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☆ Ukraine must win back the battlefield initiative to have a chance to stop Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Victory in the Ukraine war may come down to a simple question: which side has the initiative? If Russia can retain the initiative, it can launch constant offensives with its larger forces that will drive Ukrainian defenders to the breaking point. For Ukraine, gaining the initiative has become existential: it has to keep Russia off balance, or its forces will be worn down responding to Russian offensives. Ukraine simply cannot afford to go on the defensive and expect this will stop Russia, Barros said. To seize the initiative, Ukraine needs to know that it will receive a steady and reliable stream of Western aid, rather than sporadic deliveries.

Persons: We've, George Barros, Napoleon, Barros, they're, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Ukraine, U.S, Staff, NATO, British Challenger, Ukrainian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Israel, Russian, Nazi Germany, Soviet, Ukrainian, Forbes

☆ Five moves Walmart is making to overhaul its business for the future
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Walmart, the global mega-retailer that began in Arkansas in 1962, is making huge moves in 2024. It’s making investments in technology and inventory that move it into new businesses and which will alter the Walmart experience of many customers. Stock splitThe mega-retailer announced a 3-for-1 stock split that takes effect this week. A stock split means a single share gets split into multiple shares. Under the plan Walmart announced, people who own shares by close of business on February 22 will get two additional new shares of Walmart for every share they own.

Persons: Doug McMillon, Jeffries, “, ”, McMillon, Burt Flickinger, Blake Droesch, CNN’s Parija Kavilanz, Nathaniel Meyersohn, Elisabeth Buchwald, Alicia Wallace Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, ”, Labor, Consumer, Microsoft, Strategic Resource, CNN, Costco, Telsey Group, Target, Intelligence, FactSet Locations: New York, Arkansas, Las Vegas

☆ China, in Comic Strip, Warns of 'Overseas' Threats to Its Rare Earths
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Liz LeeBEIJING (Reuters) - China's chief intelligence agency posted on social media a comic strip featuring foreign-looking characters secretly extracting rare earths, in a story portraying the country's strategic metals under threat from covetous "overseas organisations". No foreign government or agencies were named in the comic strip, and the ministry did not specify any measures to counter foreign "interest" in China's rare earths. It also banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets, in addition a ban on technology to extract and separate rare earths. The restrictions have fanned fears that the supply of rare earths might ignite tensions with the West, particularly the United States, which accuses China of using economic coercion to influence other countries. The newspaper said the United States, Japan and the European Union, among others, have for a long time "coveted China's rare earth mineral resources".

Persons: Liz Lee BEIJING, Li Baiyang, Liz Lee, Miral Fahmy Organizations: State Security, United, Mining, Times, European Union, Global Times, Nanjing University Locations: China, United States, Beijing, U.S, Japan

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 34.45 billion yuan ($4.72 billion), compared with analysts' estimates of 34.33 billion yuan, according to LSEG data. Baidu has in recent years focused increasingly on AI, creating a self-driving vehicle and investing heavily in generative AI, which is capable of creating text, images and other media. Baidu's Chief Financial Officer Rong Luo said the firm will continue to prioritise AI investments, especially in generative AI and foundation models, to power its growth. Baidu's online marketing revenue rose 5% in the third quarter to 19.7 billion yuan. During the quarter, Baidu reported adjusted net income of 7.27 billion yuan, up 23% from 5.89 billion yuan for the same period last year.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Ernie, Rong Luo, Luo, Alibaba, Yuvraj Malik, Varun H, Miral Fahmy, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Baidu, REUTERS, HK, Tuesday, International Monetary Fund, Nvidia, Reuters, Huawei, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Washington, Bengaluru, Yelin Mo

☆ Target citing crime for closing stores shows retailers are fighting an uphill battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Industry experts say even a small increase in crime can have massive, cascading effects that cause retailers to close stores. And stolen items can have an outsized impact on store profitability, considering the razor thin profit margins many large retailers typically operate at. “Increasing store crime is another variable in play right now for retailers,” said Zak Stambor, senior retail & ecommerce analyst with Insider Intelligence. Organized retail crimeAt issue is a particular type of store theft that loss prevention experts classify as “organized retail crime” or ORC. Last month, Dick’s Sporting Goods warned that retail theft was damaging its business and would lead to lower annual profits.

Persons: New York CNN —, ”, Burt Flickinger, Zak Stambor, Jane Roh, Shawn Kelly, TJ, they’re, Read Hayes, criminologist, ” Stambor, Hayes, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Strategic Resource, Insider Intelligence, eBay, Facebook, Pennsylvania Liquor Control, Police, CNN, Philadelphia, Attorney’s Office, “, GS, Cheltenham Plaza, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, Dick’s Sporting Goods, TJX Companies, TJ Maxx, Goods, Nordstrom, Foods, University of Florida, Prevention Research Council, Walmart, Target, National Retail Federation, ”, Walgreens Locations: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cheltenham, Wyncote, Montgomery County, San Francisco

☆ Opinion: Who the drone attacks on Russia are really aimed at
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Jade Mcglynn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jade McGlyn Jade McGlynIt is the latest in more than 140 suspected Ukrainian drone attacks directed against Russia and its occupying forces on Ukrainian territory this year, according to the BBC. Does that mean the drone attacks are strategically pointless? Investigators work near a damaged roof following a reported Ukrainian drone shot down in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, August 18. Unlike in Russia, Ukraine’s population is not passive or depoliticised, as shown by its heroic fight for its sovereignty. The drone attacks probably won’t turn Russians against the war.

Persons: Jade McGlynn, “, Read, McGlyn, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrogate, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Igor Girkin, Shamil Zhumatov, pacifying, Vladimir Kara Murza, ”, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Center for Strategic, International Studies, CNN, Russia, BBC, Malaysia Airlines Flight, Kremlin, of Defence, Armed Forces, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Putin’s Russia, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

☆ China’s sitting on a goldmine of genetic data – and it doesn’t want to share
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The national survey and restrictions on foreign access are part of new regulations on China’s genetic resources, which came into effect in July. The national genetic surveyBiobanking in China – meaning the collection of biological samples – is still “very fragmented,” and in an “embryonic stage,” said Zhang. But these concerns aren’t new – and the national genetic survey seems to be geared more toward scientific research than other purposes, several experts agreed. But China has another motive, too: establishing what some experts call “genomic sovereignty,” meaning full control of the genetic material within their country. While many other countries also have laws regulating the use and transfer of their population’s genetic material, few are as strict as China’s.

Persons: Guang Niu, ”, Joy Y, Zhang, you’re, Wei Liang, ICHPL, Anna Puglisi, Puglisi, States –, Katherine Wang, ” –, Wang, “, Sun, Xi Jinping, Jiankui, Anthony Wallace, ” Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Central South University, Centre for Global Science, biosciences, Shanxi Province Reproductive Science, Communist Party, Georgetown’s Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Gray, Group, CNN, Ministry of Science, Technology, National Health Service, National Institutes of Health, NIH Locations: Hong Kong, China, Changsha, Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, States, “, Wuhan, Xinijang, Xinjiang, Beijing, AFP, Harvard

☆ Why retail theft is soaring: inflation, the economy – and opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But as economic fears grow amid inflation and rising borrowing costs, shoplifting often comes with the territory, industry watchers say. Need and opportunity become forceful catalysts for driving up incidents of retail crime, experts said. He described two types of store theft plaguing retailers currently. “This is organized retail crime. “What’s happening in the overall economy matters when you analyze retail crime overall, but also what is happening more locally, in towns and neighborhoods,” said Hayes.

Persons: Nordstrom, can’t, ”, Read Hayes, criminologist, Hayes, Burt Flickinger, “, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Brian Cornell, Cornell, ” Cornell, that’s, Doug McMillon Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Foods, University of Florida, Prevention Research Council, Walmart, Target, Strategic Resource, Gallup, Columbia Business School, National Retail Federation, CNN, ” Walmart, CNBC Locations: New York, San Francisco, Target

☆ Etsy is wasting no time jumping into the wedding registry business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

While Bed Bath and Beyond and its popular wedding registry service teeter on the edge, Etsy is stepping in to fill any potential void. Etsy announced on Wednesday that the online marketplace for handcrafted items is launching its own wedding registry. In addition to selecting registry items from Etsy’s vast offerings of handmade and vintage items, the company said the Etsy Registry will also provide couples with a personalization service for nuptial-related paraphernalia, such as wedding decor and bridal party items. “So, launching Etsy Registry was a natural next step,” she said. Etsy has launched its own wedding registry called Etsy Registry.

☆ What Chile's state-led lithium policy means for the future of the electric vehicle industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The only two lithium companies currently operating in Chile are North Carolina-based Albemarle , the largest lithium producer in the world, and SQM , the No. Chile's lithium is of particular strategic importance to the U.S., which has a free trade agreement with the country but not with neighboring Argentina. The plan calls for the creation of a national lithium company to partner with all private businesses looking to enter the sector. Bags of battery-grade lithium carbonate at La Negra, Albemarle's lithium processing plant near Antofagasta, Chile. Lenny-Pessagno told CNBC in January that Albemarle supports the creation of a state-owned lithium company.

☆ Got a stash of Bed Bath & Beyond coupons? You'd better use them soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Bed Bath & Beyond said it would sell off its merchandise and then go out of business. Instead, Bed Bath & Beyond expects to offer “deep discounts” on its products as part of its going-out-of-business sales. Bed Bath & Beyond, a staple of wedding registries for years, said customers who registered with Bed Bath & Beyond will eventually have their information transferred to a competitor’s service, where guests can purchase similar items. With stores closed for months, and consumers rethinking their nonessential purchases, Bed Bath & Beyond sales and profit took a hit. Now that the company is going through a liquidation process, Bed Bath & Beyond said it’s the end of the road for the coupons.

☆ Stakes in Sudan’s War Include Russian Gold, Nile Dam, Key Shipping Lane
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Gabriele Steinhauser | Nicholas Bariyo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The fate of some of Africa’s most important strategic resources is hanging in the balance as Sudan’s top two generals vie for supremacy, from the waters of the Nile and access to crucial shipping lanes to some of the continent’s largest gold mines. These riches have long caught the eye of outside powers, including Russia, Egypt and the petrostates of the Gulf. Now, some are trying to influence the outcome of the conflict, by offering weapons and other military support to the rival factions, moves that could drag out a lethal confrontation between Sudan’s military and a state-sponsored militia in which hundreds of people have already been killed.

☆ China to consolidate, boost domestic strategic resources bases - state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, March 12 (Reuters) - China will consolidate and add to its domestic strategic resources bases this year to achieve a rapid buildup in mineral resources, natural resources minister Wang Guanghua said on Sunday, according to state media. "We will launch a new round of strategic action for mineral prospecting," Wang told reporters on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary meeting. "The focus is to strengthen domestic exploration and development around scarce and strategically important mineral resources," he said. China will also promote the "nationalization" of high-tech mineral equipment to avoid being caught in any stranglehold regarding technology and equipment, he said. The Ministry of Natural Resources will roll out follow-up measures to attract social capital into mineral exploration and development, Wang said.

☆ Adidas says dropping Kanye West could cost it more than $1 billion in sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Adidas’ breakup with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is a pricey one. The company warned Thursday that it’s expected to lose $1.3 billion (1.2 billion euro) in revenue this year because it’s unable to sell the designer’s Yeezy clothing and shoes. Adidas said selling the sneakers under its own branding would save the company about $300 million in royalty payments and marketing fees. Other options including destroying it or donating unsold Yeezy clothing. Adidas said it also expects “one-off costs” of $213 million (200 million euro) because of a “strategic review” the company is currently undergoing.

"Because the consumer is now under more pressure, and Walmart is under pressure, that sets up a dynamic where there's probably not a lot of pricing going forward." The clout Walmart holds over suppliers also means that Walmart would likely get the lowest percentage of any price hikes manufacturers implement, according to investors who track the company. In 2018, Walmart pulled Campbell Soup Co's (CPB.N) products during the key winter season over a dispute over prices and shelf space promotion. At the time, Tesco labeled Heinz's price hikes as "unjustifiable." After raising prices four times in 2022, he said, Clorox doesn't "have any additional plans" to hike prices this year.

☆ Inside THL's investing playbook for how the PE firm uses the public cloud to be aggressive in the bidding process
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The cloud has become a key piece of private-equity firm THL's investment playbook. But for THL, the cloud has become an important part of the investing giant's playbook for winning over acquisition targets. He likened the due diligence and courtship process for founders and CEOs to speed dating with a bunch of investment firms. But the cloud, with its promise of cost savings and easy innovation, is helping THL stand out in the bidding process, Benaquista said. Eventually, as part of the move to the cloud, THL was able to split up Ten-X's commercial and residential businesses with the aim of selling the former.

☆ Your 'Big Blue' Bed Bath & Beyond coupons could be useless soon – so you'd better use them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing would mean the company's famous "Big Blue" coupons would be useless. If Bed Bath & Beyond moves forward, iconic big blue coupon program would come to an end, but there's still a chance to shop for deals. "If Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy, the retailer might honor the 20% coupons for a 30-day period. The "Big Blue" coupons became recognizable for their uniquely huge sizes, but the retailer scaled back its savings program after business slowed in 2020, The New York Times reported. If you're planning one last use out of your coupons, supplies may not last at your local Bed Bath & Beyond.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond says its days are numbered. The same might be true for its big blue 20% coupons
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Bed Bath & Beyond coupon shoppers take note: If you have a stash of its big blue 20% off coupons in your drawer or in your inbox, better use them soon. “If Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy, the retailer might honor the 20% coupons for a 30-day period. Big Blue became a company iconBed Bath & Beyond introduced its oversized coupon for 20% off a single item three decades ago. Rumors swirled on various social platforms that Big Blue coupons never expire, even though the weekly coupon does feature an expiration date. With stores closed for months, and consumers rethinking their non-essential purchases, Bed Bath & Beyond sales and profit took a hit.

☆ Don’t want that item? Returning it could cost you
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

It could cost you to return it online. Shoppers have become accustomed to free shipping and free returns in recent years, but Zara, H&M, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Abercrombie & Fitch and other chains are now slapping on fees of up to $7 to return items online. That’s a strain on retailers: For every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurs $165 million in merchandise returns, according to the NRF. Charging customers for online returns is just one of the ways retailers are trying to crack down on the cost of returns and prevent clothes from piling up in warehouses. Others are mulling a “returnless refund” policy, where they hand customers their money back and let them keep or donate items they don’t want.

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A blast hit an airbase inside Russia on Tuesday, the latest in a series of apparent Ukrainian drone attacks that showcase an ability to strike at the heart of Russian territory and suggest a new boldness in Kyiv's fight against Moscow's war. An airfield at Kursk in southwest Russia, near the Ukrainian border, was ablaze on Tuesday morning, with regional governor Roman Starovoit saying the incident was the result of a drone attack. The Engels base houses Russia's strategic bombing fleet of tu-160 and tu-95 planes, which have been used on long-range bombing missions to Ukraine and can be adapted to carry nuclear weapons. "It’s important from a morale point of view that some Russian strategic resources are being targeted." Russia has the firepower to carry on bombing Ukraine, he added.

☆ Nexperia and Elmos cases show how the US-China chip war is spilling over to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Last week, the new owner of Britain’s biggest chipmaker was ordered to unwind its takeover, just days after another chip factory sale was blocked in Germany. “These decisions mark a shift towards tougher stances regarding Chinese investment in critical industries in Europe,” said Xiaomeng Lu, director of geo‑technology at Eurasia Group. A worker in a clean room for silicon semiconductor wafer manufacturing at the Newport Wafer Fab, owned by Nexperia, in Newport, Wales on Aug. 18. A company sign of Elmos Semiconductor, seen on Nov. 9 in the German city of Dortmund. Both Britain and Germany have recently added rules that expand government oversight over such decisions, making outcomes harder to predict.

Others, like Target (TGT.N) and Barnes & Noble, sealed merchandise behind plexiglass or tethered it with steel cables to store shelves. One survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) cited a 26.5% jump last year in "organized retail crime" carried out by groups of people. But it is unclear whether overall U.S. retail crime is on the rise, with little data available on the problem. Retailers rarely openly acknowledge the threat of theft or crime because they generally don't want to spook shoppers. "Along with other retailers, we've seen a significant increase in theft and organized retail crime across our business," Target CEO Brian Cornell told investors on a November 16 conference call.

☆ Gap's slowing sales of baby clothes indicate inflation is deeply hurting families
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Customers are pulling back on spending at Gap and Old Navy — particularly in one specific category that shows just how much families are feeling inflation’s pinch. But Gap and Old Navy said Thursday they’re now seeing less spending on babies’ and kids’ items. “Old Navy customers still have a propensity to buy. More than a quarter said inflation motivated those purchases, and half of parents surveyed sold a secondhand item in the kids’ and baby items category. Mercari said parents of kids 2 and under are the most active secondhand shoppers, according to its survey.

☆ Investors will reap billions if Kroger takes over Albertsons. Workers and shoppers may not be as happy.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Gretchen Morgenson | Gretchen Morgenson Is The Senior Financial Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. A Former Stockbroker | She Won The Pulitzer Prize In For Her | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Wealthy investors in Safeway’s parent, Albertsons Companies, have done better. And next week, they were slated to reap a $4 billion cash dividend in connection with a proposed $25 billion takeover of Albertsons by rival Kroger. Based on that stake and the amount of the dividend, Cerberus stands to receive roughly $1 billion of the dividend payout. Six of Albertsons’ 14 directors who voted for the dividend are affiliated with the major investors. This is the last, best and final hope for a truly unionized chain.”Nervous about the pensionThe proposed $4 billion cash dividend is large by many measures.

☆ Kanye West's unsold Yeezy merchandise: Where will it all go?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNNBusiness —Yeezy merchandise has no place to go. So where will the mounting glut of Yeezy products — sneakers, sweatshirts, sweatpants, jackets, T-shirts, bags — wind up? Morningstar analyst David Swartz said Gap will probably have to destroy or otherwise dispose of — perhaps through donations — its unsold Yeezy merchandise. Environmental impactThe options for dealing with unsold Yeezy gear pose big challenges. “Exporting it looks to be the last and final best solution to make Yeezy products disappear,” said Flickinger.

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