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☆ Brazil ‘mega-protest’ fizzles amid authorities’ concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

BRASILIA, Brazil — Skittish Brazilian authorities on Wednesday spared no effort to boost security in the face of a social media flyer promoting a “mega-protest to retake power” in two dozen cities. On Brasilia’s esplanade surrounded by federal government buildings, authorities had designated an area for protest and stationed police and national guard troops. Just one couple showed, dressed in the same Brazil soccer jerseys that thousands of rioters wore four days earlier. Citing the call to protest, a Supreme Court justice ordered local authorities in cities across Brazil to prevent protesters from blocking roads or occupying public spaces and buildings. Justice Minister Flávio Dino told local press this week that authorities have identified some of the protest’s financiers.

☆ Inflation may be retreating more than December's consumer price data actually shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Wall Street rose Thursday after December's tamer consumer price index matched expectations and fueled hopes for a less aggressive Federal Reserve in 2023. What made the move in stocks even more encouraging was that it came despite a strong run-up into the inflation data that saw the market enter overbought territory, as indicated by the S & P Oscillator. On the December release, we can see that the shelter index was up 0.8% month over month and up 7.5% year over year. Just as important, investors aren't taking action based so much on current inflation as they are on expectations of future inflation. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Brazilian authorities brace for possible repeat of uprising
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

It was unclear how large or violent such demonstrations might shape up to be, but skittish authorities took no chances. Citing the call to action on social media, a Supreme Court justice ordered local authorities in cities across Brazil to prevent protesters from blocking roads or occupying public spaces and buildings. A police officer carries away part of a vandalized sculpture Tuesday at the Supreme Court building in Brasília. Carl De Souza / AFP - Getty ImagesJustice Minister Flávio Dino told local press this week that authorities have identified some of the protest’s financiers. In November, the Supreme Court froze 43 bank accounts of people accused of having financed roadblocks that disrupted highway traffic in the wake of Lula’s victory.

☆ An architect shares interior-design upgrades for 4 rooms in your home for an extra-cozy winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NYC architect and designer Michael Gabellini recommended four upgrades to make a home extra cozy. His clients may demand luxury, but that doesn't mean that some upgrades can't be affordable. Install heated walls in the bathroomGabellini Sheppard designed the interiors for 611 West 56th Street in New York, with bathrooms that include heated floors. He's seeing a growing demand for heated walls, which are already popular in Germany. Gabellini SheppardYou've heard of heated floors — and now, heated walls — but what about heated countertops?

☆ DeSantis considers banning 'hostile nation' China from buying Florida real estate, polishing tough-on-China foreign policy stance amid 2024 speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis is considering asking the Florida legislature to ban China from real estate investments. Ron DeSantis is poised to ask state lawmakers to ban China from buying farmland and residences in Florida, the governor confirmed Tuesday. While foreign policy generally tends to be a small part of a governor's role, such actions on China could add to DeSantis' foreign policy portfolio. Before becoming governor, DeSantis representing Florida in the US House, where he served on the Foreign Affairs Committee and chaired the Subcommittee on National Security. Santa Claus may need to not do Chinese toys."

☆ New Mexico Democrats' homes and offices have been targeted in 5 shootings in recent weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Five shootings have targeted Democratic politicians' homes and offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico. No one has been injured in the shootings, and local and federal authorities are working to determine whether the attacks are connected. Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, whose home was the first to be targeted, told NPR that it was difficult to process the attacks, "especially knowing that other women of color elected officials have also been targeted." Keller asked the public to help by reporting any suspicious activity they might witness around lawmakers' homes or workplaces. Authorities said in the press conference that state police were involved in the investigation along with the FBI in Albuquerque.

☆ New Mexico Democrats' homes, offices shot at over past month
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A day after gunfire hit Torrez's office, over a dozen shots were fired at then-Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley's Albuquerque home on Dec. 11, police said. On Tuesday night, multiple shots were fired at the southwest Albuquerque home of state Senator Linda Lopez. On Thursday, the downtown law office of state Senator Moe Maestas was struck, police said. "They are all members of the Democratic Party that we know, so there's always that connection," Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina told the press conference. Reporting By Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Michael Burrage liked Fort Lauderdale ever since his first visit as a college student in the 1970s but bought a home there only in March 2022, when the latest addition to a burgeoning luxury market, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, opened in the Florida beach town. Last spring, with the slowdown on the horizon, Mr. Burrage spent $13.45 million to buy three condominiums in the complex’s yacht-shaped building on the Atlantic Ocean. Mr. Burrage, 72, co-founder of Oklahoma City-based law firm Whitten Burrage, said he trusted the chain’s brand and had studied sales and resale prices at its other residence projects, including one in Miami.

☆ Feds boost reward to $500K for information on Capitol pipe bomber
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Federal investigators have increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who left two pipe bombs near the Capitol the day before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by fivefold, to $500,000, the FBI said Wednesday. The two pipe bombs found in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington. The individual wore black and light grey Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a yellow logo. “We remain grateful to the American people, who have provided invaluable tips that have helped us advance the investigation,” Sundberg added. The unknown individual wore a face mask, glasses, gloves and a grey hooded sweatshirt and Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes.

☆ Singapore withstands a global property downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Thomas Shum | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Jan 3 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Property is crashing everywhere, except in Singapore. The Asian city-state’s private residential prices are up 14% year-on-year, according to third-quarter data from Knight Frank. That’s a sharp contrast to major cities like Hong Kong and Sydney, which saw decreases of 7% and 4% respectively over the same period. Home prices in Hong Kong, the world’s least affordable property market by far, could fall by as much as 30% by the end of 2023 from 2021 levels, reckon analysts at Goldman Sachs. Still, Leonard Tay, an analyst at Knight Frank, predicts an up to 5% increase for private home prices in 2023.

☆ Tom Zhu, who reportedly just became Tesla's 2nd most-powerful exec, slept at a Chinese factory during COVID lockdown — a habit he shares with CEO Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters reported Tuesday that Tesla has made executive Tom Zhu head of US plants and sales. The role effectively makes Zhu Tesla's second-most powerful executive after Elon Musk. Like Musk, Zhu has a habit of sleeping overnight in Tesla facilities, according to Reuters. Like Musk, Zhu's committment to Tesla has extended to overnight stays in Tesla facilities in the past. Zhu reportedly slept in Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory alongside other employees during the city's two-month COVID-19 lockdowns last year, in an effort to keep the plant running, per Reuters.

☆ Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russians are ‘following the devil’ after the country launched a wave of New Year’s Eve attacks on Ukraine: ‘No one in the world will forgive you for this’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Zelenskyy on Saturday railed against Russia over its New Year's Eve strikes on Ukraine. Zelenskyy traveled to Washington this month to meet with US President Biden and speak to Congress. But they are following the devil," Zelenskyy said during his address. Zelenskyy went on to say that Russian President Vladimir Putin is hiding and warned that neither Ukraine nor the world community would "forgive" the violent attacks on his country. Ukraine won't forgive," he emphasized.

☆ The most honest man in real estate thinks the housing market isn't going to crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Here's how Miller, who doesn't think the housing market is going to crash, became a beacon of trust. The call was from a journalist at an international paper asking for Miller's comment on the US housing market for a story. The 62-year-old founder of the real-estate-appraisal and data firm Miller Samuel is probably the most-quoted man in real estate, with some 2,469 news citations, according to the database LexisNexis. Today, Miller Samuel has replaced Scantrons with iPods, iPhones, and a CoreLogic appraisal software called A La Mode. Today, there's much more data than there was when he started Miller Samuel, but also a lot more "crap," Miller said.

☆ Black homeowners pushed out of one Baltimore block show how Wall Street banks failed to lend money they had promised, a Bloomberg investigation shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Banks promised to invest in Black communities after they were hit by the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The block stands as a glaring reminder of the broken promises made by some of Wall Street's biggest banks to support America's Black homeowners, a recent Bloomberg investigation shows. As of October 2021, according to the US Census Bureau, 45% of Black Americans owned homes, which is nearly 30 points below the rate of white Americans: 74.6%. On Walbrook Avenue, the absence of large lenders has left many locals without a lifeline. After the 2008-2009 financial crisis, several financial institutions made pledges to invest billions of dollars to support Black homeownership.

☆ Egypt Is Spending Billions on a New Capital That Egyptians May Not Visit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Chao Deng | Amira El-Fekki | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO—In a desert plain 40 miles east of central Cairo, a sprawling new capital city is taking shape, with skyscrapers, luxury residences and pedestrian malls representing President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi ‘s vision of a modern Egypt, fueled by billions of dollars in debt to help see it through. Now comes the hard part: getting people to live and work there.

☆ A Meta employee paid $300,000 for a cruise ship condo so he can work from home while traveling, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Meta employee spent $300,000 on a condo on a cruise ship that will sail the globe. Austin Wells told CNBC he wanted to travel the world, as well as keep working from home. The cruise ship promises to let guests live permanently at sea – at a price. "The thing that most excites me is I don't have to upend my daily routine, in order to go see the world," Wells told CNBC. Wells told the outlet he plans to continue to work West Coast hours when the ship sets sail in Europe in 2025.

☆ King Charles' III property empire includes 7 McDonald's, a Victoria's Secret, and an Apple store
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Crown Estate owns properties worth $17.6 billion, including farmland and seabeds. It also owns retail parks with stores including McDonald's, Starbucks, KFC, and Victoria's Secret. The Crown Estate, which generates profits for the UK Treasury, is owned by the reigning monarch and control was passed down from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III upon her death in September. Lingerie and sex-toy shop Ann Summers also has a store at the Westgate shopping mall in Oxford, as does Victoria's Secret. Regent Street in central London, which is owned by the Crown Estate.

☆ I'm an Amazon delivery driver. It's a great workout, but I'm ready for the holidays to be over.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I'm honestly ready for the holiday season to be overIt's more exhausting than I imagined. One of the biggest changes about working this job during the holiday season is the influx of packages. Plus, some customers are even more appreciative of us during the holiday season, and they'll leave snacks or drinks at the front door. At the end of a day, my body's a messWhen my work day ends, I'm ready for a nap. Once the holiday season ends, I'll continue working this job for at least another year, and perhaps even another holiday season.

☆ Inside the largest mansion for sale in Malibu, going for $58.8 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Ray Parisi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

watch nowThis $58,808,000 mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean is one of the largest homes for sale in Malibu. The hot neighborhood's top sale closed in October commanding just over $2,500 per square foot, according to public records, way above average for Malibu. After completing the Kaizen House, he listed it in March for $74.8 million — or more than $4,500 a square foot. Here's a look around the $58.8 million Kaizen House:The home's dramatic entrance delivers fire, water, and intricately carved Belgian bluestone walls Simon BerlynHalliday infused the mansion with Indonesian influences that are evident even before stepping inside. Simon BerlynPrimary suite Simon BerlynThe home's upper level includes six ensuite bedrooms, each with its own terrace.

☆ Luxury homebuyers want plunge pools, infrared saunas, and 'spiritual concierges,' according to two star brokers who've sold $4 billion of real estate so far this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Real-estate agents Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes said luxury homebuyers want wellness perks at home. More than gyms and swimming pools, they're seeking out extras like infrared saunas and plunge pools. On-demand perks like "spiritual concierges" and IV treatments are becoming more popular. Speaking about the year ahead alongside Eklund Gomes Team CEO Julia Spillman, they said wellness perks remain at the top of the list of must-haves for luxury homebuyers of both condos and single-family residences. The Eklund Gomes Team has big plans for the year aheadThe Eklund Gomes Team plans to grow, even as the real-estate market at large is slowing down.

Days before FTX’s bankruptcy filing last month, co-CEO Ryan Salame told Bahamian authorities that founder Sam Bankman-Fried may have committed fraud by sending customer money from the crypto exchange to his other firm, Alameda Research. According to a filing on Wednesday tied to FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings, Salame disclosed “possible mishandling of clients’ assets” by Bankman-Fried. FTX declared bankruptcy on Nov. 11. The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday, charged Bankman-Fried with eight criminal counts related to fraud, money laundering and improper use of customer funds. Like Bankman-Fried, Salame was a significant political donor, donating $20 million to Republican causes.

☆ EVs and crypto mining seen as emerging risks for U.S. power reliability
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The adoption of electric vehicles and rise of cryptocurrency mining pose emerging challenges to U.S. power reliability in upcoming years, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said on Thursday. The potential growth of cryptocurrency miners, which use supercomputers to power their operations, can also "have a significant effect on demand and resource projections," NERC said. Earlier this month, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced a voluntary curtailment program for customers, including bitcoin mining facilities, to reduce power during peak demand periods. Non-EV energy transition measures, which rely heavily on the electrification of businesses and residences, will also add grid pressures, NERC said. That increase comes as the shutdown of coal, nuclear and natural-gas power plants outpaces the replacement of new power generation capacity.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (2nd L) is led away handcuffed by officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in Nassau, Bahamas on December 13, 2022. Days before FTX's bankruptcy filing last month, co-CEO Ryan Salame told Bahamian authorities that founder Sam Bankman-Fried may have committed fraud by sending customer money from the crypto exchange to his other firm, Alameda Research. According to a filing on Wednesday tied to FTX's bankruptcy proceedings, Salame disclosed "possible mishandling of clients' assets" by Bankman-Fried. FTX declared bankruptcy on Nov. 11. Like Bankman-Fried, Salame was a significant political donor, donating $20 million to Republican causes.

☆ Scientists declare Mauna Loa and Kilauea are 'no longer erupting'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

HONOLULU — U.S. scientists declared Tuesday that two active Hawaii volcanoes — one where lava destroyed hundreds of homes in 2018 and another where lava recently stalled before reaching a crucial Big Island highway — have stopped erupting. “Kilauea is no longer erupting,” the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement Tuesday, followed by a separate one saying, “Mauna Loa is no longer erupting.”Alert levels for both volcanoes were reduced from watch to advisory. Mauna Loa began spewing molten rock Nov. 27 after being quiet for 38 years, drawing onlookers to take in the incandescent spectacle, and setting some nerves on edge early on among people who’ve lived through destructive eruptions. Lava-viewers in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park enjoyed the added rare marvel of being able to see Mauna Loa’s smaller neighbor, Kilauea, erupting at the same time. Mauna Loa lava didn’t pose a threat to any communities, but it got within 1.7 miles of a major highway that connects the east and west sides of the island.

☆ FTX owned $256 million of Bahamas real estate including 15 condos in the same building, and the government wants it back
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bahamian regulators are trying to claim $256 million of real estate owned by FTX. Court documents filed on Monday show that FTX owns 35 properties, including 15 multi-million dollar condos in the same building. The most expensive property in the documents is worth $30 million, suggesting that the Bahamas is trying to claim Bankman-Fried's apartment. At One Cable Beach — another luxury community where FTX owns four properties — apartment plans on the same floor show a nearly 3,000 sq-ft home with a wraparound balcony. The company was only used to hold Bahamas real estate, and "has no assets here, no creditors here, and it never has done business here."

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