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☆ Thousands join rightist rally against Spanish government
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People protest against the government of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at Cibeles Square in Madrid, Spain, January 21, 2023. REUTERS/Susana VeraMADRID, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Thousands of people packed into central Madrid on Saturday to protest against the Socialist government and accuse it of undermining the constitution, in a rally backed by rightist parties. Protesters massed in the Plaza de Cibeles in front of City Hall, waved Spanish flags, called on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to resign and shouted out "traitor". Around 200km (120 miles) away in the northwestern city of Valladolid, Sanchez told a Socialist rally that the protesters in Madrid were defending a "uniform" and therefore "discriminatory" Spain. Its recent decision to replace the crime of sedition with a lesser crime was opposed on the right.

☆ Media Companies Cut Jobs as They Brace for Advertising Slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Alexandra Bruell | Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

News publishers across the U.S. are trimming staff, as a challenging economic environment is leading advertisers to pull back on spending. Vox Media, the publisher of New York Magazine, Curbed and SB Nation, on Friday told employees it would lay off approximately 7% of its staff, which people familiar with the matter said amounted to about 130 people losing their jobs. The cuts at Vox come as other media companies, including Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co. and BuzzFeed Inc., are resorting to layoffs.

☆ Vox Media to lay off 7% of workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Vox Media, the publisher of news websites such as Vox and The Verge, in addition to New York magazine, will lay off 7% of its workforce, chief executive Jim Bankoff said in a Friday morning memo to staff. The union representing Vox Media employees said it was “furious” over the announcement. The media and technology sectors have been battered in recent months as advertisers tighten spending amid broader economic uncertainty. Alphabet said it had made the decision to eliminate 6% of its workforce, which translates to approximately 12,000 jobs. Bankoff said the tough economy had forced Vox Media to focus on its core business.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's $10 million in investment in Semafor will be held in custody until authorities decide its fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried invested $10 million in news startup Semafor, according to the New York Times. But the scale of Bankman-Fried's investment was unknown until Wednesday's New York Times report. His $10 million investment was part of an initial funding round that raised a total of $25 million. Smith also has maintained that SBF's investment didn't give him any tangible shares in Semafor thanks to its dual-class ownership. If Bankman-Fried's stake had been converted to equity, then he would have been entitled to a single-digit minority stake, according to the Financial Times.

☆ FTX fraud investigators are digging deeper into Sam Bankman-Fried's inner circle – and reportedly have ex-engineer Nishad Singh in their sights
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

They're currently scrutinizing former FTX engineer Nishad Singh, people familiar with the matter said. Singh first met Sam Bankman-Fried through the now-disgraced FTX founder's younger brother Gabe, who he was high school friends with. "[Former FTX chief technology officer] Gary [Wang] is scared, Nishad is ashamed and guilty," Bankman-Fried said. "It hit [Singh] hard. Read more: Everything we know about Nishad Singh, the 27-year-old former FTX exec who had an 8% stake in the crypto exchange

☆ BuzzFeed's $300M purchase of Complex promised to grow both brands, but insiders say strategies have clashed and Complex's culture is being 'completely gutted'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Complex insiders worry that the cuts threaten their brand's culture and future. Clashing video strategies as some fear Complex culture is being 'completely gutted'Kevin Hart appeared on Complex's "Hot Ones" series. Before joining with BuzzFeed, Complex's then-CEO Rich Antoniello had conversations with Vice Media and Vox Media. But Complex insiders felt especially aggrieved when, this fall, BuzzFeed announced a global expansion for ComplexCon. To Complex insiders, BuzzFeed's plan to take the event to Australia, Europe, and Asia simultaneously was unrealistic and under-resourced.

☆ Democrats Hold the Senate, and Liberal Justices Suddenly Get Old
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( James Taranto | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

A “red wave” wasn’t the only election result that failed to materialize in November. Neither was there a surge of anonymously sourced stories to the effect that Joe Biden is too old and feeble to seek a second term. Instead, on Nov. 19, the eve of his birthday, the New York Times published a piece with the headline “President Biden Is Turning 80. Experts Say Age Is More Than a Number.” The Times cited one of those “10 experts in aging” in assuring its readers that “the life expectancy for the average white, 80-year-old man is another eight years.”But only two days after the election, journalists began calling for two considerably younger officeholders—Justices Sonia Sotomayor , 68, and Elena Kagan , 62—to step down. Dylan Matthews of Vox, a website that caters to left-of-center middle-aged millennials, tweeted on Nov. 10: “Assuming Dems hold the Senate, this is a good time for Kagan and Sotomayor to retire.”

☆ Everything we know about Nishad Singh, the 27-year-old former FTX exec who had an 8% stake in the crypto exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nishad Singh was FTX's Director of Engineering and had a 7.8% stake in the crypto exchange. Singh received a $543 million loan from Alameda Research, per bankruptcy filings. Singh was FTX's director of engineering, and had a 7.8% stake in the company. Singh's nearly 8% stake, which also included FTX subsidiary FTX.US, was worth about $572 million in March of this year. A year after Singh became FTX's director of engineering, he became a steady donor for the Democratic Party.

☆ Gary Wang, the mysterious FTX cofounder, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Here's what we know about the key player in the failed crypto empire.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

FTX cofounder Gary Wang was a critical player during the rise and fall of SBF's crypto empire . Wang also served as FTX's former chief technology officer but kept a low profile. Wang served as the chief technology officer at FTX until the exchange collapsed in mid-November. Wang later became the chief technology officer at FTX, establishing himself as a key member of the crypto empire's inner circle. Fraud charges and guilty pleaUnlike his cofounder, Wang has largely disappeared from view since he was fired from FTX after the company's implosion.

☆ Gary Wang, the mysterious FTX cofounder, is cooperating with prosecutors. Here's what we know about the key player in the failed crypto empire.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

FTX cofounder Gary Wang was a critical player during the rise and fall of SBF's crypto empire . Throughout his time at FTX, Wang maintained a limited online presence and steered clear of media interviews, leaving the limelight to his cofounder, Sam Bankman-Fried. But at FTX, Wang was a somewhat reclusive figure, per reports. Fraud charges and guilty pleaUnlike his cofounder, Wang has largely disappeared from view since he was fired from FTX after the company's implosion. "All of the sudden that snapped into he was leaving that day, back to the US and implicitly mostly stopped working," Bankman-Fried told the news outlet.

☆ Complex insiders say owner BuzzFeed has shed key talent, failed to invest in core content, and threatens to dilute the hip culture brand: 'The BuzzFeed ethos does not get it'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Clashing video strategies as some fear Complex culture is being 'completely gutted'Kevin Hart appeared on Complex's "Hot Ones" series. Before joining with BuzzFeed, Complex's then-CEO Rich Antoniello had conversations with Vice Media and Vox Media. Rubbing salt in the wound, Complex insiders said they felt their brand was scrappier and more culturally relevant than BuzzFeed, which many consider past its prime. But Complex insiders felt especially aggrieved when, this fall, BuzzFeed announced a global expansion for ComplexCon. To Complex insiders, BuzzFeed's plan to take the event to Australia, Europe, and Asia simultaneously was unrealistic and under-resourced.

Elon Musk announced that he would step down as the CEO of Twitter. "Should I step down as head of Twitter?," Musk tweeted on Sunday afternoon. The search was already ongoing before Musk's poll on whether he would step down, CNBC reported, citing unnamed sources. Musk's search for a new Twitter CEO comes amid criticisms and concerns from Tesla shareholders and analysts that he is spreading himself too thin. Musk is also the CEO of Tesla, which share price has fallen 61% this year so far.

☆ Who is Ryan Salame, the FTX exec, Republican mega-donor, and New England restaurateur who blew the whistle on FTX?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ryan Salame, FTX Digital Market's Co-CEO, tipped off regulators about what was going on at the exchange. Days before disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Co-CEO Salame tipped off regulators on alleged malfeasance at the once-$32 billion crypto empire. Bankman-Fried notoriously told a Vox reporter "fuck regulators....they make everything worse" shortly after FTX filed for bankruptcy protection last month. "I always thought he was a great leader," Childs, who hasn't seen Salame since highschool, told The Berkshire Eagle. He purchased six pieces of real estate in the area to the tune of $6 million, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

☆ Morningstar shares 2 trades they say will deliver 7% yearly returns over the next decade, even after accounting for inflation — and breaks down why the 60/40 portfolio strategy is starting to look att
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But the sell-offs have put both asset classes in a better position to succeed for the long-term, Straehl said in a recent note. While communication services stocks have largely sold off this year, the sector is now the most attractive in the market, Straehl said. The Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX) provides exposure to the communications services sector. The second trade Straehl said will deliver 7% real returns over the next 10 years is emerging market stocks. The stocks are in a more favorable place valuation-wise than developed market stocks, Straehl said.

☆ Elon Musk is tweeting about basically everything — apart from the poll where users said he should give up control of Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk polled Twitter users on Sunday about whether he should give up control of the company. Musk, who has run the site since buying it in late October, said he'd abide by the results of the poll. "Should I step down as head of Twitter?," Musk had tweeted. Shortly after posting the poll, Musk tweeted: "As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it." Some users and activist groups say there has been a rise in hate speech on the platform since Musk took over.

☆ After Twitter users voted to oust Elon Musk as CEO, he wants to change how polls work
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —When Elon Musk polled Twitter users about whether to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s account, he quickly followed through on the majority’s wish to do so. But since a clear majority of Twitter users voted for Musk to step down as Twitter CEO in another poll on Sunday, Musk has remained conspicuously (and uncharacteristically) silent. After one Twitter user said, “Blue subscribers should be the only ones that can vote in policy related polls,” Musk responded, “Good point. There is no successor.”CNBC reported Tuesday that Musk is “actively searching” for a new Twitter CEO, citing anonymous sources. The most obvious potential candidates for a new Twitter CEO are the Musk lieutenants who have been helping to run the company since his takeover.

☆ Gen Z is re-thinking college and career plans in post-Roe America: ‘I want to leave the country’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

There is an endless list of factors students consider while choosing a college: size, cost, campus life, proximity to home. In post-Roe America, location has never been more important to prospective and current college students deciding where to pursue a degree or build their career. The 21-year-old, now a junior studying political science at the University of South Dakota, is the president of USD Students for Reproductive Rights. Lexi McKee-Hemenway and Kyshea Koehler at an event hosted by USD Students for Reproductive Rights. Harvard University freshmen rally in Harvard Yard on May 4, 2022 to defend abortion rights.

☆ Analysis: The Twitter CEO is conspicuously quiet after users vote for him to step down amid chaotic policy changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In fact, Musk spent most of Monday conspicuously quiet, refraining from tweeting for a remarkable 18-hour period. In one Sunday night tweet, Musk wrote, “No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. Musk last month said he would “find somebody else to run Twitter” and that he expected to “reduce” his time there. The electric automaker bore the brunt of more bad news related to Musk’s Twitter obsession on Monday. As the saying goes, Vox populi, Vox dei.

☆ Twitter users just voted for Elon Musk to step down as head of the company. Before votes were cast, Musk said he'd abide by the result.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter users on Monday voted in favor of Elon Musk stepping down as the company's chief. The results of a poll posted by Musk on Sunday showed 57.5% of votes in favour of his departure. Musk said before votes were cast that he'd abide by the results of his poll. On Sunday, Musk posted a yes-no poll on Twitter asking whether he should step down as the company's head. Upon posting the poll on Sunday, Musk tweeted: "Should I step down as head of Twitter?

☆ FTX users say they take little comfort in Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest - and still don't have much hope they'll get their money back
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

SBF's arrest isn't reassuring users who are worried about getting their money out of the failed exchange. "It really wouldn't change my life or anyone's life if he goes to jail," one user said. Tadeh Tarverdian, a customer of FTX who had $10,000 in his account when the exchange collapsed last month, said news of the Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest made him more anxious about getting his money back. Evan Luthra, an entrepreneur who says he lost $2 million when the exchange collapsed, also doesn't find comfort in Bankman-Fried's arrest. He speculated the former crypto executive would be found guilty due to the "obvious" mismanagement of FTX, as well Bankman-Fried's media interviews.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' makes the visual effects in Marvel movies and other blockbusters look amateur
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In an interview with ComicBook.com last week, the filmmaker threw shade at the visual effects in Marvel movies, comparing them to those in "Avatar: The Way of Water," his long-awaited sequel to the first "Avatar." After a year of Marvel movies and other big-budget tentpoles whose looks didn't impress me, the movie was a breath of fresh air. That same month, a VFX artist who has worked on Marvel movies wrote a scathing essay for Vulture, alleging that Marvel overworks VFX houses and demands last-minute changes. The reality is that the problems with Marvel movies are a reflection of the state of big-budget movies in general. Audiences are already realizing that these premium formats are the best way to see "The Way of Water."

☆ Google execs warn company's reputation could suffer if it moves too fast on AI-chat technology
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Some of them are wondering where Google is in the race to create sophisticated chatbots that can answer user queries. After all, Google's prime business is web search, and the company has long touted itself as a pioneer in AI. Billions of people across the globe use Google's search engine, while ChatGPT just crossed 1 million users in early December. Taking Google 'for granted'Employees had other concerns about Google search. Industry estimates still show that Google holds at least 90% of the search market, and the company remains under scrutiny by regulators.

☆ Elon Musk says his politics are in the center but extremism experts say he's using Twitter to increasingly empower right-wing viewpoints
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Elon Musk has been weighing in more and more on political issues since buying Twitter. "Any argument that he's trying to empower the center is patently bullshit," a researcher on extremism told Insider. "In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party," Musk wrote in a tweet this May. "Any argument that he's trying to empower the center is patently bullshit and should be treated as such." "The way that Twitter's content moderation has changed since he's taken over has definitely skewed towards favoring the far-right," Berger said.

☆ Twitter reinstates the account of 'Baked Alaska' — the far-right troll who pleaded guilty to a Capitol riot charge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter has reinstated the account of an internet troll who pleaded guilty to a Capitol riot charge. The reinstatement appears to be part of Elon Musk's plan to offer a "general amnesty" to suspended accounts. Gionet, who live-streamed his participation in the Capitol riot, was permanently banned from Twitter in 2017 for violating the platform's hateful conduct policy. The internet personality, who participated in the deadly Unite the Right white nationalist rally in 2017, appears to have had his account reinstated on Friday night. Gionet, who faces up to six months in prison for pleading guilty to his Capitol riot charge, has not yet received his jail sentence.

☆ Starbucks workers are divided on the chain's new tipping system
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Starbucks is expanding its new credit card tipping system across the US. "Starbucks customers have multiple options for showing their appreciation for our store partners," the coffee chain told Insider in a statement. Workers that spoke to Insider said they averaged an extra $1 to $2 per hour in credit card tips. For workers who aren't sold on the new system, the problem is more about the customers rather than the tipping itself. A Starbucks spokesperson told Insider that the update was suggested by workers in discussion sessions with employees on pain points and ways to improve the experience.

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