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☆ Robert Downey Jr.'s 'showboating' performances in 'The Sympathizer' are polarizing critics. Here's what reviews are saying about HBO's new series.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The series follows an agent referred to only as the Captain (Hoa Xuande), who's half-Vietnamese and half-French. Aligned with North Vietnam, he's embedded within the South Vietnam army. Critics have generally praised the series, particularly Xuande's performance and Park's direction (in addition to showrunning duties, he directs the first three episodes). Here's a breakdown of where some reviewers stand ahead of the series premiere on HBO Sunday evening. AdvertisementVariety's Alison Herman says that splitting Downey into parts both "deploys and diffuses" the impact of his celebrity on the series.

Persons: Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer, Hoa, Critics, —, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Chan, Don McKellar, he's, Robert Downey Jr, Xuande, Hopper Stone, Alan Sepinwall, IndieWire's Ben Travers, Tran Bui, Beth Dubber, weren't, Robert Downey's, Laura Sirikul, Sirikul, Variety's Alison Herman, Herman, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Nick Schager, Downey, Sandra Oh, Park Chan, Nguyen's, Judy Berman, Rory Doherty, lauds, Doherty, Inverse's, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyen, Sepinwall, IndieWire's Travers, Richard Lawson, Schager, Thanh, Fair's Lawson, Marina Fang Organizations: HBO, Viet Thanh, Service, Downey, Stone, Daily Locations: Viet, North Vietnam, Vietnam, United States, Korean

☆ Vietnam wants to take China's place as a new factory of the world — but a $12 billion financial fraud case is getting in the way
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Vietnamese real-estate tycoon Truong My Lan was sentenced to death for her role in a $12.5 billion fraud case. Lan's fraud case is part of Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's corruption crackdown. Lan, the chairwoman of real-estate developer Van Thinh Phat Group, was arrested in 2022 over the fraud case. AdvertisementThe high-profile fraud case has scandalized the country and is raising questions about the one-party state. For context on the scale of the Vietnam fraud case, consider the 1MDB case, which rocked Malaysia and the world when it started to unravel in 2015.

Persons: Truong, Lan, Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu, —, Van Thinh, Zachary Abuza, Trang Bui, Bui Organizations: Communist Party Secretary, Service, Prosecutors, Vietnamese Communist Party, National War College, Washington DC, Bloomberg, Cushman, Nikkei Locations: Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Malaysian, Hanoi, Washington, Wakefield

☆ Tycoon’s death penalty in $12.5 billion fraud case highlights Vietnam’s corruption crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The scale of the fraud was said to be equivalent to roughly 3% of Vietnam’s economy. Though widely considered ceremonial, the presidency is one of the top three positions in Vietnam’s political hierarchy after the CPV’s Secretary General, currently Nguyen Phu Trong. In fact, the International Monetary Fund expects Vietnam’s economy to grow by 5.8% this year, compared to 4.6% for China. Their fate remains unclear, given the highly secretive nature of Vietnam’s political system. But Vietnamese political experts said a permanent appointment would not end the instability.

Persons: Truong My Lan, Van Thinh, siphoned, “, Eric Chu, Vietnam’s, Vo Van, Trong, Thuong, Vo Van Thuong, Richard A, Brooks, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Pham Binh, Le Hong Hiep, Yusof, ” Hiep, ”, Thu, General Trong, Xi Jinping, ” Zachary Abuza, Salt Bae, Lam, ” Abuza, Nguyen Phu Trong, Evelyn Hockstein, Abuza, Bui Thanh Soh, ” Soh, Vo, Xuan, Thuong’s, Le Hong Organizations: CNN, Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, Stock Commercial Bank, Reuters, SCB, Express, Communist Party, Institute, Crisis Group, National War College, Vietnamese Communist Party, Public Security, Vietnam, International Monetary Fund, Companies, Apple, Intel, Vietnam's Communist Party General, Yusof, Brookings Institution, “, Crisis Locations: Vietnam, Saigon, People’s, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Duc, Singapore, Asia, China, Washington, “, London, Turkish, Hanoi, Bangkok

☆ Remote workers who switch to in-office jobs are boosting their pay by as much as 30%, says new research
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Salaries for fully in-office roles are climbing in the United States. As of March 2024, hybrid roles pay $59,992 on average, in 2023, that number was $54,034, ZipRecruiter reports. Remote jobs now pay $75,327, but in 2023, they paid an average $69,107. Given how competitive the job market has been in recent months — especially for remote roles — Bui says it's a "fair trade-off." It's too soon to tell if higher salaries will be enough to convince people to choose an in-office job over a remote offer.

Persons: switchers, Johnny Bui, Bui, — Bui, it's, Julia Pollak, ZipRecruiter's, Pollak, It's Organizations: United States . Companies, CNBC, Visa, LinkedIn, Employees, Owl Labs, Employers Locations: United States, U.S, Austin , Texas

☆ Critics call 'Dune: Part Two' a 'sci-fi masterpiece' and one of the 'greatest sequels ever'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A critic hailed it as "the best sci-fi epic of the century." AdvertisementIt's time to return to Arrakis for the much-anticipated sequel to Denis Villeneuve's 2021 epic "Dune." Prepare for a cliffhanger endingLike in the first movie, you're not going to get many answers by the end. Inverse's Hoai-Tran Bui dubbed it "the best sci-fi epic of the century" in her headline. "It's a towering feat of sci-fi cinema that will put 'Dune: Part Two' in contention for the pantheon of greatest sequels ever."

Persons: —, Denis Villeneuve's, Villeneuve, Paul Atreides, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Critics, Timothée, Lawrence, Peter Bradshaw, Peter Debruge, Therese Lacson, He's, IndieWire's David Ehrlich, Irulan, Paul, Chalamet, IndieWire's Ehrlich, Nick Schager, David Fear, Niko Tavernise, Joshua Rothkopf, Tran Bui Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, The Guardian, Collider, Hollywood Reporter, Stone, Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Locations: Arabia

☆ As Chinese Tastes Change, Farmers Everywhere Rip Up and Replant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jon Emont | Trang Bui | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

EA YONG, Vietnam—In the verdant highlands of central Vietnam, warehouses the size of airplane hangars dominate small farming towns, bristling with mounds of tropical fruit. The bounty is destined for a colossal market: China. Farmers are felling coffee trees traditionally grown in this cool hilly region to plant spiky durians, pungent fruits that have become wildly popular in China. They are reaping the windfall to buy new irrigation systems, pay off loans and build shiny marble facades to their homes.

Persons: EA YONG, Vietnam — Organizations: EA, Farmers Locations: Vietnam, China

☆ Exclusive: Vietnam activists to seek US refuge after Biden administration deal - US officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In the United States, the families are expected to seek resettlement under the "Priority 1" refugee program. The activists were not imprisoned, but had been barred from leaving Vietnam. The officials would not identify any of the four people, citing diplomatic and security sensitivities, but the two ex-prisoners' names are known. Vietnam is holding at least 159 political prisoners and detaining 22 others, Human Rights Watch said earlier this month. Biden administration officials pushed for the exit visas as an additional step during final negotiations over the joint statement and trip logistics, according to one of the U.S. officials.

Persons: Biden, Biden's, Nguyen Bac Truyen, Mai Phan Loi, Ben Swanton, Antony Blinken, Bui, Trevor Hunnicutt, Francesco Guarascio, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Communist, United, U.S, Reuters, Human Rights Watch, Biden, Thomson Locations: United States, Hanoi , U.S, Vietnam, Washington, China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Germany, Bui Thanh, Hanoi

☆ Vietnam activists to seek US refuge after Biden administration deal -US officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A human rights lawyer who campaigned for accountability for police abuses, a Catholic parishioner evicted from his home, and their families are exiting Vietnam for the United States, one of the officials said. In the United States, the families are expected to seek resettlement under the "Priority 1" refugee program. The activists were not imprisoned, but had been barred from leaving Vietnam. Vietnam is holding at least 159 political prisoners and detaining 22 others, Human Rights Watch said earlier this month. Biden administration officials pushed for the exit visas as an additional step during final negotiations over the joint statement and trip logistics, according to one of the U.S. officials.

Persons: Biden, Biden's, Nguyen Bac Truyen, Mai Phan Loi, Ben Swanton, Antony Blinken, Bui, Trevor Hunnicutt, Francesco Guarascio, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Communist, Reuters, United, U.S, Human Rights Watch, Biden, Thomson Locations: United States, Hanoi , U.S, Vietnam, Washington, China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Germany, Bui Thanh, Hanoi

Harvard Admit rate: 4% 10k students Duke University Admit rate: 6% 7k students Amherst College Admit rate: 9% 2k students Carnegie Mellon University Admit rate: 14% 7k students University of California, Berkeley Admit rate: 14% 30k students Boston University Admit rate: 19% 20k students University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Admit rate: 20% 20k students University of Texas, Austin Admit rate: 29% 40k students University of Florida Admit rate: 30% 30k students Bucknell University Admit rate: 35% 4k students San Diego State University Admit rate: 38% 30k students Binghamton University Admit rate: 44% 10k students University of California, Davis Admit rate: 49% 30k students Clemson University Admit rate: 49% 20k students Stevens Institute of Technology Admit rate: 53% 4k students University of Washington, Seattle Campus Admit rate: 54% 40k students Brigham Young University Admit rate: 59% 30k students CUNY Queens College Admit rate: 61% 20k students Texas A & M University, College Station Admit rate: 64% 60k students University of Pittsburgh Admit rate: 67% 20k students Texas Tech University Admit rate: 68% 30k students Ball State University Admit rate: 68% 10k students Rutgers University, New Brunswick Admit rate: 68% 40k students Purdue University Admit rate: 69% 40k students Louisiana State University Admit rate: 71% 30k students University of Delaware Admit rate: 72% 20k students University of Central Missouri Admit rate: 76% 8k students Mississippi State University Admit rate: 76% 20k students University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire Admit rate: 78% 10k students University of Alabama Admit rate: 79% 30k students University of North Carolina, Charlotte Admit rate: 79% 20k students University of Colorado Boulder Admit rate: 80% 30k students Drexel University Admit rate: 83% 10k students University of Arkansas Admit rate: 83% 20k students University of Cincinnati Admit rate: 85% 30k students University of Texas, Dallas Admit rate: 87% 20k students Suffolk University Admit rate: 88% 4k students Arizona State University Admit rate: 88% 60k students West Chester University of Pennsylvania Admit rate: 89% 10k students Grand Valley State University Admit rate: 92% 20k students University of Kansas Admit rate: 93% 20k students Utah State University Admit rate: 93% 20k students California State University, Sacramento Admit rate: 94% 30k students University of Utah Admit rate: 95% 30k students Kansas State University Admit rate: > 95% 20k students University of Wyoming Admit rate: > 95% 9k students 90% admission rate 80% admission rate 70% admission rate 60% admission rate 50% admission rate 40% admission rate 30% admission rate 20% admission rate 10% admission rate These are America’s major four-year colleges, arranged by their admission rates. Just 6 percent of all college students attend a school with an acceptance rate of 25 percent or less. 56 percent of these college students go to a school that admits at least three-quarters of its applicants. These statistics reveal a simple fact about affirmative action in higher education: It mattered very little for the majority of American college students. But because affirmative action only opened a tiny window of access to America’s most elite institutions, the ruling will make little difference for most college students.

Persons: Richard Arum, Mitchell, Stevens, Quoctrung Bui Mr, Arum, Davis, It’s, Lyndon B Organizations: University of California, Stanford Graduate School of Education, Harvard, Duke University, Amherst College, Carnegie Mellon University, Boston University, University of North, University of Texas, University of Florida, Bucknell University, San Diego State University, Binghamton University, Clemson University, Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Washington, Brigham Young University, CUNY Queens College, Texas, M University, College, University of Pittsburgh, Texas Tech University, Ball State University, Rutgers University, Rutgers University , New, Purdue University, Louisiana State University, University of Delaware, University of Central, Mississippi State University, University of Wisconsin, University of Alabama, University of Colorado Boulder, Drexel University, University of Arkansas, University of Cincinnati, Suffolk University, Arizona State University, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Valley State University, University of Kansas, Utah State University, California State University, University of Utah, Kansas State University, University of Wyoming, Stanford, Black White, White Black, U.S . Department of Education, Pomona, San, California State University , Los, of California Locations: Irvine, Berkeley, University of North Carolina, Austin, Seattle, Rutgers University ,, Rutgers University , New Brunswick, University of Central Missouri, Eau Claire, Charlotte, Dallas, Sacramento, Cambridge, Palo Alto, America, California, San Francisco State, California State University , Los Angeles

☆ The Army Corps’s Flood Plan Could Ruin New York’s Waterfront. It Doesn’t Have To. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Mr. Gutman is an environmental planning consultant and a member of the New York-New Jersey Storm Surge Working Group. In terms of population at risk, New York City is the most vulnerable city in the country, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization. These highly effective and reliable harborwide surge barriers can protect large areas while leaving shorelines free for recreation and other uses. Hudson River Park 12 feet 12 feetHudson River Park 12 feet 12 feetHudson River Park 12 feet 12 feetGantry Plaza State Park 12 feet 12 feetGantry Plaza State Park 12 feet 12 feetImagine bicycling up the Hudson River Greenway in Manhattan next to a concrete wall between you and Hudson River Park. It consists of walls, small storm surge barriers and other shoreline barriers.

Persons: Robert Yaro, Daniel Gutman, Quoctrung Bui, Taylor, John Lehr, Yaro, Gutman, Hurricane Sandy, Rohit Aggarwala, Aggarwala, Jeroen Aerts, “, Sandy Hook, Arthur, Sandy, David Ralston Organizations: The New York Times, Regional Plan Association, Metro Flood Defense, New Jersey Storm, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Corps, Hurricane, Climate Central, United Nations, New, LaGuardia Airport, Vrije University Amsterdam, New York City, Bronx Manhattan, Bronx Manhattan Jersey City Queens, Bronx Manhattan Jersey City Queens Brooklyn Jamaica Bay, U.S . Army Corps, Engineers, Oceanographic, Dade Locations: York, New, New York, New Jersey, floodwalls, New York City, Rotterdam, Netherlands, London, St, Petersburg, Russia, New York Harbor, Central, Greenpoint, Manhattan’s, Jersey City, Hudson, Greenway, Manhattan, United, Jersey, Bronx, Queensbridge, South Williamsburg, Yonkers, Ossining, Market, Newtown, New York State , New Jersey, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Arthur Kill, Jamaica, Bronx Manhattan Jersey, Bronx Manhattan Jersey City Queens Brooklyn, Bronx Manhattan Jersey City Queens Brooklyn Jamaica Bay Staten, Texas, Galveston, Houston, Hurricane, Miami

☆ Antony Blinken Tries to Draw Vietnam Closer, With an Eye on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( William Mauldin | Jon Emont | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vietnam Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on Saturday. HANOI, Vietnam—Secretary of State Antony Blinken broke ground at a new U.S. embassy site during his first visit to Vietnam as America’s top diplomat, with Washington seeking to establish closer relations with a country that has historic ties with both China and Russia. In Communist-led Vietnam, Mr. Blinken didn’t make comments about China, with whom Washington’s relations have worsened. Instead, as with much of Southeast Asia—where governments are wary about picking sides—U.S. officials say they are eager to build practical cooperation based on trade and adhering to agreed upon international rules of the road.

☆ 2023’s Most Coveted Kitchen Is Superexpensive. Here’s How to Get the Look for Less
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Sarah Karnasiewicz | Photographs Andrew Bui For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TA-TA, soulless stainless ranges. Cheerio, monolithic marble islands. A few years back, a new status kitchen—imported primarily via a pair of posh British outfits called Plain English and deVOL—surfaced stateside. Modeled loosely on the below-stairs service kitchens once found on grand estates, it quickly found a cult following for its homely hallmarks: pared-back Georgian cabinetry in moody colors, from chalky green to dishrag pink; studiously aged taps and cupboard latches; commodious “larders” in which to corral microwaves and other conspicuously 21st-century appliances; open shelving where vintage copper pots rub shoulders with ancestral oil paintings. Think of it as the “old-money look” for kitchens.

☆ A proposed law in Vietnam would allow people the right to change gender identity and get medical access to gender-reaffirming surgery
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A proposed Vietnam law would allow citizens to change their gender identities and get gender-affirming surgery. The proposed law might be included in the government's 2024 agenda, according to Việt Nam News. Lawmaker Nguyễn Anh Trí proposed the law which would allow people to change their gender identity, request a different gender identity from the one assigned at birth, and get gender-affirming surgery, according to The Pink News. The proposed law, which only mentions genders male and female, might be included in the government's 2024 agenda, according to Việt Nam News. As it stands, there are no regulations on gender identity in Vietnam and no laws that prohibit same-sex relationships or activities, but LGBTQ rights remain controversial, the outlet reported.

☆ Buying Help for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids—Whether You Spend $250 or $2,500
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Julie Jargon | Photographs Joseph Bui For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New, lower-price hearing aids promise to help people with mild to moderate hearing loss. But when you buy one, how well does it work out? Six months ago, over-the-counter hearing aids began showing up in retail stores and websites following a new rule by the Food and Drug Administration. They offer an attractive alternative to doctor-prescribed hearing aids, which can cost $5,000 or more and come with a deeper commitment.

What’s the best way to choose the right college? And is there one “right” college for anyone? Most published rankings are one-size-fits-all, based on formulas that don’t factor in your priorities, goals and needs. So we’ve created a tool to help find the best American colleges — for you. Use our tool’s sliders and filters to tell us what you value, and we’ll give you college rankings that fit.

☆ This startup is one step closer to cracking the code on 3D printing shoes with a $3 million investment led by former Nike executives
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company makes 3D-printed footwear. Footwear manufacturing is inherently wasteful and time consuming. Hilos' technology works like this: When a customer purchases a shoe, Hilos makes another one available in a matter of days. Hilos makes soles from a type of plastic, technically TPU, or thermoplastic polyurethane, that is made from 80% recycled material. "If you started with the premise of, 'I want to make a new footwear company,' how would you do it?

☆ 'Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania' reviews: The villain is good, but the movie is bad
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

DisneyAre the pint-sized heroes of Disney's "Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania" enough to take on the newest — and baddest — villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." "Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania" held a 53% "rotten" rating from 148 reviews, as of Wednesday afternoon. "Sometimes the weight of all this responsibility causes 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' ... to buckle at the knees," O'Sullivan wrote. Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in "Ant-Man and The Wasp in Quantumania."

By Quoctrung Bui, Sara Chodosh, Jessica Bennett and John McWhorterQuoctrung Bui and Sara Chodosh are graphics editors for Opinion. Jessica Bennett is a contributing editor for Opinion who writes on gender and culture. John McWhorter is an associate professor of linguistics at Columbia University who writes on race and language. There seems to be genuine confusion over what a well-meaning person can say without offending someone. Take our quiz and see how your language use compares, then scroll down for the full results and discussion.

☆ These 3 'megatrends' will help investors get the income they need and profit from inflation, according to investing giant Franklin Templeton
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Private real estateThanh Bui, a portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton's private real estate investment unit Clarion Partners, said that it's becoming easier for retail investors to get access to high-quality private real estate. She says the space generally does well when inflation is high, and that private real estate is an effective portfolio diversifier not strongly correlated to stocks, bonds, or public real estate companies. Bui is especially positive on muti-family real estate because there is a huge supply shortage that won't be resolved any time soon. She's also bullish on industrial real estate, where rents are surging because of high demand from e-commerce companies and onshoring. "We view the dividend profile as a way to look at quality of a company.

☆ Opinion | Frustrated With Polling? Pollsters Are, Too
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Quoctrung Bui | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

But what’s really troubling pollsters going into this election is that it’s unclear how much more error these problems will add during this cycle. Just because you put the right ingredients in a bowl, doesn’t mean you’re going to end up with a cake. I think a lot of that has been swept under the rug because the move to online polling seems so inexorable. Pollsters don’t know what people are seeing, hearing and reading. I know at FiveThirtyEight you can search by A-rated or B-rated, but I don’t know how they’re coming up with these ratings.

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