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☆ Zero income tax and tight security makes Dubai one of the best destinations for a 'workation,' study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Dubai is one of the best cities for a working vacation, or "workation," a study found. Dubai is known for strict law-enforcement policies and has a zero-tolerance policy on crime. AdvertisementAdvertisementDubai is one of the best cities to take a "workation," a study has found. Barcelona was ranked the best city for a workation in the study by Berlin-based WorkMotion. It was also named the best city for taxes.

Organizations: United Arab, New Locations: Dubai, Barcelona, Berlin, United Arab Emirates, Bern, Switzerland, UAE, New York

☆ A new bill in Congress could wipe out the credit card rewards programs Americans rely on for their vacations, Southwest says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Southwest Airlines said a new bill in Congress could "completely end" loyalty rewards programs. It's taking aim at the Credit Card Competition Act, which seeks to lower credit card fees. "Our customers and employees use the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card to earn points that can be redeemed for Southwest flights, car rentals, gift cards, and more." "This legislation is bad policy and would undermine, if not completely end, credit card rewards programs that millions of Americans rely on for their vacations or personal travel needs," Southwest added. The Credit Card Competition Act was originally introduced to the previous Congress in 2022, but never came to a vote.

Persons: Sen, Dick Durbin of, Durbin, Scott Kirby, Lance Gooden Organizations: Southwest Airlines, Credit, Airlines, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Visa, Mastercard, Rapid, Southwest, United Airlines, Democratic, Republican, GOP, Texas Locations: Airlines

☆ Major US airlines are on the warpath with Congress over a bill they say would gut flyer miles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They say it will cut revenues of major payment networks, making them pull out of rewards programs. AdvertisementAdvertisementUS airlines are attacking a new bill in Congress that seeks to lower credit card swipe fees, saying it would effectively end most flyer miles programs. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a statement to Insider, Southwest Airlines said the bill is a "bad policy" that would "undermine, if not completely end, credit card rewards programs." Notably, losing credit card rewards programs could create troubles for airlines that go beyond irate customers missing their free miles. "Their banks and airlines still offer points and miles programs," Durbin told Insider in a statement.

Persons: Sen, Dick Durbin of, Durbin, Ed Bastian, Bloomberg, Scott Kirby, they're, it's, Lance Gooden Organizations: Visa, Mastercard, Morning, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Air, Airlines for, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United, European Union, GOP, Democratic, Republican Locations: Airlines for America, European, Texas

☆ A new bill in Congress is going to 'kill' card rewards programs, says United CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

United CEO Scott Kirby says a new bill in Congress is putting miles programs on the chopping block. The Credit Card Competition Act, proposed by Sen. Dick Durbin, seeks to lower card swipe fees. "This would kill rewards programs," United CEO Scott Kirby said in an October 18 earnings call. It will kill debit card rewards programs when it happens, and I think it's bad policy." The Credit Card Competition Act, proposed by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, seeks to end what Durbin calls a "Visa-Mastercard duopoly" over credit card transactions.

Persons: Scott Kirby, Sen, Dick Durbin, Kirby, Dick Durbin of, Durbin, it's, Ed Bastian, Durbin's Organizations: Visa, Mastercard, Morning, United, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Republican, Democrat, House, Air, Bloomberg, European Locations: European Union

☆ China arrested an executive and two former employees at a major US ad agency, claiming they accepted bribes, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese authorities raided the Shanghai offices of GroupM, Reuters reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementThree people linked to the major ad agency GroupM have been detained by police in Shanghai, according to Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. Chinese authorities raided the Shanghai campus of WPP — the conglomerate which owns GroupM — on Friday, according to Reuters. A month before that, Chinese authorities raided the Beijing offices of Mintz Group, the American corporate due diligence firm. Five employees were detained, according to Reuters.

Persons: Patrick Xu, Bain, Mintz Organizations: Reuters, Morning, Street, Financial Times, Shanghai, WPP, Insider Intelligence, Mintz Group, Beijing Municipal Bureau, Statistics, Associated Press Locations: Shanghai, GroupM, China, Beijing

☆ The founder of Lululemon is spending $100 million to try to beat the super rare disease that's destroying his muscles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lululemon founder Chip Wilson is battling FSHD, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He's investing $100 million into finding a cure through his venture philanthropy fund, Solve FSHD. AdvertisementAdvertisementLululemon founder Chip Wilson has been battling a rare muscular disease for the past several decades, and he's funneling $100 million of his multibillion net worth into finding a cure. Wilson suffers from an even more uncommon form called FSHD2 that impacts just 5% of those with the disease, Bloomberg noted. Solve FSHD did not immediately respond to Insider's request for a comment.

Persons: Chip Wilson, FSHD, He's, Wilson Organizations: Morning, Bloomberg, FSHD Society, China's, Anta, Products, Amer Sports

☆ AI holds promise for fast-tracking treatment and personalizing medicine — but it may not come to your clinic anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Heather Lindsey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Tsai predicts that AI will one day help doctors analyze complicated genetic data — a hallmark of precision medicine. Together, AI imaging and genetic analysis may help doctors rapidly pinpoint a diagnosis and create a highly personalized treatment plan, thus improving a patient's care. AI and the potential for genetic analysisIn addition to medical imaging, AI could one day comb through large amounts of genetic information, a challenging task for researchers. A possible convergence in the clinicWang does not see combining AI imaging and AI genetic analysis at the doctor's office happening within the next couple of years. Chang and his colleagues are investigating how AI analysis of brain scans can predict genetic mutations in brain tumors.

Persons: James C, Tsai, Peter D, Chang, Zhenghe J, Wang Organizations: Healthcare, Morning, Center, Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence, Human, Icahn School of Medicine, US Food and Drug Administration, Applied, Research, University of California, Case Western Reserve University Locations: Mount, Irvine

☆ The cost of hot new weight-loss drugs could put some companies out of business, Blackstone exec warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Execs at a healthcare conference debated whether employers should pay for workers' weight-loss drugs. A Blackstone exec warned that the costly GLP-1 drugs could put some employers out of business. Panelists agreed that companies covering the drugs should do so as part of a broader support program. Andreas Mang, the CEO of Equity Healthcare, a division of Blackstone, said spending on these diabetes and weight-loss drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, spiked 600% across Blackstone's portfolio in the last four years. The benefits firm Aon recently projected that employers' health-insurance costs will climb 8.5% next year, fueled in part by weight-loss drugs.

Persons: Blackstone, Andreas Mang, they're, Melynda Barnes, Lucia Guillory, Li Shao, Shao, Omada, We've, They're Organizations: Blackstone, Equity Healthcare, GLP, Getty, Wei, Omada, Pharmaceutical Locations: Las Vegas, Europe

☆ Brands shouldn't underestimate the truly disruptive force of Gen Z
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Jackie Cooper | Gabe Gomez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The influence of Gen Z will not fade, it is driving long-lasting changes to the culture. Just look at the #artofnoticing trend on TikTok, in which Gen Z is posting vignette-style snapshots capturing beautiful, but rarely-emphasized, day-to-day moments. Gen Z is 3.5x more likely to buy from brands that commit to this issue. When we asked Edelman's Gen Z Lab about AI, a surprising majority admitted to being totally scared by it. Despite the micro and macro circumstances at play, Gen Z strives to combat inequality, climate change, and more.

Persons: Gen, Gen Z, Z, they've, Edelman's, Zers, it's, Jackie Cooper, Gabe Gomez

☆ Walgreens employees plan walkout this week over miserable working conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walgreens employees are planning walkouts to protest working conditions, according to news reports. AdvertisementAdvertisementHundreds of pharmacists and other employees at one of the country's largest drug store chains could walk out of the job on Monday to protest what they say are increasingly miserable working conditions, according to multiple news reports. It comes after similar actions last month at CVS stores, where pharmacists likewise complain that staffing cuts have left them overburdened. Neither the company nor the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents thousands of Walgreens employees, immediately responded to requests for comment. However, in a statement to Reuters, Walgreens said it is taking steps to improve working conditions.

Persons: I'm Organizations: Walgreens, CNN, Fox News, CVS, United Food, Commercial Workers International Union Locations: United States, United

☆ An EasyJet flight was forced to make an emergency landing due to a disruptive passenger who attacked a man with a carrier bag
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A passenger on a flight from Turkey to England forced the plane to make an emergency stop in Italy. Italian police boarded the flight and removed a woman who had attacked a man with a carrier bag. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn EasyJet flight from Turkey to England was forced to make an emergency landing in Italy due to an unruly passenger who attacked a man with a carrier bag, the Liverpool Echo reported. Passengers onboard the flight said that the woman was late to board the plane and "had quite obviously been drinking," The Liverpool Echo reported. A woman and two men were arrested after the plane landed in Venice, passengers told the Echo.

Persons: EZY3406, Neil Houlker, Houlker Organizations: Morning, Liverpool Echo, Passengers, Echo Locations: Turkey, England, Italy, Dalaman, Liverpool, Venice

☆ A woman who was accidentally given abortion pills by a pharmacy when she was undergoing IVF said her plans to have a big family were shattered
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tamika Thomas was mistakenly given the abortion pill misoprostol by CVS Pharmacy employees. Thomas was undergoing IVF treatment and had her pregnancy abruptly ended after taking the pill. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Las Vegas woman who was undergoing IVF treatment had her pregnancy abruptly ended after she was accidentally given abortion pills by CVS Pharmacy employees, local TV station 8 News Now reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut a mix-up at the CVS counter meant she received the abortion pill misoprostol instead. Earlier this year, CVS and Walgreens said they planned to offer the abortion pill mifepristone over the counter in states where it's legal.

Persons: Tamika Thomas, Thomas, that'll, Roe, Wade Organizations: CVS Pharmacy, Morning, National Health Service, CVS, Nevada State, of Pharmacy, Walgreens, US

☆ CMO Insider's new advisory council includes marketing leaders from Mastercard, Sesame Workshop, Indeed and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Julia Hood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

CMO Insider, which launched in June, 2023, at Cannes Lions, introduces its first Advisory Council. The Council includes 10 marketing leaders from a range of brands including JLL, Sesame Workshop, BlueTriton Brands, and Accenture. The goal of the Council is to contribute insights and thought leadership to help CMO Insider grow into a holistic, multichannel resource for marketing executives. AdvertisementAdvertisementInsider is pleased to announce the inaugural CMO Insider Advisory Council. Meet the Advisory Council below, and feel free to email us ideas and questions to cmoinsider@insider.com.

Organizations: Cannes Lions, Council, Sesame, BlueTriton Brands, Accenture, Morning, The, CMO, Advisory Council

☆ Elon Musk’s X faces advertiser backlash after placing marketing for major brands on notorious white supremacist account
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Those companies and organizations include Amazon, Samsung, the Denver Broncos, Cox Communications, STARZ, The Wall Street Journal, The Michael J. But that it apparently also believes it is appropriate to monetize the outlet’s vicious hate speech says volumes not only about the company’s ethics, but its supposed commitment to brand safety. X must be well aware that it is pairing advertisements with racist content, given that the NFL made noise about this very problem last week. In a Thursday night statement, X effectively acknowledged it has more work to do to make the platform safe for brands. Some of the brands whose advertisements appeared on VDARE’s account expressed strong displeasure on Thursday when they became aware of the situation.

Persons: Michael J, Linda Yaccarino, X, ”, —, ” Jon Kelly, Puck, Kelly, Lou Paskalis, “, ” Paskalis Organizations: CNN, Elon, Musk, Amazon, Samsung, Denver Broncos, Cox Communications, STARZ, Street, Fox Foundation, University of Missouri, Asian Development Bank, YouTube, NFL, Media, New York Waterway, ” Cox Communications, Wall Street Locations: University of Missouri , New York, Axios, York

☆ 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers have gone on strike, disrupting healthcare for 11 million patients in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

75,000 Kaiser Permanente employees have gone on strike after failing to reach a contract agreement. The strike will affect 11 million Kaiser Permanente patients in five states and Washington, DC. AdvertisementAdvertisementMore than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare employees went on strike Wednesday morning. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and the healthcare company failed to reach a contract agreement by the deadline. One of the top priorities for Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers is addressing short-staffing in healthcare facilities.

Persons: Hilary Costa, Costa, Kaiser, there's, Miriam De La Paz, they'd, Caroline Lucas Organizations: Kaiser Permanente, Morning, Permanente, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions Locations: Washington, DC, —, Colorado

☆ One couple packed up an RV and drove 1,300 miles to give birth in Virginia to escape the high Black maternal mortality rate in Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Brianna Holt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Two Black women crossed state lines to give birth since they lived in places with low healthcare ratings. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor Black women, both nationally and in Texas, those rates are disproportionately higher. To avoid becoming another statistic, more and more Black women are opting for home births, doulas, midwives, and birth assistants. Due to the high maternal mortality rate in the US, some Black women are turning to midwives. Perritt warned that crossing state lines, even for those who can afford it, will not address the Black maternal mortality crisis.

Persons: Mimi Evans, Evans, Sarah Reingewirtz, Jamila, Perritt, Erin Monk, Monk, she's Organizations: MediaNews, Los Angeles Daily, Getty, OB, Physicians, Reproductive, VCU Medical Center, SDI, University of Maryland Medical Center, University Hospital Locations: States, Houston, Texas, Richmond , Virginia, Chesterfield, Richmond, In Texas, United States, Virginia, Charlotte , North Carolina, Baltimore , Maryland, Carolina, Maryland, Charlotte

☆ Insurers and drug-industry middlemen are cashing in on the weight-loss drug frenzy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Insurers and the drug-industry middlemen they own stand to earn more as healthcare spending increases. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor US health insurers, explosive demand for new weight-loss drugs likely means bigger profits. Insurers and the drug-industry middlemen they own stand to earn more as weight-loss drugs drive up healthcare spending, BofA analysts wrote. Meanwhile, if the drugs help people live longer, insurers could earn more from higher enrollment in their health plans. As weight-loss drugs drive up healthcare spending, insurers will make more moneyWeight-loss drugs, which can cost around $1,000 a month, are driving up healthcare spending.

Persons: Li Ran, Brian Evanko, Evernorth Organizations: Trilliant Health, Bank of America Global Research, Getty, Cigna, CVS Health, UnitedHealth Group, CVS, Kaiser Family Foundation Locations: Xinhua, GLP

☆ Seeking nominations for the top adtech companies that use generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Insider is seeking nominations for companies building generative AI tools for advertising. These companies sell tech that help advertisers make art and copy and find new audiences. Insider is looking for nominations for a list showcasing the adtech companies that harness generative AI to help improve advertising. We're looking to highlight big and small companies that use generative AI as a basis for their solutions — doing everything from helping advertisers make art and copy, inform product placement, build new audiences to target, handle back-office tasks like invoicing, and more. While many adtech companies use AI, this list will solely focus on companies that use generative AI.

Organizations: Morning

☆ Seeking nominations for the 2023 rising stars of Madison Avenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Insider is seeking nominations for its annual list of the rising stars of Madison Avenue. AdvertisementAdvertisementInsider is looking for nominations for our annual list of the rising stars of Madison Avenue, and we want to hear from you. Criteria and methodologyAdvertisementAdvertisementThe list will profile ad agency talent across departments at traditional agencies as well as consulting firms. We will look at factors including the nominee's role, responsibilities, and impact on their agency or firm and the industry. Submit your nominations here and include as much detail as to why your nominee deserves to be recognized.

Organizations: Madison, Morning

☆ Medicare's drug-price negotiations will save the government billions in healthcare spending — but patients may not feel the benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Natalie Rahhal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Patients with private health insurance aren't likely to see a drop in costs from the negotiations. Longo said the price-setting provisions will drive research and investment away from treatment options for Medicare patients. If drug companies won't come to the negotiating table to lower drug prices paid by private insurers, those insurers could take the companies' drugs off their lists of covered medications. Or, if private insurance companies don't negotiate drug prices down for their patients, patients in some cases could seek out different insurance. "These are not full solutions, but they are the beginning of cracks in the facade" of drug companies' constant price hikes, Feldman said.

Persons: Biden, Juliette Cubanski, Jeffrey Davis, Davis, Richard Frank, —, Nicole Longo, Longo, it's, — aren't, Robin Feldman, Feldman, Cuban's Organizations: Medicare, Healthcare, Morning, Centers, Services, Congressional, McDermott, Consulting, Brookings Schaeffer Initiative, Health, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, PhRMA, University of California Law School, Costco, Pharmaceutical Locations: Lower

☆ TikTok's strategy for US dominance is straight out of Amazon's playbook — but creators are the fuel for its flywheel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Jasmine Enberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok launched its e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, on September 13, 2023. The social app's shopping business will be driven by FOMO and trends, fueled by its avid community of creators. After months of testing, TikTok this month launched TikTok Shop, an in-app commerce solution including shoppable short and live videos, checkout, TikTok Shop ads, fulfillment, and a marketplace accessible through a separate Shop tab. It has a roadmap and deep resources in parent company ByteDance, which can afford the $500 million loss TikTok Shop is expected to face this year. TikTok's commerce business will be driven by trends and FOMO, packaged up and delivered to users by creators.

Persons: TikTok, Jasmine Enberg Organizations: Intelligence, Google, Media, Meta, YouTube, Shop, Amazon Prime

☆ Doctors are racing to get certified to treat obesity as Americans clamor for weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Almost 1,900 doctors signed up to take this year's exam to get certified in obesity medicine. Almost 1,900 doctors signed up to take the annual exam in October to become certified in obesity medicine, according to data the American Board of Obesity Medicine shared with Insider. The drugs, along with other new obesity treatments, have also piqued doctors' interest, said Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, the medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, which administers the test. The American Board of Obesity Medicine, established in 2011, administered the first test to become certified in 2012. Since then, the number of doctors certified in obesity medicine has grown from fewer than 600 in 2013 to more than 6,700, according to the board.

Persons: Kimberly Gudzune, Gudzune Organizations: Morning, American Board of Obesity, American Medical Association, American, of Obesity Medicine, Centers for Disease Control

☆ Read the 16-page pitch deck that 'Million Dollar Listing' star Josh Flagg and his cofounders used to raise $1.7 million for their real estate media startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Celebrity real estate agent Josh Flagg, media exec Griff O'Brien, and investor Andrew Shanfeld have teamed up to launch Estate Media, a personality-driven media company. Real estate has become a huge pop culture topic, aided by reality TV series like "Selling Sunset" and the "Million Dollar Listing" franchise. The company will offer content created with a network of real estate personalities who, Estate Media said, reach a collective 25 million followers. While the real estate industry has come down from its pandemic frenzy, O'Brien believes Estate Media can ride ups and downs in the market. Scroll down to see the deck Estate Media used to raise its seed round.

Persons: Josh Flagg, Griff O'Brien, Andrew Shanfeld, O'Brien, Flagg, Shanfeld, Jack Davis, Chip, Joanna Gaines —, There's, Margot Ettedgui, TikToker Aaron Grushow, Robert Rivani, Glennda Baker, Ricky Carruth, Adam Weitsman, Chris Heller, Rich Antoniello, Austin Rief, Devin Emery, Brian Goldsmith, Ricky Van Veen, Justin Killion, Spence Markel Organizations: Estate Media, Entertainment, Crypt, HGTV, Los Angeles, Estate, Ojo Labs, Complex Networks, Austin, Morning, Growth Partners, Powerhouse Capital, CollegeHumor

☆ I was arrested for trying to buy cannabis 15 years ago. Now, I run a multi-million dollar business selling weed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Yoonji Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Keshawn Warner is the cofounder of Dazed, a cannabis dispensary in Massachusetts and New York. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Keshawn Warner, co-founder of the cannabis dispensary Dazed. Then, in 2008, at the height of the stop and frisk era, I was arrested for trying to buy cannabis. A Dazed cannabis dispensary. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen we heard that New York had legalized cannabis and was opening up its cannabis industry, my ears perked up.

Persons: Keshawn Warner, Warner, Yoonji Han, Woodrow Wilson, There's, we'd, Andrew Lichtenstein, dink, I'd, Patrick Roberts, frisked Organizations: Warner, Morning, Getty Images, Norfolk State University, Yankees, York Locations: Massachusetts, New York, New York City, East Harlem, Puerto Rican, California, Breckenridge in Colorado . Denver, York, Manhattan

☆ Did you have a severe case of COVID-19? Research suggests that Neanderthal genes could be to blame
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Neanderthal genes could be to blame for severe cases of COVID-19, The Wall Street Journal reported. Scientists in Italy found people with Neanderthal gene variants were more likely to be hospitalized. The research suggests the variants are a "major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19." What they found is that "Neanderthal haplotype," a set of genetic variants associated with the human ancestor, is "the major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19." The link between health and Neanderthal DNA has been suggested by other studies.

Persons: Mario, cdavis@insider.com Organizations: Street Journal, Street, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research Locations: Italy, Bergamo province, Nature

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