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☆ Opinion: Winds of fate confront Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. To Trump’s delight, the top court’s session dimmed the chances the federal case will go to trial before the election. (Trump has denied the affairs with Daniels and McDougal and has pleaded not guilty to the hush money charges. Here’s why we should tune in anyway 04:27 - Source: CNNAs SE Cupp noted, “Trump and Biden debated twice in 2020. Chris Pizzello/Invision/APCNN anchor Victor Blackwell is a fervent Beyoncé fan but her foray into country music didn’t initially grab him.

Persons: CNN —, Yabushige, Yoshii, ”, “, Toranaga, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Jack Smith, Steve Vladeck, Neil Gorsuch, ” Clay Jones, immunizing Trump, John Roberts, Roberts, ” Vladeck, Joey Jackson, David Pecker, Pecker’s “, Michael Cohen …, Norm Eisen, George T, Conway III, Jill Filipovic, Melania Trump, Melania, Daniels, McDougal, ” Bill Bramhall, Frida Ghitis, Jonathan Greenblatt, ” “, Rev, Serene Jones, Israel … ”, Julian Zelizer, …, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Daley, Richard Nixon, Fareed Zakaria, Ian Berlin, I’m, Bill Bramhall, Kara Alaimo, ” Alaimo, “ Trump, Biden, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Chip Bok, Clarissa Wei, Mike Johnson, Sen, John Fetterman of, Johnson, Scott Jennings, it’s, Mark Hannah, “ Biden, ” Biden, Hannah, Deborah Carr, Gerry Turner, Theresa, ’ —, ” Carr, ” Don’t, Terri Gerstein, Hasan Merali, Tess Taylor, Jeff Yang, Dean Obeidallah, Joey Weatherford, Beyoncé, Chris Pizzello, Victor Blackwell, didn’t, ’, Carter, she’s, CNN FlashDocs, Duke Ellington, Sammy Miller, Billy Strayhorn, Ellington, Strayhorn, Michael Ochs, “ Ellington, — Organizations: CNN, Republican, Art Deco New, “, Trump, New, American Media, National Enquirer, Agency, Columbia University , Yale, Defamation League, Hillel, Columbia, Force, Union Theological Seminary, New York City Police Department, Columbia University, Twitter, Facebook, Democratic, Convention, Chicago police, Yale, Real Housewives, Syndicate, Theresa Nist, Nashville’s, Max, Michael Ochs Archives Locations: New York, Washington, Florida, Georgia, Israel, Israeli, Columbia, Gaza, Chicago, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, America, Taipei, ”, Ukraine, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Fetterman, Crimea, Los Angeles, Sugar, Harlem

☆ Lego is cashing in big time on its adult fan base, doubling its revenue in the last decade
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Lego is cashing in on adult fans buying high-priced Lego sets. The $850 Millennium Falcon set is part of how Lego doubled its revenue in a decade. Lego knows that and is cashing in on its base of adult fans willing to dish out hundreds of dollars on elaborate sets. "Nowadays it's not so geeky," Sian Twynham, another adult Lego builder, told the Journal. AdvertisementWhether it's nostalgia or strategic marketing, toy companies are seeing big returns when they rebrand kids products for adult audiences.

Persons: —, Jonny Edmondson, We've, Julia Goldin, Lego's, Sian Twynham, Greta Gerwig's, toymaker Mattel, execs Organizations: Service, Star, Wall Street, Warner Bros, Hasbro, Associated Press

☆ Walton Goggins on His Best Movie & TV Roles: 'the Shield,' 'Django Unchained'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In his newest role, Goggins is a lot more than "That Guy." It's the kind of role Goggins excels at playing: a complex character who makes the audience question if they can — or should — root for him. "I didn't pick this lane; I think this lane picked me," Goggins told Business Insider when asked if he seeks out morally ambiguous roles. On showing up to LA with only $300 and almost getting fired from 'The Shield'(L-R) Walton Goggins and Robert Duvall in "The Apostle." And I love to see other people's work; I'm not threatened by that at all.

Persons: Walton Goggins, Guy, Robert Duvall's, Goggins, Shane Vendrell, Danny McBride, Quentin Tarantino, Django, he's, who's, Danny McBride's, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino's, Robert Duvall, I've, Duvall, Shawn Ryan, Spielberg, Tarantino's, Billy Freeman, Ryan Green, Jody Hill, David Gordon Green, David, It's, Shane, Jason Sudeikis, Jason, I'm, Steven Spielberg's, Steven, Quentin Organizations: FX, Business, Walton, HBO, Weinstein Locations: Hollywood, Beverly Hills, LA, Beverly, Georgia, Los Angeles, HBO's

☆ New Scrabble version aims to make classic word game less ‘intimidating’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Scrabble, one of the world’s best-loved word games, is to get a new “collaborative” and “accessible” version. The double-sided board will also include the Classic version of the game. Courtesy MattelNow, an updated game named Scrabble Together adds “a second side to the board that is collaborative and faster-paced to make gameplay more accessible for anyone who finds word games intimidating,” according to a statement from Mattel published Tuesday. The updated version of the game won’t be available in the United States, however, as Mattel does not hold the license there. While this is the first major change to the look of the Scrabble board, the game regularly adds new words to its official dictionary in order to keep up as the English language evolves.

Persons: ” Ray Adler, ”, who’s, Mattel, millennials, ” Brett Smitheram Organizations: London CNN, Mattel, Global, Games, British, CNN, Scrabble Locations: Europe, United States

☆ It wasn't until my 91-year-old aunt's funeral that I truly appreciated how inspiring she was
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Jane Ridley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementStill, it wasn't until I watched Lesley's funeral in December 2023 that I truly realized what a great role model she was. AdvertisementStill, as her eldest son, Nick, said at the funeral, "She never felt self-pity and made the best of things." She was the life and soul of the partyMy cousin mentioned my aunt's love of poetry at the funeral and her entertaining rendition of poems. Phil told me that she swore by facial scrubs from Sweden.

Persons: Lesley Challen, —, Lesley —, Auntie Lesley —, she'd, Geoffrey, Lesley, Nick, Phil, Phil Challen, Alfred Noyes, Byron's, Sennacherib, they'll Organizations: Service, University of Locations: England, Australia, New Zealand, America, San Francisco, Sweden

☆ I spent one night in a luxurious tropical resort and the other camping near it. My vacation was balanced, and I saved money.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Tegan Forder | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We decided on a local getaway to Fitzroy Island, which is just a 45-minute ferry ride from my friend's home in Cairns. When visiting the island, guests have two options for accommodations: staying at the Fitzroy Island Resort or the campground next to the resort. Fitzroy Island ResortWhen we got off the ferry from Cairns, we headed to the Fitzroy Island Resort, where guests could check in to either the hotel or the campground. We ended the trip on a high by checking into the Fitzroy Island ResortAfter a day of snorkeling, we finally checked in to the Fitzroy Island Resort. Fitzroy Island ResortSpending money on a fancy dinner seemed justified after our camping compromise the night before.

Persons: —, Tegan Forder Organizations: Service, Fitzroy, Business, Restaurant, Zephyr Locations: Australia, Cairns, Fitzroy

☆ I was my grandmother's caretaker before moving to the US to follow my dreams. She died 6 months later and I still feel guilty.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Emma Kershaw | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In November 2023, she died, and I can't shake the guilt I feel for moving away. AdvertisementAfter my grandfather died in February 2020, I moved into my grandmother's house in Manchester, England, to care for her. At the time, I'd just embarked on my freelance-journalism career, and I was already working from home before the pandemic lockdowns. I moved in May 2023, and despite my excitement, I felt guilty about leaving her from the second I left. AdvertisementI didn't go back to the UK again for her funeral, which took place two weeks after she died.

Persons: —, I'd, à, Jenna, Betty Suarez, Andie Anderson, Emma Kershaw, she'd, Grief, couldn't, I've, could've Organizations: Service Locations: United States, Manchester, England, New York City, New York

☆ My wife and I blended our last names. We wanted to share a last name that was uniquely ours.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( William Egan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

We blended our last namesName blending is the practice of creating a new last name out of the letters of each partner's maiden name. When it came to what to do with our last names, the traditional route didn't feel right to us, but we really wanted to share a last name. A lot of couples resolve this by hyphenating, but our names just don't sound good hyphenated together. But with our blended name, it doesn't feel like we've let our names go. The pieces of our names are still there; they've just been rearranged and combined with each other's.

Persons: we've, Egan, Michell, Gailen Magellan, Dad, hadn't, Selena, William Haigen, Millenials, Gen X, Boomers, Megan, they've Organizations: Service, Gailen Magellan Gallen

☆ I started DJing in my 70s. When my wife and I go to nightclubs people there say they want to be like us when they get older.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Melissa Noble | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My wife Christine and I started our business, Kinder Australia Pty Ltd (a supplier of mechanical conveyor parts), in 1985. AdvertisementI started DJing early in the pandemicWhen we all went into lockdown in 2020, I thought, "What's everyone going to do? When things opened up, we went to see a fair bit of live music. Then, I started to connect socially with some of the people who were doing live podcasts during the early pandemic. It went really well.

Persons: —, Neil Kinder, Christine, Neil, Christine Kinder, Nightingale Bros, Beauy, Australia — Brown Brothers —, Sam Miranda, Christine Kinder It's, I've, Goodness Organizations: Service, Business, DJ, Kinder Australia, Facebook, Spotify Locations: Melbourne, Beaumaris, Australia

The skeletons are never far away from Konstantin A. Dobrovolsky. Sometimes he sleeps above them in a tiny olive-green trailer in the woods. For 44 summers, he has traversed the hilly scrabble northwest of Murmansk, the most populous city above the Arctic Circle and the northernmost frontier in World War II, in search of the remains of Soviet soldiers who died defending it. He has continued unearthing those bones even as descendants of the soldiers — of Russian, Ukrainian and other ethnic origins — are dying on a new front line, in Ukraine. While the Kremlin has sought to draw parallels between the Great Patriotic War, as World War II is known in Russia, and the current war, it is a comparison that Mr. Dobrovolsky, who is categorically opposed to the invasion of Ukraine, wholeheartedly rejects.

Persons: Konstantin A, Dobrovolsky Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Murmansk, Ukraine, Russia

While we've been sharing the very best Prime Day deals throughout the sale, there are some great finds our editors recommend snagging right now. William Antonelli, tech reporterAmazonI'm taking this Prime Day to upgrade some of the old gadgets I've got in my house. I go through many shoes when training for marathons, and Prime Day is when I pick up a new pair or two. Last Prime Day, I purchased the Asics Men's Gel-Nimbus 24 Running Shoes. These Prime Day deals most certainly took a bite out of my wallet, but at a fraction of the price you'd normally pay for these items.

Persons: we've, they've, Lauren Savoie, Sephora, I'm, I've, William Antonelli, James Brains, Jaclyn Turner, who's, Keepa, it's, Lisa Sabatini, It's, I'd, Sarah Saril, Amazon Organizations: Amazon, Logitech, Philips, Machine, Prime

Jackie, who as a child was schooled on Boggle and Scrabble by her mother and grandmother, considers herself terrible at Spelling Bee. Isaac has had a lifelong passion for word games, and at one point played Spelling Bee every day as a break from his college work. We set a few realistic goals for ourselves to see if we could become Queen Bees:Play Spelling Bee at least five times a week for four weeks. Use the tools within the app and the hints from the “Hive mind,” the online community of die-hard Spelling Bee fans. 😉If you’re at all familiar with the New York Times Crossword, you’ll notice a lot of similarities, but the Spelling Bee is also different in a few important ways.

Persons: Jackie, Isaac, ”, E, ike Organizations: Games, Queen Bees

☆ Exclusive: H&M probes Myanmar factory abuses as pressure intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The BHRRC has been tracking allegations of workers' rights abuses in garment factories since the military junta took power in Myanmar, plunging it into political and humanitarian crisis. There have been 21 cases of alleged abuses linked to Inditex suppliers over the two-year period, and 20 linked to H&M suppliers, according to the report. The Myanmar Garment Manufacturing Association did not reply to a request for comment. It expects its final orders from Myanmar suppliers to ship before the end of this year, but has also increased its presence on the ground. H&M and Bestseller are among 18 brands that are part of the European Union-funded MADE project aimed at improving labour conditions in Myanmar's garment factories.

Persons: Inditex, Spencer, Primark, we've, Karina Ufert, Vicky Bowman, Bowman, Helen Reid, Vanessa O'Connell, Marguerita Choy, Emelia Organizations: Reuters, Zara, Human Rights Resource, Myanmar Labour News, Myanmar Garment Manufacturing Association, Ethical Trade, European Union, European Chamber of Commerce, Myanmar Centre, Responsible Business, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, British, MYANMAR Spanish, Danish

☆ Venezuela's bolivar weakens against the U.S. dollar as inflation rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The Venezuelan bolivar weakened to 30 units per dollar, the central bank said on Thursday, marking the latest descent for the beleaguered local currency as the economy suffers one of the world's highest inflation rates. Over the past seven months, the bolivar has depreciated by a third compared with the U.S. dollar, according to analysts consulted by Reuters. They have also tried to make foreign currency more readily available to local banks, but the strategies have not tamed the country's galloping inflation rate. Since early this year, the central bank has offered local banks about $1 billion, according to local firm Sintesis Financieras. Meanwhile, U.S.-based oil major Chevron (CVX.N), which operates in the country, has posted foreign currency sales of around $400 million from February to July.

Persons: Venezuelan bolivar, bolivar, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro's, Sintesis, Maduro, Mayela Armas, Carolina Pulice, David Alire Garcia, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Venezuelan, U.S, Chevron

☆ Ohanian and Williams sisters taking up golf with TGL ownership
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 8 (Reuters) - In a week that has seen a reshaping of golf's landscape a new player emerged on Thursday with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Serena and Venus Williams securing the first franchise in the TGL, the tech-forward team golf league developed by Tiger Woods. "I knew I wanted to do this team and I knew I wanted to bring Serena in so I was like, babe come on board," Ohanian told Reuters. Ohanian, Serena and her sister Venus are the first of what will be six team ownership groups that will make up TGL, an innovative, new primetime golf league that fuses technology and live action. For the Williams sisters, who emerged from the hard-scrabble streets of Compton to reign over the tennis world, TGL will represent another opportunity to give back to their community and open more doors in another sport. While he is a board member of the Tiger Woods Foundation, Ohanian said golf was not on his radar until Olympia began taking up the sport.

Persons: Reddit, Alexis Ohanian, Venus Williams, Tiger Woods, LIV, Serena, Ohanian, Venus, Woods, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Williams, Olympia, Steve Keating, Ed Osmond Organizations: PGA, of Fame, Los Angeles Golf Club, Reuters, Angel City FC, NFL's Miami Dolphins, Tiger Woods Foundation, Olympia, Thomson Locations: Serena, Saudi, Palm Beach , Florida, Compton, Los, Olympia, Toronto

This hodgepodge of influences is what makes English words so difficult to spell, said Penny Pexman, a psychology professor at the University of Calgary who studies Scrabble players. The spelling bee. Bees originated in the United States in the 19th century, but the best-known is the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which started in 1925. (Last year’s winning word was “moorhen” — a breed of water bird.) We’ve pulled 10 words from past Scripps Bee competitions or training lists.

☆ Popular board games, like Scrabble, get tweaked for elderly players
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Tweaks to the board games feature several age-inclusive components, said Ted Fisher, co-founder and CEO of Ageless Innovation, which specializes in developing toys for elderly consumers. Ageless InnovationThe new Scrabble Bingo 3-1 edition (priced at $40) has three games — the classic word game of Scrabble, Scrabble Bingo and Scrabble Pass. Foster said Hasbro reached out last year with the idea to adapt the three board games. Toy industry expert Jim Silver said age-inclusive Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and The Game of Life games make sense. I’m interested to see if Hasbro adds other board games, like Monopoly, to this effort,” he said.

☆ 'Shark Tank' star Barbara Corcoran refuses to fly first class — here are 5 items she packs to feel luxurious in economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Corcoran Group founder told Bloomberg that she almost never flies first class. "Shark Tank" star Barbara Corcoran said she prefers not to waste money — or miles — upgrading to first class when she travels by plane, and she has some tips to make economy feel like royalty. Her travels typically accumulate hundreds of thousands of miles, and she told Bloomberg she believes they're better spent on family. Instead, she makes an effort to make economy class feel more luxurious by packing some extra amenities of her own to take on the plane. I bring my own delicious food: a couple of cheeses, usually hard salami, and really nice artisan crackers that aren't soggy," Corcoran told Bloomberg.

REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/Summary WHO's executive board meets from Jan. 30-Feb. 7WHO seeking $6.86 bln for 2024-2025 budgetBody seen pushing for bigger role in global health crisesGENEVA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization will push at its board meeting this week for an expanded role in tackling the next global health emergency after COVID-19, but is still seeking answers on how to fund it, according to health policy experts. Also on his list was "the position of the World Health Organization, recognizing there is a need for a reinforced central role for WHO" in the global health emergency system. "It's a huge knot," said Nicoletta Dentico, the co-chair of the civil society platform the Geneval Global Health Hub. PANDEMIC PREPARATIONThe WHO, which celebrates its 75-year anniversary having been set up in 1948, will also use the meeting to advocate for a boosted role in pandemic preparedness, documents showed. Tedros will call for a Global Health Emergency Council to be set up linked to WHO governance.

☆ I used to work as a chef in Philadelphia. Here are the 12 restaurants I always recommend to first-time visitors.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Grace Kennedy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

I'm a Philadelphia native who used to work as a chef and baker in restaurants around the city. Philadelphia is known for its cheesesteaks, but it also has great Mexican, Italian, and Thai food. There are too many restaurants in Philadelphia worth trying to list them all here. However, these 12 restaurants are my tried-and-true favorites that every first-time visitor should try during a trip to Philadelphia. In my opinion, it serves some of the best Thai food in the country.

☆ Hasbro CEO says inflation won't ruin Christmas but Wall Street is worried
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN Business —The holidays are rapidly approaching, and for the toy company Hasbro, a slowing economy could be a proverbial Grinch that steals Christmas. Before joining Hasbro, Cocks was an executive at Microsoft (MSFT) from 1999 through 2006 and 2008 through 2016. Cocks said Hasbro is investing “significantly” in digital toys, particularly digital versions of classic Hasbro board games like “Monopoly” and “Scrabble” as well as D&D and the company’s “Magic: The Gathering” game. It’s definitely been a boon for the game,” Cocks said. “If there’s a couple of truisms in life, there’s death, there’s taxes, and there’s parents wanting to have a great holiday for their kids.”

☆ Covid, flu, RSV: Here are the best masks and masking methods for protection against the 'tripledemic'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As we get deeper into fall season, experts are warning of a potential 'tripledemic' – the circulation of Covid-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), all at the same time. "The KN95 and N95 [masks] have a particulate filtration efficiency of 95% or above," Taubner explains. "Cloth masks [without filters], which don't have a minimum threshold, probably test in the neighborhood of 20% or 30%." But it's important to keep in mind that, depending on where you purchase your KN95 and N95 masks, you could be receiving less protection than you think, he says. When purchasing masks, he suggests: Buying from a reputable companySeeking out companies that are transparent about their supply chain, including listing their manufacturerReferring to the CDC's guidance for masksMasking methods for the most protection

The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. But there's a new batch of so-called "Scrabble" variants circulating globally. But experts still expect the shots to ramp up your immunity against all Covid variants, to some degree. The Scrabble variants are descendants of omicronThe new variants are descendants of omicron, which is a promising initial sign for the boosters. That can "restore a level of immunity and patch up the holes that some of these new Scrabble variants have found," she explains.

Fueled by a post-lockdown buying frenzy, the average UK house price hit a record £275,000 ($315,474) in December, a £27,000 increase on the previous year’s high. UK mortgage rates have been ticking upwards since spring, in line with rising interest rates. UK house prices fell 0.9% between September and October, the first decline in 15 months, according to data from Nationwide. A drop in buying power makes a significant drop in house prices inevitable, according to Andrew Wishart, a senior economist at Capital Economics. When house prices fall, homeowners feel less confident about their personal finances, causing them to cut back on spending and hold off on making additional investments.

☆ ‘Scrabble variants’ now cause the majority of new Covid-19 infections in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Omicron BA.5 subvariant is no longer the dominant cause of Covid-19 infections in the United States, according to estimates released Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The gaggle of new variants have been gaining ground against BA.5, which has dominated Covid-19 infections in the United States since July. Together, they now account for more than 1 in 4 new Covid-19 infections nationwide, according to CDC data. BQ.1.1 is now causing about 1 in 5 new Covid-19 infections in the Northeast, where cases and hospitalizations are rising. But that strain is causing just 3% of new Covid-19 infections in the Pacific Northwest.

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