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☆ Recent college graduates create a $500 'human dog bed' going viral on TikTok for taking napping to the next level
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Since going viral on social media, the company has generated over $1 million in revenue, according to ABC7. Videos on Plufl's official TikTok account have garnered several million views and comments from users who are intrigued by the human-sized dog bed. I'll just get an actual dog bed," one user wrote. Plufl met the skepticism with their reasons for the pricing, noting the product is more than just a large dog bed. Amid the online success, Silverman and Kinoshita appeared on "Shark Tank" in October 2022 where they secured a $200,000 deal from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner.

☆ Why Hollywood's tech evangelists are bullish on NFTs and Web3 storytelling, even after the FTX scandal tarnished blockchain's rep
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amid the FTX scandal and declining NFT sales, Web3 chatter has grown quieter in Hollywood. But proponents of NFTs and Web3 storytelling are betting on the tech's entertainment potential. Hollywood's evangelists of Web3 — the decentralized, blockchain-based future of the web that includes crypto and NFTs — were out in full force. She has worked to distance the creative and storytelling potential of NFTs and other blockchain-based technologies from the cowboy rep of the digital currency world. "I'm excited about moving Web3, blockchain technologies past sort of the hype cycle that we've seen with digital collectibles and NFTs," Greg Reed, Universal Pictures' VP of technology partnerships, told Variety.

☆ How Anti-Abortion Activists Bought Access to the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

In exchange for as little as a few thousand dollars in contributions to the nonprofit, these people received easy access to events where Supreme Court justices would be. Supreme Court Historical society trustee Jay Sekulow, center, represented President Trump during the latter's impeachment trial in 2020. Anti-abortion advocates cheer in front of the Supreme Court after the decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores was announced in 2014. Alito did not respond to a request for comment on his involvement in the Supreme Court Historical Society. Supreme Court justices, though, aren't even required to stay within those weak guardrails because no code of ethics governs justices' behavior.

☆ RBC's Amy Wu Silverman explains why the market was 'counterintuitive' in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRBC's Amy Wu Silverman explains why the market was 'counterintuitive' in 2022Amy Wu Silverman, RBC Capital Markets head of derivatives strategy, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss why investors should hedge for downside protection, how options trading fared last year, and more.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Jefferies' David Zervos and RBC Capital Markets' Amy Wu Silverman
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Jefferies' David Zervos and RBC Capital Markets' Amy Wu SilvermanDavid Zervos, Jefferies chief market strategist, and Amy Wu Silverman, head of derivatives strategy at RBC Capital Markets, join 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss option market positioning for the year ahead, macroeconomic influences in 2023, and more.

☆ I fell for a Facebook Marketplace scam and lost $300. Here are the red flags I wish I'd caught right off the bat.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Sam Silverman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

That's right: I, an editor at a business publication that often warns our readers about the dangers of online scams, fell victim to an online scam. Screenshot courtesy of Sam SilvermanI turned to Facebook Marketplace, something I've done numerous times before. Data provider BeenVerified analyzed 165,000 scam complaints over the past three years and found that Facebook Marketplace scams grew 184.8% in the past year. In one instance, a Michigan woman lost her $15,000 life savings in a Facebook Marketplace car scam. Additionally, Zelle scams were listed as the second fastest-growing scams by BeenVerified, with Zelle scams up 86% this year, many of which were tied to Facebook Marketplace listings.

☆ Inflation tends to be good for nominal asset valuations and earnings, says Jefferies' David Zervos
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInflation tends to be good for nominal asset valuations and earnings, says Jefferies' David ZervosDavid Zervos, Jefferies chief market strategist, and Amy Wu Silverman, head of derivatives strategy at RBC Capital Markets, join 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss option market positioning for the year ahead, macroeconomic influences in 2023, and more.

☆ Arielle Charnas said she works 4 hours a day. But is it really possible to run and scale a successful startup from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Arielle Charnas, the founder of Something Navy, said she works from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Insider asked founders whether it's possible to run and scale a startup working four hours a day. Insider asked more than 50 founders over email whether entrepreneurs can be successful working just four hours a day. It's possible to start with a few hours a dayMany founders start their businesses as side hustles while working a 9-to-5 job. Courtesy Justin SilvermanOcean Ronquillo-Morgan, a 24-year-old software engineer, spends about three hours a day on her side hustles. She said she won't work past 7 p.m. on weeknights or on weekends, doesn't respond to emails outside of work hours, and logs off from work when she's on vacation.

☆ Elon Musk sells chunk of Tesla shares worth $3.6B
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla CEO Elon Musk sold about 22 million more shares in his electric vehicle business worth around $3.6 billion, according to a financial filing out Wednesday night. After Musk’s Twitter takeover, he told employees there that he sold Tesla shares to “save” their business. Tesla shares have been declining this year and sliding even further since he took on that new responsibility. Shares of Tesla closed down 2.6% on Wednesday at $156.80, dropping the company’s market capitalization to $495 billion. Tesla shares were down 55% year-to-date as of Wednesday’s close.

☆ Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway are beating the market this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But Warren Buffett has no reason to be worried. Shares of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) are up about 5.5% in 2022. Berkshire has big stakes in Coca-Cola (KO) and Kraft Heinz (KHC), which are each up around 10% this year. Buffett turns 93 next August while Berkshire vice chair and long-time Buffett confidant Charlie Munger will celebrate his 99th birthday on New Year’s Day. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren has introduced a bill with Republican Sen. Roger Marshall that would crack down on money laundering in the crypto world.

☆ Follow these insiders: Some execs made a boatload in tough year buying at the right time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A report from data analytics firm Verity shows that some corporate insiders made stock buys this year that have already doubled in value. Many professional investors track insider buying and selling as a measure of a company's quality. Verity compiled insider-buying data from securities filings to show the best insider stock buys of the year. Some notable insiders buying at biotech companies include AbCellera Biologics CFO Andrew Booth and Iveric Bio director Calvin Roberts. The top two insider buys in the S & P 500 came from directors of Genuine Parts .

☆ Etsy CEO on post-pandemic performance: Appears our gains are going to stick
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEtsy CEO on post-pandemic performance: Appears our gains are going to stickJosh Silverman, Etsy CEO, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss what he is hearing about his company from investors, how Etsy has been able to maintain its resilience and how the company competes with big retailers if they don't collect inventory data.

☆ 'The Daily Show' reveals Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones and John Leguizamo will guest host
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The end of an era is fast approaching at Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” and the network has announced at least the first phase of plans for what’s to come next. Following longtime host Trevor Noah’s imminent departure, the network shared this week that comedy legends including Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, D. L. Hughley, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes and Marlon Wayans will fill in as host of the late-night show starting Tuesday, January 17th, as part of its “next chapter”. Courtesy Comedy CentralNoah’s final show is set to air this Thursday. The network has yet to announced whether guest hosts will revolve indefinitely or if a permanent, individual host will be named soon. “The Daily Show” airs weeknights at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central and is available the following morning on Paramount+.

☆ 'It's a work in progress.' How Covid has changed the life insurance marketplace
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But for the life insurance industry, experts say the long-term effects aren't yet known. Faced with a staggering loss of life, insurance firms saw payouts soar during the pandemic. The demand for life insurance policies also jumped as consumers rushed to protect loved ones. Individual U.S life insurance application activity increased by 3.4% in 2021, following a record-breaking year-over-year growth of 3.9% in 2020, according to the MIB Life Index's 2021 annual report. However, the life insurance industry is still wrestling with mortality changes and how these shifts may affect the underwriting process.

☆ How Cyber Monday surpassed Black Friday to become the biggest shopping event of the holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Cyber Monday is the biggest holiday-shopping day of the year by sales, outpacing even Black Friday. But the shopping holiday wouldn't have been what it is today without retailers eager to make it a success. That year, shop.org, NRF's online arm, issued a press release in November declaring: "'Cyber Monday' Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year." "This year, online retailers will be capitalizing on the increased traffic by offering special promotions and discounts." In five years, it had gone from obscurity to the highest-grossing shopping day of the holiday season.

☆ 12 things that happened at Twitter this week, from Doja Cat asking Elon Musk for help to bankruptcy threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I'm not the "Chief Twit"Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffin and Rich Sommer Getty ImagesCritics had expressed concern that impersonating others would become easy on the platform after Musk said anyone would be able to purchase a verification checkmark. Sure enough, personalities decided to impersonate Musk by changing their names and profile pictures. Comedians Sarah Silverman and Kathy Griffin and actor Rich Sommer were among those who wanted to show the billionaire just how easy it was to do so. Last Sunday, he said: "Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying "parody" will be permanently suspended." On Friday, he added that accounts engaging in parody "must include 'parody' in their name, not just in bio."

☆ Chaos unchecked: A comprehensive timeline of Elon Musk's Twitter verification saga - for now
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Elon Musk's revamped Twitter Blue launch has hit some major snags in the past week. The shenanigans surrounding the blue check (and subsequent gray check) has heads spinning among average Twitter users, major advertisers and big-name celebrities. Here's a look at everything that's happened with Twitter Blue in the past week and the murky state of verification on the platform. Musk's new verification model was designed to become part of Twitter's existing Twitter Blue feature, a $4.99 monthly subscription offering premium services. He also said that Twitter is adding a "parody subscript," because "tricking people is not ok."It is unclear when and how Twitter Blue may be reinstated.

☆ Real-estate bigwigs harshly punished for illegally discriminating against low-income renters could be a turning point in fair-housing law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Washington, DC, real-estate firms who discriminated against low-income renters face a record fine. The historic settlement in DC could trigger harsher penalties for unfair landlords across the country, two housing experts said. The Section 8 program offers qualifying low-income households vouchers to subsidized rents in buildings not designated as affordable housing. Sedgwick Gardens is an apartment complex that DARO Management used to manage. The same study found that only 15% of DC landlords refused to accept vouchers.

☆ Tesla sinks to almost two-year low on Elon Musk stock sales, Twitter distraction
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

According to an analysis by Ben Silverman, Director of Research for Verity, Musk's latest Tesla stock sales were very well-timed. Verity's InsiderScore notes that Musk had 267.6 million shares of Tesla pledged as collateral for personal indebtedness as of Mar. Musk still owns 445.6 million Tesla shares and holds exercisable options for 177.3 million more Tesla shares at $23.34, as well as some smaller tranches of options. Musk sold $8.5 billion worth of Tesla shares at $294.36 per share in April and $6.9 billion worth of his stock at $289.79 per share. Late last year, Musk sold $6.6 billion worth of Tesla shares at $357.23.

☆ Elon Musk took over a struggling business with Twitter and has quickly made it worse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

In this article TWTR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe Twitter profile page belonging to Elon Musk is seen on an Apple iPhone mobile phone. watch nowCompared to larger rivals Facebook and Google , Twitter never managed to develop an online ad business that matched the scale of its influence in popular culture and society at large. Twitter's revenue in the second quarter declined from a year earlier. Other opportunities are emerging, such as connected TVs and streaming services as well as Amazon's growing online ad business for retail-oriented companies, Tipograph said. González said she was willing to give Musk "the benefit of the doubt" when he told the group that Twitter was aligned with them.

☆ Twitter exec says there will soon be three types of accounts: official, paid, and unlabeled
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Some originally verified accounts will soon sport an "official" label, she said, while any user who pays $7.99 per month for Twitter Blue, the company's subscription product, will sport a blue checkmark. Musk himself has benefitted from having the Twitter verification checkmark. Under Musk's direction, the new Twitter Blue checkmark will instead work as a paying subscriber badge that the company nonetheless plans to call "verification." "The new Twitter Blue does not include ID verification – it's an opt-in, paid subscription that offers a blue checkmark and access to select features. "Not all previously verified accounts will get the 'Official' label and the label is not available for purchase.

☆ Options market is behaving nonchalantly ahead of midterms, inflation report, says Amy Wu Suliverman
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOptions market is behaving nonchalantly ahead of midterms, inflation report, says Amy Wu SulivermanAmy Wu Silverman, head of derivatives strategy at RBC Capital Markets, joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss markets ahead of the midterm elections on Tuesday.

Comedian Kathy Griffin's Twitter account was suspended Sunday, the same day she changed her page's title to "Elon Musk" and mocked the new CEO. Musk would appear to be the main beneficiary of his policy, which might seem to contradict his claim to be a "free speech absolutist." Griffin used her "Elon Musk" account Sunday to urge Americans to vote for Democrats in the midterm elections Tuesday to preserve abortion rights. Musk has been widely criticized for his shaky start running Twitter after he criticized its content moderation and promised a new era of free speech. That appears to be part of what inspired many to switch their page names to Elon Musk.

☆ Twitter could be a new wild card for the midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN Business —For years, Twitter has been a leader in countering misinformation and protecting elections. But concerns are growing that tumult inside Twitter in the first week after it was acquired by Elon Musk could weaken its safeguards for elections, just before the midterms are set to take place. Musk promised not to alter any of Twitter’s content policies until after the midterms. He tweeted: “Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended,” and without warning. The shakeup at Twitter has turned the company itself into an election wildcard.

☆ Kathy Griffin suspended from Twitter for impersonating Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Twitter has suspended comedian Kathy Griffin for impersonating the company’s new owner, Elon Musk. Musk has made an $8 Twitter subscription plan his signature bid to bolster the company’s revenue. Comedian Sarah Silverman used her verified account to troll Musk, copying his profile picture, cover image and name. “This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue,” he tweeted. Musk mocked Griffin Sunday, quipping that “she was suspended for impersonating a comedian.” Musk also tweeted that Griffin could get her account back by paying $8 a month for Twitter Blue, although it wasn’t clear whether Musk was serious.

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