DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ In a high-stakes test, Boeing will launch NASA astronauts to space for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After years of delays, Boeing is finally set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on its Starliner spacecraft. ET, atop an Atlas V rocket at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams will pilot the Starliner on its inaugural crewed flight — a crucial final test before NASA can authorize Boeing to conduct routine flights to and from the space station for the agency. If successful, the flight will enable Boeing to challenge the dominance held by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has been ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the orbiting outpost since 2020. At a preflight briefing last week, Wilmore said safety is paramount and that previous Starliner launch attempts — both uncrewed and crewed — were delayed because the capsule simply was not ready until now.

Persons: Astronauts Barry, Butch, Wilmore, Sunita Williams, Elon Musk's Organizations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, United, Alliance, Boeing's, NASA's Boeing, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Boeing, International, Atlas, Canaveral Space Force, Astronauts, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX Locations: Florida

☆ Panama elections: Mulino declared ‘unofficial’ winner of presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Juan Carlos Paz | Mia Alberti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —José Raúl Mulino, a rightwing former public security minister, was declared the “unofficial” winner of Panama’s presidential election on Sunday, the country’s electoral court confirmed. “I receive with joy these results, which are the will of the majority of the Panamanian people in our democracy, which I assume with great responsibility and humility as a Panamanian,” Mulino said during his victory speech. He originally ran as the vice-presidential candidate of former President Ricardo Martinelli. After a court sentenced Martinelli to 11 years in prison for money laundering, Mulino moved to the top of the ticket. “To Ricardo Martinelli: my friend, mission accomplished Ricardo.

Persons: Mulino, Ricardo Lombana, ” Mulino, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, “, Ricardo, ”, Matias Delacroix, Fitch, Panama that’s, El Nino Organizations: CNN, Central Locations: Central American, Panamanian, Nicaraguan, Panama’s, Panama City, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia

☆ While Boeing's passenger planes glitch, NASA is entrusting the company's spaceship with 2 astronauts' lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Boeing is about to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time. Still, the FAA, NASA, and other aerospace experts have questioned Boeing's overall safety culture. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams conduct suited operations in the Boeing Starliner simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center. This Crew Flight Test mission is over a decade in the making. He added that those calculations are for a full 210-day mission, while Whilmore's and Williams's test flight lasts just one week.

Persons: —, NASA's Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Robert Markowitz They're, jetliner, AeroSystems, Bill Nelson, Kim Shiflett, George Nield, Bjorn Fehrm, Fehrm, KPIs, Doug Loverro, Baz Ratner, Bill Ingalls, Steve Stich, Nield, We've, Wilmore, Starliner, Whitmore, Williams Organizations: Boeing, NASA, International Space Station, FAA, Service, Defense, Boeing's, International Space, Space Center, ISS, Max, NTSB, AP, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Justice, Atlas, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Space Transportation, New York Times, Leeham, Business, Ethiopian, Ethiopian Airlines, Aerospace, Committee, White, Bill Ingalls NASA, US, Spaceflight Locations: Portland, Florida, It's, New Mexico

☆ Global trade and immigration on the line in Panama’s presidential vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Achieving Goals presidential candidate José Raúl Mulino speaks with reporters after meeting with members of the Electoral Observation Mission, in Panama City, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The case of former President Ricardo Martinelli, who was disqualified from running by the courts because of a past corruption conviction, stands out. Once the favorite to win this year’s presidential race, Martinelli was disqualified from running by Panama’s electoral court in March because of the conviction and sentence. There are seven other presidential candidates, including current Vice-President José Gabriel Carrizo, former President Martín Torrijos, and Rómulo Roux, another former minister under Martinelli. Martinelli has thrown his support behind Mulino, even releasing campaign videos from inside the Nicaraguan embassy.

Persons: Daniel Zovatto, El Nino, Fitch, ”, José Raúl, José Raúl Mulino, Matias Delacroix, Mulino, Panama that’s, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, José Gabriel Carrizo, Martín Torrijos, Rómulo Roux, “ Organizations: CNN, Central, Latin America, Wilson, Americas Society, Panamanian, Gallup, Nicaraguan Locations: Panama, Central American, Panama City, United States, Venezuela, Panamanian, Colombia, Mulino, Americas, Nicaragua’s, Nicaraguan

☆ Tesla is pulling out all the stops to get Elon Musk his $47 billion pay package
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla's board urged shareholders in a video to vote for CEO Elon Musk's $47 billion pay package. AdvertisementTesla's board made yet another push to get CEO Elon Musk his $47 billion pay package — this time on-camera. But Musk's billions in extra pay were thrown out after a Tesla shareholder filed a lawsuit arguing the payout was excessive. The shareholder vote to bring back the pay for Musk, Denholm said, will be "incredibly important for the future of the company." Related storiesShe noted that the carmaker grew revenues from $11.8 billion to $96.8 billion and turned a $2.2 billion loss into a $15 billion profit under Musk's leadership.

Persons: Elon Musk's, —, Elon Musk, Robyn Denholm, it's, Denholm, Tesla, “, ”, AmfRYo28ah — Sawyer Merritt, Musk, Forbes Organizations: carmaker, Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, Business Locations: Delaware

☆ The spring homebuying season isn’t what it used to be, thanks to the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

All that has caused the spring homebuying season to take a timeout — and could spell trouble for the remainder of the year. Since 1999, more than a third of home sales for the entire year occur between March and June on average, according to Freddie Mac data. Given the Fed is in no rush to cut interest rates, Khater expects mortgage rates to remain elevated for longer. Taken together, all these factors will likely put upward pressure on home prices, Khater and his team said in the report. “Our outlook does depend on mortgage rates, which are creating their own seasonality,” she added.

Persons: That’s, ” Zillow, Nicole Bachaud, “ Buyers, Bachaud, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac, Khater, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, CNN, “, Fed Locations: New York, Texas, Florida

☆ Burger King invests another $300 million to remodel restaurants
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Burger King logo is displayed at a Burger King fast food restaurant on January 17, 2024 in Burbank, California. Burger King will invest another $300 million to remodel about 1,100 of its U.S. restaurants as part of a broader turnaround effort, the chain's parent company said Tuesday. About 100 Burger King locations have been remodeled and updated so far. Still, Burger King has had to chip in its own money to incentivize franchisees to remodel. Burger King will let operators choose how much of a discount they get on the royalties they pay to the company.

Persons: Burger, Tom Curtis, Curtis, Burger King Organizations: Burger King, U.S ., Carrols, Brands, Burger King U.S, CNBC, Restaurant Brands Locations: Burbank , California, Burger, U.S

☆ Miami is 'ground zero' for climate risk. People are moving to the area and building there anyway
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +20 min

South Pointe Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. Climate risk is "always on our thoughts," said Habibian, 39, who moved to Miami-Dade County about six years ago. Despite that risk, 66% of Miami-Dade County residents said they'd never leave, according to a study published in the journal Climate Risk Management. "We try to be smart about it, try to be proactive as best we can," Arditi said of climate risk. Juxtaposed at left was one of the last remaining patches of mangroves in the urban Miami area, a living memorial to a once-thriving population.

Persons: Greg Iacurci, Daniel Habibian, Harold Wanless, Sonia Brubaker, Saul Martinez, Andrew Rumbach, Rumbach, Joe Raedle, Irma, Al Diaz, they'd, Steven Bustamante, Bustamante, Jeff Greenberg, There's, David Arditi, Arditi, Aria's, Jeff Bezos, Goldman Sachs, Douglas Sacks, Ken Griffin, Brubaker, Biscayne Bay . Miami Worldcenter, Chandan Khanna, Dion Williams, Williams, Dion, Todd Crowl, Crowl, We're, Erik Salna, Chris Baraloto, Rita Teutonico, Amy Knowles, Knowles, it's, City of Miami Beach Greg Iacurci Miami Organizations: Greg Iacurci MIAMI, University of Miami, City, CNBC, Cumming Group, Florida Department of Transportation, Bentley, Bloomberg, Getty, Urban Institute, Organisation for Economic Co, Miami, Volunteers, Florida Keys, Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Dade, Risk, Yale University's School of, Finance, SEC, Miami Beach, Universal, Group, Aria Development, National Association of Realtors ., Miami Realtors, Amazon, Citadel, Resorts, Bloomberg News, Dade County's, Getty Images, Residences, Pointe Park, Fifth, Afp, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Management, Sunshine, Insurance, Institute, Florida International University Institute of Environment, Hurricanes, University of Pennsylvania, International Hurricane Research, of, Florida International University, City of Miami Beach Locations: Pointe Beach, Miami Beach , Florida, Miami, South Beach, Dade, City of Miami, Dade County, New York, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm, South Florida, Florida, Tampa, St . Petersburg, Miami , Florida, Southeast Florida, Miami Beach, City, Aria's Miami, U.S, California , New York, New Jersey, America, Caribbean, New York City, Biscayne Bay . Miami, Pointe, It's, Surfside, . Florida, Biscayne Bay, Miami's, Bermuda, Kampong, Coconut Grove, Brittany Bay, South Pointe, City of, Brittany Bay Park

☆ Billionaire's million-dollar Nantucket beach house has officially been swept away
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Madeline Berg | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementA representative for Sternlicht told Business Insider the house was to be demolished but did not provide further comment. The tony island of Nantucket is a favorite among billionaires like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Blackstone leader Steve Schwarzman. "Erosion takes out houses, roads, infrastructure, sewer beds, even airport runways," he told Business Insider. Despite the island's propensity for natural destruction, the town has strict rules regarding what structures owners can take down.

Persons: Barry, Sternlicht, Forbes, Shelly Lockwood, tony, Eric Schmidt, Steve Schwarzman, James Pallota, Pallota, Lockwood, Brendan Maddigan, Steven Cohen, Cohen Organizations: Service, Billionaire, Business, Sternlicht, Nantucket Current, Blackstone, Celtics, Boston Globe Locations: Nantucket

☆ Biden, Seeking to Build on Fruitful Week, Will Announce Billions in Chip Grants
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Madeleine Ngo | Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Micron will use the grants to help construct two leading-edge chip manufacturing plants in New York and another facility in Idaho, Biden administration officials said before the president’s trip to Syracuse, N.Y., for the announcement. The federal government will also provide up to $7.5 billion in loans to Micron. The legislation gave the Commerce Department $39 billion to distribute as grants to incentivize chipmakers to construct and expand manufacturing plants across the United States. On Wednesday, he secured the endorsement of the North America’s Building Trades Unions, largely because of his bipartisan infrastructure package. He also is fresh off signing a $95.3 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of congressional gridlock, reaffirming a central focus of his foreign policy agenda.

Persons: Biden, incentivize, Chuck Schumer Organizations: Micron Technology, Micron, Commerce Department, Unions Locations: New York, Idaho, Syracuse, N.Y, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

☆ Photos shine a light on Taiwan’s ‘betel nut beauties’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Emma Russell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

To meet her sales targets, the betel nut “must be delicious.” she told CNN in an email. A betel nut stall in Taipei. “I loved driving there because there were the betel nut girls,” she recalled in a phone interview. One of Han's subjects, Ju Ju, is pictured at a booth in the city of Taoyuan. But Ju Ju has since grown to value the stability of the job.

Persons: Mong Shuan, Mong, Constanze Han, “, ”, we’d, Han, Han “, ’ ”, Susan Meiselas, Xiao Hong, Ju, Ju Ju, —, Constanze Organizations: CNN, Mong, ”, island’s Ministry of Health, Welfare Locations: Taiwan, Asia, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and New York, America, New England, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Constanze

☆ In 'Tortured Poets' Lyrics, Taylor Swift Finally Criticized Her Own Fans
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Taylor Swift is not known to bite the hand that feeds her. Taylor Swift built her brand as a friendly and relatable pop starA young fan exchanges friendship bracelets with Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour" in Sao Paulo, Brazil. But nearly two decades into her career, the business of Being Taylor Swift has become a billion-dollar industry whose parasocial peanut gallery has grown in size to match. With 'The Tortured Poets Department,' Swift is telling fans they don't actually know herTaylor Swift greeting fans at the 2019 VMAs. John Shearer/Getty Images"The Tortured Poets Department" allows a peek into the inner turmoil of Being Taylor Swift, with all the attention, venom, and possessiveness she attracts.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Swift, Taylor, Little, that's, fame's downsides, Kanye, John Shearer, Matty Healy, Joe Alwyn, Healy, who'd, Swifties, Healy didn't, she's, Swift — Organizations: Recording Academy, Poets Department, Marvel, Department, Spice Locations: Sao Paulo, Brazil

☆ Labor Department issues rule to crack down on bad retirement savings advice
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe Biden administration issued a final rule on Tuesday that cracks down on the investment advice that advisors, brokers, insurance agents and others give to retirement savers. The final rule takes effect on Sept. 23. Current retirement rules don't provide adequate protections to savers, Labor Department officials said during a press call Tuesday. Such a dynamic can "chip away" at Americans' savings, Gomez said. The amount of 401(k)-to-IRA rollovers is 'astronomical'The final rule doesn't differ significantly from the Biden administration's initial proposal, Labor officials said.

Persons: Al Drago, Biden, Obama, Lisa Gomez, That's, Gomez, Andrew Oringer, Oringer Organizations: U.S . Department of Labor, Bloomberg, Getty, Labor, Security, The Labor Department, Economic Advisers, Biden, Finance, Economic, Wagner, Department of Labor Locations: Washington, IRAs

☆ A key service helping convicted US veterans recover remains dysfunctional for everyone else, but there's a fix
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Veteran treatment courts, which prioritize rehabilitation for convicted veterans, provide comprehensive care, but the public version of these courts fail to deliver comparable support. Landing in a treatment courtAs of 2022, there were over 4,153 adult drug courts and 511 veteran treatment courts in the United States. There are numerous ways a person who has been convicted can enter a drug treatment court. Many adult drug treatment courts are unable to admit violent offenders due to the BJA prohibition. He describes his veteran treatment court experience as going through an "intense supervised probation" that gradually lessened.

Persons: —, Christopher Deutsch, Deutsch, there's, Christina Lanier, John Pendygraft, Pool Lanier, they're, Lanier, Ed Kubo, Michael Peacock, Kristen Wong Deutsch, Hondo Underwood, Underwood, BI's Ju Shardlow, Jack Milton Organizations: Service, Business, Court, Center, Criminal, AP, UNC Wilmington, Army, Treatment, Supreme Court, Marine Corps, Justice, Harbor, Veterans Affairs, Portland Press, Getty Locations: Clearwater , Florida, Raleigh, North Carolina's, Wilmington, United States, Hawaii, Colorado

☆ These House Republicans want to boot Mike Johnson from the speakership
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a "motion to vacate" against Speaker Mike Johnson in March. She argues that Johnson has betrayed the GOP, in part by allowing more Ukraine aid to pass. Since then, more Republicans have signed onto her effort, but Democrats could protect Johnson. AdvertisementRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn't think Mike Johnson deserves his job anymore. The Georgia congresswoman is getting back-up on the so-called "motion to vacate" she filed against the GOP speaker of the House in March: two more Republicans signed on this week.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, Johnson, —, Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn't, Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, McCarthy, Greene, Bill Clark, Johnson Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie, Massie, Paul Gosar Organizations: GOP, Service, Rep, Louisiana Republican, Inc, Getty, Republicans, Kentucky, Arizona, America Locations: Ukraine, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana

☆ Mike Johnson and progressives are strange bedfellows on Israel and Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

House Speaker Mike Johnson is splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into separate votes. AdvertisementHouse Speaker Mike Johnson's unconventional plan to hold separate votes on Israel and Ukraine aid is designed primarily to appease House Republicans who don't want to vote for more aid to Ukraine. But it's also garnering applause from an unusual place: progressive Democrats who don't want to vote for more Israel aid. "I think it is a great plan," said Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who supports Ukraine aid but won't vote for unconditional Israel aid. Related storiesThat's led some progressives to refuse to get on board with the Senate-passed bill, even if they support Ukraine aid.

Persons: Mike Johnson, —, Mike Johnson's, it's, Ilhan Omar, Minnesota, Omar, Biden, Israel, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Ro Khanna, Johnson, Khanna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Abigail Spanberger Organizations: Service, Israel, GOP, Democratic Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Democratic, Senate, Republican, California, House Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Alexandria, Taiwan, Virginia

☆ House Republicans have a wacky new plan to finally pass Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementFor months, the House has been sitting on a bill that would provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and humanitarian funding for Gaza. But many, if not most, House Republicans are opposed to further Ukraine aid, and House Speaker Mike Johnson now has to deal with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's threat to call a vote on his ouster if he allows more Ukraine aid to pass. AdvertisementMany Republicans oppose Ukraine aid, while Democrats are increasingly skeptical of Israel aidJohnson's plan is aimed at addressing two separate pockets of opposition to the foreign aid package. After October 7, the Biden administration and Senate leaders insisted on tying Israel and Ukraine aid together, with the idea being that including Israel aid would incentivize Republicans to swallow more Ukraine aid. Johnson's plan is designed to allow progressive Democrats to vote against Israel aid, while hard-right Republicans can vote against the Ukraine aid — all while allowing the whole package to move forward.

Persons: Johnson, —, Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor, Israel •, they're, I'm, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Biden, they've, Israel, Nancy Pelosi, George W, Greene, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Boehner, — Thomas Massie, Massie, Republicans —, Kevin McCarthy's, Abigail Spanberger Organizations: Service, Republicans, Senate, • Fund, Democratic, Georgia, @RepMTG Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, Gaza, Connecticut, Iraq, Russia, Virginia

☆ Raimondo: Commerce Dept. will spend all of the CHIPS Act grant money this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Megan Cassella | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TAYLOR, Texas — The Commerce Department is on track to dole out all of the $39 billion in grant money allocated under the CHIPS Act by year-end, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told CNBC on Monday. The Commerce Department is providing the money to semiconductor companies to incentivize them to build out manufacturing production capabilities in the U.S. "I expect all of the money in the CHIPS Act will be allocated by the end of this year." The award announcements so far have focused primarily on leading-edge chips, the most advanced type of semiconductors. Now that the biggest grants have been doled out, future award packages will focus on memory chips and investments in suppliers, wafers, and chemicals, Raimondo said.

Persons: TAYLOR, Gina Raimondo, Biden, We'll, Raimondo, Taylor Organizations: The Commerce, CNBC, Commerce Department, U.S, Samsung, Texas —, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Locations: Texas, Arizona , New Mexico , Ohio, Oregon, Arizona, South Korea

☆ How much can you make in the military? US officers can earn a $220K salary plus some pretty generous benefits
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But the full compensation package of active military personnel goes beyond annual salary. Officers can earn a $220k salaryAll active duty military personnel adhere to the same pay scale and ranking system for base pay, regardless of which branch they serve in. An enlisted service member with an E-1 ranking receives $2,017.20 per month in basic pay, according to the DoD 2024 basic pay table. Service members outside the US may also receive an additional overseas housing allowance to incentivize military members to serve internationally. With Tricare, military members have no premium charges for coverage, and no out-of-pocket costs for medical care or prescriptions.

Persons: —, Paychecks, you've, you'll Organizations: Service, Military, Department of Defense, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, National Guard, Air Force, Business, O1, Space Force, Housing, Subsistence, Department of Defense's Finance, Accounting Service, US Department of Veteran Affairs, Savings Locations: San Diego, Bahrain, Tricare

☆ Trump Media payday: What Truth Social executives got paid in stock and compensation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Those thresholds for the share price are well below where Trump Media stock was trading on Monday, when it closed at $37.17, down more than 8%. The filing disclosed that Trump Media awarded company stock to Nunes, chief financial officer Phillip Juhan, and chief operating officer Andrew Northwall. The three top executives, like Trump himself, are currently barred from selling any of their common stock in Trump Media for the next six months. CNBC asked a spokeswoman for Trump Media why promissory notes were used to grant stock to the executives. Legal battlesBesides Trump, the biggest shareholders in Trump Media are two corporate entities.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Donald Trump, Devin Nunes, Trump, Kevin Murphy, Murphy, Nunes, Phillip Juhan, Andrew Northwall, Juhan, Northwall, DWAC, we've, Tom Williams, Kash Patel, Patel, Dan Scavino, Scavino, Department of Defense Kash Patel, Justin Sullivan, Sandro De Moraes, Vladimir Novachki, Scott Glabe, Novachki, Glabe, De Moraes, Eric Swider, beneficially, Renatus, Swider, Andy Litinsky, Wes Moss, Moss, Patrick Orlando, Mike Pont Organizations: Trump Media, Trump . Trump Media, Nasdaq, Corp, Trump, University of Southern, Securities and Exchange Commission, DWAC, SEC, CNBC, Partners, Northwall, Juhan, Trump Media's, U.S, Capitol, CQ, Inc, Getty, Equity, Messrs, Republican, Hudson Digital, Trump White House, Staff, Department of Defense, Digital, Renatus, ARC Global, United Atlantic Ventures, Twitter, Facebook, NBC, FilmMagic Locations: Juhan, California, Minden, Minden , Nevada, Orlando, New York City

☆ Who gets to buy a Birkin bag?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Joan Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

(CNN) — It’s so hard to get your hands on an Hermès Birkin bag that it should be illegal. Hermès’ ultra-exclusive positioning has meant Birkin sales have continued to overperform in the market even as most other luxury brands see demand slowing from post-pandemic highs. A scarcity-driven distribution model has helped drive desire for Birkins, as well as more broadly fuel Hermès’ business. Saroyan Humphrey/WWD/Getty ImagesThe lawsuit alleges shoppers are required to buy ancillary products (items like scarves, pillows or shoes) before being allowed to purchase a Birkin handbag. Presumably, the plaintiffs could buy a Birkin from The RealReal even if they can’t from Hermès directly.

Persons: —, Birkin, Hermès, Kelly, aren’t, Alex Tai, ”, snagging, Erwan, Haffner, Saroyan Humphrey, WWD, ’ ”, Susan Scafidi, “ It’s, Sebastien Bozon Organizations: The, Fashion, CNN, HSBC, Law, Microsoft, Fashion Law, Fordham University, Getty Locations: Northern California, waitlists, Paris, China, California, Hermès, Allenjoie, France, AFP

☆ Here's what the Credit Card Competition Act could do to your airline miles and travel rewards
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Major airlines' bottom line depends on credit card companiesThe Credit Card Competition Act , which was introduced to Congress in June 2023 would require major banks to use at least one credit card payment network that isn't Mastercard or Visa — companies that control more than 80% of US credit card transactions — to introduce more competition into the credit card market. AdvertisementSen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, is the lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act. AdvertisementCredit card rewards incentivize travelersBusinesses typically make up for these credit card swipe fees by raising prices for customers. Bohorquez, however, said increased credit card competition is unlikely to lower prices in practice. "I hope that people continue to earn and enjoy their credit card points and take a lot of free trips."

Persons: —, Jess Bohorquez, Bohorquez, she's, Banks, Sen, Dick Durbin, Durbin, I'm Organizations: Service, Sydney Opera House, Business, Federal, Mastercard, Visa, Airlines, United, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, BI, Airlines for America, American Airlines, America, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs, House Locations: Illinois, Delta

☆ It took an Austin developer 4 years to build 4 small homes that he made no money on as the city struggles to bridge the gap between tiny apartments and pricy houses
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementFor decades, the city's restrictive zoning and land-use policies have made missing-middle housing almost impossible to build. But there aren't many options, particularly for homeownership, between mostly high-end apartments and prohibitively expensive single-family homes. But he's concerned the law won't do enough to shorten the permitting process for missing-middle housing construction. The HOME Act will encourage the construction of smaller single-family homes and promote density, making housing — particularly homeownership — more affordable. Turner just wants the city to "level the playing field" for developers who are willing to build missing-middle housing.

Persons: —, Scott Turner, Turner, Austin's, Austin, Eliza Relman, that's, he's, Brennan Griffin, Joe Sohm, Brandon Bell, Greg Anderson, Anderson, there's, It's, Nicole Nabulsi Nosek, I've, townhomes Organizations: Service, Business, Riverside Homes, Austin, Austin Business, Texas, HOME, Austin Habitat, Humanity, Texans, Reasonable, Democrats Locations: Austin, Austin , Texas, Texas, Manor, Georgetown, City Hall

☆ Instagram is 'testing' new cash bonuses that pay creators to post engaging photos, reels, and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Instagram is offering cash bonuses to creators who post content to the Meta-owned app with new programs. While the company had previously doled out cash to creators who posted engaging videos, this time it's also compensating users for posting photos. Instagram is "testing" a "Spring Bonus," a seasonal program that pays creators for engagement on reels, photo carousels, and single-image photo posts, a Meta spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. The current Spring Bonus had previous iterations as a "holiday bonus" and "New Year's bonus," and is now only available in the US, Japan, and South Korea. Mike Potter, who runs the Instagram account @grippingfoodwithforce, told BI he was notified about the Spring Bonus on March 29.

Persons: Jackson Weimer, Weimer, Mike Potter, @grippingfoodwithforce, Potter, Adam Mosseri, Mosseri, Instagram, TikTok Organizations: Business, BI, Facebook, Twitter, Street Journal Locations: US, Japan, South Korea, Instagram's

☆ I was charged $150 for missing a doctor's appointment. Turns out these fees are on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Eric Audras | Onoky | Getty ImagesIf you miss a doctor's appointment these days, you could get hit with a "no-show" fee of up to $100 — or more. But, she said, "to solve this problem is not to charge patients more fees, which many can't afford." For my appointment, I did get a call the day before from the doctor's office. Fees shouldn't hurt credit, still may be worth disputingWhen you make a doctor's appointment, ask about the office's policy around late cancellations and missed appointments, Donovan said. "Ultimately, these fees are discretionary and I would be reluctant to work with any office that inflexibly charged them," Donovan said.

Persons: Eric Audras, Caitlin Donovan, Janna, didn't, I'd, Adam Rust, Rust, Isabel Pavia, Donovan, you'll, inflexibly Organizations: Onoky, Patient Advocate Foundation, Consumer Federation of America Locations: Camden , New Jersey

Search resuls for: "incentivize"

25 mentions found