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☆ Spotify employees question lavish spending on events while the company lays off thousands
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Some employees criticize lavish spending on events, while Spotify is trying to cut costs. Some employees think Spotify is spending too much on parties and events, especially when the company is laying off thousands of people and looking to cut more costs. However, these employees said event spending has gone too far, given the company's broader efforts at frugality. One former employee described it as the company "spending tons of money flying people to Sweden to drink the Kool-Aid." Noam Galai/Getty ImagesSome of this lavish event spending is focused on solving a problem that's loomed over Spotify for years.

Persons: —, Sam Smith, Charli XCX, Gunna, Daniel Ek, Ek, Daniel Ek Dave Benett, Diplo, Spotifest, Melanie Stetson Freeman, it's, Alicia Keys, Noam Galai, Gustav Söderström Organizations: Spotify, Service, Ikea, Business, Brooklyn, Spotifest, Christian Science, Getty, company's, Apple, YouTube Locations: Drumsheds, Houston, Stockholm, New York, Sweden, New York City, York

☆ Eyeing China, Senior US Lawmaker Vows to Back Funding for Pacific Islands
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

The Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau agreed to new 20-year funding programs with the United States last year under which Washington provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swaths of the Pacific that China covets. McCaul said he has advocated for a $900 million package for COFA, but was open to other numbers. The U.S. Senate this week passed a $95 billion foreign aid supplemental spending bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that did not include the COFA funding. McCaul said he would work to ensure the money was included in whatever is voted on in the House, likely in mid-March. We're not just going to rubber-stamp the Senate supplemental," he said.

Persons: Michael McCaul, McCaul, Patricia Zengerle, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, U.S . House, Representatives Foreign, U.S, Christian Science Monitor, Federated, United, Washington, Free Association, Senate Locations: Pacific, China, Federated States, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

That's the assessment of a new report released on Thursday by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). There is growing concern about a contradiction in the U.S. economy: jobs are plentiful and economic growth is strong, especially compared with other advanced economies, but surveys show many Americans are sour about the outlook. A key part of the report is a new tool developed to measure the well-being of Americans, which combines 11 different measures. Researchers around the world have long sought to find better ways to gauge the well-being of people that look beyond measures such as economic growth or unemployment. Reuters GraphicsOne unique part of the measure is an attempt to quantify the "political voice" of Americans.

Persons: Gaelen Morse, Matthew Slaughter, Nicholas Lemann, there's, Lemann, Jacob Hacker, Timothy Aeppel, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business, Federal Reserve, U.S . Census, Columbia Journalism School, Reuters, Yale University, Thomson Locations: Columbus , Ohio, U.S, America

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 23 (Reuters) - Jason Andringa’s company was part of the stampede of U.S. businesses that built factories in China. But the mood of Vermeer and many other global producers has turned sour on China. Rather than expand in China, these companies are directing new investments to other low-cost countries such as Vietnam and India. Ryan Gunnigle, CEO of Atlanta-based toy maker Kids2, said he is continuing to invest in his China factories, adding both automation and new capacity. The CEO of Danby Appliances, a Canadian company that sells over half of its products in the U.S., got 85% of its goods from Chinese factories five years ago.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Jason Andringa’s, Vermeer, Biden, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Gina Raimondo, Matt Dollard, Ryan Gunnigle, Kids2, Jim Estill, He’s, Danby, Timothy Aeppel, Anna Driver Organizations: Port, REUTERS, U.S ., U.S, Nvidia, Wall Street, U.S . Bureau, China Business Council, Reuters, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Trump, RSM US, Appliances, Thomson Locations: Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S, China . Iowa, China, Mexico, Asia, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Atlanta, Canadian, Turkey, Canada

Like many other Black Protestant churches, Calvary Baptist struggled economically during the coronavirus pandemic. But the church has transformed its parking lot to accommodate game-day fundraisers, with volunteers from the congregation staffing the lots and selling spaces for $15 per vehicle. All 250 parking spaces at the Calvary lot were full when Messi’s Inter Miami played the Union. Sometimes, rival fans park at the church. The church parking lot is often full on game days.

Persons: Martin Luther King Jr, Keith Dickens, Calvary, ”, Dickens, Lionel Messi, Jeffrey Scholes, “, Scholes, ” Scholes, King, ” Abe Gitterman, Lisa Lewis, Leslie Cranford, RVs —, Jones, Cranford, Kevin Ness, Jill Connerym, Connery, Taylor, Kevin Ulmet Organizations: Eagles, NFL, Calvary Baptist Church, Major League Soccer, Philadelphia Union, Subaru, Union, Calvary Baptist, Green Bay Packers, MLS, Messi’s Inter Miami, Sports, Chester’s Crozer Theological Seminary . Chester, John’s United Methodist Church, Texas Tech, Red Raiders, T, ”, Christian Science Church, Red Sox, Christian, Christian Science, Bethany Church, Packers, Nashville, Church, Nazarene, Nissan, Tennessee Titans, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: CHESTER, Pa, Philadelphia, Delaware, Calvary, Lubbock , Texas, St, Boston, Fenway, Green Bay , Wisconsin, Nashville, Haiti, Kenya, “

Meanwhile, parents and experts say schools neglect students with math disabilities like dyscalculia, which affects up to 7% of the population and often coexists with dyslexia. Learning struggles for some may be due to dyscalculia or other math learning disabilities, yet few teachers report their students have been screened for dyscalculia. Experts say learning the most effective methods for teaching students with math disabilities could strengthen math instruction for all students. Part of the problem is that teachers don’t receive the training needed to work with children with math disabilities. “It’s pretty rare for undergraduate degrees or even master’s degrees to focus on math learning disabilities with any level of breadth, depth, quality or rigor,” said Amelia Malone, director of research and innovation at the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

Persons: Laura Jackson, ” Jackson, Jackson, ’ ” Jackson, “ There’s, Karen Wilson, it’s, ”, Sandra Elliott, Young, dyscalculia, that’s, Lynn Fuchs, don’t, “, Amelia Malone, Heather Brand, —, Malone, screeners, “ It’s Organizations: Associated Press, Christian Science Monitor, Dallas Morning News, Idaho Education, Courier, The Seattle Times, ___ Nationwide, ”, dyscalculia, Teachers, Vanderbilt University ., National Center for Learning, National Center for Learning Disabilities, New, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: Idaho, South Carolina, ”, U.S, Seattle, Virginia, New York City, Carnegie Corporation of New York

The surge comes as educators are scrambling to bolster students’ math skills, which plummeted during the pandemic and haven’t fully recovered. Advocates say personal finance courses could pay dividends if students learn how to make wiser money decisions and avoid financial hazards. “The more math you add to financial literacy, frankly, the better it is,” says Annamaria Lusardi, founder and academic director of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center. ... Having said that, financial literacy is more than math.”Idaho is one of the states where a new financial literacy curriculum is hitting classrooms. In 2020, the NAACP issued a resolution calling for more financial literacy programs in K-12 schools.

Persons: Bryan Martinez jots, ” Martinez, Tonica Tatum, Gormes, ” Tatum, “, ”, Annamaria Lusardi, weren’t, Debbie Critchfield, aren’t, Laina Cox, Tatum, Martinez, who’s, ___ Sadie Dittenber Organizations: WASHINGTON, Capital, Associated Press, Christian Science Monitor, Dallas Morning News, Idaho Education, Courier, The Seattle Times, D.C, Council for Economic Education, Global Financial, “, Advocates, NAACP, Finance, Capital City Public Charter School, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: Capital City, Idaho, South Carolina, The Washington, Idaho’s, Carnegie Corporation of New York

☆ One rural Alabama school district figured out how to improve students' math scores: longer classes, group learning, and data diving
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Trisha Powell Crain | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Teachers got more time to dig into student test score data and lengthened classes to focus on specific skills. By spring 2022, the district ranked 12th in the state on math proficiency, with 57% of students reaching proficiency. There is less research on the use of targeted small group instruction in math and in middle grades. Math teacher Cheyenne Crider helps a seventh-grade student with a math problem at Piedmont Middle School in Piedmont, Alabama, on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. She oversees training for middle school math teachers through the Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative.

Persons: Mike Hayes, Rebecca Dreyfus, TNTP, Dreyfus, Trisha Powell Crain, Hayes, " Hayes, Cassie Holbrooks, Lisa Hayes, Cheyenne Crider, Keri Richburg, Richburg, Holbrooks, Landon Pruitt, Pruitt Organizations: Teachers, Service, Piedmont City, Nationwide, AP Piedmont, Piedmont Middle, AP, Alabama Math Science, Technology Initiative, Research, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, Christian Science Monitor, Dallas Morning News, Idaho Education, Courier, The Seattle Times Locations: Alabama's, Wall, Silicon, Ala, Alabama, Piedmont , Alabama, Holbrooks, Piedmont, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Idaho, South Carolina

REUTERS/Bianca Flowers Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - Jeffrey Aznavorian has already cut output about 6% at his small auto parts factory outside Detroit due to the United Auto Workers strike. If the strike expands, it would only be a matter of weeks before some smaller suppliers faltered, said Marick Masters, a professor of business at Wayne State University. He estimates 30% of smaller suppliers carry too much debt to survive a long strike. Other measures also point to a supply base that was strained even before the strike. RapidRatings calculates "core health scores" for privately owned auto parts companies - based on a 100-point scale - which looks at their returns, cost structures, and capital structure.

Persons: Bianca Flowers, Jeffrey Aznavorian, Pittsburgh steelmaker, Laurie Harbour, Marick, James Gellert, Gellert, Timothy Aeppel, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Ford UAW, Detroit, REUTERS, United Auto Workers, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, GM, Anderson Economic, Auto, CIE, Spain’s CIE Automotive, . Steel, Pittsburgh, Reuters, Harbour, Inc, Wayne State University, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Detroit, Michigan, Midwest, Illinois, Southfield , Michigan, Plymouth , Michigan

REUTERS/Jordan Vonderhaar Acquire Licensing RightsAug 31 (Reuters) - Even a robot invasion can't beat a slowing economy. Robot sales boomed through the pandemic, as producers scrambled to use the machines to churn out badly needed goods. Burnstein added that A3 expects the softness in robot orders to continue until the fourth quarter or early next year. In the past, they were concentrated in auto factories and their suppliers, which still make up a large share of all robot orders. Since construction projects vary in size and complexity, he said, there are spells when the robot isn't needed at all.

Persons: Jordan Vonderhaar, Nancy Kleitsch, Kleitsch, Jeff Burnstein, Burnstein, Aaron Anderson, Anderson, Timothy Aeppel, Dan Burns, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, Association for Advancing Automation, Commerce Department, Reuters, Labor Department, Thomson Locations: San Antonio , Texas, U.S, North America, Phoenix, Concord , California

In the past, he would have swiftly chopped 10% of the workers that run his bag-making machines, or about 15 people. Faced with the tightest job market in decades, many have become less trigger-happy with layoffs, even in the face of a cooling economy. But, so far, the economy has continued to grow, albeit more slowly, and the job market has powered onward. Reuters Graphics'HOLD ONTO YOUR LABOR FORCE'At least one major company has adopted a formal strategy of hoarding workers. "I don't think it's the case that many businesses are holding onto workers who are idle," she said.

Persons: Kevin Kelly, Nathan Frandino, Kelly, Alan H, Shaw, they're, Dana Peterson, Peterson, Arnold Kamler, Julia Pollak, Thomas Simons, We're, Timothy Aeppel, Dan Burns, Paul Simao Organizations: Emerald Packaging, REUTERS, Packaging, Employers, Federal Reserve, Labor, Reuters Graphics, Norfolk, Reuters, U.S, Survey, Labor Department, Conference Board, Business Council, Kent International, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: California, Union City , California, U.S, San Francisco, Norfolk Southern, downturns, Atlanta, New York, South Carolina, rehire, Los Angeles

July 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. economy may ultimately skirt a recession, but it's felt like one for months at Jon Ferrando's 103 RV dealerships. "Our industry has always been a little challenged on forecasting around demand," said Jason Lippert, CEO of LCI Industries, a large supplier of parts to the RV industry that is also based in Elkhart. "If I was just looking at RV data, I would be screaming recession," said Michael Hicks, an economics professor at Ball State University in Indiana who tracks the industry, adding that pullbacks in RV shipments have signaled every U.S. recession since 1981. "We expect in the second half of this year shipments (of RVs) will start to increase again," Geraci said. Gregg Fore, an RV industry consultant who previously ran an RV parts supplier, said half the new inventory at some dealers he works with are 2022 models.

Persons: it's, Jon Ferrando's, Ferrando, Michael Happe, Eden, Jason Lippert, Michael Hicks, RVIA, Monika Geraci, Geraci, Gregg Fore, Tyler Hermon, Timothy Aeppel, Dan Burns, Paul Simao Organizations: Winnebago Industries, Federal Reserve, RV Industry Association, Thor Industries, LCI Industries, Ball State University, Dealers, Thomson Locations: U.S, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, RVs, United States, Elkhart , Indiana, Eden Prairie , Minnesota, Elkhart, Indiana, North America, RVing

But as local economic development officials worked with Ford and other prospective investors, it became clear they needed a much bigger footprint. The rest has been earmarked by economic development officials for suppliers and other developments. In Marshall, residents petitioned to hold a referendum on the project, gathering over 800 signatures in a city of 6,800. She believes factory workers will move to Marshall to work for Ford. He notes that the factory he works at, in nearby Battle Creek, has struggled to find skilled workers.

Persons: Fred, Joan Chapman, Ben Klayman MARSHALL, Fred Chapman, ”, That’s, Chapman, Joe Biden, Gabby Bruno, Glenn Kowalske, “, Ford's Bruno, Ford, Bruno, CATL's, James Durian, Durian, Sue Damron, Marshall, he’s, Timothy Aeppel, Ben Klayman, Dan Burns, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Ford Motor Co, Ford Motor, Census, Ford, Amperex Technology Co, Amazon, Marshall, Economic Development Alliance, Thomson Locations: Marshall Township , Michigan, U.S, Mich, Marshall, Kalamazoo, New York City, China, Calhoun County, Battle, Mexico, New York, Marshall , Michigan

☆ How Daniel Ellsberg, who died at 92, went from being a disillusioned member of the government-military elite to a hero of anti-war movements
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower behind the Pentagon Papers, died at 92, his family said Friday. David Halberstam, the late author and Vietnam War correspondent who had known Ellsberg since both were posted overseas, would describe him as no ordinary convert. "Without Nixon's obsession with me, he would have stayed in office," Ellsberg told The Associated Press in 1999. Ellsberg's story was depicted in the 2009 documentary "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers." He and Marx wedded in 1970, the year before the Pentagon Papers were made public.

Persons: Daniel Ellsberg, Ellsberg, —, — Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Nixon, Julia Pacetti, Dan, Robert S, McNamara, Lyndon Johnson's, John F, Kennedy, David Halberstam, Johnson, Neil Sheehan, Henry Kissinger, Hannah Arendt, Nixon, Nixon fumed, H.R, Haldeman, Matthew Byrne, Gordon Liddy, Howard Hunt, Byrne, Daniel, Harry Truman, nodded, Ellsberg's, Rand, Anthony J, Russo, Robert, Kissinger, Sen, William J, Fulbright, George McGovern of, Marcus Raskin, Ralph Stavins, Sheehan, Raskin, Stavins, didn't, spry, George W, Bush, Obama, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Snowden, Patricia Marx, Marx Organizations: Pentagon, Service, Supreme, Defense, Harvard, Democratic, Republican, The New York Times, Washington Post, The Associated Press, National Security, United, U.S, White, Democratic Party's, Washington , D.C, Associated Press, Coast, Rand Corp, Christian Science, Soviet Union overseas, Harvard University, Marines, Ivy League, Defense Department, State Department, Rand, Xerox, Arkansas, Foreign Relations Committee, Institute for Policy, Times, ., Army, New York Times, Massachusetts Institute, Technology's Center for International Studies Locations: Boston, Los Angeles, Vietnam, Indochina, U.S, France's, America, United States, Beverly Hills , California, Washington ,, Saigon, Santa Monica, Chicago, Detroit, Pearl, London, Germany, Japan, Santa Monica , California, George McGovern of South Dakota, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia

Global supply chains grew overwhelmed as they struggled to deliver. But Prange said most of his supply chain had stabilized - meaning he was able to get most of what he needed - by the end of 2021. "One of the headwinds is inflation," said Kevin Austin, the supply chain chief for Toyota Motor North America. Meanwhile, the global supply chain snarls of the pandemic have diminished. The New York Fed's Global Supply Chain Pressure Index ticked down to a reading of -1.32 in April, compared to a revised -1.15 in March.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden attends the groundbreaking of the new Intel semiconductor manufacturing facility in New Albany, Ohio, U.S., September 9, 2022. But all that new construction has a real estate problem. That would be a problem for the Biden administration, which has pushed through legislation to fuel the developments. A White House official said it was a "high-class problem" to have, adding: "Folks are finding places to build. The governors of South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina have each proposed to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on readying industrial sites in the coming years.

☆ TikTok hits 150 mln U.S. monthly users, up from 100 million in 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - TikTok said on Monday the short-video sharing app now has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from 100 million it said it had in 2020. On Friday, six more U.S. senators backed bipartisan legislation to give President Joe Biden new powers to ban TikTok on national security grounds. Last week, TikTok said the Biden administration demanded that its Chinese owners divest their stake in the app or it could face a U.S. ban. "This notional idea that the data can be made safe under (Chinese Communist Party) law, just doesn't, doesn't pass the smell test." Some TikTok content creators will come to Washington this week to make the case why the app should not be banned.

While the Biden administration push, described by economists as an industrial policy, has opened opportunities for some companies, significant hurdles remain. The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion in federal subsidies for semiconductor production and research. Industrial policy still has critics. Scott Lincicome, director of general economics at the libertarian Cato Institute, said industrial policy tends to crumble into failed projects and cost overruns. "There's all sorts of more market-oriented reforms that could achieve the type of objectives our political class wants, without the unintended consequences of industrial policy," he said.

Several Latinos whose lives and work left a profound imprint on American institutions — from arts and entertainment to legal and civil rights — passed away in 2022. Cavazos began his education in a two-room schoolhouse on the King Ranch in Texas, where his father was a foreman. President Reagan named Cavazos Secretary of Education in 1988, making him the first Hispanic ever to serve in the U.S. Together, “Luis” and Maria” showed young audiences that Latinos were people who worked, fell in love and were part of their community. Her goals were to give Latinos a presence in the dance world, and to instill pride in Hispanic culture.

Forum, founded in 1948 to ensure that Mexican American World War II veterans could access their government benefits. “Latinos have a long and honorable tradition of military service,” he said, “only somehow it is not as well-known as that of other groups. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are nearly 1.3 million Latino veterans, or about 8 percent of the veteran population. Issues for Latino veterans, Vazquez-Contes noted, range from accessing medical care through the Veterans Administration system to homelessness to suicide. “The promotion rates for the top enlisted ranks, and the top officer ranks, are just basically void of Hispanic names.”Ricardo Aponte of the Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance.

Reyes said Hollywood films often reflected the politics of their time — and that had an influence on Latino roles. Studies by the Government Accountability Office, the University of Southern California and other groups consistently show that Latinos are underrepresented in the film industry. Just this year, UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report documented “enormous gains” by women and people of color, but Latino representation still lagged. Slowly but surely, we are shaking up the narrative in Hollywood.”Calderón is frustrated by the continuing practice of “brownface,” whereby Latino roles go to white actors. Sanchez cited Eugenio Derbez in “Coda” (2021) as an example of a well-written Latino film character.

There is “no better time to be a young woman of color” than right now, Pierre-Bravo emphasized, “because the tide is shifting. In 2019, Pierre-Bravo teamed up with her mentor Mika Brzezinski to co-author “Earn It!” a book aimed at helping young women navigate their careers. During the pandemic, Pierre-Bravo created Acceso, an online platform dedicated to opportunity and mentorship for young women. According to Maria Chávez, professor of political science at Pacific Lutheran University, it is not uncommon for professional Latinas to feel stress both in the workplace and at home. With “The Other,” Pierre-Bravo hopes that young women can benefit from her journey and learn how to move ahead.

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