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☆ Peas and Feta Make Everything Better
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tanya Sichynsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But by the time I putter into the kitchen, it’s nearing 9 p.m., and I’m wondering where another April evening has gone. Flash-frozen at their peak, these peas will rival any fresh ones you might spot at a farmers’ market, and require far less prep time. (Though if you come upon fresh peas or happen to grow them, know that I am jealous.) If I have a block of feta in the cheese drawer, I’m that much closer to dinner. Pops of sweet, starchy peas giving way to bits of tangy, crumbly feta is the good kind of springtime sensory jolt.

☆ Wall St dips to lower close as rate hike bets firm, banks jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Today we're taking bit of a breather," said Sal Bruno, chief investment officer at IndexIQ in New York. Citigroup Inc (C.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) beat earnings expectations, benefiting from rising interest rates and easing fears of stress in the banking system. The S&P 500 banking sector (.SPXBK) jumped 3.5% and JPMorgan Chase surged 7.6%, its biggest one-day percentage gain since Nov. 9, 2020. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, seven ended the session lower, with real estate (.SPLRCR) falling most. The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 47 new highs and 205 new lows.

☆ Dunkin' rolls out breakfast tacos as competition heats up for fast food morning grub
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Dunkin' added breakfast tacos to its menu on March 22. The move comes as McDonald's expanded its test of serving Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Kentucky. Today, Dunkin' launched breakfast tacos for under $3 each. At a December investor day conference, Taco Bell CEO Mark King announced plans to compete with McDonald's at breakfast and lunch. Wendy's, which introduced a new breakfast menu three years ago, told Nation's Restaurant News this month that breakfast sales have surpassed sales targets of $3,000 per week per restaurant.

☆ The 'office apocalypse' won't doom big cities — it's actually making them stronger
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Matthew E. Kahn | Christopher Okada | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

In San Francisco, tax revenue is projected to drop by as much as a billion dollars over the next six years. In order to bring in these new residents, cities will have to shift some of their priorities. Research coauthored by Steven Levitt of "Freakonomics" found that increases in violent and property crimes were correlated with city residents migrating to the suburbs. All is not lostThere's little doubt that superstar cities like New York and San Francisco have serious problems on their hands. Christopher Okada is the CEO of Okada & Company, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage and investment company in New York City.

☆ NYC's gaming fight heats up as Saks Fifth Avenue proposes casino at flagship, and developer pitches ferris wheel
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saks Fifth Avenue has placed a bid to build a casino on the upper floors of its flagship store. Saks Fifth Avenue is throwing its hat in the ring for a coveted license to open one of New York City's first casinos. "The Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store is a staple of one of the most iconic streets in Manhattan," the source told Insider. "It is of particular importance to us that we continue to invest in the vibrancy and spirit of Fifth Avenue itself." A rendering of the Saks Fifth Avenue casino lobby.

☆ 2023’s ‘It’ Marble: Six Affordable Ways to Work Calacatta Viola Into Your Decor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Elizabeth Sweet | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FOR MOST OF the 2000s, white Calacatta and Carrara marble, with their subtle colorations, reigned as interior design’s status stones. “Everyone” craved the gray and gold hints of color that ran through the marbles popular then, recalled Gabriela Cruz, vice president of operations with Nash Stone Group in Farmingdale, N.Y.What no one would have guessed at the time was that a marble shot through with wine-red veining would dethrone white marbles so handily in the 2020s. But Calacatta Viola, with its rivulets of aubergine and burgundy, has done just that. Today customers want marble with color and life, notes Ms. Cruz, who theorizes that a post-Covid desire for vibrancy is driving the passion for the stone. Chicago designer Caroline Turner, who recently installed a kitchen worktop and backsplash in the material, says demand for Viola has reached a “fever pitch.”

☆ Microsoft plans to start using AI tech to write emails for salespeople, and it's not hard to see why
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Microsoft plans to use artificial intelligence from ChatGPT maker OpenAI to write emails for people. This new tech is to be deployed in Viva Sales, Microsoft's sales app launched in October, that manages customer information and uses AI to scan calls and emails with clients. My company needs 20,000 reams next month, and we have a budget of $100,000. ChatGPT responded like so:Dear Jerry, Thank you for your interest in ordering paper from Dumble Muffin. Best regards, Mike WazowskiSales Representative, Dumble MuffinWe had "Jerry" respond by adding a few more details and a request for a suggestion.

☆ Blinken begins Middle East trip amid spate of violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CAIRO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Middle East on Sunday, beginning a three-day visit as violence flares between Israelis and Palestinians, and with Iran and the war in Ukraine high on the agenda. There has also been a spate of deadly violence in recent days, heightening fears that already spiralling violence will further escalate. A Palestinian gunman killed seven people in an attack outside a Jerusalem synagogue on Friday. Blinken will also travel to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, other Palestinian officials, and members of civil society. Blinken will hear from people inside and outside of government on the reforms, she added.

☆ I left Manhattan for LA. It's easier to make friends, my cost of living is lower, and I'm so much happier here.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Daniel Zahler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

I got the full New York City experienceI lived in Manhattan for 12 years. In 2015, I decided to sublet my West Village pad and spend the winter in Santa Monica. Santa Monica is one of the priciest areas of California, but it's still cheaper than Manhattan. Today I'm paying $3,000 a month for a spacious apartment in the heart of Santa Monica with amazing views of mountains and palm trees. New York City is unrivaled in its energy and diversity and is the major league of cities — truly world-class.

☆ Saks Fifth Avenue proposes casino at NYC flagship, as competition for gaming licenses in the city heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Saks Fifth Avenue has placed a bid to build a casino on the upper floors of its flagship store. Saks is one of several major companies vying for just three available casino licenses in the city. "The Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store is a staple of one of the most iconic streets in Manhattan," the source told Insider. "It is of particular importance to us that we continue to invest in the vibrancy and spirit of Fifth Avenue itself." A rendering of the Saks Fifth Avenue casino lobby.

☆ Meet the guy whose algorithm could solve the crisis of America's empty office space
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Converting offices into apartments brings people back to downtown areas as residents, not commuters. The algorithm is able to quickly assess which office buildings are viable for conversion to apartments, which are known in industry parlance as multifamily residential. "And then, actually, the demand for the remaining office buildings goes up, because you're creating scarcity by taking some out of the market." Most urban centers lack sufficient housing, but turning office buildings into apartments helps add additional units to rent or buy. About 28% of the area's office space is vacant.

☆ I design sex rooms for a Netflix show. Some clients spend nearly $200,000 on a room but they aren't all as raunchy as 'Fifty Shades of Grey'.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Netflix's "How to Build a Sex Room" brings to light the business of sex rooms. Clients can spend about $200,000 on a sex room, but secondhand stores provide cheaper options. One day, a client turned around and asked her whether she had ever designed a sex room. Sex rooms aren't cheapConverting rooms into sex rooms can be an expensive project depending on the size and complexity of the space, Rose said. At the end of the day, Rose pointed out that sex rooms needn't always revolve around sex.

☆ Professional matchmaker's 3 keys to highly successful relationships at work: 'You have to see your patterns'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Natasha Piñon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As the founder of Selective Search, a matchmaking service that uses Fortune 500 executive recruitment techniques for personal matchmaking, Adler works to guide professionals toward relationships that last. Her work places her firmly at the intersection of business and pleasure — and building strong, lasting relationships is a cornerstone of success in any workplace. It's the same thing at work," Adler says. The benefits of thriving relationships at work extend far beyond a personal climb up the corporate ladder. But hierarchies can breed toxicity, Adler says — just as clichés about who has power in personal relationships can be disastrous, too.

[1/7] U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) walks on the day of House Democratic leadership elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2022. The vote by Jeffries' fellow Democrats also marked the rise of a younger generation of leaders in the 435-member House and the end of the Nancy Pelosi era. In 2007 she became the first woman to be elected House speaker. Jeffries, a 52-year-old New Yorker, will hold the position of House Democratic leader for the 118th Congress that convenes on Jan. 3. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was not surprised that Jeffries, a fellow Brooklynite, was chosen.

So much waste happens in the kitchen; too many tools are of the flimsy plastic variety. From an artisanal iron foundry in England to the saffron fields of Morocco, the producers represented here take the longest possible view. Mannie Berk , founder of Rare Wine Co., has an 1802 Madeira in his cellar that he opened 25 years ago. This delicious 2001 bottling, rich and warm with luxurious caramel tones, is one for the ages. 2001 D’Oliveiras Boal Madeira, $150, RareWineCo.com

☆ Asian Americans have some of the highest levels of support for abortion rights — and it's driving them to vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

With studies finding that Asian American and Pacific Islanders show some of the highest levels of support for abortion rights, community leaders are expecting this issue to drive Asian Americans to the polls — many for the first time ever. “AAPIs view abortion not as the singular act of abortion, but as health care,” said Varun Nikore, executive director of the nonprofit AAPI Victory Alliance. While some researchers point to flaws in the polling (most notably that Pew only surveyed English speakers), they say there’s no doubt that Asians show the highest level of support when it comes to abortion rights. “That tells me that abortion rights and reproductive rights are likely what’s driving that prioritization,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research at AAPI Data. A younger crop of Asian voters newly engaged by the Dobbs ruling are initiating these conversations with their elders, too.

☆ GOP unveils 'Commitment to America' platform, passing off stock footage of Russia and Ukraine as the US and a Lehman Brothers ad as a quote by Lincoln
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Footage from the video passes off stock images of Ukraine and Russia as the US, HuffPost reported. In a letter to House members, Minority Leader McCarthy also used a quote wrongly attributed to Lincoln, Daily Beast reported. Several images were created by Serg Grbanoff, a filmmaker based in Russia, HuffPost reported, who confirmed to the outlet the images were created in the Volgograd region of his home country. "Interesting how you guys aren't remotely interested on the issues facing the American people in the video," McCarthy spokesman Mark Bednar told HuffPost when asked about the stock footage. "Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality," the letter reads, attributing the quote to the nation's 16th president.

☆ 'Atlanta,' 'P-Valley' and other shows giving Black South its due
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And artists like Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion have incorporated Southern Black aesthetics into their fashion and music videos. “We’re now seeing some of the vividness and vibrancy that has always been a part of the South,” Durham said. But in these shows, the South and its characters refuse the bumpkin stereotypes and embrace all the aspects of the South. “There are whole ways in which we are having to reimagine Blackness in the South,” Durham said. “We’re actually invited to see what the experiences are of the people who produce the culture,” Durham said.

☆ Lululemon's new shoes — Raleigh's hot housing market — The youngest world traveler
▼ + stars: | 2021-10-15 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Settle in and enjoy some of our best reads from the past week, including stories about wealthy parents buying homes for their adult children, Lululemon's new sneakers, and Raleigh's red-hot housing market. Jessie Casson/Getty ImagesThere's a new trend in the housing market: Wealthy parents are taking out cheap loans they don't need so they can buy homes for their adult children. Lexie Alford23-year-old Lexie Alford recently broke a Guinness World Record by becoming the youngest person to travel to every country in the world. Traveling by boat, plane, and train, Alford told us about her experiences as a solo female traveler crossing the globe. Even as the rest of the housing market shows early signs of cooling, Raleigh has stayed hot, in part because of the area's emergence as a tech hub.

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