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☆ Customers are loving Costco. But Walmart? Not so much, new survey says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Costco topped a ranking of customer satisfaction with general merchandise retailers. The annual survey polled nearly 36,000 customers and distilled responses into a 100-point scale. Neither Costco nor Walmart responded to requests seeking comment on the survey results. In the supermarket category, Costco lost out on the top spot to Trader Joes, while Walmart still trailed the pack. Do you shop at Costco or Walmart and want to share your thoughts on the survey?

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Lucid, Nvidia, Dollar General, Sunrun and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Lucid Motors — The electric vehicle maker saw shares slide 14% premarket after reporting that fourth-quarter revenue fell short of expectations. eBay — The online auction platform fell 5% despite posting fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that topped analysts' estimates as gauged by Refinitiv. The company also forecast current quarter revenue of $600 million and $640 million, compared to estimates of $622 million. Bath & Body Works — Shares fell more than 4% after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings. Sunrun — The solar company rose 1.5% after its fourth-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's expectations.

☆ Supreme Court considers whether Twitter can be held liable for failing to remove terrorist content
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a case that will help determine whether social media platforms can be held liable for aiding and abetting terrorism for failing to remove content and accounts promoting it. The case revolves around a specific international terrorist act, and contends that Twitter should be held accountable for not taking aggressive enough action against that content on its platform. Justice Elena Kagan at one point asked Waxman whether Twitter could be held liable if it actually didn't enforce any policy against terrorist content on its site. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked if it would be illegal to sell Osama bin Laden a phone without knowing it would be used for a terrorist specific terrorist act. Schnapper said it would not be necessary to prove the phone was used for a specific terrorist act, because it "aids the terrorist enterprise."

☆ FedEx warns drivers not to throw packages or make 'obscene or offensive markings' on them
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

FedEx warned delivery contractors Monday not to throw packages, Insider has learned. The memo also warned against "offensive markings on packages and indecent public exposure." These actions range from package tossing and careless handling to obscene or offensive markings on packages and indecent public exposure," reads the memo. FedEx's Ground delivery service doesn't directly employ drivers like FedEx Express. Though on-time performance has largely recovered, the Monday memo from FedEx indicates further concern about the brand and drivers' impact on it.

☆ An F-16 fighter jet missed on its first try to shoot down a mysterious object over Lake Huron, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An F-16 fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to take down a flying object over Lake Huron on Sunday. "On the fourth one, over Lake Huron, the first shot missed, the second shot hit," Milley said in response to a reporter's question, confirming earlier reports. "And in this case, the missile landed harmlessly in the water of Lake Huron. Sunday's operation marked the fourth instance in about a week in which a US Air Force fighter jet shot down a flying object over North American airspace. The general leading North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command offered an explanation on Sunday for why there has been a seemingly sudden increase in flying objects appearing over North American airspace.

☆ Adidas is facing a problem even bigger than Yeezy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Danni Santana | Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Adidas expects sales to drop by $1.28 billion in 2023 if it doesn't sell leftover Yeezy inventory. The company's guidance began on a bleak note with revenue for the year expected to drop after ending its Yeezy partnership. Against this background, Adidas said it is forecasting a decline in the high-single digits in sales in 2023. "The sales decline is about more than just Yeezy," Bernstein analyst Aneesha Sherman wrote in a note to clients early Friday. Cowen estimates the brand earned $1.2 billion in sales last year before Adidas terminated the partnership in October.

☆ US general refuses to rule out aliens after third suspicious flying object is shot down by the military over its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US has shot down three objects flying over North America in as many days. A top US general said he wasn't ruling out an extra-terrestrial origin for the objects. It comes after the US shot down a spy balloon it alleged was sent by China. The remarks come after the US military shot down three objects flying in North American airspace over the last 3 days. An object flying at high altitude had been shot down on Biden's orders over northern Alaska Friday, while another was downed over Yukon in north-western Canada Saturday.

☆ Investors rush into A.I. stocks — Most of their top buys have already doubled this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Retail investors are pilling into artificial intelligence stocks, the latest craze to hit Wall Street, according to Vanda Research. Overall, aggregate inflows from retail investors over the past five trading days (ending Wednesday) have reached levels not seen since 2020-2021, the firm said. "We believe FOMO and momentum remain the main drivers of flows, meaning that retail investors remain susceptible to negative catalysts. However, interest in AI remains high as retail investors rotate into other AI-related small-cap stocks, he noted. Microsoft and Nvidia, already seeing a growing interest from retail investors, may also see investments pick up, according to Vanda.

☆ Florida legislators want to give DeSantis another $10 million to keep shipping migrants across the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ron DeSantis $10 million to transport migrants across the US. DeSantis previously used a state program to fly asylum seekers from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in September. Ron DeSantis' program to transport migrants to so-called "sanctuary cities" across the country. The proposal, Senate bill 6-B, would create a new "Unauthorized Alien Transport Program" and provide $10 million to transport migrants. Two identical bills were introduced this month in the state Senate and House by State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R) and State Rep. John Snyder (R).

Beijing condemned the shooting down of the balloon as an "obvious overreaction" and urged Washington to show restraint. Some U.S. Republicans have questioned why the balloon was not shot down before it was allowed to travel across the United States. Senior U.S. officials have offered to brief former Trump administration officials on the details of what the White House said were three China balloon overflights when Donald Trump was president. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China learned its balloon had drifted over the United States after being notified by Washington. On Sunday, Colombia's military said it sighted an airborne object similar to a balloon after the Pentagon said on Friday another Chinese balloon was flying over Latin America.

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. general responsible for bringing down a Chinese spy balloon said on Monday the military had not detected previous spy balloons before the one that appeared on Jan. 28 over the United States and called it an "awareness gap." The Pentagon said over the weekend that Chinese spy balloons had briefly flown over the United States at least three times during President Donald Trump's administration and one previously under President Joe Biden. He did not provide details on previous balloons, including where over the United States they flew. Senior U.S. officials have offered to brief individuals from the previous administration on the details of previous balloons overflights when Trump was president. A U.S. Air Force fighter jet shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace and triggered a dramatic -- and public -- spying saga that worsened Sino-U.S. relations.

United and Liverpool are the two most successful teams in English football but have won only one league title each in the past decade. "You get a lot of money from the Premier League, from broadcasting and sponsorship, but you also have to put a lot of money in to keep your team." "The failure of the proposal and the failure of Premier League clubs to gain greater power in the running of the league are likely influencing factors," said Spencer Harris, Associate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Colorado. "The current owners (of Liverpool and United) don't have the finances to compete and invest on the level of these other clubs." "(There is a) general realisation that English Premier League teams, the two biggest ones per se, are relatively uncapitalized versus NFL franchises, which have been a barometer for a longer period of time."

☆ 3 signs Biden's Education Department has not 'efficiently or effectively' taken steps to overhaul the student-loan repayment system, according to the inspector general
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department plans to revamp the student-loan servicing system. But a report from the Inspector General found it has not been preparing to do so effectively. Last week, the Education Department's Office of Inspector General released a report analyzing Federal Student Aid's (FSA) efforts to transition the current repayment system to a new one, known as Next Generation (Next Gen) Loan Servicing. Additionally, it recommends that FSA develop a policy that requires a budget request be completed and approved prior to moving forward with any changes to the student-loan servicing system. The exact timeline for when borrowers will experience the revamped student-loan servicing system is unclear at this point, especially as the administration is working to implement other significant changes.

☆ A Disney executive who left after 3 months amid its 'Don't Say Gay' missteps made almost $120,000 a day
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney faced intense criticism over its slow response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. During his time at the company, Morrell got a $489,500 salary, Disney's proxy statement released on Tuesday shows. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Morrell's compensation. But during Morrell's tenure the company faced intense criticism over its response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law. However, in a copy of Morrell's general release from the company, Disney said that it had exercised its termination right in late April.

☆ Moderna, Pfizer's new race: The RSV vaccine FDA approval process
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Both companies have released results from RSV vaccine trials with efficacy results strong enough to expect expedited approval from the FDA. The companies — which have been involved in litigation brought by Moderna alleging mRNA patent infringement, a claim Pfizer disputes — are both expected the FDA approval process for the RSV vaccine to occur soon. We can use the same, the same equipment and raw materials as the Covid vaccine." The RSV approval process is just one part of a widening vaccine industry for these two companies. "Every strain is treated as suspicious and we start working on it to see if it can overcome the vaccine," Bourla said.

☆ Factbox: European companies cut jobs as economy sputters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Stephane MaheJan 17 (Reuters) - Decades-high inflation and the impact of war in Ukraine have forced companies across Europe into lay-offs or hiring freezes. * HUSQVARNA (HUSQb.ST): the garden equipment and tools maker announced in late October it will cut 1,000 jobs, the vast majority of them related to the shift from petrol to battery-powered tools. * SIEMENS GAMESA (SGREN.MC): the Spanish wind turbine maker in late September said it plans to cut 2,900 jobs, mostly in Europe, as part of a plan to return to profitability. * CLAS OHLSON (CLASb.ST): the Swedish hardware store chain said in December it would cut about 85 full-time jobs amongst other measures to deliver cost savings and reduced depreciation. BANKS AND FINANCIALS* KLARNA: Dagens Industri reported in May the Swedish payments company would lay off about 10% of its 7,000 employees.

☆ Laid-off Twitter workers have been forced to drop their class-action lawsuit demanding more severance pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The five laid-off workers had signed arbitration agreements agreeing not to bring suits against Twitter. "Twitter provided signed copies of the agreements, and they are all clear and straightforward," Donato wrote in the order. Since Elon Musk took ownership of the company in late October, Twitter has laid off thousands of workers. Shannon Liss-Riordan, the attorney representing the laid-off Twitter workers, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of regular working hours. She said that she had already filed 500 individual arbitration demands, with more to come.

☆ The ways federal officials from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump — and now Joe Biden — have been accused of mishandling government records
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

President Joe BidenPresident Joe Biden speaks at the White House on January 12, 2023. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed a special counsel, Robert K. Hur, to investigate Biden for potential mishandling of classified documents. Another State Department investigation that lasted for three years and ended in 2019 found Clinton's use of a private email server put classified information at risk but that there was "no persuasive evidence of systemic, deliberate mishandling of classified information." Berger was found to have smuggled out highly classified documents, destroying some, and lying about possessing them. Lower-profile federal officials are more commonly chargedIn addition to former presidents and top White House officials, lower-profile federal agents are more commonly charged with mishandling government documents.

☆ Aging, outdated technology leaves air travel at risk of meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

As early as 2012, the FAA decided it wanted to replace aging legacy voice switches used in air traffic control communications with new, internet-based communications technology. Trying to integrate old systems with newer ones — always in real time, because the global aviation industry never sleeps — can also create its own opportunities for catastrophic mistakes. Many more things can go wrong than you might expect — highlighting the sheer complexity of the aviation industry, and underscoring how there isn’t a quick easy fix for IT-related travel disruptions. But it has had lasting effects on FAA technology. That bureaucratic myopia is its own cause of today’s technological malaise in the aviation industry.

The other two tests expire in a month. Some of the newly delivered iHealth tests from Covid.gov expire in the next month or so, according to their extended dates. To find out when a Covid test really expires — factoring in the extension period — people can look up the manufacturer and test name on the FDA website. The latest extended dates for Abbott's BinaxNOW tests are in April. The USPS site for ordering free tests includes a notice telling people to check the extended expiration dates and directing them to the FDA site.

☆ Britain to push ahead with readying ground for a digital pound
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Getting the design of a digital pound right is a bigger priority than a rapid launch, Britain's Financial Services Minister Andrew Griffith said on Tuesday. China has pushed ahead with piloting a digital yuan and the European Central Bank is studying a digital euro, piling pressure on Britain to do the same and keep abreast of advances in financial technology. The finance ministry is due to launch in the coming weeks a public consultation on the attributes of a digital pound. A digital pound raised many public policy issues, he said. The first case use of a digital pound would probably be in the settlement of wholesale financial transactions, he added.

☆ 6 sneaker trends to keep in 2023 and 2 to leave behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Pair performance shoes with casual wearHokas HOKA ONE ONEChunky performance shoes are now firmly part of casual wear. So expect to see more Hoka One One, Asics, On, and Salomon shoes on feet in 2023 in and out of the gym. "What's interesting is the brands are very performance focused. Another good example of this trend is the Salomon XT-6. "The Salomon XT-6 is a big shoe for 2023 for the simple fact that you get a nice, comfortable shoe that appeals to lots of different consumers, " Bryce Moore, a sneaker and fashion Youtuber, said.

☆ Stylists reveal 6 sneaker trends that are in and 2 that are out for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

☆ Fact Check-Chechen general referred to 2.5 million Russians, not Chechens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is currently no evidence to support the claim that over 2.5 million Chechens are preparing to fight against Russia, contrary to rumors circulating online. The region’s leader did call in September for marshalling some 2.5 million law enforcement personnel from all parts of Russia to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as discussed in Reuters articles (here), (here) and (here). The population of Chechnya is estimated at just over 1.5 million (here) , (here) and (here). There is no evidence that an army of 2.5 million Chechens is preparing to fight against Russia.

☆ Fintech Stocks Did Worse Than Fin or Tech in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Peter Rudegeair | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. is among the holdings of the ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, which fell 65% last year. The banks of the future are having a rough present. Financial-tech companies, long hyped for their vision of bringing Silicon Valley-style innovation to the businesses of lending, investing and payments, underperformed both financial stocks and tech stocks more broadly in 2022. A vulnerability to higher interest rates, the disappearance of many pandemic-era catalysts and a more general reckoning for companies that followed growth-at-all-costs playbooks contributed to many fintech firms’ fall from grace.

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