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☆ Amazon's driver pay raise could slash the profits of the small businesses that make up its delivery network
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon in September announced a pay raise for some of its delivery drivers. The moves were part of a $450 million investment into the small businesses that make up Amazon's delivery network and employ those drivers, known as Delivery Service Partners. When Amazon told DSPs about the move at their annual Ignite Live convention in Las Vegas, the room cheered, according to two DSPs present. "It's going to be a bloodbath," one DSP told Insider. But one DSP told Insider to expect an exodus after the business owners receive their Employee Retention Tax Credit payouts in January.

Nov 13 (Reuters) - A stronger-than-expected showing by Democrats in the U.S. midterm elections may force investors to rethink the split government scenario many had expected. Democrats held onto control of the U.S. Senate, extinguishing hopes of the "red wave" that Republicans had expected leading into the midterm elections. As of early Sunday, Republicans had won 211 seats and the Democrats 205, with 218 needed for a majority. Wall Street tends to view split government favorably, in part because some investors believe it makes major policy changes more difficult to achieve. Still, "Federal Reserve policy, rather than fiscal policy, will remain the main driver of markets in our view," they said.

☆ 'Black Panther: 'Wakanda Forever' aims to recreate blockbuster magic. Disney and theaters are counting on it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If early projections and ticket sales are any indication, it appears “Wakanda Forever” will be just that. Why “Wakanda Forever” matters to theaters"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is set to be one of the biggest films of the year. “Every blockbuster counts more than ever for movie theaters right now.”Why does it matter how “Wakanda Forever” does this weekend? Why “Wakanda Forever” matters to Disney"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" could break records this weekend. The performance of “Wakanda Forever” likely won’t move the needle on Disney’s stock, given that investors remain heavily focused on the company’s streaming endeavors.

☆ How a 31-year-old entrepreneur grew her restaurant business to more than $6 million in annual net sales last year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Gina Luari launched her first brunch restaurant in 2016 after growing up in the industry. She's scaled to four more locations and booked more than $6 million in annual net sales last year. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe restaurant business is in Gina Luari's blood. Luari transitioned from restaurant employee to entrepreneur in 2016 when she opened her brunch spot, The Place 2 Be. Despite her family history in the restaurant business, Luari initially forged a different career path after college: She worked as the executive director of the Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, where she helped small, local businesses scale.

☆ Column: U.S. rush for renewable diesel may ignite fresh food fight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Renewable diesel, however, is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel - so can be consumed in place of or along with normal diesel in whatever quantities are desired by end users. US renewable diesel vs biodiesel useRenewable diesel also emits fewer emissions than both biodiesel and regular diesel. US renewable diesel vs biodiesel production capacityFurther increases in renewable diesel production capacity are expected in the near term, with the EIA projecting capacity to climb to 5.1 billion gallons a year by 2024, from less than 1 billion in 2020. But that consumption share looks set to grow further as more renewable diesel production comes on line. Other major renewable diesel suppliers include Finland and the Netherlands, although both those countries have stepped up their own domestic consumption of renewable diesel in recent years, leaving little left for exports.

☆ This California startup says it can predict where wildfires might start—it's using that power in a surprising way
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Nobody can predict the future, but a San Francisco-based startup called Kettle seems able to predict where wildfires could start in California. That means Kettle provides insurance for insurance companies. But Kettle's focus on reinsurance, rather than selling its software directly to insurance companies, is unique, Manning says. Most reinsurers predict wildfire risk through a decades-old technique that relies on historical data, Manning adds. In other words, reinsurance companies do benefit large insurers — but they also make sure you're able to get the money you're owed if disaster strikes.

☆ Flurry of North Korean launches demonstrates complexity of missile defences
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The challenge was evident in conflicting and sometime contradictory details released by South Korea and Japan about the launches. Early Thursday, the Japanese government said a North Korean missile had flown over its territory, but hours later said it had not. A former senior U.S. defence official who served in Korea cautioned that the confusion was not a reflection on missile defence capabilities. The United States, South Korea and Japan participated in a ballistic missile defence exercise off Hawaii's coast in August - the first since 2017. The three countries conducted another such exercise in early October after North Korea launched a ballistic missile that flew over Japan.

☆ What it feels like to visit a fusion company lab on a day when wildfire smoke cloaks the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The Helion Energy building under construction to house their next generation fusion machine. For the employees of Helion Energy, building a fusion device is their job. Helion Energy's building under construction to house the seventh generation fusion machine on a day when wildfire smoke was not restricting visibility. On the one hand, I had a newfound sense of hope about the possibility of fusion energy. This is the Polaris Injector Test, where Helion Energy is building a component piece of the seventh generation fusion machine.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said on Tuesday that its manufacturing PMI fell to 50.2 in October from 50.9 in September. China's Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI stood at 49.2 in October, up from 48.1 in September. The private sector survey was in line with an official PMI released on Monday that showed China's factory activity unexpectedly fell in October. Japan's au Jibun Bank Japan Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.7 in October from September's 50.8 final, marking the weakest growth since January last year. India was an outlier with factory activity expanding at a stronger pace in October as demand remained solid.

☆ Asia's factory output weakens on global slowdown, China COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The private sector survey was in line with an official PMI survey released on Monday that showed China's factory activity unexpectedly fell in October. Japan's au Jibun Bank Japan Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.7 in October from September's 50.8 final, marking the weakest growth since January last year. South Korea's factory activity shrank for a fourth month in October as orders for exports fell for an eighth month, the PMI showed. That followed data that showed South Korea's exports fell the most in 26 months with shipments to China, its largest market, extending declines. Factory activity in Indonesia expanded at a slower pace in October with the PMI standing at 51.8, down from 53.7 in September.

☆ NBA roundup: Thunder rally in 4th to stun Mavs in OT
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Luguentz Dort added 16 points, and Darius Bazley scored 15 off the bench to help Oklahoma City. Zach LaVine scored 15 of his 29 points after halftime, while Nikola Vucevic had a double-double of 23 points and a game-high 19 rebounds. Jazz 124, Grizzlies 123Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk each scored 23 points and played clutch in the fourth quarter to help Utah rally past Memphis in Salt Lake City. Dillon Brooks also had a big scoring night, finishing with 30 points, while Tyus Jones contributed 23 points and 10 assists. Brooks hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left as Memphis pulled within one, 124-123.

☆ Analysis: Wages, not yen, key to when Japan shifts away from ultra low rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Japan to finally see a positive wage-inflation cycle kick off," said one of the sources. Were the BOJ to tweak YCC, the most likely first step would be either to hike the 10-year yield target, or widen the implicit 50-basis-point band set around it. LOW RATES NOT FOREVERThe BOJ rules out using rate hikes to stem yen falls, as Japanese law gives the government, not the central bank, jurisdiction over exchange-rate policy. In April, dovish board member Asahi Noguchi said wages must rise by nearly 3% for the BOJ to tweak its ultra-loose policy. Yields on super-long bonds have risen to multi-year highs despite the BOJ's aggressive bond buying, casting doubt on the effectiveness of YCC.

☆ Diwali is having a mainstream moment in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

South Asian Americans who celebrate Diwali can now pick up fireworks from Costco, greeting cards from Hallmark and party decorations from Target. Malai, a Brooklyn-based ice cream business inspired by South Asian flavors and ingredients, started selling its Diwali Celebration Box in 2019. “Sometimes I wonder if that just comes hand in hand with visibility.”Bavishi is encouraged by the recent abundance of Diwali products, both from small businesses and mainstream retailers. Does it matter whether the person or company behind a Diwali product is South Asian or not? I don’t know yet what the answer is,” Satpathy-Singh says, referring to mainstream retailers selling Diwali products.

After being the longest-serving health secretary in British history and stints running the foreign office and culture ministry, Hunt returns from government exile after two failed bids to become Britain's prime minister himself. "The appointment of Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor is a wise choice," Conservative lawmaker Bernard Jenkin said on Twitter. Ironically, though, while Truss has said she will press ahead with a cut to income tax, Hunt said at the time that could wait. Other critics said some of the problems that the state-run health service faced were a consequence of his role as health minister. During a trip to China in July in 2018, he mistakenly described his wife Lucia, who hails from China, as being Japanese.

☆ Cisco partners with Microsoft to add Teams to its meeting devices
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Jane Lanhee Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Networking firm Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO.O) will add Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O) Teams messaging app to its meeting devices, the two firms said on Wednesday, offering users an alternative to its own Webex video conferencing app. Cisco's Jeetu Patel, head of Security & Collaboration, said the company aims to be the hardware platform for a wide range of conferencing software platforms. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"There's going to be times that people want to jump on a Microsoft Teams call, they want to jump on a Zoom call, they want to jump on a Google call." Ilya Bukshteyn, vice president of Microsoft Teams Calling and Devices, told Reuters the Teams Room software already runs on several other hardware devices and will be available on Cisco devices from the first quarter of next year. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting By Jane Lanhee Lee; editing by Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Microsoft unveils $4,299 Surface desktop computer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

At a press event on Wednesday, Microsoft is set to unveil several Surface Pro tablets, Surface Laptop models and a Surface Studio 2+ desktop computer, the last of which has not been updated in several years. The device also includes an updated display, cameras, microphones and supports a digital pen for on-screen drawing. The Surface Studio 2+ starts at $4,299, and $4,499 with the digital pen. The previous Surface Studio 2, released in 2018, received some criticism for its $3,499 starting price. The Surface Laptop starts at $999 for the 13.5-inch version and $1299 for the 15 inch.

☆ U.S. dollar rises, yen not far from 24-year trough that prompted intervention
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I can see it propelling the dollar higher still, even though people think it's a crowded trade. Overall, dollar sentiment remained positive as worries about rising interest rates and geopolitical tensions unsettled investors, while the yen hovered near the level that prompted last month's intervention. In afternoon trading, the U.S. dollar index rose 0.2% to 113.25, not far from a 20-year high of 114.78 it touched late last month. The dollar touched a three-week high against the yen of 145.895 , just shy of the 24-year peak of 145.90 hit before the Japanese government stepped in to prop it up three weeks ago. Meanwhile, the risk-sensitive Australian dollar hit a 2-1/2-year low of $0.6248 and was last down 0.4% at US$0.6270.

☆ Watch this rocket ignite using fuel that you can eat
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

In Maine, far from NASA's Cape Canaveral, bluShift Aerospace is working on sending rockets to space using bioderived, carbon-neutral fuel. And yes, you can even eat it. The company gave CNN exclusive camera access to its third rocket engine test to see if the future of suborbital launches could be bio-powered.

☆ London stocks slide as fiscal policy concerns weigh; Next drops
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Johann M Cherian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was down 1.8%, while the more domestically-oriented FTSE 250 (.FTMC) shed 2.1%, by 0823 GMT. Shares of Next (NXT.L) slid 8.7% after it cut profit and sales forecasts, saying August trading was below expectations and cost of living pressures were set to rise in the coming months. It's indicative that the tighter monetary policy gets the far more damage it will do to UK consumers, UK spending and the UK economy." The FTSE 100 has lost 6.6% so far this year. Among other stocks, British American Tobacco (BATS.L) fell 3.1% in ex-dividend trading, while Synthomer (SYNTS.L) tanked 32.6% after it lowered its annual profit outlook.

"Were dysfunction in this market to continue or worsen, there would be a material risk to UK financial stability," the central bank said in a statement that immediately eased pressures on soaring British government bond yields. The Bank of England said on Monday it would not hesitate to raise interest rates and was monitoring markets "very closely". Earlier on Wednesday 30-year British government bond yields rose above 5% for the first time since 2002. "An irresponsible, destructive fiscal policy." In his remarks on Tuesday, BoE Chief Economist Pill said financial market upheaval would have a big impact on the economy and would be factored into the Bank's next forecasts.

☆ Walmart's not waiting for Black Friday. it's ready for holiday shoppers now
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNNBusiness —Halloween is still a month away, but Walmart is ready for Christmas. Walmart on Thursday said it’s getting the ball rolling on its year-end holiday shopping season at its stores and online as early as next month. The retailer said it is also changing its return policy for Walmart and Walmart+ subscription service customers to give this year’s early gift shoppers more time to make returns. Given the company’s status as an industry bellwether, it’s too soon to say whether Walmart’s earlier-than-usual holiday push could trigger other retailers to follow suit. “If there are fewer gift purchases by consumers, expect to see even more holiday promotions than ever.”

☆ What Cramer is watching Wednesday — Fed day, Putin escalation, oil stock optimism
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Buy Club holding Ford into any Fed weakness. Barclays downgrades Club holding and Dow stock Cisco Systems (CSCO) to equal weight from overweight (hold from buy). Wells Fargo cuts PT to $75 tom $90 but keeps overweight (buy) rating. However, BofA keeps buy rating on Visa. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

And we still do.”A recent study of small business owners by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that inflation and supply chain issues are the top challenges entrepreneurs face today. One in three small business owners call inflation their highest concern and 67% of them have raised prices in response to inflation. “The Paycheck Protection Program continues to be disadvantageous to smaller businesses, businesses owned by people of color, and businesses without employees. According to NBC Bay Area, searches for “Black-owned businesses near me” peaked in June 2020, with companies like Yelp making it easier for people to find and support Black-owned businesses, per data from Google. She said that during the height of the social justice movement, corporations and financial institutions pledged to support Black-owned businesses.

☆ Inside the growing business behind TikTok song remixes, which are transforming the way music is discovered on the app
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

TikTok users are increasingly finding new music through song remixes and mashups. In the middle of August, music artist Sam Smith's somber 2014 ballad "I'm Not The Only One" reentered Spotify's top 200 chart nearly a decade after its release. Marketers embrace TikTok remixes and mashupsAs with any social-media trend, music marketers are adjusting their strategies to stay in tune with TikTok's audience. TikTok music talent can earn anywhere from $500 to $5,000 to produce a remixed version of a track, according to Cloherty. Outside of monetary compensation, having a track go viral can help TikTok talent grow their audience off the app.

☆ A firefighter shares 9 safety tips for the Fourth of July, including why you should stop giving kids sparklers
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-02 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Kozo's safety tips for handling fireworks on the Fourth of July include keeping a water source handy. Here's what he told Insider:Know and obey the lawBefore you load up on fireworks, Kozo strongly recommends researching the laws pertaining to them for your specific area as they differ from state to state. In addition to injuries, fireworks also cause approximately 19,500 fires in the US annually — 28% of which are reported on Independence Day alone, according to the National Fire Protection Association. "Sparklers, which we often deem harmless and hand over to little kids to hold and wave, burn somewhere between 1200 degrees and 1800 degrees. Kozo added that 21% of reported fireworks-related injuries are caused by sparklers, and instead recommends giving children glow sticks as a safe and fun substitute.

Persons: Michael Kozo, —, you've, Kozo, sparklers Organizations: New, New York City Fire Department, Service, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, New York Fire Department, National Fire Protection, FDNY Locations: New York City, United States, Here's, New York

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