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☆ Starbucks union is using billboards, a brass band and a butter sculpture to pressure board members from Nike, Land O'Lakes and Lego
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Starbucks union organizers are stepping up pressure on individual members of the company's board. Leaders at Nike, Lego, and Land O' Lakes were targeted using billboards, a movie trailer, a brass band, and even a butter sculpture. The push comes a week after shareholders voted in favor of an investigation into Starbucks' labor practices. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles and online, a Lego Movie-styled trailer premiered with the aim of enlisting Lego President Jorgen Vig Knudstorp to join the side of Starbucks workers. And now, those tensions are spilling over to other companies as the union targets Starbucks' board of directors.

This week, a reader's husband doesn't think the cost of a gym membership is a good use of money. The main extra we are fighting about right now is a gym membership. This shared responsibility often means shared debt, shared costs, shared sacrifice, and shared indulgences. But what shared finances don't necessitate are shared financial priorities — even if it might be easier when they align. Your husband's part of this compromise will mean making the commitment now to celebrate your last credit card payment by purchasing a gym membership for you at a nicer gym.

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to hear a trademark clash between Jack Daniel's and a dog accessory company behind a parody chew toy resembling the distiller's widely recognized black-label whiskey bottle. The dispute pits the whiskey brand's trademark rights against legal protections for creative expression - in this case a send-up by Phoenix-based VIP Products LLC of Jack Daniel's Old No. A 2,300-strong group of authors took the opposite view, saying a win for Jack Daniel's could lead to a "catastrophic chilling effect" over worries that creative expression might spark litigation. The 9th Circuit said the Bad Spaniels toy was an "expressive work" and thus potentially shielded under the First Amendment from Jack Daniel's trademark infringement claim. President Joe Biden's administration supports Jack Daniel's appeal.

Jack Daniel's Properties Inc is owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based Brown-Forman Corp (BFb.N). "I'm concerned about the First Amendment implications of your position," conservative Justice Samuel Alito told an attorney for Jack Daniel's, referring to the constitutional provision enshrining free-speech protections. "Could any reasonable person think that Jack Daniel's had approved this use of the mark?" Jack Daniel's also contested a finding by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. "This is a standard commercial product," Kagan told a lawyer for VIP Products, Bennett Cooper.

☆ Wall Street is confident high-yielding banks won't cut their dividends
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Atlanta's Truist Financial ($41 billion) now yields 6.2% while Minneapolis's U.S. Bancorp ($53 billion) pays 5.1% on its common stock. After all, high dividend yields are often a sign of financial or business distress, or a red flag that the payments so many mom-and-pop investors depend on are unsustainable. Wall Street just doesn't think most payouts will be cut — so long as any recession this year stays on the mild side. "Despite these lower dividend growth expectations, we believe these bank holdings still have attractive dividends," Peris added. A final straw in the wind: Wall Street has issued dozens of research reports since Silicon Valley Bank went under.

☆ 4 small business owners say a low-cost advertising strategy called 'comarketing' has helped them save time and money, and build more authentic campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Erica Sweeney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

This might include cobranded content marketing campaigns, collaborative social media posts, event or content sponsorships, or affiliate marketing. Comarketing offers many benefits to small businessesComarketing can help small businesses save money, stretch their marketing budgets, build a stronger brand identity, and grow customer awareness. Connect with like-minded small businessesAlignment is crucial when choosing other small businesses to partner with, Smith said. When working with other businesses on social media marketing, Boone said everyone agrees on a timeframe. She and Merrell do this by sharing similar topics across their brands' social media channels, but slightly tweaking the messaging to appeal to each audience.

☆ What we lend in the shadows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"What We Do in the Shadows." New companies, especially ones that don't make any money are "pre-revenue," as VCs like to say, aren't easy to lend to. — there are also risks to letting investment firms lend billions of dollars without much oversight. Private-credit firms are looking to fill the lending gap left by Silicon Valley Bank's downfall. Inside Silicon Valley Bank's $70 billion loan portfolio that's now up for grabs.

☆ Ukrainian pilots are calling the US Air Force for tips on using US-made missiles and bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Members of the US Air National Guard have been providing advice for using US-made weaponry. Despite US support, Ukraine's air force is still at a disadvantage against Russia's larger force. Ukraine's air force still faces a tough operating environment. A California Air National Guard officer discusses exercise Safe Skies with his Ukrainian counterparts in July 2011. Ukrainian Air Force via Twitter"We've just got them some precision munitions that have some extended range and go a little bit further than a gravity-dropped bomb," Hecker added.

☆ Saudi Arabia drops $5 billion in Turkey's central bank to help its struggling economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan speaks during a meeting of Finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 nations in the Saudi capital Riyadh on February 23, 2020. Saudi Arabia agreed to deposit $5 billion into Turkey's central bank through its Saudi Fund for Development, the fund said in a statement Monday. The decision is "a demonstration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to supporting Turkey's efforts to strengthen its economy," the statement said. Turkey's inflation is still above 55%, and its currency is hovering near record lows against the dollar after several years of policy intervention by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who resisted raising interest rates despite mounting inflation. In the years since, the countries had used various means to unofficially boycott each other's products and flights or block each other's media outlets.

☆ Salesforce's Marc Benioff says he's following 'the Oracle playbook' to improve profits — and Larry Ellison is helping him
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Marc Benioff said he was adopting Oracle's playbook and being mentored by Larry Ellison as he focuses on profitability. But on Wednesday, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff admitted that he was adopting Oracle's playbook and being tutored on it by Oracle's founder and chairman Larry Ellison. Benioff started his career at Oracle at age 23, and Ellison made him into a star executive by age 26. The drama started when Oracle started working on a product that competed with Salesforce, eventually leading Benioff to kick Ellison off his board. And now Benioff is publicly thanking Ellison and his Oracle playbook as Salesforce fends off no fewer than five activist investors, all pressuring the company to improve profitability.

☆ Supreme Court rules 9-0 that bankruptcy filers can't avoid debt incurred by another's fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Innocent people are sometimes held liable for fraud they did not personally commit, and, if they de-clare bankruptcy, [the bankruptcy code] bars discharge of that debt," Barrett wrote. The couple was unable to pay the award or other creditors and filed for protection under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code, which normally allows people to void all of their debts. . . false pretenses, a false representation, or actual fraud,'" Barrett wrote. A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge ruled in his favor, saying "that neither David nor Kate Bartenwerfer could discharge their debt to Buckley," the opinion by Barrett noted. "Based on testimony from the parties, real-estate agents, and contractors, the court found that David had knowingly concealed the house's defects from Buckley," Barrett wrote.

☆ See the photos that won National Geographic’s ‘Pictures of the Year’ contest
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Audrey Wan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

National Geographic announced the winning photographs from its first "Pictures of the Year" photo competition. The photo will be featured in an upcoming issue of National Geographic's U.S. magazine. Their photos will be published on National Geographic's Your Shot Instagram page, which has some 6.5 million followers. Salt wells on a hillside in the Salt Mines of Maras in Peru. An LiThe mines comprise around 4,500 salt wells, each of which produces some 400 pounds of salt per month.

☆ A disappointing 2022 has led some Goldman Sachs partners to ask: Is it time for a change at the top?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

On tap, we've got stories on why not-so-flashy land is actually the hottest investment on Wall Street, the firms minting money by navigating FTX's bankruptcy, and the coolest houses on Airbnb. It's only February, but the Ides of March might be coming to Goldman Sachs. We've talked at length over how people are looking to pin the blame on Solomon as things have soured at Goldman. Certain issues have been easier to overlook than others, but the bank recently broke a cardinal rule of Wall Street: Don't mess with bankers' compensation. Forget beachfront, the hottest real estate for Wall Street is industrial land.

If I filed taxes with my husband, we would be in a higher tax bracket, costing us more. We decided that until we had kids, we'd file our taxes separately. Editor's Rating 4.6/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 3.7/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Editor's Rating 4.5/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Learn more On Tax Slayer's website Learn more On Liberty Tax's website Learn more On H&R Block's websiteWhile my partner and I do share similar values and strategies around how we approach our money, it was important to me to keep most of our finances separate for the first few years of marriage. This also meant that I felt more comfortable holding off on filing taxes together and sticking to a "married filing separately" filing status. Taxable income $ 0 Effective tax rate 0 % Estimated federal taxes $ 0 Federal taxes withheld $ 02.

☆ Due diligence is top of mind for Wall Street in the wake of blowups at Frank and FTX. Here's what it means for the state of M&A.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In the long list of boring, behind-the-scenes stuff for deals to get done, due diligence ranks close to the top. One of the more fascinating knock-on effects is how buyers might leverage FTX and Frank as a way to get better terms on deals. Click here to read more about the new state of due diligence in the wake of FTX and Frank. I know you're a passionate bunch, so we compiled everything Wall Street is saying about the EV maker's fourth-quarter earnings. Which fast-food joint has the best coffee?

☆ Investing in Space: Digital orbital danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Companies and governments are now launching satellites by the thousands each year, and that changing landscape brings with it the evolving challenge of cybersecurity in space. The concept of space security arguably doesn't get talked about enough, but a quick search for something like "cyber," "space," and "Pentagon" gives you an immediate sense of how U.S. military leaders see the digital threat to satellites. The company just raised $16.4 million in an oversubscribed round, to make a full-tilt push into building its space business. It entered the space market in late 2019, and Beames stepped in as chairman early last year.

☆ I lasted as a Hollywood assistant for less than a year. Being a constant target for terrible behavior simply wasn't worth $15 an hour.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In 2019, I was an assistant at a major Hollywood talent agency, ICM, for eight months. I'd pretty much always wanted to work in the entertainment industry as a screenwriter — I wanted to tell diverse stories. We all had the same plan: Do a year or two, make some connections, and then leave to one of the coveted creative jobs that only former Hollywood agent assistants have access to. This Hollywood assistant lifestyle just isn't conducive to any of that. If you work in Hollywood and would like to share your story, email Eboni Boykin-Patterson at eboykinpatterson@insider.com.

☆ 5 Ways to Make Your Kid's New Year's Resolution Meaningful
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Amy Morin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Take the task seriouslyYou could even create a family goal. Dreet Production/Getty ImagesRather than ask about your child's future goals in a nonchalant way, take the task seriously. You might decide to establish a family goal. Maybe everyone goes for a 20-minute walk each evening, or every family member shares three things they're grateful for over dinner. Or you could help your kids establish an individual resolution, such as practicing a musical instrument for 30 minutes three times per week.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX saga keeps getting weirder as new details shed further light on how much his company's finances overlapped.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

More details are sure to emerge, but there's already enough fodder for a spectacular thriller novel on par with "The Big Short." A closer scrutiny of court documents reveal an underlying theme of commingled funds, overlapping and mixed finances, and inexcusable, messy bookkeeping. Bankman-Fried's entire enterprise — counting FTX, his hedge fund Alameda Research, as well as scores of smaller entities — were steeped in one another's funds. There's a chance that those who end up in the most financial pain will be everyday investors who, like some institutional investors, trusted their funds to FTX. The CIO of a top-performing fund said 2023's stock market will present a tale of two halves.

You can buy a CD as a gift for a minor, but you can't give a CD to another adult. How to buy a CD as a gift to a minorWhile you cannot buy a CD as a gift for an adult, you may get a CD as a gift for a minor. Here is a step-by-step guide you can take to buy a CD as a gift for a child:1. Our best CD rates guide has an overview of competitive CD rates for a variety of terms. If you are managing a custodial account, Carlos recommends setting a reminder for the date the CD term will end.

☆ 5 key takeaways from Xi’s trip to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here are five key takeaways from Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Press Agency//ReutersDuring Xi’s visit, Saudi Arabia and China released a nearly 4,000-word joint statement outlining their alignment on a swathe of political issues, and promising deeper cooperation on scores of others. China is the world’s biggest buyer of oil, with Saudi Arabia being its top supplier. China is also keen to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on security and defense, an important field once reserved for the kingdom’s American ally. Saudi Arabia was, however, keen to reject notions of polarization, deeming it unhelpful.

☆ Ukraine withstood the Russians in 2022. Can it drive them out in 2023?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Peter Graff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - When Russia invaded Ukraine, Vadym Khlupianets, a 26-year-old ballet dancer at Kyiv's National Operetta Theatre, joined the army. Ukrainians astonished the world - and themselves - in 2022, withstanding an all-out military assault by a superpower meant to crush them within days. [1/6] A civilian trains to throw Molotov cocktails to defend the city, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, March 1, 2022. As 2022 winds down, Russia has been hurling missiles at Ukraine's energy infrastructure, plunging millions of Ukrainians into darkness and cold. Moscow claims a military justification; Ukraine says this serves no purpose but to harm civilians.

For Love & Money is a biweekly column from Insider answering your relationship and money questions. This week, a wealthy reader asks how to get his previously divorced fiancée to sign a prenup. Our columnist asks him to take a step back and think through why it matters that she's divorced. Write to For Love & Money using this Google form. Rooting for you both,For Love & Money

☆ Wall Street's trust issues with crypto won't be easily repaired in the wake of the FTX blowup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trust in the crypto industry — be it with Wall Street firms, politicians, venture capitalists, or the general public — is destroyed thanks to FTX's downfall. It's a bitter pill to swallow when one considers the hard-fought progress crypto had made on Wall Street in recent years. canvassed more than a dozen Wall Street insiders to get a sense of where traditional firms stand on their crypto plans. Meanwhile, firms hoping to bridge the gap between Wall Street and crypto have been put in an impossible spot, answering for another's sins. Click here to read more on how Wall Street is moving forward with its crypto plans in the wake of FTX.

Iran’s national men’s soccer team refused to sing the country’s national anthem at the World Cup in Qatar on Monday, in an apparent act of defiance against their government, which has become the target of growing and incendiary protests. The Iranian team has enthusiastically sung the anthem in previous tournaments, including the World Cup in 2018 and the Asian Cup in 2020. Head coach Yahya Golmohammadi of Persepolis FC League during a match between Persepolis FC and Mes Rafsanjan in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 28. The news came as the continuing protest movement and the security forces’ attempts to quash dissent led to further unrest over the weekend and into Monday. “We expect the security forces to protect people’s lives and property,” he said in a statement.

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