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☆ Three Years Into Covid, We Still Don’t Know How to Talk About It
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jon Mooallem | Photographs Ashley Gilbertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

It will play out and reverberate for years or decades, Hagen told me. “The pathological normal,” Hagen calls it: a patchwork of homespun, bespoke realities, each one invested in a different story about what exactly happened when Covid ruptured the story of our lives. garb.”More than once, life seemed to be attaining “an uncanny resemblance to normal life,” as one man put it. But because we don’t totally understand where that experience has delivered us, we don’t know the right gloss to give it. “The days are strange,” one public-school teacher told Milstein toward the end of his first interview, in May 2020.

☆ Microsoft pushing you to set Bing and Edge as your defaults to get its new OpenAI-powered search engine faster is giving off big 1990s energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | Shona Ghosh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft was once king of computing, with more than 90% market share. Microsoft has integrated some OpenAI deep-learning technology into Bing, its ailing competitor to Google, so that the search engine can answer questions in a more nuanced way. And rather than just returning a list of results, Bing will present the information in a more useful way. What is less futuristic is Microsoft's maneuvering to juice its own market share as much as possible. Microsoft is juicing Bing's market share right now Shona Ghosh/InsiderAt present, Bing's share of the search market is a mere 3%, according to data firm Stat Counter.

☆ Microsoft and Google will duke it out over Silicon Valley's true financial driver: ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Google search dominated, but Microsoft's AI-powered Bing is emerging as a credible challenger. Google has dominated search and the search ad market for the almost 25 years since its inception. The company has around 90% of the search market, according to data firm Stat Counter. Microsoft's share of the search ad market is small: it made nearly $18 billion in ad revenue last year, far smaller than the $224 billion Google made in gross ad revenue last year, the analysts wrote. Declining ads market will spark fiercer competitionThe fight coincides with a slump in ad sales, upping the pressure on Google is the dominant player.

☆ Despite 'extraordinary' 2023 rally, stocks are just OK, BlackRock's bond chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

BlackRock's bond chief Rick Rieder says the stock market rally has been "extraordinary," but he isn't overly bullish on equities just yet. Stocks have been on a tear since the start of the year, with the Nasdaq ahead 17% in the past month. "I think January was one of the most extraordinary months I've seen in my career," Rick Rieder, BlackRock's' global fixed income CIO, told Bloomberg TV on Friday. "The short covering rally in places that had been beaten down a month prior was pretty extraordinary." Despite the stock market outperformance of the companies that fell short on earnings, he said he would still buy companies with "quality income."

☆ I make 6 figures as a hospital pharmacist. Here's why it's a great career, and my advice to anyone who wants to pursue it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Gabrielle Reeder | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Her hospital and pharmacy is open 24/7, and she works 8-hour shifts including Sundays at times. Rummana said the job is always fast-paced, but she's grateful and loves being a hospital pharmacist. I started working at CVS and then transitioned into hospital pharmacy at St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital in Wayne, New Jersey. I started working at Hackensack in January 2021 as a hospital pharmacist, and I make $71.60 an hour. Seeing people leave the hospital and lead happier, healthier lives can be translated into a career as a pharmacist.

☆ Kamala Harris swipes at DeSantis using his 'vanguard of freedom' quote, on the governor's home turf, as she announces new moves on abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

said Harris, who didn't use DeSantis' name but was quoting directly from his 2022 State of the State address. The vice president, who has been at the forefront voice for the administration's on abortion rights, announced that President Joe Biden would be signing a memorandum to make abortion pills easier to access. Sunday would have marked the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed a national right to abortion. Wilfredo Lee/AP PhotoFlorida has other ways of expanding abortion rightsAbortion rights proved to be a liability for Republicans in the November midterms. Reproductive rights groups are working to put the issue of abortion before Florida voters through a 2024 ballot measure.

☆ Kamala Harris swipes at DeSantis using his 'vanguard of freedom' inauguration quote, on the governor's home turf, as she announces new moves on abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

said Harris, who didn't use DeSantis' name but was quoting directly from his January 3 inauguration speech. The vice president, who has been at the forefront voice for the administration's on abortion rights, announced that President Joe Biden would be signing a memorandum to make abortion pills easier to access. Sunday would have marked the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed a national right to abortion. Wilfredo Lee/AP PhotoFlorida has other ways of expanding abortion rightsAbortion rights proved to be a liability for Republicans in the November midterms. Reproductive rights groups are working to put the issue of abortion before Florida voters through a 2024 ballot measure.

☆ Former CEO says Biogen 'shot themselves in the foot' by deciding to charge $56,000 for its controversial Alzheimer's drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former Biogen CEO George Scangos said the biotech priced its Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm too high. After the FDA approved the controversial treatment in 2021, Biogen set a $56,000 list price. "They shot themselves in the foot with the pricing," Scangos, now CEO of Vir Biotechnology, said. SAN FRANCISCO — The former CEO of Biogen told Insider the Massachusetts biotech priced its controversial Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, "way too high." "I think Aduhelm works.

☆ Netflix's Harry and Megan doc is a hit in the US — mostly with women over 50
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Netflix's "Harry and Meghan" is a hit in the US, based on Nielsen numbers. During the week that the second half of the series dropped, half its viewers were 50 or over. Half of the viewers in that week-long period were 50 or over, and a whopping 73% of viewers were women, according to Nielsen. "The Crown," Netflix's dramatized Royals series, also leans older, but even moreso than "Harry and Meghan." When its fifth season debuted in November, Nielsen said that 60% of its viewers were over the age of 50.

☆ Democrats have a Gen Z problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Samuel Abrams | Jeremi Suri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

November's midterms heralded a new force in American politics: Gen Z voters. Given the narrow margins and the Democrats' ability to retain the Senate despite historical precedent, commentators and analysts declared that Gen Z helped Democrats thwart a Republican wave. Gen Z isn't sold on the whole 'party' thingAmericans are increasingly unhappy with the two-party system. Given these circumstances, Democrats shouldn't take the political loyalty of Gen Z voters for granted. Despite assumptions about their left leanings, members of Gen Z are not firmly behind the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden, or many other well-known Democrats.

☆ Apple's latest App Store revenue stat shows slowing growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This year's disclosure suggests that Apple's App Store growth has plateaued. If all developers paid a 30% cut to Apple, Apple's App Store grossed over $85 billion in 2022, based on CNBC analysis. Apple's stat includes anyone who subscribes to a service through Apple's App store, not just its own first-party services like Apple TV+ and Music. Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring has been following slowing App Store growth. "While App Store growth remains near its lowest levels in history, and we acknowledge the global consumer remains challenged, we are encouraged to see growth trajectory continue to improve after bottoming in September," Woodring wrote.

☆ Japan Nov household spending unexpectedly falls 1.2% year/year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Japanese household spending fell 1.2% in November from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday, versus a median market forecast for a 0.5% gain. On a seasonally-adjusted month-on-month basis, household spending decreased 0.9% in November, compared with an estimated 0.5% decline. To view the data on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, click here: http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kakei/index.htmReporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Most-active corn futures’ worst recent January performance came in 2010 with a plunge of 14%, and most-active soybeans suffered the same fate that year, falling 13% during the month. That happened in January 2010, when decently bullish speculators heavily sold corn and soy futures in the weeks after the USDA report. Corn & soy futures in JanuaryUSDA INFLUENCEThe January trend in CBOT corn and soybean futures usually mimics price action on the month’s U.S. Department of Agriculture report day, so long as futures move by at least 1% on that day. But corn and soy futures have been uncharacteristically quiet on January report days in the last few years, making it harder to anticipate the trend going forward. January 2021 was the last time most-active corn futures spent more than one day below $5.

☆ Japan's jobless rate falls to 2.5% in Nov
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japan's jobless rate fell to 2.5% in November, while the availability of jobs stayed at its highest level since March 2020, government data showed on Tuesday. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate matched economists' median forecast in a Reuters poll and was down from 2.6% in October. The jobs-to-applicants ratio stood at 1.35, labour ministry data showed, unchanged from October. For a table on the jobless data, go to the internal affairs ministry's website: http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/roudou/index.htm(Note: The jobs-to-applicants ratio and new job offers can be seen in Japanese on the labour ministry's website)Reporting by Kentaro Sugiyama, writing by Kaori Kaneko Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Box-office hits like 'Top Gun' and 'Avatar' could make waves at the next Oscars as the show fights for viewership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Top Gun: Maverick," "Avatar: The Way of Water," and more box-office hits are in Oscar contention. Now, with the Oscars fighting for viewership, box-office hits like "Top Gun: Maverick" — this year's biggest movie so far — and "Avatar: The Way of Water" — which is chasing that title — may be in contention for the top prize at the 2023 ceremony. The declining viewership has, in recent years, prompted the organization behind the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to try to inject the show with changes. The aforementioned "Top Gun: Maverick" is a formidable player in this year's awards race, as is "Avatar: The Way of Water." The movie, which was made for $25 million, grossed $103 million worldwide, making it indie studio A24's biggest film ever.

☆ Not having a college degree matters most early in your career. But there are workarounds for young workers.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Research suggests a college degree isn't as much of a requirement as it once was for many jobs. But there's one thing George lacks: a college degree. An analysis by the Burning Glass Institute, a nonprofit research group, found that the share of jobs requiring a college degree has fallen in recent years. Beat the bots through keywords — and find a friendly recruiterGeorge, who works at Logan Capital Management in Pennsylvania, could recall only one time when not having a college degree cost her a job. "If you're up against someone with a liberal arts degree, you're more likely to progress because you know how to sell," he said.

☆ Eisai, Biogen Alzheimer's drug slows cognitive decline, safety for some becomes focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The drug, lecanemab, was associated with a type of brain swelling in 12.6% of trial patients, a side effect previously seen with similar drugs. He suggested that could be because homozygous study patients who were given a placebo fared better than expected. Overall, lecanemab patients benefited by 23% to 26% compared with a placebo on these secondary trial goals. Detailed data from the study were presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease meeting in San Francisco and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Howard Fillit, chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, said doctors always balance the benefits and risks of therapies.

☆ Here's what to do when your boss is gaslighting you
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This edition of Insider's work-advice column is about how to deal with a boss who's gaslighting you. He's gaslighting me about my performance, and I worry he's building a case to eventually try to fire me. And because we work in a very transparent and data-heavy organization, I can prove that he's wrong. Or, he could double down on the gaslighting behaviors, in which case you need to fashion an exit strategy, stat. Do your best to reduce direct contact with your boss — and take detailed notes on the meetings you do have.

☆ Eisai shares plunge 10% in Tokyo after report of death in Alzheimer's trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Shares in Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co (4523.T) headed for their biggest plunge in more than a year on Tuesday after a report that a woman in a trial of the company's Alzheimer's disease treatment died. Eisai's shares sank 10% to 8,595 yen, leading decliners on the benchmark Nikkei index (.N225), which slid 0.5% in the morning session. Shares in Biogen sank 4.3% on Monday. Eisai and Biogen shares have been on a roller coaster in recent years on prospects for their candidates to battle dementia. Lecanemab was shown to slow cognitive and functional decline in a large trial of patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, Eisai and Biogen said in September.

☆ Post-pandemic travelers visited these 10 countries the most in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

It's almost time to start planning your 2023 travel, and a good place to start might be with the most visited countries of 2022. Flight ticket database company, ForwardKeys, published its annual report ranking the top countries based on the amount that tourism has increased since the travel industry was impacted in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report found that a majority of the top 20 countries were mainly in Central America and the Caribbean. According to ForwardKeys, this stat reflects the fact that many tourism-dependent countries in those regions imposed less severe COVID-19 travel restrictions and were able to maintain a steady flow of visitors even throughout the pandemic.

☆ $5.7 billion Cityblock Health is planning 'aggressive' growth. Its CEO shares how the startup wants to use M&A and more mental-health services to make that happen.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Cityblock Health isn't putting its growth on pause as a recession looms. But Cityblock Health isn't slowing down. The startup's "aggressive" plans for growth include expanding its mental-health and maternal-health services, Ajayi said, adding that the company could also make some acquisitions. Cityblock isn't looking to buy any companies that work with members outside Medicaid and Medicare. While Cityblock can afford to ride out a recession, the startup isn't ignoring the market downturn, Ajayi said.

☆ $5.7 billion Cityblock Health is planning 'aggressive' growth. Its CEO lays out how expanding mental-health services and dealmaking might be in the cards.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Cityblock Health isn't putting its growth on pause as a recession looms. But Cityblock Health isn't slowing down. The startup's plans for growth include expanding its mental-health and maternal-health services, Ajayi said, adding that the company could also make some acquisitions. Cityblock isn't looking to buy any companies that work with members outside Medicaid and Medicare. While Cityblock can afford to ride out a recession, the startup isn't ignoring the market downturn, Ajayi said.

☆ Children’s health leaders call for emergency response as respiratory viruses continue to spread across the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And health care systems nationwide continue to feel the strain of a respiratory virus season that has hit earlier and harder than usual. There have been about 8 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season – rates typically seen in December or January. While the Covid-19 emergency declaration remains in place, the federal government has not made a formal emergency declaration around children’s health care. HHS and the CDC are in regular contact with health care leaders and providers, actively monitoring situational needs and ready to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis, an HHS spokesperson told CNN. They also urge all those eligible to get their flu and Covid-19 vaccines, along with other routine vaccinations.

☆ Japan Oct CPI up 3.6% year/year, fastest since 1982 -govt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Japan's core consumer prices rose 3.6% in October from a year earlier, the fastest pace since 1982, the government said on Friday. The rise in the core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food but includes oil products, would mark the fastest gain since February 1982, and compared with rises of 3.0% in the prior month and 3.5% forecast by economists. The so-called core-core inflation index, which excludes fresh food and energy prices, rose 2.5% in the year to October. For the full tables, go to the ministry's website at: http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/cpi/index.htmReporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A real estate investor who owns more than 100 rental units says that investors should be 'a lot more excited to buy this year than last.' Here's his 4-step process for finding a great deal.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Start by deciding where you want to buy property and learn everything about that market. Then, figure out what an "average deal" is in your area so you can score great deals. If you're going to be a buy-and-hold investor in a new area, get a buy box and make it hyper-focused." "The more you know your buy box, the better your chances at finding a great deal," he said. I'm willing to write lots of offers and I will close on every great deal."

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