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☆ AT&T says personal data from 73 million current and former account holders leaked onto dark web
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —AT&T has launched an investigation into the source of a data leak that includes personal information of 73 million current and former customers. In a news release Saturday morning, the telecommunications giant said the data was “released on the dark web approximately two weeks ago,” and contains information such as account holders’ Social Security numbers. “It is not yet known whether the data … originated from AT&T or one of its vendors,” the company added. “Currently, AT&T does not have evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting in exfiltration of the data set.”The data seems to have been from 2019 or earlier. The company said the leak shows approximately 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders were affected.

Persons: ” Organizations: New, New York CNN —, ’ Social, CNN Locations: New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried has to repay $11 billion. How can he possibly do that?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —A federal judge on Thursday ordered Sam Bankman-Fried to repay more than $11 billion as part of his sentence for defrauding customers and investors in his failed crypto exchange FTX. In their sentencing memorandum earlier this month, federal prosecutors laid out their reasoning for seeking $11 billion in forfeiture. Unlike restitution, where the money from seized assets goes directly to victims, the money from forfeiture is taken by the government and absorbed into the US Treasury. It is unclear how much Bankman-Fried is currently worth, but it’s likely not anywhere near $11 billion. So far, the Department of Justice has redistributed about $4 billion to Madoff’s victims.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, SBF, ” Mitchell Epner, “, ”, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Anthony Capozzolo, Elizabeth Holmes, Holmes, Ramesh “ Sunny ” Balwani, Bernard Madoff, Peter Katz, Katz, they’ll, ” Katz Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Treasury, District, “, of, Department of Justice’s, Department of Justice, Department Locations: New York, Eastern, of New York

New York CNN —A plane carrying 21 Americans fleeing Haiti arrived in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday night, the latest in a series of US-chartered flights from the embattled Caribbean nation, which has descended into chaos amid rampant gang violence and political instability. Hundreds of US citizens remain in Haiti and nearly 1,000 had filled out crisis intake forms as of March 19, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel previously told CNN. On March 17, the State Department said it flew dozens of Americans from Cap-Haitien, a city on Haiti’s north coast, to Miami. On Wednesday, the State Department said it expects more than 30 Americans will be able to board the US government flights each day they are chartered. DeSantis said people traveling on the plane that landed in Florida would not be charged.

Persons: Kevin Guthrie, Ron, DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Floridians, Vedant Patel, Orlando, Guthrie, Ariel Henry, Santo Organizations: New, New York CNN, Emergency Management, ”, “, State, CNN, Orlando Sanford International, Federal, State Department, Haiti’s National Police, United Nations Locations: New York, Haiti, Orlando , Florida, Caribbean, Orlando, Florida, Haiti’s, Miami, Port, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

☆ Popular YouTuber MrBeast strikes Amazon deal for competition reality show
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —MrBeast, the popular video creator known for big philanthropic gestures and extreme stunts, is making the leap from YouTube to Amazon Prime with a new reality competition show, Amazon announced Monday in a news release. The show, which was released in November, featured 456 participants vying for a cash prize of $4.56 million. MrBeast is one of the most popular YouTube channels on the platform, with 245 million subscribers. In recent years, each of his videos easily surpasses 100 million views, and at times has pushed half a billion. In November 2020, he opened his first burger restaurant, MrBeast Burger, near his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina.

Persons: New York CNN — MrBeast, Jimmy Donaldson, Colin, Samir, Donaldson, MrBeast, ” Jennifer Salke, Jimmy, ”, “, Burger Organizations: New, New York CNN, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Amazon, Netflix, Amazon MGM Studios, Beast Games, Time Magazine Locations: New York, Greenville , North Carolina

☆ Book Tok drives demand for immersive fantasy events among younger users
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Sometimes events are simply fantasy themed, without reference to specific books or fantasy worlds. Dreams shattered.”She attributes the growing demand for fantasy events to the commercial success of fantasy romance books, especially among Millennial women. The past year has also seen a spike in the popularity of “romantasy,” or romance fantasy books. “You know, work dredges on for a lot of people,” said Brittany Proctor, a Michigan-based entrepreneur who’s been hosting fantasy balls in the Midwest since 2022. In fact, Proctor is considering scaling back some of her events due to the sheer number of these fantasy balls that have been cropping up in recent years.

Persons: San Diego Comic Con, Con, Harry Potter, ”, Katherine Stinson, Eric Atticus, Stinson, Dana John, “, she’s, Alexander Chernev, Matt Harris, Sarah J, Maas, Patti McConville, Juliette Sureau, Sureau, Sophie Valfroy, “ romantasy ”, “ They’re, ” Juliette Sureau, Shaun Wada, Ariana Smoak Holly Simone, Tok, Simone, Shawn Strider, ” Stinson, Brittany Proctor, who’s, ” Maja Djikic, you’re, ” Djikic, Proctor, “ I’ve, I’m Organizations: New, New York CNN, Social, Allied, Research, Disney, Universal, San Diego Comic, TikTok, CNN, Stinson, Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Barnes, Noble Booksellers, Times, Google, “, University of Toronto Locations: New York, Canada, Houston, Houston , Texas, Texas, New York City, USA, TikTok, Columbia , South Carolina, London, Los Angeles, Michigan, ”, Bahamas

☆ Tesco and Sainsbury’s working to fix technical issues that suspended food deliveries to customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Some of the United Kingdom’s largest supermarket chains are grappling with technical issues that have left customers without grocery deliveries and unable to make contactless payments. Sainsbury’s, which owns 600 grocery stores and 800 convenience locations across the country, said on Saturday that “an error with an overnight software update” has prevented the company from fulfilling “the vast majority” of grocery deliveries to customers. Sainsbury’s did not specify how many customers were affected. The malfunction only affected a small portion of orders, and impacted customers have not been charged. In-store shopping and placing online orders are not affected, Tesco said.

Persons: Sainsbury’s, Sainbury’s, McDonald’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Kingdom’s, CNN, Tesco Locations: New York, United States, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom

☆ Premarket stocks: What customers are telling banks they care about in this election year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Fears about the health of the real estate market, and a confusing economic landscape, leave commercial banks questioning what comes next. The commercial real estate market is definitely under some pressure because of the rising rate environment. So I think banks are watching all that closely and working closely with regulators. How long do you think commercial real estate woes will weigh on banks? It definitely persists, and it depends on the banks’ weighting of real estate as a percentage of their portfolio.

Persons: New York CNN — It’s, Bell, Chris Giamo, we’ll, They’re, It’s, That’s, Philip Wang, —, Xavier Becerra, Julie Su, Eva Rothenberg Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Silicon Valley Bank, TD Bank, Sunday, Healthcare, UnitedHealth, CNN, Human Services, Labor Locations: New York, Silicon, United States, Canada

☆ These viral $2.99 Trader Joe’s tote bags are being resold for as much as $500 on eBay
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A Trader Joe’s canvas mini tote bag that costs about the same as a pack of gum is being resold online for nearly 200 times its retail price. The Trader Joe’s bags, available in blue, red, green and yellow, have taken social media by storm in the past week, garnering more than 11 million views on Tik Tok. The viral Trader Joe's mini canvas tote bag. From Trader Joe'sSome have been reselling the bags on e-commerce platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace. As of Sunday afternoon, hundreds of mini tote bags have been posted on eBay with prices ranging from $5 to $500.

Persons: Tik, ”, “, Stanley tumblers, Stanley Organizations: New, New York CNN, eBay, Facebook, tote, CNN, Target, Shoppers Locations: New York, Iowa, New Jersey

☆ The Body Shop shuts down all US operations, closes dozens of stores in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Body Shop has shut down all of its US-based operations and will be closing dozens of Canadian store locations as it files for bankruptcy. The Body Shop, known for products it markets as natural, sustainable, ethical and cruelty-free, was founded in 1976 in the UK by human rights activist and environmental campaigner Anita Roddick. Since its inception, The Body Shop has changed hands several times. Late last year, The Body Shop was sold to asset management group Aurelius for about $266 million. CNN has reached out to The Body Shop and Aurelius for comment.

Persons: Anita Roddick, “, ”, Aurelius Organizations: New, New York CNN, Natura, CNN Locations: New York, Canada

☆ Premarket stocks: Why it’s not all doom and gloom for commercial real estate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —After decades of growth bolstered by low interest rates and easy credit, commercial real estate has hit a wall. I take that as a signal of a potential turn in the CMBS market in terms of the market sentiment. It’s not just all gloom and doom in the CRE market. Richmond Federal Reserve President Tom Barkin echoed the idea that the central bank may not cut interest rates this year. OPEC+, a coalition of the world’s top oil producing countries, had announced voluntary oil cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day in November.

Persons: Tracy Chen, Chen, that’s, Bell, Banks aren’t, CMBS, We’ve, they’ve, —, Jerome Powell, Torsten Slok, “, Tom Barkin, ” Barkin, “ I’m, Eva Rothenberg, Brent, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, New York Community Bancorp, Brandywine, Intercontinental Exchange and Bank of America, outperformance, Fed, New York Community Bank, York Community Bank, Federal, Apollo Global Management, Richmond Federal, CNBC, OPEC, AAA Locations: New York, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, New, New York City, Richmond, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United States

☆ ‘Dune 2’ passes ‘Oppenheimer’ opening weekend at domestic box office with $82.5 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, brought in $82.4 million in its opening weekend. The film is a much-anticipated sequel to one of the most popular science fiction adaptions in recent years, and helped revive a sleepy box office. Similarly, “Oppenheimer” was one half of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon last summer, which took social media and the movie theater industry by storm. “This is just what the box office needed and much higher than any of us could predict,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, which distributed the movie. And we grossed $178.5 million worldwide, which is quite a standup.”The sequel doubled the domestic opening of the first “Dune” installment, which opened with $41 million when it was simultaneously released in theaters and on the streaming service HBO Max in October 2021.

Persons: New York CNN —, “ Oppenheimer, ”, ‘ Oppenheimer, ’, Denis Villeneuve, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, “ Denis Villeneuve, ‘ Oppenheimer ’, ” Paul Dergarabedian, “ Oppenheimer ”, Jeff Goldstein, HBO Max, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, Warner Bros ., CNN, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros . Pictures, HBO Locations: New York

☆ OPEC+ members extend oil output cuts to Q2
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —OPEC+ member nations have agreed to extend their voluntary cuts to crude oil production through the second quarter, the group announced Sunday. The move is a part of the group’s perpetual balancing act to stabilize oil prices by reducing supply. OPEC+, a coalition of the world’s top oil producing countries, had announced voluntary oil cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day in November. The Energy Information Administration reported last month oil refinery inputs, crude oil stock, and gasoline production were all increasing. Oil prices fell on the agency’s announcement US commercial crude oil inventory was sitting at 447.2 million barrels.

Persons: Brent, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNN, OPEC, The United Emirates, AAA, Energy Information Administration, EIA Locations: OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Oman, United States

☆ ‘Dune 2’ jolts sleepy box office with $81.5 million opening
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

1 spot in its opening weekend with a strong $81.5 million in domestic sales, according to studio estimates. The sequel beat out the first Dune installment, which opened with $41 million when it was released in domestic theaters in October 2021. According to Comscore data, “Dune: Part Two” is the largest opening for Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler. Box office revenue is down 13.5% compared to this time last year, Comscore data shows. February and March have, over the past three years, reliably housed movie releases from established franchises and properties including “The Batman,” ($134 million opening weekend) “Creed III” ($58 million) and “Uncharted” ($51 million).

Persons: ”, Jeff Goldstein, Warner, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, It’s, Denis Villeneuve’s, Denis Villeneuve, Goldstein, Paul Dergarabedian, “, III ” Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros . Pictures, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Dolby, Comscore, Studios

☆ General Motors recalls nearly 820,000 pickup trucks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —General Motors is recalling nearly 820,000 pickup trucks over a potential safety issue involving tailgates. General Motors did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. General Motors said it received one complaint of minor injury and three of minor property damage. Dealers will replace the exterior switch that opens the tailgate with material that is more water resistant. General Motors said it will begin letting customers know whether their car is affected on March 18.

Persons: Motors, General Motors Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Silverado, GMC, General Motors, General, Dealers Locations: New York, GMC Sierra, United States, Canada

☆ Premarket stocks: This rally is nearly unprecedented. Can it last?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Just last week the S&P 500 hit a new all-time high and notched its best showing in a year. But this nearly unprecedented surge in the markets is sparking some concern over what’s driving the rally and whether it can continue. The S&P 500 and Dow last week each reached record levels after blockbuster earnings from the chipmaker set off a broad market rally. The S&P 500 is up more than 6% for the year, but when you equally weigh all of the stocks in the index, it’s up just 2.5%. Last year, the S&P 500 rose by 24.2%, but the equally-weighted index was up by just 11.6%.

Persons: Sam Stovall, Tesla, Jamie Dimon, ” Dimon, CNBC’s Leslie Picker, That’s, ”, What’s, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Eva Rothenberg, Buffett, Gary Pilnick’s, WK Kellogg, Pilnick, Bran, ” Pilnick, hasn’t, Carl Quintanilla Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN —, Nvidia, Dow, Nasdaq, Health, Tech, Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google, JPMorgan, Federal Reserve, Traders, PCE, Berkshire, CNBC Locations: New York, Berkshire, Omaha , Nebraska, Omaha, United States

☆ Albert Einstein College of Medicine to offer free tuition after billion-dollar gift
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York will receive free tuition after a $1 billion dollar donation from a former faculty member. In 2010, their gift of $25 million to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine went towards creating the school’s Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine. Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and The Lizette H. Sarnoff Award recipient Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D. Brent N. Clarke/Getty ImagesDr. Ruth Gottesman joined the medical school in 1968 and developed screening, evaluation and treatments for children with learning disabilities. In 2018, in part due to Langone’s donations, NYU’s School of Medicine became the first medical school in the country to offer free tuition to accepted students.

Persons: Ruth Gottesman, David “ Sandy ” Gottesman, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, Philip Ozuah, Sandy Gottesman, “, Sandy, ”, H, Sarnoff, Ruth L, Brent N, Clarke, Emily Fisher Landau, Ruth Gottesman’s, Michael Bloomberg, Ken Langone, Yaron Tomer, Albert Einstein Organizations: New, New York CNN, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medicine, Manhattan Co, school’s, Stem Cell Research, Regenerative, Sinai, Pediatrics, Rehabilitation Center, Emily Fisher Landau Center, Johns Hopkins University, Home Depot, NYU’s School of Medicine, Association of American Medical Colleges, ” Locations: New York, Berkshire, Manhattan, New York City, Bronx

☆ Warren Buffett: Berkshire’s boom days may be over as his company approaches $1 trillion in value
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Berkshire Hathaway neared a $1 trillion market valuation Monday after a record-breaking year, but CEO Warren Buffett warned in his annual letter to investors that more skyrocketing performances are likely a thing of the past. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) saw its shares jump nearly 2%, to $429, on Monday morning after closing with a market cap of $905 billion on Friday. Only a handful of companies worldwide has ever reached the $1 trillion milestone, among them tech giants Amazon, Apple and Microsoft. Berkshire has about $167.6 billion in cash and equivalents, breaking last quarter’s record-high $157.2 billion. For the year, operating earnings rose to $37.3 billion, after setting a record of $30.8 billion in 2022.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, ”, Buffett, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Berkshire, Apple, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo Locations: New York, Omaha , Nebraska, Berkshire, Omaha, United States, ”

☆ AT&T reimburses customers after massive network outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —AT&T is reimbursing customers for the nearly 12-hour network outage on Thursday, the company announced in a news release. The mobile network will issue a $5 credit to “potentially impacted” AT&T Wireless customers, which it says is the “average cost of a full day of service.”“We recognize the frustration this outage has caused and know we let many of our customers down,” the company said late Saturday. The network outage, which was first reported on Thursday at 3:30 a.m. AT&T had encountered sporadic service interruptions in the days leading up to the outage, including a temporary 911 outage in some parts of the southeast. While regional disruptions to wireless service happen occasionally, prolonged nationwide outages are rare.

Persons: ” Organizations: New, New York CNN —, T Wireless, AT, T’s, Cricket Wireless, Cricket, Federal Communications Commission, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN Locations: New York, United States

☆ Warren Buffett honors Charlie Munger in annual note, Berkshire reports record cash pile
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Courtesy of Susie Buffett Buffett teaches a class at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Courtesy of Susie Buffett Buffett married his first wife, Susan, in 1952. Courtesy of Susie Buffett Buffett and his wife pose at the beach with their three children. Courtesy of Susie Buffett Buffett poses for a photo in 1980. Nati Harnik/AP Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger are seen on a giant screen during the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in 2013.

Persons: Warren Buffett’s, Charlie Munger, Buffett, Munger, ”, Charlie, Berkshire Hathaway, “ Charlie, Munger’s, Greg Abel, Abel, Berkshire’s, Greg, ” Buffett, “ Greg, Berkshire Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, Nati, Laila, Howard Buffett, Howard, Susie Buffett, Ernest, Susie Buffett Laila Buffett, Warren, Doris, Susie Buffett Warren Buffett, Susie Buffett Buffett, Susan, Peter, Lee Balterman, Salomon, Marcy Nighswander, AP Buffett, Buffett's, Mark Peterson, Curt Hudson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathy Willens, Chris Machian, Dave Weaver, Michael Israel, John Sleezer, Bill Gates, Mario Tama, Barack Obama, Obama, doggedly, isn't, Jim Watson, Daniel Acker, Harry Benson, Getty Images Buffett, Astrid, David Cameron, Brendan Hoffman, Kristoffer Tripplaar, Alamy Buffett, Scott Eells, Chris, Franklin, Ndamukong Suh, Scott Olson, Huang Jihui, Jason Miller, Adam Jeffery, Hillary Clinton, Kempin, Forbes, Andy Kropa, Scott Morgan, Reuters Buffett, Andrew Harrer, Apple Berkshire Hathaway Organizations: New, New York CNN, Berkshire Hathaway, Investors, Oracle, “, Berkshire, Berkshire Berkshire, University of Nebraska -, Getty, Federal Reserve, AP, Omaha for Berkshire, Bloomberg, California Gov, Wall Street, Schwarzenegger's, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Star, Girl Scouts, Buffett, Microsoft, Getty Images, White, British, Woodrow Wilson High, Washington, Forbes, Harlem Globetrotters, Cleveland Cavaliers, Moon, NBA, CNBC, Reuters, Apple Berkshire, Apple, Securities and Exchange Commission, HP, Paramount Locations: New York, Omaha, “ Berkshire, Berkshire, The Omaha , Nebraska, Omaha , Nebraska, University of Nebraska - Omaha, Omaha for, Woodstock, Trenton , New Jersey, AFP, Washington , DC, Illinois, Sun Valley , Idaho

☆ Dartmouth, Northwestern, Rice and Vanderbilt settle financial aid lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Four more private universities have agreed to settle a lawsuit which alleged they violated antitrust laws in determining financial aid amounts for admitted students, according to court documents filed Friday. Dartmouth College, and Rice, Vanderbilt and Northwestern universities agreed to pay a total of $166 million to settle claims filed in a 2022 class action lawsuit alleging the schools colluded on the amount of financial aid awarded to students, while favoring applicants from wealthier families. In 2022, the University of Chicago agreed to settle for $13.5 million. “Nearly 15% of this year’s first-year class is attending Dartmouth without responsibility for paying tuition, housing, meals and many other fees, and more than half of the class receives some form of financial aid. Meanwhile, Dartmouth, Rice, Vanderbilt and Northwestern’s settlements range from $33.75 million to $55 million each.

Persons: Brown, Emory, ”, “, Robert Gilbert Organizations: New, New York CNN, Dartmouth College, Vanderbilt, Yale, University of Chicago, CNN, University, Dartmouth, ” Rice University Locations: New York, Rice, Northwestern, Columbia, Duke, Dartmouth

☆ Dunkin’ is now selling caffeinated energy drinks, even after Panera’s charged lemonade controversy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Dunkin’ is adding an energy drink to its menu to capture some of the buzz generated by heavily caffeinated beverages, which are surging in popularity. But the menu addition comes with a risk: Panera Bread is facing multiple lawsuits over its its own energy drink. The Dunkin’ energy drink has less caffeine for a similarly sized cup with 192 mg for both flavors, according to its website. Despite the controversy, energy drinks are big sellers for chains. At Dutch Bros, a fast-growing chain, its lineup of energy drinks accounts for a quarter of its sales.

Persons: New York CNN — Dunkin, Dunkin, ” Dunkin ’, Panera, “, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Food and Drug Administration, CNN, Dutch Bros Locations: New York

☆ Weekend Box Office: ‘Madame Web’ struggles to get off the ground, ‘One Love’ soars
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —“Madame Web” swung to No. In November, “The Marvels” saw a lackluster $47 million in domestic sales its opening weekend, and DC’s “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” opened in December to a feeble $27.6 million. It’s still too soon to estimate gross domestic sales for “Madame Web,” but, by the time it exited theaters, “Morbius” had made just $73 million. But “Madame Web,” which released February 14, struggled to gain upward momentum even along its six-day opening, which straddled two holidays: Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day. Recent months have seen musical box office hits like “Wonka,” “Mean Girls,” and successful concert films from both Beyonce and Taylor Swift.

Persons: ”, Bob Marley, Web, “, BoxOffice, Shawn Robbins, Madame Web’s, ” theatergoers, DC’s, Paul Dergarabedian, ‘ Deadpool, Venom ”, It’s, Madame, Morbius ”, Robbins, “ Wonka, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Bob Marley’s, ” Dergarabedian, Compton ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Sony Pictures, Disney’s Marvel Studios, Marvel, Sony, BoxOffice Pro, Avengers, Warner Bros, CNN, Comscore, ’ Locations: New York, Comscore

☆ Here’s what the Starbucks of the future looks like
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Starbucks has opened its first cafe designed to give customers with disabilities a “more accessible store experience,” the company announced Friday in a news release. The move is part of a wider inclusivity initiative that Starbucks has undertaken to design easily navigable retail spaces for all of its customers. Any cafe that is renovated or opened in the future will begin implementing the company’s “Inclusive Spaces Framework,” it said in the release. The store design will also take acoustics into account by using materials that minimize background noise or echoes, which could disrupt people who use hearing aids. The chain last unveiled a new store design in 2019 with much of the similar aesthetic approach left intact with the new look.

Persons: ”, Maria Town, ” Tony Coelho Organizations: New, New York CNN, Starbucks, American Association of People, Walmart, Centers for Disease Control, ” Starbucks Locations: New York, Washington , DC, United States

☆ Why are shopping carts always broken?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The notoriously combative wheels are actually created by the repeated battering that shopping carts are often subject to, explained Alex Poulos. Rogers, which supplies thousands of shopping carts to companies like Whole Foods, Tractor Supply Company and Meijer. Customers push shopping carts outside a Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG supermarket in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. The ethics of returning shopping cartsConsumers bear some of the responsibility for the banged up and broken qualities of their shopping carts. A supermarket employee returns shopping carts in the Market Basket parking lot in Plymouth, Massachusetts, during a fast-moving winter storm that hit the US Northeast February 13, 2024.

Persons: New York CNN —, Alex Poulos, Poulos, Rogers, Krisztian Bocsi, ”, Alvar Diaz, Christopher Furlong, they’re, Beth Thieme, Ken McGagh, Diaz Organizations: New, New York CNN, R.W, Tractor Supply, Meijer, CNN, Customers, Stiftung, KG, Bloomberg, Getty, Aldi, Tesco, Lidl, Amigo Mobility, Reuters Retailers, Walmart, Target Locations: New York, Berlin, Germany, Europe, Tarleton, United Kingdom, United States, Plymouth , Massachusetts

☆ With a low cocoa supply, this Valentine’s Day chocolate prices are up
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Rising cocoa prices aren’t the only concern for customers this Valentine's Day. Last Thursday, Hershey Co. said it would cut 5% of its workforce after historic cocoa prices and inflation-weary consumers dampened fourth quarter earnings. “And it looks like it’s not necessarily going to subside anytime soon.”The Supreme Valentine’s Day SweetRoughly 92% of Americans say they plan to share chocolate and candy for Valentine’s Day this year, according to the National Confectioners Association. In 2023, Valentine’s Day chocolate and candy sales exceeded $4 billion, the NCA says. Issaka said that while high demand and low supply raise prices, cocoa farmers are getting squeezed.

Persons: ”, Michele Buck, Billy Roberts, ” Roberts, Lindsey Nicholson, Marnie Ives, Ives, ” Ives, “ It’s, Karl Schneider, Roberts’s, Issifu, Issaka, ” Issaka, “ I’m, Cote, Will Kletter, Sabi Ibarra Guerrero, Uwe Gneiting, Gneiting, Joke Aerts, Aerts, ” Aerts, Sia Kambou, Price, Tony’s, “, they’ve, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg Organizations: CNN, Hershey Co, National Confectioners Association, NCA, Cocoa, Oxfam America, Getty, Fairtrade, Cote d’Ivoire, “ Locations: West Africa, North America, Manhattan, Queens , New York, Neck, NY, Bloomfield , NJ, Ghana, North Region, Cote d’Ivoire, Silicon, Africa, Accra, Cote, Hermankono, AFP

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