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☆ America's consumer-debt stress is mounting - mortgage rates top 7%, credit-card liabilities hit $1 trillion, and now auto-loan defaults are on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Delinquencies on auto loans are rising again – and this could spell trouble for American consumers. Defaults on car loans have risen above pre-pandemic levels to over 2%, per the FDIC. "The trends in consumer loan performance could deteriorate in 2023 if the labor market or economic conditions soften," the report warned. "The concerning asset quality trends in auto loans may worsen if auto prices normalize." US consumer credit-card debt topped $1 trillion last quarter for the first time ever, according to Fed data.

Persons: –, Ray Dalio Organizations: Federal Reserve, Service, Federal Deposit Insurance Locations: Wall, Silicon, delinquencies

☆ Modern romance: falling in love with AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

AI is infiltrating the dating app space – sometimes in the form of fictional partners, sometimes as advisor, trainer, ghostwriter or matchmaker. You’re taking existing content, and you’re repurposing it to connect with somebody,” Dmitri Mirakyan, co-founder of AI dating conversation app YourMove.AI, told CNN. Founders and designers of these apps say people find starting and keeping conversations going the most challenging part of the process. Teaser.AI is a new stand-alone dating app from the makers of viral camera app Dispo, and it adds an unusual twist. These startups offer an array of AI potential matches, digital girlfriends and boyfriends that users can chat with.

Persons: New York CNN — Alexandra, “, he’s, Alexandra, Cyrano de Bergerac, Djordje Krstic, ” Dmitri Mirakyan, Kaspersky, ”, Mirakyan, ” Mirakyan, Delmaine, Teaser.AI, Daniel Liss, They’re, Aimm, Iris, Kevin Teman, ” Teman, COVID, Rita Popova, Mona Lisa, Nefertiti, Tanya Grypachevskaya, RomanticAI Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, AIs Locations: New York

☆ Investing in Space: Americans think spotting asteroids should be NASA's top priority, Pew says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. CNBC's Michael Sheetz reports and curates the latest news, investor updates and exclusive interviews on the most important companies reaching new heights. Let's start with how Americans view the importance of U.S. leadership in space. If the Americans surveyed by Pew were in charge, it's doubtful the Artemis moon program would exist at all. About 70% of respondents said space companies offer a "mostly good" contribution to space exploration, and 63% saw companies as helping open up space travel to more people.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, –, It's, it'd, Artemis Organizations: Pew Research Center, Space Force, FAA, FCC, NOAA, NASA, Pew Locations: U.S

☆ The climate changed. Get used to it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In this year of epic heat, it’s time to start thinking about how the climate changed rather than the fact of its changing. “These giant swings in temperature over short distances in cities, known as the urban heat island effect, make heat waves even worse,” writes CNN’s Rachel Ramirez of a new report by the nonprofit research group Climate Central. There’s a climate change angle for everywhere and everythingThe reason gas prices have spiked in recent days? “I don’t think anybody can deny the impact of climate change anymore,” Biden said, announcing the measures. The partisan divide over climate change is also the largest it has ever been.

Persons: CNN —, CNN’s Zain Asher, Marina Romanello, Asher, Romanello, ”, CNN’s Rachel Ramirez, ” Ramirez, CNN’s Eric Zerkel, Joe Biden, West Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, ” Biden, –, Bill McGuire, ” McGuire, “ Organizations: CNN, Phoenix, Climate, Florida, Democrat, White House, Gallup, University College London Locations: Europe, Greece, Vermont, Iran, California, Arizona, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Los Angeles, New York, West, West Virginia, Rhodes

☆ Investing in Space: India is the industry's 'sleeping giant,' according to an expert behind the international Artemis Accords
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Indian Ambassador Taranjit Sandhu, right, talks with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, after having signed the Artemis Accords on June 21, 2023. CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Gold described India as "a sleeping giant in the space world that is awakening" – albeit "one that's been snoring loudly." Gold believes India's bureaucratic reforms in its space efforts are helping the country move faster in the sector. "No one is altering their path – we're just complementing each other relative to Artemis and the existing plans with India.

Persons: Taranjit Sandhu, Bill Nelson, CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Narendra Modi, Mike Gold, –, Gold, Artemis Organizations: NASA, Artemis Accords, CNBC's, India's, Modi's, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, International Space Station, U.S, Space Force, Space, CNBC, Galactic Locations: U.S, India, Russia, China

"I decided where the business is, is in space," Mueller said in an interview with CNBC's "Manifest Space" podcast. Mueller started Impulse Space in 2021 and is building space tugs that can move with cargo to different orbits. So far, Impulse Space has raised $30 million in seed funding from investors such as Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Lux Capital. But that pedigree doesn't mean Impulse is closed off to other startups in the space space – including rocket makers. Earlier this month Vast Space, which is building a commercial space habitat, selected Impulse to develop the Haven-1 Space Station's propulsion system.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tom Mueller, Mueller, Peter Thiel's, Mira, Morgan Brennan, Merlin, Musk Organizations: SpaceX, Fund, Lux Capital, Tesla, PayPal, TRW, CNBC Locations: Haven

☆ Elon Musk says a cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg 'might actually happen' – and admits it could go badly for him
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk said a cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg "might actually happen." Speaking in a Twitter space, Musk admitted the fight could go badly given his lack of experience. Speculation that Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg could actually get in a ring and fight each other just won't go away. Since Musk appeared to jokingly challenge the Meta CEO and amateur jiu-jitsu fighter to a cage fight last week, momentum has gathered pace. "I spend my time according to what is needed and I don't usually have to fight people," Musk said in the interview.

Persons: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Musk, Zuck, Dana White, Zuckerberg, Ashlee Vance, Insider's Hasan Chowdhury, Cage, Zuck's, Vance Organizations: Morning, Twitter, UFC, Bloomberg Locations: Europe, Thai

☆ Opinion: What Putin’s awkward meeting with Russia’s war bloggers reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Opinion Mark Galeotti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

However, in Russia there is a particular issue: Russians have long become used to being lied to by their state. Even before the war, almost half got their news from social media, with the proportion having risen since the invasion. They have thus become powerful not just in shaping the domestic narrative, but also in the Kremlin’s wider information war. Even Putin has come to realise that to spin his message, he can no longer stick to the official media. Hence his carefully-choreographed sit-down with a group hand-picked from both the official war correspondents and the online voenkory.

Persons: Mark Galeotti, Vladimir Putin, influencers, ”, –, Semyon Pegov, Yury Podolyaka, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Igor ‘ Strelkov, Girkin, ’, voenkory, He’s, voenkor ” Organizations: Mayak Intelligence, University College London, CNN, Mark Galeotti Mayak Intelligence, Kremlin, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Chechnya, Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, Russian, Kremlin Ukrainian, Crimea, Belgorod

☆ The double-decker airplane seat is back. Here’s what it looks like now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It might not sound particularly appealing on paper, but 23-year-old airplane seat designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente believes double-level seating is the future of economy flying. You may have seen a photo of Núñez Vicente’s Chaise Longue Airplane Seat prototype floating around the internet. Núñez Vicente envisages an airplane cabin in which the Chaise Longue is in the center, flanked by two rows of regular airplane seating. He says he designed the Chaise Longue to solve the airplane seat conundrum – not make it worse. The earlier iteration of the Chaise Longue Airplane Seat at AIX 2022.

Persons: Germany CNN —, Alejandro Núñez Vicente, Núñez, ” Núñez Vicente, ”, Núñez Vicente, they’ve, he’s, “, “ It’s, it’s, ” Alejandro Núñez Vicente, ’ ”, Núñez Vicente’s, Francesca Street, CNN Núñez Vicente, Clara Service Soto, van, didn’t, you’re, “ there’s, Service Soto, “ We’re, Vicente, He’s Organizations: Germany CNN, CNN Travel, Aircraft, legroom, 1OFF, CNN, AIX, Clara, Service, “ Locations: Hamburg, Germany, “, Madrid, Spain, Europe

☆ Shenzhou-16 launch: China sends first civilian astronaut to space
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —China sent its first civilian astronaut into orbit on Tuesday, as it launched the Shenzhou-16 mission to its space station for its second in-orbit crew rotation, marking another step forward for the country’s ambitious space program. It is China’s fifth manned mission to the space station since 2021. Several media outlets on Monday responded to the online discussion over how a person without perfect vision could be physically cleared for a space mission. This could make it the sole in-orbit outpost for scientific research after the expected end of operations for the International Space Station in 2030. Tiangong’s core module first entered orbit in 2021, marking the first major step in a space station dream envisioned by the government since 1992.

☆ Office landlords are in store for retail redux
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Office landlords are in store for pain, but there’s a light at the end of the hallway. Though vacancy rates in the United States recently hit a 30-year high, owners of retail space – shopping malls and grocery stores – have shown that a bounce back is possible. A reset is in store, but the best office landlords can make it, too. But retail real estate, which includes everything from malls to shopping centers, went through its own misery. It might be a slog, as retail shows, but office could be in store for a redux.

☆ U.S. issues guidelines on defending Philippines from South China Sea attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The guidelines said the bilateral treaty commitments would be invoked if either is attacked specifically in the South China Sea and also if coast guard vessels were the target. 'WARNING' TO CHINAThe South China Sea, a waterway vital to global trade, has become a major flashpoint in the increasingly testy relationship between China and the United States. China's foreign ministry on Thursday said it opposed the use of bilateral defence treaties to interfere in the South China Sea, which "should not be a hunting ground for external forces". The guidelines were released during visit to Washington this week by Marcos, which included talks with counterpart Joe Biden. Marcos also met Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who told him "we will always have your back, in the South China Sea or elsewhere in the region."

☆ Ima Keithel: The world’s largest women-run market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —At first glance, Ima Keithel is much like any other market. Priya Kharaibam, for example, is the third generation of her family’s pottery traders at Ima Keithel, following on from her grandmother. The creation of Ima Keithel dates back to the 16th century Kangleipak Kingdom, when it began as a makeshift, open-air market for bartering crops. An overhead shot of a busy afternoon at Ima Keithel. We want to be responsible mothers.”These days Ima Keithel is a microcosm of Manipur’s egalitarian society.

☆ Hippo attacks: How to avoid one of Africa's most dangerous animals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

“Hippos attack not to eat people, but to get them the hell away from them,” Lewison said. Larger vessels can offer more protection from a sudden hippo attack. photocech/Adobe StockGet to know the signs of disturbed hippos, Muruthi advised, in case you wander too closely. … If you slap the water, the percussion 99.9 times out of 100 will turn the hippo,” Templer said. Remember to suck in air if on the surface.”Another hippo attack survivor in this National Geographic video also was able to conserve her breath.

☆ Virgin Orbit bankruptcy casts shadow over Japan's space dreams
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Eimi Yamamitsu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Oita prefecture, home to Japan's largest number of hot springs, partnered with Virgin Orbit in 2020 to create its first Asian spaceport at Oita Airport using a Boeing (BA.N) 747 for horizontal rocket launches. Two Japanese companies, ANA Holdings (9202.T) unit All Nippon Airways Trading Co and little-known Japanese satellite development start-up iQPS Inc emerged among the top six creditors when Virgin Orbit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. ANA said it was hopeful Virgin Orbit, which has said it is seeking a buyer, would be able to restructure and resume business. "We pray that Virgin Orbit will resume their business for the development of the global space industry." "It is possible that some other company will buy Virgin Orbit.

☆ Investing in Space: Launch jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Even today's private U.S. launch leaders, SpaceX and Rocket Lab , had their share of failures when first gunning for orbit. "In a launch vehicle, you have lots of different complex systems … and traditionally, we've been talking about expendable launch vehicles. "We're finally transitioning to a reusable launch vehicle mentality, and I think you're going to see more and more of that kind of testing," Nield said. But even with one-off rockets, Nield remains "very bullish" on the launch market.

☆ Morgan Stanley sees a great opportunity in defense stocks in 2023. Here's its top pick
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After strongly outperforming the broader market in 2022, defense stocks are poised to have another solid year in 2023, according to Morgan Stanley. Still, the firm thinks it's a good time to buy defense stocks. It also makes sense given changes to the U.S. defense budget and potential economic weakness ahead, she said. "We see NOC well-aligned to some of the fastest-growing areas of the US defense budget, including space and nuclear modernization," she said. "We also see particular durability in NOC's portfolio and expect its programs to remain well-funded even if defense spending is pressured, limiting downside risk in a Bear scenario."

☆ This tiny home is just 13 feet wide – but still has as much space as the average London house
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

This London home is just 13 feet wide, but its clever design makes it feel much larger inside. The Library cost about $400,000 to build, with locally sourced materials used throughout. The home was nominated for the prestigious House of the Year award in the UK. Loading Something is loading. Take a look inside The Library House.

☆ Analysis: Private debt markets face reality check as companies grapple with rising rates, recession
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Chiara Elisei | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

An era of ultra-easy cash from central banks lured investors into private credit, attracted by juicy returns in the high-single to low-double-digits. The private debt market has expanded to $1.4 trillion, up from $250 billion in 2010, according to data provider Prequin, with funds including Ares, Blackstone (BX.N) and KKR (KKR.N) holding big positions. Corporate default risks are rising, making investors think twice about holding riskier private debt. A Private Credit Default Index by law firm Proskauer showed a default rate of 1.56% on U.S. dollar-denominated deals in the third quarter, the first notable increase over the past 18 months. "While the default rate is likely to go up, I wouldn't expect to see a significant spike in 2023," he added.

☆ Investing in Space: Coopetition
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Left without rides to space, OneWeb and Northrop turned to one of their biggest rivals in satellite broadband and space cargo delivery, respectively. Space – and the perspective it brings of a single, fragile planet floating in the dark – is often seen as unifying. I've often seen how tight-knit the space industry is – but that doesn't mean competitors are flying off into the sunset together. A programming note: Investing in Space will be taking the next week off for holiday travel.

☆ Investing in Space: Moon rising
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The view of the moon and the Earth from the Orion capsule on Nov. 28, 2022..CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Even one of the more difficult stories of this year – the bankruptcy of Masten – was largely about the moon. With NASA's Orion beaming back stunning images of our planet as it whipped by the moon, I spoke to Airbus Ventures partner Lewis Pinault. The next couple years should see a variety of spacecraft and robots sent to the moon. However the future shakes out, it's clear a lunar economy is no longer fiction.

☆ Deep tech investor OTB Ventures raises $145 million for new fund and plans to expand into seed stage startups
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OTB has raised 140 million euros ($145 million) of its 150 million euros ($155 million) target. European venture capital firm OTB Ventures has raised over 90% of its new 150 million euros (around $155 million) second fund at first close. The Amsterdam-based company, founded in 2017, will invest in 10 seed and 15 Series A-stage startups, writing checks of up to 1.5 million euros and 7 million euros respectively. Niewinski said LPs had "doubled down" since its first 108 million euros fund, which was later topped up 30 million euros by the European Investment Fund. The investor is bullish on space tech specifically and tapping into expertise at the European Space Agency and European Union Space Programme to assess startups.

☆ Xi’s ‘action men’ now lead China’s military. Here’s what that means for Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The rhetoric from both sides and Beijing’s recent maneuvers have stoked fears that an attempted Chinese military takeover of Taiwan could be next on the horizon. Besides that joint command experience, He possesses another key attribute sought in top PLA leadership – field experience in hostile situations. Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said He was one of Xi’s “action men” on the military commission. Zhang served on the previous military commission and has been retained and promoted despite being past the unofficial retirement age of 68. There’s just too much work to be done with Xi’s military modernization to achieve good odds of success, they said.

Persons: Xi Jinping’s, Xi, –, Tsai Ing, ”, James Char, ” Char, Weidong, Nancy Pelosi, Rod Lee, Lee, Xi Jinping, ” Lee, Carl Schuster, Zhang Youxia, Zhang, Xi’s, Meia Nouwens, Joel Wuthnow, he’s, ” Wuthnow, Zhang’s, Li Shangfu, Wuthnow, There’s, “, Char Organizations: CNN, Central Military Commission, Communist Party’s National, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Chinese Communist Party, China Program, Institute of Defense, Strategic Studies, Theater Command, Eastern Theater Command, US Air Force Air, China Aerospace Studies Institute, People’s Armed Police, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Center, Chinese Military Affairs, US National Defense University, Party, US Air University Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, Asia, Singapore, India

☆ Europe's space agency is turning to Elon Musk's SpaceX after anti-Russian sanctions left it scrambling for rockets
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets will be used in two launches by the European Space Agency. The agency's boss has previously warned that the rest of the world's space tech is falling behind SpaceX. "In response to EU sanctions against our enterprises, Roscosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners in organizing space launches," it announced at the time. The ESA's choice of SpaceX rockets comes soon after a payment dispute over Musk's Starlink service in Ukraine, which has provided key internet access during the war while normal infrastructure has been offline. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider on the ESA's use of Falcon 9 rockets.

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