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☆ Premarket stocks: Congress has bad news for Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Dealmaking is the lifeblood of Wall Street. But analysts say that funding cuts in the plan could end up harming mergers and acquisitions on Wall Street, squashing hopes of a recovery in dealmaking. The bad news: Recent regulations and proposed budget cuts threaten to step on those green shoots before they’re able to flower. Why it matters: Dealmaking isn’t just good for Wall Street. Shares of the stock are down nearly 30% so far this year after its seemingly nonstop streak of bad luck.

Persons: New York CNN — Dealmaking, Joe Biden, squashing, It’s, Goldman Sachs, ”, Lucille Jones, Jones, Mitch Berlin, Biden, ’, ” Berlin, That’s, Hewlett Packard, “, TikTok —, Brian Fung, TikTok, Shou Chew, Nadya Okamoto, Okamoto, Teddy Siegel, Siegel, David Goldman, LATAM, it’s, Max Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Wall, LSEG, Federal Reserve, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Congressional, Office, CNN, Discover Financial Services, Hewlett, Juniper Networks, Target, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, The National Transportation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, NTSB Locations: New York, dealmaking, EY, Berlin, “, LSEG, Australia, New Zealand, Newark

☆ TikTok creators fear US ban as the House prepares to vote on crackdown bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

As House lawmakers prepare to vote on the bill Wednesday, TikTok is encouraging users to call their representatives with a full-screen notification about the legislation. Okamoto’s TikTok account features videos on women’s health, sex education and the occasional glimpse into her personal life. Her sisters are TikTok creators in their own right, one of whom is using her income from TikTok to pay her own way through college, Okamoto said. It’s so tired,” said Grey Prnce, who together with her spouse, Grayson France, co-manages the TikTok account @officiallyverygay. Thus was born @Got2GoNYC, a TikTok account that aims to map all the publicly accessible toilets in the city.

Persons: Washington CNN — TikTok, TikTok, Shou Chew, Nadya Okamoto, Okamoto, She’s, “, ” Okamoto, it’s Chew, ”, Grey Prnce, Grayson France, Teddy Siegel, Siegel, ducking, @Got2GoNYC, ” Siegel, it’s, Prnce Organizations: Washington CNN, Target, CNN, Chinese Community Party Locations: China, Beijing, United States, New York City, Utah, Salt Lake City

☆ Menstrual product makers form coalition to reimburse ‘tampon tax’ to shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Texas became the latest state to repeal tax on period products by passing a bill that went into effect September 1, 2023. So the idea of a tampon tax is kind of a misnomer,” said Loughead. The sales tax on period products is only one part of a multi-faceted challenge for consumers who need them, advocacy groups said. “The end goal Is that we take down the tampon tax. When I started this work, the tampon tax was in 40 states and now it’s in 21.

Persons: Cora, Lola, Rael, Flo, Saalt, ”, Nadya Okamoto, Okamoto, “, ” Okamoto, Katherine Loughead, ” Loughead, Troy Moore, Moore, It’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Coalition, Paypal, CVS, Target, Tax Foundation, Washington DC, National, Bank Locations: New York, Texas, Target, Washington, United States

☆ Period care brands August, Rael and others form coalition to fight the 'tampon tax,' reimburse consumers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Cait Freda | In Caitfreda | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Starting Wednesday, consumers paying state sales tax on menstrual products will be able to get those costs on some period care purchases reimbursed. The Tampon Tax Back Coalition — an initiative of period care brands August, Cora, LOLA, The Honey Pot, Rael, Here We Flo, Saalt and DIVA — will reimburse consumers for the tax paid on eligible items sold by the eight participating brands. The coalition aims to stop the "tampon tax," a term used to describe the state sales tax imposed on products such as tampons, pads and menstrual cups in more than a dozen U.S. states. Many states exempt essential products such as food and medications from being subject to sales tax but leave out period care products, because their current state tax codes consider them nonessential goods. The Tampon Tax Back Coalition was born out of an initiative by August that launched in May.

Persons: Cora, LOLA, Rael, Flo, Saalt, —, Nadya Okamoto, We've, there's, Okamoto Organizations: Coalition, Alliance, Supplies Locations: U.S

☆ Condom-shy India arouses interest of global contraceptive makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Kashish Tandon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Such is the trend that the market is set to more than double to $1.7 billion by 2030, showed data from GrandView Research. By contrast, 19% of U.S. men use condoms every time they have sex, showed data from the National Center for Health Statistics. World Bank data showed that, in 2021, per capita gross domestic product crossed $2,000 - a threshold at which, in China in 2006, consumption jumped. Britain's Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT.L) has launched new products under its Durex brand and expanded its "Birds and the Bees" rural marketing campaign. SOCIAL MEDIAIndia's market leader is domestic manufacturer Mankind Pharma (MNKI.NS) with a 33% share, ahead of Reckitt Benckiser at 14%, TechSci data showed.

Persons: Kazuhiro Kamio, Okamoto, Arvind Singhal, Miah Kiat Goh, Dwight, Mankind, Ashita Aggarwal, Kashish Tandon, Sumit Khanna, Rocky Swift, Dhanya Skariachan, Christopher Cushing Organizations: GrandView Research, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Okamoto Industries, National Center for Health Statistics, Technopak Advisors, Reuters, United Nations, Benckiser, ., Mankind Pharma, Social, Jain Institute of Management & Research, HDFC Securities Institutional, View Research, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Europe, Japan, China, U.S, S.P, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Rocky, Tokyo

☆ How an Advocate for Menstrual Equity Spends Her Sundays
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Devorah Lev-Tov | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As a teenager in Portland, Ore., Nadya Okamoto remembers speaking with homeless women near her local bus stop about a little-discussed subject. “I asked them, ‘What’s a challenge that you are dealing with?’ And it was not having access to period products,” she said. At age 16 she founded PERIOD, a nonprofit organization working to end “period poverty” and stigma through policy advocacy and by directly distributing menstrual products. Ms. Okamoto became a highly visible leader, posting candid video diaries on TikTok, where she now has over 4 million followers. She replaced herself as executive director of PERIOD in early 2020, and a wave of criticism on social media pushed her to breaking point.

Persons: Nadya Okamoto, “, ‘, Okamoto Organizations: Harvard Locations: Portland ,, Cambridge

☆ Head of Japan's top pop agency resigns after admitting founder Johnny Kitagawa sexually abused minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The head of Japan’s top pop agency Johnny & Associates stepped down Thursday after admitting that her uncle, the company’s late founder, had sexually abused minors for years, following months of international scrutiny and an independent investigation. Julie K Fujishima, the niece of Johnny Kitagawa, announced her resignation in a news conference Thursday, saying the company would compensate the victims of her uncle’s abuse, according to public broadcaster NHK. It was the first time the agency has addressed the media about the scandal, according to NHK. He alleged that over the course of four years, beginning in 2012 when he was 15, he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Kitagawa. In 1999, a Japanese magazine published accounts of other young men and boys who claimed they were sexually abused by Kitagawa.

Persons: Julie K Fujishima, Johnny Kitagawa, Kitagawa, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Higashiyama, “, Jae, Mary Kitagawa, Fujishima, Kauan Okamoto Organizations: CNN, Johnny, NHK, BBC, Johnny & Associates, Associates Locations: Tokyo

[1/3] Supermarket owner Takashi Nakajima, 67, prepares sashimi, or raw fish, to sell at his store, near the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, August 9, 2023. It's been a long battle to get radiation-wary customers back to the seafood from waters near the Fukushima nuclear power plant that was wrecked in the 2011 tsunami, Nakajima says. Now, with the imminent release of treated radioactive water from the plant into the Pacific, he fears a return to square one. "This can't be happening," the 67-year-old said in the backyard kitchen of his supermarket in Soma city, just 45 km (28 miles) north of the stricken power plant. The problem is, this water release will go on for at least 30 years."

Persons: Takashi Nakajima, Akiko Okamoto, It's, Nakajima, Yasutaka Shishido, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Tokyo Electric Power, Thomson Locations: Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China

An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following a strong earthquake, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on March 17, 2022. Members of a group that tracks such levels in food and seawater, they fear Japan's plans to release treated radioactive water into the sea near the Fukushima nuclear plant could stir an anxiety among residents reminiscent of the 2011 disaster. "The people of Fukushima endured the risks for the last 12 years and have confirmed the radiation level has dropped," said Ai Kimura, director of non-profit group Mothers' Radiation Lab Fukushima, also known as Tarachine. Japan is preparing this summer to start discharging into the Pacific more than a million tons of water from the tsunami-crippled power plant, but has not yet revealed the date. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Akiko Okamoto and Tom Bateman; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ai Kimura, Kimura, what's, Kimura's, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Akiko Okamoto, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Kyodo, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Tokyo Electric Power, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, IWAKI, Fukushima, Iwaki, Pacific, China, Tarachine

☆ I'm the Gen Z founder of a period-care company using my business to push back on the 'tampon tax'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

August started a campaign to reimburse customers for some taxes on period products. She's also fighting the so-called tampon tax, which refers to the sales tax added to tampons, pads, and menstrual-care products when they're classified as luxury, nonessential items. That's why we've always covered the tampon tax when customers bought their products directly from August. But when we launched in Target in March, we suddenly had no ability to get rid of the tampon tax at the point of purchase, because the sale wasn't going through us. We hustled behind the scenes to find a way we could take a material stance against the tampon tax.

Persons: Nadya Okamoto, Okamoto, She's, Scott Bleicher, I've, it's Organizations: Service Locations: Texas, Geneva, Target

Yahata is a 'hibakusha', a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on the city of Hiroshima by the United States. While talks by hibakusha have become a regular feature of the city's memorial sites, Yahata stands out for her presentations in English. Resolving to learn English, she began taking classes at the YMCA as she headed into her 80s, and by 2021, was giving her presentations exclusively in English. Yahata's English ability is mostly limited to reading the script, but the impact of her spoken words on the audience is undeniable, moving some to tears. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is hosting the G7 summit in Hiroshima, his home constituency, starting on Friday.

Hong Kong CNN —The head of Japan’s biggest music agency has apologized over allegations of years-long sexual abuse committed by its founder, the late entertainment mogul Johnny Kitagawa. “We sincerely apologize for the great deal of trouble caused by our founder Johnny Kitagawa’s alleged sexual abuse of individuals,” said Julie Fujishima, the company’s president and CEO. “On the other hand, Johnny Kitagawa, who is the party concerned, cannot speak on the accusations.”Fujishima also warned of the risk of “slander, due to speculation,” suggesting skepticism over some claims. They spoke about alleged sexual assault committed by Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019. A Tokyo High Court partially overturned the earlier decision in 2003, ruling the published sexual abuse claims were not libelous.

Japanese-Brazilian singer-songwriter Kauan Okamoto alleged during a press conference that over the course of four years, beginning in 2012 when he was 15, he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Kitagawa, who died age 87 in 2019. In 1999, Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun published accounts of other young men and boys who claimed they were sexually abused by Kitagawa. They ‘knew it was my turn’Singer-songwriter Okamoto joined Kitagawa’s agency in February 2012 while he was in junior high school. Okamoto said Kitagawa would often invite these young recruits to spend the night in his apartment, and pick “favorites” among the boys. “He began massaging my feet,” Okamoto said, and alleged that Kitagawa touched his genitals and performed oral sex on him.

☆ Ex-BOJ chief Kuroda tapped for job at university in Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 12 (Reuters) - Former Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has received a job offer from a prestigious university in Tokyo, days after retiring from the helm of the central bank, a university official told Reuters on Wednesday. Kuroda will become a senior academic fellow at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), a job aimed at making use of his rich experience for teaching students, many of whom are from Asia, the official said. "We have commissioned the post of senior fellow to Kuroda as of yesterday. His job is based on basic research, but he will also give lectures from autumn, as per his intention," Takahiro Okamoto, a GRIPS official told Reuters, adding that details have not yet been decided. Kuroda served as BOJ governor from March 2013 to April 8, after having been the Asian Development Bank president and Japanese vice finance minister for international affairs.

[1/5] People hold up special edition newspapers, reporting Japan's victory at the World Baseball Classic final, as others queue to try to get them, in Tokyo, Japan, March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Kato IsseiTOKYO, March 22 (Reuters) - With cherry blossoms reaching full bloom in Tokyo, Japanese sports fans erupted in jubilation on Wednesday after their countrymen defeated Team USA to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC). "Nihon yusho," or "Japan victory," was the No. Japan pitchers set a WBC record for strikeouts throughout the series, according to Fox Sports. With sublime serendipity, Japan's victory comes as Tokyo cherry blossoms reached their zenith, bathing the city's parks and streets in pink and white.

☆ Factbox: Who are candidates to become next BOJ governor?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Nikkei newspaper reported the government has sounded out BOJ Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya as the next governor, citing anonymous government and ruling party sources. The government will present a nominee for BOJ governor, and that for two deputy governors, to parliament later this month. But he also said in July the BOJ must "always" think about the means of exiting ultra-loose monetary policy. FEMALE DEPUTY GOVERNOR CANDIDATESNo female has yet served as BOJ deputy governor or governor, a tradition Kishida may seek to change to enhance diversity. FINANCIAL BUREAUCRAT DEPUTY GOVERNOR CANDIDATESIf a former BOJ executive becomes governor, there is a strong chance one of the deputy governor posts will be filled by top finance ministry bureaucrats such as Shigeaki Okamoto and Yasushi Kinoshita.

☆ China's BYD dreams big in auto powerhouse Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Jan 31 (Reuters) - China's BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) unveiled its first dealership in Japan on Tuesday, taking on one of the biggest challenges in its explosive global rise as it seeks to win over customers deeply loyal to their own auto industry. BYD, an acronym which stands for Build Your Dreams, has ambitious plans to open more than 100 dealerships in Japan by the end of 2025. "If customers trust us and give BYD a try, we'll have a good chance (at succeeding)," BYD Auto Japan Inc President Atsuki Tofukuji told Reuters at a media event to mark the opening of its maiden outlet in Yokohama, Japan's second largest city. About 30 people have contacted the Yokohama dealership to enquire about the new cars, according to Kazuhisa Okamoto, who runs the store. ($1 = 130.39 yen)Reporting by Daniel Leussink; editing by John Geddie and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

For startup founders and venture capitalists, the office holiday party is a December tradition. For many venture capitalists and the startup founders they invest in, December is synonymous with two things: end-of-year paperwork and office holiday parties. But this year, holiday parties in startup-land look a little different. "Align those goals with your holiday party, and you can do something powerful and cost-effective," she said. "You should maybe cut some travel, maybe you don't have a big holiday party, but that's all drop in the bucket compared to head count," he said.

☆ FMI vede semne ale unei redresări globale mai solide, dar riscurile semnificative rămân
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-21 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +2 min

Sursa foto: azernews.azFMI vede semne ale unei redresări globale mai solide, dar riscurile semnificative rămânGeoffrey Okamoto, prim adjunct al directorului general al Fondului Monetar Internaţional (FMI), a apreciat că se întrevăd semnele unei redresări economice globale mai solide, dar a avertizat că rămân riscuri semnificative, inclusiv extinderea pandemiei de coronavirus (COVID-19), transmit Reuters și Agerpres. În aprilie, FMI va actualiza previziunile din ianuarie, care indicau un avans al economiei mondiale de 5,5% în acest an, pentru a reflecta măsurile suplimentare de sprijin adoptate în SUA, a declarat Okamoto, fără a oferi detalii. Deja China s-a redresat la nivelul de creştere de dinaintea pandemiei, înaintea tuturor marilor economii, deşi consumul privat este încă în urma investiţiilor. În afara Chinei, însă, există semne îngrijorătoare ale adâncirii decalajului între economiile avansate şi cele emergente, a afirmat Okamoto. Acesta a adăugat că perspectivele rămân "excepţional" de nesigure, este neclar cât va dura pandemia, iar accesul la vaccinuri rămâne extrem de inegal, atât în economiile avansate, cât şi cele emergente.

Persons: Geoffrey Okamoto, Okamoto, creştere Organizations: Monetar, FMI, Reuters Locations: SUA, Chinei, China

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