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☆ The digital media rollup dream is dead for the moment — now it's all about core brand strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

What's happening in the digital media space echoes trends from the biggest media companies, including Netflix , Disney and Warner Bros. The rollup dream's rise and fallFrom late 2018 to early 2022, the digital media industry had a shared goal. First, digital media companies needed more scale to compete with Facebook and Google for digital advertising dollars. Large legacy media companies such as Disney and Comcast 's NBCUniversal invested hundreds of millions in digital media in the early and mid-2010s. "The digital media rollup has proven successful only when assets are thoughtfully combined with an eye toward consumers," Goldberg said.

☆ The Manhattan DA's likely case against Trump would be far from a 'slam dunk conviction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

New York state prosecutors have never brought an election law case involving a federal campaign, per NYT. If the DA's office brings a criminal case against Trump, it would be far from a "slam dunk conviction," one ex-prosecutor said. Among the charges Trump could face is violating New York's business records statute, which bars individuals from falsifying business records with an intent to defraud. Some legal experts have pointed out that New York has a long history of bringing felony prosecutions based on falsifying business records. If Trump is charged with falsifying business records, "expect to see this defense."

☆ Why Blackouts, Power Outages Are Becoming More Common
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Taylor Dorrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Power outages have increased 64% from the early 2000s, and weather-related outages — many driven by the worsening climate crisis — have increased 78%. A record-breaking blizzard in Buffalo, New York, this winter caused power outages throughout the city, resulting in the deaths of 47 residents. In 2021, a heat wave led to power outages and the deaths of hundreds in the Pacific Northwest. While regional organizations might use fees to penalize companies for power outages, it's now much harder to pinpoint and hold a person or entity responsible. In the meantime, the climate crisis will continue to wreak havoc on an aging grid system that puts profits over reliability.

☆ Central bank tests spur global instant payment hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - A year of tests run by central banks in Italy, Malaysia and Singapore have spurred hopes for a global instant payments network accessible at the tap of a mobile phone. Current transfers are slowed by the patchwork of more than 60 different instant payment networks, so central banks involved in the new tests have been working on ways to improve the process. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the central bank umbrella body, which helped oversee the "Nexus" trials, said the three countries involved had successfully sent payments between themselves using only mobile phone numbers. Looking ahead, the BIS said further trials would be run by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand with the hope that "Nexus could eventually be implemented globally." Reporting by Marc Jones Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ World stocks cautiously higher ahead of high stakes Fed decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Dhara Ranasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A man shelters under an umbrella as he walks past the London Stock Exchange in London, Britain, August 24, 2015. Data showing British inflation unexpectedly rose to 10.4% in February boosted expectations for a quarter point rate hike at Thursday's Bank of England meeting, lifting sterling. While London's FTSE stock index dipped (.FTSE), European stock markets more broadly edged higher (.STOXX) while Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) added 1.3%. The spotlight was firmly on the Fed, which concludes a two-day meeting later on Wednesday. "Plus, delivery of a 25 bps hike still means the Fed is tightening, there is likely at least another hike to come."

The HDP, parliament's third-biggest party, wants the opposition to back demands for Kurdish rights and other issues. The Kurdish party held talks with Kilicdaroglu on Monday and is expected to announce this week whether it will back him. HDP lawmaker Imam Tascier said Kilicdaroglu had acknowledged the "Kurdish problem", terms reminiscent of language used by Erdogan in earlier years when he was seeking Kurdish support. Now, he said, Erdogan "pushed freedoms, democracy, human rights and the Kurdish problem away with the back of his hand". Yet, legal challenges could derail the role of HDP, which also won almost 12% of the national vote in 2018.

☆ Foot Locker is closing 400 stores by 2026
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Foot Locker is planning to shut 400 stores by 2026 as it strives to become more relevant to younger shoppers by relaunching its retail brands, introducing “experiential” new store concepts and simplifying its operations by closing underperforming mall-based stores. The stores slotted for closing across North America account for nearly 10% of Foot Locker’s total sales, said Anthony Aversa, Foot Locker senior vice president of store development. Under its corporate umbrella, Foot Locker operates more than 3,000 Foot Locker, Kids Footlocker, Champs Sports, WSS and atmos stores globally. Foot Locker reported fourth quarter sales Monday that eased 0.3% versus a year ago. Foot Locker CEO Mary Dillon told analysts she thinks hybrid work is here to stay and it’s fueling the strength and longevity in casual dressing.

☆ I'm an AI prompt engineer. Here are 3 ways to use ChatGPT to get the best results.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Anna Bernstein is a prompt engineer at Copy.ai, which makes AI tools to generate blog posts and emails. Her job is to write prompts to train the bot to generate high quality, accurate writing. Here are three tips on how to write prompts to get the best outcomes from AI. Now I'm a prompt engineer helping to optimize the most cutting edge technology in the world. If you want the AI to fully understand your request, make sure your prompt includes a verb that clearly expresses your intent.

☆ A nature videographer flying a drone spotted an endangered loggerhead sea turtle struggling in the red tide. He quickly alerted wildlife officials who showed up to save it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After he quickly alerted officials, the turtle was rescued and is still recovering at a rehab facility. The rehab facility confirmed the turtle had been exposed to red tide, a toxic algae bloom. Upon zooming in with his drone, it was obvious to McCarthy that the turtle needed help, and needed it fast. He knew the video would help him show that the turtle needed help. FWC notified Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which was located nearby and has a dedicated rescue and rehab facility for marine life.

☆ Big changes in the S&P 500 Friday highlight the power of index providers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Ever wonder why Walmart is classified as a consumer staples stock in the S&P 500, but similar retailers such as Target, Dollar General and Dollar Tree are classified as consumer discretionary stocks? Target, Dollar General and Dollar Tree will move from the consumer discretionary corner of the stock market, and join Walmart as consumer staples companies. Consumer staples will get bigger; consumer discretionary will get a little smaller. If you're an investor in a broadly diversified total market index fund like the S&P 500, the changes will make little difference to you. "Are they reflecting changes in consumer demand or the changes in the marketplace structure?"

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☆ Japan's big firms offer largest pay rises in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Rengo umbrella labour group has called for a 5% pay increase. The JERC survey showed that excluding seniority-based pay, base compensation that boosts fixed labour costs accounts for just 1.08%. "We need to focus on base pay. Workers from Japan's largest group of trade unions last week struck early agreements for hefty wage hikes. Unions have historically tended to settle for relatively meagre pay hikes around 2% in recent years, as unions are inclined to cooperate with management in keeping job security rather than aggressively demanding pay rises.

The precedent set at the "shunto" spring wage talks also influences wages at smaller firms that employ seven out of 10 Japanese workers. The shunto wages eventually peaked in 1974 with a record 33% rise in pay. Wary of increasing fixed costs, many Japanese firms have long opted to pay one-off bonuses in good times rather than raise base pay. Economists projected a 2.85% wage increase in a January poll, with base pay increases accounting for 1.08% and 1.78% from an increase in additional salary, based on seniority. Asked whether they would carry out base pay increase, 41.6% said they intended to.

☆ Global Players’ Union Calls for Equal Conditions and Prize Money at Women’s World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Players from 25 national women’s soccer teams, backed by a global professional players’ union, are calling for equal conditions and prize money at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Fifpro, an umbrella organization that represents 65,000 men’s and women’s soccer players and their unions worldwide, sent a letter last October to FIFA president Gianni Infantino outlining the players’ proposals. The letter, viewed by The Wall Street Journal, comes to light four months ahead of the Women’s World Cup that kicks off July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

☆ Factbox: Middle East flashpoints that could be affected by Saudi-Iran deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China also provided cover for Syria at the United Nations and kept up economic and political ties with Damascus. But as Iran's support helped Assad turn the tide, Saudi backing for the armed and political opposition has waned. Syria's foreign ministry welcomed the deal as an "important step" that could boost regional stability. In 2021, Saudi and other Arab Gulf states withdrew their ambassadors over what they said was Hezbollah's hold over the state. Seeking to de-escalate, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi began engaging directly with Iran.

☆ The US, its allies, and North Korea are one wrong move away from disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Chad Kunkle | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

North Korea continues to test missiles while the US and South Korea hold high-profile exercises. This prospect should prod US policy makers to consider why they are choosing to push forward with the current approach to North Korea. US Air Force F-16s and B-1B bombers with South Korean F-35As during an exercise over the Korean Peninsula in November. Kim, his daughter, and other North Korean officials watch sports in Pyongyang in a photo released on February 17. There are already actions being taken by the Biden administration that show how maintaining a massive force in South Korea is not a top priority for the US, such as the recent decision to transfer artillery ammunition from South Korea to resupply Ukrainian stockpiles.

☆ A Huge City Polluter? Buildings. Here’s a Surprising Fix.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Carbon dioxide from these boilers wafts up chimneys and into the air, one of the city’s biggest sources of global warming emissions. “And we expect that it won’t be the last.”The boiler releases carbon dioxide. The remaining carbon dioxide was then chilled to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit and turned to liquid. The system currently captures about 60 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted by the Grand Tier’s boilers, Mr. Asparro said. While they’re paying for the carbon dioxide, they are not charging a premium for their blocks.

☆ Japan's largest union reaches early deal for higher pay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, March 9 (Reuters) - Workers from Japan's largest union have struck early agreements for hefty wage hikes with employers as cost of living pressures grow and businesses scramble to secure staff amid a labour crunch, unionists said on Thursday. The 18 unions have agreed in full with their employers for average wage hikes of 5.28%, the unionists said at a news conference. The Bank of Japan is also desperate to see wage hikes strong enough to achieve sustainable demand-driven inflation. To achieve wage hikes, Kishida's government is set to hold a joint meeting with labour and management on March 15 when the major shunto results are expected. Apart from those unions under UA Zensen, some other groups including automaker unions have also announced that labour's demands for higher pay have been met ahead of a March 15 deadline.

☆ North Korean leader Kim calls for intensified drills in case of 'real war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A general view of fire assault drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea March 10, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its west coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, adding it was analysing possibilities the North may have launched multiple missiles simultaneously from the same area. North Korea has long bristled at the allies' drills as a rehearsal for invasion. North Korean leader Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said earlier this week any move to shoot down one of its test missiles would be considered a declaration of war and blamed the joint military exercises for growing tensions. Yang Uk, a research fellow and defence expert at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said North Korea has been increasingly claiming that its smaller missiles are nuclear-capable, in apparent threats to South Korea.

The precedent set at the "shunto" spring wage talks also influences wages at smaller firms that employ seven out of 10 Japanese workers and supply big manufacturers. The focus on job security, rather than higher pay, is blamed for keeping Japan's wage growth stagnant. WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF THE WAGE TALKS? Analysts expect big firms to offer wage hikes of around 3% in wage talks, which would be the fastest pace of increase since 1997 when Japan was on the cusp of deflation. Kishida has approached Japan's union umbrella Rengo in prodding firms to hike base pay.

It will also test Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's flagship "new capitalism" policy that aims to more widely distribute wealth among households by prodding firms to hike pay. World's largest car maker Toyota (7203.T) accepted a union demand for the biggest base salary growth in 20 years, while gaming giant Nintendo (7974.T) plans to lift base pay by 10%. The gain will comprise a 1.08% rise in base pay and a 1.78% increase in additional salary based on seniority, it said. Uncertainty over the sustainability of wage hikes could prod the BOJ to go slow in dialing back stimulus, some analysts say. The BOJ will probably wait until next year in doing anything radical, such as ending its bond yield control policy."

☆ The biggest problem with Russia's tanks in Ukraine is the way Moscow tried to use them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

By September, the tally of lost and captured Russian tanks reached 1,000 — more than all the tanks in the British, French, German, and Finnish militaries combined. The first time these British tanks found a fight, only 25 of the 49 of them actually moved when ordered to commence the attack. Nonetheless, before the conflict was over, Churchill himself would decide tanks had, once again, run their course, declaring, "we have too much armor — tanks are finished." And that is the real lesson we can glean from the performance of Russian tanks in Ukraine over the past year. Maxim Shemetov/ReutersThis point becomes evident when you look at Russian tank losses recorded by the Oryx Blog between February and April 2022, when Russian tank losses were at their absolute worst.

☆ Greek workers join walkout over deadly train crash, call protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Karolina Tagaris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ATHENS, March 8 (Reuters) - Thousands of workers will join a nationwide strike on Wednesday in protest over Greece's deadliest train disaster that killed 57 people, and mass demonstrations are expected to culminate outside parliament in Athens. Wednesday's strike, to be joined by various public sector workers, is expected to disrupt metro, tram and bus servives, and ferries will remain docked in ports as seamen join the walkout. "We will impose safe railways so that no one will ever experience the tragic accident at Tempi ever again," the main railway workers union said in a statement. ADEY, the umbrella union representing hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, also called for a day-long strike and protest over the "murderous crime". Greece sold its state-owned railway operator, now called Hellenic Train, under its international bailout program in 2017 to Italy's state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.

☆ A Tennessee high school club tried to put up flyers for transgender awareness month. The school said they were illegal.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A school club in Tennessee tried to put a flyer that defined the word "transgender" in November. But the principal of Northeast High School rejected it, a 17-year-old member of the club said. After the poster was rejected, Elizabeth came up with other ideas in an effort to get the word out about Transgender Awareness Month. Elizabeth said the experience raised her awareness about the extent to which trans rights are threatened in the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee law is part of a wave of legistion focused on trans people largely fueled by anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the United States.

☆ Meet the woman who invented a whole new subsection of tech set to be worth $1 trillion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ida Tin wanted to study art at college when she accidentally landed herself a place on a business course – she then became a pioneer of an industry set to be worth more than $1 trillion. "I literally got lost in the hallways and I ended up in some office where they were waiting for a candidate to do [the business course interview]," Tin said as she explained her first steps into the business world. As Clue gained users, Tin realized there wasn't much of a community around women's health services and products, despite more and more coming onto the market. The term now covers all types of technology and innovation designed to address health issues that solely, or disproportionately, impact women's health, from menstrual cycle tracking apps and sexual wellness products to cardiovascular medical devices and mental health therapies. "And I have to say I have been surprised but I really see how it's resonating globally," she added.

[1/2] A worker shelters from the rain under a Union Flag umbrella as he passes the London Stock Exchange in London, Britain, October 1, 2008. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File PhotoLONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - London risks losing its appeal for stock market listings, some investors and financial executives said, with sluggish trading and low valuations driving more companies to float elsewhere. That dashed government hopes that Arm, seen as a British tech success story, would return to the London market, where it was listed before being taken over in 2016. Arm's announcement came a day after Dublin-based construction materials company CRH recommended moving its primary listing from London to the United States. But British companies that floated in New York have not necessarily had the smooth ride they expected, data compiled by the London Stock Exchange (LSE) (LSEG.L) suggests.

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