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☆ EU antitrust regulators set Oct. 23 deadline for Arcelik, Whirlpool deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

European flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Arcelik AS FollowWhirlpool Corp FollowBRUSSELS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators will decide by Oct. 23 whether to clear Turkish domestic appliances maker Arcelik's (ARCLK.IS) proposed purchase of Whirlpool's (WHR.N) European domestic appliances business, an European Commission filing showed on Thursday. Under the deal announced in January, the companies will set up a new entity made up of Arcelik's European units such as major domestic appliances, small domestic appliances and consumer electronics and Whirlpool's European business. The EU competition watchdog can either clear the deal with or without seeking remedies after its preliminary review or it can open a four-month investigation if it has serious concerns. The UK competition agency is also assessing the deal, with a decision due by Sept. 28.

Persons: Yves Herman, Arcelik, Blomberg, Foo Yun, Mark Potter Organizations: European Commission, REUTERS, Whirlpool, Commission, EU, Zenith, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Arctic, Altus, Grundig

☆ Watch Boutiques Blossom in the Digital Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Victoria Gomelsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“As much as we’ve grown over the past five years, we’re expecting just as much in the next five years,” he said. (In 2022, the United States accounted for 15.7 percent of Swiss watch exports, making it far and away the industry’s No. Plenty of watchmakers would say the same about Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia are two of the luxury watch world’s most alluring destinations at the moment. So let’s create some.”Despite their modest production volume compared with that of corporate brands, independent watchmakers are equally focused on opening physical stores.

Persons: Ira Melnitsky, we’re, ”, Chopard, Hublot, Zenith, ” Julien Tornare, Mr . Kern, Breitling, “, Edouard Meylan, Moser Organizations: Bucherer, Moser & Cie Locations: California, Hawaii, U.S, United States, Swiss, Europe, Asia, Shanghai, Vienna, Cyprus, Riyadh, Bangkok, Saudi Arabia, Southeast Asia, Schaffhausen, Hong Kong

☆ Perseid meteor shower will peak this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Amaya Mcdonald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak this weekend, according to the American Meteor Society. The shower began this year on July 14, and will continue until September 1, though not as many meteors will be visible after the peak. “Meteor showers result in beautiful streaks of light as debris passes through our atmosphere,” Schmoll said. So the less light around when observing the meteor shower means we are more likely to see fainter meteors.”You can catch several major meteor showers later this year, according to the American Meteor Society. They will reach their peak on the following dates:Orionids: October 21-21Southern Taurids: November 4-5Northern Taurids: November 11-12Leonids : November 17-18Geminids: December 13-14Ursids: December 21-22Autumnal equinoxThis year, the end of the Perseid meteor shower coincides with the meteorological start of the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Persons: ”, Shannon Schmoll, Schmoll, it’s, Tuttle, ” Schmoll Organizations: CNN, American Meteor Society, Michigan State University, Northern, Taurids, Northern Hemisphere, Meteorological, Hemisphere, NASA Locations: Central, South America

☆ Relentless Man City seek record four titles in a row
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

However, such is the nature of the Premier League that City will certainly not have everything their own way. Juergen Klopp's side's failure to qualify for the Champions League would have stung, especially with Manchester United finishing eight points above them. Newcastle United, who finished fourth last term, will be determined to prove it was no flash in the pan, although they will need to juggle the demands of battling for a top-four finish with the Champions League this time. The additions of winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester City and Sandro Tonali from Milan will certainly help. Postecoglou is the first Australian to manage in the Premier League and faces a big challenge at the north London club who endured a toxic 2022-23 campaign under Antonio Conte.

Persons: Phil Foden, Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias, Pep Guardiola, Guardiola, pacesetters, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, Declan Rice, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Juergen, Erik ten Hag, Harvey Barnes, Sandro Tonali, Ange Postecoglou, Antonio Conte, Harry Kane, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer Football, Manchester, Victory, Champions League, FA, Premier League, Manchester United's, League, Inter Milan, pacesetters Arsenal, City, Arsenal, Etihad, LIVERPOOL Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, Luton Town's, Luton, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, Manchester City, Abu Dhabi, Spanish, Istanbul, Barcelona, Al, Ahli, Saudi Arabia, City, Milan, Postecoglou, London, Fulham

☆ It’s official: Silicon Valley’s entire business model is a scam
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The problem is, conservative economists at the University of Chicago have spent the past 50 years insisting that under capitalism, predatory pricing is not a thing. Predatory companies could never recoup their losses, which meant predatory behaviors are irrational. Lots of economists have come up with solid counter-counterarguments to the Chicago School's skepticism about predatory pricing. A company that engages in predatory pricing and its late-stage investors might not recoup, but the venture investors do. "If people in Silicon Valley start thinking about this as a predatory pricing scam, then I think the late-stage investors will start asking questions."

Persons: Matt Wansley, Wansley, we're, Uber, Cardozo, Sam Weinstein, gobs, you've, —, Brooke, Spencer Waller, Matsushita, Weinstein —, Justice Department —, it's, Weinstein, Matt, that's, Will Uber, Waller, David, Maurer, they've, Adam Rogers Organizations: Lyft, Big Tech, Cardozo School of Law, Justice Department, University of Chicago, Chicago School, Supreme, Matsushita Electric Industry Co, Zenith Radio Corp, Brooke Group, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp, United, Loyola's School of Law, Venture, Matsushita, VCs, Chicago, Loyola, pharma, aha, Wansley Locations: United States, Chicago, Silicon Valley, Silicon

☆ From 'Barbie' to Formula 1, TAG Heuer is making its mark on the luxury watch market
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It plans to more than double its boutiques in the U.S. to 50 by 2026, according to TAG Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault. Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer. Arnault said TAG Heuer is making strides due in part to marketing wins and new products, such as the new TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph with a skeleton dial worn by Verstappen, which clocks in at more than $10,000. Gosling has been sporting a 36mm TAG Heuer Carrera with a bright pink dial as part of his promotion of the new "Barbie" movie. Arnault said "Barbie" fans can expect to see other TAG Heuer watches in the film as well.

Persons: Frédéric, Bernard Arnault, Arnault, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Frédéric Arnault, LVMH, Fred, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Philippe Nautilus, Ryan Gosling, Gosling, Barbie, Ryan Organizations: LVMH, TAG, TAG Heuer, CNBC, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Monaco, CNBC TAG, Zenith, Carrera Locations: U.S

☆ Stream These 8 Movies Before They Leave Netflix in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jason Bailey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

‘Julie & Julia’ (July 31)Julia Child was an easy figure to impersonate but perhaps not so simple to inhabit. The film focuses on Gardner’s period of homelessness and the sacrifices he made while completing an unpaid internship at a prestigious firm. It’s a formulaic piece of work but a nevertheless affecting one. ‘Stepmom’ (July 31)The “Home Alone” director Chris Columbus continued the softening of his touch that began with “Mrs. Julia Roberts plays the title character, a fashion photographer who is dating, and then marries, a much older, divorced father (Ed Harris).

Persons: ‘ Julie, Julia ’, Julia Child, Meryl Streep, Julie Powell, Amy Adams, Nora Ephron, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Happyness ’, Gabriele Muccino, Chris Gardner, Oscar, Will Smith, Gardner, Jaden, Skyfall ’, Daniel Craig, James Bond, “ Bourne, Sam Mendes, Roger Deakins, Thomas Newman, Javier Bardem, Stepmom ’, Chris Columbus, “ Mrs, Doubtfire ”, Julia Roberts, Ed Harris, Susan Sarandon, —, It’s, ’, Kate Beckinsale Organizations: “

☆ Don't believe everything your parents told you about money: 4 common money myths, debunked
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Isabel Engel | In Isabel--Engel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

For young professionals new to the workforce — particularly recent college graduates — here are four common money myths that have been passed down through generations, debunked. The idea has likely inhibited women and people of color in particular from being confident about investing, Ransom-Cooper says. The gap has begun to close, though, with 58% of Black Americans investing in 2022, compared with 63% of white Americans. What's more, young professionals do not have to wait until their student loans or other outstanding debt is completely paid off to begin. Investing early and growing your retirement savings, for example, are valuable ways to build wealth outside of the real estate market.

Persons: you've, Chelsea Ransom, Cooper, Ransom, Schwab, Roth, it's Organizations: Zenith Wealth Partners, CNBC, Investor Survey, Roth IRA

☆ Kamala Harris found her voice on abortion rights in the year after Dobbs. Now she’s making it central to her 2024 message.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jasmine Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris was fed up. Harris left the event railing at the stigma women face for doing so, a staffer told CNN. The shift in posture, many close to the White House say, has also been helped by one of Biden’s closest advisers, Anita Dunn. “The president and vice president cannot both be bouncing around the country doing fundraisers all the time. Long one of the Democratic Party’s most moderate voices on abortion, Biden has reckoned with personal qualms rooted in his Catholic faith.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Roe, Wade, Biden, she’d, “, ” Harris, We’re, Joe Biden, Harris ’, ”, Eleni Kounalakis, Biden’s, “ There’s, Kamala, ” Ron Klain, ” Klain, she’s, Anita Dunn, Dunn, Ben LaBolt, Jeff Zients, Harris “, Cornell Belcher, they’re, . Delaware Democratic Sen, Chris Coons, ” Coons, Laphonza Butler, ” Butler, Sheila Nix, Nix, Court’s Dobbs, Todd Ivey, ” Ivey, roundtables, Jill Biden, Dobbs, Long, he’s Organizations: CNN, Biden, West Wing, White, Republican, General, Republicans, Congress, Nationwide, West, White House, Oval, Democratic Party . Communications, Democratic, voters, Democratic Party, Black, ”, Democrats, Fund, . Delaware Democratic, Biden campaign’s, America, Affordable, FDA Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, Washington , DC, Charlotte , North Carolina, California, Georgia, Texas

☆ Farhad Manjoo on ‘South Park’ - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Farhad Manjoo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But it isn’t the topicality of “South Park” that best explains America. In “South Park,” correctness of any sort — religious, scientific, pedagogical, geopolitical or whatever else — is sus. For Donald Trump Jr., “South Park” memes are the height of wit. In 2018 “South Park” even acknowledged that Al Gore was right: ManBearPig turned out to be real. But the damage was done; the monster had already begun to eat the people of South Park.

Persons: topick, ”, Trey Parker, Matt Stone’s, Parker, Stone, Donald Trump’s, Vladimir Putin’s thuggery, Ron DeSantis, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Stone’s, they’ve, Eric Cartman’s —, Andrew Sullivan, “, Donald Trump Jr, Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder, Cartman, Bob White, Al Gore, ManBearPig Organizations: Trump Locations: America, Colorado, South Park

☆ When is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere? Find out what it is, and its meaning
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Shayanne Gal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The 2023 summer solstice happens on Wednesday 21 June at 10:58 a.m. It is due to Earth's tilted axis as it orbits around the sun. How the summer solstice worksThe summer solstice is the point when the sun will stay closest to the horizon all day. Shayanne Gal/Business InsiderOn the summer solstice, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, where the sun rises earlier and sets later, meaning countries will get the longest day of sunlight they will get all year. Why it's so celebratedRussians celebrating the 2015 summer solstice with a bonfire.

Persons: —, Shayanne, Dmitry Feoktistov Organizations: Service, NASA, Cancer, Heritage Locations: China, Sweden

☆ Fact Check-Clip of people marching with banners in Nigeria’s Abuja predates May 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Video of people marching with posters and banners on Kukwaba Road in the Nigerian capital of Abuja dates to at least February 2023, but has been shared online as showing supporters of Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi protesting in May 2023. However, no credible sources have reported a large-scale protest in Abuja by Obi’s supporters on May 24. The video appears to have been filmed on Abuja’s Kukwaba Road, located in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Hotel Transcorp Hilton Abuja located near Kukwaba Road can also be seen in the background in the video (bit.ly/3MX8zu2). Video showing people marching in Abuja dates to at least February 2023, does not show a protest in May.

Persons: Peter Obi, Obidient’s, BUHARI dey, Nigeria’s, Read Organizations: Labour Party Presidential, Facebook, Obi’s, Twitter, Federal, Zenith Bank ”, Transcorp Hilton, Reuters Locations: Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Kukwaba

☆ Paul Newman: Hundreds of Hollywood star's items to go on sale in Sotheby's auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Several watches are being sold as part of the auction. “My parents shared a passion for antiques and vintage items, the quirkier the better,” their daughter Melissa Newman said in a Sotheby’s auction catalog. The couple’s personalities also emerge in some of the more unusual furniture showcased in the auction. “Dad loved to pull pranks on his friends,” his daughter Clea Newman said a Sotheby’s auction catalog. “One of his favorite bits was making everyone who arrived late sit on the pig bench for their meeting.

Persons: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Richard Nixon’s, Newman –, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Bill Clinton, “, Melissa Newman, It’s, ” Newman, Sotheby's Newman, Luke, ”, Woodward, Eve ”, Joanne ”, Newman, –, “ Dad, Clea Newman Organizations: CNN, Rolex Locations: Hollywood, Washington, George H.W .

PREVIEWBirol pointed to a “powerful alignment of major factors,” driving clean-energy spending higher, while spending on oil and other fossil fuels remains subdued. The Covid-19 pandemic appears to have marked a turning point for global energy spending, the IEA’s data shows. While clean-energy spending has boomed, spending on fossil fuels has been tepid. Investments in clean energy and fossil fuels were largely neck-and-neck in the years leading up to the pandemic, but have diverged sharply since. “If there is not enough investment globally to reduce the oil demand growth and there is no investment at the same time [in] upstream oil we may see further volatility in global oil prices,” Birol said.

☆ Check out the pitch deck that helped Freshsound, which helps brands license music for their ads, raise $2.2 million in seed funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Freshsound, a self-service platform to license commercial music, raised a $2.2 million seed round. For more than a decade, Stevie Gyasi worked in marketing, helping link brands like Absolut, Nikon, and H&M with music artists for campaigns and events. The Freshsound platform offers its users an instant price for a track and handles the payments, removing the need to negotiate with songwriters and labels. This week, Freshsound said it had raised a 2 million euro, or $2.2 million, seed funding round, led by Zenith Venture Capital and Aligned. Check out the key slides from the pitch deck Freshsound used to raise its seed funding round.

☆ Companies are betting on a demand rebound in second half of year, DHL says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

That marks the second consecutive month that U.S. imports increased and are higher than 2019 levels, according to data provided to CNBC from Descartes Datamyne, a global trade data platform. The combination of a slow ramp up from "Zero Covid" in China and the reopening of manufacturing plants in the country delayed exports. The top Vietnamese imports in the latest data are wrought iron fencing and plant stands, imported for companies including Home Depot. Black jewelry bags for Zales and men's and boy's t-shirts for Nike rounded out the list of U.S. imports data from China, Vietnam, Thailand, and India reviewed by CNBC. In April, the trade data shows that vitamins and containers of pencils were bound from India to Walmart , and zip polos and t-shirts for Guess .

☆ Fox mogul Rupert Murdoch survived the phone-hacking scandal. Dominion's $1.6 billion lawsuit will test whether he can do it again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Now, two voting-technology companies, Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, want to make another Murdoch media property pay even more for Fox News's role in spreading election denial. But the phone-hacking scandal showed how Murdoch has weathered challenges to his power before. Another key difference from the phone-hacking scandal is the presence of written records that show Fox execs knew exactly what was going on. In the last quarter of 2022, Fox Corp. netted $321 million on $4.6 billion in revenue. And during the phone-hacking scandal, Murdoch showed fierce loyalty.

☆ The Best New Watch Designs of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jenny Hartman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: From left: courtesy of patek philippe, courtesy of van cleef & arpels, courtesy of zenith, courtesy of cartier, courtesy of chopard, COURTESY OF vacheron, courtesy of rolexThis past week, the watch world flocked to Geneva for Watches and Wonders, the industry’s largest and most closely watched fair, where nearly 50 brands and manufacturers unveiled their latest designs. At the event, brands including A. Lange & Söhne, Zenith and Panerai focused on their sportier and more utilitarian models, introducing new interpretations of the classics with a mix of vintage-inspired details and, in some cases, a new minimalism. Rolex introduced the 1908 Perpetual, a sleek and dressy timepiece that launches a new line of watches for the brand. Striking new jewelry pieces from companies like Chanel and Van Cleef & Arpels added a lighthearted approach to serious gemstones and gold.

☆ Paul Newman Rolex Daytonas, Found in a Desk, Could Sell for Millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Paul Newman’s Rolex reference 16520 ‘Zenith’ Daytona is one of two watches found at his estate that are heading to auction in June. Years ago, Nell Newman was rooting around for a pencil in the Connecticut home office of her late father, the actor Paul Newman, when she unearthed two horological treasures: a pair of Rolex Daytona watches worn by Newman in his latter years. “There they were with his driver’s license,” said Ms. Newman. “They were just in a box on his desk.”

☆ Y Combinator-backed headless commerce startup Vue Storefront just raised $20 million with this 14-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Y Combinator-backed Vue Storefront has developed a frontend system for e-commerce sites. Vue Storefront, a Y Combinator-backed startup that aims to improve customers' experiences with e-commerce sites, just raised $20 million in fresh funds. The Polish company, founded in 2020, has built a plug-and-play frontend system for marketplace sites. This is what customers see and interact with, rather than the behind-the-scenes backend system, and is known as "headless commerce". Vue Storefront is rooted in open-source development, having spun out from a design agency.

[1/5] People hold up special edition newspapers, reporting Japan's victory at the World Baseball Classic final, as others queue to try to get them, in Tokyo, Japan, March 22, 2023. REUTERS/Kato IsseiTOKYO, March 22 (Reuters) - With cherry blossoms reaching full bloom in Tokyo, Japanese sports fans erupted in jubilation on Wednesday after their countrymen defeated Team USA to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC). "Nihon yusho," or "Japan victory," was the No. Japan pitchers set a WBC record for strikeouts throughout the series, according to Fox Sports. With sublime serendipity, Japan's victory comes as Tokyo cherry blossoms reached their zenith, bathing the city's parks and streets in pink and white.

☆ Commercial real estate's biggest investors are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the grittiest land in America. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Big commercial-real-estate players from Brookfield to Fortress are snapping up industrial land. Brookfield is one of several big-name investors that are paying increasing attention to lowly industrial land. Industrial land also generally has lower operating costs and taxes compared to other real estate. It's hard to find big enough portfolios of industrial landThere are challenges, too, in breaking into the business of owning industrial land. Atkins said he has been impressed by the robustness of the IOS market, even with fears about the broader economy.

☆ The Paradox of Prosecuting Domestic Terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( James Verini | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +52 min

The preventive approach to domestic terrorism goes back even further than the 1990s and it begins with the basic police work and surveillance of the joint terrorism task forces. In fact, there is no section of the U.S. Criminal Code that criminalizes domestic terrorism as such. The absence of clear law around domestic terrorism, and the imperatives of prevention, mean that investigators and prosecutors who work domestic terrorism cases must focus on more common charges: weapons violations, illegal drug possession, burglary, aiding and abetting and so forth. But this was not enough to overrule the fear of domestic terrorism that was gripping the nation and that hung in the courtroom. It reflected the legal paradoxes of the case and domestic terrorism law in general or, maybe more accurately, the absence of it.

☆ Publicis Reports 9.4% Organic Revenue Growth for Fourth Quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Megan Graham | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Publicis Groupe SA said Thursday that organic revenue grew 9.4% in the fourth quarter as its data and technology services continued to capture a shift in client spending. The growth in the quarter ending Dec. 31 brought Publicis’s full-year 2022 organic revenue growth to 10.1%. The results beat the average analyst estimate of 5.3% growth for the quarter and 8.8% for the year, according to FactSet. Publicis said it expects organic revenue growth of 3% to 5% in 2023. Organic growth refers to the change in net revenue excluding the impacts of acquisitions, disposals and currency fluctuations.

☆ MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes on his plans to relaunch the service (for real) and bring back an unlimited option
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Stacy Spikes told Insider he plans to put MoviePass out of beta and make it available for all by the summer. You would think Spikes would want to run as far away as possible from the movie-ticket-subscription startup. Before Stacy Spikes created MoviePass he created the Urbanworld Film Festival. I wanted to put that down because I see so many times people approach me and think MoviePass was my first business. MoviePassThe MoviePass beta version is focused on the credits system, e-ticketing, and fixing bugsWhat have been the biggest challenges in getting this beta version of MoviePass off the ground?

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