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☆ Under Armour was a real threat to Nike. Now it’s fighting to stay relevant
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It was the upstart athletic brand that was making real inroads against Nike, the dominant name in the industry. People saw it as a company that actually could break through and take market share from Nike among the hardcore athletes,” Swartz said. String of controversiesThe period from 2016 onward is when “things really started to fall apart” at Under Armour, Swartz said. A bulk of Under Armour products are sold through sporting goods retailers and department stores, including Macy’s and Kohl’s, and online. The basketball superstar Curry, arguably the best shooter in history, famously signed with Under Armour instead of Nike in 2013.

Persons: Armour, Stephen Curry, Jordan Spieth, Kevin Plank, Howard Schultz’s, Bob Iger’s, Plank, ”, David Swartz, Morningstar, ” Swartz, Justin Sullivan, Tommy Gilligan, ” Plank, Swartz, “, —, Stephanie Linnartz, ” Schwartz, Andrew Kelly, Merrell, Zak Stambor, Stambor, Plank’s, Noel Celis, Eric Smallwood, Dwayne Johnson, Johnson, ” Smallwood, Smallwood, Curry, Joel Embiid, Embiid, Skechers, Caitlin Clark Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nike, Starbucks, Disney, CNN, Sports, North, Maryland Terrapins, Southern Methodist Mustangs, Capital, Maryland, Reuters, —, Armour, Sports Authority, Sporting Goods, UCLA, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Footwear News, Adidas, NBA Golden State Warriors, UA Curry II, Getty, Apex Marketing, United Football League, NBA, WNBA Locations: New York, San Rafael , California, North America, College Park , Maryland, Manhattan , New York, Petaluma , California, Manila, AFP

☆ Scientists say hurricanes are growing so powerful that we need to add a Category 6. Here's what that would look like.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The researchers recommend adding a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which currently ranks powerful tropical storms based on wind speed starting at Category 1 (74 to 95 mph) up to Category 5 (157 mph or higher). The "or higher" for Category 5 storms is where scientists take issue. Category 6 would refer to hurricanes with sustained wind speeds of at least 192 mph — about the speed that NASCAR drivers go. Jan Pleiter/Getty ImagesA strong hurricane with 192 mph winds — which would qualify as a Category 6 — isn't unheard of. In fact, since 2013, five storms have reached or surpassed that, including Hurricane Patricia, Typhoon Haiyan, and Typhoon Meranti, the researchers reported.

Persons: Samantha Lee, Saffir –, Michael Wehner, James Kossin, Jan Pleiter, Patricia, Typhoon Haiyan, Meranti, Wehner, Haiyan, Haiya, NOEL CELIS, there's Organizations: Service, Simpson, Business, Saffir, National Academy of Sciences, NASCAR, Typhoon Locations: New York, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Philippines, Samar

☆ They were ringing in the new year at their apartment when the gunfire started. Then this 11-year-old fell to the ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Not Amethyst Sistine Silva. “We were out there just to make memories,” Robert Silva, Amethyst’s father, told CNN. Amethyst’s parents were told she died some time after they got her to a hospital, they said. An in-classroom memorial created by students and staff is seen for Amethyst Sistine Silva. Just as his daughter once clung to the palms of her parents, Silva firmly holds dear the memories of his beloved Ame.

Persons: Silva, ” hadn’t, ”, Melinda Cruz, “, don’t, ’ ”, ” Robert Silva, Amethyst’s, ‘, ’, ” Silva, Amethyst, Mauricio R, Sistine Silva, Robert Silva, Celis, ” Celis, Amethyst Silva, Angelica Hernandez, ’ ” Silva, ” Cruz, Robert Silva Amethyst, She’d, she’d, “ You’re, Noah, Cruz, Grace, John, Amethyst Sistine Silva, Robert Silva “ Organizations: CNN, Amethyst, Corpus Christi Police Department, Firearms, Bush, Police, Amethyst Sistine Locations: Corpus Christi , Texas, America, Nueces

☆ China has a reputation for exporting shoddy weapons, but its sales may get a boost from Russia's blunders in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If Russia's arms exports falter because of the war in Ukraine, China's appeal may only grow. Despite the drawbacks, Chinese arms exports may get a boost from the war in Ukraine. Mazhar ABID/Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesQuality concerns could be one reason for a pre-Ukraine decline in Chinese arms sales. On the other hand, SIPRI also found that German and British arms sales declined 35% and Israeli sales fell 15% during the same period. "As Russia's weapons availability may change as the war continues, China is prepared for when that time arrives."

Persons: Cindy Zheng, AAMIR QURESHI, Zheng, —, Mazhar ABID, SIPRI, NOEL CELIS Organizations: Service, RAND Corporation, Kamra, Getty, Nigerian Air Force, Pakistan —, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany's Puma, Getty Images Arms Locations: China, Beijing, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Islamabad, Africa, South Asia, Nigeria, Soviet, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Aslat, Karachi, Stockholm, Russia, AFP, Venezuela, Iran

☆ India and China are buying new tanks designed to fight on one of the world's highest battlefields
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Both countries are also investing in new light tanks designed for high altitudes and rough terrain. Consequently, India is planning to developing its own light tank to level the playing field. The Type 15A Type 15 tank on display at the Beijing Exhibition Center in October. NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty ImagesChina has coped with these issues by deploying its Type 15 light tank, one of the few modern light tanks produced in the 21st century. India has tried on and off since 1983 to develop a new light tank but has never settled on a model.

Persons: —, NOEL CELIS, Arjuna, Ajay Aggarwal, hasn't, Danish Ismail, Narendra Modi's, Toubro, Zorawar Singh Organizations: Service, US Army, Bilderwelt, Beijing Exhibition Center, Getty Images, Abrams, Getty, Hindustan Times, Indian Ministry of Defense, REUTERS, Danish, India's Ministry of Defense, Larsen, Rolls Royce Locations: India, Bologna, China, Japan, Ladakh, AFP, Getty Images China, Russia, Western, People's Republic of China, New Delhi, Pakistan, Indian, Belgian

☆ Under Xi Jinping, China's military has become an untouchable nationalist symbol
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Yue’s alleged transgression: “uglifying” and “insulting” China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Under Xi, China passed a law in 2018 to ban the slander of national “heroes and martyrs,” a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. To outsiders, it may appear puzzling that China’s military, the largest and one of the most powerful in the world, would be so easily offended by a seemingly tame joke. Xi has staked his legitimacy on returning China to its former greatness, and a strong and powerful military plays a key role in driving that nationalist agenda. He has also ramped up China’s military posturing, sending fighter jets and warships to the Taiwan Strait and around the disputed islands with Japan.

☆ China’s Xi Makes First Call to Ukraine’s Zelensky Since Russian Invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Austin Ramzy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke on Wednesday. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/AFP/Getty Images; Noel Celis/AFP/Getty ImagesChinese leader Xi Jinping called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, their first conversation since the Russian invasion more than a year ago, as Beijing attempts to portray itself as a potential peacemaker in the conflict. China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted to its website that it would send a special representative for Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries “for in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.”

☆ China is facing a population crisis but some women continue to say 'no' to having babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

D3sign | Moment | Getty ImagesChina is facing a population crisis in part due to more women choosing to focus on their careers and personal goals, instead of starting a family. Helping women strike the balanceTrip.com is one Chinese company that takes pride in trying to encourage more women to have children. Women in China who want to freeze their eggs must be married, according to Chinese regulations. However, some women in China want children but may not be ready to get married, said Mu the assistant professor from NUH. Shannon a single motherAdditionally, women who divorce after having children face social stigma and struggle to balance their career while raising a child alone.

☆ Data released by China suggests COVID-19 virus may have come from raccoon dogs and 'strengthens' Wuhan wet-market theory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Newly released genetic data from Wuhan has found raccoon dog DNA blended with the COVID-19 virus. Since the first COVID-19 death in Wuhan on January 11, 2020, the virus has killed 6,873,477 people worldwide. This suggests that the virus may have infected the animals, according to the scientists. "We continue to call on China to be transparent in sharing data and to conduct the necessary investigations and share the results. Since the first COVID-19 death — which was recorded in Wuhan, China, on January 11, 2020 — the virus has killed 6,873,477 people around the world, according to WHO data.

Li, installed as premier on Saturday during the annual session of China's parliament, is tasked with reviving the world's second-largest economy after three years of COVID curbs. But he faces challenges including weak confidence among consumers and private industry, sluggish demand for exports and worsening relations with the United States. China's private sector has been rattled in recent years by a sweeping regulatory clampdown targeting some of its most vibrant industries, including the internet and private education. At the opening of the annual parliamentary session, China set a GDP growth target of 5% percent, its lowest goal in nearly three decades, after the economy grew just 3% last year. China's relations with the United States sank to a low after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.

☆ Factbox: Key takeaways from China's annual NPC parliamentary meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Laurie Chen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

These include Premier Li Qiang, NPC Chairperson Zhao Leji, Executive Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, and Vice President Han Zheng. China's private sector has been rattled in recent years by a sweeping regulatory clampdown targeting some of its most vibrant industries, including the internet and private education. The new national financial regulatory administration will replace the existing banking and insurance watchdog and oversee all aspects of China's $57 trillion financial sector apart from the securities market. A separate top-level party financial watchdog, the Central Financial Work Commission, is likely to be resurrected after the NPC, sources earlier told Reuters. This will likely have responsibility for the new state financial regulator.

☆ The war in Ukraine has shown the value of tanks, but militaries are now looking to stock up on slimmed-down versions of them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Even before the war, some militaries were developing "light tanks" to complement heavier main battle tanks. Light tanks are seen as filling a capability gap between main battle tanks and other armored vehicles. Though not as powerful or as heavily armored as main battle tanks, light tanks are increasingly seen as filling a capability gap between full-fledged tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Light tanksA US Army M24 Chaffee light tank on a street near Bologna, Italy in April 1945. NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty ImagesThat capability gap stirred interest in light tanks, and over the past decade, three major militaries have adopted new designs.

☆ The world is creating more single-use plastic waste than ever, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The world is producing a record amount of single-use plastic waste, mostly made from polymers created from fossil fuels, despite global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and carbon emissions, according to a new report released Monday. The second Plastic Waste Makers Index, compiled by the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, found the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021, which was 6 million metric tons more than in 2019, when the first index was released. In recent years, governments around the world have announced policies to reduce the volume of single-use plastic, banning products like single-use straws, disposable cutlery, food containers, cotton swabs, bags and balloons. Many countries have banned single-use plastic plates and cutlery. In the developing world, it’ll lead to people who would not otherwise have any work, having work making sure there’s no plastic waste going into the ocean, there’s no plastic waste on streets, there’s no plastic waste poisoning wildlife,” he said.

They have found that in Puerto Rico, people have a higher propensity for Alzheimer's and part of the reason could be a genetic variant they have uncovered. While, in the U.S., 10.7% of the population age 65 and older has Alzheimer's, in Puerto Rico the number is 12.5%. In the U.S., it's the fifth-leading cause of death in those over 65 but in Puerto Rico, it ranks fourth in the same age group. It was more than three decades ago when Alzheimer’s genetic research pioneer Margaret Pericak-Vance was at Duke University that she began trying to involve more diverse populations in research. A variant only found among Hispanic CaribbeansDr. Katrina Celis, Director of Research Support Larry Adams, and Dr. Parker Bussies prepare to see Alzheimer’s patients and their families in Puerto Rico for Puerto Rico Alzheimers Disease Initiative, known as PRADI.

☆ Hospital warns of ‘tragic battle’ as Covid spreads in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A Shanghai hospital has told its staff to prepare for a “tragic battle” with Covid-19 as it expects half of the city’s 25 million people will get infected by the end of next week, while the virus sweeps through China largely unchecked. China reported no new Covid deaths for a second consecutive day for Wednesday, even as funeral parlour workers say demand for their services has increased sharply over the past week. Authorities — who have narrowed the criteria for Covid deaths, prompting criticism from many disease experts — confirmed 389,306 cases with symptoms. A Covid patient is wheeled on a stretcher at hospital in China's southwestern city of Chongqing on Thursday. Footage from a Beijing hospital on CCTV state television showed rows of elderly patients in the intensive care unit breathing through oxygen masks.

☆ China Covid restrictions: Protesters win a partial victory as cities start to loosen controls
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Following protests nationwide, some local Chinese authorities have started to ease Covid restrictions – in what appears to be a shift toward gradual reopening as the country nears entering the fourth year of the pandemic. “I feel like everyone’s hard work is paying off,” said a protester who took part in a demonstration in Beijing. “Policy flip-flop is common.”In some cities, the partial relaxation has caused confusion and chaos on the ground. In Beijing, public venues such as shopping malls and office buildings still require a 48-hour negative Covid test for entry. I don’t celebrate, I just remember those brave friends with gratitude,” a Beijing resident posted on Weibo, in a reference to the protesters.

While the protests were largely tamped down, there continued to be scattered incidents of unrest. Experts say China will have a tough time navigating its way out of the pandemic without getting more people inoculated. The National Health Commission said Tuesday that it was especially focused on increasing vaccinations among people older than 80, though it did not announce a mandate. With new, mostly asymptomatic infections still being reported across China — 38,421 on Tuesday, down from a record 40,052 the day before — some Covid restrictions are still tightening. An opinion article Tuesday in People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, said officials at all levels must “unswervingly implement” the government’s Covid policies.

☆ What happened to former Chinese leader Hu Jintao?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Analysis Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

China's former leader Hu Jintao is lifted from his chair by a young aide at the closing of the Communist Party Congress on Saturday. Neither has the incident been reported in Chinese language media, or discussed on Chinese social media, where conversations around senior leaders are highly restricted. Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao is taken by the arm and escorted out. “For whatever reasons, Xi ordered Hu to be escorted out when he must have thought that Hu might not behave exactly as Xi would have wanted,” he said. Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao pats the shoulder of his protege, Premier Li Keqiang.

☆ Alibaba, Tencent shares plummet 11% alongside China tech stocks as Xi tightens grip on power
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tech giants Alibaba and Tencent closed down more than 11% in Asia; search company Baidu was 12% lower while food delivery firm Meituan tanked more than 14%. That makes it unlikely that anyone would challenge any "policy mistakes" that Xi makes which could hamper growth of the tech sector, Xin Sun, senior lecturer in Chinese and East Asian business, at King's College London said. Under Xi's leadership, China has implemented a raft of policy that has tightened regulation on the tech sector in areas from data protection to governing the way in which algorithms can be used. "Tech stocks have never been the best friend of Xi and it's clear that the market thinks that purge will continue," Justin Tang, head of Asian research at United First Partners, told CNBC. As part of the leadership reshuffle in China, Li Qiang, party secretary of Shanghai is expected to be made premier next year.

☆ What Cramer is watching Monday — Fed pivot, Xi consolidates, DHR and META downgrades
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Mizuho doesn't like it either, cuts price target to $180 from $225 ... worried about expenses. Barclays cuts price targets on almost all of the chip makers, including Nvidia (NVDA), Qualcomm (QCOM) and Skyworks (SWKS). Amazing: American Express (AXP) price target trimmed to $128 from $130 at Citi. Wells Fargo cuts to $170 from $180 but keeps buy rating. Generac (GNRC) — Wells Fargo takes this down to $175 from $285.

☆ Xi Jinping's Party Congress speech: yes to zero-Covid, no to market reforms?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Priorities presented at the political gathering of more than 2,000 party members will also set China’s trajectory for the next five years or even longer. In his speech Sunday, Xi struck a confident tone, highlighting China’s growing strength and rising influence under his first decade in power. China's President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening session of the 20th Chinese Communist Party's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 16, 2022. And China’s economy is in bad shape. Meantime, a comparison between this year’s speech and the last one delivered by Xi in 2017 at the 19th party congress revealed a potentially worrying trend.

☆ China's Xi downplays need for rapid growth, proclaims Covid achievements
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Xi was speaking at the opening ceremony of the ruling Communist Party of China's 20th National Congress, held once every five years. In contrast, Xi on Sunday began his remarks with greater emphasis on China's "national rejuvenation" and opposition to Taiwan independence. watch now"Without solid material and technological foundations we cannot hope to build a great modern socialist country," Xi said in Chinese, according to an official English translation. China's Xi previously announced plans to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, and carbon neutrality in 2060. Those measures, on top of China's Covid controls, have made foreign investors increasingly cautious about the potential growth opportunities in the country.

☆ Fauci says the Chinese government is 'probably' hiding something about the origins of COVID, but he's not sure it's a lab leak
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dr. Anthony Fauci said he's "keeping a completely open mind" about the origins of the pandemic. Fauci told an audience the Chinese government is "probably" hiding something about the origins of the virus. Fauci recalls the painstaking efforts it took to get information on that outbreak from Chinese officials. Hiding information creates a perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories, Fauci said"It's natural, totally natural for conspiracy people who are thinking it's a conspiracy to say, 'see? And, "they probably are," Fauci said, but it may not have anything to do with a lab leak at all.

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