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☆ I used AI to create my professional headshots and the results were either great or hilarious
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A TikTok featuring an AI service promising studio-quality headshots for $17 intrigued me. So when I saw this TikTok about an AI service that promises low-cost, studio-quality headshots, I was intrigued. Without further ado, here are some of the greatest hits, along with a smattering of commentary:Rebecca Knight in an AI headshot. Rebecca Knight AI form. Rebecca Knight in AI form.

☆ Companies are selling us more stuff by telling us it's 'sustainable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The federal government is updating guides around how companies can prove their environmental claims. Companies are advertising what they plan to do, such as addressing the climate crisis or using more recycled materials in their products. She pointed to a case BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division brought against the American Beverage Association, which represents companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. The beverage industry appealed the finding, arguing that the ad was intended to increase awareness that plastic bottles could be recycled. The National Advertising Division's appellate body upheld the original decision.

CAIRO, April 21 (Reuters) - There are some aspirational prizes being doled out to winners of Ramadan tournaments in Egypt this week, with a team decked out in Liverpool's kit being awarded England's Premier League trophy for their success -- while another is set to receive UEFA Champions League silverware. The losers were presented with a replica of the African Champions League trophy for their efforts. "I bought the two cups from a friend who owns a sportswear store for two thousand Egyptian pounds ($65)," Ibrahim Abdel Salam, one of the organising committee, told Reuters. "There are two artificial turf courts, but we prefer the dirt court," Abdel Salam said. Meanwhile in El-Beheira governorate the European Champions League trophy appeared up for grabs.

☆ Tim Scott’s ‘Land of Opportunity’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

One regrettable reality of today’s politics is that a left-right condominium is preaching that America is a failed experiment. All the more reason to welcome GOP Sen. Tim Scott as a presidential candidate running on better days ahead and a “new American sunrise.” The question is whether he can refine his aspirational politics into a credible agenda for national renewal. “I know America is a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression,” the 57-year-old from South Carolina said in a three-minute video released this week. “I know it because I’ve lived it.” Mr. Scott was raised by a single mother in poverty. “I was that hopeless kid in America,” he said in a 2020 speech.

☆ GM expands high-end Chevy Silverado HD lineup with new ZR2 off-road model
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The latest model revealed Thursday is the Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500 ZR2, a new off-road model for one of GM's most expensive pickup trucks. 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 Bison GM"ZR2 has been a huge success for us," said Michael MacPhee, director of Chevy truck marketing. 2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 GMThe company declined to disclose exact pricing for the new ZR2 pickups, saying they will be "aspirational but attainable." The current Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2 starts at about $74,000 for a comparable model. The HD ZR2 trucks will be offered exclusively in the 2500 four-door crew cab configuration.

☆ A 25-year-old entrepreneur shares the marketing budget she uses to build her successful professional and personal brands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Alexandra York | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Alexa Curtis, the founder of a blog and mentorship company, shares her $5,000 monthly budget. She says social media, marketing, and personal branding are the most important investments. For her personal brand, she spends about $350 each month on a branding coach who helps her decide what message she wants to project through her work. But GrasshoppHer relies more on monthly and annual membership fees to grow, and the new business has more opportunities for sponsorships, Curtis said. courtesy of CurtisSince merging companies, "it's becoming less of a personal brand," Curtis said.

☆ European stocks are off to a strong start this year. How U.S. investors can capitalize on it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

With Eu r opean stocks off to a strong start this year, investors across the pond may want to get some exposure to that market and capitalize on the trend. .STOXX YTD mountain Strong start to European stocks Despite this outperformance, the European index is also far cheaper than the S & P 500, trading at a forward multiple of 13, while the U.S. benchmark is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of about 18. Tech stocks make up a smaller portion of the European stock index – less than 8% in the Stoxx 600 compared to roughly 30% in the S & P 500. Separately, Goldman Sachs' Peytavin identified autos, real estate, insurance and construction and materials as among the worst sectors for European stock pickers. "They are macro sectors, stocks, all moving together driven by the macro rather than stock idiosyncrasies, and offer a narrow performance spread," Peytavin wrote.

☆ L'Oreal plans to buy luxury skincare brand Aesop — known for its $90 serums and $40 hand wash that wealthy millennials can't get enough of — in a $2.5 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

French cosmetics giant L'Oreal plans to buy Aesop for $2.5 billion. Aesop is an Australian skincare brand, known for its simple marketing and gender-neutral products. Aesop is an Australian brand that dates back to 1987 when founder Dennis Paphitis opened a Melbourne hair salon and began mixing essential oils into hair products. Today, it's known for luxurious home fragrances, hair oils, and skincare products, which are served up in apothecary-style brown bottles. It has become an aspirational brand for wealthy millennials who are happy to spend $40 on its hand wash to make their bathrooms look more upmarket.

Vahia is one among India’s young and aspirational 1.4 billion population, whose propensity for online spending has attracted global companies and digital platforms. And as private consumption underpins economic growth in India, financial investors are targetting new ways to tap into it. India's per capita consumption of food was at $314 in 2020 compared to $884 for China, while that of clothing stood at $53.9 versus $212.9 for China, data from CLSA showed. FOREIGN INVESTORS JUMP INWith private consumption accounting for 60% of India's $3.5 trillion GDP, foreign portfolio investors have been quick to latch on. To be sure, it has not been all smooth sailing for investors as they chased India's consumption boom.

Amancio Ortega set up the first Zara store in A Coruna in the north west of Spain in 1975. Marta Ortega started from the bottom at Inditex, stacking shelves at a Bershka store when she was 23. Ortega, whose father owns 59.3% of Inditex, has mainly worked in the background, leaving the spotlight to the CEO. "We feel that Marta Ortega has repositioned Zara slightly upwards," said Patricia Cifuentes, analyst at the investment banking arm of Spanish investment firm Bestinver. "Reinforcing that Zara sells fashion, not just clothes, has allowed Inditex to increase prices and protect the margins amidst the inflationary storm."

☆ I got laid off from Meta. Here's how being a TikTok and Instagram creator gave me more time to evaluate my future after being let go.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Meta employee built a social-media following by sharing career advice on TikTok and Instagram. Even prior to joining Meta, I had been sharing my career journey on social media. In my last six months at Meta, I moved into a product-marketing role, where I worked very closely with creators. Now, I don't know if I want to work at a corporation, and being a content creator has liberated me from the urgency to figure out my next step right away. After I got laid off, I was worried that my career content would lose credibility.

☆ Energy agency chief warns transition to renewables is way off track, issues warning on stranded assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The current German coalition government is seeking to accelerate the country's transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear to renewable and sustainable production energy means. The global energy transition is off track to prevent the worst impact of the climate emergency, according to the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency, and a fundamental course correction is required to successfully pivot away from fossil fuels. It is widely regarded as a crucial global target because so-called tipping points become more likely beyond this level of global heating. Tipping points are thresholds at which small changes can lead to dramatic shifts in Earth's entire life support system. "We are off track," Francesco La Camera, director general of IRENA, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Tuesday.

☆ Jay-Z is now worth $2.5 billion—Warren Buffett once said 'he's the guy to learn from'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Less than four years after becoming the first billionaire rapper, Jay-Z is showing no signs of slowing down. The Brooklyn-born artist's net worth is now $2.5 billion, according to the latest estimate from Forbes. Forbes pegged his net worth at $1.4 billion just last year. At the end of their conversation, Buffett said that soon enough, young people would be looking to Jay-Z for their money-making advice. "For a young person growing up he's the guy to learn from."

☆ ‘Old Money’ Style, in This Economy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Rory Satran | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Prep is back—kind of. This time around, however, it’s called the “old-money aesthetic,” and it describes a complicated and divisive trend that’s been proliferating on social media. On TikTok and YouTube videos and Pinterest mood boards, slideshows cycle through aspirational images: romantic 1980s and ’90s Ralph Lauren ads full of tweed and jodhpurs; country-club tennis matches; “Great Gatsby”-ish parties filled with white dresses and tuxes; Ivy League students on the quad in V-neck sweaters and chinos; “Talented Mr. Ripley”-style sailboat siestas; and neo-prep stills from “Gossip Girl”—the headband-filled early 2000s version. Beige cashmere is suddenly as buzzy as bra tops.

[1/2] Bottles of Campa Cola and Coca Cola are displayed at a Reliance Smart supermarket in Mumbai, India March 20, 2023. Other well known tycoons have tried to go toe-to-toe with the drinks giants, and failed, most notably Richard Branson with his Virgin Cola. The smallest bottles of Campa Cola and Coke both cost 10 rupees, while Pepsi starts from 12 rupees. Reliance did not respond to a request for comment, while Pepsi said it doesn't comment on competition as a policy. Another city store employee said 30 Campa bottles were being sold for every 100 of Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

☆ The top 4 sports and sports tech VCs are ready to open their checkbooks. Here's what they're looking for.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Courtside Ventures in January closed a $100 million fund, its biggest yet. KB Partners late last year closed a $127 million fund, also its biggest yet. If you're not in one of those lanes, don't bother reaching out, even though the firm has the new $100 million fund to dole out. Parikh expects fewer investments in media companies out of the new fund, but more investments in gaming. It's doling out the money through two accelerator programs and an investment fund.

☆ World’s top climate scientists issue ‘survival guide for humanity,’ call for major course correction
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold is widely recognized as crucial because so-called tipping points become more likely beyond this level. In short, our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once. But it will take a quantum leap in climate action." He added, "In short, our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once." "Climate justice is crucial because those who have contributed least to climate change are being disproportionately affected," said Aditi Mukherji, one of the 93 authors of this Synthesis Report.

☆ General Motors' China business is hurting, and it's not just because of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

He purchased his Nio over models from rival Chinese automakers Xpeng , Li Auto and IM Motors. GM's operations in the country are much larger than those of its crosstown rival Ford Motor, for example. Equity income from GM's Chinese operations and joint ventures has fallen 67% since its peak of more than $2 billion in 2014 and 2015. And the rising quality of domestic-made electric vehicles helped support — and tap — growing nationalistic pride among China's consumers. In February, Ford named Sam Wu, a former Whirlpool executive who joined the automaker in October, as president and chief executive of its China operations, starting March 1.

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Charles Schwab, Meta, Nike, Netflix, Truist, FedEx & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Oppenheimer reiterates Netflix as outperform Oppenheimer said investors should buy the dip in Netflix shares. Bank of America upgrades W.R. Berkley to buy from neutral Bank of America said buy the dip in shares of the insurance company. "A recent sell-off in financial and insurers more specifically gives an opportunity to upgrade shares of WRB." Deutsche Bank reiterates Nike as buy Deutsche said it's staying bullish on shares of Nike heading into earnings next week. Bank of America reiterates FedEx as buy Bank of America said it's standing by its buy rating on FedEx heading into earnings on Thursday.

☆ Buy the dip in American Express shares, Wells Fargo says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

American Express is showing "strength in uncertain times," according to Wells Fargo, which is confident in the stock following an investor meeting with Chairman and CEO Stephen Squeri and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Campbell. Fandetti maintained his overweight rating on American Express, and reiterated his price target of $200 per share, implying 27% upside from Monday's close. He added that despite the "turmoil" in U.S. banking following the failure of SVB and Signature Bank that spurred a broad selloff in financial stocks, American Express was confident in its business outlook. Wells Fargo believes that American Express' advantage around small and premium business customers is strengthening, making it more difficult for its competitors to catch up. American Express shares were up 1.8% on Tuesday before the market open.

☆ How this former Adidas executive is tackling the biggest problem in footwear with biodegradable sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"It's a first of its kind," Liedtke told Insider. The Unless shoe, which retails for $139, was made in partnership with Natural Fiber Welding, which makes various materials from natural products, including plants and minerals. Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for ADIDAS"This is a game changer," industry analyst and ARCH-USA founder Chris Burns previously told Insider. "What's unique about what Eric has done in the footwear industry is paid attention to every single component of the shoe," Natural Fiber Welding President Steve Zika previously told Insider. Last April, Natural Fiber Welding announced an $85 million Series B investment round.

☆ Layoffs are still historically low, so why does it feel like everyone's losing their job?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The layoffs and discharges rate in January was 1.1%, which remains historically low. While BLS data may show a low US layoff rate overall, tech layoff announcements are important, given Pollak said that tech and finance are "synonymous with Americans' aspirations generally." "Those markets are very exposed to tech layoffs, and tech plays a disproportionate role in the economy," Terrazas added. Pollak told Insider that the layoffs at tech companies are "relatively small" and that "many companies also are not pursuing layoffs across the board." Despite the layoff rate being very low, job seekers may still be concerned about these headlines.

☆ Oil chief leading COP28 climate summit urges energy industry to 'up its game' to reduce emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Alongside all industries, the oil and gas sector needs to up its game, do more and do it faster," Abu Dhabi National Oil Company CEO Sultan al-Jaber said during a keynote speech at CERAWeek. The chief executive of one of the world's biggest oil companies, who will lead talks at the COP28 climate summit later this year, called on the energy industry to "up its game" to reduce emissions. The head of the United Arab Emirates' state oil company was seen as a controversial choice to lead the COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this year. The UAE, the third largest producer of the OPEC oil alliance, will host the U.N.-brokered climate talks from Nov. 30 through to Dec. 12. The COP28 summit will see the first global stocktake since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

☆ China gives itself easy GDP homework
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, March 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China aims to grow GDP by “around 5%” in 2023, which might seem low given last year’s 3% marked the country’s weakest performance in decades. Chen Long of Plenum China notes that the annual work report, usually an important window into the economy and official priorities for the year ahead, dedicates only six pages to discussing the future, compared to 22 pages last year. That may be because Premier Li Keqiang, who gives the work report, is on his way out along with other reformers. By keeping goals conservative and methods vaguer than usual, the government makes it harder for newcomers to fail. The government is aiming for a 2023 budget deficit target of 3% of gross domestic product, according to the report, widening from a deficit goal of around 2.8% last year.

☆ Paul Ryan Says Even MAGA Diehards Believe Trump Can’t Win in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +23 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk Paul Ryan Says Even MAGA Diehards Believe Trump Can’t Win in 2024For a good long time during the George W. Bush and Obama presidencies, Paul Ryan was considered one of the intellectual leaders and shining stars of the Republican Party. Get out of this race.” But I don’t think Trump is going to get the nomination. I don’t think we want the lack of liberty that comes with government-made equality. Where I part company with the left is I don’t believe in socialism. I don’t believe in equality of outcomes.

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