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☆ Sam Altman's return to OpenAI doesn't necessarily mean a return to normalcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In today's big story, we're looking at Sam Altman returning to the helm of OpenAI. Less than five days after his shocking ouster, Sam Altman is set to return to OpenAI as its CEO. Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella, a key figure in the past few days' drama, comes out a winner. By helping to reinstall Altman at OpenAI, he stabilizes a key piece of Microsoft's AI strategy.

Persons: —, NASA's James Webb, Sam Altman, JACK GUEZ, OpenAI, Altman, we're, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Taylor, Adam D'Angelo, Greg Brockman, OpenAI's confounder, They've, Tim Paradis, Satya Nadella, Kevin Scott, Insider's Ashley Stewart, Julie Bort, Darrin Zammit Lupi, Patrick T, Fallon Rivian, Elon Musk's, Jack Dorsey, Amr Bo Shanab, Madison, they're, Vladimir Putin, Billie Jean King, Jamie Lee Curtis, Scarlett Johansson, Hailey Bieber, John Deere, LongeviQuest's Ben Meyers, Yumi Yamamoto, Fabrizio Villatoro, Jack SteerLo, Fusa Tatsumi, they've, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, Getty, Silicon, Business, Microsoft, REUTERS, Elon, Madison Ave Locations: OpenAI, AFP, OpenAI's, India, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

The lawsuits said that several New Balance athletic shoes and Skechers sneakers misuse Nike's patented "Flyknit" technology for running, soccer and basketball shoes. Nike has previously sued Adidas (ADSGn.DE), Puma (PUMG.DE) and Lululemon (LULU.O) for infringing Flyknit patents. Representatives for Nike, New Balance and Skechers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Monday lawsuits. Nike sued Manhattan Beach, California-based Skechers in Los Angeles, claiming that shoes, including Skechers' Ultra Flex and Glide Step brands, infringed on its patents. Nike asked the courts for an unspecified amount of money damages and court orders permanently blocking New Balance and Skechers from infringing the patents.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Lululemon, Skechers, Blake Brittain, David Bario, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Nike, REUTERS, Footwear, New, Adidas, Puma, Boston, Manhattan, Thomson Locations: New York , New York, U.S, Beaverton , Oregon, Massachusetts, Manhattan Beach , California, Los Angeles, Washington

With Trump sitting feet away, Trump’s one-time lawyer and fixer described how he manipulated Trump’s financial statements – “reverse-engineering” them to hit an arbitrary net worth. We’re not worried at all about his testimony,” Trump said during a lunch break. The tense questioning is going to continue into Wednesday, as Habba hadn’t even started on the substance of Cohen’s testimony in the civil fraud trial. In the July 2014 letter submitting a bid to buy the Bills, Trump claimed his net worth was $8 billion. Before Engoron’s ruling, the state attorneys and Trump’s lawyers clashed over Michael Cohen’s testimony about the letter.

Persons: CNN — Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Trump, –, Cohen, Trump’s, he’d, Quickly, intently, “, ” “ It’s, We’re, ” Trump, “ Heck, ”, Allen Weisselberg, ” Cohen, Allen, Alina Habba, Chris Kise, Habba, ” Cohen sneered, ” Habba, ” Kise, hadn’t, “ Mr, you’re, ’ you’re, Michael Cohen, Eric Trump, Arthur Engoron, general’s, ” Engoron, overruling, Engoron’s, Michael Cohen’s, Kise, Mazars, Bill Kelly, Tom Emmer, Emmer, RINO Tom Emmer, he’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump Organization, Mr, United Nations Plaza, Miss, New, Buffalo Bills, Bills, Minnesota GOP Locations: York, Seven Springs, New York, Washington ,

☆ These 53 college towns 'eat the most Chipotle' — and the chain will reward them by staying open until midnight on Halloween
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Chipotle said it plans to keep 53 college-town stores open until midnight on Halloween. The chain said it is targeting college towns popular with Gen Z, a group that likes to eat late. But instead of going national with its late-night business, Chipotle is targeting "college towns that eat the most Chipotle," the chain announced Wednesday. The fresh-Mex chain, which has more than 3,250 restaurants, said 53 college towns will stay open until midnight on Halloween – a busy night for the brand. "Over the past two years, Chipotle has seen a 30 percent increase in transactions after 8 p.m. on Halloween and 81 percent of 18- to 26-year-olds surveyed reported wanting to see Chipotle open until midnight," the chain said.

Persons: Chipotle, Gen Z, —, Gen, Wendy's, Ann Arbor Organizations: Service, Nation's Restaurant, Way, University Avenue South, Fowler, Boulevard Georgia, Ponce De, State Street, College, Salisbury, State Street East, Street New, Broadway, Tryon, Franklin, Court Street Oxford, Clifton, Clemson, Street, State, Montgomery, Ogden Locations: North Carolina , Ohio, Florida, Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Arizona, Tempe, Flagstaff, Way California, La Jolla, Berkeley, Angeles, Colorado, Boulder, Gainesville, University Avenue South Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Ponce, Ponce De Leon Ave, Athens, Illinois, Champaign, Indiana, West Lafayette, State Street Bloomington, Kirkwood Avenue Louisiana, Baton Rouge, Maryland, Salisbury, Salisbury Boulevard Michigan, State Street East Lansing, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Mississippi Oxford, Missouri, Columbia, Street New York, Vestal, York, Broadway North Carolina, Raleigh, Charlotte, Greenville, Wilmington, Ohio, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Oklahoma, Carolina, Tennessee, Nashville, Knoxville, Avenue Texas, Waco, Lubbock, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Utah, Salt Lake City, Wisconsin, Madison, Street Milwaukee, Ogden Avenue Washington

☆ Rite Aid is closing nearly 100 stores as part of its bankruptcy. See the list
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Rite Aid, which had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, is now preparing to shed almost 100 stores nationwide as part of its restructuring efforts. Over the past six years, Rite Aid has tallied nearly $3 billion in losses. in Costa Mesa, California139 North Grand Ave. in Covina, California20572 Homestead Road in Cupertino, California24829 Del Pradoin Dana Point, California7859 Firestone Blvd. in Yorba Linda, California25906 Newport Road in Menifee, California1600 North Main St. in Meridian, Idaho5808 Ritchie Hwy. in Mill Creek, Washington601 South Grady Way in Renton, Washington2707 Rainier Ave. in South Seattle, Washington– CNN’s David Goldman contributed to this story

Persons: Del, Dana, Glen, Ephraim Ave, Arnold St, Nicholas Ave, Reed, Washington – CNN’s David Goldman Organizations: New, New York CNN — Rite, Real Estate Partners, Rite Aid, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco, Aid, Solutions, SEC Alabama, Valley, Firestone, Alvarado St, Fulton, Yorba, Bel Air, Pulaski, Garfield, Main St, Clinton St, Michigan, Whittemore St, Hamilton St, Sunrise, Elmwood, New Carlisle , Ohio Euclid, Gettysburg, Medford, 9th St, Liberty, Eisenhower, Stevenson, 5th St, Reed St, Oxford, 63rd, Brighton, East Central, St, Evergreen, Grady Locations: New York, California, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Alabama, Idaho, Pike, Monroeville , Alabama, Alhambra , California, Bellevue, Atwater , California, Costa Mesa , California, Covina , California, Cupertino , California, Dana Point , California, Downey , California, Irvine , California, La Mirada , California, Laguna Niguel , California, South Centinela, Los Angeles , California, Alvarado, Monterey , California, St, Ramona , California, Fulton Ave, Sacramento , California, Santa Cruz , California, Yorba Linda , California, Menifee , California, Main St, Meridian , Idaho, Baltimore , Maryland, Bel Air , Maryland, Elkton , Maryland, Glen Burnie , Maryland, Gratiot, Clinton Township , Michigan, Detroit , Michigan, Farmington Hills , Michigan, Fremont , Michigan, Clinton, Grand Ledge , Michigan, Jackson , Michigan, Macomb , Michigan, U.S, Manistee , Michigan, Redford , Michigan, Shelby Township , Michigan, St . Johns , Michigan, Centerville, Sturgis , Michigan, Taylor , Michigan, Wixom , Michigan, Berlin , New Hampshire Grove St, Peterborough , New Hampshire, Browns Mills , New Jersey, Camden , New Jersey, Lumberton , New Jersey, Bridgeton Pike, Mantua , New Jersey, Mullica Hill , New Jersey, Edinburg, Robbinsville , New Jersey, Hamilton, Somerset , New Jersey, Williamstown , New Jersey, Bay Shore , New York, Buffalo , New York, Copiague , New York, East Northport , New York, Floral, , New York, Jamaica , New York, Elmwood Ave, Kenmore , New York, Hempstead, Levittown , New York, Patchogue, Yaphank, Medford , New York, New York , New York, Port Jefferson , New York, Sayville , New York, Smithtown , New York, West Patchogue , New York, New Carlisle , Ohio, Strathmore, East Cleveland , Ohio, Dayton , Ohio, Cleveland , Ohio, Medford , Oregon, Cully, Portland , Oregon, 9th, Chester , Pennsylvania, Coraopolis , Pennsylvania, Erie , Pennsylvania, Greensburg , Pennsylvania, Hanover , Pennsylvania, New Castle , Pennsylvania, New Kensington , Pennsylvania, Pennsburg , Pennsylvania, 5th, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Venango St, 63rd St, Pottsville , Pennsylvania, Rochester , Pennsylvania, East Central Ave, Titusville , Pennsylvania, White Haven , Pennsylvania, Bellevue , Washington, Bellingham , Washington, Blaine , Washington, Covington , Washington, Everett , Washington, Lynnwood , Washington, Mill Creek, Renton , Washington, Rainier, South Seattle

Eric Haren of the attorney general’s office showed the court several versions of internal spreadsheets from 2017 financial documents prepared by Trump Org. Ultimately the presidential premiums were never included on Trump’s financial statements. Birney, who was a senior financial analyst in 2016 when he joined Trump Org., still works there, now as vice president of financial operations. He reiterated his previous testimony that Weisselberg or former controller Jeffrey McConney would determine what methods were used to value assets that were included on Trump’s financial statements. Birney also testified that Weisselberg directed him to use low capitalization rates and top of the market comparable recent sales to value some of Trump’s assets.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Eric Haren, Patrick Birney, Birney, Allen Weisselberg, Trump, Weisselberg, Letitia James, Jeffrey McConney Organizations: New, New York CNN — Trump Organization, Trump Org, Trump, Forbes, New York, Vornado Locations: New York

☆ Target says it's closing 9 locations over crime, but New York City crime stats surrounding its East Harlem store tell another story
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The company plans to open a location on 125th Street — less than 2 miles from the East Harlem store. A police cruiser outside a boarded-up retail store near Union Square in San Francisco in November 2021. Ethan Swope/Getty ImagesIn San Francisco, another complicated narrative on crimeIn San Francisco, a Target on Folsom Street location went viral earlier this year for its aisles of locked-down merchandise . AdvertisementAdvertisementWalgreens had been closing thousands of stores for years before it decided the fate of the five San Francisco locations. "That's why we're actively collaborating with legislators, law enforcement, and retail-industry partners to advocate for public-policy solutions to combat organized retail crime."

Persons: —, Djeneba Kone, she's, Brian Cornell, Jim Joice, Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins, Kone wasn't, That's, there's, Ethan Swope, shoplifters, James Kehoe, Kehoe, Cornell, we're Organizations: Service, Target, Aldi, Costco, East Harlem, New York City Police, St, Herald, East, Seattle Times, San Francisco Police Department, Walgreens, San, San Francisco Chronicle Locations: Harlem, Manhattan , New York, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Spanish Harlem, El Barrio, Manhattan, Bronx, East Harlem, Columbus, SoHo, Folsom, Target's, Francisco

☆ Starbucks is closing 7 San Francisco stores, as it expands delivery and new store formats. Here's the full list of closing locations.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Alex Bitter | Gloria Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Starbucks is closing seven locations in San Francisco as the chain cuts back on a dense store network. Many retailers have closed stores in downtown San Francisco, citing low foot traffic and crime. AdvertisementAdvertisementStarbucks is closing seven stores in San Francisco as it renovates others and adds a pickup-only location. AdvertisementAdvertisementEven without the planned closures, Starbucks operates fewer stores in San Francisco than it did several years ago. Starbucks has "opened or re-opened" three locations in San Francisco over the last six months, the company spokesperson told Insider.

Persons: it's, —, Geary, Van, Yves Saint, Laurent Organizations: Starbucks, Service, San Francisco Business Times, Safeway, Geary St, California St, Employees, Business Times, Times, Restaurant, Nordstrom Locations: San Francisco, California, Van Ness

☆ Explore the Collyer Brothers' mansion, which was the home to New York's original hoarders
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Elias Chavez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

On March 21, 1947, an anonymous tip sent authorities to the Collyer brothers' mansion in Harlem. NYPD officers found the dead body of one of the brothers amongst 120 tons of trash they had collected. It would be another 15 days before authorities found the other brother buried underneath a collapsed pile of trash. Homer and Langley Collyer lived in a home in Harlem that they inherited after their parents' death. Here's the story of two brothers who turned away from the outside world and created a palace from what they collected off the streets.

Persons: Collyer, Homer, Langley Collyer, Langley Organizations: Service, New York Police Department, NYPD, Police Locations: Harlem, Wall, Silicon

☆ How to Pay Off Your Student Loans Fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Rebecca Safier | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +11 min

5 strategies to pay off your student loans ahead of scheduleMore than half of students take out student loans to pay for college, with the average debt load upon graduation totaling nearly $30,000. Be cautious about refinancing federal student loans: Doing so means sacrificing federal repayment plans and other protections. Pay off interest during school and your grace periodInterest starts accruing on most student loans, such as federal unsubsidized loans and private student loans, from the day they are paid out (known as the disbursement date), usually at the beginning of each semester. Pursue student loan forgiveness and assistanceIf you’re open to switching jobs, consider pursuing a role that would make you eligible for student loan forgiveness or assistance. If you have federal student loans, you may need to set up autopay again before the payment pause ends in October.

Persons: Rebecca Safier, you’d, “, ”, Karen McCarthy, Let’s, you’ll, Biden, Michael Lux, Joe DePaulo, McCarthy, autopay, forbearance, It’s, you’ve, Jan Miller Organizations: National Association of Student Financial, Public, Student Loan Sherpa, College Ave

☆ H.B.O. Is Tackling Religion in the Most Remarkable Ways
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Elizabeth Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Television’s depictions of religion have often leaned either toward po-faced dogma or scouring atheism, but here is one that dares to split the difference. The eldest, Jesse, is a pompous hothead whose default response to any insult is light violence and who, despite his persona as a family man, has enjoyed the sort of hard-partying lifestyle that would make early-1970s Led Zeppelin blush. His sister, Judy, is a flamethrowing libertine with a staggeringly foul mouth and a tendency to transgress against her lovingly milquetoast husband. Like a staging of “King Lear” at a monster-truck rally, the show has a loneliness that undergirds its berserk energy. This is not the only fascinating vision of the church on HBO these days.

Persons: they’ve, McBride, Jesse, Judy, “ King Lear ”, John Goodman, Eli Gemstone —, Aimee, Leigh, Croesus, ”, Gideon, —, Bridget Everett, Sam, Joel, Sam —, Maria ” Organizations: ”, Southern, Gemstone Salvation, HBO, Hollywood Locations: American, Hollywood, Kansas, America

☆ Flash flooding at Washington DC's District Dogs Northeast leaves 10 pets dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Christina Zdanowicz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Severe storms with heavy rains the evening of August 14 brought a flash flood to the doors of District Dogs Northeast. Ten dogs, including Maple, Malee and Zeni, died in the flooding, WJLA reported. A first responder carries out a dog from District Dogs Northeast in Washington DC. A few days into the trip, they noticed a missed call and later received a text from District Dogs asking them to call back. Garro said Hensley told him there was flooding, some dogs died and “your dog was one of them.” Hensley told him.

Persons: Zeni, John Donnelly, Heather McGaffin, ” McGaffin, Colleen Costello, she’s, “, ” Costello, Maple, Costello, didn’t, Luer Yin, Connor McCarty, ”, McCarty, ” Yin, Jacob Hensley, ” McCarty, Connor McCarty Hensley, ” Hensley, Hensley, Jonathan Garro, mutt, Malee, Garro, Kerry, ” Garro, Yin, Hensley – they’ve, “ It’s, I’m, “ I’m, it’s, Maple’s Organizations: CNN, Washington DC, DC, WJLA, of Unified Communications, District Dogs, WUSA, Dogs, Corgi Locations: Zeni, District, Washington, Hawaii, ”

☆ Old-School Fans Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Alex Vadukul | More About Alex Vadukul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The start of hip-hop dates to Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc created continuous break-beats by working two turntables during a party in a rec room at 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx. On Friday night, exactly 50 years later, a concert was held at Yankee Stadium — roughly a mile and a half from hip-hop’s birthplace — to honor the occasion, featuring Run-DMC, Slick Rick, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Lil’ Kim and Nas. DJ Kool Herc, 68, also appeared onstage to accept an award. “I prefer old-school hip-hop,” Hetep said. He rapped about positivity, and that’s also what my music is about.”In the edited interviews below, attendees reflected on hip-hop’s 50th.

Persons: DJ Kool Herc, —, Slick Rick, Snoop Dogg, Lil ’ Kim, Nas, Tupac Shakur, Hetep BarBoy, ” Hetep, “, that’s Organizations: Yankee, ” Locations: Bronx

☆ Custom art, air purifiers and TikTok: College spending boom could booster retailers' sales this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Eros Hoagland | Getty ImagesOver the past few years, Alicia Browne has noticed a change in what college students haul out of cars on move-in days at the University of Alabama. A growing pie — and market share up for grabsAs college spending is poised to grow, retailers have another reason to vie for students' dollars. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIt is difficult to estimate how much college market share Bed Bath had in total. Shipt, the Target-owned delivery service, and Walmart have both tried to attract more college students to their membership programs by offering a special discounted price. She said the company's growth has been fueled by college students who want uniquely decorated rooms that reflect their personalities.

Persons: Eros Hoagland, Alicia Browne, Keurig coffeemakers, decorators, Browne, Prosper, Browne chalks, " Browne, Marshal Cohen, Jakub Porzycki, Harmon, Cristina Fernandez, Sonoma, TikTok, Dormify, Amanda Zuckerman, Zuckerman, Kate Reppeto, Callie Weathers Kate Reppeto, Repetto, she's, Anna Emblom Organizations: University of North, Hill, University of Alabama, College, National Retail Federation, IRI, NPD, Target, Walmart, Consulting, Deloitte, Nurphoto, Goods, Ikea, Telsey Advisory, Williams, Hamptons, Madison, University of Mississippi, Eagle Locations: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Kohl's, Bath, Bed, Williston , Vermont, New York City, Madison Ave, Oxford, Miss, Southlake, Dallas, Fort Worth in Texas, Birmingham, Ala

☆ Private sector added 324,000 jobs in July, well above expectations, ADP says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sinking Spring, PA - April 19: The sign at the McDonald's restaurant on Penn Ave in Sinking Spring, PA April 19, 2021 with a message on a board below it that reads "Work Here $15 $15 $15". (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)Private sector companies added far more jobs than expected in July, pushed higher by a boom in leisure and hospitality jobs, payroll processing firm ADP reported Wednesday. Job gains for the month totaled 324,000, driven by a 201,000 jump in hotels, restaurants, bars and affiliated businesses. The ADP report serves as a precursor for Friday's more widely followed nonfarm payrolls count from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also of note from the ADP report was that the job gains were concentrated in firms with fewer than 50 employees, which were responsible for 237,000 positions.

Persons: Ben Hasty, Dow Jones, Nela Richardson, nonfarm Organizations: Penn, MediaNews, Getty Images, Dow, Reserve, Goods, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, ADP Locations: PA

More than a year later, she was told her application required a key document that was stuck behind enemy lines in Ukraine. "There's always a trade-off between rapid and sustainable labour market integration," said Thomas Liebig, chief economist for the OECD's international migration department. Researchers from Minor, a migration policy think tank, said the large-scale inflow of refugees from Ukraine is seen as a great opportunity in Germany. While the refugees' fate is partly tied to the unknowable course of the Ukraine war, the EU's temporary protection scheme for Ukraine refugees is at present due to expire in March 2024. This puts employers who want to hire refugees in a difficult situation, as they don't know if Ukrainian refugees will be able to stay.

Persons: Maria, Lukas Barth, Svetlana Chuhil, Chuhil, Lauren, Thomas Liebig, Oksana Krotova, Krotova, Ildiko Pallman, Gizem Uensal, Enzo Weber, Jan Lopatka, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Deloitte, Reuters, OECD, United Nations, Minor, German Institute for Employment Research, Thomson Locations: Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Aschheim, Munich, Germany, BERLIN, WARSAW, Poland, Zgorzelec, Goerlitz, Paris, Europe's, Berlin, Kyiv, Prague

☆ Buddhist Art From India: Where the Natural Meets the Supernatural
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Holland Cotter | More About Holland Cotter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Several free-standing Indian figures turn the show’s final gallery, teasingly titled “The Buddha Revealed,” into a kind of chapel. And it is visually clear that a page has turned, both in the exhibition’s narrative, and in the history of Buddhism itself. By the time the latest of these single-figure icons was made in the late fifth to sixth century C.E., the map of Buddhism was changing. If you didn’t know of this fate it would be hard to guess it from the glowingly vital, all but palpitating early Indian Buddhist art in the Met show. Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, 200 B.C.E.

Organizations: Metropolitan Museum of Art Locations: Southeast Asia, China, Japan, India, ., Islam, New, Art

☆ Barbie is all the buzz this summer — and retailers hope it will make cautious consumers spend
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Bloomingdale's is just one of the retailers and brands trying to tap into Barbie buzz. With a splash of hot pink, retailers hope to chase away the summer doldrums and inflation blues. About half of Aldo's Barbie collection sold out in the first week. So far, the Barbie merchandise is "selling incredibly well" and appealing to customers across generations, said Frank Berman, the department store's chief marketing officer. Gap has sold out of some of its popular Barbie items, including rectangular pink sunglasses.

Persons: Bloomingdale's, Barbie, Aldo, Brand, Daianara Grullon Amalfitano, Aldo's, Aldo Macy's, Frank Berman, Berman, it's, Ken, Circana, Margot Robbie's, Oliver Chen, Cowen, Chen, Susan Fournier, Barbie isn't, Fournier Organizations: Warner Bros, Mattel, Companies, NPD Group, IRI, Unit, Walmart, Target, Amazon Prime, Consumers, Adobe Analytics, Aqua Locations: Manhattan, Lexington Ave, U.S, Boston, New York City

☆ Office landlords struggling for tenants are facing an even scarier predicament — zombie properties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A zombie building is one that's too costly for a landlord to rent at prevailing rates. Office buildings purchased in the past five years could become zombies, a real-estate vet said. Like many New York office buildings, it's a dead man walking, similar to the hopelessly distressed shopping malls that have multiplied across the country over the past decade. One in four office buildings in Manhattan is valued at less than they last sold for, according to JLL. Bringing zombies back to lifeUnlike in the movies, zombie buildings don't remain undead forever.

Persons: Knotel, Michael Cohen, Cohen, —, haven't, RXR, Chetrit, HPS Organizations: New York, Macmillan Publishers, Manhattan, BNP, Real Estate, Green —, Blackstone, Chetrit, HPS Investment Partners Locations: New, New York City, New York, Manhattan, That's, HPS

☆ Smoke pours out of Tiffany & Co. flagship 5th Ave. New York store two months after reopening
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A fire near Tiffany & Co.’s newly renovated flagship store in New York City sent smoke pouring out of the building on Thursday. Firefighters responded to a transformer fire that began in an electrical vault next to the jewelry store’s 5th Avenue location in Manhattan. Videos on social media showed dark plumes of smoke coming out of the historic building and spilling into the street. The fire comes just over two months after Tiffany officially reopened the doors of its 10-floor limestone flagship shop. The 5th Avenue flagship accounted for 10% of the brand’s global sales before it closed for renovations.

Persons: Firefighters, Tiffany, Bernard Arnault’s LVMH, Arnault, ” Tiffany’s, Jean, Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, –, Zenebou Sylla Organizations: New, New York CNN, Tiffany, The New York Fire Department, FDNY, Wall Street Locations: New York, New York City, Manhattan, The

☆ Daniel Penny learned the chokehold that killed Jordan Neely in Marine boot camp. He likely didn't learn when to let go.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Daniel Penny learned the "rear choke" that killed Jordan Neely in boot camp, Marine veterans tell Insider. What Penny learned about chokeholds in his Marine training will be key at that trial, as a Manhattan judge or jury weighs whether Penny was negligent, or reckless, or neither. An illustration of a "figure-four variation" of a rear chokehold from the Marine Corps martial arts program training manual. The chokehold that killed Neely was "sloppy" and "excessive," said Alex Hollings, a former Marine black belt. We call this 'sinking your heels in,' and it provides added control and leverage for the choke," Hollings said.

Persons: Daniel Penny, Jordan Neely, —, Penny, Neely, Brendan McDermid Penny, Maxwell Wiley, chokeholds, Alex Hollings, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Friedman Agnifilo, he'll, Thomas Kenniff, chokehold, Michael Jackson, Andrew Savulich, Dave Bruce, Bruce, They're, Hollings, Juan Albert Vazquez, Juan Alberto Vázquez, constricting, Jordan, Donte Mills, Lennon Edwards, Andrew Lichtenstein, Neely wasn't Organizations: Marine, Service, Manhattan, Marine Corps, US Marine Corps, Regal, New York Daily News, Tribune, Getty, Marines, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, Reuters Locations: Manhattan, Square , New York, New, Farmington , Missouri, It's, Neely, Jordan

In the video, a Central African Republic rebel fighter says "the French want to drive Wagner out of Africa". Russia and Wagner have a track record of media manipulation and disinformation, which Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has admitted to. The European Union sanctioned Wagner in February for alleged rights abuses and spreading disinformation, including in Africa. The foreign ministry unit doesn’t promote or generate fake news, the two diplomats said. However, the foreign ministry unit, and the broader strategy, will face an uphill battle to convince people in Africa that France has changed, seven analysts and diplomats said.

Persons: Ibrahim Traore, Vincent Bado, Wagner, Catherine Colonna, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Maria Zakharova, Meta, Anne, Sophie Ave, Lakhta, Prigozhin, Viginum, Faustin, Archange Touadera, “, Michael Shurkin, I'm, Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau, Bate Felix, Michel Rose, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Russia, Central, Facebook, Kremlin, Reuters, Quai D'Orsay, Vigilance, Protection, European Union, West, Central African, Twitter, Democratic, Internet Research Agency, Meta, Global, National Union, Gabonese, Thomson Locations: Burkina, French, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Russia, PARIS, DAKAR, Central African Republic, France, Russian, Africa, Paris, France's, Ukraine, Moscow, Central, West Africa, Quai, Kinshasa, Mali, Sahel, Europe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, U.S, Togo, Libreville, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Dakar

☆ 10 US cities where real-estate investors can get the best bang for their bucks in lower home prices relative to higher rents charged, and 10 with the worst returns, according to a research firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Agent Advice found 10 cities that yield a high return with home values below the national median. A shortage of new listings is helping to steady property prices as elevated interest rates present affordability challenges for buyers." Cities with the best returns on investmentA recent study by Agent Advice analyzed home values and typical rent prices across US cities. He added that the top ten cities for the best ROI have a typical housing value far below the national average. And as many as seven of the ten have a typical housing value less than 50% of the national average.

Persons: Chris Heller, Victor Whitmore, Whitmore, Travis Hanson, Thomas Harr, Harr, Heller, Jackson Organizations: Investors, Trading Economics, Columbus, Dothan, Sumter Locations: Tulsa , Oklahoma, Lubbock , Texas, Columbus , Ohio, Cities, Houma, LA, Johnstown, Beckley, WV, Decatur, IL, Shreveport, Peoria, SC, Texarkana, TX, TN

☆ Airbnb is suing New York City over short-term rental rules. The outcome could disrupt your next vacation in cities across the US.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In 2022, New York City passed a law that imposed restrictions on short-term rentals. On Thursday, Airbnb, along with a trio of local hosts, sued New York City, filing two separate lawsuits in Manhattan's state court. The more properties are turned into short-term rentals, the fewer housing options are available for actual residents. This isn't the first time Airbnb has battled short-term rental rules, and the court's ruling may affect how lawmakers approach the issue. In 2020, the company agreed to settle a dispute with New York City over a 2018 law that attempted to curb the practice.

Persons: Airbnb, Karen Dunn, Dunn, Gia Briscoe, Eric Adams Organizations: Morning, New York City's, New Locations: New York City, New York, Airbnb, Cities, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Florence

☆ Party City is planning to close over 30 stores across the country — here's the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Party City says it's closing over 30 stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Cartersville: Cartersville Crossing, 451 East Main St.IowaWaterloo: Crossroads Commons Shopping Center, 1415 Flammang Dr.IllinoisBradley: Bradley Commons, 2060 N. State Rte. 20Felch Street Shopping Center, 3050 Beeline Rd., Ste. L12East Hills Shopping Center, 3702 Frederick Ave., Ste. K2Five Points Shopping Center, 4101 Hwy.

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