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☆ Elon Musk says Twitter is still losing money due to 'heavy debt' and sliding advertising revenues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk said Twitter's still losing money, blaming "heavy debt" and lower advertising revenues. But ad revenue has halved and Musk's other plans like Twitter Blue haven't filled the gap. Elon Musk said Twitter was still losing money, blaming a "heavy debt load" and sliding advertising revenue. "We're still negative cash flow, due to ~50% drop in advertising revenue plus heavy debt load," Musk tweeted. Twitter Blue made just $11 million in its first three months, for example.

Persons: Elon Musk, Twitter's, He's, Twitter, Musk, Musk's, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Twitter, Reuters, Fidelity, BBC News, The New York Times

☆ Simon Cowell says the sexual assault of a former 'X Factor' contestant was 'horrific and heart-breaking'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Simon Cowell said the sexual assault of an "X Factor" contestant was "horrific" and "heartbreaking." Simon Cowell described the sexual assault of a former "X Factor" contestant as "horrific and heart-breaking" after she criticized the support provided by the show's producers. Spraggan, who performed her own songs in her audition for "The X Factor," pulled out of the show during production, citing illness. "The X Factor" has faced criticism from other former UK contestants over their treatment. The X Factor was produced by Thames [part of Freemantle] and Syco, who were primarily responsible for duty of care towards all of its programme contributors."

Persons: Simon Cowell, Lucy Spraggan, Spraggan, she'd, Rylan Clark, they'd, I'd, Tim Whitby, Spraggan wasn't, Cowell, Lucy, Katie Waissel, Simon Cowell's Organizations: Guardian, Morning, Fremantle, BBC News, ITV, Thames Locations: London, Fremantle

☆ 'OG Mark' is back – and some think Zuck has Elon Musk to thank for his new attitude
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Mark Zuckerberg's new attitude is being hailed by Meta insiders as "OG Mark," per the WSJ. In many ways, Zuckerberg might have his rival Elon Musk to thank for Meta's turnaround. The much-hyped launch of Threads, Meta's Twitter killer, might have a particularly Musky scent to it — but this time, it could be coming from Meta's CEO. Encouraged by the chaos at Twitter since Musk's takeover, he launched "Project 92" to create Threads, Meta's own text-based app, the Journal reported. Mark Zuckerberg with UFC legends Isreal Adesanya and Alex Volkanovksi.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg's, he's, Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Meta, Zuck, Musk, Zuckerberg's, Mark Zuckerberg, Isreal Adesanya, Alex Volkanovksi, Elon Organizations: Meta, Wall Street, Facebook, Social Network, Twitter, UFC, MMA

☆ This man set up a removals business with a mini Kei truck that cost just $4,500 – but a new mirror and wiper set him back $600
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Kei truck owner plans to give up his mini pickup as it's too hard and costly to find spare parts. Craig Disbrow's modified Kei truck without covers on the back. He estimates he spent another $3,000 turning it into a mini removal van. It's been enough to make Disbrow begrudgingly plan to give up the Kei truck and find something more common, he said. Do you own a Kei truck and have had problems too?

Persons: Craig Disbrow, Bongo, Kei, he'd, Disbrow, Craig Disbrow's, they're, didn't, It's Organizations: Morning Locations: New York City, North Carolina, New York, America

☆ Meet the Mattel CEO who convinced Margot Robbie to become Barbie – and is being played by Will Ferrell in the movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He earmarked Margot Robbie to play Barbie, and has driven the group's push to exploit its brands. Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie in "Barbie." Warner Bros.Self-deprecationAccording to Bloomberg, Mattel gave Warner Bros. and Gerwig huge creative license on the movie – including how Mattel and its bigwigs would be portrayed. Kreiz, with his chiseled jaw, pearly white teeth and broader good looks, might look more like Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, than the ghoulish CEO played by funnyman Will Ferrell. Ferrell is listed only as "Mattel CEO" in the film's credits, adding an element of ambiguity.

Persons: Barbie, Margot Robbie, Will Ferrell, Ryan Gosling rollerblading, Ken, Kreiz, Barbie's, He's, Greta Gerwig's, Robbie, Mattel, Greta Gerwig, Ryan Gosling, funnyman Will Ferrell, Ferrell, Oscar, Daniel Kaluuya, Barney, Lena Dunham, helming, Lily Collins, It's, Polly Pocket, David Zalubowski, Kreiz – Organizations: Mattel, Bloomberg, Service, Maker Studios, Disney, Endemol Group, Brother, Fox Kids Europe, London's, Warner Bros, MGM, Arch, Hasbro Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ United offered flight attendants triple pay to work on their days off to help the airline recover from weather-related chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

United Airlines gave flight attendants triple pay if they worked extra shifts over Independence Day. The airline struggled with cancellations and delays linked to thunderstorms on the East Coast. A flight attendants' union said staff morale was badly damaged by the failure of airline systems. United Airlines gave some flight attendants triple their normal pay as the carrier tried to recover from recent weather-related disruption. The union also said morale had been badly damaged by the delays, and that United needed to implement a full recovery plan to help stranded flight attendants.

Persons: Scott Kirby, Associated Press he'd, United, United didn't Organizations: Airlines, United Airlines, East Coast . United, The Washington Post, Fox News, Associated Press, Association of Flight, United Locations: East Coast, Chicago, New Jersey, Denver

☆ Fire safety fears are delaying the launch of the world's newest luxury cruise liner, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The launch of a luxury cruise ship was delayed by faulty fire panels, the Financial Times reported. The launch of a highly anticipated luxury cruise ship has been delayed by safety concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday. According to data compiled by Cruise Market Watch, about 320 cruise ships are operating globally. That would indicate about 15% of the world's operating cruise ships could be at risk of disruption if the panels needed to be replaced. According to economic forecaster Oxford Economics, cruise operating capacity is expected to exceed its 2019 level by 16% in 2024.

Persons: Fincantieri, Paroc, didn't Organizations: Financial Times, Caribbean International, Cruise Market Watch, Cruise Line International Agency, Oxford, MSC Locations: Finnish, Italian

☆ An Amazon manager who stole almost $10 million with fake invoices and used the money to buy a house, a Tesla, and a Lamborghini was jailed for 16 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An Amazon manager was sentenced to 16 years in jail for running a fraud worth close to $10 million. Kayricka Wortham created fake vendors and invoices, with funds sent to bank accounts she controlled. She spent the proceeds on a $1 million Georgia home, as well as Tesla and Lamborghini cars. Kayricka Wortham, worked as an operations manager at an Amazon warehouse in Smyrna, Georgia between August 2020 and March 2022. She used her position to create fake vendors, passing them on to unknowing subordinates to process, per the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

Persons: Kayricka Wortham, Wortham, Brittany Hudson, Hudson, Lamborghini, Lamborghini Wortham, Nick Lotito, Steven R, Ryan K, Buchanan Organizations: Georgia, Lamborghini, Service, Amazon, US, Office, Northern, Northern District of, Tesla, CRUS, Company, The New York Times, Wortham, Chief, Judge, Hudson Locations: Wall, Silicon, Smyrna , Georgia, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, Smyrna, Dodge Durango, Atlanta, Wortham

☆ Tesla is offering cash rebates to buyers in China despite promising to end 'abnormal pricing' in the world's biggest EV market
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla is offering rebates worth nearly $500 to Chinese buyers of a Model 3 or Y, Reuters reported. The move comes just a day after Elon Musk's carmaker pledged to help end price wars in China. Just a day after Tesla pledged to end a lengthy price war in China, Elon Musk's EV maker hatched a new plan to sell more cars. Tesla began cutting prices of its Model Y and Model 3 in China in October last year amid an economic downturn hit sales. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, Tesla delivered a record 93,000 vehicles in China in the three months to June 30.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk's carmaker Organizations: Reuters, Morning, Elon Musk's, EV, Bloomberg, China Passenger Car Association Locations: China

☆ This country just gave the green light for self-driving vehicles on its roads
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The UAE became the first country to grant a nationwide license for self-driving cars on its roads. China's WeRide will be allowed to operate autonomous self-driving cars, vans, and buses in the UAE. Dubai, which is part of the UAE, wants a quarter of its vehicles to be self-driving by 2030. Self-driving cars are one step closer to becoming a fixture on the roads – in one country at least. "With this license, WeRide will conduct various road testing and operations of autonomous driving vehicles in the UAE."

Persons: WeRide, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheik Mohammed Organizations: Morning, United, United Arab Emirates, SAE International, The, UAE Locations: UAE, Dubai, United Arab, Abu Dhabi, The UAE, Florida, Georgia

☆ A $300,000 electric flying car just won approval for test flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A fully electric flying car that'll cost about $300,000 just won approval to start testing on the road – and in the air. The company aimed to produce the first flying car with both street driving and vertical take-off capabilities. Alef AeronauticsThe flying car is able to take off vertically or horizontally, and can carry up to two people. In December, Dukhovny told CNBC Make It that customers could expect to see their cars in the sky by 2025. Alef wasn't the only flying car and air taxi company to make a major regulatory breakthrough in recent days.

Persons: Jim Dukhovny, It's, Alef, Dukhovny Organizations: SpaceX, Alef Aeronautics, Alef, CNBC, Morning, Federal Aviation Administration, Joby Aviation, FAA

☆ If you're hoping interest rates will fall anytime soon, you're out of luck, says $1.8 trillion financial titan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Interest rates are unlikely to fall soon, said an executive at a firm with assets of $1.8 trillion. Pimco's Daniel Ivascyn told the Financial Times he doubted central banks' ability to tame inflation. Not so fast, says one mammoth investor who believes interest rate cuts are still some way off – while a "hard landing" very much remains a possibility. Pimco manages assets worth $1.8 trillion – a bit smaller than the size of the entire UK economy. "We have a real legitimate inflation problem," Ivascyn told the FT, adding it would be difficult for central banks to cut their target rate until inflation is much closer to the 2% target.

Persons: Pimco's Daniel Ivascyn, —, Daniel Ivascyn, Ivascyn Organizations: Financial, Service, Financial Times, Federal Reserve, Fed

☆ Yes, concert tickets really are getting more expensive – and Taylor Swift might be to blame
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tickets for Taylor Swift shows have more than doubled since 2018, per a Bloomberg analysis. The pop superstar is making more than $13 million from each date on her "Eras" tour, per Pollstar. Taylor Swift's Eras tour is on track to set a new record – but it's also a reminder of just how expensive it can be to see a concert by the world's biggest acts. Data from Pollstar, a music industry trade publication, shows Swift has already generated more than $300 million from the first 22 dates of her highly anticipated Eras tour. Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesStill, the average cost doesn't reflect the huge prices being charged on the resale market.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Taylor, it's, Swift, It's, Elton John's, Jason Kempin, Paige, Scott, Merrill Lynch, Boaz Weinstein Organizations: Bloomberg, Wall Street, Billboard, she's Locations: London, That's

☆ A woman who's just 5'3" says her mini Honda truck that cost $5,500 is 'perfect for me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Alabama woman bought a Kei truck for her honey bee business. Cindy Bryant paid $5,500 for her Honda Acty, joining other Americans buying mini trucks. Sometimes, Kei truck owners are forced to take a leap of faith and buy from importers, not seeing the vehicle until it arrives. But Bryant spotted a Honda truck on Marketplace from a seller she'd dealt with before on the site. She uses the Kei truck to cater for her 18 hives, each housing at least 50,000 bees.

Persons: Cindy Bryant, Honda, Cindy Bryant's, Bryant, hadn't, Kei, she's, Honey, They're, Kei Car, Matthew Matusiak, She's Organizations: Ford, Facebook, General, Honda, Bee Association, Japan Locations: Alabama, Arley , Alabama, Smith

☆ Repeated red flags raised by experts about the Titan's safety are likely to feature in investigations into the tragedy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Submersible experts raised red flags about the Titan's safety long before it imploded. Investigations into the implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible are likely to examine repeated warnings about the craft's safety and design. Submersible experts raised red flags about the Titan's safety long before it imploded but OceanGate continued its expeditions. "Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation," OceanGate stated. Rush responded and said he was "tired of industry players who try to use a safety argument to stop innovation".

Persons: it's, John Mauger, OceanGate, David Lochridge, Lochridge, Rush, Rob McCallum Organizations: Morning, New York Times, Staff, Transportation, Board of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US Coast Guard, Stockton Rush, BBC News Locations: Newfoundland

☆ YouTube star MrBeast claims he declined an invitation to 'ride the Titanic sub': 'It's kind of scary that I could have been on it.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

YouTuber MrBeast tweeted that he turned down the chance to "ride the Titanic sub." YouTube star MrBeast suggested he was invited to take a ride on the doomed OceanGate Titan vessel, but turned down the offer. MrBeast tweeted that he said no to the offer. Representatives for MrBeast didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. The OceanGate Titan suffered a "catastrophic implosion" after descending to the site of the Titanic wreckage.

Persons: YouTuber MrBeast, MrBeast, MrBeast didn't, Sotckton Rush, Jay Bloom, Bloom, Rush, Ross Kemp Organizations: Stockton Rush, BBC News Locations: Las Vegas, British

☆ This New Yorker says he loves his mini Kei truck, but plans to give it up because finding spare parts is so hard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Kei truck owner plans to give up his mini pickup as it's too hard and costly to find spare parts. He said he fell in love with the mini Japanese "Kei" truck, but the unexpectedly high costs of replacing broken parts means he's reluctantly planning to give it up. Disbrow's modified Kei truck without covers on the back. He estimates he spent another $3,000 turning it into a mini removal van. It's been enough to make Disbrow begrudgingly plan to give up the Kei truck and find something more common, he said.

Persons: Craig Disbrow, Bongo, Kei, he'd, Disbrow, they're, didn't, It's Organizations: Morning Locations: New York City, North Carolina, New York, America

☆ 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

☆ This woman bought a mini Kei truck on Facebook for her honey business and says it's perfect for her 5'3" frame
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An Alabama woman bought a Kei truck on Facebook Marketplace to run her honey business. Cindy Bryant bought a Honda Acty in March for $5,500, joining other Americans buying mini trucks. Sometimes, Kei truck owners are forced to take a leap of faith and buy from importers, not seeing the vehicle until it arrives. She uses the Kei truck to cater for her 18 hives, each housing at least 50,000 bees. Do you own a Kei truck?

Persons: Cindy Bryant, Cindy Bryant's, Bryant, hadn't, Kei, she's, Honey, They're, Kei Car, Matthew Matusiak, She's Organizations: Facebook, Honda, Ford, General, Bee Association, Japan Locations: Alabama, Arley , Alabama, Smith

☆ Families of Wagner mercenaries killed fighting for Putin are given $60,000 compensation – and the number of payouts may be affecting Russia's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner soldiers' families receive about 5 million rubles (about $60,000) when a relative is killed. That means more than $1 billion in cash may now be in circulation, affecting Russia's economy. In an audio comment published last month by his company Concorde, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said the families received "black cash" payments. The payments for so many deaths would equal 100 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) of cash flowing into Russia's financial system. In January, the Daily Beast reported that some families had yet to receive payments from Wagner.

Persons: Wagner, Bloomberg they'd, —, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Al Jazeera, Putin Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Wagner Group, German Marshall Fund, Concorde, Central Bank, Daily Beast, Kremlin, intel Locations: Al, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Moscow

☆ I drove an electric RV from London to Paris. One big problem on the way back gave me serious range anxiety.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I took a different route home and suffered serious range anxiety after almost running out of charge. Route to ParisThe electric ID. Unfortunately, the availability of charging stations on this road was a very different experience. For some reason, this charging station required drivers to have their own cable. The French countryside was beautiful, but the lack of charging stations on one road was stressful.

Persons: Buzz that's, that's, there's, It's, Tim Levin Organizations: Volkswagen, Morning, US, Wild Drives, Folkestone, Seine Locations: London, Paris, England, France, Brighton, Folkestone, Calais

☆ A 'deadheading' pilot stepped in to land a plane after the first officer became 'incapacitated'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Transportation Safety Board told Reuters an off-duty "deadheading" pilot landed the plane. An off-duty pilot stepped in to land an Air Canada flight after the first officer became "incapacitated," officials said. Emergency services were on hand when the plane landed as a precaution. The Transportation Safety Board representative told CTV the incident was treated as a "class 5 occurrence," which are minor incidents per its website. The Transportation Safety Board and Air Canada didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: John's, Air Canada didn't Organizations: Air, Transportation Safety Board, Reuters, Morning, CTV, Transportation Safety, Birmingham, Air Canada Locations: Air Canada, Toronto, St, John's, Labrador, Newfoundland

☆ Biden is lending billions to Ford to help America win the EV race with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is lending Ford $9.2 billion to build battery plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. It's also three times the loan extended to General Motors for battery plants last year. The US government is lending $9.2 billion to Ford for three battery plants in a sign of the Biden administration's desire for America to become a leading EV player. The loan is more than three times the amount handed out last year to General Motors to build three battery factories. The loan is the latest step by the White House to on-shore production of crucial EV components amid rising geopolitical tensions, particularly with China.

Persons: It's, Biden, Obama, EVs, Ford's, Darren Palmer Organizations: Ford, Loan, General Motors, Energy's, SK, The Energy Department, Tesla, EV, White, P, EVs, Ford's EV Locations: Tennessee, Kentucky, America, Korean, China, Chinese

☆ Bill Ackman offered to donate $150,000 if a doctor debated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about vaccines on Joe Rogan's podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bill Ackman offered to donate $150,000 if a doctor debated vaccines on Joe Rogan's podcast. Dr Peter Hotez criticized Rogan for hosting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his podcast. Bill Ackman has waded into a vaccine misinformation debate, offering $150,000 to charity if a doctor agrees to debate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Joe Rogan's podcast. Rogan responded to Hotez's criticism by pledging $100,000 to charity if he came on the podcast to debate Kennedy. Rogan signed a $200 million deal with Spotify to bring his hugely popular podcast exclusively to the streaming platform in 2020.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Joe Rogan's, Peter Hotez, Rogan, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Elon Musk, Dr Peter Hotez, Joe Rogan, Kennedy, Hotez, lockdowns, Ackman, goad, Musk, It's, Neil Young Organizations: Morning, Pershing, Capital Management, Baylor College of Medicine, National, Tropical Medicine, Spotify Locations: Nazi Germany, Houston

☆ Tweeters are pointing out that a neurosurgery role in London pays about the same as an Aldi store manager
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tweeters pointed out an apparently low salary range for a surgeon in London. An NHS Trust is advertising for a neuro-oncology fellow paying as little as £33,790 (about $43,000). One tweeter pointed out that an Aldi manager can make £50,000 (about $64,000) right out of college. The National Health Service (NHS) is hiring a neuro-oncology fellow at the Barts Health Trust in central London. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, neurologists in the US can expect an annual salary of about $255,000.

Persons: Tweeters, — Organizations: Service, National Health Service, Barts Health Trust, Twitter, British Medical Association, Government, Sky News, BMA, Bureau of Labor Statistics, neurologists Locations: London, Barts

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