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☆ Zero-carbon energy generated a record 41% of US power in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A record amount of renewable energy, led by solar, was added to the grid. It was the opposite story for wind power. They generated a record 41% of US power in 2023. Rowlands-Rees said that falling gas prices made it the cheapest form of energy in 2023. The power sector, as recently as 2016, was the top emitter.

Persons: BloombergNEF, Tom Rowlands, Rees, BloombergNEF's, Rowlands, —, Biden, Jeannie Salo Organizations: Service, Investments, Business, Companies, Industry, Schneider Electric, Toyota Locations: China, America, Japan, Southeast Asia, Coast, New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, North Carolina, Business

☆ Microsoft's Xbox boss says jacking up video game prices can end up being 'manipulative'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Xbox games may be more expensive now, but Microsoft's gaming CEO realizes that there's a limit to how much gamers will take. "We've raised the price of games," Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, told Game File, a newsletter focused on the business of gaming. AdvertisementBack in December 2022, Microsoft told The Verge that it would be raising prices to reflect "the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles." "Skull and Bones," an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles, got some flack for charging $70 for its highly anticipated game. Ubisoft, the company behind the pirate video game, defended the price because it was a "quadruple-A" game.

Persons: We've, Phil Spencer, Spencer, didn't, Neil Macker, flack, they're Organizations: Xbox, Microsoft Gaming, Business, Microsoft, Hollywood, Morningstar, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft, PlayStation, Activision Blizzard Locations: COVID

☆ Want steady, passive income? Buy these dividend stocks with higher yields, Wall Street says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Dividend stocks came under the spotlight after Meta unexpectedly announced a dividend for the first time. BofA has also been bullish on dividend stocks lately, saying investors may flock back to such stocks for income if yields fall this year, in turn driving up this segment of stocks. Wall Street and other pros share their tips on how to pick good dividend stocks and what names will generate sustainable income. In fact, using that strategy mitigates the risk of relying only on dividend income if higher rates affect dividend distributions, according to Stutland. "This combination provides a buffer against future interest rate hikes and offers the possibility of capital appreciation alongside dividend income."

Persons: Meta, BofA, Brian Stutland, Stutland, Goldman, Stocks, It's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: CNBC Pro, Morningstar, Walmart, Target, Depot, Verizon, Treasury

☆ Walmart beats Wall Street’s holiday expectations as e-commerce sales soar
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article WMT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowWalmart said Tuesday that quarterly revenue rose 6%, as shoppers turned to the big-box retailer throughout the holiday season and the company's global e-commerce sales grew by double digits. Yet, he said even after the holiday rush, Walmart saw continued sales strength. Walmart said it expects consolidated net sales to rise 4% to 5% in its fiscal first quarter. Comparable sales, an industry metric also known as same-store sales, rose 4% for Walmart U.S. At Sam's Club, comparable sales increased 1.9%, including fuel. Global e-commerce sales jumped 23% year over year, topping $100 billion in total.

Persons: John David Rainey, Rainey, Walmart's, Doug McMillon, McMillon Organizations: Walmart, CNBC, Electronics, LSEG, Walmart U.S, Sam's Club, Global, Home Locations: U.S

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicA Times investigation has found that dentists and lactation consultants around the country are pushing “tongue-tie releases” on new mothers struggling to breastfeed, generating huge profits while often harming patients. Katie Thomas, an investigative health care reporter at The Times, discusses the forces driving this emerging trend in American health care and the story of one family in the middle of it.

Persons: Katie Thomas Organizations: Spotify, Times, The Times

☆ ‘True Detective’ Season 4, Episode 6 Recap: Stories Are Stories
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Scott Tobias | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Season 4, Episode 6: Part 6One of the tricky parts of a ghost story like “True Detective: Night Country” is the banal, inevitable business of having to explain events that were once teasingly inexplicable. This is the risk the creator Issa López has courted all season, as the show’s procedural elements have been intermingled with obscure symbols, hidden traumas and outright ghostly hallucinations. In order to solve the practical mysteries facing Danvers and Navarro, it would have to come crashing back to earth. Yet the achievement of this flawed but compelling finale is that López succeeds in having her cake and eating it, too. From the beginning, the strongest element of “Night Country” has been its evocation of Ennis, Alaska, as this northernmost outpost of humanity, a border town to oblivion.

Persons: Issa López, Danvers, Navarro, López, Annie K, Werner, ” Locations: Ennis , Alaska

In 2017, two cousins with absolutely zero professional baking experience decided to open a cookie business together. Now, Crumbl Cookies has more than 980 stores across the U.S., topping $1 billion in sales across all franchises while selling more than 300 million cookies in 2022, according to co-founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley. They grew confident enough in a single recipe, Crumbl's signature chocolate-chip cookies, to build their first location around it. Individual Crumbl cookies typically cost between $4 and $5 apiece, with the per-cookie price decreasing if you order packs of four, six or 12, according to the company's website. TikTokers use it to post reviews, both positive and negative, of Crumbl's cookie flavor drops.

Persons: Jason McGowan, Sawyer Hemsley, McGowan, Hemsley, Crumbl Organizations: Utah State University, CNBC Locations: U.S, Logan , Utah

☆ Solar power could drive more than half of new electricity generated in the US this year, EIA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. Utility-scale solar projects will account for 58% of added US capacity in 2024, boosting the amount of electric output across the country. An expected 36.4 gigawatts of new utility-scale solar are to be added to the grid this year — a record addition that will nearly double last year's 18.4 GW of installations. Over half of new solar capacity will be added in Texas, California, and Florida. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Organizations: Service, US Energy Information Administration, Business Locations: Texas , California, Florida

☆ Caitlin Clark-onomics and the new era of profitability in college sports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Clare Duffy | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Caitlin Clark made history Thursday as women’s college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. The total market for commercial NIL deals for college athletes is expected to reach an estimated $200 million in 2024, according to Opendorse, an online platform that helps connect athletes with NIL deals. The growing public profiles of college athletes has also meant additional funds for their schools and athletics programs. TickPick estimates the game will be the most expensive in women’s college basketball history. This past Sunday, Nebraska’s victory over Iowa in Lincoln attracted 1.7 million viewers — the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever on Fox Sports.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Clark, ”, Patrick Rishe, St . Louis, “, Caitlin Clark’s, ” Rishe, ” Sam Weber, Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, On3, Spotrac, Weber, Tiger Woods, LeBron James, doesn’t, ” Weber, maxing, you’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Gatorade, Nike, State Farm, WNBA, “, Washington University, Farm, CNN, LSU, NBA, Iowa Hawkeyes women’s, Iowa, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State, Fox Sports, Women Locations: New York, Iowa, St ., Iowa City, StubHub, Lincoln

☆ A methane well that leaked for 6 months has released a year's worth of emissions for 791,000 cars: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A well in Kazakhstan leaked 140,000 tons of methane into Earth's atmosphere in 2023, scientists say. Methane is estimated to be about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in global warming. AdvertisementThat amount of methane is equal to emissions from 791,318 gas-powered cars being driven over a year, per the Environment Protection Agency website's calculators. They detected 115 methane emissions over the six months of the Kazakh leak, their analysis said. AdvertisementBuzachi Neft, the operator of the well, denied to the outlet that such a vast amount of methane was leaked, saying only a "negligible" amount was released.

Persons: it's, Luis Guanter, Buzachi Neft Organizations: Service, BBC, Environment Protection Agency, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Business Locations: Kazakhstan, France, Spain, Netherlands, Europe

☆ Ford CEO tells Wall Street to forget Tesla, says 'Pro' business is the future of the auto industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ford Motor Co., CEO Jim Farley gives the thumbs up sign before announcing Ford Motor will partner with Chinese-based, Amperex Technology, to build an all-electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, during a press conference in Romulus, Michigan February 13, 2023. DETROIT – Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley on Thursday urged Wall Street to forget about Tesla and its FSD driver-assistance systems as the future of the auto industry, arguing investors should instead focus on the Detroit automaker's "Pro" fleet business. Look at Ford Pro. Ford expects the Pro unit's pre-tax earnings to increase to between $8 billion and $9 billion this year, the automaker said earlier this month. Tesla does not break out revenue or earnings from its premium driver-assistance software, marketed as its Full Self Driving Beta, FSD or FSD Beta.

Persons: Jim Farley, Farley, It's Organizations: Ford Motor Co, Ford, Amperex Technology, DETROIT, Ford Motor, Detroit, Deere, Co, Ford Pro, Research, Pro Locations: Marshall , Michigan, Romulus , Michigan

☆ 3 ways buying Vizio would send Walmart's ad business surging and put Amazon on notice
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ryan Joe | Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart is reportedly in talks to buy TV manufacturer Vizio for over $2 billion , in an effort to bolster its ad business, according to The Wall Street Journal. Here are three ways Vizio would power-up Walmart's ad business and make it a much bigger competitor to Amazon, according to several ad industry experts. While Walmart buying Vizio would grow its ads business, it would also improve the margins for its current ad business, said Nikhil Raj, chief business officer of adtech company Moloco’s retail media business. The new inventory Walmart would inherit would let it tap TV and branding budgetsIf Walmart buys Vizio, it would inherit connected-TV ad inventory, which it doesn’t currently have. Most of Walmart’s retail media business comes from search ads , though it’s expanded that to include some display and video ads.

Persons: you’ve, there’s, ”, Nikhil Raj, Raj, Walmart.com, ” Raj, doesn’t, it’s, ” Forrester, Nikhil Lai, Eric Franchi, Eric Seufert, Mobile Dev Organizations: Walmart, Wall Street, Amazon, Business, Vizio, CTV, “ Walmart, Walmart Connect, Connect, VC, Mobile Locations: Vizio, Walmart.com, “

☆ Google is making a map of methane leaks for the whole world to see
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Oil, gas, and coal operations are thought to account for 40% of global methane emissions from human activities. At least 155 countries have also signed the Global Methane Pledge, which calls for a 30% reduction in emissions. The pledge initially launched in 2021, but since then, methane emissions have continued to rise . To help change that trajectory, the US and Europe last year issued regulations cracking down on methane emissions from fossil fuel infrastructure. By 2027, those imports will have to meet methane emissions standards on par with Europe's.

Persons: Steve Hamburg, —, Yael Maguire, Maguire Organizations: Service, Google, Environmental Defense Fund, Business, International Energy Agency, Google Geo Locations: Agriculture, MethaneSAT, Dubai, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Hamburg

☆ Investing in Space: The role of Starlink in limiting space debris
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. But – in the latest edition of "SpaceX is the industry exception, not the rule" – the company's recent announcement that it will de-orbit 100 Starlink satellites is a different story. For one, that number represents about 2% of the Starlink satellites launched to date. And, at SpaceX's current rates, they're able to produce and launch replacement satellites in about two weeks time. More importantly, in the ongoing conversation about space debris: SpaceX has a distinct incentive to make sure any faulty Starlink satellites don't end up in the future path of its own rockets and spacecraft.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Brian Weeden Organizations: SpaceX, Secure, Foundation

☆ Google quietly launches internal AI model named 'Goose' to help employees write code faster, leaked documents show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It is designed to assist with building new products, according to internal documents reviewed by Business Insider. “It can answer questions around Google-specific technologies, write code using internal tech stacks and supports novel capabilities such as editing code based on natural language prompts,” an internal summary of Goose reads. The documents note that the creation of Goose was a collaborative effort between Google Brain, DeepMind, and Google's internal infrastructure teams. And Goose isn't the only example of Google using AI to be more efficient. AdvertisementAnd if Googlers have specific development questions while using Goose, they're encouraged to turn to the company's internal chatbot, named Duckie.

Persons: —, it’s, Gemini, “, Ruth Porat, Goose, TKTKTK Goose, DeepMind, ”, Philipp Schindler, Business Insider’s, they're Organizations: Service, Business, Google, Microsoft

☆ Inside the rise of true-crime podcast empire MrBallen, from TikTok and Amazon to live events
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the four years since he began creating content, MrBallen has become a fixture in the true-crime world and built an empire that spans video content, podcasts, live events, and a talent-management company. "I realized that I had first-mover advantage on TikTok," Allen told Business Insider. "This is a 50-50 partnership through and through, where he has his side of the business, and I have my side of the business," Witters said. "I'll never run out of content," Allen said. Now, Ballen Studios publishes four weekly podcasts, with more shows to be released this year, as well as weekly content across all social platforms.

Persons: Doja Cat, MrBallen, John Allen, Addison Rae, Allen, Nick Witters, Witters, John, Cadence13 Zak Levitt, Joe Rogan's, Nick, we've Organizations: YouTube, Business, Ballen Studios, Amazon Music, Spotify, Ballen

☆ NYC gets hit by the biggest snowstorm in 2 years. It's part of a growing trend of extreme weather events.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Winter storm Lorraine is the latest event in this growing trend, which experts say is driven largely by global climate change. The polar vortex is like a figure skaterThe polar vortex can unleash cold Arctic temperatures upon Canada and the US. AdvertisementBut in reality, the impact of climate change on winter weather is much more complex. AdvertisementThat could explain why the US is still experiencing episodes of record-breaking low winter temperatures despite an overall rise in annual average temperatures, Cohen explained. AdvertisementAnd as climate change continues to warm the Arctic, Francis anticipates we will see more of these events.

Persons: Lorraine, Judah Cohen, It’s, Cohen, ” Cohen, “, Matthew Williams, Ellis, David Becker, Brace, Joe Pool, Julio Cortez, Jennifer Francis, ” Francis, Francis Organizations: Service, NOAA, MIT, Getty, . Research, Boston, Climate Research Locations: New York, East, Philadelphia, Boston . New, Montana, Minnesota, Canada, California, Eurasia, America, Portland , Oregon, Joe

☆ Wow, turns out owning 75 Stanley cups isn't environmentally friendly
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

But the impact of manufacturing a stainless steel cup is significant, so you really need to use that cup a lot to make it worthwhile. And you're replacing dozens or even hundreds of single-use cups with that one reusable mug," said Sandra Goldmark of Columbia University's Climate School. Of course, this gets even hairier when you consider that Stanley cups have peaked in trendiness, and are now the domain of middle schoolers. The takeaway — at least environmentally: one Stanley cup is good. Many Stanley cups … not so good.

Persons: Stanley Quencher, Stanley, Sandra Goldmark, you've, —, … Organizations: Service, Business, The New York Times, Columbia, Climate Locations: California, trendiness

☆ Industrious merges subsidiary to create a new force in coworking
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A spokesman for Industrious said it would own a 40% stake in the merged subsidiary. The vacancy rate for office space nationally hit 18.6% at the end of 2023, according to data from CBRE– the highest level since 1992. About 771 million square feet, about twice the size of Manhattan's entire office market, sits empty nationally. How Industrious won the coworking warHodari has been an astute and resilient player in the coworking business. At the time, most coworking companies sought to rent space from landlords then sublease that to their clientele at a hefty markup.

Persons: WeWork, Jamie Hodari, Hodari, Deskpass, Sam Rosen, Deskpass Stephanie Bassos, CBRE, Breather, Rosen, Adam Neumann, Shlomo Silber, Silber, lockdowns, You've Organizations: Business, Deskpass, Bond Locations: New York, Chicago, Breather

☆ Home prices are 65% higher in places with high-risk air quality as climate change warps the housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Home prices are 65% higher in places with high-risk air quality as climate change warps the housing market, Redfin report says. The median sale price in a high-risk metro was $563,710 as of December, far above the $341,483 price in low-risk metros. Metro areas where air-quality risks are high are seeing median sale prices soar by 65%, according to a Redfin report published on Monday. That's a median price of $563,710 in high-risk areas as of December — far above the $341,483 median sale price in low-risk metros. Unsurprisingly, most of those high-risk areas are concentrated on the West Coast, an area that has recently been prone to disastrous wildfires.

Organizations: Service, Business Locations: West Coast, Metro, Los Angeles

☆ Ukraine claims Russian forces using Starlink internet service
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Maria Kostenko | Simon Cullen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence claims it has confirmed the use of Starlink satellite communications by Russian forces in occupied areas. It says it has intercepted conversations which indicate the Starlink terminals are being used to provide internet access to Russia’s 83rd Air Assault Brigade operating in the Donetsk region. Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, which owns Starlink, says it does not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military. Starlink, which uses a network of satellites to provide broadband, says its service will not work in Russia, although the statement didn’t address whether it would work in occupied Ukraine. As Ukrainian submarine drones strapped with explosives approached the Russian fleet, they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly,” Isaacson writes.

Persons: CNN —, Kyrylo Budanov, “, ”, Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson, Musk, ” Isaacson, Isaacson Organizations: CNN, CNN — Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, Russian, Air Assault Brigade, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, SpaceX, Main Ukrainian Intelligence Locations: Donetsk, Russia, Ukraine, Crimean, Ukrainian, Russian, Crimea

☆ This is the first Super Bowl powered by 100% renewable energy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Allegiant Stadium is the first in NFL history to get all its power from renewable sources. A sprawling solar farm in the Nevada desert is creating the power supply. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will be powered by 100% renewable energy — a first in Super Bowl history. The electricity is supplied by a sprawling solar farm of 621,000 panels and battery storage in the Nevada desert that’s owned by the utility NV Energy and was developed by EDF Renewables.

Persons: Taylor Swift, that’s Organizations: Service, NFL, Super, Energy, EDF Renewables, Business Locations: Nevada, Las Vegas

☆ Jellysmack president Sean Atkins is leaving the creator startup following recent layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Jellysmack president Sean Atkins is leaving the creator-monetization upstart. Atkins was announced as president in September 2021 after serving as an advisor. Media executive Sean Atkins is out as president of creator startup Jellysmack, the company confirmed to Business Insider. His last day at the company is set for next Friday, a company spokesperson told Business Insider in an emailed statement. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Sean Atkins, Atkins, Jellysmack, Stefanie Schwartz Organizations: Media, Business, Jellysmack Entertainment

"If you're the most valuable content on those platforms, you're going to be the bulk of their investment. And that's what we are," said Brian Rolapp, chief media and business officer for the NFL. The pinnacle of the NFL's popularity is the Super Bowl, the biggest television event of the year. Discovery are launching a streaming service tailored to sports fans, it's clear that streaming is poised to be the NFL's next frontier, despite some backlash from fans. Watch the documentary to learn more about how streaming is transforming the NFL.

Persons: it's, Brian Rolapp, Robert Kraft, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Rolapp Organizations: NFL, Bowl, Nielsen, ESPN, New England Patriots, Disney, Fox, Warner Bros, CNBC, Peacock Locations: U.S

☆ Trader Joe's appeals dismissal of lawsuit claiming labor union violated trademark
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The appeal, filed Thursday, comes nearly a month after the judge accused Trader Joe's of trying to "weaponize the legal system to gain an advantage in an ongoing labor dispute" against the Trader Joe's United union. Trader Joe's, a lawyer for the company, and a spokeswoman for Trader Joe's United did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the company's filing at the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Trader Joe's Union logo pictured on pins. "Trader Joe's maintains that this is a purely commercial dispute and that the Union's designs are causing consumer confusion and diluting the Trader Joe's family of trademarks," Vera wrote. The Trader Joe's Union Logo Trader Joe's

Persons: Joe Raedle, Joe's, Trader Joe's, Hernan Vera, Vera, Norris Organizations: Getty, Trader Joe's United, Trader, 9th Circuit U.S, Appeals, tote, National Labor Relations Board, LaGuardia, Union Locations: Hadley , Massachusetts, Minneapolis, Los Angeles

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