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☆ Maker of Vicks, OXO and Osprey is laying off 10% of its staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Helen of Troy, which owns Vicks, OXO and Osprey among other consumer goods and beauty brands, is laying off 10% of its staff, in the face of sluggish demand and economic uncertainty. They are part of an effort to streamline the organization and reach $75 to $85 million in annualized savings in the coming years. Salesforce is planning to cut about 10% of staff and reduce its real estate footprint. Helen of Troy, which owns Vicks and other brands, is reducing its workforce by 10%. In the beauty segment, it owns Drybar and Hot Tools, which sells curling irons and other hair tools.

The new House GOP majority returns to elect a speaker after failing on three votes Tuesday. ... Nancy Pelosi reacts to GOP dysfunction: “As one who loves this institution, I think it’s a sad day.” ... And President Biden appears with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell to tout the bipartisan infrastructure law. Andy Beshear) all appear at an event in Kentucky promoting a bridge improvement from the bipartisan infrastructure law. 16: How many years Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has served as Senate GOP leader, making him the longest-serving Senate leader ever, per NBC News’ Frank Thorp. Eyes on 2024: DeSantis takes office amid GOP chaosAs the GOP descended into chaos on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Florida GOP Gov.

But Argentina is starting in a significant moisture hole given that La Nina, the cool phase of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, is hanging around for a third consecutive season. Monthly precipitation in ArgentinaDrought and heat cut Argentina's 2022 soy and corn yields to four-year lows, but the crops are in worse shape now. GOODBYE LA NINA? The calendar year of 2022 was the driest in Argentina’s grain belt since 2008, which started with a strong La Nina that had begun in mid-2007. Weather will matter for Argentina's soy and corn through at least March given the later development.

The managed money meal net long of 129,989 contracts, up about 8,700 on the week, rivals May 2018’s high of 133,549. That is supported by a heavier managed money net long: 128,616 futures and options contracts now versus about 98,000 a year ago. Most-active CBOT soybean futures on Friday settled at $15.24 per bushel, their highest since June. CBOT soybean oil futures expanded 13.3% in 2022 after increasing by a third in 2021, though they declined 3.5% in the latest three sessions. Open interest in CBOT wheat futures and options had ended 2021 at the lowest point for the date since 2008.

☆ The most ridiculous ways accused Capitol rioters got caught, from bad Bumble matches to an unbelievable Uber ride
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Without further adieu: The least surprising ways Capitol rioters got caught. 2 accused rioters made big Bumble blundersThese accused rioters' reach for romance landed them in trouble with the law. Officials charged Alam with several counts last year and he pleaded guilty to all charges in December 2021, according to the Justice Department. An unbelievable Uber ride was this accused rioter's downfallAlleged defendant Jerry Daniel Braun was turned in by his get-away car driver, according to court documents. "Well, because, so we could get to the Capitol," Braun replied.

☆ France urges EU peers to test Chinese travellers for COVID
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Jan 1 (Reuters) - France on Sunday urged European Union peers to test Chinese travellers for COVID after Paris decided to do so amid an outbreak sweeping the country. Only Italy and Spain also require tests in the 27-nation, largely border-free EU and health officials from across the bloc failed last week to agree on a joint course. From Sunday, France is requiring that travellers from China provide a negative COVID-19 test result less than 48 hours before departure and will randomly test those arriving. "France will push for this methodology to be applied across the EU," Health Minister François Braun said as he and Transport Minister Clement Beaune checked on the new procedures at Paris' Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport. Asked about the fact that a Chinese traveller with COVID could for the time being land in another EU country and then travel unchecked to France, Beaune said: "This is why we must coordinate (across the EU), to be more efficient."

☆ CIOs Nominate Their Favorite Reads of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Tom Loftus | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

Chief information officers, ever alert to any development in a field that only hurtles forward, largely reflected that alacrity in their choice of reading during 2022. PREVIEWChris Bedi, chief digital information officer, ServiceNow Inc. Photo: IBM Corp.Ron Guerrier, chief information officer, HP Inc. Photo: Cisco Systems Inc.Fletcher Previn, chief information officer, Cisco Systems Inc. Photo: Home Depot Inc.Fahim Siddiqui, chief information officer, Home Depot Inc.

☆ Sen. Mike Braun's Indiana gubernatorial bid jump-starts the GOP's first open Senate seat race of 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Warren Rojas | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican Sen. Mike Braun is running for governor of Indiana in 2024. He filed the paperwork to create the new Mike Braun for Indiana, Inc., campaign committee in late November and has since rolled out a promotional website. "I'm very confident Indiana will stay in Republican hands," Daines told Insider between votes at the US Capitol. And fortunately for the Hoosier State, we have a lot of talented people who might run for that seat," Young told Insider at the US Capitol. The Banks and Spartz campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment about prospective Senate runs in 2024.

☆ Going Into 2023, CIOs Weigh Tech Priorities Against Economic Realities
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Angus Loten | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Bonnie Titone, chief information officer at Duke Energy Corp., a Charlotte, N.C.-based power producer, said CIOs are being told to get by with less, but without decreasing output or positive outcomes. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CIO Journal The Morning Download delivers daily insights and news on business technology from the CIO Journal team. One resource to keep top of mind is talent, said Brad Peterson, Nasdaq Inc.’s chief technology and chief information officer, adding that economic slowdowns can provide opportunities to reassess talent development and succession planning. Diogo Rau, chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly Photo: Eli Lilly & Co. “My perceptions of the economy haven’t changed the way I plan to approach my role,” said Diogo Rau, chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly & Co.

Historically, ratios below 2.3 are supportive of corn planting and soybeans dominate around 2.5 and above, but the middle can be gray. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently slated 2023 corn acres at 92 million, up from 88.6 million this year. Soybean plantings were seen at 87 million acres in 2023 versus 87.5 million in 2022. Prices as of February should better dictate U.S. farmers’ 2023 planting intentions, but for now, corn’s supremacy has slipped. Unsurprisingly, bean acres were higher and corn acres lower than the earliest ideas that year.

The Senate voted 70-25 to proceed to debate of the bill, with some Republican senators hoping to offer amendments. A handful of conservative Senate Republicans on Tuesday said they objected to the bill, but would not try to stop its passage. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said most of his caucus supports it: "We're moving toward completing the business for the year. And I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans." Among the most significant add-ons to the spending bill is the bipartisan Electoral Count Act, which overhauls and clarifies Congress' certification process for presidential elections.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Conservative Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday expressed outrage at a $1.66 trillion government funding bill, but signaled that they did not intend to significantly delay the measure, which could lead to a weekend partial government shutdown. Fellow Republican Senator Mike Braun said the group will intensify its budget reform efforts next year, when Republicans take control of the House of Representatives. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said most of his caucus supports it: "We're moving toward completing the business for the year. And I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans." Among the most significant add-ons to the spending bill is the bipartisan Electoral Count Act, which overhauls and clarifies Congress' certification process for presidential elections.

☆ Nonstop partying, lavish spending, and sexual-harassment accusations: Inside the self-destruction of Pollen, the music startup once worth $800 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Melkorka Licea | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +41 min

About 400 Pollen employees were camped out in Mendocino County, California, for five straight days of partying. Two former Pollen employees told Insider that they recalled the assistant telling them about Callum's inappropriate comments at the time. (The Pollen representative said Callum and Bedi didn't date at Pollen or at any other company connected to Pollen. Out of 360 events Pollen announced over the past 12 months, 39 were canceled, the Pollen representative said. (The Pollen representative said that "out of hundreds of thousands of customers, fewer than 100 people were moderated" online.)

☆ Sen. Mike Braun on $1.7 trillion funding bill: 'I'm definitely not going to vote for it'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSen. Mike Braun on $1.7 trillion funding bill: 'I'm definitely not going to vote for it'Sen. Mike Braun, a member of the Appropriations Committee, joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest $1.7 trillion government funding bill.

☆ Wirecard witness admits guilt but pins German fraud blame on ex-CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Christina Amann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oliver Bellenhaus, who was head of Wirecard's subsidiary in Dubai, became a key witness in the case after turning himself in to German authorities in 2020. They face charges including fraud and market manipulation and if convicted could be jailed for up to 15 years. Florian Eder, a lawyer for Bellenhaus, told Reuters that the cooperation of his client should result in a "very significant reduction" in his sentence. It was a swindle from the beginning," Bellenhaus told the court, saying he deeply regretted his involvement and the damage it caused. But Bellenhaus told the court on Monday it was "blind loyalty" to Braun, whom he described as an "absolutist CEO", that had landed him in court in Munich.

☆ Conservative senators hail member-led strategy session as 'good first step' in dealing with mounting frustrations about Mitch McConnell's leadership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A group of Senate Republicans hosted their first member-led policy discussion on Wednesday. Attendees said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was in the room but didn't participate. "Nothing was fleshed out," Braun told reporters at the US Capitol, adding that "I think it's the beginning, maybe, of a more participatory process." Still, convening more meetings, which Cornyn said this group seemed inclined to do, is preferable to the scorched-earth tactics others have embraced in the past. "I think they're good meetings to have," Rubio told Insider.

☆ The Best Electric Razor for a Smoother Shave
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +19 min

You can find a capable electric shaver for even less, but the learning curve (and lack of add-ons) could prove problematic. If you’d like to read how we vetted and tested these electric shavers, scroll down for all the details. Best overall electric shaverBuy Side Top Pick Braun Series 7 7027cs $137 at Amazon $ 150 Save $ 13 $139 at Walmart The best combination of performance, accessories and price of any electric shaver. Best lower-price electric shaverAndis ProFoil Lithium Titanium Foil Shaver $55 at Amazon $ 68 Save $ 13 $55 at Walmart This model is priced as low as you’ll want to go for a quality electric shaver. Make sure the electric shaver you’re buying has the accessory package that makes the most sense for your needs and your budget.

Democrats both in Washington D.C. and Arizona spent the weekend processing Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s decision to leave the party and register as an independent. The Biden White House’s statement called her a “key partner” that they expect to continue to work with. A growing field in Indiana: Four Republicans could be running to succeed Indiana GOP Gov. This comes as Indiana GOP Sen. Mike Braun and the state’s GOP Lt. Gov. Fort Wayne businessperson Eric Doden has already announced his campaign, and the state’s Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers is expected to jump into the race as well.

CORN AND WHEATMoney managers’ net long in CBOT corn futures and options is now the smallest since the early days of the recent rally in September 2020. Managed money net position in CBOT corn futures and optionsThat was the largest weekly net reduction in corn since August 2019. Most-active CBOT wheat futures lost nearly 7% in the week ended Dec. 6, reaching their lowest level since October 2021. Money managers increased their net short by more than 9,000 to 63,382 futures and options contracts, the most bearish since May 2019. March Minneapolis wheat also notched four-month lows on Dec. 6, and money managers pushed their net short position past 3,000 futures and options contracts.

Companies Wirecard AG FollowMUNICH, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun began his defence in Germany's biggest post-war fraud trial on Monday, as his lawyer dismissed allegations of wrongdoing at the defunct payments company as "absurd" and prejudiced. They said the deception allowed Wirecard's managers to siphon money out of the company for years. "It's an absolutely absurd and erroneous notion that a gang leader would act like this," Dierlamm told the court. Braun's lawyer told the court that the prosecution's key witness was the main perpetrator. Wirecard became the first-ever member of Germany's DAX blue chip stock index to file for insolvency, owing nearly $4 billion.

☆ CBS-owned stations added to free, rapidly growing local news streaming service VUit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

He added: "It's a double-edged sword when making the transition to the [streaming] TV world." TV and streaming services are crawling all over each other for more content that retains viewers. Some companies like Sinclair have created their own free streaming services, and many affiliates use their websites and build their own apps to offer newscasts. VUit aims to work with CBS's local stations to boost their hyperlocal events on the platform and attract more eyeballs. A recent Iceman Challenge mountain bike race in Traverse City, Michigan, available only from local station WWTV on VUit's platform, garnered thousands of viewers.

☆ Wirecard bosses' fraud trial begins after scandal that rocked Germany
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jörn Poltz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The trial is taking place in Munich's largest and newest courtroom, a bomb-proof underground hall built in the Stadelheim prison complex. Braun, an Austrian born in Vienna, has denied embezzling money from Wirecard and accused others of running a shadow operation without his knowledge. [1/8] Wirecard's former CEO Markus Braun looks on at a courtroom as his trial begins, after the German payments company collapsed in the wake of a fraud scandal in 2020, in Munich, Germany, December 8, 2022. The fraud let Wirecard managers siphon money out of the company with no proper checks and balances. "All three defendants worked together to make Wirecard appear as an extremely successful FinTech company," said Anne Leiding, a spokesperson for the prosecutors.

☆ Wirecard ex-boss on trial for fraud in scandal that rocked Germany
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jörn Poltz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The trial is taking place in Munich's largest and newest courtroom, a bomb-proof underground hall built in the Stadelheim prison complex. Braun has denied embezzling money from Wirecard and accused others of running a shadow operation without his knowledge. [1/7] Wirecard's former CEO Markus Braun looks on at a courtroom as his trial begins, after the German payments company collapsed in the wake of a fraud scandal in 2020, in Munich, Germany, December 8, 2022. The fraud let Wirecard managers siphon money out of the company with no proper checks and balances. Scholz also criticised Wirecard's auditor, EY, for failing to detect the fraud.

☆ Former Wirecard boss goes on trial in fraud scandal that rocked Germany
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jörn Poltz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Wirecard's former boss Markus Braun listens, ahead of testifying before a German parliamentary committee in Berlin, Germany, November 19, 2020. Braun has denied embezzling money from Wirecard and accused others of running a shadow operation without his knowledge. However, within days, Wirecard became the first-ever DAX member to file for insolvency, owing creditors nearly $4 billion. Following Wirecard's demise, the head of German financial regulator BaFin resigned and the head of Germany's accounting watchdog also stepped down. Scholz also criticised Wirecard's auditor, EY, for failing to catch the fraud.

Nine vessels totaling 606,540 tonnes of Brazilian corn were set for sail to China this month, according to Tuesday’s shipping lineup from Williams Shipping Agency. Phytosanitary requirements prevented China from importing much corn from Brazil before last month, when Beijing approved several Brazilian corn traders for export. China’s remaining U.S. corn balance is thin, with unshipped 2022-23 sales at 1.8 million tonnes as of Nov. 24. Exporter association Anec on Wednesday pegged Brazil’s December soy exports at 1.7 million tonnes, below the five-year average of 2.5 million. China and unknown destinations, frequently assumed to be China, purchased 1.9 million tonnes of U.S. soy in the week ended Nov. 10.

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