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☆ Japan yields tumble to well below policy cap as BOJ stands pat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A Japan Yen note is seen in this illustration photo taken June 1, 2017. The yield was at 0.51% prior to the Bank of Japan decision. "If they had expanded the band again or terminated YCC, yields would rise, which would be a de facto rate hike for a second consecutive meeting," said Naomi Muguruma, senior market economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. The BOJ also made use of a newly announced policy tool immediately, offering five-year loans to financial institutions to enhance liquidity, and showing its resolve to keep yields low. At the post-meeting press conference, Kuroda defended the change, reiterating that widening the yield band has made YCC "fully sustainable".

☆ Congo beer factory a beacon in region rocked by rebels
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Erikas Mwisi Kambale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A general view shows the beer storage warehouse at the Brasimba beer production factory, a subsidiary of the Castel group, in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, December 21, 2022. REUTERS/Erikas Mwisi KambaleBENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Bottles of beer zip along a conveyor belt in a Brasimba factory which has weathered two deadly Ebola outbreaks and waves of fighting linked to rebel militias active in the nearby forests. After an initial investment of 125 million euros ($134 million), beer output at the plant in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Beni more than tripled to 600,000 hectolitres between 2013 and 2021. Along with warehouse expansion, this should help Brasimba manage supply disruptions as the impoverished province grapples with a major offensive by the M23 rebel group. Brasimba's brewery was founded in 1925 and its Beni factory employs around 130 people and a further 180 temporary workers, providing much-needed income in a country where the World Bank estimates 73% of people live on less than $1.90 a day.

☆ ‘The Huxleys’ Review: Darwin’s Bulldog and the Line He Bred
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Richard Davenport-Hines | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Thomas Huxley thought “the smallest fact is a window through which the Infinite may be seen.” His ideas moved from minute particulars to universal propositions. In 1869 he coined the word “agnostic’” to denote a method of thinking that required empirical data rather than biblical revelation to accept the existence of God. The Huxley tenets entailed wrestling with conscience, psychological stresses, spiritual anxiety, and anguish. Her focus is on two eminent scientific thinkers, Thomas (1825-1895) and his grandson Julian Huxley (1887-1975), but she does not provide a conventionally structured family biography following a neat chronological sequence. His descendants became investigators and thinkers who worked with high intensity to clarify some of the boldest, most contentious ideas of the 19th and 20th centuries.

☆ KeyBanc says former meme stock Bed Bath & Beyond will fall to 10 cents after bankruptcy warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Don't be surprised if beaten-down retail stock Bed Bath & Beyond falls even more from here, according to KeyBanc Capital Markets. "We do not see Bed Bath & Beyond as a strategic fit for any of the home furnishings retailers in our coverage group, but see interest from retailers in the company's Bed Bath & Beyond store leases, which are ~30,000 sq. ft. and generally in good locations," wrote analyst Cristina Fernández in a Friday note. "Over the past few months, management has stemmed the bleeding, improved liquidity, and improved relations with these two stakeholders," wrote analyst Christopher Horvers. Bed Bath & Beyond shares have experienced a roller-coaster ride in recent years, as smaller traders on Reddit piled into the heavily shorted retailer.

☆ Convicted ax murderer sentenced to life for killing step-grandfather in Wisconsin
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

SPARTA, Wis. — A judge sentenced a Wisconsin man to life plus 120 years in prison Wednesday for killing his step-grandfather with an ax and injuring two other people during an altercation at the step-grandfather’s home. Waite and his brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Margaret Waite, returned home to find Aspseter on the property. Bernard Waite told him to leave. An enraged Aspseter then hit Bernard and Michael Waite with the ax, striking both of them in the head, and struck Margaret Waite in the arm. Aspseter then shot himself in the throat with a rifle, called 911 and confessed to killing Bernard Waite, according to the complaint.

☆ A senior executive assistant at Uber and self-described introvert shares the LinkedIn strategy that launched her career in Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Elle Hardy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Katie Thomas is a senior executive assistant at Uber and a former assistant to Postmates' CFO. Before that, she was the executive assistant to Postmates' chief financial officer. Thomas Googled the executive assistant at Salesforce and saw that she had an impressive background. Getting a "good vibe" from email exchanges, Thomas said, she asked if the other executive assistant wanted to get a coffee or a drink. Thomas said that they went for a drink a few weeks later and that the executive assistant "really helped me think through what my next steps would be."

☆ Creator economy experts say 2023 will be a buyer's market for M&A. Here are 5 themes to watch, from tech buyers like Shopify to startup consolidation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Marta Biino | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"As a result, institutional acquirers, like PE firms who still have dry powder to spend, will start snatching up mid-to-large sized creator startups at much more advantageous prices." Insider spoke with creator-economy and market experts about what deals and the broader M&A landscape in 2023 may look like. "They're going to see that the creator economy exists as a direct failure of them to support creators," Gestetner said. "But if an opportunity arises for us to significantly enhance our capabilities to make us a better business powering the creator economy, we'll consider it." Startups can expect consolidation in saturated marketsThe crowded niches within the creator economy startup sphere could also face a wave of consolidation.

☆ Ginni Thomas told the Jan. 6 committee she 'regret' texting Mark Meadows about a 'coup' and pushing Sidney Powell's 'Kraken' plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas she regrets her text messages and posts sent in the wake of the 2020 election. "I regret all of these texts," Thomas, who goes by Ginni, told the panel during a closed-door deposition in September. The closest Ginni Thomas came to acknowledging any political conversation with Justice Thomas was a reference to her "best friend" bucking her up on November 24th. "I wish I could remember, but I have no memory of the specifics," Thomas told the panel of the conversation with her husband. The Washington Post and CBS' publication of Ginni Thomas' texts with Meadows in March caused a public firestorm, especially among Democrats.

“We were using Facebook Messenger to communicate with her parents and coached them through the delivery, so I watched her being delivered on my cellphone," Blackburn told NBC News. Davon Thomas with his wife, Erica Thomas, and their newborn, Devynn Brielle Thomas. Erica and Davon Thomas were trapped in their house by snow when Erica suddenly went into labor, Blackburn said. She had also instructed him to help his wife take a hot shower to ease her pain and help her move around “to get the gravity going,” Blackburn said. Moments later, Erica squatted down and when the baby came out, Davon Thomas was there to receive his daughter with towels in his arms.

☆ It's just the beginning of M&A in the creator economy. Industry experts predict 2023's top trends, and the buyers and sellers to watch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Marta Biino | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"As a result, institutional acquirers, like PE firms who still have dry powder to spend, will start snatching up mid-to-large sized creator startups at much more advantageous prices." "They're going to see that the creator economy exists as a direct failure of them to support creators," Gestetner said. "But if an opportunity arises for us to significantly enhance our capabilities to make us a better business powering the creator economy, we'll consider it." Startups can expect consolidation in saturated marketsThe crowded niches within the creator economy startup sphere could also face a wave of consolidation. In the creator economy, companies bet on the fact that YouTube advertising revenue on the videos will increase as the audiences of creators grow and they gain more views.

In 2019, Cambodia supplied 8,571 of the 33,818 research monkeys imported to the U.S., or 25%. In 2021, the number of monkeys from Cambodia more than doubled to 18,870, making up nearly 60% of the 31,844 research monkeys brought to America. Earlier this year, long-tailed macaques and pig-tailed macaques were listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The decades long effort by animal rights groups to derail the monkey trade has made some impact. The incident shined a rare spotlight on the monkey trade, which largely goes on outside the view of the public.

☆ Three of the men involved in the plot to kidnap Michigan governor sentenced to prison
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Musico was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison, followed by his son-in-law Morrison at 10 years and Bellar at seven. Judge Thomas Wilson presided over the first batch of convictions in state court, following the high-profile conspiracy convictions of four others in federal court. Bellar is clueless about any plot to kidnap the governor,” attorney Andrew Kirkpatrick said again in a court filing last week. Separately, in federal court in Grand Rapids, Fox and Croft face possible life sentences in two weeks. Two men who pleaded guilty received substantial breaks: Ty Garbin is free after a 2 1/2-year prison term while Kaleb Franks was given a four-year sentence.

☆ Asian FX bulls return as easing China COVID curbs improves outlook - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Upasana Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Long positions on most other emerging Asian currencies also firmed, with those on the Malaysian ringgit and South Korean won at around two-year highs, a fortnightly poll of 10 analysts showed. Elsewhere, sentiment on China's yuan was mostly neutral, while investors turned bullish on the Philippine peso for the first time since July 2021. Long positions on the Thai baht were at their highest level since late February, while those on the Singaporean dollar were highest since early February. A turnabout of that impulse should benefit high-beta, risk-sensitive and commodity-linked FX," Barclays' analysts wrote in a note. The poll uses estimates of net long or short positions on a scale of minus 3 to plus 3.

☆ Three Sentenced in Foiled Plot to Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Michigan judge on Thursday sentenced three men who had been convicted of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer . Paul Bellar, Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico were sentenced to prison terms as long as 20 years by Judge Thomas Wilson. They were convicted in October of aiding in the plot that was foiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2020. The charges against them included gang membership, supporting terrorist acts and firearms charges.

[1/2] Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks during a vaccine mobilization event at TCF center in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. July 12, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca CookDec 15 (Reuters) - Three men convicted of playing supporting roles in a foiled plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan in 2020 were sentenced to multiple years in prison on Thursday, as two of the conspiracy's ringleaders await sentencing before the end of the month. During the two-hour hearing, the men - dressed in orange prison jumpsuits - sat with their attorneys with their hands shackled to their waists. The group planned to break into Whitmer's vacation home, kidnap her and take her at gunpoint to stand "trial" on treason charges, prosecutors said. In August, two alleged militia members accused of conspiring to trigger a "second American revolution" in the kidnapping plot were found guilty of kidnapping conspiracy charges.

☆ Reselling brand gifts can be easy money influencers, but it comes with big risks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But other influencers, when they find themselves flooded with gifted products, turn to reselling them online. One particular brand Campbell worked with in the past would even vet influencers by checking if they were reselling gifted products on third-party websites before partnering with them. Brands and audiences may lose trust in influencers who resellFor many brands, seeing an influencer reselling a gifted product is a definite red flag. Influencers who consider reselling gifted products should also be careful about their taxes, said Qianna Smith Bruneteau, founder of the American Influencer Council. Reselling is most common in niches like fashionThe practice of reselling gifted products on second-hand websites like Depop or Poshmark is most common in the fashion space, industry insiders say.

☆ Biden signs bill protecting same-sex and interracial marriage months after Supreme Court raised doubts about marriage and contraception decisions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law on Tuesday. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and requires states to recognize marriages performed in other states. The bill emerged after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade threw precedents into doubt. The new law, designed to protect same-sex and interracial marriage, formally repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage at the federal level as being solely between a man and a woman. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a previously outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, notably never spoke out against the bill.

Smith takes over a staff that’s already nearly twice the size of Robert Mueller’s team of lawyers who worked on the Russia probe. Smith will also take on national security investigators already working the probe into the potential mishandling of federal records taken to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. Those lawyers maintain the former president is unlikely to be indicted, according to two sources familiar. Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019 at the Justice Department in Washington, DC. Trump allies have consistently maintained that nothing Trump did related to the election and January 6 itself amounts to a crime.

☆ Brand gifting to influencers has gotten 'excessive and gluttonous.' But reselling products is a big risk for creators.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Former NYPD officer sentenced to 25 years to life in freezing death of 8-year-old son
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A former New York City police officer whose 8-year-old son died after he was forced to sleep in the family's freezing garage, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Thursday. Michael Valva, 45, was found guilty of second-degree murder and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child in November in connection with the January 2020 death of his son Thomas Valva. Valva sobbed in court Thursday and apologized for his actions, NBC New York reported. Thankfully, the story of this defendant ends here, but the pursuit of justice for Thomas and Anthony continues," Tierney said. Surveillance footage submitted at the trial showed Michael Valva screaming at Thomas and ordering him outside to hose him down with water.

In their appeal to the Supreme Court, the Republicans argued that North Carolina's top court usurped their authority by throwing out the map. In that context - a fight over counting ballots in Florida - Rehnquist said the U.S. Constitution limits the authority of state courts. "This court has never second-guessed state court interpretations of their own constitution," said Katyal. Thomas Wolf, an attorney at New York University School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice, said if the Supreme Court gives itself too much leeway to intervene in state court disputes, it risks appearing politically motivated and lawless. The Supreme Court's ruling is due by the end of June.

☆ From Ukraine to Yemen, UN seeks record $51.5 bln for 'shockingly high' aid needs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The appeal represents a 25% increase on 2022 and is more than five times the amount sought a decade ago. "Humanitarian needs are shockingly high, as this year's extreme events are spilling into 2023," said U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, citing the war in Ukraine and drought in the Horn of Africa. But donor funding is already under strain with the multiple crises, forcing aid workers to make tough decisions on priorities. Unlike in other parts of the U.N. where fees depend on countries' economic size, humanitarian funding is voluntary and relies overwhelmingly on Western donations.

It would not bar states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so. A similar, but not identical, bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this year with support from 47 Republicans and all Democrats. The House would need to approve the Senate version before it is sent to President Joe Biden to sign into law. In June, the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion, undoing 50 years of precedent. In a concurring opinion, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the court should consider reversing other decisions protecting individual freedoms, including the 2015 ruling on gay marriage.

☆ Billionaire investor Ackman bets Hong Kong dollar peg can break
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said he’s betting the Hong Kong dollar will fall and that its peg to the U.S. dollar can break, the latest big money manager to take a public short bet as U.S. rate hikes turn the blowtorch on Hong Kong’s currency system. FILE PHOTO: A Hong Kong dollar note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration“We have a large notional short position against the Hong Kong dollar through the ownership of put options,” he said on Twitter. U.S. fund manager Kyle Bass has long bet against the Hong Kong dollar and told Nikkei in July he expects the peg to break. GRAPHIC: Hong Kong rates, liquidity ()($1 = 7.8132 Hong Kong dollars)

☆ Bill Ackman bets Hong Kong dollar peg can break
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FILE PHOTO: A Hong Kong dollar note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/IllustrationSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said he’s betting the Hong Kong dollar can fall and said it’s matter of time before its peg to the U.S. dollar breaks. “We have a large notional short position against the Hong Kong dollar through the ownership of put options,” he said on Twitter. “The peg no longer makes sense for Hong Kong.”The Hong Kong dollar is pegged in a tight band between 7.75 and 7.85 per dollar and was last at 7.8178 per dollar.

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