent costs impacted Red Lobster, Thai Union’s ineptitude was the pivotal factor in Red Lobster’s decline.', '“It was miserable working there for the last year and a half I was there,” said Les Foreman, a West Coast division vice president who worked at Red Lobster for 20 years and was fired in 2022. “', 'They didn’t have any idea about running a restaurant company in the United States.”', 'At Red Lobster headquarters, employees prided themselves on a fiercely loyal culture and low turnover.', 'Some employees had been with the chain for 30 and 40 years.', 'But as Thai Union installed executives at the chain, dozens of veteran Red Lobster leaders with deep knowledge of the brand and restaurant industry were fired or resigned in rapid succession.', 'Red Lobster ended up having five CEOs in five years.', 'Thai Union CEO Thiraphong Chansiri visited Red Lobster’s headquarters in 2022 and toured restaurants around the country.', 'He brought along a feng shui consultant named Angel to Orlando, former senior leaders at Red Lobster headquarters told CNN.', 'The consultant determined that executive offices in Orlando were “bad Feng shui and no one should use them,” one former leader told CNN.', 'The executive offices sat empty.', 'Former Red Lobster employees describe a toxic and demoralizing environment as Thai Union-appointed executives descended on headquarters and interim CEO Paul Kenny eventually took over the chain in 2022.', 'Kenny, an Australian-born former CEO of Minor Food, one of Asia’s largest casual dining and quick-service restaurants, was part of the Thai Union-led investor group that acquired Red Lobster.', 'Kenny criticized Red Lobster employees at meetings and made derogatory comments about them, according to former Red Lobster leaders who worked closely with Kenny.', 'Commenting on a woman’s weight at a Red Lobster annual conference in 2022 in Dallas as she walked across a stage to accept an award, Kenny said, “we need to institute an exercise program in this company,” another former Red Lobster executive told CNN.', 'Kenny did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment on these allegations.', 'Under Kenny, Red Lobster also cut two of its longtime shrimp suppliers— and competitors to Thai Union — to purchase more shrimp from Thai Union at higher costs, according to Red Lobster’s bankruptcy filing.', 'Kenny’s decision came “in apparent coordination with Thai Union and under the guise of a ‘quality review,’” Red Lobster said.', 'These changes culminated in a $20 endless shrimp promotion in 2023 that would come back to haunt Red Lobster.', '“Thai Union exercised an outsized influence on the Company’s shrimp purchasing,” Red Lobster alleged in its bankruptcy filing.', 'Red Lobster said it was “investigating whether Mr. Kenny’s decision-making process circumvented the Company’s normal supply chain and demand planning.”', 'Thai Union told CNN that Red Lobster’s accusations in the bankruptcy filing were “meritless,” and the company looks forward to a “full representation of the facts.”', 'Red Lobster also slowed investments in dining room upgrades, raised prices and cut labor under Thai Union, former executives and operations leaders say.', 'These decisions pushed away customers and cut into Red Lobster’s sales.', 'Red Lobster’s annual customer count has dropped by 30% since 2019, Red Lobster said in its bankruptcy filing.', 'Red Lobster was started in 1968 by Bill Darden, an architect of the casual dining revolution in America.', 'General Mills quickly bought Red Lobster and in 1995 spun the chain off into a new company, Darden Restaurants, named after its founder.', 'In 2014, Darden sold Red Lobster to Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm, for $2.1 billion.', 'To help fund the deal, Red Lobster spun off its real estate.', 'The arrangement wound up hurting Red Lobster because it became stuck with leases it no longer could afford to pay as the business struggled.', 'Two years later, Thai Union took a $575 million minority stake in Red Lobster.', 'In 2020, Thai Union expanded that stake, leading an investor group to buy out Golden Gate Capital and acquire Red Lobster.', 'During the first half of 2021, Red Lobster posted an operating profit, and Thai Union touted Red Lobster’s strength on calls with analysts and company presentations.', '“Red Lobster’s turnaround continued amid the pandemic,” Thai Union said in a quarterly earnings presentation in August of 2021.', 'There was “clear improvement in Red Lobster operations.”', 'Red Lobster re-hired 26,000 employees from January to August of 2021, Thai Union said in the presentation, and appointed Kelli Valade CEO.', 'Valade brought on a new leadership team, including a new head of finance, chief marketing officer and chief information officer.', 'But Kenny, then a Red Lobster board member, soon began exercising more control.', 'In early 2022, Kenny began visiting Red Lobster’s headquarters more frequently and touring restaurants, former Red Lobster employees who worked closely with Kenny say.', 'At a tense board meeting in late March 2022, Kenny disagreed with Valade that significant further investment was needed in Red Lobster, according to a former Red Lobster leader.', 'He chastised Red Lobster’s management team, which included Valade’s three recently hired executives, this person said.', 'Within 48 hours, Valade resigned, just eight months into her tenure.', 'Another Red Lobster board member who had decades of experience running casual dining restaurants in the United States resigned a day after.', 'Valade was appointed Denny’s CEO two months later.', 'She did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.', 'Kenny was initially described in a press release announcing Valade’s resignation as a “liaison” between Red Lobster’s leadership and the board of directors “during this time of transition.”', 'But, at the direction of Thai Union, Kenny became interim CEO, according to Red Lobster’s bankruptcy filing.', 'In the months after Kenny took over, Valade’s leadership team and other veteran leaders left.', 'In July of 2022, the chief operations officer and six vice presidents of operations overseeing restaurants were abruptly fired shortly before Red Lobster’s annual general manager conference.', 'Kenny appointed a Thai Union frozen seafood manager, Trin Tapanya, as Red Lobster’s chief operations officer overseeing restaurants.', 'Tapanya had no experience running restaurants.', 'He did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.', 'Other Thai Union representatives also became more closely involved across Red Lobster’s supply chain, finance, operations and strategy teams.', 'Under Kenny, changes to restaurant operations and menus alienated customers and staff and hurt sales.', 'Red Lobster started charging for a side salad for the first time, angering some customers.', '“When you spend $43.99 for a meal the salad should be part of it,” one customer said recently on Facebook. “', 'Texas Roadhouse does not charge extra for a side salad.', 'Red Lobster was my favorite place to eat, but no longer.”', 'The chain started leaving tails on shrimp in pasta and eliminated sauté stations in kitchens to save on labor costs, according to a different former Red Lobster employee.', 'It also squeezed Red Lobster’s waitstaff, switching from servers covering three tables to 10 and removing a host at the entrance during lunch hours.', 'Thai Union said at the time it was to improve customer service, but former Red Lobster employees say the changetaxed restaurant staff.', 'Overstretched restaurant staff had fewer managers and cooks than ever, said Barry Fulghum, who started out as a dishwasher at Red Lobster in the 1970s and worked his way up to become an operations director, retiring last year.', '“There would be times we would have one or two people working the kitchen line,” he said. “', 'What those cooks did on the line was amazing given the staffing situation they were dealt.”', 'Meanwhile, Thai Union took a larger role in Red Lobster’s supply chain decisions, despite pledges in 2020 that it would not interfere.', 'Red Lobster had spent decades developing a wide array of suppliers to buy at competitive prices and mitigate the risks of becoming too reliant on any single supplier.', 'Thai Union blew that up.', 'Red Lobster employees say they were pressured by Thai Union representatives to buy more seafood from Thai Union.', 'Thai Union representatives also began sitting in on meetings between Red Lobster and seafood suppliers, said one of the former Red Lobster employees who witnessed these conversations.', 'Thai Union was the direct competitor of these other seafood suppliers, and suddenly had intimate access to their products, prices and strategy.', '“Our suppliers were really upset that [Thai Union representatives] were in those meetings with them,” this person said.', 'Shrimp dishes also became a larger focus of Red Lobster’s menu under Thai Union, which was a large shrimp supplier to Red Lobster.', '“Every promotion was shrimp-centric,” this person said.', 'Then came the endless shrimp.', 'Endless shrimp had been a successful limited-time promotion at Red Lobster for nearly 20 years.', 'But last summer, Red Lobster turned $20 “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” into a permanent menu item instead.', 'Kenny had been warned by Red Lobster leaders that $20 was too cheap to make a profit, according to a former employee who witnessed these conversations.', 'But Red Lobster went ahead, turning it into an everyday offer in June 2023 and pushing the promotion heavily.', '(Kenny’s decision was met with “significant pushback from other members of the [company’s] management team,” Red Lobster also said in its bankruptcy filing.)', '“We have a very, very bold proposition for the consumers in the US.', 'It’s $20, so it’s really affordable,” Thai Union finance chief Ludovic Garnier said on an earnings call in August 2023.', 'But the move backfired.', 'Customers sat at tables for long stretches of time, eating course after course of shrimp.', 'Service slowed and wait times grew.', 'Red Lobster lost $11 million following the deal, its bankruptcy filing states.', 'Endless shrimp was an embarrassment for Red Lobster, spoofed on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and social media.', 'To former Red Lobster employees, it was the latest sign Thai Union was ill-suited to run the chain.', 'Thai Union announced in January it was divesting from Red Lobster and taking a $530 million loss on its investment.', 'A month later, Thai Union CEO Chansiri said the company was looking to sell the chain.', 'Red Lobster, he said, “is done [and] over with.”']",-0.0307786567940945,"Commenting on a woman’s weight at a Red Lobster annual conference in 2022 in Dallas as she walked across a stage to accept an award, Kenny said, “we need to institute an exercise program in this company,” another former Red Lobster executive told CNN.",The arrangement wound up hurting Red Lobster because it became stuck with leases it no longer could afford to pay as the business struggled.,-0.2130943662241885,There was “clear improvement in Red Lobster operations.”,"Thai Union’s damaging decisions drove the pioneering chain’s fall, according to 13 former Red Lobster executives and senior leaders in various areas of the business as well as analysts.",2024-05-27
Fed officials aren’t easing Wall Street’s nerves,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/economy/fed-minutes-wall-street-inflation/index.html,"
  Updated
        5:36 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Earlier this week, some officials at the Federal Reserve said they’re no longer worried about inflation reaccelerating, after data showed that progress stalled in the first quarter. Optimism spurred by the latest inflation data pushed all three major stock indexes to new record highs. But now Wall Street, eager for rate cuts, is on edge again.
    
            That’s because minutes from the central bank’s latest policy meeting released Wednesday showed that “various” officials said they would be willing to raise interest rates if necessary and that there were doubts as to whether financial conditions are restrictive enough to keep inflation from resurging.
    
            It spooked investors: The Dow slid more than 300 points following the release of the minutes.
    
            Moreover, the Fed minutes seemed to outweigh comments from Fed Governor Christopher Waller, a key messenger of monetary policy moves, who told CNBC in an interview Tuesday that the Fed could cut rates by the “end of the year.” In a separate speech earlier that day, he said “the data suggests that inflation isn’t accelerating.”
    
            “More recent data on the economy indicate that restrictive monetary policy is helping to cool off aggregate demand and the inflation data for April suggests that progress toward 2% has likely resumed,” Waller said at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
    
            He pointed to recent figures on employment and retail spending coming in weaker than expected, both of which should help take some steam out of inflation.
    
            But some financial leaders remain doubtful that the Fed is feeling confident enough to cut rates soon. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said Wednesday at an event hosted by Boston College that the Fed probably won’t begin to cut rates this year.
    
            “I’m still at zero cuts,” he said. “I think we’re set up for stickier inflation.”
    
            Fed officials have mostly sounded a little more optimistic about inflation recently, after the Consumer Price Index for April finally provided some welcome news. The inflation report was mostly in line with expectations, which was an improvement from the disappointing figures for the first three months of the year.
    
            “It’s important not to focus too much on just one data point,” said Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson at an event hosted by the Mortgage Bankers Association on Monday. However, he noted that the April CPI data was nonetheless “a good sign for us.”
    
            San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly told Axios in an interview that published Monday that she doesn’t “see any evidence right now that we need to adjust upwards.”
    
            Fed Chair Jerome Powell said earlier this month that it may just be a matter of giving high interest rates some time to kick in.
    
            “What that has told us is that we’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work,” he said during a moderated discussion with European Central Bank Governing Council member Klaas Knot.
    
            Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester told Bloomberg on Monday that she also thinks interest rates are high enough to deal with inflation. But despite the hopeful Fedspeak on inflation, there is still an uneasiness in the air about what’s really happening and what the central bank will do.
    
            “For now, the Fed says it wants to see more evidence that inflation is easing, which implies higher-for-longer rates until that data materializes,” wrote Chris Larkin, managing director of trading and investing for E*TRADE in a note Wednesday.
    
            “Traders will have to wait until next week’s PCE price index to get another read on inflation and update their expectations for rate cuts,” he said.
    
            The April Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, is due next Friday at 8:30 am ET, along with data on household incomes and spending.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Earlier this week, some officials at the Federal Reserve said they’re no longer worried about inflation reaccelerating, after data showed that progress stalled in the first quarter.', 'Optimism spurred by the latest inflation data pushed all three major stock indexes to new record highs.', 'But now Wall Street, eager for rate cuts, is on edge again.', 'That’s because minutes from the central bank’s latest policy meeting released Wednesday showed that “various” officials said they would be willing to raise interest rates if necessary and that there were doubts as to whether financial conditions are restrictive enough to keep inflation from resurging.', 'It spooked investors: The Dow slid more than 300 points following the release of the minutes.', 'Moreover, the Fed minutes seemed to outweigh comments from Fed Governor Christopher Waller, a key messenger of monetary policy moves, who told CNBC in an interview Tuesday that the Fed could cut rates by the “end of the year.”', 'In a separate speech earlier that day, he said “the data suggests that inflation isn’t accelerating.”', '“More recent data on the economy indicate that restrictive monetary policy is helping to cool off aggregate demand and the inflation data for April suggests that progress toward 2% has likely resumed,” Waller said at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.', 'He pointed to recent figures on employment and retail spending coming in weaker than expected, both of which should help take some steam out of inflation.', 'But some financial leaders remain doubtful that the Fed is feeling confident enough to cut rates soon.', 'Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said Wednesday at an event hosted by Boston College that the Fed probably won’t begin to cut rates this year.', '“I’m still at zero cuts,” he said. “', 'I think we’re set up for stickier inflation.”', 'Fed officials have mostly sounded a little more optimistic about inflation recently, after the Consumer Price Index for April finally provided some welcome news.', 'The inflation report was mostly in line with expectations, which was an improvement from the disappointing figures for the first three months of the year.', '“It’s important not to focus too much on just one data point,” said Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson at an event hosted by the Mortgage Bankers Association on Monday.', 'However, he noted that the April CPI data was nonetheless “a good sign for us.”', 'San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly told Axios in an interview that published Monday that she doesn’t “see any evidence right now that we need to adjust upwards.”', 'Fed Chair Jerome Powell said earlier this month that it may just be a matter of giving high interest rates some time to kick in.', '“What that has told us is that we’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work,” he said during a moderated discussion with European Central Bank Governing Council member Klaas Knot.', 'Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester told Bloomberg on Monday that she also thinks interest rates are high enough to deal with inflation.', 'But despite the hopeful Fedspeak on inflation, there is still an uneasiness in the air about what’s really happening and what the central bank will do.', '“For now, the Fed says it wants to see more evidence that inflation is easing, which implies higher-for-longer rates until that data materializes,” wrote Chris Larkin, managing director of trading and investing for E*TRADE in a note Wednesday.', '“Traders will have to wait until next week’s PCE price index to get another read on inflation and update their expectations for rate cuts,” he said.', 'The April Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, is due next Friday at 8:30 am ET, along with data on household incomes and spending.']",0.0776266220603488,"“More recent data on the economy indicate that restrictive monetary policy is helping to cool off aggregate demand and the inflation data for April suggests that progress toward 2% has likely resumed,” Waller said at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.","But despite the hopeful Fedspeak on inflation, there is still an uneasiness in the air about what’s really happening and what the central bank will do.",0.2231529131531715,Optimism spurred by the latest inflation data pushed all three major stock indexes to new record highs.,It spooked investors: The Dow slid more than 300 points following the release of the minutes.,2024-05-27
Mike Lynch defends himself in Autonomy fraud trial,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4nn2pyyjrgo,2024-05-23T20:33:46.731Z,"British tech magnate Mike Lynch has appeared in court in the US to rebut claims that he committed fraud to inflate the value of his company ahead of its sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011. He told the jury that he was uninvolved with the transactions that had been described in the trial, reportedly describing watching the proceedings as ""surreal"". Mr Lynch co-founded the software firm Autonomy in 1996, which grew to be one of the UK's biggest companies. An entrepreneur who once drew comparisons to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, he now faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors in San Francisco have spent weeks questioning witnesses, aiming to convince the jury of their case.  They claim that Mr Lynch was the ""driving force"" behind a scheme, using back-dated contracts and other manoeuvres to inflate the value of the firm, which ultimately sold for more than $11bn (£8.6bn). At the time, the deal ranked as the largest-ever takeover of a British technology business. Just a year later, HP wrote down the value of Autonomy by $8.8bn. HP claimed it had been duped into overpaying for the company, which was known for software that could extract useful information from ""unstructured"" sources such as phone calls, emails or video. Mr Lynch's team has argued that HP did not properly vet the deal. It has also worked to distance Mr Lynch from other executives, including its former chief financial office, who was already successfully prosecuted for fraud. Under questioning from his lawyer on Thursday, Mr Lynch said his focus at the firm was technology and marketing and he left others in charge of the numbers. He made the case that business was complex, saying: ""If you take a microscope to a spotless kitchen you’ll find bacteria."" Mr Lynch, a former UK government adviser who sat on the boards of the BBC and the British Library, vigorously fought attempts to bring him to trial in the US.  He was eventually extradited after a UK judge ruled in favour of HP in a similar civil fraud case in 2022. HP is seeking a reported $4bn in that case. As well as Mr Lynch, Autonomy's former finance executive Stephen Chamberlain is also on trial. ",BBC,23/05/2024,"['British tech magnate Mike Lynch has appeared in court in the US to rebut claims that he committed fraud to inflate the value of his company ahead of its sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.', 'He told the jury that he was uninvolved with the transactions that had been described in the trial, reportedly describing watching the proceedings as ""surreal"".', ""Mr Lynch co-founded the software firm Autonomy in 1996, which grew to be one of the UK's biggest companies."", 'An entrepreneur who once drew comparisons to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, he now faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.', 'Prosecutors in San Francisco have spent weeks questioning witnesses, aiming to convince the jury of their case.', 'They claim that Mr Lynch was the ""driving force"" behind a scheme, using back-dated contracts and other manoeuvres to inflate the value of the firm, which ultimately sold for more than $11bn (£8.6bn).', 'At the time, the deal ranked as the largest-ever takeover of a British technology business.', 'Just a year later, HP wrote down the value of Autonomy by $8.8bn.', 'HP claimed it had been duped into overpaying for the company, which was known for software that could extract useful information from ""unstructured"" sources such as phone calls, emails or video.', ""Mr Lynch's team has argued that HP did not properly vet the deal."", 'It has also worked to distance Mr Lynch from other executives, including its former chief financial office, who was already successfully prosecuted for fraud.', 'Under questioning from his lawyer on Thursday, Mr Lynch said his focus at the firm was technology and marketing and he left others in charge of the numbers.', 'He made the case that business was complex, saying: ""If you take a microscope to a spotless kitchen you’ll find bacteria.""', 'Mr Lynch, a former UK government adviser who sat on the boards of the BBC and the British Library, vigorously fought attempts to bring him to trial in the US.', 'He was eventually extradited after a UK judge ruled in favour of HP in a similar civil fraud case in 2022.', 'HP is seeking a reported $4bn in that case.', ""As well as Mr Lynch, Autonomy's former finance executive Stephen Chamberlain is also on trial.""]",-0.0785984982344544,"They claim that Mr Lynch was the ""driving force"" behind a scheme, using back-dated contracts and other manoeuvres to inflate the value of the firm, which ultimately sold for more than $11bn (£8.6bn).","An entrepreneur who once drew comparisons to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, he now faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.",-0.8707729339599609,,"HP claimed it had been duped into overpaying for the company, which was known for software that could extract useful information from ""unstructured"" sources such as phone calls, emails or video.",2024-05-27
Microsoft stock hits all-time high after hiring former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/20/investing/microsoft-stock-record-high-altman-openai/index.html,"
  Updated
        4:19 PM EST, Mon November 20, 2023
    ","Microsoft stock reached a record high on Monday after the company said that Sam Altman, former chief executive of OpenAI, will join the company to head its artificial intelligence innovation leg.
    
            Shares of the tech behemoth rose 2.1% to an all-time high close of $377.44 on Monday, beating the previous record of $376.17.
    
            That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup. Microsoft is the artificial intelligence firm’s biggest stakeholder, with a $13 billion investment in the company.
    
            Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.
    
            Altman’s hiring ended days of speculation that the former chief executive could return to the firm after his dramatic firing. Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, will replace OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati as interim chief executive.
    
            Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year. The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.
    
            Dan Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, reiterated his $425 price target for Microsoft’s stock following Altman’s and Brockman’s hires.
    
            “We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position from an AI perspective with Altman and Brockman” at the company, Ives wrote in a note on Monday.
    
            Other members of the “Magnificent Seven” saw a boost on Monday. Nvidia shares gained 2.3% to end the trading session at $504.20 ahead of its earnings due on Tuesday, notching a record-high close for the chipmaker.",CNN,20/11/2023,"['Microsoft stock reached a record high on Monday after the company said that Sam Altman, former chief executive of OpenAI, will join the company to head its artificial intelligence innovation leg.', 'Shares of the tech behemoth rose 2.1% to an all-time high close of $377.44 on Monday, beating the previous record of $376.17.', 'That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup.', 'Microsoft is the artificial intelligence firm’s biggest stakeholder, with a $13 billion investment in the company.', 'Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.', 'Altman’s hiring ended days of speculation that the former chief executive could return to the firm after his dramatic firing.', 'Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon-owned streaming service Twitch, will replace OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati as interim chief executive.', 'Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year.', 'The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.', 'Dan Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, reiterated his $425 price target for Microsoft’s stock following Altman’s and Brockman’s hires.', '“We view Microsoft now even in a stronger position from an AI perspective with Altman and Brockman” at the company, Ives wrote in a note on Monday.', 'Other members of the “Magnificent Seven” saw a boost on Monday.', 'Nvidia shares gained 2.3% to end the trading session at $504.20 ahead of its earnings due on Tuesday, notching a record-high close for the chipmaker.']",0.3148943375907157,"The stock is one of the “Magnificent Seven” that have powered the lion’s share of the market’s returns this year, boosted by Wall Street’s bet that artificial intelligence is the next big thing in tech.","Greg Brockman, who co-founded OpenAI and quit after Altman’s firing, is also joining Microsoft.",0.7688216765721639,Microsoft shares are up about 56% for the year.,"That comes after shares of Microsoft fell 1.7% on Friday, when Sam Altman was ousted from his position at OpenAI in a boardroom coup.",2024-05-27
This Memorial Day kicks off a buyer’s market for new cars,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/a-popular-memorial-day-tradition-is-back-hot-deals-on-new-cars/index.html,"
  Published
        6:15 PM EDT, Fri May 24, 2024
    ","Memorial Day weekend is shaping up to offer some of the best deals on new cars in years. The discounts vary widely by manufacturer and type of car – don’t expect too much off on a Toyota SUV, for example. But it’s a good time to be in the market for an electric vehicle.
    
            The new car market is finally a buyer’s market again.
    
            For decades, the holiday weekend was a great time to buy a new car, with dealers competing to sell out the last of the previous year’s models to make room for incoming new cars.
    
            It hasn’t been that way for a while, though. Covid lockdowns disrupted parts supply chains for car factories, making new models often hard to find. It got so bad that, for a while,  almost all cars were routinely selling for above the manufacturers suggested retail price, or MSRP, something that’s normally rare. Deep discounts? They were practically unheard of.
    
            Not this year. The auto industry is back pumping out new cars, and dealers are discounting again.
    
            Currently Ford dealers are offering average incentives of up to $1,556 on the Ford Bronco, more than six times what they were offering last year, according to data from Cox Automotive. On the GMC Sierra pickup, dealers are offering almost $6,000 on average in incentives, according to Cox.
    
            EVs are good buys right now. The Volkswagen ID.4 and Kia Niro EV, for instance, are selling at average discounts of more than 13%, according to Edmunds.com.
    
            Zero-percent financing deals for buyers with good credit have also become much more common this year than last, according to Edmunds.com.
    
            “A lot more inventory’s out there now,” said Eric Barbosa, business leader for the Cavender Auto Group in San Antonio, Texas. “I mean, we’ve got to get rid of these cars.”
    
            It’s not just seasonal sales hype, industry experts say. Dealers really are negotiating deeper discounts than they have in the last few years because they need the space. Overall, new vehicle inventory at dealers is the highest it’s been since late in 2020, according to Cox Automotive.
    
            The average discount on a 2023 model year vehicle these days is $4,127, according to Edmunds, which is much deeper than discounts on leftover prior-year models for the last few years.
    
            Newer 2024 model year vehicles are selling at an average discount of $1,741.
    
            “There’s a big push to get these ’23s out and make room for the ‘24s and ‘25s,” said Barbosa.
    
            There are more of these prior-year models, meaning 2023 model year vehicles, left than there were this time last year. Vehicles from the outgoing 2023 model year now account for 6.8% of all new vehicles on dealers’ lots, according to Edmunds.com. That’s higher than the percentage of 2022 model year vehicles available around this time last year, and it’s much higher than the 3.7% that were 2021 model year vehicles left for sale this late in 2022.
    
            Bulging vehicle inventories are not evenly distributed, though. Dealerships for some manufacturers have many more unsold vehicles than others. Dealers for Stellantis brands – Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram – are offering the biggest discounts, according to Edmunds.com. These brands are usually sold together in combined dealerships.
    
            Dodge is offering some of the biggest discounts in the industry, averaging more than $6,700 per vehicle, according to Edmunds. Chrysler vehicles are selling for an average discount of more than $6,200, while Jeeps are selling at an average of $6,000 off sticker price. Since these figures are averages, that means that not every model in every place will be discounted that much, of course, while some will be discounted more.
    
            Here’s one big caveat. A model year may seem like just a number, but shoppers should research carefully to make sure that last year’s model isn’t missing features and improvements introduced on the 2024 version. For example, if you’re considering the Lincoln Nautilus SUV, the 2024 model is entirely redesigned with lots of improvements including a big interior screen and customizable “digital scenting” to make the cabin smell nice. Also, when it comes time to trade in, the 2023 could be worth less than a 2024 model.
    
            “Consumers who prefer to swap their vehicles every few years may want to look elsewhere as these new outgoing models experience heavier immediate depreciation compared to new vehicles from the current model year,” said Edmunds industry analyst Ivan Drury in an email.
    
            And not all dealers are offering exciting sales.
    
            “Toyota, Honda and Kia, there is still so much pent-up demand for these brands, inventory is tight, and sell-through rates are high,” said Brian Finkelmeyer, an industry analyst with Cox Automotive.
    
            So you’re unlikely to find big discounts on those vehicles. It will also depend on the type of vehicle you’re looking for, experts say.
    
            “The deals are likely to be had on slower-selling models, specifically sedans and hatchbacks,” said Brian Moody, an industry analyst with Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. “With compact SUVs selling in higher and higher volumes each year, don’t bother. You will likely be paying full sticker price.”",CNN,24/05/2024,"['Memorial Day weekend is shaping up to offer some of the best deals on new cars in years.', 'The discounts vary widely by manufacturer and type of car – don’t expect too much off on a Toyota SUV, for example.', 'But it’s a good time to be in the market for an electric vehicle.', 'The new car market is finally a buyer’s market again.', 'For decades, the holiday weekend was a great time to buy a new car, with dealers competing to sell out the last of the previous year’s models to make room for incoming new cars.', 'It hasn’t been that way for a while, though.', 'Covid lockdowns disrupted parts supply chains for car factories, making new models often hard to find.', 'It got so bad that, for a while, almost all cars were routinely selling for above the manufacturers suggested retail price, or MSRP, something that’s normally rare.', 'Deep discounts?', 'They were practically unheard of.', 'Not this year.', 'The auto industry is back pumping out new cars, and dealers are discounting again.', 'Currently Ford dealers are offering average incentives of up to $1,556 on the Ford Bronco, more than six times what they were offering last year, according to data from Cox Automotive.', 'On the GMC Sierra pickup, dealers are offering almost $6,000 on average in incentives, according to Cox.', 'EVs are good buys right now.', 'The Volkswagen ID.4 and Kia Niro EV, for instance, are selling at average discounts of more than 13%, according to Edmunds.com.', 'Zero-percent financing deals for buyers with good credit have also become much more common this year than last, according to Edmunds.com.', '“A lot more inventory’s out there now,” said Eric Barbosa, business leader for the Cavender Auto Group in San Antonio, Texas. “', 'I mean, we’ve got to get rid of these cars.”', 'It’s not just seasonal sales hype, industry experts say.', 'Dealers really are negotiating deeper discounts than they have in the last few years because they need the space.', 'Overall, new vehicle inventory at dealers is the highest it’s been since late in 2020, according to Cox Automotive.', 'The average discount on a 2023 model year vehicle these days is $4,127, according to Edmunds, which is much deeper than discounts on leftover prior-year models for the last few years.', 'Newer 2024 model year vehicles are selling at an average discount of $1,741.', '“There’s a big push to get these ’23s out and make room for the ‘24s and ‘25s,” said Barbosa.', 'There are more of these prior-year models, meaning 2023 model year vehicles, left than there were this time last year.', 'Vehicles from the outgoing 2023 model year now account for 6.8% of all new vehicles on dealers’ lots, according to Edmunds.com.', 'That’s higher than the percentage of 2022 model year vehicles available around this time last year, and it’s much higher than the 3.7% that were 2021 model year vehicles left for sale this late in 2022.', 'Bulging vehicle inventories are not evenly distributed, though.', 'Dealerships for some manufacturers have many more unsold vehicles than others.', 'Dealers for Stellantis brands – Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram – are offering the biggest discounts, according to Edmunds.com.', 'These brands are usually sold together in combined dealerships.', 'Dodge is offering some of the biggest discounts in the industry, averaging more than $6,700 per vehicle, according to Edmunds.', 'Chrysler vehicles are selling for an average discount of more than $6,200, while Jeeps are selling at an average of $6,000 off sticker price.', 'Since these figures are averages, that means that not every model in every place will be discounted that much, of course, while some will be discounted more.', 'Here’s one big caveat.', 'A model year may seem like just a number, but shoppers should research carefully to make sure that last year’s model isn’t missing features and improvements introduced on the 2024 version.', 'For example, if you’re considering the Lincoln Nautilus SUV, the 2024 model is entirely redesigned with lots of improvements including a big interior screen and customizable “digital scenting” to make the cabin smell nice.', 'Also, when it comes time to trade in, the 2023 could be worth less than a 2024 model.', '“Consumers who prefer to swap their vehicles every few years may want to look elsewhere as these new outgoing models experience heavier immediate depreciation compared to new vehicles from the current model year,” said Edmunds industry analyst Ivan Drury in an email.', 'And not all dealers are offering exciting sales.', '“Toyota, Honda and Kia, there is still so much pent-up demand for these brands, inventory is tight, and sell-through rates are high,” said Brian Finkelmeyer, an industry analyst with Cox Automotive.', 'So you’re unlikely to find big discounts on those vehicles.', 'It will also depend on the type of vehicle you’re looking for, experts say.', '“The deals are likely to be had on slower-selling models, specifically sedans and hatchbacks,” said Brian Moody, an industry analyst with Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. “', 'With compact SUVs selling in higher and higher volumes each year, don’t bother.', 'You will likely be paying full sticker price.”']",0.0816884275722786,"For decades, the holiday weekend was a great time to buy a new car, with dealers competing to sell out the last of the previous year’s models to make room for incoming new cars.","“Toyota, Honda and Kia, there is still so much pent-up demand for these brands, inventory is tight, and sell-through rates are high,” said Brian Finkelmeyer, an industry analyst with Cox Automotive.",0.4830188900232315,"Overall, new vehicle inventory at dealers is the highest it’s been since late in 2020, according to Cox Automotive.","It got so bad that, for a while, almost all cars were routinely selling for above the manufacturers suggested retail price, or MSRP, something that’s normally rare.",2024-05-27
Why lab-grown diamond sales are surging,https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/27/business/diamonds-manmade-demand/index.html,"
  Published
        7:49 AM EDT, Wed April 27, 2022
    ","It’s proposal season, and engagements are on the rise. So are factory-made diamond sales.
    
            Not that you’d know the difference. Man-made diamonds look the same as naturally occurring ones. The only noticeable difference is the price tag.
    
            “The result is really stunning,” said Edahn Golan, an independent diamond industry analyst.
    
            He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.
    
            Going back by another month, to February, the data showed the number of rings sold with lab diamonds that month surged even more, to 80% compared to a year earlier while the number fell by 13% for natural diamond engagement rings. 
    
            “The big fear in the natural diamonds industry is that consumers will start accepting lab-grown diamonds in engagement rings,” he said. Too late. “It’s actually happening.” 
    
            Why are consumers flocking to man-made diamonds? Cost is the most obvious reason. The average retail price of the most popular one carat round man-made diamond for an engagement ring in March was $2,318, Golan said.
    
            “This is substantially less – as much as 73% cheaper – than a natural diamond of the same size, cut and clarity as the man-made diamond, which would cost $8,740,” he said. Plus, the lower cost allows couples to buy a bigger stone.
    
            “A lab diamond is a real diamond, but maybe it took a few weeks to make it,” said Golan. “Natural diamonds were formed over 800 million to three billion years and there isn’t an infinite supply of them.” 
    
            This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.
    
            The sanctions directly target Alrosa, partly owned by the Russian government, which the US government identified as the world’s largest diamond mining company, accounting for 28% of global diamond output.
    
            Man-made diamonds are also becoming popular as consumers are more aware and educated about them, said Dan Moran, a third-generation diamond expert and owner of LA-based fine jeweler Concierge Diamonds. Moran said the typical buyer of man-made diamonds is typically younger than 40 and very budget conscious.
    
            Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.
    
            Among Millennials and Gen Z, their eco-conscious mindset and ethical concerns about natural diamond sourcing is another factor influencing their preference for non-traditional engagement rings, according to a report from wedding planning website The Knot.
    
            Although its slice is growing, the market share for man-made diamonds remains relatively small.
    
            Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan. 
    
            Some major jewelry retailers are driving the effort to take man-made diamonds mainstream. In 2021, the world’s largest jewelry company, Pandora
            
                (PANDY), made a major shift by announcing it would stop using mined diamonds and would swap to lab-created diamonds in its jewelry. 
    
            Pandora said it’s instituting the change as part of an effort to sell sustainable jewelry, and also because consumers increasingly are asking for it.
    
            Signet,
            
                (SIG) the largest jewelry company in the United States (which owns Zales, Kay Jewelers and Jared chains) called out the popularity of lab diamond jewelry in its March earnings call with analysts.
    
            Calling it a “fast-growing category” in its jewelry portfolio, Signet CEO Virginia Drosos told analysts that lab-created diamonds are among the big jewelry trends she expects this year. 
    
            The company said it has expanded its man-made bridal jewelry selection in both its Zales and Kay Jewelers stores in response to the increased demand. 
    
            Fine jewelry brand Charles and Colvard, which makes lab-created diamonds, said consumers don’t just want to look good with the jewelry they are wearing, they also want to feel good about it.
    
            “As the momentum for conscious consumerism grows, the surge towards lab grown diamonds isn’t surprising,” said Don O’Connell, president and CEO of Charles & Colvard. “[Consumers] want to know the origins of their stones and be reassured they’re conflict-free. They’re embracing the choice to purchase a piece of fine jewelry that aligns with their values.”
    
            Lab-grown diamond brand VRAI said the pandemic, too, has sparked attention and action toward social and environmental issues. It said consumers are being more thoughtful and reassessing their purchasing habits, as well as the companies and industries they are supporting.
    
            There is, however, one important consideration for anyone buying lab-created diamonds: Man-made diamonds have little resale value. 
    
            So while you may not be able to tell a natural diamond from a factory made variety, someone with a trained eye can, said Golan. Once a stone is identified as a factory diamond, even though you paid a lot less for it, you also won’t get much for it. 
    
            But the value of a ring isn’t just monetary.
    
            “As a professional in the industry, I am asked all the time by people about what I think about a ring they have,” said Moran, of Concierge Jewelers. “I always say, if you love it, be happy with it. An engagement ring is a symbol of commitment and enduring love.”",CNN,27/04/2022,"['It’s proposal season, and engagements are on the rise.', 'So are factory-made diamond sales.', 'Not that you’d know the difference.', 'Man-made diamonds look the same as naturally occurring ones.', 'The only noticeable difference is the price tag.', '“The result is really stunning,” said Edahn Golan, an independent diamond industry analyst.', 'He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.', 'Going back by another month, to February, the data showed the number of rings sold with lab diamonds that month surged even more, to 80% compared to a year earlier while the number fell by 13% for natural diamond engagement rings.', '“The big fear in the natural diamonds industry is that consumers will start accepting lab-grown diamonds in engagement rings,” he said.', 'Too late. “', 'It’s actually happening.”', 'Why are consumers flocking to man-made diamonds?', 'Cost is the most obvious reason.', 'The average retail price of the most popular one carat round man-made diamond for an engagement ring in March was $2,318, Golan said.', '“This is substantially less – as much as 73% cheaper – than a natural diamond of the same size, cut and clarity as the man-made diamond, which would cost $8,740,” he said.', 'Plus, the lower cost allows couples to buy a bigger stone.', '“A lab diamond is a real diamond, but maybe it took a few weeks to make it,” said Golan. “', 'Natural diamonds were formed over 800 million to three billion years and there isn’t an infinite supply of them.”', 'This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.', 'The sanctions directly target Alrosa, partly owned by the Russian government, which the US government identified as the world’s largest diamond mining company, accounting for 28% of global diamond output.', 'Man-made diamonds are also becoming popular as consumers are more aware and educated about them, said Dan Moran, a third-generation diamond expert and owner of LA-based fine jeweler Concierge Diamonds.', 'Moran said the typical buyer of man-made diamonds is typically younger than 40 and very budget conscious.', 'Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.', 'Among Millennials and Gen Z, their eco-conscious mindset and ethical concerns about natural diamond sourcing is another factor influencing their preference for non-traditional engagement rings, according to a report from wedding planning website The Knot.', 'Although its slice is growing, the market share for man-made diamonds remains relatively small.', 'Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan.', 'Some major jewelry retailers are driving the effort to take man-made diamonds mainstream.', 'In 2021, the world’s largest jewelry company, Pandora  (PANDY), made a major shift by announcing it would stop using mined diamonds and would swap to lab-created diamonds in its jewelry.', 'Pandora said it’s instituting the change as part of an effort to sell sustainable jewelry, and also because consumers increasingly are asking for it.', 'Signet,  (SIG) the largest jewelry company in the United States (which owns Zales, Kay Jewelers and Jared chains) called out the popularity of lab diamond jewelry in its March earnings call with analysts.', 'Calling it a “fast-growing category” in its jewelry portfolio, Signet CEO Virginia Drosos told analysts that lab-created diamonds are among the big jewelry trends she expects this year.', 'The company said it has expanded its man-made bridal jewelry selection in both its Zales and Kay Jewelers stores in response to the increased demand.', 'Fine jewelry brand Charles and Colvard, which makes lab-created diamonds, said consumers don’t just want to look good with the jewelry they are wearing, they also want to feel good about it.', '“As the momentum for conscious consumerism grows, the surge towards lab grown diamonds isn’t surprising,” said Don O’Connell, president and CEO of Charles & Colvard. “[', 'Consumers] want to know the origins of their stones and be reassured they’re conflict-free.', 'They’re embracing the choice to purchase a piece of fine jewelry that aligns with their values.”', 'Lab-grown diamond brand VRAI said the pandemic, too, has sparked attention and action toward social and environmental issues.', 'It said consumers are being more thoughtful and reassessing their purchasing habits, as well as the companies and industries they are supporting.', 'There is, however, one important consideration for anyone buying lab-created diamonds: Man-made diamonds have little resale value.', 'So while you may not be able to tell a natural diamond from a factory made variety, someone with a trained eye can, said Golan.', 'Once a stone is identified as a factory diamond, even though you paid a lot less for it, you also won’t get much for it.', 'But the value of a ring isn’t just monetary.', '“As a professional in the industry, I am asked all the time by people about what I think about a ring they have,” said Moran, of Concierge Jewelers. “', 'I always say, if you love it, be happy with it.', 'An engagement ring is a symbol of commitment and enduring love.”']",0.3714494325159568,"He said March data showed the number of engagement rings sold that featured a manufactured diamond jumped 63% compared to last year, while the number of engagement rings sold with a natural diamond declined 25% in the same period.",Mined diamonds have a controversial history that’s tied to the use of child labor in some African diamond mines as well as sales of illegally-traded “conflict diamonds” that fund conflict in war-torn areas.,0.8542834222316742,"Currently, about 7% of the specialty diamond jewelry market is represented by man-made diamonds, up from 3% in 2020, said Golan.","This makes natural diamonds quite a bit more expensive, and prices are likely to rise as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tightened the supply chain for natural raw diamonds.",2024-05-27
It’s back: Targeted Amex card holders can get up to 30% off at Amazon,https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/deals/amazon-amex-discount-promotion,"
  
        11:21 AM EST, Wed February 14, 2024
    ","Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities. While that’s true, there’s another lesser-known use for them — redeeming them for purchases at Amazon. Right now, you may be eligible for an Amazon promotion where you can save big on Amazon purchases by redeeming as little as one Amex point.
    
            Targeted American Express card members can save as much as 30% on their next Amazon purchase, for up to $30 in savings when you use Amex points to pay for at least a portion of your purchase at checkout. However, your offer may be higher or lower.
    
            This offer is set to expire on June 30, 2024, so even if you aren’t in the market to shop at Amazon right now, you have some time to take advantage of the savings. That said, Amazon also states it will deactivate the offer after 24,167 customers have redeemed it.
    
            With many Amazon discounted offers, scoring the deal can be a little complicated. But we’re going to take you through it step by step to make sure you’re getting as much of a discount as possible when you’re shopping at Amazon.
    
            To start, you must have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points. Amex cards that earn other types of rewards, such as cash back or airline miles, won’t work. But there are plenty of Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points — a small sampling of them is at the end of this story.
    
            Next, you’ll need to link your Amazon and American Express accounts. Add your American Express card as a payment method in your Amazon account, if you haven’t already. Then look for the option to enroll in “Shop with Points” under the “Your Account” tab, and click the “Enroll” button for the Amex card you just added.
    
            Once your accounts are connected, you’ll need to activate the offer by clicking on this link. Remember, this is a targeted promotion, so not everyone will be eligible for it — you could be targeted for any one of the offers or none of them. When you click on the link, if you see a message that you’re not eligible, then you’re unfortunately not targeted for this particular promotion.
    
            But even if you’re not targeted, don’t give up hope. If you just enrolled in “Shop with Points,” you may need to wait 24 hours for Amazon’s records to refresh before knowing if you’re targeted, so check back in a day or so.
    
            If you’re eligible, activate the offer by clicking on the “Activate now” button — the enrollment page will indicate your particular discount. You can then shop at Amazon as you normally would, though only products sold and shipped by Amazon are eligible for these discounts. Additionally, Amazon gift cards are excluded, though other third-party retailer gift cards sold by Amazon might be eligible.
    
            But wait! There’s one more step. When you’re ready to check out, you’ll want to make sure to select your linked American Express card as your payment method. Then you’ll need to use at least 1 point to pay for your purchase for the discount to apply.
    
            When paying with Amex Membership Rewards points at Amazon, 1 point equals 0.7 cents. That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points. Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Membership Rewards points as high as 2 cents each when redeemed for travel.
    
            However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to pay for your entire Amazon purchase with points to get these discounts. In fact, you can use just 1 point and pay for the rest with your Amex card, and you’ll still see the discount applied to your order. However, some accounts might see that you need to redeem slightly more points — 714 to be exact — to receive the savings, so make sure to check the terms of your exact offer.
    
            To pay with the minimum number of points required, enter $0.01 in the points section at checkout, which will apply just 1 point to your payment, You can use any number of points you want, but if you don’t make this change, Amazon may automatically apply the maximum number of points to cover the entire purchase, so you’ll want to make sure to update the amount before you place the order.
    
            Once you’ve applied at least 1 point to your payment, you’ll see the discount added to your order. The discount will apply on every order you place through June 30 until you hit the total maximum in savings — which will depend on your particular offer.
    
            Let’s take a look at some examples of how you can apply this discount to your upcoming Amazon purchases, even if you don’t need anything from Amazon right at the moment.
    
            With airlines having regular delays and cancellations over the last year, placing an Apple AirTag on your luggage can be a great way to track the location of your belongings. An Apple AirTag 4 Pack is currently priced at $78.99 before taxes and shipping, but if you’re targeted for the 30% off American Express offer, that’ll bring the pack down to $55.30, or around $13.83 per AirTag before tax.
    
            Or, if you’re hoping to pick up a set of new Apple AirPods Pro 2, right now Amazon is selling them for $189.99. But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.
    
            Even if you aren’t eligible for any of these particular Amex promotions, offers like this typically resurface many times throughout the year, so keep on checking back.
    
            Amazon often runs similar promotions for other credit cards, so check out our guides to discounts for Chase and Discover card holders to see what’s available. You might also find that even if you aren’t eligible now for one of these offers, you could magically become targeted in a few weeks, so keep on checking the link to see if you’ve been granted access.
    
            Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, so keep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.
    
            Also, make sure you read our guide to the best credit cards for Amazon to be sure you’re using the right card when you buy at Amazon.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,14/02/2024,"['Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities.', 'While that’s true, there’s another lesser-known use for them — redeeming them for purchases at Amazon.', 'Right now, you may be eligible for anAmazonpromotion where you can save big on Amazon purchases by redeeming as little as one Amex point.', 'Targeted American Express card members cansave as much as 30% on their next Amazon purchase, for up to $30 in savings when you use Amex points to pay for at least a portion of your purchase at checkout.', 'However, your offer may be higher or lower.', 'This offer is set to expire on June 30, 2024, so even if you aren’t in the market to shop at Amazon right now, you have some time to take advantage of the savings.', 'That said, Amazon also states it will deactivate the offer after 24,167 customers have redeemed it.', 'With many Amazon discounted offers, scoring the deal can be a little complicated.', 'But we’re going to take you through it step by step to make sure you’re getting as much of a discount as possible when you’re shopping atAmazon.', 'To start, you must have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points.', 'Amex cards that earn other types of rewards, such as cash back or airline miles, won’t work.', 'But there are plenty of Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points — a small sampling of them is at the end of this story.', 'Next, you’ll need tolink your Amazon and American Express accounts.', 'Add your American Express card as a payment method in your Amazon account, if you haven’t already.', 'Then look for the option toenroll in “Shop with Points”under the “Your Account” tab, and click the “Enroll” button for the Amex card you just added.', 'Once your accounts are connected, you’ll need to activate the offer byclicking on this link.', 'Remember, this is a targeted promotion, so not everyone will be eligible for it — you could be targeted for any one of the offers or none of them.', 'When you click on the link, if you see a message that you’re not eligible, then you’re unfortunately not targeted for this particular promotion.', 'But even if you’re not targeted, don’t give up hope.', 'If you just enrolled in “Shop with Points,” you may need to wait 24 hours for Amazon’s records to refresh before knowing if you’re targeted, so check back in a day or so.', 'If you’re eligible, activate the offer byclicking on the “Activate now” button— the enrollment page will indicate your particular discount.', 'You can thenshop at Amazonas you normally would, though only products sold and shipped by Amazon are eligible for these discounts.', 'Additionally, Amazon gift cards are excluded, though otherthird-party retailer gift cardssold by Amazon might be eligible.', 'But wait!', 'There’s one more step.', 'When you’re ready to check out, you’ll want to make sure to select your linked American Express card as your payment method.', 'Then you’ll need to use at least 1 point to pay for your purchase for the discount to apply.', 'When paying with Amex Membership Rewards points at Amazon, 1 point equals 0.7 cents.', 'That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points.', 'Frequent flyer websiteThe Points Guyvalues Membership Rewards points as high as 2 cents each when redeemed for travel.', 'However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to pay for your entireAmazonpurchase with points to get these discounts.', 'In fact,you can use just 1 point and pay for the rest with your Amex card, and you’ll still see the discount applied to your order.', 'However, some accounts might see that you need to redeem slightly more points —714 to be exact —to receive the savings, so make sure to check the terms of your exact offer.', 'To pay with the minimum number of points required, enter $0.01 in the points section at checkout, which will apply just 1 point to your payment, You can use any number of points you want, but if you don’t make this change,Amazonmay automatically apply the maximum number of points to cover the entire purchase, so you’ll want to make sure to update the amount before you place the order.', 'Once you’ve applied at least 1 point to your payment, you’ll see the discount added to your order.', 'The discount will apply on every order you place through June 30 until you hit the total maximum in savings —which will depend on your particular offer.', 'Let’s take a look at some examples of how you can apply this discount to your upcomingAmazonpurchases, even if you don’t need anything from Amazon right at the moment.', 'With airlines having regular delays and cancellations over the last year, placing an Apple AirTag on your luggage can be a great way to track the location of your belongings.', 'An Apple AirTag 4 Pack is currently priced at $78.99 before taxes and shipping, but if you’re targeted for the 30% off American Express offer, that’ll bring the pack down to $55.30, or around $13.83 per AirTag before tax.', 'Or, if you’re hoping to pick up a set of new Apple AirPods Pro 2, right now Amazon is selling them for $189.99.', 'But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.', 'Even if you aren’t eligible for any of these particular Amex promotions, offers like this typically resurface many times throughout the year, so keep on checking back.', 'Amazon often runs similar promotions for other credit cards, so check out our guides to discounts for Chase and Discover card holders to see what’s available.', 'You might also find that even if you aren’t eligible now for one of these offers, you could magically become targeted in a few weeks, so keep on checking the link to see if you’ve been granted access.', 'Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, sokeep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.', 'Also, make sure you read our guide to thebest credit cards for Amazonto be sure you’re using the right card when you buy at Amazon.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.2766683229921542,Most American Express card members typically think of their Amex points as opportunities for amazing travel opportunities.,That’s not the best value you can get for Amex points.,-0.0578339397907257,"Amazon has been eagerly offers some lucrative promotions over the last few years, sokeep your credit card accounts linked to your Amazon account, and if you’re targeted for any of these offers, make sure you use them before they expire at the end of the year.",But you can knock that down even further to as low as $159.99 before taxes if you’re targeted for this offer.,2024-05-27
Nvidia’s incredibly pricey shares are about to get much cheaper,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/business/nvidias-stock-split-earnings-results/index.html,"
  Updated
        5:14 PM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Nvidia announced a 10-for-1 stock split on Wednesday, making buying shares in the red-hot semiconductor company more accessible for individual investors.
    
            Five years ago, an investor could have purchased Nvidia stock for less than $50 a share. But since then, the stock has exploded more than 2,500%. A single share in the company was worth $949.50 as of Wednesday’s close.
    
            Nvidia’s (NVDA) announcement, which came in its quarterly earnings report, means that each common share will be split into 10 smaller shares, effectively cutting the price of investing in the company.
    
            The company posted yet another quarter of strong financial results on Wednesday, as well. Nvidia reported a 262% increase in revenue and a 462% increase in profits year-over-year.
    
            Nvidia’s post-split shares will begin trading at the market open on June 10, coming at a time when Nvidia’s stock has been on a tear, fueled by investor enthusiasm about the company’s role in artificial intelligence.
    
            Nvidia shares rose as much as 4% in after-hours trading following the report.
    
            Nvidia is crucial to the burgeoning AI space. The American chipmaker is unmatched in producing processors that power artificial intelligence systems, including for generative AI, the buzzy new technology that can create text, images and other media.
    
             And the company’s soaring stock price over the past year means Nvidia is now deeply important to the broader market, too. The company has become something of a bellwether for the larger AI boom that has been driving the recent market rally.
    
            That the company was again able to exceed Wall Street’s predications for its booming sales growth on Wednesday isn’t entirely surprising. Many of the major tech giants, including Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and others, have announced in recent weeks that they’re continuing to pour billions of dollars into building AI infrastructure, and no company is better poised to be the beneficiary of that investment than Nvidia.
    
            Still, some investors had raised questions ahead of Wednesday’s report about just how long Nvidia could keep the rally going. The company faces growing competition from in-house AI chips from Amazon and Alphabet, and it has had to contend with US restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China.
    
            “There was no secret around Wall Street that Nvidia’s earnings would come in hot once again,” Investing.com senior analyst Thomas Monteiro said in a statement following the report. “While the company didn’t repeat the same total blowout from the last few quarters in any specific area, today’s numbers remain incredibly strong, leaving no doubt that the company’s leadership in the AI revolution remains unchallenged for now.”
    
            Nvidia said it expects revenue for the current quarter to grow approximately 107% year-over-year, a slight slowdown from the meteoric sales growth the company has posted over the past few quarters as it hits the one-year mark from when the AI boom began to take off.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Nvidia announced a 10-for-1 stock split on Wednesday, making buying shares in the red-hot semiconductor company more accessible for individual investors.', 'Five years ago, an investor could have purchased Nvidia stock for less than $50 a share.', 'But since then, the stock has exploded more than 2,500%.', 'A single share in the company was worth $949.50 as of Wednesday’s close.', 'Nvidia’s (NVDA) announcement, which came in its quarterly earnings report, means that each common share will be split into 10 smaller shares, effectively cutting the price of investing in the company.', 'The company posted yet another quarter of strong financial results on Wednesday, as well.', 'Nvidia reported a 262% increase in revenue and a 462% increase in profits year-over-year.', 'Nvidia’s post-split shares will begin trading at the market open on June 10, coming at a time when Nvidia’s stock has been on a tear, fueled by investor enthusiasm about the company’s role in artificial intelligence.', 'Nvidia shares rose as much as 4% in after-hours trading following the report.', 'Nvidia is crucial to the burgeoning AI space.', 'The American chipmaker is unmatched in producing processors that power artificial intelligence systems, including for generative AI, the buzzy new technology that can create text, images and other media.', 'And the company’s soaring stock price over the past year means Nvidia is now deeply important to the broader market, too.', 'The company has become something of a bellwether for the larger AI boom that has been driving the recent market rally.', 'That the company was again able to exceed Wall Street’s predications for its booming sales growth on Wednesday isn’t entirely surprising.', 'Many of the major tech giants, including Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and others, have announced in recent weeks that they’re continuing to pour billions of dollars into building AI infrastructure, and no company is better poised to be the beneficiary of that investment than Nvidia.', 'Still, some investors had raised questions ahead of Wednesday’s report about just how long Nvidia could keep the rally going.', 'The company faces growing competition from in-house AI chips from Amazon and Alphabet, and it has had to contend with US restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China.', '“There was no secret around Wall Street that Nvidia’s earnings would come in hot once again,” Investing.com senior analyst Thomas Monteiro said in a statement following the report. “', 'While the company didn’t repeat the same total blowout from the last few quarters in any specific area, today’s numbers remain incredibly strong, leaving no doubt that the company’s leadership in the AI revolution remains unchallenged for now.”', 'Nvidia said it expects revenue for the current quarter to grow approximately 107% year-over-year, a slight slowdown from the meteoric sales growth the company has posted over the past few quarters as it hits the one-year mark from when the AI boom began to take off.']",0.3541479959924145,"Nvidia’s post-split shares will begin trading at the market open on June 10, coming at a time when Nvidia’s stock has been on a tear, fueled by investor enthusiasm about the company’s role in artificial intelligence.","“There was no secret around Wall Street that Nvidia’s earnings would come in hot once again,” Investing.com senior analyst Thomas Monteiro said in a statement following the report. “",0.8398077317646572,Nvidia shares rose as much as 4% in after-hours trading following the report.,"The company faces growing competition from in-house AI chips from Amazon and Alphabet, and it has had to contend with US restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China.",2024-05-27
"Bilt’s May Rent Day promotion: Redeem points toward rent, get free home decor",https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/bilt-rent-day-promotion,"
  Updated
        4:22 PM EDT, Thu April 25, 2024
    ","The Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees) has been incredibly popular since its inception in 2021. With a top-notch travel rewards program and the opportunity to earn points on rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), it’s no surprise to see the card flourish over the past few years.
    
            In addition, Bilt Rewards — the loyalty program behind the Bilt Mastercard — offers lucrative promotions throughout the year, with the most popular known as Rent Day.
    
            With Bilt’s Rent Day promotion — which runs the first of every month — card members earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent) and can take advantage of a unique promotion that changes every month. Bilt typically announces these promotions just a few days before Rent Day.
    
            Bilt Rewards just announced the May edition of its monthly Rent Day promotion, and for better or for worse, it’s different from offers we’ve seen in the past.
    
            Instead of a travel-related offer (which has been the norm), Bilt is incentivizing members to redeem points toward their monthly rent payment in exchange for a credit toward home decor products in the Bilt Home Collection.
    
            Additionally, Bilt recently announced a new partnership with Blade, a swanky helicopter transfer service that runs scheduled flights between New York City airports and Manhattan’s heliports.
    
            Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Rent Day promotion and Bilt’s partnership with Blade.
    
            Between April 25 and May 1, Bilt members who redeem points toward their rent payment will get 100% of those points back to redeem toward items in the Bilt Home Collection. You can use a minimum of 1,000 points and a maximum of 50,000 points for this offer, and the Home Collection credit is good for six months.
    
            However, your points are only worth 0.55 cents apiece when you redeem them toward your rent payment. For example, if you redeem 10,000 points toward rent, you’ll get a $55 discount.
    
            Travel website The Points Guy values Bilt Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece when redeemed toward travel, so this isn’t a great redemption in comparison. However, it might be worth considering this month if you’re looking for new home decor anyway.
    
            The Bilt Home Collection usually has things like artwork from partner artists, interesting vases and different types of cups.
    
            This month, Bilt will also offer curated Rent Day dining experiences at restaurants around the country. This includes unique tasting menus, wine pairings and omakase experiences.
    
            These dining experiences will cost $150, or you can redeem 15,000 Bilt points for you and a guest. Availability will be limited, but you can try to grab a seat on April 26.
    
            Those with Bilt elite status will receive priority access to reservations. Platinum status members will have first access at 12 p.m. EST, Gold status members at 12:10 p.m. EST and Silver status members at 12:20 p.m. EST. All other Bilt Rewards members can book at 12:30 p.m. EST.
    
            Dining experiences will be available at select restaurants in New York, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston and Washington, D.C.
    
            Every month on Rent Day, Bilt also gives members with the Bilt Mastercard a chance to earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent).
    
            So, if you have a new restaurant you want to check out, flights to book or any other purchases to make, it could be worth waiting until May 1 to earn more points on your purchase. And if you’re dining at a restaurant that participates in Bilt Dining, you can increase your earnings up to a whopping 11 points per dollar.
    
            But remember, to earn Bilt points with your Bilt Mastercard, you must use the card five times each statement period (see Rewards & Benefits).
    
            Earlier this month, Bilt announced a new partnership with Blade, where Bilt Reward members will earn bonus points on every Blade booking. Members will earn 2 bonus points for every dollar spent on Blade flights as long as they pay with a credit or debit card linked to their Bilt Rewards account.
    
            Again, you’ll get more Blade benefits if you have Bilt elite status.
    
            These are nice benefits to have if you live in New York. Blade has lounges at its heliports on West 30th Street and East 34th Street, both of which are outfitted with a complimentary bar, coffee and free snacks.
    
            If getting a discount on rent is your preferred way to redeem Bilt Rewards points, this month’s Rent Day promotion is a great way to earn bonus points to put toward furnishing your home. If you’d rather redeem toward travel, focus on earning double points on all purchases on May 1.
    
            Learn more and apply now for the Bilt Mastercard.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,25/04/2024,"['The Bilt Mastercard® (seerates and fees) has been incredibly popular since its inception in 2021.', 'With a top-notch travel rewards program and the opportunity to earn points on rent with no transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), it’s no surprise to see the card flourish over the past few years.', 'In addition, Bilt Rewards —the loyalty program behind the Bilt Mastercard — offers lucrative promotions throughout the year, with the most popular known as Rent Day.', 'With Bilt’s Rent Day promotion —which runs the first of every month — card members earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent) and can take advantage of a unique promotion that changes every month.', 'Bilt typically announces these promotions just a few days before Rent Day.', 'Bilt Rewards just announced the May edition of its monthly Rent Day promotion, and for better or for worse, it’s different from offers we’ve seen in the past.', 'Instead of a travel-related offer (which has been the norm), Bilt is incentivizing members to redeem points toward their monthly rent payment in exchange for a credit toward home decor products in the Bilt Home Collection.', 'Additionally, Bilt recently announced a new partnership with Blade,a swanky helicopter transfer service that runs scheduled flights between New York City airports and Manhattan’s heliports.', 'Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Rent Day promotion and Bilt’s partnership with Blade.', 'Between April 25 and May 1, Bilt members who redeem points toward their rent payment will get 100% of those points back to redeem toward items in the Bilt Home Collection.', 'You can use a minimum of 1,000 points and a maximum of 50,000 points for this offer, and the Home Collection credit is good for six months.', 'However, your points are only worth 0.55 cents apiece when you redeem them toward your rent payment.', 'For example, if you redeem 10,000 points toward rent, you’ll get a $55 discount.', 'Travel website The Points Guy values Bilt Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece when redeemed toward travel, so this isn’t a great redemption in comparison.', 'However, it might be worth considering this month if you’re looking for new home decor anyway.', 'The Bilt Home Collection usually has things like artwork from partner artists, interesting vases and different types of cups.', 'This month, Bilt will also offer curated Rent Day dining experiences at restaurants around the country.', 'This includes unique tasting menus, wine pairings and omakase experiences.', 'These dining experiences will cost $150, or you can redeem 15,000 Bilt points for you and a guest.', 'Availability will be limited, but you can try to grab a seat on April 26.', 'Those with Bilt elite status will receive priority access to reservations.', 'Platinum status members will have first access at 12 p.m. EST, Gold status members at 12:10 p.m. EST and Silver status members at 12:20 p.m. EST.', 'All other Bilt Rewards members can book at 12:30 p.m. EST.', 'Dining experiences will be available at select restaurants in New York, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston and Washington, D.C.  Every month on Rent Day, Bilt also gives members with the Bilt Mastercard a chance to earn double points on all purchases (excluding rent).', 'So, if you have a new restaurant you want to check out, flights to book or any other purchases to make, it could be worth waiting until May 1 to earn more points on your purchase.', 'And if you’re dining at a restaurant that participates in Bilt Dining, you can increase your earnings up to a whopping 11 points per dollar.', 'But remember, to earn Bilt points with your Bilt Mastercard, you must use the card five times each statement period (see Rewards & Benefits).', 'Earlier this month, Bilt announced a new partnership with Blade, where Bilt Reward members will earn bonus points on every Blade booking.', 'Members will earn 2 bonus points for every dollar spent on Blade flights as long as they pay with a credit or debit card linked to their Bilt Rewards account.', 'Again, you’ll get more Blade benefits if you have Bilt elite status.', 'These are nice benefits to have if you live in New York.', 'Blade has lounges at its heliports on West 30th Street and East 34th Street, both of which are outfitted with a complimentary bar, coffee and free snacks.', 'If getting a discount on rent is your preferred way to redeem Bilt Rewards points, this month’s Rent Day promotion is a great way to earn bonus points to put toward furnishing your home.', 'If you’d rather redeem toward travel, focus on earning double points on all purchases on May 1.', 'Learn more and apply now for the Bilt Mastercard.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.3487739443917381,"Travel website The Points Guy values Bilt Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece when redeemed toward travel, so this isn’t a great redemption in comparison.",,0.978265517950058,"And if you’re dining at a restaurant that participates in Bilt Dining, you can increase your earnings up to a whopping 11 points per dollar.",,2024-05-27
First-time homebuyers got squeezed last month as prices hit record April high,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/22/homes/sales-us-housing-market/index.html,"
  Updated
        11:11 AM EDT, Wed May 22, 2024
    ","Rising US home prices are heightening the housing affordability crisis for Americans, especially first-time buyers.
    
            The median price of a previously owned home in the US grew 5.7% in April from a year earlier to $407,600, according to data from the National Association of Realtors released Wednesday. That was the fourth consecutive monthly increase and was a record for April prices.
    
            Another gauge of prices by S&P Global has similarly showed that US home-price growth accelerated throughout the beginning of the year, especially in San Diego, Chicago and Detroit.
    
            Housing affordability takes into account prices, household incomes and mortgage rates. Put together, it’s been a difficult time for prospective buyers, though the increase in prices has been a boon for homeowners since it means their wealth has grown.
    
            NAR also reported that existing home sales, which make up the vast majority of transactions, fell 1.9% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.14 million. Sales fell in April for the second month in a row, declining across the country, as mortgage rates surged past 7%.
    
            One shred of good news for housing in America, however, is that more homes are continuing to come to market.
    
            “The upper-end market is experiencing a sizable gain due to more supply coming onto the market,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, in a release.
    
            He added that “home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners.”
    
            The US housing market’s recovery from earlier in the year was cut short when it became clear the Federal Reserve likely won’t cut interest rates in the first half of 2024 — right as the crucial spring homebuying season kicked into high gear.
    
            After plunging to multi-decade lows last fall, home sales began to rebound in early 2024 as housing supply improved and hopes grew that the Fed would begin to cut interest rates imminently. Then came signs that inflation’s slowdown had stalled.
    
            Mortgage rates track the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which moves in anticipation of the Fed’s decisions on interest rates. Hotter-than-expected inflation readings sent bond yields surging and mortgage rates followed suit.
    
            The standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surged past 7% in April, according to Freddie Mac data. At the same time, home prices continued to climb, tightening the grip on buyers. Low housing affordability typically crimps demand.
    
            Yet that somehow didn’t deter some first-time buyers. The share of buyers who bought a home for the first time rose to 33% in April from 32% in March.
    
            “I don’t know how they are able to do it,” Yun said. “Maybe later we will find out that they got some help from family members in terms of a down payment.”
    
            America’s housing market indeed remains tough for many, but one key issue has improved throughout this year.
    
            A chronic lack of available homes has been a longstanding issue for the market, putting upward pressure on prices and limiting buyers’ choices. The tide seems to have turned for now.
    
            Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% from a year earlier, NAR said. That was the fourth consecutive monthly increase in housing inventory, but it’s still not keeping up with demand.
    
            “We still have tight inventory, despite the fact that we’ve had this increase,” Yun said. “It is still a very frustrating market out there. Home prices are at record highs, mortgage rates are high and a lack of inventory to some degree looks like it is hindering sales.”
    
            This story has been updated with additional details and context.",CNN,22/05/2024,"['Rising US home prices are heightening the housing affordability crisis for Americans, especially first-time buyers.', 'The median price of a previously owned home in the US grew 5.7% in April from a year earlier to $407,600, according to data from the National Association of Realtors released Wednesday.', 'That was the fourth consecutive monthly increase and was a record for April prices.', 'Another gauge of prices by S&P Global has similarly showed that US home-price growth accelerated throughout the beginning of the year, especially in San Diego, Chicago and Detroit.', 'Housing affordability takes into account prices, household incomes and mortgage rates.', 'Put together, it’s been a difficult time for prospective buyers, though the increase in prices has been a boon for homeowners since it means their wealth has grown.', 'NAR also reported that existing home sales, which make up the vast majority of transactions, fell 1.9% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.14 million.', 'Sales fell in April for the second month in a row, declining across the country, as mortgage rates surged past 7%.', 'One shred of good news for housing in America, however, is that more homes are continuing to come to market.', '“The upper-end market is experiencing a sizable gain due to more supply coming onto the market,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, in a release.', 'He added that “home prices reaching a record high for the month of April is very good news for homeowners.”', 'The US housing market’s recovery from earlier in the year was cut short when it became clear the Federal Reserve likely won’t cut interest rates in the first half of 2024 — right as the crucial spring homebuying season kicked into high gear.', 'After plunging to multi-decade lows last fall, home sales began to rebound in early 2024 as housing supply improved and hopes grew that the Fed would begin to cut interest rates imminently.', 'Then came signs that inflation’s slowdown had stalled.', 'Mortgage rates track the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, which moves in anticipation of the Fed’s decisions on interest rates.', 'Hotter-than-expected inflation readings sent bond yields surging and mortgage rates followed suit.', 'The standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surged past 7% in April, according to Freddie Mac data.', 'At the same time, home prices continued to climb, tightening the grip on buyers.', 'Low housing affordability typically crimps demand.', 'Yet that somehow didn’t deter some first-time buyers.', 'The share of buyers who bought a home for the first time rose to 33% in April from 32% in March.', '“I don’t know how they are able to do it,” Yun said. “', 'Maybe later we will find out that they got some help from family members in terms of a down payment.”', 'America’s housing market indeed remains tough for many, but one key issue has improved throughout this year.', 'A chronic lack of available homes has been a longstanding issue for the market, putting upward pressure on prices and limiting buyers’ choices.', 'The tide seems to have turned for now.', 'Total housing inventory at the end of April was 1.21 million units, up 9% from the prior month and 16.3% from a year earlier, NAR said.', 'That was the fourth consecutive monthly increase in housing inventory, but it’s still not keeping up with demand.', '“We still have tight inventory, despite the fact that we’ve had this increase,” Yun said. “', 'It is still a very frustrating market out there.', 'Home prices are at record highs, mortgage rates are high and a lack of inventory to some degree looks like it is hindering sales.”', 'This story has been updated with additional details and context.']",0.1196878040227627,"After plunging to multi-decade lows last fall, home sales began to rebound in early 2024 as housing supply improved and hopes grew that the Fed would begin to cut interest rates imminently.","Rising US home prices are heightening the housing affordability crisis for Americans, especially first-time buyers.",0.1867195729698453,"The median price of a previously owned home in the US grew 5.7% in April from a year earlier to $407,600, according to data from the National Association of Realtors released Wednesday.","Sales fell in April for the second month in a row, declining across the country, as mortgage rates surged past 7%.",2024-05-27
Opinion: The drama around Sam Altman is an urgent warning,https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/21/opinions/sam-altman-openai-ouster-danger-filipovic/index.html,"
  Published
        9:50 AM EST, Tue November 21, 2023
    ","The biggest tech news this week is the ouster of Sam Altman from his role as CEO of OpenAI, a move that has shaken the company and the industry. Hundreds of OpenAI employees have threatened to resign. Altman has already moved on to a role at Microsoft. And OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is on its third CEO in as many days.
    
            It’s all very juicy. But this drama should also be raising larger questions, far beyond one company’s internal hirings and firings, including: Who are the people making the decisions that will determine so much of our technological future? What guiding principles are they using to make those decisions? And how should other institutions – governments, non-tech industries, global alliances, regulatory bodies – reign in the worst excesses of potentially dangerous AI innovators?
    
            OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, with an explicit mission to harness what may soon be superhuman intelligence “to benefit humanity as a whole.” But that sensibility hasn’t lasted. The company now has a multi-billion-dollar for-profit arm. They have been developing new technologies at lightning speed, and sometimes sending them out to the public before some employees believed they were ready. The company has already reportedly invented an AI technology so dangerous they will never release it – but they also won’t tell reporters or the public exactly what it is.
    
            This dynamic – a potentially dangerous technology developed at extreme speed, largely behind closed doors – is partly to blame for Altman’s firing. The OpenAI board, according to CNN’s David Goldman, worried that “the company was making the technological equivalent of a nuclear bomb, and its caretaker, Sam Altman, was moving so fast that he risked a global catastrophe.” At particular issue seemed to be Altman’s efforts to make the tools behind ChatGPT available to anyone who wanted to make their own version of the chatbot. This could be widely disastrous, some board members worried.
    
            But then they fired him without warning, and apparently without involving Microsoft, the company’s largest shareholder. Now, Altman is at the new AI group at Microsoft, and one has to wonder if the oversight and caution there will be on par with that at OpenAI, or if he’ll be handed carte blanche to push as fast and hard as he wants. And for all the justified reticence of the OpenAI board, the company has carried out much of its work in secrecy – without the public really understanding what a handful of unaccountable technologists are building, and how it is nearly guaranteed to indelibly change their lives.
    
            AI is broadly understood to have the potential to reshape vast swaths of human existence. At the very least, it seems nearly guaranteed to change how we process information, how we communicate, how we learn and how we work (and if we work). And the ramifications could be much more extreme. AI technologies have already demonstrated the ability to lie and to cover their tracks. They have already been able to suggest the design to make a virus spread more quickly. Many researchers acutely understand just how quickly these machines could develop the capacity to annihilate us, including Altman: He has a prepper’s paradise prepared in Big Sur, complete with guns and “gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force” in case AI goes off the rails and the robots go to war against humans, according to reporting in the New Yorker.
    
            But don’t worry, he told an Atlantic reporter: If AI is determined to wipe us out, “no gas mask is helping anyone.” (If you want an excellent and terrifying rundown of AI’s risks – at least those we understand right now, which are almost certainly a mere sliver of the looming perils – the Atlantic profile of Altman and his technology is worth a read).
    
            AI is very exciting technology. But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”
    
            Given the life-altering potential of AI – that even if it doesn’t kill us all, it will almost certainly change human existence in unprecedented ways at unprecedented speed – we all have a stake in how it’s being developed. And yet the development is being left to a handful of people (who seem to be largely men) in Silicon Valley, and other tech pockets around the globe. And we all have a stake in whose interests AI will serve – and right now, its development is being funded with billions of dollars by people expecting to make a huge profit.
    
            Do the interests of the public align with the interests of the shareholders to whom profit-driven, potentially tremendously lucrative-for-a-few companies are beholden? Or with the interests of tech entrepreneurs who are primarily excited about being at the forefront of the AI revolution, regardless of the potential human costs?
    
            One thing is clear: AI is coming. And how it is built and unleashed on the public matters more than perhaps any technology of the past century. It is, indeed, up there with the atom bomb in its destructive potential – except likely more difficult to regulate and control.
    
            “Regulation” does not begin to scratch the surface of what’s needed to make sure that the AI future is not a catastrophic one, especially since the development of AI is now a massive international arms race, with particularly horrific implications if bad actors develop this technology first. But regulation is, at minimum, a necessary step.
    
            So is transparency: In the US, companies have wide leverage to work behind a veil of secrecy, and much of what AI companies do is kept secret to stymy competition. But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.
    
            The Altman story is fascinating because Altman is the most powerful figure in AI technology, which in effect makes him one of the most powerful men in the world. But that should give us pause: Who is he, what power does he hold, what is he doing with it, who does he answer to, and are we comfortable with this much life-altering potential being held by a few unaccountable people?",CNN,21/11/2023,"['The biggest tech news this week is theousterof Sam Altman from his role as CEO of OpenAI, a move that has shaken the company and the industry.', 'Hundreds of OpenAI employees have threatened toresign.', 'Altman has alreadymoved onto a role at Microsoft.', 'And OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is on itsthird CEOin as many days.', 'It’s all very juicy.', 'But this drama should also be raising larger questions, far beyond one company’s internal hirings and firings, including: Who are the people making the decisionsthat will determine so much of our technological future?', 'What guiding principles are they using to make those decisions?', 'And how should other institutions – governments, non-tech industries, global alliances, regulatory bodies – reign in the worst excesses of potentially dangerous AI innovators?', 'OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, with an explicit mission to harness what may soon be superhuman intelligence “to benefit humanity as a whole.”', 'But that sensibility hasn’t lasted.', 'The company now has a multi-billion-dollar for-profit arm.', 'They have been developing new technologies at lightning speed, and sometimes sending them out to the publicbefore some employees believed they were ready.', 'The company has already reportedly invented an AI technology so dangerous they will never release it – but they alsowon’t tellreporters or the public exactly what it is.', 'This dynamic – a potentially dangerous technology developed at extreme speed, largely behind closed doors – is partly to blame for Altman’s firing.', 'The OpenAI board, according toCNN’s David Goldman, worried that “the company was making the technological equivalent of a nuclear bomb, and its caretaker, Sam Altman, was moving so fast that he risked a global catastrophe.”', 'At particular issue seemed to be Altman’s efforts to make the tools behind ChatGPT available to anyone who wanted to make their own version of the chatbot.', 'This could be widely disastrous, some board members worried.', 'But then they fired him without warning, and apparently without involving Microsoft, the company’s largest shareholder.', 'Now, Altman is at the new AI group at Microsoft, and one has to wonder if the oversight and caution there will be on par with that at OpenAI, or if he’ll be handed carte blanche to push as fast and hard as he wants.', 'And for all the justified reticence of the OpenAI board, the company has carried out much of its work in secrecy – without the public really understanding what a handful of unaccountable technologists are building, and how it is nearly guaranteed to indelibly change their lives.', 'AI is broadly understood to have the potential to reshape vast swaths of human existence.', 'At the very least, it seems nearly guaranteed to change how we process information, how we communicate, how we learn and how we work (and if we work).', 'And the ramifications could be much more extreme.', 'AI technologies have already demonstrated the abilityto lie and to cover their tracks.', 'They have already been able tosuggest the designto make a virus spread more quickly.', 'Many researchersacutely understandjust how quickly these machines could develop the capacity to annihilate us, including Altman: He has a prepper’s paradise prepared in Big Sur, complete with guns and “gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force” in case AI goes off the rails and the robots go to war against humans,according to reporting in the New Yorker.', 'But don’t worry, he told an Atlantic reporter: If AI is determined to wipe us out, “no gas mask is helping anyone.” (', 'If you want an excellent and terrifying rundown of AI’s risks – at least those we understand right now, which are almost certainly a mere sliver of the looming perils –the Atlantic profile of Altman and his technologyis worth a read).', 'AI is very exciting technology.', 'But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”', 'Given the life-altering potential of AI – that even if it doesn’t kill us all, it will almost certainly change human existence in unprecedented ways at unprecedented speed – we all have a stake in how it’s being developed.', 'And yet the development is being left to a handful of people (who seem to belargelymen) in Silicon Valley, and other tech pockets around the globe.', 'And we all have a stake in whose interests AI will serve – and right now, its development is being funded with billions of dollars by people expecting to make a huge profit.', 'Do the interests of the public align with the interests of the shareholders to whom profit-driven, potentially tremendously lucrative-for-a-few companies are beholden?', 'Or with the interests of tech entrepreneurs who are primarily excited about being at the forefront of the AI revolution, regardless of the potential human costs?', 'One thing is clear: AI is coming.', 'And how it is built and unleashed on the public matters more than perhaps any technology of the past century.', 'It is, indeed, up there with the atom bomb in its destructive potential – except likely more difficult to regulate and control.', '“Regulation” does not begin to scratch the surface of what’s needed to make sure that the AI future is not a catastrophic one, especially since the development of AI is now a massive international arms race, with particularly horrific implications if bad actors develop this technology first.', 'But regulation is, at minimum, a necessary step.', 'So is transparency: In the US, companies have wide leverage to work behind a veil of secrecy, and much of what AI companies do is kept secret to stymy competition.', 'But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.', 'The Altman story is fascinating because Altman is the most powerful figure in AI technology, which in effect makes him one of the most powerful men in the world.', 'But that should give us pause: Who is he, what power does he hold, what is he doing with it, who does he answer to, and are we comfortable with this much life-altering potential being held by a few unaccountable people?']",0.0034737194649936,"But the public certainly has a right to understand what life-altering technologies are set to be inflicted upon us, and what the creators are doing to protect humanity – our jobs, our communities, our families, our connections, our educations and our abilities to build a life of purpose, but also our lives and our safety.","But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”",-0.2999433577060699,AI technologies have already demonstrated the abilityto lie and to cover their tracks.,"But it is also a potentially very dangerous one, and not in the social media sense of “it may give us bad self-esteem and make us lonelier” but in the sense of “it could break down human societies and kill us all.”",2024-05-27
Your ultimate guide to the American Express Membership Rewards program,https://edition.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/travel/american-express-membership-rewards-guide,"
  Updated
        1:03 PM EDT, Mon April 1, 2024
    ","American Express Membership Rewards® are among the most valuable travel rewards points out there. That’s primarily because they fall into the category of “transferable rewards,” meaning you’re not tied down to a single airline or hotel program with which you can redeem them.
    
            In other words, you’re not just earning points that can transfer to Delta SkyMiles, but they can also transfer to any of the other 16 airlines in the Membership Rewards portfolio.
    
            Having Membership Rewards points gives you options, and that’s always a good thing. If you’re ready to give your rewards portfolio a boost, here’s everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards.
    
            You can earn Membership Rewards points in various ways. Some require little effort, while others involve a heavier lift. It’s a good idea to take advantage of all the options out there in order to maximize your earnings. Here’s a look at how to earn Membership Rewards most efficiently.
    
            The primary way to earn Amex points is through credit cards that earn Membership Rewards. Amex has an extensive lineup of personal and business cards offering generous welcome bonuses and recurring benefits to help you earn maximum points.
    
            These include well-known cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card. With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance. Here’s a look at the current welcome bonus offers on personal credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.
    
            Keep in mind, too, that many of these cards carry an annual fee:
    
            All information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card and the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
    
            Similarly, American Express offers a suite of business credit cards.
    
            All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
    
            Keep in mind that several of these cards also carry an annual fee:
    
            Beyond the welcome bonus offers available, American Express makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards through category bonuses. If you spend a lot on groceries, it may be worth considering the Amex Gold card to earn 4 points per dollar spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).
    
            If you travel often, the Amex Platinum card is a great option for earning 5 points per dollar spent on eligible bookings made directly with an airline or with Amex Travel. Plus, you’ll have access to airport lounges, like American Express Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, among others.
    
            When applying for American Express cards, be sure to take note of the application rules. For example, you can’t earn an Amex welcome bonus more than once (with a few exceptions), and you generally won’t be approved for more than two cards every 90 days. Before applying for a credit card, it’s important to do your research.
    
            As mentioned before, American Express makes it manageable to earn bonus points long after the welcome bonus offer. One of those ways is by adding an authorized user to your Amex card, which will occasionally earn you bonus points.
    
             Aside from the special promotions where Amex will offer you bonus points for adding an authorized user, doing so can also help you double up your point earnings. That’s because you’ll not only earn points per dollar spent on your purchases, but you’ll also earn rewards on the authorized user’s purchases.
    
            Of course, you’ll only want to consider adding a member of your household or someone you trust to pay you back as an authorized user on your account. Authorized users can make charges on the credit card they’ve been added to but have no liability when it comes to paying the bill — that onus falls on you, the primary card holder. Choose carefully who you add to your account, and you can earn extra Amex points without lifting a finger.
    
            If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.
    
            American Express offers bonuses to current card holders when you refer someone and they are approved for an eligible card. You can earn up to 20,000 points per successful approval, though the exact bonus varies by card.
    
            To find out your card’s current referral bonus, head over to the Amex referral site. You’ll see referral bonuses based on your card. Simply enter your friend’s name and email address for each card you want to refer and they’ll get an email, inviting them to apply for the card. You can also copy the referral link on the page and share that with your friends and family directly.
    
            Referrals are a lucrative way to earn Amex Membership Rewards points for recommending credit cards to your friends and family. Keep in mind there is a limit to how many friends you can refer in a year.
    
            Booking travel with American Express is rewarding, too — you can earn bonus points on your credit card, plus you can often get additional perks and rewards. For example, with the Amex Platinum, you’ll get 5 points per dollar spent on hotels booked through Amex Travel.
    
            As an added incentive, you’ll receive perks like free breakfast for two, room upgrades when available and hotel credits to use at the spa or onsite restaurant just by booking with Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Hotel Collection. In general, booking travel through American Express pays off in more ways than one.
    
            Card holders can also utilize one of the most underrated benefits of having an Amex card: Amex Offers. With Amex Offers, card holders can earn statement credits or bonus points at select retailers. In other words, it’s the perfect opportunity to save some cash or earn bonus points for purchases you were already planning on making.
    
            To find and take advantage of Amex Offers, you’ll need to log in to your account. From there, scroll to the bottom of the page to the Amex Offers & Benefits section of the page. Be sure to click “View All” to load all of your eligible offers, and also be sure to select “Add to Card” in order to activate your Amex Offer. From there, you’ll be eligible to earn the bonus points or cash savings that come as part of each Amex Offer — so long as you use the registered card to make your purchase. Amex Offers are a massive perk of Amex cards that can save you money or earn you bonus points on purchases you were already planning to make.
    
            Thanks to a partnership with American Express, you can turn your Rakuten cash back rewards into Membership Rewards. It’s a great way to earn Membership Rewards points on regular purchases, without much added effort.
    
            If you already have a Rakuten account, you can easily switch your earning preference to Membership Rewards. Simply log into your account and follow these steps:
    
            After this, rewards get transferred to your Membership Rewards account quarterly.
    
            Now, for the fun part! Once you’ve earned Membership Rewards points, it’s time to put them to good use. Amex gives you several options to redeem points, but the best option is travel. You can choose between statement credits for travel bookings or transferring them to airline or hotel partners.
    
            Here’s a closer look at your options and how they work.
    
            American Express has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners — in other words, the Amex points you’ve earned can be transferred to any of the 20 hotel and airline partners. The best way to redeem Membership Rewards for maximum value is through airline transfers. But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.
    
            Ultimately, you’ll want to research which program will offer you the most in return, depending on what your travel plans are. With each of the partners, you’ll need to link your accounts, and you’ll also need to search for award availability with the airline of your choice before transferring any points.
    
            If you’re looking to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points, these are the 20 airline and hotel partner options, as well as the transfer rate.
    
            It’s worth noting that Amex occasionally runs transfer promotions for certain airlines or hotels. So, at times, you can get more points in return than the standard transfer rate listed above. Bonuses like these can increase the value of your points by enabling you to book sought-after award tickets for substantially less.
    
            By transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to partner airlines, you unlock the ability to travel for next to nothing — in most cases when redeeming points and miles, you’ll just have to pay the taxes and fees on a ticket. As a result, points and miles open up the door for flying experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.
    
            Keep in mind that the most obvious airline choice may not always be your best option. Airlines typically have extensive alliance networks, allowing you to redeem points for partner airlines through their respective programs. For example, British Airways and American Airlines are both members of the Oneworld alliance, meaning you can transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club and redeem for flights operated by American Airlines.
    
            Because of the vast number of airline transfer partners, your options are virtually endless for where your Membership Rewards points can take you. But, some redemptions are better than others — particularly when it comes to award sweet spots.
    
            Some examples of these sweet spot awards using your Amex Membership Rewards points include the following:
    
            Generally speaking, you’ll get the most value out of your Amex Membership Rewards points by transferring them to airline partners. But that may not always make sense for all card holders — and it’s not your only option.
    
            If figuring out transfer partner options and award charts sounds daunting, you can also use your Membership Rewards for fixed redemptions. This includes using points for statement credits, travel bookings via Amex Travel, charitable donations, online shopping and gift cards.
    
            Using points for statement credits toward qualifying purchases isn’t a great use of your points because you’ll only get 0.6 cents per point in value. If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Amex points, this isn’t the best route to take.
    
            You’ll get slightly more value by redeeming your Membership Rewards for travel bookings. By doing so, you’ll get 1 cent per point toward airfare and 0.7 cents per point toward car rentals, hotels, cruises and vacation bookings. Business Platinum card holders also get a 35% rebate when redeeming points for flight bookings through Amex Travel.
    
            If you choose to redeem your points for gift cards, you’ll get 1 cent per point in value. However, if you use Pay With Points (valid with Amazon, Best Buy, Boxed, Dell and GrubHub and others), you’ll get a value of just 0.5 cents to 1 cent each (depending on the Amex card) — one of the lowest-value options out there.
    
            Generally speaking, you should try to extract as much value as possible out of your Amex Membership Rewards points. However, that’s not always the case for everyone. You may want to save a few dollars here or there on a purchase you’re making online. Ultimately, we love Membership Rewards points so much because you have the option to use them however you like — whether for travel, Amazon purchases, gift cards and more.
    
            When it comes to the worth of your Membership Rewards points, it ultimately comes down to how you use them. The value you can get ranges from about 0.6 cents each to about 2 cents each. Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece.
    
            Amex offers 0.6 cents per point in value when you use points for statement credits. Meanwhile, travel bookings will get you a somewhat higher 1 cent per point. The highest value comes from transferring points to airline and hotel partners, as detailed above. Convert your points to airline miles and you can get 2 cents or more in value on premium award redemptions.
    
            American Express Membership Rewards points are some of the most versatile and valuable out there. By earning them, you give yourself the option to save money on travel, buying gift cards, Amazon purchases and so much more. Ultimately, it’s the flexibility that makes having an Amex credit card so rewarding.
    
            Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Gold card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card.Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus card.
    
            Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.",CNN,01/04/2024,"['American Express Membership Rewards® are among the most valuable travel rewards points out there.', 'That’s primarily because they fall into the category of “transferable rewards,” meaning you’re not tied down to a single airline or hotel program with which you can redeem them.', 'In other words, you’re not just earning points that can transfer to Delta SkyMiles, but they can also transfer to any of the other 16 airlines in the Membership Rewards portfolio.', 'Having Membership Rewards points gives you options, and that’s always a good thing.', 'If you’re ready to give your rewards portfolio a boost, here’s everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards.', 'You can earn Membership Rewards points in various ways.', 'Some require little effort, while others involve a heavier lift.', 'It’s a good idea to take advantage of all the options out there in order to maximize your earnings.', 'Here’s a look at how to earn Membership Rewards most efficiently.', 'The primary way to earn Amex points is through credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.', 'Amex has an extensive lineup of personal and business cards offering generous welcome bonuses and recurring benefits to help you earn maximum points.', 'These include well-known cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card.', 'With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance.', 'Here’s a look at the current welcome bonus offers on personal credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.', 'Keep in mind, too, that many of these cards carry an annual fee:  All information about the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card and the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.', 'Similarly, American Express offers a suite of business credit cards.', 'All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.', 'Keep in mind that several of these cards also carry an annual fee:  Beyond the welcome bonus offers available, American Express makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards through category bonuses.', 'If you spend a lot on groceries, it may be worth considering the Amex Gold card to earn 4 points per dollar spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).', 'If you travel often, the Amex Platinum card is a great option for earning 5 points per dollar spent on eligible bookings made directly with an airline or with Amex Travel.', 'Plus, you’ll have access to airport lounges, like American Express Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs, among others.', 'When applying for American Express cards, be sure to take note of the application rules.', 'For example, you can’t earn an Amex welcome bonus more than once (with a few exceptions), and you generally won’t be approved for more than two cards every 90 days.', 'Before applying for a credit card, it’s important to do your research.', 'As mentioned before, American Express makes it manageable to earn bonus points long after the welcome bonus offer.', 'One of those ways is by adding an authorized user to your Amex card, which will occasionally earn you bonus points.', 'Aside from the special promotions where Amex will offer you bonus points for adding an authorized user, doing so can also help you double up your point earnings.', 'That’s because you’ll not only earn points per dollar spent on your purchases, but you’ll also earn rewards on the authorized user’s purchases.', 'Of course, you’ll only want to consider adding a member of your household or someone you trust to pay you back as an authorized user on your account.', 'Authorized users can make charges on the credit card they’ve been added to but have no liability when it comes to paying the bill — that onus falls on you, the primary card holder.', 'Choose carefully who you add to your account, and you can earn extra Amex points without lifting a finger.', 'If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.', 'American Express offers bonuses to current card holders when you refer someone and they are approved for an eligible card.', 'You can earn up to 20,000 points per successful approval, though the exact bonus varies by card.', 'To find out your card’s current referral bonus, head over to the Amex referral site.', 'You’ll see referral bonuses based on your card.', 'Simply enter your friend’s name and email address for each card you want to refer and they’ll get an email, inviting them to apply for the card.', 'You can also copy the referral link on the page and share that with your friends and family directly.', 'Referrals are a lucrative way to earn Amex Membership Rewards points for recommending credit cards to your friends and family.', 'Keep in mind there is a limit to how many friends you can refer in a year.', 'Booking travel with American Express is rewarding, too — you can earn bonus points on your credit card, plus you can often get additional perks and rewards.', 'For example, with the Amex Platinum, you’ll get 5 points per dollar spent on hotels booked through Amex Travel.', 'As an added incentive, you’ll receive perks like free breakfast for two, room upgrades when available and hotel credits to use at the spa or onsite restaurant just by booking with Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Hotel Collection.', 'In general, booking travel through American Express pays off in more ways than one.', 'Card holders can also utilize one of the most underrated benefits of having an Amex card: Amex Offers.', 'With Amex Offers, card holders can earn statement credits or bonus points at select retailers.', 'In other words, it’s the perfect opportunity to save some cash or earn bonus points for purchases you were already planning on making.', 'To find and take advantage of Amex Offers, you’ll need to log in to your account.', 'From there, scroll to the bottom of the page to the Amex Offers & Benefits section of the page.', 'Be sure to click “View All” to load all of your eligible offers, and also be sure to select “Add to Card” in order to activate your Amex Offer.', 'From there, you’ll be eligible to earn the bonus points or cash savings that come as part of each Amex Offer — so long as you use the registered card to make your purchase.', 'Amex Offers are a massive perk of Amex cards that can save you money or earn you bonus points on purchases you were already planning to make.', 'Thanks to a partnership with American Express, you can turn your Rakuten cash back rewards into Membership Rewards.', 'It’s a great way to earn Membership Rewards points on regular purchases, without much added effort.', 'If you already have a Rakuten account, you can easily switch your earning preference to Membership Rewards.', 'Simply log into your account and follow these steps:  After this, rewards get transferred to your Membership Rewards account quarterly.', 'Now, for the fun part!', 'Once you’ve earned Membership Rewards points, it’s time to put them to good use.', 'Amex gives you several options to redeem points, but the best option is travel.', 'You can choose between statement credits for travel bookings or transferring them to airline or hotel partners.', 'Here’s a closer look at your options and how they work.', 'American Express has 20 airline and hotel transfer partners — in other words, the Amex points you’ve earned can be transferred to any of the 20 hotel and airline partners.', 'The best way to redeem Membership Rewards for maximum value is through airline transfers.', 'But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.', 'Ultimately, you’ll want to research which program will offer you the most in return, depending on what your travel plans are.', 'With each of the partners, you’ll need to link your accounts, and you’ll also need to search for award availability with the airline of your choice before transferring any points.', 'If you’re looking to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points, these are the 20 airline and hotel partner options, as well as the transfer rate.', 'It’s worth noting that Amex occasionally runs transfer promotions for certain airlines or hotels.', 'So, at times, you can get more points in return than the standard transfer rate listed above.', 'Bonuses like these can increase the value of your points by enabling you to book sought-after award tickets for substantially less.', 'By transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to partner airlines, you unlock the ability to travel for next to nothing — in most cases when redeeming points and miles, you’ll just have to pay the taxes and fees on a ticket.', 'As a result, points and miles open up the door for flying experiences that would otherwise be out of reach.', 'Keep in mind that the most obvious airline choice may not always be your best option.', 'Airlines typically have extensive alliance networks, allowing you to redeem points for partner airlines through their respective programs.', 'For example, British Airways and American Airlines are both members of the Oneworld alliance, meaning you can transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club and redeem for flights operated by American Airlines.', 'Because of the vast number of airline transfer partners, your options are virtually endless for where your Membership Rewards points can take you.', 'But, some redemptions are better than others — particularly when it comes to award sweet spots.', 'Some examples of these sweet spot awards using your Amex Membership Rewards points include the following:  Generally speaking, you’ll get the most value out of your Amex Membership Rewards points by transferring them to airline partners.', 'But that may not always make sense for all card holders — and it’s not your only option.', 'If figuring out transfer partner options and award charts sounds daunting, you can also use your Membership Rewards for fixed redemptions.', 'This includes using points for statement credits, travel bookings via Amex Travel, charitable donations, online shopping and gift cards.', 'Using points for statement credits toward qualifying purchases isn’t a great use of your points because you’ll only get 0.6 cents per point in value.', 'If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Amex points, this isn’t the best route to take.', 'You’ll get slightly more value by redeeming your Membership Rewards for travel bookings.', 'By doing so, you’ll get 1 cent per point toward airfare and 0.7 cents per point toward car rentals, hotels, cruises and vacation bookings.', 'Business Platinum card holders also get a 35% rebate when redeeming points for flight bookings through Amex Travel.', 'If you choose to redeem your points for gift cards, you’ll get 1 cent per point in value.', 'However, if you use Pay With Points (valid with Amazon, Best Buy, Boxed, Dell and GrubHub and others), you’ll get a value of just 0.5 cents to 1 cent each (depending on the Amex card) — one of the lowest-value options out there.', 'Generally speaking, you should try to extract as much value as possible out of your Amex Membership Rewards points.', 'However, that’s not always the case for everyone.', 'You may want to save a few dollars here or there on a purchase you’re making online.', 'Ultimately, we love Membership Rewards points so much because you have the option to use them however you like — whether for travel, Amazon purchases, gift cards and more.', 'When it comes to the worth of your Membership Rewards points, it ultimately comes down to how you use them.', 'The value you can get ranges from about 0.6 cents each to about 2 cents each.', 'Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece.', 'Amex offers 0.6 cents per point in value when you use points for statement credits.', 'Meanwhile, travel bookings will get you a somewhat higher 1 cent per point.', 'The highest value comes from transferring points to airline and hotel partners, as detailed above.', 'Convert your points to airline miles and you can get 2 cents or more in value on premium award redemptions.', 'American Express Membership Rewards points are some of the most versatile and valuable out there.', 'By earning them, you give yourself the option to save money on travel, buying gift cards, Amazon purchases and so much more.', 'Ultimately, it’s the flexibility that makes having an Amex credit card so rewarding.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Gold card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card.', 'Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus card.', 'Looking for a travel credit card?', 'Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.']",0.5246481979610982,"If you’ve picked up an American Express credit card, earned the welcome bonus offer and think others would enjoy doing the same, you can get rewarded for spreading the word to family and friends.",But keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs are equal.,0.9622429311275482,"With a single welcome bonus offer, you can give a pretty substantial boost to your Membership Rewards points balance.",,2024-05-27
Americans are expected to splurge on travel this summer — again,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/26/economy/stocks-week-ahead-summer-travel-splurge/index.html,"
  Published
        7:30 AM EDT, Sun May 26, 2024
    ","A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.
    
            Millions of Americans have taken to the skies, hit the road, fired up the barbecue grill and jumped into the pool this weekend to celebrate the start of summer 2024. Analysts are expecting the Memorial Day weekend to usher in yet another summer of strong consumer spending on travel and other leisure activities.
    
            The season is already off to a solid start: The Transportation Security Administration said that Thursday was its second-busiest day at airports in history, adding that five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month. AAA projected earlier this month that 43.8 million Americans are driving at least 50 miles this weekend, up 4% from last year’s total and close to the all-time record of 44 million during the 2005 Memorial Day weekend.
    
            “We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a release.
    
            Royal Caribbean’s first-quarter earnings results topped expectations, thanks to strong bookings and robust onboard spending. Company executives said in a earnings call that they’re optimistic for the remainder of the year.
    
            If this momentum persists throughout the summer, that would mean solid revenue for leisure businesses such as Royal Caribbean, hotels, restaurants and theme parks, also providing an economic boost to cities with a big tourism scene.
    
            A Bank of America Institute analysis released last week expects that to be the case.
    
            In a virtual presentation to reporters, the bank’s analysts said the outlook for leisure spending this summer looks promising, based on trends reflected in the bank’s card data, results from a survey of 2,010 respondents and other resources from across the bank. Spending this summer will likely be a little softer than last year’s, they said, but still strong.
    
            “The strength of the data already speaks to it being a solid summer,” David Tinsley, senior economist at the Bank of America Institute, said during the presentation.
    
            The bank’s consumer travel survey showed that 72% of people said they’re planning to travel, with 36% saying they’ve already planned their trip. It showed that more younger Americans are planning to take an international trip than older generations, while also planning for longer trips and to spend more.
    
            From January through April, spending using a Bank of America card per household was the highest for Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Colombia and Costa Rica. In April, the share of total in-person international spending through Bank of America was the highest for Europe (32%), followed by Canada and Mexico (23%), then the Caribbean (13%).
    
            Domestically, California and Florida have seen some momentum recently when it comes to spending at restaurants. In the first four months of the year, spending rose more than 5% in California from the same period a year ago, while it was mostly flat in Florida. But compared to 2019, restaurant spending in California and Florida is up roughly 15% in each state.
    
            Even among respondents making less than $75,000 a year, more than 60% said they’re planning to travel this summer. That figure is north of 80% for respondents making more than $150,000 a year.
    
            But the good times may not last forever. Americans have come increasingly under pressure with household debt continuing to climb and delinquencies rising, according to New York Fed data.
    
            “In the first quarter of 2024, credit card and auto loan transition rates into serious delinquency continued to rise across all age groups,” Joelle Scally, regional economic principal within the Household and Public Policy Research Division at the New York Fed, said in a statement. Inflation is also still taking a bite out of people’s budgets and interest rates remain perched at a two-decade high.
    
            Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected. For some, this year’s summer splurge could well be the last hurrah.
    
            Kabosu, the dog who launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday.
    
            The Japanese Shiba Inu “fell into a deep sleep” on Friday morning at 18 years of age, Atsuko Sato wrote in a blogpost.
    
            “Outside the window, birds were singing on a beautiful morning. As I was touching her, she gently passed away,” wrote Sato, a kindergarten teacher in the Japanese city of Sakura. “I think she was the happiest dog in the world.”
    
            Kabosu became one of the most recognizable animals on the internet back in 2010 when a photo of her posing with folded paws and a quizzical expression spread across forums such as Reddit.
    
            That sparked a proliferation of “doge” memes, based on an intentional misspelling of the word “dog,” with internet users photoshopping Kabosu’s face onto pastries, landmarks and other animals.
    
            The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternative cryptocurrency dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes. Other meme tokens followed, including a Shiba Inu coin.
    
            Read more here.
    
            Monday: Earnings from Mizuho Financial. US financial markets closed in observance of Memorial Day.
    
            Tuesday: Earnings from CAVA. Federal Reserve officials Loretta Mester, Neel Kashkari and Lisa Cook deliver remarks. S&P Global releases its S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index for March. The Conference Board releases its May consumer survey.
    
            Wednesday: Earnings from Salesforce, HP, Dick’s Sporting Goods, U-Haul, Abercrombie & Fitch, Chewy, American Eagle Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret and Red Robin. Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Raphael Bostic deliver remarks.
    
            Thursday: Earnings from Costco, Dell, Dollar General, Hormel Foods, Ulta, Best Buy, Burlington, Birkenstock, Gap, Nordstrom, Asana, Kohl’s and Foot Locker. The US Commerce Department releases its second estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product. The US Labor Department reports the number of new applications for jobless benefits in the week ended May 25. The National Association of Realtors reports home sales based on contract signings in April. Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Lorie Logan deliver remarks. China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases May business surveys gauging economic activity in the country’s manufacturing and services sectors.
    
            Friday: The European Union’s statistics agency releases May inflation data. The US Commerce Department releases April figures on household income, spending and the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic delivers remarks.",CNN,26/05/2024,"['A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter.', 'Not a subscriber?', 'You can sign upright here.', 'You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link.', 'Millions of Americans have taken to the skies, hit the road, fired up the barbecue grill and jumped into the pool this weekend to celebrate the start of summer 2024.', 'Analysts are expecting the Memorial Day weekend to usher in yet another summer of strong consumer spending on travel and other leisure activities.', 'The season is already off to a solid start: The Transportation Security Administration said that Thursday was its second-busiest day at airports in history, adding that five of its 10 busiest days ever were this month.', 'AAA projected earlier this month that 43.8 million Americans are driving at least 50 miles this weekend, up 4% from last year’s total and close to the all-time record of 44 million during the 2005 Memorial Day weekend.', '“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a release.', 'Royal Caribbean’s first-quarter earnings results topped expectations, thanks to strong bookings and robust onboard spending.', 'Company executives said in a earnings call that they’re optimistic for the remainder of the year.', 'If this momentum persists throughout the summer, that would mean solid revenue for leisure businesses such as Royal Caribbean, hotels, restaurants and theme parks, also providing an economic boost to cities with a big tourism scene.', 'A Bank of America Institute analysis released last week expects that to be the case.', 'In a virtual presentation to reporters, the bank’s analysts said the outlook for leisure spending this summer looks promising, based on trends reflected in the bank’s card data, results from a survey of 2,010 respondents and other resources from across the bank.', 'Spending this summer will likely be a little softer than last year’s, they said, but still strong.', '“The strength of the data already speaks to it being a solid summer,” David Tinsley, senior economist at the Bank of America Institute, said during the presentation.', 'The bank’s consumer travel survey showed that 72% of people said they’re planning to travel, with 36% saying they’ve already planned their trip.', 'It showed that more younger Americans are planning to take an international trip than older generations, while also planning for longer trips and to spend more.', 'From January through April, spending using a Bank of America card per household was the highest for Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Colombia and Costa Rica.', 'In April, the share of total in-person international spending through Bank of America was the highest for Europe (32%), followed by Canada and Mexico (23%), then the Caribbean (13%).', 'Domestically, California and Florida have seen some momentum recently when it comes to spending at restaurants.', 'In the first four months of the year, spending rose more than 5% in California from the same period a year ago, while it was mostly flat in Florida.', 'But compared to 2019, restaurant spending in California and Florida is up roughly 15% in each state.', 'Even among respondents making less than $75,000 a year, more than 60% said they’re planning to travel this summer.', 'That figure is north of 80% for respondents making more than $150,000 a year.', 'But the good times may not last forever.', 'Americans have come increasingly under pressure with household debt continuing to climb and delinquencies rising, according to New York Fed data.', '“In the first quarter of 2024, credit card and auto loan transition rates into serious delinquency continued to rise across all age groups,” Joelle Scally, regional economic principal within the Household and Public Policy Research Division at the New York Fed, said in a statement.', 'Inflation is also still taking a bite out of people’s budgets and interest rates remain perched at a two-decade high.', 'Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected.', 'For some, this year’s summer splurge could well be the last hurrah.', 'Kabosu, the dog who launched a thousand “doge” memes, has died, her owner announced Friday.', 'The Japanese Shiba Inu “fell into a deep sleep” on Friday morning at 18 years of age, Atsuko Sato wrote in ablogpost.', '“Outside the window, birds were singing on a beautiful morning.', 'As I was touching her, she gently passed away,” wrote Sato, a kindergarten teacher in the Japanese city of Sakura. “', 'I think she was the happiest dog in the world.”', 'Kabosu became one of the most recognizable animals on the internet back in 2010 when a photo of her posing with folded paws and a quizzical expression spread across forums such as Reddit.', 'That sparked a proliferation of “doge” memes, based on an intentional misspelling of the word “dog,” with internet users photoshopping Kabosu’s face onto pastries, landmarks and other animals.', 'The popularity of “doge” memes was cemented in December 2013, when Kabosu became the face of alternative cryptocurrency dogecoin — a tongue-in-cheek response to bitcoin that reflected the internet’s love of animal memes.', 'Other meme tokens followed, including a Shiba Inu coin.', 'Read more here.', 'Monday:Earnings from Mizuho Financial.', 'US financial markets closed in observance of Memorial Day.', 'Tuesday:Earnings from CAVA.', 'Federal Reserve officials Loretta Mester, Neel Kashkari and Lisa Cook deliver remarks.', 'S&P Global releases its S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index for March.', 'The Conference Board releases its May consumer survey.', 'Wednesday:Earnings from Salesforce, HP, Dick’s Sporting Goods, U-Haul, Abercrombie & Fitch, Chewy, American Eagle Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret and Red Robin.', 'Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Raphael Bostic deliver remarks.', 'Thursday:Earnings from Costco, Dell, Dollar General, Hormel Foods, Ulta, Best Buy, Burlington, Birkenstock, Gap, Nordstrom, Asana, Kohl’s and Foot Locker.', 'The US Commerce Department releases its second estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product.', 'The US Labor Department reports the number of new applications for jobless benefits in the week ended May 25.', 'The National Association of Realtors reports home sales based on contract signings in April.', 'Federal Reserve officials John Williams and Lorie Logan deliver remarks.', 'China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases May business surveys gauging economic activity in the country’s manufacturing and services sectors.', 'Friday:The European Union’s statistics agency releases May inflation data.', 'The US Commerce Department releases April figures on household income, spending and the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge.', 'Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic delivers remarks.']",0.1356143850095267,"Royal Caribbean’s first-quarter earnings results topped expectations, thanks to strong bookings and robust onboard spending.","Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected.",0.4375431622777666,"AAA projected earlier this month that 43.8 million Americans are driving at least 50 miles this weekend, up 4% from last year’s total and close to the all-time record of 44 million during the 2005 Memorial Day weekend.","Economists aren’t expecting a recession this year, but many are estimating the economy will slow over the next 12 months: The latest figures on employment came in weaker than expected.",2024-05-27
FTC investigating TikTok over privacy and security,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/tech/ftc-tiktok-probe-privacy-and-security/index.html,"
  Updated
        8:11 PM EDT, Tue March 26, 2024
    ","The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.
    
            The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.
    
            The sources said that the FTC is probing TikTok over an alleged violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection rule, which requires companies to notify parents and obtain consent before collecting data from children under 13.
    
            The agency is also investigating whether TikTok violated a portion of the FTC Act that prohibits “unfair or deceptive” business practices, the sources said, in denying that TikTok user data could be accessed by individuals in China.
    
            The FTC could bring a suit against TikTok or settle with the company in the coming weeks, according to one of the sources. Politico reported news of the probe earlier.
    
            When asked about the investigation, FTC Director of Public Affairs Douglas Farrar replied: “No comment.”
    
            TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    
            The FTC probe comes as TikTok faces an existential threat in the US. Earlier this month, a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives voted to pass a law forcing TikTok to be sold by ByteDance or face a ban from US app stores. The bill is now before the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it gets to his desk. Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach — which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.
    
            The short-form video company, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has denied assertions that its app poses a national security threat to US citizens. TikTok, which does not operate in China, has said that the Chinese government has never accessed US user data.
    
            Cybersecurity experts say Chinese laws require ByteDance to cooperate with that country’s intelligence demands — a fact that, given ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok, could hypothetically put US user data at risk. To address that issue, TikTok has taken steps to store its US user data on cloud servers controlled by US tech giant Oracle and established internal protocols limiting access by non-US employees.
    
            TikTok acknowledged to Congress in 2022 that employees based in China could access US user data, following a report that year by BuzzFeed News that ByteDance employees had accessed that information on multiple occasions. TikTok CEO Shou Chew, in his first appearance before Congress last year, also acknowledged that several ByteDance employees were fired for spying on certain US journalists as part of a “misguided attempt” to hunt down leakers within the company.",CNN,26/03/2024,"['The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.', 'The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.', 'The sources said that the FTC is probing TikTok over an alleged violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection rule, which requires companies to notify parents and obtain consent before collecting data from children under 13.', 'The agency is also investigating whether TikTok violated a portion of the FTC Act that prohibits “unfair or deceptive” business practices, the sources said, in denying that TikTok user data could be accessed by individuals in China.', 'The FTC could bring a suit against TikTok or settle with the company in the coming weeks, according to one of the sources.', 'Politico reported news of the probe earlier.', 'When asked about the investigation, FTC Director of Public Affairs Douglas Farrar replied: “No comment.”', 'TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.', 'The FTC probe comes as TikTok faces an existential threat in the US.', 'Earlier this month, a bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives voted to pass a law forcing TikTok to be sold by ByteDance or face a ban from US app stores.', 'The bill is now before the Senate, and President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it gets to his desk.', 'Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach —which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.', 'The short-form video company, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has denied assertions that its app poses a national security threat to US citizens.', 'TikTok, which does not operate in China, has said that the Chinese government has never accessed US user data.', 'Cybersecurity experts say Chinese laws require ByteDance to cooperate with that country’s intelligence demands—a fact that, given ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok, could hypothetically put US user data at risk.', 'To address that issue, TikTok has taken steps to store its US user data on cloud servers controlled by US tech giant Oracle and established internal protocols limiting access by non-US employees.', 'TikTok acknowledged to Congress in 2022 that employees based in China could access US user data, following a report that year by BuzzFeed News that ByteDance employees had accessed that information on multiple occasions.', 'TikTok CEO Shou Chew, in his first appearance before Congress last year, also acknowledged that several ByteDance employees were fired for spying on certain US journalists as part of a “misguided attempt” to hunt down leakers within the company.']",-0.232320081688102,"The Federal Trade Commission is investigating TikTok for its data and security practices, two sources told CNN on the condition of anonymity.","The probe is yet another complication for the social media platform, which is already facing the threat of a potential US ban or a forced divestment from its Chinese parent company.",-0.8880722284317016,,"Senate leaders, however, have indicated they are taking a deliberate approach —which could lead to delays or even potentially doom the House bill.",2024-05-27
Post Office: 'Joy' as hundreds of convictions quashed,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp003mz7d14o,2024-05-24T06:38:41.108Z,"Former sub-postmasters whose convictions from the Post Office scandal have been quashed have spoken of their ""joy"" and ""disbelief"" at the move. Keith Bell, who was convicted of false accounting in 2002, told BBC News it was a ""huge relief"". Lee Williamson said he was ""overjoyed and very grateful"". A law quashing convictions from the Horizon IT scandal was approved by Parliament and on Friday became one of the final bills to become law ahead of the general election. The law applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland - the Scottish parliament is to pass its own bill to quash convictions. The case is seen as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted due to faulty accountancy software called Horizon, which showed errors that did not exist. Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and several were financially ruined. Speaking to the BBC before the bill's final approval, Keith Bell, a former sub-postmaster from Stockton, said his reaction was one of ""disbelief"". ""You sort of anticipate the day coming and it’s arrived and it’s unbelievable really, it’s happened so quickly. It’s a huge relief, not just to me but to the family. ""As of today, I don’t have a criminal record, I can travel, I can apply for whatever I want. My life goes back to basically a normal state."" Lee Williamson, a former sub-postmaster in Castelderg, Northern Ireland, was convicted in 2014 and given an 18-month sentence suspended for three years. ""Really the overriding emotion is absolute joy,"" he told the BBC's Today programme. However, there were also conflicting emotions. He said he was ""overjoyed and very grateful that this day has arrived... and then the anger bubbles below that it has taken away 12 years of your life"". The speed with which matters had moved over the past few months ""has been surreal"", Mr Williamson said. “I know this might sound a bit hollow but the compensation is really secondary,"" he added. ""The fight over these past number of years was to get our names cleared. To have our names cleared is actually the equivalent to having a million pounds compensation."" A public inquiry into the Horizon scandal is ongoing and this week has been hearing from former Post Office boss Paula Vennells. When the Post Office Horizon System Offences Bill received Royal Assent late on Friday, all convictions were quashed of people convicted of theft, or false accounting between 1996 and 2018 while working in a Post Office using its flawed IT system. Those who have their convictions overturned will be eligible for compensation payments from the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, which should be in place this summer, the business department said in an open letter to sub-postmasters. They will get an option to settle for compensation of £600,000, without the need to bring a formal claim. In the open letter, the business department said those affected will receive letters in the next few weeks. ""This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve,"" it said. The unprecedented law has been driven through in the wake of the public outcry brought about by the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office broadcast. The law has been controversial with judges because for centuries it has been the job of the courts to address unsafe convictions, not Parliament. But the government argues the exceptional scale and circumstances of the scandal mean it will not set a precedent. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Former sub-postmasters whose convictions from the Post Office scandal have been quashed have spoken of their ""joy"" and ""disbelief"" at the move.', 'Keith Bell, who was convicted of false accounting in 2002, told BBC News it was a ""huge relief"".', 'Lee Williamson said he was ""overjoyed and very grateful"".', 'A law quashing convictions from the Horizon IT scandal was approved by Parliament and on Friday became one of the final bills to become law ahead of the general election.', 'The law applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland - the Scottish parliament is to pass its own bill to quash convictions.', 'The case is seen as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.', 'Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted due to faulty accountancy software called Horizon, which showed errors that did not exist.', 'Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and several were financially ruined.', 'Speaking to the BBC before the bill\'s final approval, Keith Bell, a former sub-postmaster from Stockton, said his reaction was one of ""disbelief"". ""', 'You sort of anticipate the day coming and it’s arrived and it’s unbelievable really, it’s happened so quickly.', 'It’s a huge relief, not just to me but to the family. ""', 'As of today, I don’t have a criminal record, I can travel, I can apply for whatever I want.', 'My life goes back to basically a normal state.""', 'Lee Williamson, a former sub-postmaster in Castelderg, Northern Ireland, was convicted in 2014 and given an 18-month sentence suspended for three years. ""', 'Really the overriding emotion is absolute joy,"" he told the BBC\'s Today programme.', 'However, there were also conflicting emotions.', 'He said he was ""overjoyed and very grateful that this day has arrived... and then the anger bubbles below that it has taken away 12 years of your life"".', 'The speed with which matters had moved over the past few months ""has been surreal"", Mr Williamson said. “', 'I know this might sound a bit hollow but the compensation is really secondary,"" he added. ""', 'The fight over these past number of years was to get our names cleared.', 'To have our names cleared is actually the equivalent to having a million pounds compensation.""', 'A public inquiry into the Horizon scandal is ongoing and this week has been hearing from former Post Office boss Paula Vennells.', 'When the Post Office Horizon System Offences Bill received Royal Assent late on Friday, all convictions were quashed of people convicted of theft, or false accounting between 1996 and 2018 while working in a Post Office using its flawed IT system.', 'Those who have their convictions overturned will be eligible for compensation payments from the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme, which should be in place this summer, the business department said in an open letter to sub-postmasters.', 'They will get an option to settle for compensation of £600,000, without the need to bring a formal claim.', 'In the open letter, the business department said those affected will receive letters in the next few weeks. ""', 'This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve,"" it said.', 'The unprecedented law has been driven through in the wake of the public outcry brought about by the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office broadcast.', 'The law has been controversial with judges because for centuries it has been the job of the courts to address unsafe convictions, not Parliament.', 'But the government argues the exceptional scale and circumstances of the scandal mean it will not set a precedent.']",-0.0110606284317138,The case is seen as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.,But the government argues the exceptional scale and circumstances of the scandal mean it will not set a precedent.,0.7053808144160679,"Keith Bell, who was convicted of false accounting in 2002, told BBC News it was a ""huge relief"".","Many sub-postmasters went to prison for false accounting and theft, and several were financially ruined.",2024-05-27
The West is tapping Russian money to arm Ukraine. Much more could follow,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/24/business/russian-frozen-assets-g7-ukraine/index.html,"
  Updated
        2:32 PM EDT, Sat May 25, 2024
    ","Money generated by Russian financial assets frozen in Europe will soon start flowing to Ukraine, giving Kyiv a boost as it struggles to counter an advance by Moscow’s troops. Now, the West is trying to turn that trickle of cash into a flood.
    
            Finance officials from the G7 economies met in Stresa, Italy to discuss new ways of using the proceeds from some €260 billion ($282 billion) of Russia’s foreign currency reserves that were frozen by Western countries after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
    
            “Progress has been made … as far as the main issues are concerned,” Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said Saturday during a press conference after the meeting, adding that there are some legal technical issues that still have to be resolved.
    
            There is “strong positioning in terms of a political stance by all the G7 countries,” Giorgetti said.
    
            The G7 meeting comes just weeks after Russia mounted a surprise assault in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region. As Russia’s attacks intensify, Western leaders are coming under increasing pressure to deliver military aid to Kyiv’s stretched armed forces.
    
            It is “vital and urgent that we collectively find a way forward to unlock the value of Russian sovereign assets immobilized in our jurisdictions for the benefit of Ukraine,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a speech Tuesday in Frankfurt, Germany.
    
            The proposal that reportedly has the broadest backing among US and EU officials involves lending as much as $50 billion to Ukraine, using the future windfall profits from Russian assets held in the European Union as collateral.
    
            The plan “would essentially bring forward that flow of interest proceeds from the assets… (through a loan) given to Ukraine,” Yellen told broadcaster Sky News in an interview this week. “Ukraine has substantial needs, and being able to marshal significant resources to help Ukraine is important,” she said.
    
            G7 finance ministers hope to agree on a way forward that can be signed off when President Joe Biden and other leaders meet for a summit in Italy next month.
    
            The plan stops short of seizing the assets outright. The EU is worried that such a move would discourage other countries from keeping their assets in the bloc. Most of the frozen Russian money is held in Europe, and the euro is the world’s second-most important currency after the US dollar.
    
            The proposal “is a halfway house to full seizure,” Lee Buccheit, a veteran sovereign debt expert and honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh Law School, told CNN.
    
            Around two-thirds of Russia’s immobilized assets, or some €210 billion ($228 billion), sits in the EU, mostly at Euroclear, a Belgium-based financial institution that keeps assets safe for banks, exchanges and investors.
    
            Following months of discussions, the EU formally adopted an agreement Tuesday that taps the windfall profits Euroclear makes by reinvesting the cash generated by those assets — such as coupon payments on bonds. Western sanctions mean coupon payments and maturing assets cannot be sent to Russia.
    
            Under the EU agreement, between €2.5 and €3 billion ($2.7-3.3 billion) of these profits will be sent annually to Kyiv. The first payment will be made in July, with 90% earmarked for arms and military equipment.
    
            The split of funds will be reviewed each year starting in January 2025, with the option to shift spending toward rebuilding Ukraine’s war-torn economy as its needs change.
    
            “The EU has chosen a way forward that is legally sound, and flexible so that support can adjust to Ukraine’s most pressing needs,” European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement Tuesday.
    
            Unlike the drip feed of funding agreed by the EU, the proposal under discussion by the G7 could deliver a much bigger lump sum, immediately. 
    
            Reuters reported Yellen as saying Thursday that a figure of $50 billion had been discussed by G7 ministers but there was no agreement yet on how big the collateralized loan should be.
    
            Apart from seizing the stash of assets, or lending Kyiv money backed by the interest they earn, there’s a third option the West might consider — a so-called reparations loan.
    
            Under this approach, Ukraine would borrow money from a syndicate of allies, including G7 members, and pledge as collateral its claim for reparations — or compensation — against Russia. This would give Kyiv access to a much larger amount of money than using future or current windfall profits from Russian assets.
    
            “Ukraine has a claim against Russia for reparations — legally, that is indubitable — and it would in effect be monetizing a portion of that claim by pledging it to secure this loan from the G7,” Buchheit, the debt expert, said.
    
            If Russia failed to pay reparations, then the G7 would be in a position to draw on the pool of frozen assets to recover the value of its loan to Ukraine, he added.
    
            This mechanism also ensures that Russia foots part of the colossal bill for rebuilding Ukraine, which the World Bank has put at $486 billion over the next decade.
    
            “Short of a regime change in Russia, Putin is never going to pay reparations,” said Buccheit. “This $300 billion is probably the only contribution Russia will ever make for paying reparations for what it has done to Ukraine.”",CNN,25/05/2024,"['Money generated by Russian financial assets frozen in Europe will soon start flowing to Ukraine, giving Kyiv a boost as it struggles to counter an advance by Moscow’s troops.', 'Now, the West is trying to turn that trickle of cash into a flood.', 'Finance officials from the G7 economies met in Stresa, Italy to discussnew ways of using the proceeds from some €260 billion ($282 billion) of Russia’s foreign currency reserves that were frozen by Western countries after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.', '“Progress has been made … as far as the main issues are concerned,” Italian Economy MinisterGiancarloGiorgettisaid Saturday during a press conference after the meeting, adding that there are some legal technical issues that still have to be resolved.', 'There is “strong positioning in terms of a political stance by all the G7 countries,” Giorgetti said.', 'The G7 meeting comes just weeks after Russia mounted a surprise assault in Ukraine’s northern Kharkiv region.', 'As Russia’s attacks intensify, Western leaders are coming under increasing pressure to deliver military aid to Kyiv’s stretched armed forces.', 'It is “vital and urgent that we collectively find a way forward to unlock the value of Russian sovereign assets immobilized in our jurisdictions for the benefit of Ukraine,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a speech Tuesday in Frankfurt, Germany.', 'The proposal that reportedly has the broadest backing among US and EU officials involves lending as much as $50 billion to Ukraine, using the future windfall profits from Russian assets held in the European Union as collateral.', 'The plan “would essentially bring forward that flow of interest proceeds from the assets… (through a loan) given to Ukraine,” Yellen told broadcaster Sky News in an interview this week. “', 'Ukraine has substantial needs, and being able to marshal significant resources to help Ukraine is important,” she said.', 'G7 finance ministers hope to agree on a way forward that can be signed off when President Joe Biden and other leaders meet for a summit in Italy next month.', 'The plan stops short of seizing the assets outright.', 'The EU is worried that such a move would discourage other countries from keeping their assets in the bloc.', 'Most of the frozen Russian money is held in Europe, and the euro is the world’s second-most important currency after the US dollar.', 'The proposal “is a halfway house to full seizure,” Lee Buccheit, a veteran sovereign debt expert and honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh Law School, told CNN.', 'Around two-thirds of Russia’s immobilized assets, or some €210 billion ($228 billion), sits in the EU, mostly at Euroclear, a Belgium-based financial institution that keeps assets safe for banks, exchanges and investors.', 'Following months of discussions, the EU formally adopted an agreement Tuesday that taps the windfall profits Euroclear makes by reinvesting the cash generated by those assets — such as coupon payments on bonds.', 'Western sanctions mean coupon payments and maturing assets cannot be sent to Russia.', 'Under the EU agreement, between €2.5 and €3 billion ($2.7-3.3 billion) of these profits will be sent annually to Kyiv.', 'The first payment will be made in July, with 90% earmarked for arms and military equipment.', 'The split of funds will be reviewed each year starting in January 2025, with the option to shift spending toward rebuilding Ukraine’s war-torn economy as its needs change.', '“The EU has chosen a way forward that is legally sound, and flexible so that support can adjust to Ukraine’s most pressing needs,” European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement Tuesday.', 'Unlike the drip feed of funding agreed by the EU, the proposal under discussion by the G7 could deliver a much bigger lump sum, immediately.', 'Reuters reported Yellen as saying Thursday that a figure of $50 billion had been discussed by G7 ministers but there was no agreement yet on how big the collateralized loan should be.', 'Apart from seizing the stash of assets, or lending Kyiv money backed by the interest they earn, there’s a third option the West might consider — a so-called reparations loan.', 'Under this approach, Ukraine would borrow money from a syndicate of allies, including G7 members, and pledge as collateral its claim for reparations — or compensation — against Russia.', 'This would give Kyiv access to a much larger amount of money than using future or current windfall profits from Russian assets.', '“Ukraine has a claim against Russia for reparations — legally, that is indubitable — and it would in effect be monetizing a portion of that claim by pledging it to secure this loan from the G7,” Buchheit, the debt expert, said.', 'If Russia failed to pay reparations, then the G7 would be in a position to draw on the pool of frozen assets to recover the value of its loan to Ukraine, he added.', 'This mechanism also ensures that Russia foots part of the colossal bill for rebuilding Ukraine, which the World Bank has put at $486 billion over the next decade.', '“Short of a regime change in Russia, Putin is never going to pay reparations,” said Buccheit. “', 'This $300 billion is probably the only contribution Russia will ever make for paying reparations for what it has done to Ukraine.”']",0.2302889937663015,"It is “vital and urgent that we collectively find a way forward to unlock the value of Russian sovereign assets immobilized in our jurisdictions for the benefit of Ukraine,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a speech Tuesday in Frankfurt, Germany.","The split of funds will be reviewed each year starting in January 2025, with the option to shift spending toward rebuilding Ukraine’s war-torn economy as its needs change.",0.5081320771804223,"Money generated by Russian financial assets frozen in Europe will soon start flowing to Ukraine, giving Kyiv a boost as it struggles to counter an advance by Moscow’s troops.",The EU is worried that such a move would discourage other countries from keeping their assets in the bloc.,2024-05-27
How to make high interest rates work for your hard-earned savings,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/20/success/interest-rates-savings-cash/index.html,"
  Published
        3:00 PM EDT, Wed March 20, 2024
    ","The Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate remains at a 23-year high. That’s thanks to the central bank’s decision Wednesday to once again hold it steady, as it has done at the policy-making committee’s past five meetings.
    
            That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).
    
            But with the Fed signaling that no rate cuts are likely until summer, it also means anyone with savings still has at least a few more months to make hay of their stash.
    
            That’s because you can still get inflation-beating interest rates that will grow any money you have set aside for emergencies, vacations, down payments or any other goal in your sights over the next several years.
    
            However, that won’t happen if you just let it sit in a traditional checking or savings account that yields next to nothing. There are more lucrative, low-risk options out there, with rates that are still at or near their peaks. “But perhaps not for much longer,” said Ted Rossman, senior analyst at Bankrate. “If one of those fits into your financial plans, it’s best to act soon.”
    
            So, consider the following options when deciding where to park your hard-earned savings.
    
            The average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.52% as of March 13, according to Bankrate. That average is kept low by the biggest brick-and-mortar banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which still are offering a paltry 0.01%.
    
            By contrast, there are still FDIC-insured online banks offering inflation-beating rates of between 4.35% and 5.35% on their high-yield savings accounts. Generally speaking, these are the best vehicles in which to keep your emergency funds for quick, easy access.
    
            Choosing between an account that pays 0.52% and one that pays 5.35% can mean forfeiting hundreds of dollars in interest. “If you put $10,000 in a savings account, that’s a difference of $496 in interest earnings over the course of the year, assuming monthly compounding,” Rossman said.
    
            While the rates on high-yield savings accounts have gone down a bit in recent months, “widespread cuts in online savings account rates are unlikely until the first Fed rate cut is near,” said Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com.
    
            As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings account rates can change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it. So make sure to check your monthly statement.
    
            Another high-return, low-risk investment that is great for money you likely won’t need to tap for a few months or even a couple of years is a certificate of deposit.
    
            You can get the best returns on CDs through a brokerage such as Schwab, E*Trade or Fidelity. That’s because you can comparison shop for CDs from any number of FDIC-insured banks and will not have to set up individual accounts with each institution.
    
            As of March 13, the average rate on a one-year CD was 1.95%, but some banks are offering as much are 5.4%.
    
            If you can get a one-year CD at, say, 5.4%, you will make $540 on a $10,000 investment.
    
            To get the greatest benefit from a CD, you have to leave the money invested for a fixed period. You can always access your principal sooner if you need to, but there may be early withdrawal penalties.
    
            As of March 20, CDs listed on Schwab.com with durations from three months up to three years were all yielding between 5.2% and 5.51%. CD rates on durations between four and 10 years ranged from 4.40% to 5.15%.
    
            Say you invest $10,000 in a one-year CD with a 5.36% APY. At the end of that period, you’d get your principal back plus $536 in interest when the CD matures, according to Bankrate’s CD calculator. If you chose a two-year CD at 5.25%, you’d bank an extra $1,078, assuming compounding interest. The same investment in a five-year CD at 5.15% would earn $2,854.
    
            “It makes sense to go long with CDs. To hedge your bets, include terms from one to five years. Starting a CD ladder will provide this mix,” Tumin said.
    
            If you don’t go through a brokerage you may get a reasonable deal from your primary bank, Tumin said.
    
            For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs. Or, at Bank of America, you can get up to 4.75% on a 7-month CD.
    
            But Tumin cautions that with any big bank CD you should take your money out at the end of the term, otherwise your bank may automatically renew it and lock you in to a much lower-yielding CD.
    
            If you don’t want to set up an online savings account at another bank, your own bank may offer you a money market deposit account that pays a higher yield than your regular checking or savings accounts.
    
            Money market accounts may have higher minimum deposit requirements than a regular savings account, but they are more liquid than a fixed-term certificate of deposit or Treasury bill, meaning they give you access to your money more quickly while still potentially giving you some of the highest yields available, said Doug Ornstein, senior manager for integrated solutions at TIAA Wealth Management.
    
            But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments. As of March 19, they had an average 7-day yield of 5.14%, according to the Crane Money Fund Index, which tracks the top 100 taxable money market funds.
    
            Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC. But if you invest in a money market fund through a brokerage, your overall account is likely to be insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corp, which offers protection in the event your brokerage ever goes under.
    
            Another option for money you can leave untouched anywhere from several months to a few years is to buy short-term Treasury bills and medium-term notes, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
    
            Three- and six-month bills had yields of 5.39% and 5.33% respectively on March 20 before the Fed’s meeting ended, while nine-month and one-year bills were offering 5.19% and 5.08% respectively, according to rates posted on Schwab.com for a $25,000 investment. Rates on Treasury notes with durations from two years to 10 years ranged between 4.29% and 4.72%.
    
            If you’re someone who manages your portfolio like a hawk, you may feel comfortable buying T-bills on your own from TreasuryDirect.gov. But if you don’t, it might be easier just to buy new issues through your brokerage account or invest in a short-term bond index fund or ETF, said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines.
    
            And if you’re looking at money that will be needed in three to five years, you might consider a diversified fund of highly rated government and corporate bonds, Ornstein said. An 18-month AAA-rated corporate bond, for instance, was yielding 4.82% this week, while the three-year was at 4.49%. Meanwhile, three-year AAA-rated municipal bonds (which are issued by local governments) had a rate of 3.98%, according to Schwab.com.
    
            When deciding on the best accounts and investments for your specific goals and peace of mind, it may pay to consult a fee-only fiduciary adviser — meaning, someone who doesn’t get paid a commission to sell you a particular investment.
    
            What you’ll always want to do is build in flexibility for yourself so you can easily access cash, regardless of your timeline for key goals. “What happens if something changes and you need that down payment a lot sooner — or your parents need medical care fast?” Smith said.
    
            That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty. Translation: Don’t chase yield for yield’s sake.
    
            Think of it this way, Ornstein said: Unless you have huge sums to invest or are an institutional investor, the difference between getting a 5.1% yield versus 5% is negligible, and in fact it could even cost you more if there are penalties for taking your money out early. “Most of the time convenience is really important. Give up the 0.1%,” he advised.",CNN,20/03/2024,"['The Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate remains at a 23-year high.', 'That’s thanks to the central bank’s decision Wednesday to once again hold it steady, as it has done at the policy-making committee’s past five meetings.', 'That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).', 'Butwith the Fed signaling that no rate cuts are likely until summer, it also means anyone with savings still has at least a few more months to make hay of their stash.', 'That’s because you can still get inflation-beating interest rates that will grow any money you have set aside for emergencies, vacations, down payments or any other goal in your sights over the next several years.', 'However, that won’t happen if you just let it sit in a traditional checking or savings account that yields next to nothing.', 'There are more lucrative, low-risk options out there, with rates that are still at or near their peaks. “', 'But perhaps not for much longer,” said Ted Rossman, senior analyst at Bankrate. “', 'If one of those fits into your financial plans, it’s best to act soon.”', 'So, consider the following options when deciding where to park your hard-earned savings.', 'The average annual percentage yield on bank savings accounts was just 0.52% as of March 13, according to Bankrate.', 'That average is kept low by the biggest brick-and-mortar banks like JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, which still are offering a paltry 0.01%.', 'By contrast, there are still FDIC-insured online banks offering inflation-beating rates of between 4.35% and 5.35% on their high-yield savings accounts.', 'Generally speaking, these are the best vehicles in which to keep your emergency funds for quick, easy access.', 'Choosing between an account that pays 0.52% and one that pays 5.35% can mean forfeiting hundreds of dollars in interest. “', 'If you put $10,000 in a savings account, that’s a difference of $496 in interest earnings over the course of the year, assuming monthly compounding,” Rossman said.', 'While the rates on high-yield savings accounts have gone down a bit in recent months, “widespread cuts in online savings account rates are unlikely until the first Fed rate cut is near,” said Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com.', 'As with any bank savings rate, high-yield savings accountratescan change overnight, and the bank may not alert you when it lowers it.', 'So make sure to check your monthly statement.', 'Another high-return, low-risk investment that is great for money you likely won’t need to tap for a few months or even a couple of years is a certificate of deposit.', 'You can get the best returns on CDs through a brokerage such as Schwab, E*Trade or Fidelity.', 'That’s because you can comparison shop for CDs from any number of FDIC-insured banks and will not have to set up individual accounts with each institution.', 'As of March 13, the average rate on a one-year CD was 1.95%, but some banks are offering as much are 5.4%.', 'If you can get a one-year CD at, say, 5.4%, you will make $540 on a $10,000 investment.', 'To get the greatest benefit from a CD, you have to leave the money invested for a fixed period.', 'You can always access your principal sooner if you need to, but there may be early withdrawal penalties.', 'As of March 20, CDs listed on Schwab.com with durations from three months up to three years were all yielding between 5.2% and 5.51%.', 'CD rates on durations between four and 10 years ranged from 4.40% to 5.15%.', 'Say you invest $10,000 in a one-year CD with a 5.36%APY.', 'At the end of that period, you’d get your principal back plus $536 in interest when the CD matures, according to Bankrate’s CD calculator.', 'If you chose a two-year CD at 5.25%, you’d bank an extra $1,078, assuming compounding interest.', 'The same investment in a five-year CD at 5.15% would earn $2,854.', '“It makes sense to go long with CDs.', 'To hedge your bets, include terms from one to five years.', 'Starting a CD ladder will provide this mix,” Tumin said.', 'If you don’t go through a brokerage you may get a reasonable deal from your primary bank, Tumin said.', 'For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs.', 'Or, at Bank of America, you can get up to 4.75% on a 7-month CD.', 'But Tumin cautions that with any big bank CD you should take your money out at the end of the term, otherwise your bank may automatically renew it and lock you in to a much lower-yielding CD.', 'If you don’t want to set up an online savings account at another bank, your own bank may offer you a money market deposit account that pays a higher yield than your regular checking or savings accounts.', 'Money market accounts may have higher minimum deposit requirements than a regular savings account, but they are more liquid than a fixed-term certificate of deposit or Treasury bill, meaning they give you access to your money more quickly while still potentially giving you some of the highest yields available, said Doug Ornstein, senior manager for integrated solutions at TIAA Wealth Management.', 'But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments.', 'As of March 19, they had an average 7-day yield of 5.14%, according to the Crane Money Fund Index, which tracks the top 100 taxable money market funds.', 'Unlike money market deposit accounts, money market mutual funds are not insured by the FDIC.', 'But if you invest in a money market fund through a brokerage, your overall account is likely to be insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corp, which offers protection in the event your brokerage ever goes under.', 'Another option for money you can leave untouched anywhere from several months to a few years is to buy short-term Treasury bills and medium-term notes, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.', 'Three- and six-month bills had yields of 5.39% and 5.33%respectively on March 20 before the Fed’s meeting ended, while nine-month and one-year bills were offering 5.19% and 5.08%respectively, according to rates posted on Schwab.com for a $25,000 investment.', 'Rates on Treasury notes with durations from two years to 10 years ranged between 4.29% and 4.72%.', 'If you’re someone who manages your portfolio like a hawk, you may feel comfortable buying T-bills on your own from TreasuryDirect.gov.', 'But if you don’t, it might be easier just to buy new issues through your brokerage account or invest in a short-term bond index fund or ETF, said Andy Smith, executive director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines.', 'And if you’re looking at money that will be needed in three to five years, you might consider a diversified fund of highly rated government and corporate bonds, Ornstein said.', 'An 18-month AAA-rated corporate bond, for instance, was yielding 4.82% this week, while the three-year was at 4.49%.', 'Meanwhile, three-year AAA-rated municipal bonds (which are issued by local governments) had a rate of 3.98%, according to Schwab.com.', 'When deciding on the best accounts and investments for your specific goals and peace of mind, it may pay to consult a fee-only fiduciary adviser — meaning, someone who doesn’t get paid a commission to sell you a particular investment.', 'What you’ll always want to do is build in flexibility for yourself so you can easily access cash, regardless of your timeline for key goals. “', 'What happens if something changes and you need that down payment a lot sooner — or your parents need medical care fast?”', 'Smith said.', 'That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty.', 'Translation: Don’t chase yield for yield’s sake.', 'Think of it this way, Ornstein said: Unless you have huge sums to invest or are an institutional investor, the difference between getting a 5.1% yield versus 5% is negligible, and in fact it could even cost you more if there are penalties for taking your money out early. “', 'Most of the time convenience is really important.', 'Give up the 0.1%,” he advised.']",0.1607169988950149,That means balancing your desire for great yield with a need and desire for ease of access without penalty.,"But don’t confuse money market accounts with money market mutual funds, which invest in short-term, low-risk debt instruments.",0.3840319812297821,"For example, he noted, Wells Fargo is still offering up to 5.01% on both 4-month and 7-month CDs.","That decision may be disappointing to some investors, homebuyers and those with a lot of credit card debt, since movement in the Fed’s overnight lending rate influences rates — directly or indirectly — on consumer financial products (e.g., credit cards, bank loans and mortgages).",2024-05-27
Energy bills to fall by £122 in July under new cap,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxeey91v540o,2024-05-23T23:02:05.983Z,"A typical household's energy bill will fall by £122 a year from July under the new price cap. The latest quarterly cap for England, Wales and Scotland means a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,568 a year. It means that bills will be the lowest for two years. The cap, set by the regulator Ofgem, limits the maximum price that can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity - not the total bill. If you use more energy, you will pay more.  It affects the gas and electricity bills of 28 million households, but does not impact customers in Northern Ireland, where the sector is regulated differently but where prices are also falling. Energy prices are at their lowest level since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. However, bills remain well above pre-pandemic levels and are about £400 higher than three years ago. An estimated £3bn debt to suppliers has been built up by consumers when prices were high. “The fall in the energy price cap reduces bills slightly,"" said Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice. ""But our data tells us millions have fallen into the red or are unable to cover their essential costs every month.""  Analysts at the consultancy Cornwall Insight have forecast that recent rising wholesale prices may mean energy bills rise again in the run-up to winter. Debra Baxter has high energy use throughout the year, having to charge her wheelchair to get out and move around her home. “The lower [prices] are still not enough to pay for my wheelchair to be charged every day,” she said. “I’ve had to put my energy bill on my credit card and hopefully pay for it the following month when I have a bit more money.” With gas and electricity prices affecting so many lives, and touching so many parts of our economy, energy will be a key election battleground. As well as the prices people pay, there is a debate over energy security and the move towards net zero. Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, Claire Coutinho, said the system would be tightened up under the Conservatives to ensure greater competition to benefit consumers. Labour argued there was little substance to the plan, with leader Sir Keir Starmer saying the party would create a publicly-owned power company to invest in wind and solar projects. Those on prepayment meters, who tend to top up meters during the colder, darker months, will see a less immediate impact of a drop in prices in the summer. The vast majority of households pay by direct debit, and their payments are smoothed out over the year. They can expect more information from their supplier in the coming days about any price changes. Companies will judge the level of direct debit on previous, and future predicted, usage. Customers can challenge any, or no, change by talking initially to their energy provider. Falling energy bills have already helped push inflation down to its lowest level in almost three years. Further declines would continue to feed through to the inflation rate, and may create more impetus for the Bank of England to reduce interest rates. Ofgem is also gathering views on the way the price cap is calculated, including whether there should be a change to standing charges. These are the fixed daily charges covering the costs of connecting to a supply, which have risen sharply in some areas. Experts have shared three tips to keep on top of energy use during the warmer months: Read more here if you are struggling to pay energy bills ",BBC,23/05/2024,"[""A typical household's energy bill will fall by £122 a year from July under the new price cap."", 'The latest quarterly cap for England, Wales and Scotland means a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,568 a year.', 'It means that bills will be the lowest for two years.', 'The cap, set by the regulator Ofgem, limits the maximum price that can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity - not the total bill.', 'If you use more energy, you will pay more.', 'It affects the gas and electricity bills of 28 million households, but does not impact customers in Northern Ireland, where the sector is regulated differently but where prices are also falling.', 'Energy prices are at their lowest level since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.', 'However, bills remain well above pre-pandemic levels and are about £400 higher than three years ago.', 'An estimated £3bn debt to suppliers has been built up by consumers when prices were high. “', 'The fall in the energy price cap reduces bills slightly,"" said Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice. ""', 'But our data tells us millions have fallen into the red or are unable to cover their essential costs every month.""', 'Analysts at the consultancy Cornwall Insight have forecast that recent rising wholesale prices may mean energy bills rise again in the run-up to winter.', 'Debra Baxter has high energy use throughout the year, having to charge her wheelchair to get out and move around her home. “', 'The lower [prices] are still not enough to pay for my wheelchair to be charged every day,” she said. “', 'I’ve had to put my energy bill on my credit card and hopefully pay for it the following month when I have a bit more money.”', 'With gas and electricity prices affecting so many lives, and touching so many parts of our economy, energy will be a key election battleground.', 'As well as the prices people pay, there is a debate over energy security and the move towards net zero.', 'Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, Claire Coutinho, said the system would be tightened up under the Conservatives to ensure greater competition to benefit consumers.', 'Labour argued there was little substance to the plan, with leader Sir Keir Starmer saying the party would create a publicly-owned power company to invest in wind and solar projects.', 'Those on prepayment meters, who tend to top up meters during the colder, darker months, will see a less immediate impact of a drop in prices in the summer.', 'The vast majority of households pay by direct debit, and their payments are smoothed out over the year.', 'They can expect more information from their supplier in the coming days about any price changes.', 'Companies will judge the level of direct debit on previous, and future predicted, usage.', 'Customers can challenge any, or no, change by talking initially to their energy provider.', 'Falling energy bills have already helped push inflation down to its lowest level in almost three years.', 'Further declines would continue to feed through to the inflation rate, and may create more impetus for the Bank of England to reduce interest rates.', 'Ofgem is also gathering views on the way the price cap is calculated, including whether there should be a change to standing charges.', 'These are the fixed daily charges covering the costs of connecting to a supply, which have risen sharply in some areas.', 'Experts have shared three tips to keep on top of energy use during the warmer months: Read more here if you are struggling to pay energy bills']",0.0708638582318177,"Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, Claire Coutinho, said the system would be tightened up under the Conservatives to ensure greater competition to benefit consumers.","But our data tells us millions have fallen into the red or are unable to cover their essential costs every month.""",-0.422082883971078,"The fall in the energy price cap reduces bills slightly,"" said Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice. """,Falling energy bills have already helped push inflation down to its lowest level in almost three years.,2024-05-27
"Finances a 'dark cloud' hanging over election campaign, says IFS",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c100n7djyr6o,2024-05-24T23:50:14.042Z,"A leading think tank has issued a stark warning about the financial challenges awaiting the next government. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"". It warns more tax rises or cuts to public services could lie ahead. It calls for an ""open and robust"" discussion about how all the parties will tackle these. Both Labour and the Conservatives have committed to get debt falling as a share of national income. All the major parties would likely have a similar form of self-imposed rules in order to keep the government’s cost of borrowing from financial markets down. But the independent IFS claims that high interest payments on existing debt and low expected economic growth could make reducing future debt more difficult to achieve, whoever is in government, than in any Parliament since at least the 1950s, without further measures. To meet existing rules, the current chancellor had already pencilled in what could amount to potential cuts in funding for some public services – such as justice or higher education - of more than 10% in coming years, once population growth and inflation is taken into account.  Taxes are also on track to absorb a larger share of the nation’s income, up from 36.5% in the current tax year to 37.1% in 2028–29, in particular as the thresholds at which different rates of taxes on income apply are frozen, instead of rising with inflation as they have traditionally done. As such, the IFS says that barring a dramatic improvement in growth, the next government could face three broad choices: to go forward with the spending squeeze for services, raise taxes further or increase annual borrowing, which could risk preventing total debt from falling. Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, said: ""Money is tight. We could get miraculously lucky with growth and escape having to make these tough choices. But we might not.  ""Just because thousands of English and Scottish football fans are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best this summer doesn’t mean that the next cabinet should do the same."" He added that the next government should not wait until it enters office to ""open the books"", adding that they are published and available for anyone to inspect. ""We should use them as the basis for an open and robust discussion during the election campaign,"" he added. The IFS’s warning echoes one it made after the Budget in March, when it spoke of a ""conspiracy of silence"" that meant major parties were failing to acknowledge potential challenges, or spell out how it would tackle those. All parties will be putting forward policies they say will make voters better off in coming weeks.  But with most economists coming to a similar conclusion as the IFS, such pledges will be made against a backdrop of constrained public finances - which may mean tough choices ahead that may ultimately impact voters' fortunes. Responding to the findings of the IFS, Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said that the Labour party was under no illusions about the scale of the challenge it may face. ""The country will only see the full scale of the challenge if we win the election. We have promised to deliver an immediate injection of cash into our public services and will then get to work to turn the country around,"" he said. The BBC has also approached the Conservatives for comment. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['A leading think tank has issued a stark warning about the financial challenges awaiting the next government.', 'The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the state of public finances hangs over the election campaign ""like a dark cloud"".', 'It warns more tax rises or cuts to public services could lie ahead.', 'It calls for an ""open and robust"" discussion about how all the parties will tackle these.', 'Both Labour and the Conservatives have committed to get debt falling as a share of national income.', 'All the major parties would likely have a similar form of self-imposed rules in order to keep the government’s cost of borrowing from financial markets down.', 'But the independent IFS claims that high interest payments on existing debt and low expected economic growth could make reducing future debt more difficult to achieve, whoever is in government, than in any Parliament since at least the 1950s, without further measures.', 'To meet existing rules, the current chancellor had already pencilled in what could amount to potential cuts in funding for some public services – such as justice or higher education - of more than 10% in coming years, once population growth and inflation is taken into account.', 'Taxes are also on track to absorb a larger share of the nation’s income, up from 36.5% in the current tax year to 37.1% in 2028–29, in particular as the thresholds at which different rates of taxes on income apply are frozen, instead of rising with inflation as they have traditionally done.', 'As such, the IFS says that barring a dramatic improvement in growth, the next government could face three broad choices: to go forward with the spending squeeze for services, raise taxes further or increase annual borrowing, which could risk preventing total debt from falling.', 'Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, said: ""Money is tight.', 'We could get miraculously lucky with growth and escape having to make these tough choices.', 'But we might not. ""', 'Just because thousands of English and Scottish football fans are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best this summer doesn’t mean that the next cabinet should do the same.""', 'He added that the next government should not wait until it enters office to ""open the books"", adding that they are published and available for anyone to inspect. ""', 'We should use them as the basis for an open and robust discussion during the election campaign,"" he added.', 'The IFS’s warning echoes one it made after the Budget in March, when it spoke of a ""conspiracy of silence"" that meant major parties were failing to acknowledge potential challenges, or spell out how it would tackle those.', 'All parties will be putting forward policies they say will make voters better off in coming weeks.', ""But with most economists coming to a similar conclusion as the IFS, such pledges will be made against a backdrop of constrained public finances - which may mean tough choices ahead that may ultimately impact voters' fortunes."", 'Responding to the findings of the IFS, Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said that the Labour party was under no illusions about the scale of the challenge it may face. ""', 'The country will only see the full scale of the challenge if we win the election.', 'We have promised to deliver an immediate injection of cash into our public services and will then get to work to turn the country around,"" he said.', 'The BBC has also approached the Conservatives for comment.']",0.1768458311689707,"Just because thousands of English and Scottish football fans are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best this summer doesn’t mean that the next cabinet should do the same.""","The IFS’s warning echoes one it made after the Budget in March, when it spoke of a ""conspiracy of silence"" that meant major parties were failing to acknowledge potential challenges, or spell out how it would tackle those.",-0.2695056881223406,"Taxes are also on track to absorb a larger share of the nation’s income, up from 36.5% in the current tax year to 37.1% in 2028–29, in particular as the thresholds at which different rates of taxes on income apply are frozen, instead of rising with inflation as they have traditionally done.","But the independent IFS claims that high interest payments on existing debt and low expected economic growth could make reducing future debt more difficult to achieve, whoever is in government, than in any Parliament since at least the 1950s, without further measures.",2024-05-27
Top soccer clubs are using an AI-powered app to scout future stars,https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/01/tech/aiscout-app-soccer-scouting-spc-intl/index.html,"
  Published
        7:14 AM EST, Fri March 1, 2024
    ","A London-based technology company is looking to “democratize” talent-identification and scouting in soccer using a mobile app.
    
            Free to download and available globally, the aiScout app allows aspiring soccer stars to enter virtual trials for professional clubs by uploading self-recorded footage of themselves completing a series of drills. It offers 75 exercises, designed to test a range of skills, with videos showing users how to complete them.
    
            Performances are automatically scored by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The data can then be accessed by clubs, allowing their scouts to peruse scores for viable talent, honing their search with a variety of filters; from age and gender to position on the pitch.
    
            The app currently has two English Premier League (EPL) partners, Chelsea and Burnley, and clubs can tailor their in-app trials to meet specific needs and set their own benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same drills.
    
            “We’re putting that data up front to make better use of [the scouts’] time,” said Richard Felton-Thomas, chief operating officer of ai.io, the company behind the app.
    
            “To say [to scouts], ‘Go over to this place today because there’s three players in that game that are all actually beating your Chelsea standard’ — that’s going to be the best use of your time.’”
    
            It already appears to be working for some. Ben Greenwood had never had a trial with a professional club until he downloaded the app in 2019. After uploading footage of himself, the 17-year-old landed a trial with Chelsea, becoming the first user of the app to get a trial with a pro club. He signed a contract with EPL team Bournemouth in 2021.
    
            Having beta-tested in with players spanning 125 countries, Greenwood among them, 135 players have been trialed or signed by pro clubs or national teams through the app — which fully launched in September 2023 — according to Felton-Thomas.
    
            Just over 100,000 players make up the current database, but with over 100 clubs lined up to join Chelsea and Burnley, as well as a multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer in the US announced last May, Felton-Thomas projects user numbers to surge into the millions as the operation ramps up this year.
    
            Felton-Thomas said the “lion’s share” of its income comes from charging clubs a license fee to run the platform. Annual fees vary depending on the size of the club and the tools they require, ranging from six figures for “tier one” sides like Chelsea, to thousands of pounds for clubs lower down the footballing pyramid.
    
            The use of smart technology in sport continues to expand, including AI commentary tools and wearable tech for elite athletes. The global market for sports analytics, valued at $2.7 billion in 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.
    
            Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry? For Felton-Thomas, new technologies can co-exist with traditional methods.
    
            “It’s more about evolution than revolution,” Felton-Thomas explained.
    
            “We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity? What happens when he’s 2-0 down? What happens when someone’s shouting at him? What happens when he’s just made a massive mistake?”
    
            “We’ve got the ability to just augment real people to do their jobs better and faster, which then gives an opportunity to the player through the AI, but you’re still actually just connecting them to the human on the other side, which is the club and the scout.”
    
            While football remains ai.io’s primary focus, the company is looking into opportunities in other sports to launch in the coming years. Further ahead, it may branch out beyond sports.
    
            “You think about the notion that you can be at home and analyze your movements, and how this could spin into health care, physical assessments for military disciplines and emergency services,” Felton-Thomas told CNN.",CNN,01/03/2024,"['A London-based technology company is looking to “democratize” talent-identification and scouting in soccer using a mobile app.', 'Free to download and available globally, the aiScout app allows aspiring soccer stars to enter virtual trials for professional clubs by uploading self-recorded footage of themselves completing a series of drills.', 'It offers 75 exercises, designed to test a range of skills, with videos showing users how to complete them.', 'Performances are automatically scored by artificial intelligence (AI) technology.', 'The data can then be accessed by clubs, allowing their scouts to peruse scores for viable talent, honing their search with a variety of filters; from age and gender to position on the pitch.', 'The app currently has two English Premier League (EPL) partners, Chelsea and Burnley, and clubs can tailor their in-app trials to meet specific needs and set their own benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same drills.', '“We’re putting that data up front to make better use of [the scouts’] time,” said Richard Felton-Thomas, chief operating officer of ai.io, the company behind the app.', '“To say [to scouts], ‘Go over to this place today because there’s three players in that game that are all actually beating your Chelsea standard’ — that’s going to be the best use of your time.’”', 'It already appears to be working for some.', 'Ben Greenwood had never had a trial with a professional club until he downloaded the app in 2019.', 'After uploading footage of himself, the 17-year-old landed a trial with Chelsea, becoming the first user of the app to get a trial with a pro club.', 'He signed a contractwith EPL team Bournemouthin 2021.', 'Having beta-tested in with players spanning 125 countries, Greenwood among them, 135 players have been trialed or signed by pro clubs or national teams through the app — which fully launched in September 2023 — according to Felton-Thomas.', 'Just over 100,000 players make up the current database, but with over 100 clubs lined up to join Chelsea and Burnley, as well as a multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer in the US announced last May, Felton-Thomas projects user numbers to surge into the millions as the operation ramps up this year.', 'Felton-Thomas said the “lion’s share” of its income comes from charging clubs a license fee to run the platform.', 'Annual fees vary depending on the size of the club and the tools they require, ranging from six figures for “tier one” sides like Chelsea, to thousands of pounds for clubs lower down the footballing pyramid.', 'The use of smart technology in sport continues to expand, includingAI commentary tools and wearable tech for elite athletes.', 'The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.', 'Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry?', 'For Felton-Thomas, new technologies can co-exist with traditional methods.', '“It’s more about evolution than revolution,” Felton-Thomas explained.', '“We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity?', 'What happens when he’s 2-0 down?', 'What happens when someone’s shouting at him?', 'What happens when he’s just made a massive mistake?”', '“We’ve got the ability to just augment real people to do their jobs better and faster, which then gives an opportunity to the player through the AI, but you’re still actually just connecting them to the human on the other side, which is the club and the scout.”', 'While football remains ai.io’s primary focus, the company is looking into opportunities in other sports to launch in the coming years.', 'Further ahead, it may branch out beyond sports.', '“You think about the notion that you can be at home and analyze your movements, and how this could spin into health care, physical assessments for military disciplines and emergency services,” Felton-Thomas told CNN.']",0.2022322827681825,"The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.","“We can’t tell you when that player’s actually in that match, how does he deal with adversity?",0.6922526359558105,"The global market for sports analytics, valued at$2.7 billionin 2023, is projected to grow 22% by the end of the decade, according to market research firm Grand View Research.",Should soccer talent scouts be concerned about being edged out by the arrival of AI in their industry?,2024-05-27
Paula Vennells: Five key moments from Post Office inquiry,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgxx1zgpn0ko,2024-05-24T21:25:27.792Z,"Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has broken her almost decade-long silence on the Horizon IT scandal.  She was quizzed over the course of three days on how things unfolded during her time at the head of the organisation by both the counsel to the public inquiry and lawyers speaking on behalf of sub-postmasters. It was the most anticipated appearance in the long-running inquiry into what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history. Here is a summary of five of the key moments: She wasn’t on trial – but she might just as well have been. Over the three days, Paula Vennells faced an onslaught of hostile questions. Lead counsel to the inquiry, Jason Beer, was subtle but probing. The lawyers for the sub-postmasters, who had the final say, were hard-hitting and merciless. To begin with, the former Post Office boss was poised. There were carefully prepared apologies to the sub-postmasters, to Alan Bates – whose campaign for justice formed the centrepiece of the ITV drama Mr Bates v the Post Office - and to others. There was a great deal she said she couldn’t remember. There was even more she claimed she had never been told. The Post Office may have been aware that the Horizon IT system was deeply flawed, and that a key witness had failed to disclose vital information to the courts. But Ms Vennells, it seems, wasn’t. Then, her composure failed. Asked by Mr Beer whether she had misled MPs about court cases involving Horizon, she broke down in tears. She recovered, then cried again when asked about the case of Martin Griffiths, a sub-postmaster who took his own life after being financially ruined by the Post Office. It wouldn’t be the last time. But her tears attracted scant sympathy from the victims of the scandal watching her in the room. The emergence of blistering texts between Ms Vennells and Dame Moya Greene, Royal Mail's former boss, was one of the week's more shocking moments. The two exchanged messages after ITV aired its drama in January, which thrust the decades-old scandal back into the spotlight. ""When it was clear the system was at fault, the [Post Office] should have raised a red flag, stopped all proceedings, given people back their money and then tried to compensate them for the ruin this caused in their lives,"" Dame Moya said in a text message. Ms Vennells agreed: ""This has/is taking too long Moya. The toll on everyone affected is dreadful.” Then came the gut punch.  ""I don’t know what to say. I think you knew,"" said Dame Moya. ""No Moya, that isn’t the case,"" replied Ms Vennells. It was the question that Jason Beer also wanted an answer to: ""How could you not know?""  ""This is a situation that is so complex, it is a question I have asked myself as well,"" said Ms Vennells. ""I have learned some things that I did not know as a result of the inquiry and I imagine that we will go through some of the detail of that. I wish I had known."" Ms Vennells was running a big business and in charge of thousands of staff. The Inquiry wanted to know how much she knew about what was going on in her organisation. In key areas, she claims her knowledge was limited. According to Ms Vennells’ 775 page witness statement, she wasn’t being given the information and documents she needed to find out the truth about the Horizon IT system. Mr Beer wasn’t impressed and asked her: “Do you think you’re the unluckiest CEO in history?” Ms Vennells says the problem was “I was too trusting” and some of her staff let her down. But some weren’t allowed to be heard - her head of legal was kept out of a Post Office board meeting “like a naughty schoolgirl”, according to Mr Beer. One key element of the Horizon scandal is that the Post Office conducted its own prosecution of sub-postmasters.  Ms Vennells told the inquiry it took five years of working at the Post Office for her to find that out. Mr Beer seemed baffled by this and there was incredulous laughter from those in the room. Some of the most revealing exchanges weren't about IT systems, but about the press. Sub-postmasters long suspected the organisation was more focused on its brand than its people.  In 2013, when issues with bugs were discovered, Ms Vennells was internally questioning if there should be a review of past prosecutions going back many years. The PR boss advised against this: ""We don't want to be front page news"", he told his boss. Ms Vennells said she would never make a legal decision based on optics. The problem? Her response contained the phrase: ""I will take your steer"". On another occasion, the chief executive sent an email in which she said her ""goal"" was that all press be ""scoured for negative comment and refuted"". Ms Vennells claimed the email was being read all wrong. She was only trying to make sure inaccurate misrepresentations were corrected. Is that believable or a sign of a defensive culture? That is for the inquiry chair to decide. Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged. Another stand-out moment came when Ms Vennells was asked about the flotation of Royal Mail in 2013.  The Post Office used to be part of Royal Mail but was split off when the then coalition government decided to privatise the UK's postal service.  The board of the Post Office had become alarmed about potential civil claims for wrongful prosecutions, to the point where it notified the Post Office’s insurers. Ms Vennells admitted that revelations about possible prosecution failures during the time when Royal Mail was in charge of the Post Office would have been devastating for the privatisation. Royal Mail director Les Owen had wanted to include a reference to the Horizon IT system in the prospectus for the flotation. But Ms Vennells admitted that she'd arranged for it to be removed, telling her boss afterwards: ""I have earned my keep on this one."" In fact, she listed keeping Horizon out of the Royal Mail flotation prospectus as one of her ""key achievements"" for the year.    Edward Henry KC, who is representing some of sub-postmasters at the inquiry,  asked that if it had emerged that people were being wrongly prosecuted ""it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation"". ""I'm sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said. But she added that she “had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation"". Reporting by Tom Espiner, Tom Beal, Peter Ruddick, Theo Leggett and Dearbail Jordan ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has broken her almost decade-long silence on the Horizon IT scandal.', 'She was quizzed over the course of three days on how things unfolded during her time at the head of the organisation by both the counsel to the public inquiry and lawyers speaking on behalf of sub-postmasters.', 'It was the most anticipated appearance in the long-running inquiry into what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history.', 'Here is a summary of five of the key moments: She wasn’t on trial – but she might just as well have been.', 'Over the three days, Paula Vennells faced an onslaught of hostile questions.', 'Lead counsel to the inquiry, Jason Beer, was subtle but probing.', 'The lawyers for the sub-postmasters, who had the final say, were hard-hitting and merciless.', 'To begin with, the former Post Office boss was poised.', 'There were carefully prepared apologies to the sub-postmasters, to Alan Bates – whose campaign for justice formed the centrepiece of the ITV drama Mr Bates v the Post Office - and to others.', 'There was a great deal she said she couldn’t remember.', 'There was even more she claimed she had never been told.', 'The Post Office may have been aware that the Horizon IT system was deeply flawed, and that a key witness had failed to disclose vital information to the courts.', 'But Ms Vennells, it seems, wasn’t.', 'Then, her composure failed.', 'Asked by Mr Beer whether she had misled MPs about court cases involving Horizon, she broke down in tears.', 'She recovered, then cried again when asked about the case of Martin Griffiths, a sub-postmaster who took his own life after being financially ruined by the Post Office.', 'It wouldn’t be the last time.', 'But her tears attracted scant sympathy from the victims of the scandal watching her in the room.', ""The emergence of blistering texts between Ms Vennells and Dame Moya Greene, Royal Mail's former boss, was one of the week's more shocking moments."", 'The two exchanged messages after ITV aired its drama in January, which thrust the decades-old scandal back into the spotlight. ""', 'When it was clear the system was at fault, the [Post Office] should have raised a red flag, stopped all proceedings, given people back their money and then tried to compensate them for the ruin this caused in their lives,"" Dame Moya said in a text message.', 'Ms Vennells agreed: ""This has/is taking too long Moya.', 'The toll on everyone affected is dreadful.”', 'Then came the gut punch. ""', 'I don’t know what to say.', 'I think you knew,"" said Dame Moya. ""', 'No Moya, that isn’t the case,"" replied Ms Vennells.', 'It was the question that Jason Beer also wanted an answer to: ""How could you not know?"" ""', 'This is a situation that is so complex, it is a question I have asked myself as well,"" said Ms Vennells. ""', 'I have learned some things that I did not know as a result of the inquiry and I imagine that we will go through some of the detail of that.', 'I wish I had known.""', 'Ms Vennells was running a big business and in charge of thousands of staff.', 'The Inquiry wanted to know how much she knew about what was going on in her organisation.', 'In key areas, she claims her knowledge was limited.', 'According to Ms Vennells’ 775 page witness statement, she wasn’t being given the information and documents she needed to find out the truth about the Horizon IT system.', 'Mr Beer wasn’t impressed and asked her: “Do you think you’re the unluckiest CEO in history?”', 'Ms Vennells says the problem was “I was too trusting” and some of her staff let her down.', 'But some weren’t allowed to be heard - her head of legal was kept out of a Post Office board meeting “like a naughty schoolgirl”, according to Mr Beer.', 'One key element of the Horizon scandal is that the Post Office conducted its own prosecution of sub-postmasters.', 'Ms Vennells told the inquiry it took five years of working at the Post Office for her to find that out.', 'Mr Beer seemed baffled by this and there was incredulous laughter from those in the room.', ""Some of the most revealing exchanges weren't about IT systems, but about the press."", 'Sub-postmasters long suspected the organisation was more focused on its brand than its people.', 'In 2013, when issues with bugs were discovered, Ms Vennells was internally questioning if there should be a review of past prosecutions going back many years.', 'The PR boss advised against this: ""We don\'t want to be front page news"", he told his boss.', 'Ms Vennells said she would never make a legal decision based on optics.', 'The problem?', 'Her response contained the phrase: ""I will take your steer"".', 'On another occasion, the chief executive sent an email in which she said her ""goal"" was that all press be ""scoured for negative comment and refuted"".', 'Ms Vennells claimed the email was being read all wrong.', 'She was only trying to make sure inaccurate misrepresentations were corrected.', 'Is that believable or a sign of a defensive culture?', 'That is for the inquiry chair to decide.', 'Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged.', 'Another stand-out moment came when Ms Vennells was asked about the flotation of Royal Mail in 2013.', ""The Post Office used to be part of Royal Mail but was split off when the then coalition government decided to privatise the UK's postal service."", 'The board of the Post Office had become alarmed about potential civil claims for wrongful prosecutions, to the point where it notified the Post Office’s insurers.', 'Ms Vennells admitted that revelations about possible prosecution failures during the time when Royal Mail was in charge of the Post Office would have been devastating for the privatisation.', 'Royal Mail director Les Owen had wanted to include a reference to the Horizon IT system in the prospectus for the flotation.', 'But Ms Vennells admitted that she\'d arranged for it to be removed, telling her boss afterwards: ""I have earned my keep on this one.""', 'In fact, she listed keeping Horizon out of the Royal Mail flotation prospectus as one of her ""key achievements"" for the year.', 'Edward Henry KC, who is representing some of sub-postmasters at the inquiry, asked that if it had emerged that people were being wrongly prosecuted ""it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation"". ""', 'I\'m sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said.', 'But she added that she “had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation"".', 'Reporting by Tom Espiner, Tom Beal, Peter Ruddick, Theo Leggett and Dearbail Jordan']",-0.0625431560050078,"Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged.",Ms Vennells admitted that revelations about possible prosecution failures during the time when Royal Mail was in charge of the Post Office would have been devastating for the privatisation.,-0.6002627064784368,"But Ms Vennells admitted that she'd arranged for it to be removed, telling her boss afterwards: ""I have earned my keep on this one.""","Whatever the truth, it is clear the ""love"" and ""trust"" people have for the organisation Ms Vennells used to lead has been badly damaged.",2024-05-27
Kellogg's Chocolate Corn Flakes recall over choking risk,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckvvn5xvdw1o,2024-05-23T16:09:01.449Z,"Kellogg's is recalling boxes of its chocolate cornflakes following complaints of hard lumps in the cereal which could create a choking hazard. The breakfast brand voluntarily asked consumers who had bought packs to dispose of them ""as a precaution"" after the issue was discovered. Kellanova, the company which manufactures the cereal, said the hard lumps ""do not break down when eaten with milk"" and could also potentially damage teeth. The Food Standards Agency said this made the product ""unsafe to eat"". Kellanova stressed that it believed only a ""small proportion"" of boxes could contain the lumps and that there was ""minimal risk"" to consumers. It said that the affected packs had been on sale since January - when the chocolate version was first launched - in Tesco, Londis, Budgens and Booker stores. A spokesperson for Kellanova said: ""Clusters of cereal forming during production can be a normal occurrence and these usually break up when eaten or placed in milk. ""But, when we spotted that hard lumps of cereal were forming in a very small amount of our new Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Chocolate Flavour cereal, we took the decision to recall all product. ""It’s important to say that the risk of injury from these hard lumps of chocolate cereal is minimal but we’re not willing to compromise on quality or safety."" Consumers who own have bought 450g boxes with best before dates ranging from 6 December 2024 to 28 April 2025 have been urged to throw them away and contact the brand for a full refund. Kellanova said that other Kellogg's Corn Flakes varieties it produces were unaffected by the issue. ",BBC,23/05/2024,"[""Kellogg's is recalling boxes of its chocolate cornflakes following complaints of hard lumps in the cereal which could create a choking hazard."", 'The breakfast brand voluntarily asked consumers who had bought packs to dispose of them ""as a precaution"" after the issue was discovered.', 'Kellanova, the company which manufactures the cereal, said the hard lumps ""do not break down when eaten with milk"" and could also potentially damage teeth.', 'The Food Standards Agency said this made the product ""unsafe to eat"".', 'Kellanova stressed that it believed only a ""small proportion"" of boxes could contain the lumps and that there was ""minimal risk"" to consumers.', 'It said that the affected packs had been on sale since January - when the chocolate version was first launched - in Tesco, Londis, Budgens and Booker stores.', 'A spokesperson for Kellanova said: ""Clusters of cereal forming during production can be a normal occurrence and these usually break up when eaten or placed in milk. ""', 'But, when we spotted that hard lumps of cereal were forming in a very small amount of our new Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Chocolate Flavour cereal, we took the decision to recall all product. ""', 'It’s important to say that the risk of injury from these hard lumps of chocolate cereal is minimal but we’re not willing to compromise on quality or safety.""', 'Consumers who own have bought 450g boxes with best before dates ranging from 6 December 2024 to 28 April 2025 have been urged to throw them away and contact the brand for a full refund.', ""Kellanova said that other Kellogg's Corn Flakes varieties it produces were unaffected by the issue.""]",-0.082127473604459,Consumers who own have bought 450g boxes with best before dates ranging from 6 December 2024 to 28 April 2025 have been urged to throw them away and contact the brand for a full refund.,Kellogg's is recalling boxes of its chocolate cornflakes following complaints of hard lumps in the cereal which could create a choking hazard.,-0.9718283216158548,,"The Food Standards Agency said this made the product ""unsafe to eat"".",2024-05-27
"Beer and wine being under poured, warns Trading Standards",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggn9v1z7jo,2024-05-24T20:01:45.162Z,"More than two thirds of pints of beer and glasses of wine being poured in pubs and bars in the UK contain less drink than they should, new research suggests. A report published on Friday by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) found 70% of the beer and wine it sampled across the country was being short measured. It calculated that this meant an average beer drinker was losing around £88.40 a year, while a wine drinker was losing around £114.40 per year. Trading Standards urged pubs and bars to make sure they are correctly measuring their drinks. The research comes as alcoholic drink prices have risen rapidly in the past few years. According to the Office for National Statistics, alcohol prices have increased 6.1% in the past year. However, as inflation has slowed recently, in the last month they only rose by 0.3%. Labour MP Jess Phillips said the ongoing cost of living crisis meant being served short measures ""adds insult to injury"". ""Being able to afford to go out for a drink is not easy and you should get what you pay for,"" she added. CTSI found that if beer was short measured, it was on average 4% less than a full pint, while for wine it was on average 5% lower than the 175ml standard glass. The consumer body said that among the 137 drinks it sampled across 77 pubs and bars, the most under-poured drink was bought in Walsall, in the West Midlands, which was short by 15%, or 26ml. Large deficits were also found in Belfast and Havering in east London. Duncan Stephenson, a spokesman for CTSI, told the BBC it would not identify individual locations or chains it had found were under-pouring drinks ""because we don't want to do that"". He also said it was ""difficult for us to say"" whether there were particular parts of the UK where short measures were likely to be more commonplace as the study was a ""snapshot"" with ""a small sample size"". CTSI has called for broader research to be undertaken into the issue. John Herriman, chief executive of CTSI, said it was ""calling on the hospitality sector to ensure that consumers get value for money by making sure they are correctly measuring the drinks they are serving to customers"". But Emma McClarkin, chief executive of industry body the British Beer and Pub Association and a former Conservative MEP, told the Mirror that landlords ""in no way want to be accused of short-serving the millions of customers who enjoy visiting our nation's pubs each week"". CTSI researchers measured the sample beers based on a pint being completely liquid - though there is an ongoing debate about whether the head should be counted as part of the pint. When a 5% head - the industry standard for beer - was discounted, CTSI found around a third of the beers it sampled were still short measured. The Campaign for Real Ale says that consumers should have a legal right to an entirely liquid pint. Its chairman, Nik Antona, said punters were ""well within [their] rights"" to ask for a top-up if short measured by more than 5%. He added: ""Consumers shouldn’t have to feel short changed when they support their favourite pubs, social clubs, and taprooms."" Ms McClarkin said industry guidance reflected a requirement for a 95% liquid pint and affirmed that consumers who wanted a smaller head on their beer ""should always feel free to ask for a top-up and should never be refused"". Polling conducted on behalf of CTSI by Censuswide found more people thought a head should not be counted as part of a pint than those who do - 35% compared to 26% - though there was no clear majority on the issue. The survey of 2,001 UK adults also found a generational divide over whether pubs and bars should be allowed to pour spirits without a measuring device: around half of those aged under 45 said they should, while 59% of those aged 45 or older said they should not. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['More than two thirds of pints of beer and glasses of wine being poured in pubs and bars in the UK contain less drink than they should, new research suggests.', 'A report published on Friday by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) found 70% of the beer and wine it sampled across the country was being short measured.', 'It calculated that this meant an average beer drinker was losing around £88.40 a year, while a wine drinker was losing around £114.40 per year.', 'Trading Standards urged pubs and bars to make sure they are correctly measuring their drinks.', 'The research comes as alcoholic drink prices have risen rapidly in the past few years.', 'According to the Office for National Statistics, alcohol prices have increased 6.1% in the past year.', 'However, as inflation has slowed recently, in the last month they only rose by 0.3%.', 'Labour MP Jess Phillips said the ongoing cost of living crisis meant being served short measures ""adds insult to injury"". ""', 'Being able to afford to go out for a drink is not easy and you should get what you pay for,"" she added.', 'CTSI found that if beer was short measured, it was on average 4% less than a full pint, while for wine it was on average 5% lower than the 175ml standard glass.', 'The consumer body said that among the 137 drinks it sampled across 77 pubs and bars, the most under-poured drink was bought in Walsall, in the West Midlands, which was short by 15%, or 26ml.', 'Large deficits were also found in Belfast and Havering in east London.', 'Duncan Stephenson, a spokesman for CTSI, told the BBC it would not identify individual locations or chains it had found were under-pouring drinks ""because we don\'t want to do that"".', 'He also said it was ""difficult for us to say"" whether there were particular parts of the UK where short measures were likely to be more commonplace as the study was a ""snapshot"" with ""a small sample size"".', 'CTSI has called for broader research to be undertaken into the issue.', 'John Herriman, chief executive of CTSI, said it was ""calling on the hospitality sector to ensure that consumers get value for money by making sure they are correctly measuring the drinks they are serving to customers"".', 'But Emma McClarkin, chief executive of industry body the British Beer and Pub Association and a former Conservative MEP, told the Mirror that landlords ""in no way want to be accused of short-serving the millions of customers who enjoy visiting our nation\'s pubs each week"".', 'CTSI researchers measured the sample beers based on a pint being completely liquid - though there is an ongoing debate about whether the head should be counted as part of the pint.', 'When a 5% head - the industry standard for beer - was discounted, CTSI found around a third of the beers it sampled were still short measured.', 'The Campaign for Real Ale says that consumers should have a legal right to an entirely liquid pint.', 'Its chairman, Nik Antona, said punters were ""well within [their] rights"" to ask for a top-up if short measured by more than 5%.', 'He added: ""Consumers shouldn’t have to feel short changed when they support their favourite pubs, social clubs, and taprooms.""', 'Ms McClarkin said industry guidance reflected a requirement for a 95% liquid pint and affirmed that consumers who wanted a smaller head on their beer ""should always feel free to ask for a top-up and should never be refused"".', 'Polling conducted on behalf of CTSI by Censuswide found more people thought a head should not be counted as part of a pint than those who do - 35% compared to 26% - though there was no clear majority on the issue.', 'The survey of 2,001 UK adults also found a generational divide over whether pubs and bars should be allowed to pour spirits without a measuring device: around half of those aged under 45 said they should, while 59% of those aged 45 or older said they should not.']",0.0278043745969714,"John Herriman, chief executive of CTSI, said it was ""calling on the hospitality sector to ensure that consumers get value for money by making sure they are correctly measuring the drinks they are serving to customers"".","Labour MP Jess Phillips said the ongoing cost of living crisis meant being served short measures ""adds insult to injury"". """,-0.3459142565727234,"However, as inflation has slowed recently, in the last month they only rose by 0.3%.","It calculated that this meant an average beer drinker was losing around £88.40 a year, while a wine drinker was losing around £114.40 per year.",2024-05-27
"Uvalde families sue Meta, video game creator and gunmaker",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8449dxw23do,2024-05-25T02:45:31.076Z,"Families of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting are suing the manufacturer of the gun used in the attack, the maker of a video game and Instagram parent company Meta.  In two new lawsuits, they claim the companies helped promote dangerous weapons to a generation of “socially vulnerable” young men, including the 18-year old gunman. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the attack at Robb Elementary School.  Friday marked the second anniversary of the Texas school shooting. The dual lawsuits - filed in Texas and California - are against Activision, the developer of the military video game series “Call of Duty”;  Daniel Defense, the gun manufacturer known for its high-end rifles; and Meta.   The companies are accused of being responsible for “grooming” a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world, with easily accessible weapons of war.  The gunman, Salvador Ramos, used an AR-15 style rifle in the attack. The lawsuits contend that Meta and Activision ""knowingly exposed"" him to the gun he used at Uvalde and conditioned him to see it as the solution to his problems. The lawsuits claim that Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense have been ""partnering…in a scheme that preys upon insecure, adolescent boys"", attorneys said in a news release. “There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” the statement said. “This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.” According to lawsuits, the gunman had been playing Call of Duty, a war-based video game with a rifle similar to the one used in the shooting, since he was 15 years old. The lawsuit says the gunman was ""simultaneously"" the subject of ""aggressive marketing"" by Daniel Defense, which targeted the teen with ads on Instagram.  ""Instagram creates a connection between …an adolescent …and the gun and a gun company,"" Josh Koskoff, the plaintiffs' attorney, told the BBC's US media partner CBS, on Friday.  ""And nobody exploited Instagram for this purpose more than Daniel Defense.""  An Activision spokesperson told CBS that the ""Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way"", adding that the company expresses its ""deepest sympathies"" to victims and their families.  ""Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts"", the spokesman said.  The BBC has reached out to Meta, Daniel Defense and Activision for comment.  Daniel Defense, which is facing other lawsuits filed by some victims' families, said in a 2022 statement that such litigation was “frivolous” and “politically motivated”. On Wednesday, families of the victims reached a $2m (£1.5m) settlement with the city of Uvalde. More than 370 officers from various local, state and federal departments were at Robb Elementary during the attack.  It took police more than an hour to stop the gunman, who was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms.  Additionally, the families announced that they will be taking new legal action against 92 individual officers from the state's Department of Public Safety for ""shocking and extensive failures"" during the shooting response. With files from Peter Bowes ",BBC,25/05/2024,"['Families of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting are suing the manufacturer of the gun used in the attack, the maker of a video game and Instagram parent company Meta.', 'In two new lawsuits, they claim the companies helped promote dangerous weapons to a generation of “socially vulnerable” young men, including the 18-year old gunman.', 'Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the attack at Robb Elementary School.', 'Friday marked the second anniversary of the Texas school shooting.', 'The dual lawsuits - filed in Texas and California - are against Activision, the developer of the military video game series “Call of Duty”; Daniel Defense, the gun manufacturer known for its high-end rifles; and Meta.', 'The companies are accused of being responsible for “grooming” a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world, with easily accessible weapons of war.', 'The gunman, Salvador Ramos, used an AR-15 style rifle in the attack.', 'The lawsuits contend that Meta and Activision ""knowingly exposed"" him to the gun he used at Uvalde and conditioned him to see it as the solution to his problems.', 'The lawsuits claim that Instagram, Activision and Daniel Defense have been ""partnering…in a scheme that preys upon insecure, adolescent boys"", attorneys said in a news release. “', 'There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting,” the statement said. “', 'This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.”', 'According to lawsuits, the gunman had been playing Call of Duty, a war-based video game with a rifle similar to the one used in the shooting, since he was 15 years old.', 'The lawsuit says the gunman was ""simultaneously"" the subject of ""aggressive marketing"" by Daniel Defense, which targeted the teen with ads on Instagram. ""', 'Instagram creates a connection between …an adolescent …and the gun and a gun company,"" Josh Koskoff, the plaintiffs\' attorney, told the BBC\'s US media partner CBS, on Friday. ""', 'And nobody exploited Instagram for this purpose more than Daniel Defense.""', 'An Activision spokesperson told CBS that the ""Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way"", adding that the company expresses its ""deepest sympathies"" to victims and their families. ""', 'Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts"", the spokesman said.', 'The BBC has reached out to Meta, Daniel Defense and Activision for comment.', ""Daniel Defense, which is facing other lawsuits filed by some victims' families, said in a 2022 statement that such litigation was “frivolous” and “politically motivated”."", 'On Wednesday, families of the victims reached a $2m (£1.5m) settlement with the city of Uvalde.', 'More than 370 officers from various local, state and federal departments were at Robb Elementary during the attack.', 'It took police more than an hour to stop the gunman, who was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms.', 'Additionally, the families announced that they will be taking new legal action against 92 individual officers from the state\'s Department of Public Safety for ""shocking and extensive failures"" during the shooting response.', 'With files from Peter Bowes']",-0.346953993505112,"Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts"", the spokesman said.","The companies are accused of being responsible for “grooming” a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world, with easily accessible weapons of war.",0.0772000253200531,"On Wednesday, families of the victims reached a $2m (£1.5m) settlement with the city of Uvalde.","Daniel Defense, which is facing other lawsuits filed by some victims' families, said in a 2022 statement that such litigation was “frivolous” and “politically motivated”.",2024-05-27
India election: Fighting for votes in 'the world's biggest data mine',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggqx4lwp6o,2024-05-26T00:11:39.039Z,"They are the apps every Indian has on their phone - the one where you order your taxi, your food, find your next date. Innocuous, everyday, unremarkable to billions around the world. In India, these are also potentially the apps telling politicians everything they could possibly want to know about you - whether you want them to or not. A person's religion, mother tongue, ""the way you draft a message to your friend on social media"" have all become points of data politicians are keen to get their hands on, according to political strategist Rutwik Joshi, who is working with at least a dozen unnamed lawmakers on their re-election campaigns this election. And India’s combination of high smartphone take-up and lax regulations allowing private companies to sell data mean that most political parties have gathered ""the data to do everything"" - even down to knowing “what you are eating today"", he claims. The question is, why do they care? Put simply, says Mr Joshi, this level of information can predict the vote - ""and these predictions usually never go wrong"". But perhaps the bigger question is: why should you care? Microtargeting - described by Privacy International as the use of personal data “to target you with information and adverts to an unprecedented degree of personalisation” - is not new when it comes to elections. But it was in the wake of former US President Donald Trump’s 2016 win that it really hit the headlines. Back then, political consultancy Cambridge Analytica was credited with helping him to victory using data sold by Facebook to profile people and send them pro-Trump content. The firm denied these allegations but suspended its CEO, Alexander Nix. In 2022, Meta agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle a class action lawsuit over a data breach linked to Cambridge Analytica. It left people questioning whether the adverts they had seen had swayed their votes. Countries around the world were concerned enough about the impact on democracy that they swung into action. In India, a Cambridge Analytica affiliate said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress party were its clients - which both denied. The country's then IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also warned of action against the company and Facebook if it misused data of Indian citizens.  But there has since been little to stop micro-targeting of voters, data and security researcher Srinivas Kodali says. ""Every other election commission - like in the UK and Singapore - they all tried to understand the role of data and micro targeting in elections, they created certain forms of checks and balances, which is what normally an election commission should be doing, but we are not seeing that happen in India,"" he says. In India, the problem is compounded because it's ""a data society that was planned and built by the government without any safeguards"", Mr Kodali says. Indeed, there are some 650m smartphones users in the country - all boasting apps which could potentially share their data with a third party. But you don't necessarily need a smartphone to be vulnerable: one of the biggest holders of personal data is the government itself – and even it has been selling personal information to private companies.  “The government built large databases of citizens, shared it with the private sector,” Mr Kodali says. This has all left citizens vulnerable to increased surveillance with little control over what information remains private, warns Prateek Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation. Meanwhile, a data protection law passed by the government last year is yet to be implemented, experts say. The lack of rules is an issue, says Mr Kodali. ""It's like the wild, wild west - except on the internet."" And the result of all of this available data? As Mr Joshi puts it, India entered the election year as ""the biggest possible data mine in the world right now"". The thing is, no one is doing anything illegal, says Mr Joshi. "" I am not asking [the app], 'Give me mobile numbers of how many users you have and all the contact numbers of those users as well'. But I can ask, 'Are people eating veg or non-veg in your area?'"" he explains. And the apps are able to hand over that data – because the user gave them permission. ""For example, there are 10 different Indian apps in your mobile phone - you have given access to your contacts, to your gallery, to your mic, to your speakers, to your location, including the live location,"" Mr Joshi, whose company, Neeti I, has been using data to understand voter behaviour patterns in particular constituencies, says. And it is this data – along with data collected by party workers - which is then used to help decide who the candidate should be, where the candidate's wife should go to do a puja or aarti (offer prayers), what kind of speeches they should give - even what to wear. But does this level of targeting really work to change people’s mind? That remains unclear. But campaigners say on a basic level, it is a violation of people’s privacy. Extrapolating it further, having this level of detail could be used against people in the future. ""Just the fact that it is happening is problematic."" says Pratik Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation. ""What we've seen is that there often doesn't seem to be a clear distinction between how data is being handled when someone is beneficiary of a government scheme and how that information is then being used by that particular political party which happens to be in power in a particular state or at a national level to then use that to micro target people with campaign messages."" The law also allows the government and government bodies to exempt themselves from vast sections on its discretion. It also has the powers to process, use or share this personal data with third parties. Mr Waghre fears future administrations could take it a step further. ""It can also be: ‘Let's collectively see who's supporting us and only give them the benefits’.” The use of such data also comes against the backdrop of India's larger misinformation problem, Mr Kodali says. And when combined with the amount of data on offer, it is a real problem. ""When you talk about artificial intelligence, targeted advertisements, micro targeting of voters - a lot of this falls under the idea of computational propaganda,"" he explains. ""Questions of this were raised heavily during the 2016 Trump election, where this election is considered as something that was influenced by foreign actors."" Mr Kodali says use of data and technology in election campaigns must be regulated just like money and ad spending currently is in order to keep elections fair. “If you have one or few set of political parties or groups with access to these technologies gaming elections, they may be free but they will stop looking fair,” he warns. ",BBC,26/05/2024,"['They are the apps every Indian has on their phone - the one where you order your taxi, your food, find your next date.', 'Innocuous, everyday, unremarkable to billions around the world.', 'In India, these are also potentially the apps telling politicians everything they could possibly want to know about you - whether you want them to or not.', 'A person\'s religion, mother tongue, ""the way you draft a message to your friend on social media"" have all become points of data politicians are keen to get their hands on, according to political strategist Rutwik Joshi, who is working with at least a dozen unnamed lawmakers on their re-election campaigns this election.', 'And India’s combination of high smartphone take-up and lax regulations allowing private companies to sell data mean that most political parties have gathered ""the data to do everything"" - even down to knowing “what you are eating today"", he claims.', 'The question is, why do they care?', 'Put simply, says Mr Joshi, this level of information can predict the vote - ""and these predictions usually never go wrong"".', 'But perhaps the bigger question is: why should you care?', 'Microtargeting - described by Privacy International as the use of personal data “to target you with information and adverts to an unprecedented degree of personalisation” - is not new when it comes to elections.', 'But it was in the wake of former US President Donald Trump’s 2016 win that it really hit the headlines.', 'Back then, political consultancy Cambridge Analytica was credited with helping him to victory using data sold by Facebook to profile people and send them pro-Trump content.', 'The firm denied these allegations but suspended its CEO, Alexander Nix.', 'In 2022, Meta agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle a class action lawsuit over a data breach linked to Cambridge Analytica.', 'It left people questioning whether the adverts they had seen had swayed their votes.', 'Countries around the world were concerned enough about the impact on democracy that they swung into action.', 'In India, a Cambridge Analytica affiliate said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress party were its clients - which both denied.', ""The country's then IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also warned of action against the company and Facebook if it misused data of Indian citizens."", 'But there has since been little to stop micro-targeting of voters, data and security researcher Srinivas Kodali says. ""', 'Every other election commission - like in the UK and Singapore - they all tried to understand the role of data and micro targeting in elections, they created certain forms of checks and balances, which is what normally an election commission should be doing, but we are not seeing that happen in India,"" he says.', 'In India, the problem is compounded because it\'s ""a data society that was planned and built by the government without any safeguards"", Mr Kodali says.', 'Indeed, there are some 650m smartphones users in the country - all boasting apps which could potentially share their data with a third party.', ""But you don't necessarily need a smartphone to be vulnerable: one of the biggest holders of personal data is the government itself – and even it has been selling personal information to private companies. “"", 'The government built large databases of citizens, shared it with the private sector,” Mr Kodali says.', 'This has all left citizens vulnerable to increased surveillance with little control over what information remains private, warns Prateek Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation.', 'Meanwhile, a data protection law passed by the government last year is yet to be implemented, experts say.', 'The lack of rules is an issue, says Mr Kodali. ""', 'It\'s like the wild, wild west - except on the internet.""', 'And the result of all of this available data?', 'As Mr Joshi puts it, India entered the election year as ""the biggest possible data mine in the world right now"".', 'The thing is, no one is doing anything illegal, says Mr Joshi. ""', ""I am not asking [the app], 'Give me mobile numbers of how many users you have and all the contact numbers of those users as well'."", 'But I can ask, \'Are people eating veg or non-veg in your area?\'""', 'he explains.', 'And the apps are able to hand over that data – because the user gave them permission. ""', 'For example, there are 10 different Indian apps in your mobile phone - you have given access to your contacts, to your gallery, to your mic, to your speakers, to your location, including the live location,"" Mr Joshi, whose company, Neeti I, has been using data to understand voter behaviour patterns in particular constituencies, says.', ""And it is this data – along with data collected by party workers - which is then used to help decide who the candidate should be, where the candidate's wife should go to do a puja or aarti (offer prayers), what kind of speeches they should give - even what to wear."", 'But does this level of targeting really work to change people’s mind?', 'That remains unclear.', 'But campaigners say on a basic level, it is a violation of people’s privacy.', 'Extrapolating it further, having this level of detail could be used against people in the future. ""', 'Just the fact that it is happening is problematic.""', 'says Pratik Waghre, executive director at the digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation. ""', 'What we\'ve seen is that there often doesn\'t seem to be a clear distinction between how data is being handled when someone is beneficiary of a government scheme and how that information is then being used by that particular political party which happens to be in power in a particular state or at a national level to then use that to micro target people with campaign messages.""', 'The law also allows the government and government bodies to exempt themselves from vast sections on its discretion.', 'It also has the powers to process, use or share this personal data with third parties.', 'Mr Waghre fears future administrations could take it a step further. ""', ""It can also be: ‘Let's collectively see who's supporting us and only give them the benefits’.”"", ""The use of such data also comes against the backdrop of India's larger misinformation problem, Mr Kodali says."", 'And when combined with the amount of data on offer, it is a real problem. ""', 'When you talk about artificial intelligence, targeted advertisements, micro targeting of voters - a lot of this falls under the idea of computational propaganda,"" he explains. ""', 'Questions of this were raised heavily during the 2016 Trump election, where this election is considered as something that was influenced by foreign actors.""', 'Mr Kodali says use of data and technology in election campaigns must be regulated just like money and ad spending currently is in order to keep elections fair. “', 'If you have one or few set of political parties or groups with access to these technologies gaming elections, they may be free but they will stop looking fair,” he warns.']",0.1282252593277194,"And it is this data – along with data collected by party workers - which is then used to help decide who the candidate should be, where the candidate's wife should go to do a puja or aarti (offer prayers), what kind of speeches they should give - even what to wear.","The firm denied these allegations but suspended its CEO, Alexander Nix.",-0.593067603451865,"In 2022, Meta agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle a class action lawsuit over a data breach linked to Cambridge Analytica.","And when combined with the amount of data on offer, it is a real problem. """,2024-05-27
Google AI search tells users to glue pizza and eat rocks,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd11gzejgz4o,2024-05-24T10:56:32.041Z,"Google's new artificial intelligence (AI) search feature is facing criticism for providing erratic, inaccurate answers.  Its experimental ""AI Overviews"" tool has told some users searching for how to make cheese stick to pizza better that they could use ""non-toxic glue"". The search engine's AI-generated responses have also said geologists recommend humans eat one rock per day. A Google spokesperson told the BBC they were ""isolated examples"". Some of the answers appeared to be based on Reddit comments or articles written by satirical site, The Onion. They have been widely mocked on social media. But Google insisted the feature was generally working well.  ""The examples we've seen are generally very uncommon queries, and aren’t representative of most people’s experiences,"" it said in a statement.  ""The vast majority of AI overviews provide high quality information, with links to dig deeper on the web."" It said it had taken action where ""policy violations"" were identified and was using them to refine its systems. It is not the first time the company has run into problems with its AI-powered products. In February, it was forced to pause its chatbot Gemini which was criticised for its ""woke"" responses. Gemini's forerunner, Bard, also got off to a disastrous start. Google began trialling AI overviews in search results for a small number of logged-in UK users in April, but launched the feature to all US users at its annual developer showcase in mid-May. It works by using AI to provide a summary of search results, so users do not have to scroll through a long list of websites to find the information they are seeking. It is billed as a product that  ""can take the legwork out of searching""  though users are warned it is experimental. However, it is likely to be widely used - and trusted - because Google search remains the go-to search engine for many. According to web traffic tracker, Statcounter, Google's search engine accounts for more than 90% of the global market. It is still fundamental to the way in which Google makes its money, and a service the firm needs to both protect and future-proof. Many industry experts agree that more focused AI-driven search is the way forward - despite the power-hungry tech's environmental price tag. Why wade through pages of search engine results and adverts to find information if a chatbot can give you a single, definitive answer? But this only works if you can trust it. So-called hallucinations by generative AI tools are not just a problem for Google, but as the world's largest search engine it gets more scrutiny. In one baffling example, a reporter Googling whether they could use gasoline to cook spaghetti faster was told ""no... but you can use gasoline to make a spicy spaghetti dish"" and given a recipe. We don’t know how many searches it got right (because they’re less funny to share on social media), but AI search clearly needs to be able to handle anything thrown at it, including the more leftfield. Rival firms are facing a similar backlash over their attempts to cram more AI tools into their consumer-facing products. The UK's data watchdog is looking into Microsoft after it announced a feature coming to its new range of AI-focused PCs that would take continuous screenshots of their online activity. And ChatGPT-maker OpenAI was called out by Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson for using a voice likened to her own, saying she turned down its request to voice the popular chatbot. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"[""Google's new artificial intelligence (AI) search feature is facing criticism for providing erratic, inaccurate answers."", 'Its experimental ""AI Overviews"" tool has told some users searching for how to make cheese stick to pizza better that they could use ""non-toxic glue"".', ""The search engine's AI-generated responses have also said geologists recommend humans eat one rock per day."", 'A Google spokesperson told the BBC they were ""isolated examples"".', 'Some of the answers appeared to be based on Reddit comments or articles written by satirical site, The Onion.', 'They have been widely mocked on social media.', 'But Google insisted the feature was generally working well. ""', 'The examples we\'ve seen are generally very uncommon queries, and aren’t representative of most people’s experiences,"" it said in a statement. ""', 'The vast majority of AI overviews provide high quality information, with links to dig deeper on the web.""', 'It said it had taken action where ""policy violations"" were identified and was using them to refine its systems.', 'It is not the first time the company has run into problems with its AI-powered products.', 'In February, it was forced to pause its chatbot Gemini which was criticised for its ""woke"" responses.', ""Gemini's forerunner, Bard, also got off to a disastrous start."", 'Google began trialling AI overviews in search results for a small number of logged-in UK users in April, but launched the feature to all US users at its annual developer showcase in mid-May.', 'It works by using AI to provide a summary of search results, so users do not have to scroll through a long list of websites to find the information they are seeking.', 'It is billed as a product that ""can take the legwork out of searching"" though users are warned it is experimental.', 'However, it is likely to be widely used - and trusted - because Google search remains the go-to search engine for many.', ""According to web traffic tracker, Statcounter, Google's search engine accounts for more than 90% of the global market."", 'It is still fundamental to the way in which Google makes its money, and a service the firm needs to both protect and future-proof.', ""Many industry experts agree that more focused AI-driven search is the way forward - despite the power-hungry tech's environmental price tag."", 'Why wade through pages of search engine results and adverts to find information if a chatbot can give you a single, definitive answer?', 'But this only works if you can trust it.', ""So-called hallucinations by generative AI tools are not just a problem for Google, but as the world's largest search engine it gets more scrutiny."", 'In one baffling example, a reporter Googling whether they could use gasoline to cook spaghetti faster was told ""no... but you can use gasoline to make a spicy spaghetti dish"" and given a recipe.', 'We don’t know how many searches it got right (because they’re less funny to share on social media), but AI search clearly needs to be able to handle anything thrown at it, including the more leftfield.', 'Rival firms are facing a similar backlash over their attempts to cram more AI tools into their consumer-facing products.', ""The UK's data watchdog is looking into Microsoft after it announced a feature coming to its new range of AI-focused PCs that would take continuous screenshots of their online activity."", 'And ChatGPT-maker OpenAI was called out by Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson for using a voice likened to her own, saying she turned down its request to voice the popular chatbot.']",0.0724603865879989,"We don’t know how many searches it got right (because they’re less funny to share on social media), but AI search clearly needs to be able to handle anything thrown at it, including the more leftfield.","In February, it was forced to pause its chatbot Gemini which was criticised for its ""woke"" responses.",-0.3924934972416271,"But Google insisted the feature was generally working well. ""","Gemini's forerunner, Bard, also got off to a disastrous start.",2024-05-27
Why technology has not transformed building,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8vzzjqyz5qo,2024-05-23T23:07:44.268Z,"If you took a worker from a 1920s construction site and transported them to a present day project, they would not be that surprised by what they saw, according to Sam O’Gorman. ""Overall, across Europe and the US, stuff is still built in a pretty manual fashion - not very different to the way it would have been built 100 years ago,"" says Mr Gorman, an associate partner in the property practice of consultancy firm McKinsey. Back in 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute concluded that the construction industry could improve productivity by 50 to 60% and boost the industry's global value by $1.6tn (£1.3tn) a year. Since then, McKinsey says, improved production processes and the use of new software and apps have improved efficiency, but not to the extent that one might have hoped. ""Construction is a bit of a digital laggard compared with many other industries. It's been slow to adopt digital in the widest sense,"" says Mr O'Gorman. In recent years, several technologies have been touted as having the potential to transform the industry. One of those is 3D printing, which involves extruding concrete or other materials to build up the walls of a house. The University of Maine has been working on one such project, developing the world's biggest 3D printer.  Using a mix of wood fibres and plant-based resin, the printer formed a 600 sq ft (55 sq m) house. ""The first prototype home, BioHome3D, has performed very well through two Maine winters, and we are turning our attention now to printing a neighbourhood consisting of nine of these homes,"" says Dr Habib Dagher, executive director of the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center. However, 3D printing of homes remains more of a demonstration project, rather than a practical proposition. 3D printed homes tend to be expensive, to have extremely thick walls, and are hard to construct on anything other than an open, flat site. While there have been a number of much-vaunted 3D-printed construction projects, the number of houses actually built this way remains tiny. Mr O'Gorman and Dr Dagher say that another technique, modular construction, could make building more efficient. It involves manufacturing parts of the building in a factory, transporting them to the site and lifting them into place. ""I'm convinced that it is the future, the quality of construction is so much better. On a construction site you get so many little errors,"" Dr Dagher says. ""The more you can do in a factory, the better. Quality control is clearly so much superior, and the quality of the finish as well."" However, this technology, too, has failed to take off, says Neil Jefferson, managing director of the UK Home Builders Federation. ""The problem with manufacturing housing is that you book your stuff in the factory to build those homes, and the materials arrive and you need to stick to the plan,"" he says. ""But at the moment in this country, because of the government's approach to planning policy, projects are beset with delays. And that just doesn't work, you need a more flexible approach."" Developers need a certain amount of confidence that they'll be able to sell their houses quickly once complete, and often need to alter plans as a project continues as the market changes. This is less of an issue with projects for local authorities or housing associations, but can be a problem for private developers. One company aiming to sidestep some of these problems is Bristol-based Automated Architecture, or AUAR, which is planning to license micro-factories to build timber houses using robots. These micro-factories will create buildings of up to six storeys that are assembled from standard parts, either at the factory itself or on site. The idea is that larger construction firms can license a microfactory with an upfront cost of around £250,000 and an ongoing monthly fee. ""AUAR’s partners don’t need to invest millions in setting up large factories, as modular housing companies do, but can immediately offer innovative, high quality, low-energy homes at market rates to their customers,"" says Mollie Claypool, co-founder and chief executive. The automation, she says, creates higher margins for developers, along with faster build times and a reduction in risk and waste. Labour costs per project, she says, can be between 20% and 60% lower than when traditional construction methods are used. The company already has four customers lined up, she says, and is aiming to boost that number to 140 by 2030, building more than 30,000 energy-efficient homes per year. While the home construction industry hasn't seen the same sort of major transformation as other industries, a lot of the smaller, less-visible parts of the process are being digitised. ""The bit that gets the most news and interest is the actual construction bit - it's pretty analogue and hasn't changed a lot. If you look at the rest of the chain, it is actually digitising quite nicely,"" says Mr O'Gorman. ""People are using digital tools to identify land, using AI to predict future values, using a whole host of different metrics. The design process has gone quite digital over the last 10 years."" And it's these types of behind-the-scenes improvements that are likely to do most to streamline the home-building process, says Karoliina Torttila, director of AI at industrial technology firm Trimble. Work that was once recorded in paperwork and filing cabinets has now been digitised. So, quantity surveying, health and safety procedures, commissioning and handover work and carbon emission management, can all be done on apps and computer software. However, more can be done. ""A big challenge is that the construction industry is highly fragmented, making it hard to implement uniform technological advances,"" says Ms Torttila. The primary contractor manages many sub-contractors - mechanical, electrical, plumbing, finishing work, earthworks and more. Each team is affected by the other teams’ plans and the way they're put into practice, with errors made in the field often having a dramatic impact on cost in the later stages. But technology could help mitigate those problems. On a big construction project, creating a 3D model of the building or any components, which everyone can share, could help discover any discrepancies, before they become a bigger problems, says Ms Torttila. ""Such actionable data not only encourages communication between teams on the construction and back office operations, but also informs forecasting, planning, and purchasing decisions,"" she says. ""This helps create a smoother process - even if the industry remains fragmented."" ",BBC,23/05/2024,"['If you took a worker from a 1920s construction site and transported them to a present day project, they would not be that surprised by what they saw, according to Sam O’Gorman. ""', 'Overall, across Europe and the US, stuff is still built in a pretty manual fashion - not very different to the way it would have been built 100 years ago,"" says Mr Gorman, an associate partner in the property practice of consultancy firm McKinsey.', ""Back in 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute concluded that the construction industry could improve productivity by 50 to 60% and boost the industry's global value by $1.6tn (£1.3tn) a year."", 'Since then, McKinsey says, improved production processes and the use of new software and apps have improved efficiency, but not to the extent that one might have hoped. ""', 'Construction is a bit of a digital laggard compared with many other industries.', 'It\'s been slow to adopt digital in the widest sense,"" says Mr O\'Gorman.', 'In recent years, several technologies have been touted as having the potential to transform the industry.', 'One of those is 3D printing, which involves extruding concrete or other materials to build up the walls of a house.', ""The University of Maine has been working on one such project, developing the world's biggest 3D printer."", 'Using a mix of wood fibres and plant-based resin, the printer formed a 600 sq ft (55 sq m) house. ""', 'The first prototype home, BioHome3D, has performed very well through two Maine winters, and we are turning our attention now to printing a neighbourhood consisting of nine of these homes,"" says Dr Habib Dagher, executive director of the University of Maine\'s Advanced Structures and Composites Center.', 'However, 3D printing of homes remains more of a demonstration project, rather than a practical proposition.', '3D printed homes tend to be expensive, to have extremely thick walls, and are hard to construct on anything other than an open, flat site.', 'While there have been a number of much-vaunted 3D-printed construction projects, the number of houses actually built this way remains tiny.', ""Mr O'Gorman and Dr Dagher say that another technique, modular construction, could make building more efficient."", 'It involves manufacturing parts of the building in a factory, transporting them to the site and lifting them into place. ""', ""I'm convinced that it is the future, the quality of construction is so much better."", 'On a construction site you get so many little errors,"" Dr Dagher says. ""', 'The more you can do in a factory, the better.', 'Quality control is clearly so much superior, and the quality of the finish as well.""', 'However, this technology, too, has failed to take off, says Neil Jefferson, managing director of the UK Home Builders Federation. ""', 'The problem with manufacturing housing is that you book your stuff in the factory to build those homes, and the materials arrive and you need to stick to the plan,"" he says. ""', ""But at the moment in this country, because of the government's approach to planning policy, projects are beset with delays."", 'And that just doesn\'t work, you need a more flexible approach.""', ""Developers need a certain amount of confidence that they'll be able to sell their houses quickly once complete, and often need to alter plans as a project continues as the market changes."", 'This is less of an issue with projects for local authorities or housing associations, but can be a problem for private developers.', 'One company aiming to sidestep some of these problems is Bristol-based Automated Architecture, or AUAR, which is planning to license micro-factories to build timber houses using robots.', 'These micro-factories will create buildings of up to six storeys that are assembled from standard parts, either at the factory itself or on site.', 'The idea is that larger construction firms can license a microfactory with an upfront cost of around £250,000 and an ongoing monthly fee. ""', 'AUAR’s partners don’t need to invest millions in setting up large factories, as modular housing companies do, but can immediately offer innovative, high quality, low-energy homes at market rates to their customers,"" says Mollie Claypool, co-founder and chief executive.', 'The automation, she says, creates higher margins for developers, along with faster build times and a reduction in risk and waste.', 'Labour costs per project, she says, can be between 20% and 60% lower than when traditional construction methods are used.', 'The company already has four customers lined up, she says, and is aiming to boost that number to 140 by 2030, building more than 30,000 energy-efficient homes per year.', 'While the home construction industry hasn\'t seen the same sort of major transformation as other industries, a lot of the smaller, less-visible parts of the process are being digitised. ""', ""The bit that gets the most news and interest is the actual construction bit - it's pretty analogue and hasn't changed a lot."", 'If you look at the rest of the chain, it is actually digitising quite nicely,"" says Mr O\'Gorman. ""', 'People are using digital tools to identify land, using AI to predict future values, using a whole host of different metrics.', 'The design process has gone quite digital over the last 10 years.""', ""And it's these types of behind-the-scenes improvements that are likely to do most to streamline the home-building process, says Karoliina Torttila, director of AI at industrial technology firm Trimble."", 'Work that was once recorded in paperwork and filing cabinets has now been digitised.', 'So, quantity surveying, health and safety procedures, commissioning and handover work and carbon emission management, can all be done on apps and computer software.', 'However, more can be done. ""', 'A big challenge is that the construction industry is highly fragmented, making it hard to implement uniform technological advances,"" says Ms Torttila.', 'The primary contractor manages many sub-contractors - mechanical, electrical, plumbing, finishing work, earthworks and more.', ""Each team is affected by the other teams’ plans and the way they're put into practice, with errors made in the field often having a dramatic impact on cost in the later stages."", 'But technology could help mitigate those problems.', 'On a big construction project, creating a 3D model of the building or any components, which everyone can share, could help discover any discrepancies, before they become a bigger problems, says Ms Torttila. ""', 'Such actionable data not only encourages communication between teams on the construction and back office operations, but also informs forecasting, planning, and purchasing decisions,"" she says. ""', 'This helps create a smoother process - even if the industry remains fragmented.""']",0.1584775706661806,"Quality control is clearly so much superior, and the quality of the finish as well.""","This is less of an issue with projects for local authorities or housing associations, but can be a problem for private developers.",0.4798661947250366,"Back in 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute concluded that the construction industry could improve productivity by 50 to 60% and boost the industry's global value by $1.6tn (£1.3tn) a year.",Construction is a bit of a digital laggard compared with many other industries.,2024-05-27
Elon Musk says he opposes US tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq55zd2xjreo,2024-05-24T03:11:12.265Z,"Tesla boss Elon Musk says he opposes US tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), just days after President Joe Biden quadrupled levies on EVs imported from China. ""Neither Tesla nor I asked for these tariffs"", the multi-billionaire told a technology conference in Paris via video link. Mr Musk's comments are at odds with a warning he made in January that Chinese car makers would ""demolish"" competitors from other countries if there were no trade barriers. Last week, the White House said new measures, including a 100% tariff on EVs from China, were a response to unfair policies and intended to protect US jobs. ""In fact, I was surprised when they were announced. Things that inhibit freedom of exchange or distort the market are not good,"" Mr Musk said on Thursday. “Tesla competes quite well in the market in China with no tariffs and no deferential support. I’m in favour of no tariffs,"" he added. Mr Biden has maintained a number of tariffs on China that were introduced by his predecessor Donald Trump, while increasing trade pressure on Beijing. Last week, Mr Biden vowed to not let China ""unfairly control the market"" for electric vehicles and other key goods, including batteries, computer chips and basic medical supplies. China said it was opposed to the tariff hikes and would take retaliatory measures. This week, China launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of a widely used plastic from the US, EU, Taiwan and Japan. The announcement from the Ministry of Commerce that it will investigate imports of polyoxymethylene copolymer - which is used in electronics and cars - was seen as a signal that China will hit back in its trade disputes with the US and Europe. Also this week, China signalled it could hit cars with large engines imported from the EU and US with tariffs of as much as 25%. The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU said it had been told about the potential move by what it called ""insiders"". The European Commission (EC), which oversees the EU's trade policies, has given itself a 4 July deadline to decide whether to impose measures against imports of Chinese-made EVs. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Tesla boss Elon Musk says he opposes US tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), just days after President Joe Biden quadrupled levies on EVs imported from China. ""', 'Neither Tesla nor I asked for these tariffs"", the multi-billionaire told a technology conference in Paris via video link.', 'Mr Musk\'s comments are at odds with a warning he made in January that Chinese car makers would ""demolish"" competitors from other countries if there were no trade barriers.', 'Last week, the White House said new measures, including a 100% tariff on EVs from China, were a response to unfair policies and intended to protect US jobs. ""', 'In fact, I was surprised when they were announced.', 'Things that inhibit freedom of exchange or distort the market are not good,"" Mr Musk said on Thursday. “', 'Tesla competes quite well in the market in China with no tariffs and no deferential support.', 'I’m in favour of no tariffs,"" he added.', 'Mr Biden has maintained a number of tariffs on China that were introduced by his predecessor Donald Trump, while increasing trade pressure on Beijing.', 'Last week, Mr Biden vowed to not let China ""unfairly control the market"" for electric vehicles and other key goods, including batteries, computer chips and basic medical supplies.', 'China said it was opposed to the tariff hikes and would take retaliatory measures.', 'This week, China launched an anti-dumping probe into imports of a widely used plastic from the US, EU, Taiwan and Japan.', 'The announcement from the Ministry of Commerce that it will investigate imports of polyoxymethylene copolymer - which is used in electronics and cars - was seen as a signal that China will hit back in its trade disputes with the US and Europe.', 'Also this week, China signalled it could hit cars with large engines imported from the EU and US with tariffs of as much as 25%.', 'The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU said it had been told about the potential move by what it called ""insiders"".', ""The European Commission (EC), which oversees the EU's trade policies, has given itself a 4 July deadline to decide whether to impose measures against imports of Chinese-made EVs.""]",-0.1032396880024454,"In fact, I was surprised when they were announced.","Mr Musk's comments are at odds with a warning he made in January that Chinese car makers would ""demolish"" competitors from other countries if there were no trade barriers.",-0.448295034468174,Tesla competes quite well in the market in China with no tariffs and no deferential support.,"Mr Musk's comments are at odds with a warning he made in January that Chinese car makers would ""demolish"" competitors from other countries if there were no trade barriers.",2024-05-27
Trying to buy a house is 'playing a game you can't win',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmj66r4lvzzo,2024-05-26T23:49:55.706Z,"When Nathan Wilkins moved back in with his mother and sister in 2019, he hoped it would help him save money to buy a home.  But in the years since, the US housing market has been transformed by rising rents, surging home prices, and a massive jump in mortgage rates, making homeownership seem ever more impossible.  He and his sister are making more money than ever, the 32-year-old insurance adjuster from Utah says. But shelling out $2,500 (£1,960) a month in rent doesn't leave much left over.  “It’s like I’m playing a game that you can’t win,” he says. “The fact that we’re being priced out just makes me want to throw up.” Such frustrations are spreading, fuelling dissatisfaction and contributing to the widespread pessimism about the US economy that is looming over the country's upcoming election. The median home sale price in the US has jumped by nearly 30% since the end of 2019, hitting $420,000 this spring.  At a time of rising property values globally, the leap has been one of the most dramatic in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. And that's not factoring in the added costs from higher interest rates, which now stand at roughly 7% for the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage that is typical in the US, up from about 3% in 2020. Homebuyers today need an annual income of more than $100,000 - well above the country's household median of about $75,000 - to comfortably afford a home in most places in the US, research firms such as Zillow and Bankrate say, and face monthly payments that have roughly doubled in just four years. “It makes me cry a bit,” says Megan Holter, who started looking to buy in Austin, Texas, back in 2019, when banks were offering her a 30-year fixed rate of about 4.75%. She halted her search when the pandemic hit, priced out by the surging cost of building materials and homes.  She and her wife finally bought a home this year, but only after swallowing a 6.625% rate  - and moving 1,200 miles north to Columbus, Ohio, a spot selected from a spreadsheet she created of cities with lower costs. “Housing affordability was the number one thing that we’ve been considering for five years,” says the 30-year-old, who also switched jobs from the public sector to the private sector to make homebuying happen.  “We have moved mountains to make it possible. “I’m just eternally grateful that we can afford it. I know a lot of other people cannot,"" she adds. Just 40.1% of renters expect to ever own a home one day, according to the New York Federal Reserve, the smallest share since the bank started asking renters the question in 2014. Even homeowners, whose long-term mortgages shield them from immediate financial impact and who benefit from rising property values, tell pollsters that the changes in the market are a source of concern  – as they push up property taxes and insurance costs, while making moving a less affordable prospect. Nearly one third of all households now spend more than a third of their income on housing - the standard cut-off for affordability - the highest level since 2015, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.  A recent Harris poll found more than 70% of Americans believe the market is only going to get worse.  The issue is feeding into wider worries about rising living costs, which have jumped 20% since 2021. It is among the biggest challenges facing President Joe Biden, whose time in office has coincided with the housing market's transformation and who receives dismal ratings for his handling of the economy in national polls. Challenger Donald Trump, who fares better, has sought to blame Mr Biden for inflation, and though he does not typically call out housing specifically, he regularly spotlights ""skyrocketing"" interest rates to argue that the economy is heading in the wrong direction. ""Inflation has been a political noose for Biden in recent years,"" says Brian Connolly, professor of business law at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, whose work focuses on housing issues. ""Housing costs are another place where people are experiencing this financial squeeze."" In recent months, the White House has tried to address concerns about affordability head on, offering proposals such as rules to limit closing costs and a $10,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers. It marks a shift in tone, after years of focusing on the economy's strengths, including low unemployment. But with few immediate levers for Mr Biden to pull, it's not clear the efforts are resonating.  His support has especially eroded among younger people - whose record turnout in 2020 helped put him in office. Voters in this demographic are least likely to own homes and most likely to see housing affordability as a top concern.  ""I don't see any platform that purposely looks out for somebody like first-time homebuyers, wanting to ease their pain,"" says Braiden Dogherty, a 30-year-old from Florida who works in manufacturing and has been checking for houses daily for three years.  Despite a $50,000 inheritance, no debt, and decent jobs, he and his wife can't find an affordable two-bedroom near their families in the Orlando area.   He says the problem of housing costs is too big to blame on any one politician or party, but the seeming lack of solutions has contributed to his wider political disillusionment. He is uncertain how he will vote in November. ""I'm fed up,"" he says. ""Housing is part of it."" The growing outcry has raised pressure on the US central bank to cut interest rates to bring relief, a move Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has said is likely at some point. But expectations that a cut would happen early this year, helping to improve the country's mood, have been steadily pushed back. This reflects concerns that progress in lowering inflation - which was hovering at 3.4% in April, still well above the bank's 2% target - could be stalling. Instead, since January mortgage rates have mostly moved higher.  Mimi Than, a 29-year-old who recently bought a three-bedroom condo in the Boston, Massachusetts area, says she is facing roughly $200 more in monthly costs than when she and her husband were pre-approved for a loan in March.  They did not lock in the rate then, unaware borrowing costs might shift significantly. When they returned to their lender in April after making an offer, the interest rate they were offered was 6.9%, up from 6.5%. She’s hoping that they will drop back later this year, allowing them to refinance. ""I'm obsessively checking the rates,"" she says.  Many analysts maintain it is only a matter of time until inflation slows down, clearing the way for a cut.  They note reports by private firms that show rental increases - which play a big role in calculations of US inflation - cooling from the torrid pace of the pandemic amid a jump in apartment supply. With wages growing, an increase in new homes under construction and rents and home prices rising more slowly,  Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at the housing site Zillow, says he sees affordability challenges easing as well - albeit not in time for November's election. ""It's working itself out,"" he says. ""We still have a long way to go, of course, but we're seeing some improvement and I think we're going to see more improvement."" But there's a gloomier view.  With more people priced out of homeownership, rental rates may prove more resilient than expected, keeping inflation elevated. And if mortgage rates do not drop significantly, the step-change in borrowing costs may act as a long-term constraint on supply, as builders pull back and homeowners who secured mortgages when rates were lower forego moving.   Braiden, from Florida, sees no easy fix from the Fed, which he fears helped shape the current crisis by letting rates stay unusually low in the decade after the 2008 financial crisis.  ""No matter what happens - whether they raise, lower or hold them - I feel as though the next decade is probably just going to be difficult no matter what for most people,"" he says. ",BBC,26/05/2024,"['When Nathan Wilkins moved back in with his mother and sister in 2019, he hoped it would help him save money to buy a home.', 'But in the years since, the US housing market has been transformed by rising rents, surging home prices, and a massive jump in mortgage rates, making homeownership seem ever more impossible.', 'He and his sister are making more money than ever, the 32-year-old insurance adjuster from Utah says.', ""But shelling out $2,500 (£1,960) a month in rent doesn't leave much left over. “"", 'It’s like I’m playing a game that you can’t win,” he says. “', 'The fact that we’re being priced out just makes me want to throw up.”', ""Such frustrations are spreading, fuelling dissatisfaction and contributing to the widespread pessimism about the US economy that is looming over the country's upcoming election."", 'The median home sale price in the US has jumped by nearly 30% since the end of 2019, hitting $420,000 this spring.', 'At a time of rising property values globally, the leap has been one of the most dramatic in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund.', ""And that's not factoring in the added costs from higher interest rates, which now stand at roughly 7% for the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage that is typical in the US, up from about 3% in 2020."", ""Homebuyers today need an annual income of more than $100,000 - well above the country's household median of about $75,000 - to comfortably afford a home in most places in the US, research firms such as Zillow and Bankrate say, and face monthly payments that have roughly doubled in just four years. “"", 'It makes me cry a bit,” says Megan Holter, who started looking to buy in Austin, Texas, back in 2019, when banks were offering her a 30-year fixed rate of about 4.75%.', 'She halted her search when the pandemic hit, priced out by the surging cost of building materials and homes.', 'She and her wife finally bought a home this year, but only after swallowing a 6.625% rate - and moving 1,200 miles north to Columbus, Ohio, a spot selected from a spreadsheet she created of cities with lower costs. “', 'Housing affordability was the number one thing that we’ve been considering for five years,” says the 30-year-old, who also switched jobs from the public sector to the private sector to make homebuying happen. “', 'We have moved mountains to make it possible. “', 'I’m just eternally grateful that we can afford it.', 'I know a lot of other people cannot,"" she adds.', 'Just 40.1% of renters expect to ever own a home one day, according to the New York Federal Reserve, the smallest share since the bank started asking renters the question in 2014.', 'Even homeowners, whose long-term mortgages shield them from immediate financial impact and who benefit from rising property values, tell pollsters that the changes in the market are a source of concern – as they push up property taxes and insurance costs, while making moving a less affordable prospect.', ""Nearly one third of all households now spend more than a third of their income on housing - the standard cut-off for affordability - the highest level since 2015, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies."", 'A recent Harris poll found more than 70% of Americans believe the market is only going to get worse.', 'The issue is feeding into wider worries about rising living costs, which have jumped 20% since 2021.', ""It is among the biggest challenges facing President Joe Biden, whose time in office has coincided with the housing market's transformation and who receives dismal ratings for his handling of the economy in national polls."", 'Challenger Donald Trump, who fares better, has sought to blame Mr Biden for inflation, and though he does not typically call out housing specifically, he regularly spotlights ""skyrocketing"" interest rates to argue that the economy is heading in the wrong direction. ""', 'Inflation has been a political noose for Biden in recent years,"" says Brian Connolly, professor of business law at the University of Michigan\'s Ross School of Business, whose work focuses on housing issues. ""', 'Housing costs are another place where people are experiencing this financial squeeze.""', 'In recent months, the White House has tried to address concerns about affordability head on, offering proposals such as rules to limit closing costs and a $10,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers.', ""It marks a shift in tone, after years of focusing on the economy's strengths, including low unemployment."", ""But with few immediate levers for Mr Biden to pull, it's not clear the efforts are resonating."", 'His support has especially eroded among younger people - whose record turnout in 2020 helped put him in office.', 'Voters in this demographic are least likely to own homes and most likely to see housing affordability as a top concern. ""', 'I don\'t see any platform that purposely looks out for somebody like first-time homebuyers, wanting to ease their pain,"" says Braiden Dogherty, a 30-year-old from Florida who works in manufacturing and has been checking for houses daily for three years.', ""Despite a $50,000 inheritance, no debt, and decent jobs, he and his wife can't find an affordable two-bedroom near their families in the Orlando area."", 'He says the problem of housing costs is too big to blame on any one politician or party, but the seeming lack of solutions has contributed to his wider political disillusionment.', 'He is uncertain how he will vote in November. ""', 'I\'m fed up,"" he says. ""', 'Housing is part of it.""', 'The growing outcry has raised pressure on the US central bank to cut interest rates to bring relief, a move Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has said is likely at some point.', ""But expectations that a cut would happen early this year, helping to improve the country's mood, have been steadily pushed back."", ""This reflects concerns that progress in lowering inflation - which was hovering at 3.4% in April, still well above the bank's 2% target - could be stalling."", 'Instead, since January mortgage rates have mostly moved higher.', 'Mimi Than, a 29-year-old who recently bought a three-bedroom condo in the Boston, Massachusetts area, says she is facing roughly $200 more in monthly costs than when she and her husband were pre-approved for a loan in March.', 'They did not lock in the rate then, unaware borrowing costs might shift significantly.', 'When they returned to their lender in April after making an offer, the interest rate they were offered was 6.9%, up from 6.5%.', 'She’s hoping that they will drop back later this year, allowing them to refinance. ""', 'I\'m obsessively checking the rates,"" she says.', 'Many analysts maintain it is only a matter of time until inflation slows down, clearing the way for a cut.', 'They note reports by private firms that show rental increases - which play a big role in calculations of US inflation - cooling from the torrid pace of the pandemic amid a jump in apartment supply.', 'With wages growing, an increase in new homes under construction and rents and home prices rising more slowly, Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at the housing site Zillow, says he sees affordability challenges easing as well - albeit not in time for November\'s election. ""', 'It\'s working itself out,"" he says. ""', 'We still have a long way to go, of course, but we\'re seeing some improvement and I think we\'re going to see more improvement.""', ""But there's a gloomier view."", 'With more people priced out of homeownership, rental rates may prove more resilient than expected, keeping inflation elevated.', 'And if mortgage rates do not drop significantly, the step-change in borrowing costs may act as a long-term constraint on supply, as builders pull back and homeowners who secured mortgages when rates were lower forego moving.', 'Braiden, from Florida, sees no easy fix from the Fed, which he fears helped shape the current crisis by letting rates stay unusually low in the decade after the 2008 financial crisis. ""', 'No matter what happens - whether they raise, lower or hold them - I feel as though the next decade is probably just going to be difficult no matter what for most people,"" he says.']",0.0304925068100852,"We still have a long way to go, of course, but we're seeing some improvement and I think we're going to see more improvement.""","Braiden, from Florida, sees no easy fix from the Fed, which he fears helped shape the current crisis by letting rates stay unusually low in the decade after the 2008 financial crisis. """,-0.1680922319249409,"When they returned to their lender in April after making an offer, the interest rate they were offered was 6.9%, up from 6.5%.","This reflects concerns that progress in lowering inflation - which was hovering at 3.4% in April, still well above the bank's 2% target - could be stalling.",2024-05-27
Singapore Airlines boss thanks staff after turbulence incident,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c511xldw587o,2024-05-27T05:05:33.383Z,"The boss of Singapore Airlines, Goh Choon Pong, has thanked the carrier's staff for their hard work in the aftermath of a severe turbulence incident in which a British man died and tens more people were injured. ""The last five days have been immensely challenging for everyone at Singapore Airlines,"" Mr Goh wrote in a memo seen by the BBC. The message comes after flight SQ321 from London to Singapore diverted to Bangkok, Thailand after an incident over the Indian Ocean on 21 May. The Boeing B777-ER was flown back to Singapore on Sunday. ""Our agility, dedication, and team spirit were evident during this period,"" Mr Goh's memo said. ""On behalf of the [Singapore Airlines] Board and the entire management team, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart,"" he added. Flight SQ321diverted to Bangkok last Tuesday due to a medical emergency, with 211 passengers and 18 crew members aboard. Geoff Kitchen, a 73-year-old from Gloucestershire, died from a suspected heart attack after the plane was hit by turbulence, while more than 100 other people were treated at a hospital in the Thai capital. Passengers and crew who were not seriously injured in the incident were flown to Singapore early the following day. The memo also said the airline is continuing to support injured passengers and staff and that Mr Goh had personally visited the hospital last week.  In a video address the day after the incident, Mr Goh offered his deepest condolences to Mr Kitchen's family and apologised to everyone affected. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also sent his condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, adding that his country was ""working closely with Thai authorities"". He said Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Accidents involving Singapore Airlines are rare, with the carrier consistently ranking among the world's safest carriers. The last fatal accident occurred in 2000, when a Boeing 747 crashed while attempting to take off from the wrong runway at a Taiwan airport. Some 83 people of the 179 people onboard were killed. ",BBC,27/05/2024,"['The boss of Singapore Airlines, Goh Choon Pong, has thanked the carrier\'s staff for their hard work in the aftermath of a severe turbulence incident in which a British man died and tens more people were injured. ""', 'The last five days have been immensely challenging for everyone at Singapore Airlines,"" Mr Goh wrote in a memo seen by the BBC.', 'The message comes after flight SQ321 from London to Singapore diverted to Bangkok, Thailand after an incident over the Indian Ocean on 21 May.', 'The Boeing B777-ER was flown back to Singapore on Sunday. ""', 'Our agility, dedication, and team spirit were evident during this period,"" Mr Goh\'s memo said. ""', 'On behalf of the [Singapore Airlines] Board and the entire management team, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart,"" he added.', 'Flight SQ321diverted to Bangkok last Tuesday due to a medical emergency, with 211 passengers and 18 crew members aboard.', 'Geoff Kitchen, a 73-year-old from Gloucestershire, died from a suspected heart attack after the plane was hit by turbulence, while more than 100 other people were treated at a hospital in the Thai capital.', 'Passengers and crew who were not seriously injured in the incident were flown to Singapore early the following day.', 'The memo also said the airline is continuing to support injured passengers and staff and that Mr Goh had personally visited the hospital last week.', ""In a video address the day after the incident, Mr Goh offered his deepest condolences to Mr Kitchen's family and apologised to everyone affected."", 'Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also sent his condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, adding that his country was ""working closely with Thai authorities"".', ""He said Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident."", ""Accidents involving Singapore Airlines are rare, with the carrier consistently ranking among the world's safest carriers."", 'The last fatal accident occurred in 2000, when a Boeing 747 crashed while attempting to take off from the wrong runway at a Taiwan airport.', 'Some 83 people of the 179 people onboard were killed.']",-0.0660638289223354,"On behalf of the [Singapore Airlines] Board and the entire management team, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart,"" he added.","The last fatal accident occurred in 2000, when a Boeing 747 crashed while attempting to take off from the wrong runway at a Taiwan airport.",-0.0026468634605407,"Our agility, dedication, and team spirit were evident during this period,"" Mr Goh's memo said. ""","The last five days have been immensely challenging for everyone at Singapore Airlines,"" Mr Goh wrote in a memo seen by the BBC.",2024-05-27
Paula Vennells told not to make Post Office front page news,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cl44j0xgeljo,2024-05-23T14:33:57.954Z,"The Post Office dropped a wide-ranging review into the convictions of sub-postmasters over fears it would make ""front page news"".  Paula Vennells, the former Post Office boss, had suggested in 2013 that convictions going back 10 years could be scrutinised. But in an email revealed at the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal on Thursday, ex-Post Office media chief, Mark Davies, told Ms Vennells that it would ""fuel the story and turn it into something bigger than it is"". Ms Vennells replied at the time that she would take her PR adviser's ""steer"" but admitted at the inquiry such a review could have ""avoided a lost decade"" in terms of discovering miscarriages of justice. On a second day of questions, Ms Vennells was grilled about a report by forensic accountants Second Sight which was published on 8 July, 2013 and flagged up bugs in the Horizon IT system. The Post Office had previously insisted that Horizon - which is accountancy software used by sub-postmasters in their branches - was robust. In an email to colleagues prior to the report's publication, Ms Vennells made suggestions to address concerns of campaigners including Alan Bates and Lord Arbuthnot about the safety of previous Horizon convictions. This included reviewing all convictions for false accounting stretching back up to 10 years ""in the light of the Second Sight findings"". Mr Davis said: ""If we say publicly that we will look at past cases... we will open this up very significantly into front page news. In media terms it becomes mainstream, very high profile."" Ms Vennells responded: ""You were right to call this out, and I will take your steer, no issue."" Lead counsel for the inquiry, Jason Beer KC, asked Ms Vennells asked if this meant that she took the advice of Mr Davis not to look back further into past cases.  Ms Vennells began to respond, saying ""I really don't remember it relating to the decision"" prompting groans from the public gallery where former sub-postmasters and postmistresses were watching proceedings. This sparked a rare intervention by Sir Wyn Williams, chairman of the inquiry, asking for calm.  Mr Beer said that had the idea been put into effect, it may have ""avoided a lost decade"" in terms of discovering miscarriages of justice. ""It may well have done,"" conceded Ms Vennells. Hundreds of sub-postmasters and postmistresses were convicted for offences including theft and false accounting on the strength of faulty Horizon data. Money was flagged as being missing from Post Office accounts when, in reality, it wasn't. From 1999 to 2015, there were 983 UK convictions - the majority of which were prosecuted by the Post Office itself, which is owned by the government. A smaller number of cases were prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service. Ms Vennells admitted on Wednesday that she did not know until 2012 that it was the Post Office and not external bodies that were prosecuting sub-postmasters.  She joined the firm in 2007 and was promoted to managing director three years later.  So far only 103 sub-postmasters have had their convictions overturned. Sub-postmasters were required to repay the supposedly missing funds and many were still prosecuted. Some went to prison and many were ruined financially. Ms Vennells said that Mr Davis was trying to ""minimise misinterpretation and exaggeration in the media"" due to the Post Office thinking at the time that there had only been a small number of possible problems with convictions. Mr Beer said the idea of not looking back at past convictions because it could generate front page news was ""a grossly improper perspective"", to which Ms Vennells replied: ""Yes, it is."" She added that she would ""never"" have taken the advice of just one colleague on this. Speaking to the BBC in a break in the proceedings, former sub-postmaster Jo Hamilton said the decision not to go ahead with a review was ""a deliberate missed opportunity"". Former sub-postmaster Seema Misra, who was sent to prison while pregnant, added that she thought it was evidence of a ""cover-up"". Ms Vennells was also asked about a Post Office board meeting in July 2013. Mr Beer said former Post Office general counsel Susan Crichton was ""made to wait outside on a chair"" like a ""naughty schoolgirl"" during the meeting. Ms Crichton had prepared a paper on Horizon legal risks, but she didn't get a chance to present it. ""[Ms] Crichton has told us in this inquiry that she spoke to you before the meeting to say that, in her view, there would be many successful claims against the Post Office arising from past wrongful prosecutions,"" Mr Beer said, asking whether that was true. ""I have no recollection of that whatsoever,"" Ms Vennells replied. Mr Beer pressed Ms Vennells on why she presented parts of Ms Crichton's paper to the board. ""Did you take over her paper and present it or the issues in it to prevent the board from hearing her opinion?"" Mr Beer asked. Ms Vennells said she ""would not cover anything up in this process,"" adding: ""I never once withheld information from the board."" She said she was expecting Ms Crichton ""to come in and, minutes before that should have happened, the chairman told me she had decided to stand Susan down."" Speaking to the BBC after the hearing had stopped on Thursday, former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton said he would have liked Ms Vennells to be ""more candid about who said what"". Former sub-postmaster Janet Skinner, who was jailed for false accounting and pursued for ""proceeds of crime"" said she believed Ms Crichton had been ""cold-shouldered"" by the Post Office because they ""didn't like what she was saying"". ",BBC,23/05/2024,"['The Post Office dropped a wide-ranging review into the convictions of sub-postmasters over fears it would make ""front page news"".', 'Paula Vennells, the former Post Office boss, had suggested in 2013 that convictions going back 10 years could be scrutinised.', 'But in an email revealed at the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal on Thursday, ex-Post Office media chief, Mark Davies, told Ms Vennells that it would ""fuel the story and turn it into something bigger than it is"".', 'Ms Vennells replied at the time that she would take her PR adviser\'s ""steer"" but admitted at the inquiry such a review could have ""avoided a lost decade"" in terms of discovering miscarriages of justice.', 'On a second day of questions, Ms Vennells was grilled about a report by forensic accountants Second Sight which was published on 8 July, 2013 and flagged up bugs in the Horizon IT system.', 'The Post Office had previously insisted that Horizon - which is accountancy software used by sub-postmasters in their branches - was robust.', ""In an email to colleagues prior to the report's publication, Ms Vennells made suggestions to address concerns of campaigners including Alan Bates and Lord Arbuthnot about the safety of previous Horizon convictions."", 'This included reviewing all convictions for false accounting stretching back up to 10 years ""in the light of the Second Sight findings"".', 'Mr Davis said: ""If we say publicly that we will look at past cases... we will open this up very significantly into front page news.', 'In media terms it becomes mainstream, very high profile.""', 'Ms Vennells responded: ""You were right to call this out, and I will take your steer, no issue.""', 'Lead counsel for the inquiry, Jason Beer KC, asked Ms Vennells asked if this meant that she took the advice of Mr Davis not to look back further into past cases.', 'Ms Vennells began to respond, saying ""I really don\'t remember it relating to the decision"" prompting groans from the public gallery where former sub-postmasters and postmistresses were watching proceedings.', 'This sparked a rare intervention by Sir Wyn Williams, chairman of the inquiry, asking for calm.', 'Mr Beer said that had the idea been put into effect, it may have ""avoided a lost decade"" in terms of discovering miscarriages of justice. ""', 'It may well have done,"" conceded Ms Vennells.', 'Hundreds of sub-postmasters and postmistresses were convicted for offences including theft and false accounting on the strength of faulty Horizon data.', ""Money was flagged as being missing from Post Office accounts when, in reality, it wasn't."", 'From 1999 to 2015, there were 983 UK convictions - the majority of which were prosecuted by the Post Office itself, which is owned by the government.', 'A smaller number of cases were prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service.', 'Ms Vennells admitted on Wednesday that she did not know until 2012 that it was the Post Office and not external bodies that were prosecuting sub-postmasters.', 'She joined the firm in 2007 and was promoted to managing director three years later.', 'So far only 103 sub-postmasters have had their convictions overturned.', 'Sub-postmasters were required to repay the supposedly missing funds and many were still prosecuted.', 'Some went to prison and many were ruined financially.', 'Ms Vennells said that Mr Davis was trying to ""minimise misinterpretation and exaggeration in the media"" due to the Post Office thinking at the time that there had only been a small number of possible problems with convictions.', 'Mr Beer said the idea of not looking back at past convictions because it could generate front page news was ""a grossly improper perspective"", to which Ms Vennells replied: ""Yes, it is.""', 'She added that she would ""never"" have taken the advice of just one colleague on this.', 'Speaking to the BBC in a break in the proceedings, former sub-postmaster Jo Hamilton said the decision not to go ahead with a review was ""a deliberate missed opportunity"".', 'Former sub-postmaster Seema Misra, who was sent to prison while pregnant, added that she thought it was evidence of a ""cover-up"".', 'Ms Vennells was also asked about a Post Office board meeting in July 2013.', 'Mr Beer said former Post Office general counsel Susan Crichton was ""made to wait outside on a chair"" like a ""naughty schoolgirl"" during the meeting.', 'Ms Crichton had prepared a paper on Horizon legal risks, but she didn\'t get a chance to present it. ""[', 'Ms] Crichton has told us in this inquiry that she spoke to you before the meeting to say that, in her view, there would be many successful claims against the Post Office arising from past wrongful prosecutions,"" Mr Beer said, asking whether that was true. ""', 'I have no recollection of that whatsoever,"" Ms Vennells replied.', 'Mr Beer pressed Ms Vennells on why she presented parts of Ms Crichton\'s paper to the board. ""', 'Did you take over her paper and present it or the issues in it to prevent the board from hearing her opinion?""', 'Mr Beer asked.', 'Ms Vennells said she ""would not cover anything up in this process,"" adding: ""I never once withheld information from the board.""', 'She said she was expecting Ms Crichton ""to come in and, minutes before that should have happened, the chairman told me she had decided to stand Susan down.""', 'Speaking to the BBC after the hearing had stopped on Thursday, former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton said he would have liked Ms Vennells to be ""more candid about who said what"".', 'Former sub-postmaster Janet Skinner, who was jailed for false accounting and pursued for ""proceeds of crime"" said she believed Ms Crichton had been ""cold-shouldered"" by the Post Office because they ""didn\'t like what she was saying"".']",-0.0462444255156551,"Ms] Crichton has told us in this inquiry that she spoke to you before the meeting to say that, in her view, there would be many successful claims against the Post Office arising from past wrongful prosecutions,"" Mr Beer said, asking whether that was true. """,Some went to prison and many were ruined financially.,-0.2633119388060136,The Post Office had previously insisted that Horizon - which is accountancy software used by sub-postmasters in their branches - was robust.,"The Post Office dropped a wide-ranging review into the convictions of sub-postmasters over fears it would make ""front page news"".",2024-05-27
Google ties up with Foxconn to make Pixel phones in India,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq55z7ynjyro,2024-05-24T06:00:15.566Z,"Tech giant Google will soon begin making its Pixel smartphones in India, sources aware of the development have told the BBC. Google is set to manufacture the phones at an existing Foxconn facility in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The firm is also set to independently manufacture drones in the state. India has emerged as a key destination for global firms looking to diversify supply lines outside China in the midst of geopolitical tensions with the West. Last year, Google had announced plans to make Pixel smartphones in India, beginning with the Pixel 8. ""India is a priority market for Pixel smartphones, and we’re committed to bringing the best of our hardware and underlying built-in software capabilities to people across the country,"" it said in a blog post. On Friday, sources told the BBC that Alphabet's Google would make advanced versions of Pixel smartphones at the Tamil Nadu facility and that manufacturing would begin within this calendar year. Google and Foxconn have signed a contract to this end, the source said. Foxconn currently has two facilities in Tamil Nadu. At one of its facilities near Chennai city, it assembles Apple's iPhones.  Google's decision to make Pixel phones in Tamil Nadu came after state officials met company executives recently. According to a statement from the Tamil Nadu government, officials from Google are also set to meet state Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai soon. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Tech giant Google will soon begin making its Pixel smartphones in India, sources aware of the development have told the BBC.', 'Google is set to manufacture the phones at an existing Foxconn facility in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.', 'The firm is also set to independently manufacture drones in the state.', 'India has emerged as a key destination for global firms looking to diversify supply lines outside China in the midst of geopolitical tensions with the West.', 'Last year, Google had announced plans to make Pixel smartphones in India, beginning with the Pixel 8. ""', 'India is a priority market for Pixel smartphones, and we’re committed to bringing the best of our hardware and underlying built-in software capabilities to people across the country,"" it said in a blog post.', ""On Friday, sources told the BBC that Alphabet's Google would make advanced versions of Pixel smartphones at the Tamil Nadu facility and that manufacturing would begin within this calendar year."", 'Google and Foxconn have signed a contract to this end, the source said.', 'Foxconn currently has two facilities in Tamil Nadu.', ""At one of its facilities near Chennai city, it assembles Apple's iPhones."", ""Google's decision to make Pixel phones in Tamil Nadu came after state officials met company executives recently."", 'According to a statement from the Tamil Nadu government, officials from Google are also set to meet state Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai soon.']",0.049259494180463,"India is a priority market for Pixel smartphones, and we’re committed to bringing the best of our hardware and underlying built-in software capabilities to people across the country,"" it said in a blog post.",India has emerged as a key destination for global firms looking to diversify supply lines outside China in the midst of geopolitical tensions with the West.,0.99698805809021,India has emerged as a key destination for global firms looking to diversify supply lines outside China in the midst of geopolitical tensions with the West.,,2024-05-27
Kabosu dies: Shiba inu dog was meme and face of Dogecoin,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czkkr8l7jjxo,2024-05-24T09:30:05.934Z,"Kabosu, the dog behind the ""doge"" meme, has died after 14 years of internet fame, her owner has said. The Japanese shiba inu inspired a generation of online jokes and became the face of Dogecoin cryptocurrency. She had been suffering from leukaemia and liver disease and died on 24 May. ""She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,"" Atsuko Sato wrote on her blog, thanking Kabosu's fans. ""I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner."" As a rescue dog, Kabosu's real birthday was unknown, but Ms Sato estimated her age at 18. In 2010, two years after adopting Kabosu from a puppy mill where she would otherwise have been put down, Ms Sato, a teacher from Sakura, east of Tokyo, took a picture of her pet crossing her paws on the sofa. She posted the image on her blog, from where it spread to online forum Reddit and became a meme that bounced from college bedrooms to office email chains. The memes typically used goofy broken English to reveal the inner thoughts of Kabosu and other shiba inu ""doge"" - pronounced like pizza ""dough"" but with a ""j"" at the end. The picture also later became an NFT digital artwork that sold for $4m (£3.1m) and inspired Dogecoin, which was started as a joke by two software engineers and is now the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency, with a market capitalisation of $23bn. Dogecoin has been backed by hip-hop star Snoop Dogg and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons. But its most keen supporter is billionaire Elon Musk, who jokes about the currency on X - sending its value soaring - and hails it as ""the people's crypto"". Kabosu fell ill with leukaemia and liver disease in late 2022, and Ms Sato said in a recent interview with AFP that the ""invisible power"" of prayers from fans worldwide helped her pull through. Ms Sato, 62, said she had become so used to ""unbelievable"" events that when Mr Musk changed the icon for Twitter, now X, to Kabosu's face last year, she ""wasn't even that surprised"". A $100,000 statue of Kabosu and her sofa crowdfunded by Own The Doge, a crypto organisation dedicated to the meme, was unveiled in a park in Sakura in November last year. Sato and Own The Doge have also donated large sums to international charities, including more than $1m to Save the Children. The NGO says it is ""the single largest crypto contribution"" it has ever received. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Kabosu, the dog behind the ""doge"" meme, has died after 14 years of internet fame, her owner has said.', 'The Japanese shiba inu inspired a generation of online jokes and became the face of Dogecoin cryptocurrency.', 'She had been suffering from leukaemia and liver disease and died on 24 May. ""', 'She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,"" Atsuko Sato wrote on her blog, thanking Kabosu\'s fans. ""', 'I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world.', 'And I was the happiest owner.""', ""As a rescue dog, Kabosu's real birthday was unknown, but Ms Sato estimated her age at 18."", 'In 2010, two years after adopting Kabosu from a puppy mill where she would otherwise have been put down, Ms Sato, a teacher from Sakura, east of Tokyo, took a picture of her pet crossing her paws on the sofa.', 'She posted the image on her blog, from where it spread to online forum Reddit and became a meme that bounced from college bedrooms to office email chains.', 'The memes typically used goofy broken English to reveal the inner thoughts of Kabosu and other shiba inu ""doge"" - pronounced like pizza ""dough"" but with a ""j"" at the end.', 'The picture also later became an NFT digital artwork that sold for $4m (£3.1m) and inspired Dogecoin, which was started as a joke by two software engineers and is now the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency, with a market capitalisation of $23bn.', 'Dogecoin has been backed by hip-hop star Snoop Dogg and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.', 'But its most keen supporter is billionaire Elon Musk, who jokes about the currency on X - sending its value soaring - and hails it as ""the people\'s crypto"".', 'Kabosu fell ill with leukaemia and liver disease in late 2022, and Ms Sato said in a recent interview with AFP that the ""invisible power"" of prayers from fans worldwide helped her pull through.', 'Ms Sato, 62, said she had become so used to ""unbelievable"" events that when Mr Musk changed the icon for Twitter, now X, to Kabosu\'s face last year, she ""wasn\'t even that surprised"".', 'A $100,000 statue of Kabosu and her sofa crowdfunded by Own The Doge, a crypto organisation dedicated to the meme, was unveiled in a park in Sakura in November last year.', 'Sato and Own The Doge have also donated large sums to international charities, including more than $1m to Save the Children.', 'The NGO says it is ""the single largest crypto contribution"" it has ever received.']",0.2520917612451162,"But its most keen supporter is billionaire Elon Musk, who jokes about the currency on X - sending its value soaring - and hails it as ""the people's crypto"".","She had been suffering from leukaemia and liver disease and died on 24 May. """,0.8566750437021255,"Kabosu fell ill with leukaemia and liver disease in late 2022, and Ms Sato said in a recent interview with AFP that the ""invisible power"" of prayers from fans worldwide helped her pull through.",,2024-05-27
Beckham-backed EV firm restarts operations at Silverstone,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2vvgvnl997o,2024-05-24T09:23:50.528Z,"A firm backed by David Beckham that converts classic cars to run on electricity has started operating again. Lunaz, based at Silverstone Park in Northamptonshire, stopped production in March. It blamed the stoppage on delays in banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles. The firm said it had a ""new structure that lays the foundations for the long-term sustainable growth of the business"". Lunaz was founded in 2019 by David Lorenz, with the original aim of converting classic cars to run on electricity, but expanded to include industrial vehicles and trucks in its programme. Beckham invested in the firm and commissioned it to convert one of his cars. In March, the firm announced it was stopping production because the government had put back the banning of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035. The division of the company that converted bin lorries to electricity went into administration. At the time, Lunaz said it was ""currently restructuring to adjust its business and operations in response to shifting market dynamics"". Now the firm has announced the conversion of passenger vehicles will restart at Silverstone Park under the Lunaz Design brand. The conversion of commercial vehicles will continue under the Up-cycled Electric Vehicles brand, with trials of the first products taking place this summer. Lunaz added that the first trials would include the world’s first fully up-cycled and electrified 26-tonne commercial trucks operating as refuse collection vehicles. Mr Lorenz said: ""We are delighted to have worked with our clients and stakeholders to create a new structure that lays the foundations for the long-term sustainable growth of the business.  ""This ensures we are ready to meet immediate demand for vehicle electrification services and are fit to scale in direct response to volume requirements as major markets build towards legislative bans on internal combustion engine commercial vehicles.” Follow Northamptonshire news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830 ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['A firm backed by David Beckham that converts classic cars to run on electricity has started operating again.', 'Lunaz, based at Silverstone Park in Northamptonshire, stopped production in March.', 'It blamed the stoppage on delays in banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.', 'The firm said it had a ""new structure that lays the foundations for the long-term sustainable growth of the business"".', 'Lunaz was founded in 2019 by David Lorenz, with the original aim of converting classic cars to run on electricity, but expanded to include industrial vehicles and trucks in its programme.', 'Beckham invested in the firm and commissioned it to convert one of his cars.', 'In March, the firm announced it was stopping production because the government had put back the banning of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035.', 'The division of the company that converted bin lorries to electricity went into administration.', 'At the time, Lunaz said it was ""currently restructuring to adjust its business and operations in response to shifting market dynamics"".', 'Now the firm has announced the conversion of passenger vehicles will restart at Silverstone Park under the Lunaz Design brand.', 'The conversion of commercial vehicles will continue under the Up-cycled Electric Vehicles brand, with trials of the first products taking place this summer.', 'Lunaz added that the first trials would include the world’s first fully up-cycled and electrified 26-tonne commercial trucks operating as refuse collection vehicles.', 'Mr Lorenz said: ""We are delighted to have worked with our clients and stakeholders to create a new structure that lays the foundations for the long-term sustainable growth of the business. ""', 'This ensures we are ready to meet immediate demand for vehicle electrification services and are fit to scale in direct response to volume requirements as major markets build towards legislative bans on internal combustion engine commercial vehicles.”', 'Follow Northamptonshire news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story?', 'Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830']",0.064199782867827,"Mr Lorenz said: ""We are delighted to have worked with our clients and stakeholders to create a new structure that lays the foundations for the long-term sustainable growth of the business. """,It blamed the stoppage on delays in banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.,0.2676118910312652,"Mr Lorenz said: ""We are delighted to have worked with our clients and stakeholders to create a new structure that lays the foundations for the long-term sustainable growth of the business. """,It blamed the stoppage on delays in banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.,2024-05-27
"Service charges: I'm now paying £8,000 a year for my flat",https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgllrdljj57o,2024-05-26T23:54:46.184Z,"""The worst decision of my life,"" reflects Richard Moore, as he sits in the small flat he bought as an investment to provide him with a pension in his old age. ""My service charges have doubled from £4,000 to £8,000 a year. I feel like I'm being robbed"". Problems with the building's cladding also render the flat effectively worthless unless it is fixed, he says. The flat Richard paid £300,000 for in 2016 is leasehold – which means he doesn’t own the physical flat - but a lease allowing him to own it for a specified number of years.  A freeholder owns the physical building and the land it’s built on, and employs a managing agent to act on their behalf and collect services charges to cover the cost of maintaining and insuring the building. The managing agent says the increase is justified because the roof needs repairing. Richard points out the flats are less than 10 years old. Reforms to leasehold and freehold became law on Friday - one of the last pieces of legislation to make it through Parliament before it was shut down for the general election. They will help the estimated five million leasehold property owners  – the vast majority of them in flats in England and Wales, the only countries still to operate the leasehold system.  It will make extending their leases cheaper and simpler with a standard 990-year lease on renewal. There is also a duty on managing agents to be more transparent about their costs when billing leaseholders for service charges and maintenance. Richard's say they already are, although he disagrees. According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard's have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""We have got above-inflation increases in service charges and that comes as no surprise to any leaseholders,"" the TPI’s Andrew Bulmer says. ""Some service charges have gone up a moderate amount, but there are some, especially those in tall and complex buildings that are difficult to insure, where the service charges have rocketed and those individuals will certainly be hurting."" Mr Bulmer denies managing agents are making excessive profits saying ""margins are tight"". He points to TPI data which suggests the only cost that has not seen above-inflation rises is the fees managing agents charge to cover their own admin and running costs. Mr Bulmer suggests the new legislation is a missed opportunity for proper regulation with penalties for managing agents who step out of line. ""What regulation would do it wouldn't just regulate technical performance in terms of transparency or publishing information. But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers."" The TPI data suggests the biggest single factor driving up service charge costs are buildings insurance premiums – up 92% in five years. Insurers say that in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent cladding and building safety crisis they have no option. ""We empathise with the plight of leaseholders and the fact that they're under emotional and financial strain and we are doing all we can to support that,"" says Mervyn Skeet from the Association of British Insurers. However, he adds: ""I think the industry is correctly pricing the risk that's there. ""Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell. Now, the risk is well known."" But premiums are still going up year on year despite government pledging several billion pounds to remove flammable cladding and other building safety issues. The new leasehold laws will also restrict insurance brokers' ability to charge large commissions for writing the policies, which it is claimed some managing agents have passed on to leaseholders with an additional administration charge of their own. All the tower blocks with the same cladding as Grenfell have now been fixed, according to government figures. Mr Skeet said the government was only fixing buildings to what he called a ""life safety"" standard – so that people could escape - but the insurance industry had to go further. ""Getting buildings to a life safety standards is obviously very important,"" he said. ""But we need to assess the resilience of the building, price for the cost of the whole building being lost."" Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues. The government has been putting pressure on the industry over soaring premiums charged by those still prepared to take on the risk. As a result, insurers have just launched a new scheme which aims to better share the risk of the most dangerous blocks which have yet to be repaired – of which there are still several thousand, according to the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign. Mr Skeet said: ""We hope to see that scheme having an impact over the next 12 months.  ""The capacity in the market and the basic supply and demand should lead to changes in premiums."" Among those as yet unremediated flats with cladding and safety issues is Richard’s in Croydon. His experience means he thinks fewer and fewer people will consider ever buying or living in a leasehold property. “It’s affecting millions of people in this country. I’m not the only cladding hostage out there."" ",BBC,26/05/2024,"['""The worst decision of my life,"" reflects Richard Moore, as he sits in the small flat he bought as an investment to provide him with a pension in his old age. ""', 'My service charges have doubled from £4,000 to £8,000 a year.', 'I feel like I\'m being robbed"".', ""Problems with the building's cladding also render the flat effectively worthless unless it is fixed, he says."", 'The flat Richard paid £300,000 for in 2016 is leasehold – which means he doesn’t own the physical flat - but a lease allowing him to own it for a specified number of years.', 'A freeholder owns the physical building and the land it’s built on, and employs a managing agent to act on their behalf and collect services charges to cover the cost of maintaining and insuring the building.', 'The managing agent says the increase is justified because the roof needs repairing.', 'Richard points out the flats are less than 10 years old.', 'Reforms to leasehold and freehold became law on Friday - one of the last pieces of legislation to make it through Parliament before it was shut down for the general election.', 'They will help the estimated five million leasehold property owners – the vast majority of them in flats in England and Wales, the only countries still to operate the leasehold system.', 'It will make extending their leases cheaper and simpler with a standard 990-year lease on renewal.', 'There is also a duty on managing agents to be more transparent about their costs when billing leaseholders for service charges and maintenance.', ""Richard's say they already are, although he disagrees."", 'According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard\'s have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""', 'We have got above-inflation increases in service charges and that comes as no surprise to any leaseholders,"" the TPI’s Andrew Bulmer says. ""', 'Some service charges have gone up a moderate amount, but there are some, especially those in tall and complex buildings that are difficult to insure, where the service charges have rocketed and those individuals will certainly be hurting.""', 'Mr Bulmer denies managing agents are making excessive profits saying ""margins are tight"".', 'He points to TPI data which suggests the only cost that has not seen above-inflation rises is the fees managing agents charge to cover their own admin and running costs.', 'Mr Bulmer suggests the new legislation is a missed opportunity for proper regulation with penalties for managing agents who step out of line. ""', ""What regulation would do it wouldn't just regulate technical performance in terms of transparency or publishing information."", 'But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers.""', 'The TPI data suggests the biggest single factor driving up service charge costs are buildings insurance premiums – up 92% in five years.', 'Insurers say that in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent cladding and building safety crisis they have no option. ""', 'We empathise with the plight of leaseholders and the fact that they\'re under emotional and financial strain and we are doing all we can to support that,"" says Mervyn Skeet from the Association of British Insurers.', 'However, he adds: ""I think the industry is correctly pricing the risk that\'s there. ""', ""Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell."", 'Now, the risk is well known.""', 'But premiums are still going up year on year despite government pledging several billion pounds to remove flammable cladding and other building safety issues.', ""The new leasehold laws will also restrict insurance brokers' ability to charge large commissions for writing the policies, which it is claimed some managing agents have passed on to leaseholders with an additional administration charge of their own."", 'All the tower blocks with the same cladding as Grenfell have now been fixed, according to government figures.', 'Mr Skeet said the government was only fixing buildings to what he called a ""life safety"" standard – so that people could escape - but the insurance industry had to go further. ""', 'Getting buildings to a life safety standards is obviously very important,"" he said. ""', 'But we need to assess the resilience of the building, price for the cost of the whole building being lost.""', 'Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues.', 'The government has been putting pressure on the industry over soaring premiums charged by those still prepared to take on the risk.', 'As a result, insurers have just launched a new scheme which aims to better share the risk of the most dangerous blocks which have yet to be repaired – of which there are still several thousand, according to the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign.', 'Mr Skeet said: ""We hope to see that scheme having an impact over the next 12 months. ""', 'The capacity in the market and the basic supply and demand should lead to changes in premiums.""', 'Among those as yet unremediated flats with cladding and safety issues is Richard’s in Croydon.', 'His experience means he thinks fewer and fewer people will consider ever buying or living in a leasehold property. “', 'It’s affecting millions of people in this country.', 'I’m not the only cladding hostage out there.""']",-0.0485725932640262,"But it starts to regulate behaviours and when you regulate behaviours, you start to introduce trust in the relationship between the service provider and the customers.""","Unfortunately, the risk wasn't known in the same way prior to the tragedy at Grenfell.",0.1205124069343913,"According to The Property Institute (TPI) - the trade body for managing agents - service charges like Richard's have risen by over 40% in the last five years, but just 4% in the last 12 months. ""","Many insurers became more risk averse following Grenfell, refusing to provide cover for tower blocks with safety issues.",2024-05-27
Ex-Post Office Paula Vennells accused of being in 'la-la land',https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd11e45n3p5o,2024-05-24T14:29:32.087Z,"Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has been accused of living in ""la-la land"" by a lawyer representing sub-postmasters. Speaking at the inquiry into the Horizon scandal, Edward Henry KC grilled Ms Vennells on how much she knew about remote access to sub-postmasters' computers. He also pressed Ms Vennells on how fallout from the scandal could have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation in 2013. She said it would have done, but that she was not involved in the strategy around privatisation. Friday was the third day that Ms Vennells gave evidence at the long-running inquiry into the Horizon scandal. The room was packed with people, including many former sub-postmasters. Their mood became more defiant as the day progressed, until at the end many booed Ms Vennells. The question of remote access has been one of the themes of the inquiry.  The Post Office said in hundreds of wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters that they must have been to blame for money missing from accounts, which were calculated using the Horizon IT system. Prosecutions between 1999 and 2015 meant some people went to prison, while many others were left financially ruined and lost their jobs, businesses and homes. Some died while waiting for justice. On Friday, a landmark bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of former sub-postmasters received Royal Assent. It was one of the final bills to become law ahead of the general election, and will apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish parliament will pass its own bill to overturn such convictions. In certain key cases in the past, such as the landmark Bates vs Post Office in 2019, the organisation insisted that the Horizon software could not be accessed remotely by any other party. But Mr Henry said that external lawyers acting for the Post Office knew about remote access earlier than that, during Ms Vennells time as chief executive between 2012 and 2019. She denied knowledge, and said she did not think the board or the executive knew either. Mr Henry said: ""It is extraordinary, isn't it, because Cartwright King, your external lawyers, know all about it, and yet you're saying that you didn't, the board didn't - I mean, this is la-la land isn't it?"" She said: ""I don't recall that at all from the time. If our external lawyers were aware of that, and that was shared within the Post Office at the time, it is completely unacceptable."" Ms Vennells also conceded that Horizon fallout would have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation. Mr Henry said: ""If it were to be established that the Royal Mail group had wrongly prosecuted dozens, hundreds of sub-postmasters who might sue them, it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation in October 2013, wouldn't it?"" ""I'm sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said. It would also have posed a reputational and financial risk to the Royal Mail group because until 2012 they were the prosecuting authority, he said - ""they were responsible for the legacy of prosecutions."" ""Yes, that's correct,"" she responded. In July 2013, the government announced the Royal Mail privatisation, and forensic accountants Second Sight presented their interim report, ""which was a bit of a bombshell"" Mr Henry said, because it indicated Horizon bugs. ""It must have been staring you in the face that if you had a blow up concerning the Second Sight report, the prospect of criminal convictions would have been challenged, this would have been hugely embarrassing politically, and potentially damaging to the flotation?"" Mr Henry said. Ms Vennells responded, saying: ""I don't believe I was involved in any of those conversations. The two organisations were now working separately, I had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation."" Mr Henry pressed Ms Vennells, saying she ""wanted to keep a lid on this because you wanted to please stakeholders - the Post Office board, government, Whitehall."" He said Ms Vennells was ""anxious to please"" the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) at the time. The Post Office is 100% owned by the UK government. ""I had no role at all in relation to the privatisation, I had no conversations with BIS with regards to the privatisation,"" she said. ""My concerns at this stage were only about the Post Office, and as the inquiry has seen there were many conversations at this time about how we might find a way through this. I don't believe I made any connection between this and the Royal Mail privatisation at all,"" she said. It also emerged that Ms Vennells made an amendment to the prospectus that was made available to potential shareholders before the Royal Mail stock market flotation. ""Why did you get involved in bowdlerising or amending the prospectus?"" Mr Henry said. She responded: ""This was at the very last minute, I wasn't involved in the prospectus at all, I can't remember how it occurred, but it was flagged to me, which was complete news, that in the IT section of the Royal Mail prospectus, there was a reference to risks related to the Horizon IT system. ""The line that was put in said that no systemic issues had been found with the Horizon system. The Horizon system was no longer anything to do with the Royal Mail group"". So she had the reference removed. ""I felt it was an irrelevant statement about the Royal Mail IT system,"" Ms Vennells said. ",BBC,24/05/2024,"['Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has been accused of living in ""la-la land"" by a lawyer representing sub-postmasters.', ""Speaking at the inquiry into the Horizon scandal, Edward Henry KC grilled Ms Vennells on how much she knew about remote access to sub-postmasters' computers."", 'He also pressed Ms Vennells on how fallout from the scandal could have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation in 2013.', 'She said it would have done, but that she was not involved in the strategy around privatisation.', 'Friday was the third day that Ms Vennells gave evidence at the long-running inquiry into the Horizon scandal.', 'The room was packed with people, including many former sub-postmasters.', 'Their mood became more defiant as the day progressed, until at the end many booed Ms Vennells.', 'The question of remote access has been one of the themes of the inquiry.', 'The Post Office said in hundreds of wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters that they must have been to blame for money missing from accounts, which were calculated using the Horizon IT system.', 'Prosecutions between 1999 and 2015 meant some people went to prison, while many others were left financially ruined and lost their jobs, businesses and homes.', 'Some died while waiting for justice.', 'On Friday, a landmark bill quashing the convictions of hundreds of former sub-postmasters received Royal Assent.', 'It was one of the final bills to become law ahead of the general election, and will apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.', 'Scottish parliament will pass its own bill to overturn such convictions.', 'In certain key cases in the past, such as the landmark Bates vs Post Office in 2019, the organisation insisted that the Horizon software could not be accessed remotely by any other party.', 'But Mr Henry said that external lawyers acting for the Post Office knew about remote access earlier than that, during Ms Vennells time as chief executive between 2012 and 2019.', 'She denied knowledge, and said she did not think the board or the executive knew either.', 'Mr Henry said: ""It is extraordinary, isn\'t it, because Cartwright King, your external lawyers, know all about it, and yet you\'re saying that you didn\'t, the board didn\'t - I mean, this is la-la land isn\'t it?""', 'She said: ""I don\'t recall that at all from the time.', 'If our external lawyers were aware of that, and that was shared within the Post Office at the time, it is completely unacceptable.""', 'Ms Vennells also conceded that Horizon fallout would have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation.', 'Mr Henry said: ""If it were to be established that the Royal Mail group had wrongly prosecuted dozens, hundreds of sub-postmasters who might sue them, it would have threatened to disrupt the flotation in October 2013, wouldn\'t it?"" ""', 'I\'m sure that would have been the case,"" Ms Vennells said.', 'It would also have posed a reputational and financial risk to the Royal Mail group because until 2012 they were the prosecuting authority, he said - ""they were responsible for the legacy of prosecutions."" ""', 'Yes, that\'s correct,"" she responded.', 'In July 2013, the government announced the Royal Mail privatisation, and forensic accountants Second Sight presented their interim report, ""which was a bit of a bombshell"" Mr Henry said, because it indicated Horizon bugs. ""', 'It must have been staring you in the face that if you had a blow up concerning the Second Sight report, the prospect of criminal convictions would have been challenged, this would have been hugely embarrassing politically, and potentially damaging to the flotation?""', 'Mr Henry said.', 'Ms Vennells responded, saying: ""I don\'t believe I was involved in any of those conversations.', 'The two organisations were now working separately, I had no conversations about any strategy around the Royal Mail privatisation.""', 'Mr Henry pressed Ms Vennells, saying she ""wanted to keep a lid on this because you wanted to please stakeholders - the Post Office board, government, Whitehall.""', 'He said Ms Vennells was ""anxious to please"" the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) at the time.', 'The Post Office is 100% owned by the UK government. ""', 'I had no role at all in relation to the privatisation, I had no conversations with BIS with regards to the privatisation,"" she said. ""', 'My concerns at this stage were only about the Post Office, and as the inquiry has seen there were many conversations at this time about how we might find a way through this.', 'I don\'t believe I made any connection between this and the Royal Mail privatisation at all,"" she said.', 'It also emerged that Ms Vennells made an amendment to the prospectus that was made available to potential shareholders before the Royal Mail stock market flotation. ""', 'Why did you get involved in bowdlerising or amending the prospectus?""', 'Mr Henry said.', 'She responded: ""This was at the very last minute, I wasn\'t involved in the prospectus at all, I can\'t remember how it occurred, but it was flagged to me, which was complete news, that in the IT section of the Royal Mail prospectus, there was a reference to risks related to the Horizon IT system. ""', 'The line that was put in said that no systemic issues had been found with the Horizon system.', 'The Horizon system was no longer anything to do with the Royal Mail group"".', 'So she had the reference removed. ""', 'I felt it was an irrelevant statement about the Royal Mail IT system,"" Ms Vennells said.']",-0.1310337398364907,"In certain key cases in the past, such as the landmark Bates vs Post Office in 2019, the organisation insisted that the Horizon software could not be accessed remotely by any other party.","It must have been staring you in the face that if you had a blow up concerning the Second Sight report, the prospect of criminal convictions would have been challenged, this would have been hugely embarrassing politically, and potentially damaging to the flotation?""",-0.8957185447216034,,Ms Vennells also conceded that Horizon fallout would have upset the Royal Mail stock market flotation.,2024-05-27