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Reddit is seeking a valuation of up to $6.5 billion in its upcoming IPO, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the expected range and valuation. Employees will be allowed to sell Reddit stock during the offering, the source added. Reddit had a private market valuation of $10 billion when it last raised a funding round of $1.3 billion in 2021, according to PitchBook. Reddit's IPO will represent the first major tech offering of the year and the first social media IPO since Pinterest's Wall Street debut in 2019.

Persons: Reddit, Sam Altman's, he'd, Altman, Condé Nast, Alexis Ohanian, Steve Huffman, Airbnb, OpenAI's, John Tuttle Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Tencent, Advance Magazine Publishers, Securities and Exchange Commission, Google, Reddit Locations: Los Angeles , California, Reddit

☆ Can Either Party Hold It Together Until November?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Anna Heyward | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Swamp Monsters” is driven by the warm and cold relationship between Governor DeSantis and one of his state’s residents, Donald J. Trump. As a relatively anonymous member of Congress in 2017, DeSantis nimbly endured the president’s erratic moods and loyalty tests. A year later, he had managed to become a Trump protégé and was elected governor. Dixon’s book is an enjoyable, if horrifying, soap opera of the political and personal fallout that led us there. By 2020, Trump tells a cheering crowd that he’s going to “fire him somehow.”

Persons: Governor DeSantis, Donald J, DeSantis nimbly, DeSantis, Trump, churlishly, ” Trump, ” Organizations: Trump, Republican Locations: Puerto Rico

☆ A hot pink Barbie flip phone is launching this summer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company behind Nokia-branded smartphones, HMD, short for Human Mobile Devices, says it is launching a Barbie flip phone this summer, in partnership with toy maker Mattel . Soon, you'll be able to get a flip phone from the blockbuster toy franchise. It won't be connected to the internet, making it a throwback to the "dumb phones" of yesteryear before smartphones became popular. The device looks like a standard flip phone with buttons rather than a touch screen, and comes in a hot pink color, resembling the iconic pink flip phone accessory that comes with many Barbie dolls. This is a step away from Nokia which is the brand HMD typically has used to sell its dumb phones and smartphones.

Persons: you'll, Lars Silberbauer, Barbie, HMD, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell Organizations: Mattel, Nokia, Mobile Devices, YouTube, HMD, Mobile, Microsoft Locations: U.S

☆ In on the Joke at the First-Ever Florida Man Games
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | Jason Andrew | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Wouldn’t it be fun, Mr. Melfi thought, to hold another race, this time with a big after-party? And what if the theme was none other than the meme that launched many thousands of headlines about his home state: Florida Man? His wild idea morphed into an all-day competition with a series of zany events: A mullet contest. (But, to be clear, there were no actual arrests in the race. The handcuffs came from a sex toy shop.)

Persons: Pete Melfi, Melfi Locations: St, Augustine, Fla, Florida

☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stands to net millions as Reddit goes public
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will be in a position to make millions after Reddit goes public, thanks to a series of bets on the online discussion board company that go back to 2014. Altman will hold 9.2% of voting power after Reddit's initial public offering, according to information in the company's prospectus. In 2014 Altman led Reddit's $50 million Series B funding round, after using the service every day for nine years, he wrote in a blog post. In the first half of 2021, Reddit was raising a Series E round, and Altman invested $50 million. He went on to say that investors in the Series B round would give 10% of shares to Reddit users.

Persons: Sam Altman, Reddit, Altman, OpenAI, Reddit's, It's, Steve Huffman, that's, FirstMark's Organizations: Microsoft, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Silicon

☆ A mother who refuses to throw her daughter a birthday party every year sparks parenting debate: 'I am not going to force that on my friends and family.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

She won't throw her daughter a birthday party each year and instead opts for family celebrations. AdvertisementA Pennsylvania mother swatted down criticism after saying she wouldn't host birthday parties for her daughter each year. But it actually is not my first time dealing with negative comments and a viral video," Light said. AdvertisementShe continued: "Here's the deal: She is getting a first birthday party, she is getting a Sweet Sixteen and she is getting a graduation party. In the same video, Light told viewers she knows her daughter might want a birthday party one day, which is fine.

Persons: —, Marissa Light, she's, Light, I'm, she'll Organizations: Service, Light Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ 5 Vision Pro party tricks that'll show friends what Apple's new gadget can do
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewI've had Apple's Vision Pro for over a week now, and it's been the topic of conversation among my friends. And it turns out, with the right party tricks, the Vision Pro can be something that's fun for everyone, even people who are waiting their turn to try it out. My FaceTime PersonaMy Persona earned laughs from my loved ones when I called them in the Vision Pro. While FaceTime looks normal for me while I'm wearing the Vision Pro, the person on the other end of the line isn't seeing my real face with the Vision Pro covering my eyes. The Encounter Dinosaurs appAn image of "Encountering Dinosaurs" on the Vision Pro.

Persons: —, it's, I've, they've, Jordan Hart, It's, Apple Apple, haven't Organizations: Service, Business, Apple, Vision, Disney

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Vince Staples has been in the limelight for more than a decade, he still thinks fame is a weird thing. That’s what propelled the 30-year-old to make his first foray into filmmaking with “The Vince Staples Show,” a kind of autobiographical, genre-bending, dark comedy series, hitting Netflix on Thursday. As you get older, you learn about David Lynch, you learn about the Coen brothers, you learn about Roy Anderson. But I feel like, based on what you’re saying, I 100% agree that I’m a person who — I try things. So as you get older and you have this opportunity, I have a “Why not?” approach to the way that I view things.

Persons: Vince Staples, isn’t, he’s, you’ve, Oz, I’ve, David Lynch, Coen, Roy Anderson, Donnie Darko ”, it’s, who’s, —, it’ll, You've, art.I, you’re Organizations: ANGELES, Netflix, Associated Press, STAPLES Locations: Southern California, it’s

☆ After Shutting Down, These Golf Courses Went Wild
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Cara Buckley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

There was scraggly grass in one sand trap and wooden blocks and a toy castle in another, evidence of children at play. People were walking their dogs on the fairway, which was looking rather ragged and unkempt. Nowadays, these grounds are mowed just twice a year, and haven’t been doused with pesticides or rodenticides since 2018, which was when this 157-acre stretch of land stopped being the San Geronimo Golf Course, and began a journey toward becoming wild, or at least wilder, once again. A small number of shuttered golf courses around the country have been bought by land trusts, municipalities and nonprofit groups and transformed into nature preserves, parks and wetlands. Among them are sites in Detroit, Pennsylvania, Colorado, the Finger Lakes of upstate New York, and at least four in California.

Persons: haven’t, wilder Organizations: San Locations: San Geronimo, Detroit , Pennsylvania, Colorado, New York, California

☆ Squishmallow and Build-a-Bear head into legal battle over ‘knock-offs’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Build-a-Bear fired back with its own legal complaint, claiming “Skoosherz” is its own version of a popular toy style. The lawsuit claims Build-A-Bear has been trying to “trick” customers with such obvious knock-offs, stealing potential customers and sales from Squishmallows. Build-A-Bear claims it has sold pre-made stuffed animals on its site and on Amazon. It claims Skoosherz designs match its original stuffed animals, such as the Strawberry Cow and Spring Green Frog. “If each aspect of the claimed trade dress were in fact protected trade dress, it would be virtually impossible for competitors to create alternative designs,” the lawsuit claimed.

Persons: Bear, “, Jazwares, Kelly Toys, Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, Skoosherz, Kawaii, “ Squishmallows, Moez Organizations: New, New York CNN, Warren, Central, ‘, CNN Locations: New York, Squishmallow, U.S, Central District, California, Missouri, St, Louis

Kelly Toys and its Berkshire Hathaway -controlled parent company Jazwares have sued Build-A-Bear, saying its new “Skoosherz” toys copy the look and feel of their mega-popular Squishmallows products. Jazwares is seeking unspecified damages and for Build-A-Bear to stop selling Skoosherz products. It wants a declaratory judgement saying that the Squishmallow maker’s claimed trade dress rights are invalid and unenforceable. “If each aspect of the claimed trade dress were in fact protected trade dress, it would be virtually impossible for competitors to create alternative designs," Build-A-Bear added. It was the first time the plush products were offered to shareholders since Berkshire bought Alleghany in 2022 for $11.6 billion.

Persons: Kelly Toys, copycats, Moez, Kelly, Jazwares, Skoosherz, maker’s, Squishmallows, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, ” Skoosherz, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, Charlie Munger, Josh Funk Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Alleghany Corp, Berkshire, Associated Locations: Squishmallows, St, Louis, U.S, California, Missouri, Omaha , Nebraska, Berkshire’s, Alleghany

☆ Giving gifts to kids on holidays has gotten out of hand. My children expect presents on Valentine's Day and Easter.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Jamie Davis Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Now we do activities for holidays like Valentine's Day and Easter. However, it seems that every year, as soon as Christmas is over, I am bombarded with ads and blog posts suggesting the perfect Valentine's Day gifts for kids. Soon enough, these Valentine's Day ads are replaced with suggestions for the perfect Easter gift, last day of school presents, and so on in a relentless stream throughout the year. AdvertisementWe do activities insteadNow, when Valentine's Day rolls around, my family usually celebrates with chocolate fondue and extra hugs. With new traditions, my children look forward to our toy-free Valentine's Day each year.

Persons: — Organizations: Service

Tatum told The Associated Press in an interview how he wants to help others in his hometown of St. Louis get that feeling themselves and buy their own homes. He said financial services company SoFi has given the Jayson Tatum Foundation $1 million to help do that. It also offers scholarships to St. Louis high school students along with mentoring. The company also announced a partnership with the NBA to be its official banking partner and is sponsoring the SoFi NBA Play-in Tournament in April. “There are some really good people in St. Louis — people who are really trying to help change their life and their situation.

Persons: Jayson Tatum, ”, Tatum, Louis, SoFi, Brandy Cole, Barnes, “, ” Tatum, St . Louis, Anthony Noto, Jason Belinkie, ” Belinkie, Andrew Morton, Handler Thayer, ” Morton, Louis — Organizations: Boston Celtics, Eastern Conference, Associated Press, St, Fund, NBA, Celtics, Hope, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: St ., St, SoFi

☆ Hasbro stock plunges after revenue drop, downbeat outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Laya Neelakandan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Toy company Hasbro reported a more than 20% hit to its fourth-quarter revenue and issued a downbeat 2024 forecast Tuesday morning. Here's how Hasbro performed in the fourth quarter compared with estimates from LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv:Earnings per share: 38 cents vs. 66 cents per share expected. 38 cents vs. 66 cents per share expected. Revenue: $1.29 billion vs. $1.36 billion expected. Hasbro expects further revenue declines in the year ahead.

Persons: Gina Goetter Organizations: Hasbro, Brand, ExCel, Toy, Revenue Locations: London, England, LSEG

☆ Consumers are stressed. It could be showing in how we bought toys in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Consumers bought fewer toys in all of 2023, including during the key Christmas toy-buying period, showing that households continue to pare back on discretionary products. But toy sales in all of 2023 dropped 8%, both in dollar terms (how much consumers paid for toys) and in unit sales (meaning how many toys consumers bought). This shows that shoppers bought fewer toys but also traded down in prices to cheaper toys. “While 2023 was a challenging year for the U.S. toy industry, the four-year compound annual growth rate remains positive,” she said. Among the toys that consumers did buy in 2023, Pokémon, Barbie and Squishmallows were the top three best-selling brands last year, according to Circana.

Persons: pare, Circana, ”, Juli Lennett, Lennett, I’ve, “, ” Lennett, ” Jon Copestake, EY, ” Copestake, ” Robby Pettinato, Joy, ” Pettinato, Toy Joy, “ Anecdotally, “ That’s, it’s, Pettinato, Barbie, Squishmallows, Price, Melissa, Doug, – CNN’s Alicia Wallace, Katie Lobosco Organizations: New, New York CNN — Consumers, Commerce Department, Hasbro, Wild, Inc, CNN, ”, Star, Marvel, Disney Locations: New York, United States, U.S, Austin

Now, if a league or network isn't doing something to appeal to younger fans, they are behind the times. Nickelodeon will air its fifth NFL game on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Networks and leagues also continue to experiment with social media and creating more viral highlights to keep younger fans interested. “There’s just so many more tools now at our disposal to address the complex consumption habits of young fans. The pie has many more pieces to it for young fans,” Lehanski said.

Persons: Vince Lombardi, Sean McManus, “, ” McManus, they've, SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Travis Kelce, it's, ”, Hans Schroeder, “ I’ve, Nate Burleson, Marvel, Dave Lehanski, Goofy, SpongeBob, Bruce Beck, Julie Sobieski, ESPN's, “ There’s, ” Lehanski, ___ Organizations: CBS, NFL, Nickelodeon, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, CBS Sports, Media, Disney, ESPN, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, Nielsen, NHL, Big City Greens, NBA, Business Development, Innovation, Walt Disney Company, MLB Little, Williamsport, . Networks Locations: London, Williamsport , Pennsylvania

☆ Can You Optimize an Orgasm?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Gina Cherelus | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The data is generated by her vibrator, the Lioness, which measures her arousal and uploads information about her orgasm patterns to the company’s app. The sensors embedded in the toy track her pelvic floor movements. With each involuntary squeeze and release of her pelvic floor muscles, the app displays a graph showing her rhythmic pattern in a series of peaks and valleys. The option to track female orgasms at home introduces the possibility of hacking what some scientists have treated as an enigma. Some people use the tracking technology to combat sexual changes that can come with menopause or polycystic ovary syndrome, for example.

Persons: Melissa, ”, “, it’s Organizations: Apple Watch, Spotify Locations: Chicago, masturbates

☆ The Bucket List Family: How to travel the world with three kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“I never had the thought in my brain that ‘I want to travel around the world,’” Gee, from Denver, Colorado, tells CNN Travel. They soon began planning an extended trip to Southeast Asia and decided to launch an Instagram page, The Bucket List Family, to collate their adventures. “The little bit of traveling turned into three years full-time,” adds Gee, who has just released a travel guidebook, The Bucket List Family Travel, in partnership with National Geographic. The family went on to visit dozens of countries across the world, including Germany, Morocco, Japan, Brazil, Guatemala and Dominica. Family favoritesThe family of five have traveled to more than 90 countries.

Persons: Jessica Gee, Walt, ”, Garrett, Dorothy, Manilla, “, ” Gee, Gee, Jessica, Garrett Gee, who’ve, Callihan, Calihan, Geographic Gee, you’re, Gee’s, – that’s, it’s, They’ve, don’t Organizations: CNN, Walt Disney, CNN Travel, National Geographic, Gee, Central, East, Rwanda, Geographic, Disney Locations: Europe, Florida, Denver , Colorado, Vladivostok, Russia, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Singapore , New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Tonga, Germany, Morocco, Japan, Brazil, Guatemala, Dominica, Belize, Central American, Alaska, East African, Rwanda, Hawaii, Africa, Antarctica, China, Borneo

☆ Cutting in line used to be rude. More places now let you pay to skip it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Cutting in front of someone who’s been waiting patiently in line used to be unethical, bad manners, taboo. Dating app Tinder offers a new $499-a-month membership with a “skip the line” feature that prioritizes a dater’s profile. Snowbird and other ski resorts, in a controversial change, allow visitors who pay extra to access expedited ski lifts. Paying for privilegesPaying to skip the line is part of a booming industry of advantages — if you can afford them. There have always been VIPs and perks for wealthier customers: orchestra seats at theaters, boxes at stadiums and first class seats on airlines.

Persons: who’s, there’s, ”, Killington, Joe Raedle, Edward Tenner, Tenner, “, Don Munsil, Disney, it’s, Sen, Ron Wyden, Gad Allon, Allon, that’s, ” Edward Tenner, “ You’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, TSA, Universal Studios, Disney, Oregon, University of Pennsylvania Locations: New York, Bachelor’s

In fact, football wasn't even on her radar when Norma Hunt returned from Ireland, where she had spent a year on a Rotary Club scholarship. Norma Hunt was never going to be the passive wife of a sports tycoon, though. Lamar Hunt died in 2006 at the age of 74, and Clark Hunt took over the leadership of the Chiefs franchise. Norma Hunt became an astute businesswoman, every bit as savvy as her husband, the son of an oil magnate. “You know, they both loved the game," Clark Hunt said, ”and my dad obviously had such a huge impact on the game in so many different ways.

Persons: HENDERSON, Clark Hunt, Lamar Hunt, —, Norma Hunt, Clark, I'm, “ It's, ” Hunt, “, Norma Hunt's, Norma, Roger Goodell, Michael Jordan, ”, Andy Reid, Ford, Mark Donovan, ‘ Norma, it's, Donovan, Daniel —, FC Dallas —, ” Clark Hunt, Hunt, Pete Rozelle Organizations: Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Super, Kansas City, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, AFC, NFL, Rotary Club, Dallas Texans, AFL, Chicago Bulls, NBA, Ford, Arrowhead, MLS, FC Dallas, T, FIFA Locations: Nev, Miami, Arizona, Ireland, Innsbruck, Austria, lockstep, North America, Bidwell, California, Sonoma County, Kansas City, ”, Kansas, Arrowhead, Dallas

NEW YORK (AP) — The annual “Puppy Bowl” turns 20 this year, well over middle age in dog years. Cloud, Florida, who has been part of “Puppy Bowl” for a decade. “What we’ve done this year to flip the whole script is because it’s sort of a celebration of the fact that it’s the 20th year,” says “Puppy Bowl” referee Dan Schachner. "We’ve decided to go all in on puppy, making it the “most puppiest ‘Puppy Bowl’ ever.”The “Puppy Bowl” made its debut as counter-programming to the Super Bowl in 2005. The inaugural “Puppy Bowl” was watched by nearly 6 million viewers.

Persons: ”, Laurie Johnson, Dan Schachner, We’ve, Schachner, Johnson, it's, there’s, —, Shar Pei, Ruff —, “ Slick Rick ”, “ I’ll, they’re, ” ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: Bowl, of Fame, Super, Animal Planet, Planet, Fox, TBS Locations: Florida, St, Cloud

☆ Perfection and Precision in a Poet’s Miniature Worlds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Elisa Gabbert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Think of those intricate rooms behind glass at the Art Institute of Chicago, a chandelier dangling from crown molding at 1:12 scale. Each poem feels like a scene from a life re-enacted on a dollhouse movie set, a scaled-down world. “In my numb mind, a little leather jacket,/the sleeve no bigger than a thumb drive,” she writes, in “A Miniature.” “In that diminished instance,/I light a cigarette. They’re small because they’re stored in cells, in our nutshells, our mental microfiche. The work of miniaturizing a life is painstaking, and Bang’s poems have a characteristic clockwork precision — they tick and spin like mechanical music boxes.

Persons: “, Rosencrantz, hutch, Mary Jo Bang, ” Organizations: Art Institute of Chicago Locations: Denmark

☆ Mattel CEO says his company is about 'creating cultural moments'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In a Wednesday interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz detailed the company's growth strategy, saying its aim is to engage consumers through culture. "We're very much about embracing culture, creating cultural moments, cultural touch points and make sure that we take brands that are timeless and make them timely," Kreiz said. "We look to continue to create these moments, these special connections with people who buy our product." Mattel has seen a lot of attention after the huge box office success of "Barbie," its collaboration with Warner Bros. Kreiz said another example of the company's effort to keep its brands relevant is through products like Super Bowl-themed toys, which include Barbie dolls.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Ynon Kreiz, Kreiz, Mattel, Barbie, Barney Organizations: Mattel, LSEG, Warner Bros . Discovery

☆ Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz sits down with Jim Cramer after mixed Q4 results
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMattel CEO Ynon Kreiz sits down with Jim Cramer after mixed Q4 resultsMattel Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz joins 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer to talk Q4 earnings, the toy manufacturing space, and more.

Persons: Ynon Kreiz, Jim Cramer Organizations: Mattel

☆ Mattel CEO: We are looking to continue developing cultural & societal moments through our products
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMattel CEO: We are looking to continue developing cultural & societal moments through our productsMattel Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz joins 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer to talk Q4 earnings, the toy manufacturing space, and more.

Persons: Ynon Kreiz, Jim Cramer Organizations: Mattel

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