DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

JPMorgan countered that the U.S. Virgin Islands was also to blame for allowing Epstein's sexual abuse of young women and teenage girls, saying the territory used its powers to enable these crimes. The U.S. Virgin Islands is suing JPMorgan for at least $190 million, saying the bank ignored red flags about Epstein because he was a wealthy and lucrative client from 1998 to 2013. Ahead of a scheduled Oct. 23 trial, the U.S. Virgin Islands wants a judge to declare that JPMorgan participated in Epstein's sex trafficking and obstructed law enforcement. The U.S. Virgin Islands has already received more than $105 million from Epstein's estate, and reached a settlement with billionaire Leon Black, a former Epstein friend. The case is U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Mary Erdoes, Frick, Erdoes, Leon Black, JPMorgan, Jonathan Stempel, Stephen Coates Organizations: YORK, U.S . Virgin Islands, JPMorgan Chase, JPMorgan, U.S . Virgin, U.S ., New, Virgin, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin, New York, Southern District, Southern District of New York, Bengaluru

☆ US consumer confidence races to two-year high; house prices rising
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Consumer confidence index increases to 117.0 in JulyLabor market differential rises to 37.2 from 32.5 in JuneHouse prices continue upward trend in MayWASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence increased to a two-year high in July amid a persistently tight labor market and receding inflation, bolstering the economy's prospects in the near term. That supports economists' views that consumer spending was flattening out after rising at its fastest pace in two years in the first quarter. The Conference Board's consumer confidence index increased to 117 this month, the highest reading since July 2021, from 110.1 in June. TIGHT LABOR MARKETThe survey's so-called labor market differential, derived from data on respondents' views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get, increased to 37.2 this month from 32.8 in June, a sign labor market conditions remain tight despite job growth slowing. And while more households planned to buy houses, they could run into affordability challenges as tight supply pushes up prices.

Persons: Robert Frick, Dana Peterson, Lisa Sturtevant, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao Organizations: Labor, Conference, Federal Reserve, Consumers, Navy Federal Credit Union, The, Reuters, University of, Conference Board's, Fed, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bright MLS, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Vienna , Virginia, U.S

☆ JPMorgan executive joked about the 'nymphettes' Jeffrey Epstein kept in his house: court docs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A JPMorgan Chase executive once joked about the "nymphettes" Jeffrey Epstein kept in his house. Epstein was charged in 2019 fo trafficking underage girls for sex, but died in prison soon after. A JPMorgan Chase executive once joked about the "nymphettes" that Jeffrey Epstein kept in his house, according to a new filing in an ongoing lawsuit against the bank. "Reminded me of JE's house, except it was more tasteful, and fewer nymphettes," the executive wrote, according to the new filing. He was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Persons: Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Jeffrey Epstein's, Frick, Miley Cyrus, JPMorgan Chase Organizations: JPMorgan Chase, US, US Virgin Islands, Morning, JPMorgan, Metropolitan Correctional Center Locations: US Virgin, Manhattan

☆ Construction of new homes fell 8% in the US last month
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Builders are benefiting from the lack of existing homes for sale as owners hunker down, but higher mortgage rates pose a threat, said Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist at First American Financial Corporation. Holding household income constant, the increase in mortgage rates reduced home-buying power by approximately $10,000, Kushi said. “There remains pent-up demand in the housing market, but higher rates put a strain on affordability,” said Kushi. Builders remain ‘cautiously optimistic’Builder confidence remains high despite concerns about rising rates. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges market conditions and looks at current sales, buyer traffic and the outlook for sales of new construction homes over the next six months.

Persons: ”, Robert Frick, “, it’s, Odeta Kushi, Freddie Mac, Kushi, Alicia Huey, Robert Dietz, Dietz Organizations: DC CNN, Housing, Census, Navy Federal Credit Union, First American Financial Corporation, National Association of Home Builders, NAHB, Federal Reserve, Builders Locations: Washington, Wells Fargo

☆ Fossils Where They Don’t Belong? Maybe We Just Didn’t Look Hard Enough.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Anthony Ham | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Among dinosaur bones and sandy sediment there emerged a 167-million-year-old tiny jaw fragment with three teeth. It belonged to Ambondro mahabo, a species that was 25 million years older than any mammal of its kind ever found. At the time, what was known of the fossil record pointed overwhelmingly to the conclusion that modern mammals’ forerunners arose in the Northern Hemisphere. But a review of existing fossil holdings published last year in the journal Alcheringa sought to turn decades of paleontological wisdom on its head. After an exhaustive study of skulls, jaws and teeth, a team of Australian paleontologists presented their conclusion that modern mammals originated in the Southern Hemisphere.

Persons: Ambondro, ”, John Flynn, Frick Organizations: Northern, Southern Hemisphere, American Museum of Locations: Madagascar, New York

☆ How 'Birkin Bandit' George Mickum Infiltrated NYC Society
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kate Taylor | Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +52 min

"He would know people's weaknesses and what they wanted and somehow always have something to offer," a former close friend said. Another close friend said Mickum once gave her a $1,000 loan "within minutes" when she needed it because of a credit-card crisis. He never "let the truth get in the way of a good story," a former close friend said. Hermès bags, like the Birkin and the Kelly, have always been symbols of unattainable luxury. There wasn't even a dust bag; Mickum claimed his mom's assistant would drop it off later.

Persons: George Mickum strode, Carlyle, Patty Hearst, He'd, Mickum, Birkin, swilling, Patty's, Gillian Hearst, Mr, George Mickum, Gillian Hearst's, George, Sally Painter, who'd, Peter Davis, Jackie O, Barbara Walters, Alessia Fendi, influencer Hannah Stella, Nick Hissom, Steve Wynn, Hearst, they'd, Prince Charles, Anna Delvey, Patty Hearst's, Rumor, he'd, wasn't, Met Breuer, Peter Poopat, George Santos, Trinity, Elisabeth Thieriot, Thieriot, Hermes, —, Painter, Paul Mickum, George Mickum III, Sally, Painter's, Poopat, PJ Pascual, Patrick McMullan, Ramona Singer, Lauren Lawrence, Lawrence, Van Cleef, Nicole Salmasi, Trudy, Mike Vitelli, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt, Eric, R, Couri Hay, They're, Astor, William Randolph Hearst, Orson Welles, Kane, Gillian's, Bill Clinton, Patty, Bernard Shaw, Gillian, Lydia —, Shaw, Maxim, Lydia, Kane we're, Christian Simonds, Pierre, Krista Corl, Dee Dee, Scott Buccheit, Naeem Delbridge, Pascual, who's, We're, buttering, Simonds, Matthew Kehoe, England, — Hearst, Delbridge, Hearst's, Mario Glen Coco, Hearsts, Astrid Stawiarz, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Justin Timberlake, Joe Lewis, Buccheit, Mary McCarthy, Lillian Hellman, Mickum's, Christie Grimm, Steve, Kameron Ramirez, Hissom, Ramirez, Nick, Hunt, Damien Hirst, Douglas Elliman, Harry Winston, David Fiszel, invitees, Fiszel, Darian, Winston, Martha Stewart's, Mendel minks, Vacheron Constantin, Tao, Melinda French Gates, Shawn Mendes, Bill, Hillary Clinton, Neiman Marcus, Damien Hirst's, Damien, weren't, Kelly, Alexis Clarbour, Clarbour, Paul Wharton, you've, Wharton, Sean Zanni, Michael Coste, Hannah Stella, Coste's, Stella, Scott Fitzgerald, Coste, Goodman, Courroies Birkin, didn't, Aman, Cartier, Mickum's bluster, skeptically, satchel, Clarbour's, He's, We've, Sider, Philippe, Buccheit texted Pascual, he's, Hay, Café Carlyle, Alexander Hankin, Burisma, Hunter Biden, Mickum hasn't, There's, They've, Amy X, Wang, King Charles, Tracey Amon, Amon, GEORGE MICKUM Organizations: Hearst, Blue, Potomac, Hamptons, East, Met, University of Delaware, Southampton Bathing Corporation, Fields School, Georgetown Law, DC, Town &, New York Daily News, The New York Times, Google, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Cosmopolitan, Symbionese Liberation Army, Hearst Corporation, Vogue, Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering, Stockbridge Golf, New, Tiger, Tottenham, Douglas, Martha Stewart's Hamptons, Mickum, Projects, Madison, Getty, Antibes, Nike, Rue du Faubourg Saint, Couture, US, UN, New Yorkers, Avenue Couture, Hermès, Republican, Justice Department, Blue Star, Town, New York Times Magazine Locations: Bemelmans, Clinton, York, Palm, New, London, Manhattan, Dalton, Bay, Windsor Castle, Haute, Washington , DC, New York, Baccarat, The, San Francisco, Wilton , Connecticut, Side, Wyntoon, California, Buccheit, woodsy Stockbridge , Massachusetts, Stockbridge, Bahamas, Albany, Nobu, Martha, Peking, Paris, Istanbul, St, Georgetown, China, Italy, Hermès, Amalfi Coast, du, Midtown, brunch, Rue, Central Park, Mickum, Turkey, La, Café, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ EV sales: Hyundai overtakes GM, but Tesla's U.S. dominance continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Meanwhile, Hyundai — including the Kia brand that's owned by the same parent company — increased its EV sales by roughly 11% during that time to 38,457 units. GM, which was second in EV sales through the first quarter, more than quadrupled electric car and truck sales to 36,322 units through June compared with a year earlier. And Volkswagen more than doubled EV sales to 26,538 units sold through June. Scott Mlyn | CNBCGM's EV sales thus far have been disappointing, especially when it comes to new models with the automaker's "Ultium" battery technologies. Correction: GM was second in EV sales through the first quarter of this year.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Tesla, Andrew Frick, hasn't, Elon Musk, Musk, disappoints Hyundai's, Randy Parker, we're, Parker, Scott Mlyn, Cadillac Lyriq, Mary Barra, Barra, It's, —, Phil LeBeau, Lora Kolodny Organizations: Getty, Hyundai Motor, General Motors, Motor Intelligence, Hyundai, Kia, GM, Ford Motor, EV, Ford, U.S, Automotive, Biden, Hyundai Motor America, New York Auto Show, CNBC, GMC Hummer, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Aspen Ideas, Chevrolet Silverado, Detroit Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Mexican, Texas, North America, South Korea

☆ ‘And Just Like That …’ Style Recap: Dressing Your Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( The Styles Desk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article contains spoilers for Episode 4 of the second season of “And Just Like That …”“Women our age are grossly underrepresented in the media,” says Enid Frick (Candice Bergen), a former Vogue editor recently given the boot by Condé Nast, in the latest episode of “And Just Like That …” She’s explaining the need for a new online magazine that’s “focused on women our age.”For Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), the pitch’s wincing recipient, being demographically lumped in with her onetime editor touches off a minor identity crisis — one that raises interesting questions about aging, maturity, confidence and how we present ourselves to the world. (As Gloria Steinem muses from a staircase: “Maybe the new frontier is aging.”)Of course, this being the “Sex and the City” cinematic universe, the clothes tell the story. Ahead of Episode 4, members of The New York Times’s Styles desk got together to dissect the fashion on display, and its significance. Vanessa Friedman I actually thought this was a relatively toned-down episode, as far as fashion statements went, though I still can’t get Lisa Todd Wexley dropping off her children for camp in a Louis Vuitton-branded bomber jacket and scarf out of my mind.

Persons: ”, Enid Frick, Candice Bergen, Condé Nast, “, Carrie, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gloria Steinem, Times’s Styles, Vanessa Friedman, Lisa Todd Wexley, Louis Organizations: Vogue, The, Louis Vuitton

Ford Motor Company's electric F-150 Lightning on the production line at their Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan on September 8, 2022. DETROIT – Ford Motor 's second-quarter sales increased 9.9% from a year earlier, spurred by significant sales gains of its F-Series trucks. "Our EV sales continue to grow. Improved Mustang Mach-E inventory flow began to hit at the end of Q2 following the retooling of our plant earlier this year, which helped Mustang Mach-E sales climb 110% in June." Ford's electric vehicle sales remain small for now: EVs represented just 2.8% of the automaker's total sales during the second quarter, while traditional internal combustion engines represented roughly 91% of sales.

Persons: Ford, Andrew Frick, EVs Organizations: Ford, Electric Vehicle, DETROIT, Detroit, EV Locations: Dearborn , Michigan

☆ Some fans have turned on Lana Del Rey. Here's a complete timeline of how the singer soured her own reputation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

May 2020: Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement about her own reputationIt all began on May 21, four months after she attended the 2020 Grammys, when Del Rey shared a lengthy open letter on Instagram. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Hardly one to stifle momentum, Del Rey also responded to the Australian blog Tone Deaf, which had published an article criticizing the defense of her album cover. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Del Rey continued tweeting about her BBC interview, clarifying that she meant to criticize Trump's "significant lack of empathy" and "the issue of sociopathy and narcissism in America." Advertisement—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021She also expressed disdain for negative publicity, citing her "long term relationship" with magazines like Complex and Rolling Stone, calling the former "pathetic." June 24, 2023: Del Rey arrived 30 minutes late to the stage at Glastonbury, telling the crowd, 'My hair takes so long to do'Lana Del Rey performs at Glastonbury Festival.

Persons: Lana Del Rey, Del Rey, —, Norman, Rockwell, Del Rey's, Del, she's, Ariana, Camila, Cardi, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Lizzy Grant, Fader, Helen Brown, Brown, Christine Capetola, Lana, Ashley Reese, YouTuber D'Angelo Wallace, Lana Del, that's, Karen, Wallace, Nichole Perkins, Roxane Gay, Ariana Grande, Cat, Pence, It's, Magdalene, George Floyd, Kehlani, Tinashe, Violet, Noble, lana, frick, preemptively, I'm, Annie Mac, Trump, Donald Trump, Lana stans, Mac, Biden, I've, tweeting, Trump's, Steven Hyden, Ann Powers, Powers, they'd, Judah Smith, megachurch Churchome, Smith, Jack Antonoff, God, desirs, Marie Claire, Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, Judah, Coleman Spilde, Joseph Okpako, WireImage Del, who's, Let's Organizations: Service, Pitchfork, Independent, Tulane, Trump, Twitter, Country, Billboard, Barnes, CDC, ppl, Michigan, YouTube, Capitol, NPR, Hall of Fame, BBC, Hillsong, Daily, Catholic Church, Glastonbury, Glastonbury Festival Locations: Los Angeles, America, Del Rey's, Del Rey, Churchome, y'all, WireImage Del Rey, Glastonbury

☆ Interest rates have broken the global wealth pump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Edward Chancellor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Rising inflation and higher interest rates would appear to make matters even worse. In the United States, immigration and the offshoring of manufacturing has undercut the power of labour. Ultra-low interest rates proved the greatest wealth pump ever devised, loading the dice in favour of the financial elite. Since the turn of the century, when the Federal Reserve under Alan Greenspan reduced interest rates to a new post-war low, wealth has consistently grown faster than GDP. That’s where higher interest rates come in.

Persons: Leonard Cohen, Peter Turchin, “ cliodynamics ”, Clio, Turchin, Hong Xiuquan, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, ”, Donald Trump, ” Turchin, Alan Greenspan, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Times, Elites, Steel, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Wall Street, Federal Reserve, McKinsey Global Institute, McKinsey, Thomson Locations: United States, France, China, Taiping, Japan

☆ US consumers' near-term inflation expectations hit two-year low; sentiment rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Consumer sentiment index rises to 63.9 in June from 59.2One-year inflation expectations drop to 3.3% from 4.2%Long-run inflation expectations dip to 3.0% from 3.1%WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. consumers' near-term inflation expectations dropped to more than a two-year low in June and the outlook over the next five years improved slightly, according to a survey on Friday that also showed sentiment perking up. "The Fed will be gratified that the surge in inflation expectations in the late-1970s and early 1980s has not been repeated," said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital in New York. The University of Michigan survey's reading of one-year inflation expectations dropped to 3.3% this month, the lowest since March 2021, from 4.2% in May. The survey's preliminary reading on the overall index of consumer sentiment came in at a four-month high of 63.9 in June compared with 59.2 in May. Its measure of consumer expectations rose to 61.3 from 55.4 last month.

Persons: Conrad DeQuadros, Joanne Hsu, Robert Frick, Lucia Mutikani, Daniel Wallis, Chizu Organizations: University of Michigan's, Fed, Wednesday, Brean, The University of Michigan, Treasury, Reuters, Consumers, Navy Federal Credit Union, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, New York, U.S, Washington, Vienna , Virginia

☆ A critically endangered rat-sized marsupial that looks like a mini kangaroo is returning to parts of Australia for the first time in a century
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Brush-tailed bettongs are thriving in Southern Australia after being reintroduced in 2021. These cute, kangaroo-looking marsupials have been critically endangered for decades. Scientists say it could be the first successful reintroduction of the species in Australia. According to the results of their monitoring of 85 bettongs, 40% of them were newborns, according to the release. A woylie also known as a brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) is an extremely rare, small marsupial and is endemic to Australia.

☆ US single-family homebuilding, permits rise in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Single-family housing starts rise 1.6% in AprilSingle-family building permits increase 3.1%Overall housing starts climb 2.2%; permits fall 1.5%WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family homebuilding increased in April, but data for the prior month was revised sharply lower, suggesting that the housing market slump was far from over even as some segments show signs of stabilizing. The rise in single-family housing starts last month reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday was concentrated in the West, with the rest of the three regions reporting big declines. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 846,000 units last month. Single-family housing starts plunged 28.1% on a year-on-year basis in April. The single-family homebuilding backlog increased 4.5% to 139,000 units, while the completions rate for this segment dropped 6.5% to a rate of 971,000 units.

☆ Ford is finally bringing the beastly Ranger Raptor truck to the US, and it costs $57,000 — see it here
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat. The 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat. FordThe Ranger RaptorThe 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor. The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor. The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor.

REUTERS/Dado RuvicLONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Crypto firms have been left scrambling to find banking partners after the collapse of three crypto-friendly lenders in the U.S. last month, creating a risk their business will become concentrated in smaller financial institutions. Mainstream banks have become increasingly wary of crypto clients following a series of high-profile collapses, including the bankruptcy of major exchange FTX in November last year, and a lack of regulation. "Crypto and Web3 start-ups are telling us they simply cannot get a business bank account," said Marcus Foster, head of crypto policy at Coadec, a body representing UK start-ups. A spokesperson for ING said the bank does not "target or focus actively on crypto firms" so its exposure is "very limited." But for smaller crypto start-ups, securing a banking partner could be more difficult, said Ricardo Mico, the U.S. CEO of Banxa (BNXA.V), a payment and compliance infrastructure provider for crypto.

☆ Ford's first quarter sales increase 10.1% on improved F-Series truck production
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidDETROIT – Ford Motor on Tuesday reported a roughly 10% increase in its quarterly U.S. sales, led by jumps in its critical F-Series pickups and Bronco SUVs. Sales of Ford's trucks increased by nearly 20%, while car sales were up by 5.1% and SUVs increased by less than 1%. Ford reported sales of 170,377 F-Series pickups, up about 21% compared to a year earlier. Ford's sales increase comes as Wall Street analysts monitor rising vehicle inventories and incentives for the U.S. automotive industry following historically low levels of both during the past three years. Morgan Stanley estimates industry sales last month increased 8.7%, as automakers increase production levels following several years of significant supply chain problems.

[1/2] New York Police Department (NYPD) officers are pictured as protesters rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Times Square in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., June 1, 2020. FollowNEW YORK, March 1 (Reuters) - New York City has agreed to pay millions of dollars to demonstrators who sued the police department, saying they had been mistreated during a June 2020 racial justice protest that followed the killing of George Floyd. In a statement, the New York City Police Department said the demonstration occurred at a "challenging moment" when officers -already dealing with the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic - attempted to balance the right of people to protest with safety concerns. The total payments could amount to around $7 million, not including attorneys' fees, but a precise accounting was not yet available. Some of the protesters pursued individual claims and reached separate settlements, making them ineligible for additional payments, according to court filings.

☆ ‘Vermeer’ Review: Small Focus, Wide Reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Mary Tompkins Lewis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

An installation view of the show with Vermeer’s ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’AmsterdamWhen the Frick Collection announced plans several years ago for a major renovation, the Rijksmuseum here saw a once-in-a-lifetime chance to borrow its three magnificent paintings by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), which normally would never leave their New York home. Museums around the world and two private collectors also agreed to lend, and a retrospective, the largest ever assembled of the painter’s surviving work, took shape. “Vermeer,” the first exhibition devoted to the artist in the Rijksmuseum’s history, consists of 28 paintings (with one, his magisterial “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” leaving town March 30) out of the roughly 36 known to still exist. Organized by the museum’s curators Gregor J.M. Weber and Pieter Roelofs and designed by the architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte , it is a staggeringly beautiful, brilliantly realized show unlikely to be repeated.

☆ New home sales rise as prices drop in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —New home sales rose in January from December, as mortgage rates eased off their highs of the past year at the start of 2023. Sales of new single‐family houses were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 670,000 last month, up from a revised 625,000 in December. Mortgage rates eased in January and ended the month nearly a point lower than they were at the beginning of November when they topped 7%. But in addition to volatile mortgage rates, another challenge for many buyers has been finding homes on the market to buy. “The backlog of new construction homes continues to emerge into the market just in time for the spring shopping season,” she said.

☆ There are plenty of open jobs for tech workers — they're just not at tech companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Demand for tech workers at non-tech companies has reportedly outstripped demand at tech firms. The findings come as tech companies continue to cut budgets and lay off workers by the thousands. Tech jobs, highly sought after for their high pay and cushy benefits, seem less secure than ever as nearly every major tech company has cut headcounts and slashed budgets in the past six months. The bloodbath shows no sign of slowing down: Nearly 95,000 tech workers have been laid off in the first few weeks of 2023, according to layoff tracker layoffs.fyi. A silver lining for tech workers?

☆ Google parent Alphabet is cutting 12,000 jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Google parent Alphabet is eliminating about 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, the company said Friday, in the latest cuts to shake the technology sector. “Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth,” Pichai said in the email. Google’s job cuts are just the latest in a bruising wave of tech layoffs, as inflation weighs on consumer spending and rising interest rates squeeze funding. “While layoffs from high-profile firms make the headlines, plenty of firms are desperate for more workers, especially tech workers. “The labor market is still so tight that many tech workers, and workers with other skills, are snapped up well before they need to collect an unemployment check.

☆ Ford pickup truck sales in December help narrow overall sales decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Andrew Frick, Ford vice president of sales, distribution & trucks, said the company is "well positioned heading into 2023." Ford's 2022 sales outpaced the industry, which was estimated to be down by roughly 9%. Regarding all-electric vehicles, Ford said it was able to maintain its status as the country's second best-seller of EVs. Despite more than doubling its EV sales, Ford trails industry leader Tesla by a wide margin. The Ford brand's sales were down 2.1% last year, while the company's Luxury Lincoln brand was off by 4%.

☆ ‘The Eveillard Gift’ Review: A Sketch of a Great Collection
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Mary Tompkins Lewis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New YorkWhen its original building on East 70th Street eventually reopens after a renovation, the Frick Collection—now temporarily ensconced on Madison Avenue—will include a new gallery specifically designed to display the museum’s drawings. They will be shown on a rotating basis to avoid overexposure to light, humidity and other elements, and will feature a promised gift of 26 works on paper and sketches from the collection of Elizabeth “Betty” and Jean- Marie Eveillard that are currently on view at the Frick Madison. “The Eveillard Gift,” an exhibition of this munificent bequest, suggests the impressive caliber of the donors’ larger collection and the museum’s continued commitment to the study of European drawings.

☆ New home sales rose in November, defying expectations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Meanwhile, the median price for a new home dropped to $471,200, down from $493,000 the previous month. But it was still higher than the median price a year ago, which was $430,000. “New home sales rose more than expected, but the big picture still is bleak for most Americans looking to buy,” said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. In early November, mortgage rates reached their high for the year – an average of 7.08% for a 30-year fixed-rate loan – and have been falling since. But for the first time since April, builders registered an increase in future sales expectations this month, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Search resuls for: "frick"

25 mentions found