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☆ Should You Lock in Today’s CD Rates?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

Buying a long-term CD means you could lock in today’s generous rates for years to come. Today top CD rates on three- to five-year CDs are 4% to 5%, the highest they have been since the mid 2000s. Deciding when to lock in CD rates is always a balancing act—and even more so in today’s climate of high economic uncertainty. Second, they let you lock prevailing interest rates, so if rates fall you’ll continue to earn the rate you signed up for, for the entire term of the CD. For instance, CIT Bank’s no-penalty CD has an APY of 4.9%—just a hair below the 5% APY its top regular CD offers.

☆ Ultrasound Pulses to Brain Send Mice Into a Hibernation-Like State
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Veronique Greenwood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Hibernating creatures curl up underground in winter, slowing their metabolism so they can make it to spring without food. Even laboratory mice, if deprived of food, can enter a state called torpor, a kind of standby mode that economizes energy. But as scientists work to understand states like torpor and hibernation, tantalizing details about how the brain controls metabolism have emerged. Researchers reported in the journal Nature Metabolism on Thursday that they’ve been able to send mice into a torpor-like state by targeting a specific part of the brain with short bursts of ultrasound. A growing body of work is exploring ultrasound as a treatment for disorders like depression and anxiety.

Persons: they’ve, neuroscientists, Hong Chen, Louis, William Tyler Organizations: Washington University, University of Alabama Locations: St, Birmingham

☆ Lower cholesterol with a plant-based diet, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In study particpants, LDL levels dropped 10% and total cholesterol declined 7% for people following a plant-based diet when compared with those who eat both meat and plants, the study found. A plant-based diet can help reduce LDL cholesterol, a new study said. Statin treatment is superior to plant-based diets in reducing fats and cholesterol levels, Frikke-Schmidt said in a statement. In addition, people who transition to a plant-based diet should still be mindful about the kinds of foods they’re consuming. “Not all plant-based diets are equal,” said Aedin Cassidy, professor and director for interdisciplinary research at the Institute for Global Food Security in Queen’s University Belfast, in a statement.

☆ Australian PM backs G7 on 'de-risking' trade with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, May 21 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that he backed a Group of Seven (G7) joint statement out of Japan stressing the need to ease reliance on trade with China. Albanese said Australia had "for some time" expressed concern about China's activity, pointing to the "chafing" of an Australian aircraft. In May 2022, a Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military plane in the South China Sea region, according to Australia's defence department. China, firmly opposing the G7 statement, has complained to summit organiser Japan, the Chinese foreign ministry has said. "That clarity should be there before the Prime Minister entertains a formal state visit to Beijing," Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham told ABC television.

☆ A 30-year-old university dropout and former Pizza Hut delivery driver is now worth $1.1 billion — 3 times more than Ed Sheeran
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ben Francis is a university dropout and former Pizza Hut delivery driver who founded Gymshark. The 30-year-old is up seven places to 184th on this year's Sunday Times Rich List. He's now worth £900 million, or $1.1 billion, putting him up seven places to 184th on this year's Sunday Times Rich List. After leaving Aston University in Birmingham, England, Francis cofounded the sportswear company Gymshark. The pair were turning over about £300 a day at that time, Francis wrote.

☆ Homebuilder sentiment pulls out of negative territory for the first time in nearly a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's the fifth straight month of gains and the first reading of builder sentiment since July that wasn't negative, which would be a reading below 50. With mortgage rates now double what they were a year and a half ago, some potential sellers may be reluctant to trade to another home at a higher rate. Homebuilders also drew more buyers by offering incentives, like buying down mortgage rates. Sentiment in the Midwest rose 2 points to 39. In the South, it increased 3 points to 52, and in the West moved 3 points higher to 41.

In midsized metros Metros with 250,000 to one million residents. An Emerging Divide Mobility has risen for college-educated workers, even as it has fallen for workers without a degree. College-educated workers leaving the most expensive parts of the country are also not spreading out equally everywhere — or even going to parts of the country that are struggling. Net migration among college graduates Loss Gain Among the 12 most expensive metros, net college migration has generally declined or turned negative. “Consumer cities,” as she puts it, are increasingly replacing “producer cities” as the places where college graduates want to live.

☆ The agony and ecstasy of scoring last-minute face value Taylor Swift tickets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“My family [last weekend] took the gamble to drive down the 5 hours to Nashville to see if we could get face value tickets,” she said. Another Twitter account called @ErasTourResell, which has 120,000 followers, has gained significant traction working with resellers who want to sell their tickets at face value. The trio of twenty-somethings aim to make Swift tickets as accessible to fans as possible without them overpaying or getting scammed. “So far we’ve posted somewhere between 2,700 and 3,000 tickets, all for face value,” the trio said in a DM conversation on Twitter. “It’s truly so rewarding seeing these tickets go to real fans for face value when the resale market has insane prices with people making three times the profit.

☆ Joran van der Sloot: One of the last people to see Natalee Holloway alive in 2005 is being extradited to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Joe Sutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Joran van der Sloot, one of the last people to see American Natalee Holloway alive in Aruba in 2005 before she disappeared, will be extradited to the US, according to a family statement released Wednesday which was obtained by CNN. “In May 2005 my 18-year-old daughter Natalee Holloway left Birmingham for Aruba to attend her high school graduation trip and was never seen again,” mother Beth Holloway said in the statement. Holloway was last seen in the early hours of May 30, 2005, leaving a nightclub in Aruba with van der Sloot and two other men. Dutch citizen Joran Van der Sloot walks inside the courtroom during the reading of his verdict, in the Lurigancho prison in Lima January 13, 2012. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee.”Van der Sloot, a Dutch national, has been indicted in the US on federal charges of extortion and wire fraud.

☆ Russia's version of NATO is crumbling, with even some of its closest allies frustrated by Putin's failing war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

CSTO, Russia's equivalent of NATO, was never a powerhouse, but relations have become more strained. And Frankopan said that countries had likely stopped trusting Russia's military abilities. Marin also said that CSTO members don't seem interested in taking big risks to protect the alliance's future. AP Photo/Felipe Dana, FileRussia a 'toxic partner'According to Frankopan, regional backlash to Russia's invasion of Ukraine could be happening for multiple reasons, including ideological objections to Russia's brutal tactics. Marin said the Ukraine invasion had made Russia a "rather toxic partner" to most of its post-Soviet neighbours.

☆ Australian journalist nears 1,000 days in detention in China on state secrets charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

read moreHer arrest by state security in September 2020 came as China widened blocks on Australian exports amid a diplomatic dispute, but the barriers are falling now, with a visit by Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell planned. China has previously said Australia should respect China's judicial sovereignty, adding that her legal rights were being upheld. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Cheng had shown "great resilience and courage", and the Australian government was concerned by the delay. Born in China, Cheng moved with her scientist parents to Australia as a 10-year-old. "No light has been shed on the allegations" against Cheng after three years, said former trade minister Simon Birmingham, whom she interviewed on his visits to China.

☆ HSBC poised to see off Asia spinoff threat at crunch shareholder vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BIRMINGHAM, England, May 5 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L) is expected on Friday to defeat a proposal by Hong Kong-based investors, backed by its biggest Asian investor Ping An, which calls for the lender to consider spinning off its Asia business. HSBC has asked investors to vote against the proposals, saying they would destroy shareholder value, and so far no other big institutional investors have signalled they are in favour. Lui said he was only able to disclose he had met with Ping An and that they were supportive. HSBC tripled its profit in the first quarter as rising interest rates boosted its income, paying its first quarterly dividend since 2019. Reporting By Lawrence White, Additional reporting by Iain Withers, Editing by Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ HSBC defeats Asia spin-off proposal at investor meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest bank HSBC (HSBA.L) defeated a resolution from Hong Kong-based shareholders and backed by major investor Ping An to potentially spin-off its lucrative Asia business, the bank's chairman Mark Tucker said on Friday. Tucker told investors at the end of the annual investor meeting held in Birmingham in England that shareholders had backed the board in all resolutions. The special resolutions submitted by individual investor Ken Lui recommending the bank boost dividends and review its strategy were both defeated, Tucker said. A HSBC spokesperson said that apart from Ping An, none of the bank's top 50 shareholders voted against the board and a "strong majority" of retail shareholders also backed the lender. "The overwhelming majority of shareholders, excluding Ping An, have voted to draw a line under the debate on the structure of the bank," the spokesperson added.

☆ HSBC faces down protests on strategy, climate at annual meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BIRMINGHAM, England, May 5 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L) faced down opposition to its strategy and climate policy at a fractious annual investor meeting in Birmingham in England on Friday, including a shareholder proposal to spin-off its lucrative Asia business backed by major investor Ping An. Shareholder Lui questioned HSBC's board directly at the meeting on Friday, prompting the bank's chairman Mark Tucker to say criticism of the bank's performance showed "a fundamental misunderstanding of HSBC's business." HSBC's Tucker told the meeting that any break-up of the bank would undermine its global strategy and dent its revenue, repeating the bank's argument that it would be risky and costly. "So it would not be in shareholders' interests to split the bank," Tucker said. Like Barclays' investor meeting earlier this week, HSBC's event was repeatedly interrupted by climate campaigners singing songs, while one protester stood up at the front of the hall with a banner reading 'No more dirty coal'.

☆ HSBC: the global bank faces off with divided shareholders
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —HSBC shareholders are expected to vote Friday on demands for a radical overhaul of the bank. Canvassing for supportBut Ken Lui, an activist shareholder in Hong Kong spearheading the resolution, told CNN he was confident his proposal would pass. Ken Lui canvassing for votes in Hong Kong in April. Courtesy Ken LuiThese shareholders have been unhappy with the bank previously scrapping its dividend in 2020, at the request of British regulators. HSBC shares were down about half a percent in Hong Kong afternoon Friday.

☆ Dogs (and Cats) on a Plane
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Christine Chung | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last Friday evening, as drizzle fell on the tarmac, 10 passengers boarded a Gulfstream G4 headed from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to Farnborough Airport, just southwest of London. They didn’t seem to notice the plush leather seats or the treats nestled in champagne flutes in the armrests. The passenger manifest included nine dogs, mostly on the larger side, and one sphinx cat, as well as 10 humans. All had one thing in common: an aversion to putting their pets in the cargo hold. Pet owners seeking to transport their pets on commercial flights must navigate a patchwork of rules that vary by airline.

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

☆ Oral sex is the leading 'risk factor' for a throat cancer, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Oral sex is now the leading "risk factor" for a throat cancer, an expert said. He said there has been a rapid increase in throat cancer cases in the West in recent decades. In both the US and the UK, oropharyngeal cancer is now more common than cancer of the cervix, he wrote. Because HPV is sexually transmitted, "for oropharyngeal cancer, the main risk factor is the number of lifetime sexual partners, especially oral sex," Mehanna said. Michael Douglas partly atributed his throat cancer diagnosis on oral sex.

☆ Turner's late goal earns Man United WSL win over Villa
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

United stay top on 47 points after 19 games of the 22-game season, six ahead of second-placed Manchester City and seven ahead of Chelsea, but the Blues have three games in hand over the leaders. It was a tough defeat for Villa, for whom striker Rachel Daly opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a brilliantly-timed looping header from a corner, but Leah Galton's first-time finish brought United back level six minutes later. The 31-year-old Daly put her side in front again eight minutes before the break, netting her 17th goal of the season to draw level with WSL top scorer Khadija Shaw of Manchester City. She almost completed her hat-trick on the hour mark but her left-foot shot clipped the crossbar, and instead United drew level as Nikita Parris headed home Hannah Blundell's cross. Reporting by Philip O'Connor Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why Do Apes Like to Spin? Maybe for the Same Reasons as People.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Rachel Nuwer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2011, a gorilla named Zola gained internet fame when the Calgary Zoo posted a video that showed him spinning in circles on his knuckles and heels with what appeared to be a huge grin on his face. Humans’ love of spinning around in circles, especially during childhood, is evidenced by the enduring popularity of playground merry-go-rounds, revolving fun park rides and the irresistible draw of somersaulting down a hill. But new research suggests that humans are not alone in their pursuit of spin-induced buzzes. According to findings published last month in the journal Primates, other great ape species also seem to regularly enjoy stimulating their senses through spinning, possibly even in pursuit of altered mental states. “So it’s really cool to find that other primates do this, too, and that they seem to do it for the same reason that children do: because it’s fun and exhilarating.”

☆ Aston Villa go fifth in Premier League with 1-0 win over Fulham
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BIRMINGHAM, England, April 25 (Reuters) - Defender Tyrone Mings scored a brilliant header from a set piece as Aston Villa beat Fulham 1-0 at Villa Park on Tuesday to lift them to fifth in the Premier League table, a step closer to ensuring European football next season. Villa are on 54 points after 33 games, one ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and five behind fourth-placed Manchester United. Fulham, whose European dreams were derailed by a run of four defeats in March and April, are ninth on 45 points. Fulham suffered a blow when midfielder Willian was injured in the warm-up and was unable to play, with Manor Solomon taking his place. Fulham found their feet in the second half but once again their attack failed to fire and, despite enjoying more possession, they did little to threaten Emiliano Martinez in the Villa goal.

☆ Harry Belafonte, calypso star and civil rights champion, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Alex Johnson | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Singer Harry Belafonte speaks during a press junket at The Bing Decision Maker Series with the Sing Your Song Cast and Filmmakers on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah. American singer Harry Belafonte performing in a recording studio, circa 1957. By the early 1960s, Belafonte had become a force in the civil rights movement. A crowd of over 10,000 civil rights marchers gathers in the Manhattan Garment Center as Harry Belafonte sings at spiritual at a civil rights rally. A capacity audience of civil rights advocates turned out to watch a glittering array of theater personalities perform.

☆ Tennis Polish airline says it refused boarding to Russian tennis player
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tennis player Vitalia Diatchenko said on Monday she was refused boarding to a LOT flight in Cairo, with German airline Lufthansa then also refusing to sell her a ticket. The European Union has banned all flights from Russia and has agreed to limit issuing free-travel Schengen zone visas. In September, Finland joined the Baltic states and Poland in closing its borders to Russian tourists. Unlike many other sports, tennis did not introduce a blanket ban on players from Russia and its ally Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine. Russian and Belarusian players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutral athletes.

☆ Cut-price fast-fashion retailer Primark is eyeing an ambitious US expansion, opening stores across southern states like Texas and Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It will open new stores across the South, including Texas, "anchored" to a new warehouse in Florida. It said that in the coming months it expected to sign leases for stores across the South, including in Texas. It has also signed leases to open stores in Orlando, Florida and Jersey City, New Jersey. "The first Florida store has shown us that we're relevant in that market," Weston told investors. As of March 4, Primark had 419 stores globally, with nearly half in the UK.

☆ UK, Netherlands plan cross-border power link to boost energy security
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, April 24 (Reuters) - The Netherlands and Britain plan to build what would be Europe's biggest cross-border electricity link connected to an offshore wind farm, their energy ministers said on Monday, part of efforts to boost energy security. "This new connection further boosts energy security and energy independence in Europe," Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten said in a statement. Britain and the Netherlands currently have one power interconnector, the 1GW BritNed link. The countries' leaders will commit to rapidly building wind farms and developing energy "islands", or connected offshore green power generation sites, according to a draft of their summit declaration seen by Reuters. The countries, which also include Germany, France and Norway, aim to develop a combined 120 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, the draft said.

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