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☆ The Politics Behind Trump and Biden’s Dueling Border Stops
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Shane Goldmacher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For Mr. Trump, the border is a familiar backdrop and represents almost the background music of his candidacy, as he warns of a nation slipping out of reach and an “invasion” he promises to stop. For Mr. Biden, immigration represents a top vulnerability as border crossings reached record highs in late 2023 and images of mass migration and its fallout have become fixtures on the news. In the fall of 2020, Mr. Trump was more trusted on immigration by a sizable 16 percentage points, according to NBC News polling at the time. That margin has more than doubled to 35 percentage points as of this January — the largest advantage either Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump had on any of the nine issues tested. The package would have made asylum claims more difficult, expanded detention capacity, increased fentanyl screening and paid for more border officers.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, —, Trump’s Organizations: Trump, Republicans, Mr, NBC, Republican Locations: Texas

☆ Instagram appears to be developing an AI chatbot with 30 different personalities to choose from
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Instagram appears to be testing out an AI chatbot, according to a mobile developer. The chatbot could answer questions, give advice, and help users write messages. Earlier this year, Snapchat released its own AI chatbot to generally negative reviews. Users will be able to choose between 30 different personalities for the AI agents, Paluzzi says. The company is developing a way for advertisers to create and test ads using AI.

Persons: Instagram, Snapchat, Alessandro Paluzzi, Paluzzi, Zuckerberg Organizations: Meta

☆ It’s Netflix’s world, rivals just stream in it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Cheaper streaming options with unique programming were luring viewers, leaving Netflix in a tough spot as it raised prices. Paramount+, started in 2021, is joining forces with sister Showtime to widen its offerings. Disney, Paramount and WBD also operate cable and broadcast networks, and don’t specify what portion of the expense is allocated to streaming. Its subscribers, worth $136 a year in revenue apiece, are also more valuable than those of its rivals. Warner Bros Discovery on May 23 rebranded its streaming service as Max, which will include HBO programming along with Discovery’s reality TV shows.

Loop Capital sees "a much brighter revenue picture" ahead for Meta . The firm upgraded Meta shares to buy from hold in a Monday note. It said that, while expense rationalization was likely more of a "one-time driver," it is bullish on the overall revenue outlook for the tech company. Sanderson set his price target to $320, which implies shares rallying 36.7% from Friday's close. He noted that Meta's Reels is now growing faster in the short-form video category than rival TikTok.

☆ How Meta is fighting off Apple's best shot and saving its ad business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Lauren Johnson | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Meta's AI tools has helped save its ad business, after Apple rolled out its ATT privacy feature. These AI tools have helped Meta regain the trust of some advertisers after ad performance declined. Knowing it would lose the user signals that made its ads business so lucrative, Meta heavily invested in artificial intelligence. "Meta's advantage in AI is its advantage in training data," said Adam Heimlich, CEO of Chalice Custom Algorithms. "Every advertiser who places a Meta tag on their site or app is contributing to Meta's advantage by contributing data.

☆ Medicare expenses in retirement could top $383,000 for a couple with high drug costs, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"You don't want to be shocked when you get to retirement and find this out, or discover that Medicare doesn't cover everything," Fronstin said. Representing an extreme case, a couple with high prescription drug expenses would need to have saved $383,000 to have a 90% chance of having enough to cover their health-care costs. Advantage Plan coverageThe second coverage scenario analyzed in the study involves a Medicare Advantage Plan, which delivers Parts A and B, and typically Part D, as well extras like dental and vision. Of Medicare's 64.5 million beneficiaries, 29.1 million are enrolled in Advantage Plans and that number is expected to continue growing. While many Advantage Plans have no premium, they do have their own deductibles, copays or coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximums that vary from plan to plan.

☆ Meta's top ads boss tells Insider how artificial intelligence is saving its ad business and what's the next big opportunity for Reels
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta's ad chief Marne Levine told Insider that AI will play a bigger role boosting advertisers' creative. Meta is also exploring new ways to make money from short-form video Reels. Meta's rebuilt ad business has seen early success after it took a $10 billion hit last year thanks to Apple's privacy update. "There is a general feeling of uncertainty because the context is changing week-to-week," Marne Levine, chief business officer for Meta, told Insider. While Meta advertisers might be pulling back because of the economy, Meta still has an advantage over other digital ad platforms.

☆ House GOP study group is proposing changes to Medicare. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There also is Part D (prescription drug coverage) and Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans), both of which are offered by private insurers. The stakes in a debate like this are high, given the importance of Medicare. Tricia Neuman executive director for the Kaiser Family Foundation's program on Medicare policyRight now, Neuman said, the savings proposals are being described at a fairly high level. "The policy debate starts to get real when the specifics are laid out," she said. "The stakes in a debate like this are high, given the importance of Medicare [for] seniors and younger people with disabilities."

Brazil’s corn exports should wind down in the coming months, inviting the possibility that China turns to the U.S. market. SHRINKING SHIPMENTSThe 2022 U.S. corn crop was smaller than expected and lighter than in the two prior years, curbing export potential. 2 shipper Brazil has the United States in serious jeopardy of losing its corn crown, something many believed could not happen this soon. For context, Brazil’s corn exports first topped 10 million tonnes in the 2010-11 trade year, and they broke 26 million tonnes two years later. Brazil’s 2022-23 corn crop is seen at a record 125 million tonnes, nearly a quarter larger than the recent average.

☆ Which to Choose: Medicare or Medicare Advantage?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Paula Span | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Which to Choose: Medicare or Medicare Advantage? Medicare Advantage plans, like traditional Medicare, are funded by the federal government, but they are offered though private insurance companies, which receive a set payment for each enrollee. The proportion of eligible Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans has hit 48 percent. Which is better: Medicare or Medicare Advantage? Credit... Kenny Holston for The New York Times Unlike most Medicare Advantage plans, traditional Medicare does not include drug coverage.

☆ Here's what you need to know about 2023 Medicare prescription drug plans during open enrollment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Mike Mergen | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIf you're a Medicare beneficiary, now's the time to evaluate your prescription drug coverage for 2023. "It's a quality of life issue," said Elizabeth Gavino, founder of Lewin & Gavino and an independent broker and general agent for Medicare plans. Insulin costs will be cappedSome changes to prescription drug coverage, enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, take effect next year. This include a monthly $35 cap on cost-sharing for insulin under Part D, which will start on Jan. 1. Your tax return from 2021 is generally what would be used to determine whether you're subject to those surcharges in 2023.

☆ How Does Life Insurance Work and What to Know Before You Buy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +14 min

What to know about life insuranceTerm vs. permanent life insuranceThe two main types of life insurance are term and permanent. Permanent life insurancePermanent life insurance comes in four main variations: whole, variable, universal and variable universal. How to buy life insuranceYou may already have free term life insurance through your employer. A life insurance policy you buy from a private company stays with you for as long as you make payments. How life insurance pays outBeneficiaries have a few choices of how to receive a life insurance payout.

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