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☆ Moderate US economic growth expected in second quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

According to a Reuters survey of economists, GDP growth likely increased at a 1.8% annualized rate last quarter after rising at a 2.0% pace in the first quarter. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, likely remained a pillar of support, although the pace of growth slowed from the second quarter's robust 4.2% rate. Further contribution to GDP growth was expected from government spending. Inventory investment is a wild card, though most economists are penciling in a contribution to GDP growth of at least five tenths of a percentage point. Business sharply reduced inventory accumulation in the January-March quarter in anticipation of weaker domestic demand, slicing 2.14 percentage points off GDP growth that period.

Persons: Dean Maki, they're, Mike Skordeles, Joe Biden's, Sean Snaith, Richard de Chazal, William Blair, Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Federal Reserve, Point72, Management, Labor Department, Truist Advisory Services, Investment, University of Central Florida's Institute, Economic, Fed, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Stamford , Connecticut, Atlanta, United States, London

☆ Christopher Rufo: University DEI Programs Work Against Liberal Education - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Christopher F. Rufo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Today, many universities have consciously or unconsciously abandoned that mission and replaced it with the pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion. The criticism of such programs might begin with a simple question: Even on its own terms, does D.E.I. Researchers at Harvard and Tel Aviv University studied 30 years of diversity training data from more than 800 U.S. companies and concluded that mandatory diversity training programs had practically no effect on employee attitudes — and sometimes activated bias and feelings of racial hostility. There is no reason to believe that similar programs on university campuses have better outcomes. These programs have become commonplace not only in official “diversity and inclusion” programs, but also throughout administrative and academic departments.

Persons: Anonymous, — Organizations: Harvard, Tel Aviv University, City Journal, Manhattan Institute, The University of Florida, The University of Central, University’s, Social Justice Locations: U.S, United States, The University of Central Florida, Florida

☆ Why the Fed wants a good inflation report — but not a good jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On the job market, indications like the latest jobs report — which showed that fewer Americans are getting hired — can be interpreted as bad news. As of the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, there were 1.6 jobs available for every job seeker — or more than 3 million job openings than people searching for jobs. What’s good news for investorsInvestors are searching for signs that the Federal Reserve will stop hiking interest rates, or better yet, cut them. When the Fed raises interest rates it raises the cost of doing business for companies who rely on outside funding. That’s because interest rates on loans tend to rise in tandem with increases in the Fed’s benchmark interest rate.

Persons: —, It’s, that’s, ”, Sean Snaith, Snaith, Jerome Powell, Kermit Schoenholtz, Powell Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal, Fed, Institute for Economic, University of Central, Labor, Survey, Kermit Schoenholtz , New York University, Citigroup, CNN, Investors, Federal Reserve Locations: New York, University of Central Florida, Kermit Schoenholtz , New

☆ US job gains smallest in 2-1/2 years; labor market still tight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 209,000 jobs last month, the smallest gain since December 2020, the survey of establishments showed. Government employment remains 161,000 below its pre-pandemic levels. Leisure and hospitality employment remains 369,000 below its pre-pandemic levels. The household survey from which the unemployment rate is derived showed employment rebounding 273,000, reversing the 310,000 decline in May. Reuters Graphics"Though demand for labor remains unmatched, the labor shortages that employers sighed over a year ago have definitely subsided some," said Andrew Flowers, lead labor economist at Appcast.

Persons: Sean Snaith, payrolls, Selcuk Eren, Andrew Flowers, Lucia Mutikani, Daniel Wallis, Chizu Nomiyama, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Reserve, Labor, University of Central Florida's Institute, Economic, Reuters, Manufacturing, Institute for Supply, Treasury, Companies, Conference Board, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Washington

☆ Hedge fund industry insiders say Two Sigma's unusual risk disclosure was years in the making
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Kaja Whitehouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Two Sigma, the successful quant hedge fund, is dogged by two cofounders who don't get along. Disagreements between Overdeck and Siegel only surfaced publicly for the first time last week. The disclosure was highly unusual for a hedge fund since they generally have much lighter disclosure requirements than their public counterparts, experts say, making the filing all the more notable. The firm has been known mainly as a premier quantitative hedge fund since its founding. Then when it comes to planning for the next generation of leaders to take over from hedge fund founders, the transition can be difficult.

Persons: John Overdeck, David Siegel, Overdeck, Siegel, Mark Pickard, Jonathan Hitchon, Sarah Jacobs, Kevin Mullally, Mullally Organizations: Sigma, Street Journal, Overdeck, Wall Street, Business, University of Central Locations: New York, Manhattan's SoHo, University of Central Florida

☆ How begpackers became some of the world’s least popular tourists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

James, a comedian, is one of the posters behind the Instagram page Chaotic Hong Kong Expats. But the age of social media has catapulted the activity into public consciousness with a wave of begpacking-shaming Instagram accounts and Facebook pages. “Hong Kong is a very expensive place to live and the average (monthly) wage is 15,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,915). Viral social media photos of begpackers in places like Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong have been appearing on social media in recent months, re-igniting debate over the issue. “I think it kind of represents the growing arena of location-independent tourists blurring boundaries between leisure and work,” says Bernstein.

Persons: Ashley James, “, James, ”, ” James, Stephen Pratt, He’s, Pratt, –, begpackers, Patrick Leigh Fermor, ’ ”, ” Will Hatton, “ you’ve, ” Joshua Bernstein, Bernstein, begpack, Raphael Pangalangan, Begpacking, ” Pangalangan, ” Hatton, Hatton, it’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, Rosen, of Hospitality Management, University of Central, Hong Kong Polytechnic, Language Institute, Thamassat University, Michelin, European Union Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, Kong, Thailand, India, Indonesia, begpackers, University of Central Florida, Hong, Kowloon, Europe, begpacking, Bangkok, North America, Malaysia

☆ 35-year-old who makes more than $5,000/month in passive income on her best career advice: Find ‘different communities of people’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Jen Glantz wasn't sure which career path to take when she graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2010. But outside of her professional life, Glantz noticed she was constantly being asked to be people's bridesmaid. Altogether her various income streams bring in more than $5,000 in passive income per month. You can do this by taking online courses like those on LinkedIn Learning or Udemy, taking in-person courses at a local college or university or by doing some one-on-one coaching with a professional in a skill you're looking to hone. "I learned a lot of those skills by taking online courses, a lot of them free courses that I found just to teach me the structure and the baseline."

☆ The college student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet on Twitter is now monitoring the jet used by Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet is now doing the same for Ron DeSantis's plane. Jack Sweeney created a new Twitter account that he said will track the governor's state-owned jet. The college student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet on Twitter has decided to give Florida governor Ron DeSantis the same treatment. Jack Sweeney, a student at the University of Central Florida, has set up a new Twitter account, @DeSantisJet, to track the government-owned jet the politician uses. Sweeney made headlines when Musk offered him $5,000 to take down the Twitter account that tracked his private jet.

☆ Hegra has been inhabited for 12,000 years -- but has only had tourists for four
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Now, increased investment in archeology from the Saudi government means that more and more information is coming out of Hegra and other Nabatean sites. I think they just get absorbed in the story of the growth of the Roman Empire.”"Hinat" greets travelers at the Hegra visitor's center. Now, travelers can see her in the Hegra visitors’ center. Expand your searchMany visitors combine their Hegra trip with visits to the smaller nearby historic sites of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah. Don’t miss the covered outdoor station near the Hegra visitor’s center, where you can practice using a small chisel to carve your name or initials into pieces of stone.

☆ DeSantis collects wins as Florida Legislature caps whirlwind session, teeing up possible White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a conference titled "Celebrate the Faces of Israel" at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, on April 27, 2023. Measures like the restrictive abortion law DeSantis signed could help him in a GOP primary, but may reduce his appeal in a general election. Lawmakers have also passed multiple measures that could help clear DeSantis' path to the White House, if and when he decides to run. "The entire session was focused on Governor DeSantis' run for president," said Jim Clark, a University of Central Florida senior lecturer and political commentator, in an interview. On top of those issues, DeSantis in March waded into the "school choice" debate by signing a bill expanding Florida's school voucher system.

☆ The student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet said his Facebook page was taken down for 'impersonation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet said his Facebook page was taken down on Wednesday. The college student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet said his Facebook page was taken down Wednesday for "impersonation." In a text message exchange with Insider, Sweeney said he didn't know why the social media company had unpublished his page. The University of Central Florida student shared a screenshot of the notice he was sent, notifying him that his page had been "unpublished" because "Elon Musk's jet goes against our Community Standards on impersonation." Jack Sweeney's Facebook page about Elon Musk's jet was taken down for "impersonation."

☆ I did the Disney College Program 4 times and had years of free access to the parks. Here's how I got in.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Keller participated in the Disney College program four times, working at the parks as a student. When I was 12 years old, I learned about the Disney College Program. When I got older, I learned that travel and tourism was a college degree programI went that route for my bachelor's and master's degrees while in the Disney College Program. I was there until the following August, then went back to Florida to do the Disney College Program again while I started graduate school. I had to apply for the Disney College Program each time, so I learned the process wellThe college program application just requests super basic information from you — it's not one of those long, 100-question type things.

☆ Florida insiders react with shock, amusement, and dread after Disney outmaneuvers DeSantis to keep most of its power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It appears Walt Disney World won't be losing power over its land after all — at least not yet — following a high-profile battle with Republican Gov. "It was a pretty brilliant move by the outgoing board to basically take all the power away," one Florida-based lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Insider. Ron DeSantis got married at Disney World in 2009. Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida who co-authored the book "Politics in Florida," told Insider. The company told Insider in a statement that it was "discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums."

☆ Employees Need Positive Feedback From Bosses. Without It, People Quit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Molly Lipson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

A 2021 study by the global management-consulting firm McKinsey found that the top-two reasons people quit their jobs are because they don't feel valued by their company or their manager. And when employees feel happy and rewarded by their jobs, they are also more productive. How to really mean it when you give an employee praiseFor employees to really feel valued at work, it's important that they are recognized on a regular basis. While a simple acknowledgement of good work can be a powerful tool, Baumgartner told me that a simple "thank you" isn't sufficient to truly appreciate employees' work. Peer-to-peer recognition is also an important way employees can feel valued.

☆ Takeaways from the February jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Minneapolis CNN —February’s jobs report had a little something for everyone. In February, the construction industry added 24,000 jobs, marking 12 consecutive months of employment growth. Friday’s report showed that “a modicum of slack crept back into the jobs market,” wrote Wells Fargo economists Sarah House and Michael Pugliese. However, Friday’s jobs report likely won’t spur a more dovish turn from the Fed, said Sean Snaith, an economist and director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting. “We didn’t go from a four-alarm fire to a five-alarm fire with this data report, but the inflation flames aren’t out either,” he wrote in a note Friday.

☆ Florida to place leadership of Disney's special operating district under DeSantis' control
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Rob Wile | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

One of those procedures concerns the district's ability to raise taxes and issue bonds to build and maintain infrastructure serving the Walt Disney World Resort. And the district will be renamed: From the Reedy Creek Special Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. "Until Governor DeSantis acted, the Walt Disney Company maintained sole control over the District," a spokesman for the governor said in a statement. Disney is monitoring the legislation, Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement. But construction still appears to be progressing on a Disney office campus in Lake Nona, roughly 20 miles east of Disney World.

☆ The college student who tracks Elon Musk's private jet is launching his own flight-tracking website
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Grace Kay | Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sweeney shares data that tracks private jets of celebrities, including Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Sweeney has used the ADS-B Exchange website to keep tabs on flights since he started tracking private-jet data back in 2020. ADS-B Exchange founder Dan Streufert previously said in a statement that the acquisition would accelerate the site's growth. It was built using the same open-source code that was used to create ADS-B Exchange. Still, the agency acknowledges that these are not a "silver bullet" and can be skirted via ADS-B Exchange.

☆ Student who tracks Elon Musk's jet blasts sale of flight-tracking site he uses to keep tabs on aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Taylor Rains | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jet-tracking student Jack Sweeney is calling for people to boycott ADS-B Exchange. Sweeney uses the site to share flight data on celebrities, including Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Aviation data company JetNet said on Wednesday that it bought ADS-B Exchange, a free website that tracked thousands of commercial aircraft around the world. Sweeney uses ADS-B to follow certain aircraft, like those owned by Musk, Donald Trump, and Taylor Swift. He said he's looking for alternatives to ADS-B Exchange, like creating his own version or using another tracking websites, like Open Sky Network and airframe.io.

☆ Elon Musk’s Jet Has a Twitter Account Tracking It Again—With a 24-Hour Delay
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Elon Musk has said that real-time posting of people’s locations isn’t allowed on Twitter. Jack Sweeney , the college student whose Twitter account tracking Elon Musk’s private jet was suspended, is back on the social-media platform with a new jet-tracking account. Mr. Sweeney, a University of Central Florida sophomore, created @ElonJetNextDay Thursday evening, he said. It follows the same set up as his original account, @ElonJet, except it shares the whereabouts of Mr. Musk’s private jet with a 24-hour delay instead of in real-time.

☆ Twitter suspends account tracking Elon Musk's jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc suspended an account tracking its owner Elon Musk's private jet in real-time, with the billionaire threatening legal action against the account's operator after saying his son had been mistakenly followed by a "crazy stalker". ElonJet, operated by 20-year-old university student Jack Sweeney, had tracked the movements of Musk's private jet using data available in the public domain before the suspension. The billionaire also tweeted that one of his sons, lil X, had been harassed, and linked it to the tracking accounts. Sweeney, a student at the University of Central Florida, who also operates similar bot accounts tracking Musk's jet on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram, told BuzzFeed the suspension is "a surprise to many people after he publicly said he wouldn't do it." Separately, Twitter accounts tracking the jets of billionaire tech entrepreneurs Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates were also suspended.

☆ The family of the college student who tracks Elon Musk's jet said they 'can't really believe it won't just go away'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Britney Nguyen | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk threatened legal action against the college student who tracks his private jet on Twitter. Jack Sweeney told Insider his family is "amazed" that Musk is so bothered by his tracking account. Jack Sweeney told Insider that he was home with his mom when he saw Musk's tweet about suing him and others "who supported harm to my family." "Legal action is being taken against Sweeney & organizations who supported harm to my family," Musk tweeted. When he first saw Musk's tweet about suing him, Sweeney told Insider he "was really surprised, maybe for a couple of seconds," before his rational thoughts set in.

☆ Twitter Suspends Accounts Sharing Live Locations, Including the Tracker of Elon Musk’s Private Jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Twitter Inc. said it will suspend accounts dedicated to sharing someone’s live location, after one account in particular had gained traction for tracking the private jet of Elon Musk, the social-media giant’s new owner. A message Wednesday morning on the @ElonJet account, operated by Jack Sweeney , a student at the University of Central Florida, said the account was suspended for violating Twitter’s rules. The account had about 500,000 followers.

☆ Twitter suspends bot account tracking Elon Musk's jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc suspended a bot account tracking its owner Elon Musk's private jet, the account's operator Jack Sweeney said in a tweet on Wednesday. The Twitter account tracked movements of Musk's private jet using data available in the public domain. Later in the day, Sweeney's Twitter account was also suspended. In previous media interviews, Sweeney said he turned down a $5,000 offer from Musk in 2021 to shut down the bot account. Separately, Twitter accounts tracking the jets of billionaire tech entrepreneurs Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates have also been suspended.

☆ Twitter suspends account that tracked Elon Musk's private jet, despite billionaire's 'free speech' pledge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The move comes after Musk has reinstated previous Twitter rule-breakers and stopped enforcing the platform’s policies prohibiting Covid-19 misinformation. Sweeney woke up Wednesday morning to a message from Twitter informing him @ElonJet had been permanently suspended. Later in the day his personal account and other jet-tracking accounts he ran were also shut down by the company. According to screenshots Sweeney shared with CNN, Musk reached out to him last December through a Twitter private message asking, “Can you take this down? “Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation.

☆ How Big Law fumbled its own Rooney rule on diversity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Elizabeth Olson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Several law firms adopted the Mansfield rule in 2017, which aims to increase diversity in leadership. It's effectively the NFL's two-decade-old Rooney rule: a requirement that nonwhite candidates be considered when teams hire for coaching and front-office jobs. Law firms followed professional football in 2017 with its version of the Rooney rule, called the Mansfield rule. At first, the Rooney rule seemed to catch on when teams started to hire more coaches of color and a dozen general managers of color when that position was added to the Rooney rule. "For the Rooney rule to work," he said, "there has to be a true commitment from the owners.

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