DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ It’s holiday season. That means layoffs for some
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But they bring an extra bite when they are carried out during the holiday season. How does your employer’s severance policy compare? US employers are under no legal requirement to provide severance unless you are under a contract that provides for it. Check your employer’s severance policy: See if your employer has posted its severance policy on the company’s internal site. That’s a big jump from the average that employees pay today for workplace health coverage: 28% of the total cost for family coverage and 17% for single coverage.

Persons: Charles Schwab, “ We’ve, ”, Andrew Challenger, Challenger, Randstad, let’s, Tiffany Aliche, Aliche, “, Ann Minnium, You’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Citigroup, Vice Media, Continental, Challenger, National Labor Relations Board Locations: New York

As our expert team of product reviewers scoured the thousands of deals available this weekend, we noticed something: several of our absolute favorite products we've tested and recommend are still heavily discounted. For instance, our top overall mattress, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress, is on sale right now for $300 off its normal price. Some of the best TVs, video games, beauty products, and wearables we've tested are all still wearing their Black Friday sales tag. Below are 27 of the best Black Friday deals still available, comprised entirely of products our team considers "the best." Top Black Friday deals still availableLeesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress (Queen) $1,699.00 $1,999.00 Save 15% The Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress has great edge support and motion isolation.

Persons: it's, It's, wearables we've, you'll Organizations: Casper, Business

☆ Flight attendants don't get to choose their 'base' cities — inside the intense process and what happens if you work somewhere you don't live
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Monica Humphries | Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

While training, flight attendants rank their preferred "base cities" where they'll fly from. Videos of flight attendants revealing the cities they want vs the cities they get go viral. During training, flight attendants learn safety protocols, practice emergency drills, and get familiar with airplane equipment. Flight attendants rank where they want to workTwo flight attendants said their base reveal happened within the first three weeks of training. This means the airport had appealing flights and flight times, and therefore senior flight attendants sought that location.

Persons: —, she's, @dogarmnose, @rainclements, David Becker, Lea McIntyre, @flightattendantbaelee, McIntyre, they'll, you've, Alajah Parker, didn't, Parker, what's, London, Boston —, aren't, it's, wasn't, David Zalubowski, they'd Organizations: Service, LaGuardia Airport, Business, American Airlines, New, London, JetBlue, LA, JFK, Boston Locations: Dallas, Forth Worth, New York, Chicago, New York City, London, Los Angeles , California, LA, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Boston , Massachusetts, Orlando , Florida, Boston, McIntyre, Dayton , Ohio, Dayton, Miami, Houston, Austin

☆ UN shares its world’s ‘best tourism villages’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For travelers who want to visit a smaller, more authentic local destination, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released this year’s list of the best tourism villages. For 2023, 55 villages were recognized by the international organization, which focuses on sustainable tourism, up from 32 last year. The list includes small towns and villages from places as diverse as Mexico, China, Ethiopia, and Italy. There’s no ranking of the villages, and they are all listed in alphabetical order in English. Highlights in EuropeEurope’s selections to the UNWTO list represent a mix of cultural and environmental differences.

Persons: Dhordo, Les Falles, Sant, Al Sela, Jordan • Barrancas, Spain •, Peru •, Egypt •, India •, Korea •, Portugal •, Colombia •, Japan •, Italy • Manteigas, Ecuador •, Pisco, Austria •, Uzbekistan •, • Siwa, Portugal • Anton, Arlberg, Tân, Viet Nam, Hungary •, Moldova • Vila, China • Organizations: CNN, United Nations World Tourism Organization, Asia Dongbaek, UNWTO, UNESCO, Reserve, Spain • Ordino, Andorra • Oyacachi, Schladming, Moldova • Locations: Tokyo, London, Mexico, China, Ethiopia, Italy, Asia, South, Jeju, Shirakawa, Japan, Gifu prefecture, Nagoya, Zhejiang, Dhordo, Rann, Kutch, India, Europe, Spain, Sigüenza, Madrid, Slunj, Croatia, Andorra, Ordino, Sant Pere, Peru, Machu Picchu, Lima, Peruvian, Chacas, Chile, La Carolina, Argentina, Biei, Tortel, Cantavieja, Spain • Chacas, Huantar, Peru • Dahshour, Egypt, Egypt • Dhordo, Republic, Korea, Korea • Douma, Lebanon, Ericeira, Portugal, Portugal • Filandia, Colombia, Huangling, Cánovas, Kandovan, Iran, Lerici, Switzerland, Mosan, Juárez, Oñati, Ecuador, Ecuador • Paucartambo, Peru • Penglipuran, Indonesia, Pisco Elqui, Pozuzo, Saint, Saty, Kazakhstan, Austria, Austria • Sehwa, Korea • Sentob, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan • Shirakawa, Egypt • Slunj, Sortelha, Viet, Peru • Tokaj, Hungary, Hungary • Văleni, Moldova, Madalena, Portugal • Xiajiang, China • Zapatoca, Colombia • Zhagana

☆ An aggressive bullish trade betting on the rapid comeback in small-cap stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jeff Kilburg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Small caps have been struggling versus their peers as a rising interest rate environment has absolutely punished these growth companies. My thesis of small caps finally getting up off the mat is based upon my recent and lonely call of U.S. Treasury yields relenting. In addition, I have repositioned my model portfolios' exposure to include small caps for the remaining six trading weeks of 2023. "Bid" meaning that I am not alone in this idea of small caps finding some legs between now and the end of the year. This risk reversal is being used as an aggressive bull trade.

Persons: Russell, IWM Organizations: Nasdaq, Treasury, Fed

We're here to help keep your bank account above water by pointing out the Black Friday Meta Quest 3 and Oculus Quest 2 deals and bundles that'll fetch maximum savings. The Oculus Quest 2 made VR gaming much more accessible and was the first mainstream hit for VR hardware. Oculus Quest 2 Black Friday dealsWalmart and Amazon have taken $50 off the Oculus Quest 2 as part of its early Black Friday deals. Browse more Quest 2 deals: Amazon | Walmart | Best BuyMeta Quest 3 Black Friday dealsDon't hold your breath for massive discounts on the hardware for Meta Quest 3 deals on Black Friday. You're much more likely to find a Meta (aka Oculus) Quest 2 on sale during Black Friday than the newer model.

Persons: it's, we're, you'll, Meta Organizations: VR, Meta, Facebook, Walmart, Amazon, Qualcomm, XR2, 120Hz, Black

☆ How Disney can save the Marvel Cinematic Universe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

CEO Bob Iger suggested as early as March that the company should decrease the number of sequel films Marvel releases in favor of bringing newer characters and stories into the mix. Box office analysts aren't ready to wave the white flag on the MCU, which has left rival DC, owned by Warner Bros. The promise was that the events of the shows would come full circle and influence the content of Marvel's films. Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel in Disney and Marvel's "The Marvels." It is expected that this Deadpool film will follow carry an R rating, which would be a first for a Marvel Cinematic Universe feature.

Persons: Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, Jesse Grant, Captain America, It's, Marvel, Disney, Bob Iger, aren't, Kevin Feige, Paul Dergarabedian, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Wanda Maximoff, Sam Wilson, Loki, Knight, they've, Robert Thompson, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Robbins, Paul Rudd, Scott Lang, Johnathan Majors, Kang the, Kang, Jonathan Majors, Shawn Robbins, Josh Brolin, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Strange, Hugh Jackman, Brie Larson, Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, James Bond, Marvel hasn't, hasn't, it's, America Chavez, Kate Bishop, Kamala Kahn, Cassie Lang, Riri Williams, Ryan Reynolds, Maya Lopez, Wilson Fisk, Lopez, Agatha Organizations: Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Disney, Getty, Marvel, DC, Warner Bros, Captain, Syracuse University, Guardians, Rotten, CNBC, Disney Marvel, Sony, Hollywood, Star Wars, Star, Young Avengers, Fox, Hulu Locations: ANAHEIM , CALIFORNIA, Anaheim , Calif, California, Shanghai, Quantumania

☆ On tour with Burna Boy to Wizkid: How Afrobeats conquered the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The following week the two crossed paths again and the photographer let Burna Boy know the photos were his. There was something fresh; it was something that they hadn’t seen before.”Photographer Oliver D. Akinfeleye, aka DrDrummerD, has documented Afrobeats artists in the US and Europe since 2017. Of all the artists Akinfeleye has worked with, he says his bond with Wizkid is the tightest. “Nigerian music – African music – is there to make people feel good no matter what,” he added. The world needs to feel good,” Akinfeleye argues, and that need isn’t disappearing any time soon.

Persons: CNN — Oliver Akinfeleye, Burna Boy’s, Burna, Akinfeleye, Wizkid, Rema, Selena Gomez, Oliver D, Aubrey, Drake, Graham, Mr Eazi, Brandon Boyd, Wiz’s DJ, DJ Tunez, ” Akinfeleye, “, ”, he’s, Afrobeats, it’s Organizations: CNN, Palladium Times, Madison, Citi Field, Tottenham Hotspur, O2, MTV, Washington DC, O2 Arena Locations: New York, American Nigerian, Queens , New York, Nigerian, Citi Field , New York, Glastonbury, London, African, Europe, Runtown, Washington, Akinfeleye, Puerto Rico

☆ Parasitic worms highjack their hosts' free will, and scientists finally think they know how
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Emily Hein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Horsehair worms can control a host's brain and steer it to water, where it drowns. These parasitic worms, which resemble dark and stringy horse hair, take control of their host's brain and drive it to suicide. Hairworms' magic copy-cat trickHairworms need water to reproduce, so when they're ready they force their host to water, where ultimately the host drowns. Horsehair worms make their hosts more active in the middle of the day , when it's easier to find light reflecting off water. So the Chordodes worms can only control mantises and can't puppeteer other insects or mammals, according to the study.

Persons: what's, —, they're, it's, hairworms, Tappei Mishina, Hairworms, Rather, Mishina Organizations: Service, University of California's, Pest Management

☆ Bitcoin is back (sort of)
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The big storyCrypto comebackSOPA Images / GettyThe ink is barely dry on Sam Bankman-Fried's conviction, and bitcoin is already rising like a fresh divorcee. It marked the highest price for the cryptocurrency since early May 2022, adding to what has quietly been a strong year for bitcoin, writes Insider's Phil Rosen. After a dreadful 2022 culminating in the downfall of FTX and the aforementioned SBF, bitcoin has been on the up. While there was plenty of fallout from FTX's bankruptcy, the price of bitcoin has steadily climbed this year. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: —, NYU Langone, Sam Bankman, Bitcoin, bitcoin, Phil Rosen, FTX, hasn't, It's, Roubini, Doom, Noah Sheildlower, Gary Gensler, it's, Ken Griffin, Goldman Sachs, Paul Sakuma Andreessen Horowitz, Maryna, Peter Thiel, Trump, couldn't, Thiel, he's, Diplo —, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, NYU, BlackRock, Atlas, SEC, JPMorgan, Hudson Global, Today Locations: Delaware, India, Japan, Soho, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ ‘The Marvels’ Review: Brie Larson Leads a Not-So-Supergroup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Zachary Barnes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Brie Larson and Iman Vellani Photo: Marvel Studios‘The Marvels” arrives amid a rumbling storm of negative feeling—about both its likely performance at the box office and the continuing success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. The new film certainly suggests as much, and leaves one hoping that superheroes might at long last leave us mortals to fend for ourselves. The main hero here is Carol Danvers , aka Captain Marvel, once again played by Brie Larson . She is joined by Monica Rambeau ( Teyonah Parris , better served in “If Beale Street Could Talk”) and Kamala Khan , aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani, with the eager, lightly amusing energy of a Disney Channel star). Together, the trio becomes the Marvels, a supergroup formed by cosmic accident after their powers become entangled and they find themselves switching places across space, possibly due to some holes opened up in the universe by the rotely vengeful evildoer Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton).

Persons: Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, spandex, Carol Danvers, Marvel, Monica Rambeau, Teyonah Parris, Beale, Kamala Khan, evildoer Dar, Benn, Zawe Ashton Organizations: Marvel Studios, Marvel, Disney Locations: “

☆ 'The Marvels' is probably headed for one of the worst MCU box office openings ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article DIS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTBrie Larson stars as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel in Disney and Marvel's "The Marvels." There was hope that "The Marvels," which arrives in theaters Friday, might build on the box office success of "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. But there's a strong chance it could have one of the lowest opening weekends in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No MCU film has opened in that range since 2011, according to data from Comscore. Box office analysts have pointed to Marvel's film promotion as another issue for the studio.

Persons: Brie Larson, Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel, Paul Dergarabedian, hasn't, Tom Hiddleston, Loki, Marvel, Johnny Oleksinski, Iman Vellani, aren't, There's, Shawn Robbins, it's, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Captain America, Robbins, Paul Rudd, Scott Lang, Johnathan Majors, Kang the, Disney Organizations: Disney, Marvel Studios, Guardians, Galaxy, Marvel, Rotten, New York, Amazon, it's Marvel Locations: Quantumania

☆ Strikes were just one battle. Hollywood is still fighting a war for survival
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Hollywood writers and actors are going back to work after one of the longest strikes ever in the entertainment industry. Hollywood is in a rebuilding era — a painful, awkward transition fueled by tectonic changes in technology and consumer behavior. Strikes, while disruptive, were only a blip compared with the many other existential quandaries weighing on media companies. Cable TV sign-ups have been rapidly falling for a decade, and no one believes that trend is going to reverse. Netflix and Disney aren’t just competing against each other, they’re also competing with YouTube and TikTok and endless podcasts.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Bob Iger, “, ”, We’re, Hulu —, Peacock, HBO Max — we’re, Max, “ OTT ” —, Iger, aren’t, Harrison Ford, Disney, they’re, That’s, Barbenheimer ”, Taylor Swift, Indiana Jones, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Hollywood, Studio, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, Cable, Netflix, Hulu, Apple, Amazon Prime, HBO, CNN, Discovery, Disney aren’t, YouTube, Intelligence Locations: New York

☆ A Holiday Cocktail Recipe With a Really Good Story
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Kara Newman | Photographs Arturo Olmos For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

“I AM a journalist first and foremost,” said Toni Tipton-Martin. The editor in chief of Cook’s Country magazine, Tipton-Martin is also a leading authority on African American foodways and the author of award-winning books on the topic. Her latest, “Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks” (Nov. 14, Clarkson Potter) focuses on the potable, bringing to light a fascinating history in recipes from Black bartenders and cooks. “My plan is to publish a series of single-subject books that highlights the various work of cooks in the African American community,” Tipton-Martin said. In the lead-up to the hectic holiday-entertaining season, she made time to welcome us into her Baltimore home for a Claret Cup cocktail and a chat at the bar.

Persons: ”, Toni Tipton, Martin, Clarkson Potter, Brandon, Tiffanie Barriere, “, ” Tipton Organizations: Cook’s, Tipton, Clubs, American Locations: Baltimore

☆ Scientists finally solved the centuries-long mystery of where a starfish's head is
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Maiya Focht | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Researchers mapped starfish genes to solve the mystery, and it wasn't what they expected. Turns out, starfish genes suggest it contains multiple heads, one at the center and in each limb. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a game of pin the tail on the donkey, scientists have finally pinpointed the head on a starfish. Turns out starfish, aka sea stars, don't just have one head sitting at the center of their bodies. On the other hand, sea stars with five limbs, lack bilateral symmetry and instead have what's called five-fold radial symmetry.

Persons: —, Laurent Formery, Peter Guttman, Formery, Jeff Thompson, he's Organizations: Service, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, Getty, Stanford, University of Southampton Locations: Nature

☆ The Salty, Soothing Twist of Pretzels
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Bee Wilson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

If you asked most people whether they would like to eat dough which has been dipped in caustic soda—the stuff you use to unblock drains—I don’t imagine they would be too keen. The lye doesn’t seem to put consumers off, judging from the fact that the U.S. market for hard and soft pretzels combined was worth $1.6 billion in 2022, up 16% from the year before. We will probably never find out who was the first ingenious baker to take dough and twist it into a knot, but that person engineered a winner. The pretzel’s shape made it easy to store on racks and easy to eat; there is something about the loops that makes you want to pick it up and tear it apart. The pretzels in the painting would not look out of place at a baseball game today, except that the holes inside the knot are slightly bigger.

Persons: There’s, Jan van Bijlert Locations: U.S

☆ IRS sets higher 401(k) and IRA contribution limits for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Those same limits apply to 403(b) plans, most 457 plans and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan. IRA limits get a boost tooThe IRS also announced it was raising the IRA annual contribution limit to $7,000 next year, from $6,500 this year. If you contribute to a traditional IRA, you won’t owe income tax on your contributions the year you make them. Then when you start taking money from your IRA in retirement or before retirement, your withdrawals will be subject to income tax. Those cut-off limits rise to $240,000 (up from $228,000 today) if the spouse making the IRA contribution does not have access to a workplace plan but the other spouse does.

Persons: Roth, you’re, Roth IRAs Organizations: New, New York CNN, IRS, Roth IRA Locations: New York

☆ Morgan Stanley has named Ted Pick as its next CEO, putting an end to the race to succeed James Gorman at the top of a Wall Street giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Morgan Stanley's hard-charging trading boss Ted Pick is set to succeed CEO James Gorman. AdvertisementAdvertisementFive months after Morgan Stanley's James Gorman announced he was stepping down, the pick is in. AdvertisementAdvertisementPick is credited with transforming Morgan Stanley's key equities and fixed-income businesses. Morgan Stanley has declined to comment aside from stating earlier this year that the bank was cooperating with regulators. At a bank that prizes loyalty perhaps more than any other, a trader who "bleeds Morgan Stanley blue" may be a welcome choice.

Persons: Morgan Stanley's, Ted Pick, James Gorman, Gorman, Andy Saperstein, Dan Simkowitz, —, Morgan Stanley's James Gorman, Edward, Ted, Pick, Tom Glocer, Morgan, He's, Morgan Stanley, Simkowitz, Saperstein, John Mack, Mack Organizations: Service, Investment, Harvard, Disney, McKinsey, Staten

☆ Hollywood’s A-List Bribe for Peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

With streaming disrupting the economics of the TV and film industries, it doesn’t help to alienate your audience with political posturing like Disney has with its refashioning of classic fairy tales including the upcoming 'Snow White.' Images: Disney/Shutterstock/Bloomberg News/Getty Images for CAA Composite: Mark KellyAmong the big names on a Zoom call last week of Hollywood actors questioning their union over lack of progress in the actor’s strike was Meryl Streep . Her name jumps out because 112 days earlier she signed a letter with other major stars urging a strike at a moment when a planarian might have noticed the union’s leverage was at low ebb thanks to the collapse of cable subscribership, streaming losses and the decline of movie-going. Nanny Defarge, aka Fran Drescher , the union boss, saw the light, however, and began out-mau-mauing the letter signers. Until that moment, she had insisted talks with the studios were making “exceptional progress.” Even the New York Times now says her sudden adoption of blood-curdling rhetoric has been an obstacle to a deal.

Persons: Mark Kelly, Meryl Streep, Nanny Defarge, Fran Drescher Organizations: Disney, Bloomberg, CAA, New York Times

☆ Inside the implosion of dark kitchen startup Kbox Global, another pandemic-era boom beginning to bust
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In 2019, after years of investing in and setting up food and beverage brands internationally, she founded dark-kitchen startup Kbox from London. But two years after this funding, large for an early-stage European startup, Vellani exited the business suddenly, citing health issues. "You're only judged on food quality, but if the chef is doing 10 times the work for same money, then it's a fundamental problem." Both Uber Eats and Deliveroo, after an initial burst of interest, would eventually go on to cut back on virtual brands. In an email comment, Vellani acknowledged her lack of direct technical experience but said she sought to fix this through other C-suite hires.

Persons: Salima Vellani, Uber, Travis Kalanick, Vellani, Butler, CloudKitchens, Kbox, MrBeast Burger, YouTuber MrBeast, Jimmy Donaldson, Influencer Jimmy Donaldson, Burger, Brexit, Vellani didn't, Karim Vellani, Karim, Ben Schultz, Nick Holloway, I've Organizations: Balderton, Hoxton Ventures, Reef Technologies, Lean, Network, United, Advisory Locations: London, Saudi, Revolut, COVID, Kbox, Sydney

☆ A 27-year-old investor building a $2 million retirement portfolio in 8 years shares why he's buying a fund that's up 324% since inception and made up of cheap stocks with strong competitive advantages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"You're telling me that the big tech companies are the only reason the stock market, aka the S&P 500, is green? Because at the end of the day, sure, I've got great exposure to the magnificent seven, but I want exposure to companies outside of just these big, big, big tech names." So, he began to look at various ETFs that have outperformed the S&P 500 on three-, five- and 10-year horizons. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has lagged both since MOAT's launch, at 209%. Portfolio VisualizerPortfolio VisualizerMOAT has a dividend yield of 1.08% compared to the S&P 500, which has a yield of 1.57%.

Persons: Austin Hankwitz, Hankwitz, I've, Morningstar Organizations: Gilead Sciences, Comcast Locations: Gilead

☆ ‘AKA Mr. Chow’ Review: Portrait of the Artist as a Restaurateur
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Michael Chow Photo: HBOAmong his many talents, the celebrity restaurateur Michael Chow , the subject of “AKA Mr. Chow,” has the seemingly savant-ish ability to recall the first shot of any movie he’s seen. “Why are first scenes so important?” asks director Nick Hooker . “Is your birth important?” asks Mr. Chow. AKA Mr. Chow Sunday, 9 p.m., HBOA film-critic colleague once observed, or conceded, that few movies get any better after the first five minutes. Over the great operatic journey that is Mr. Chow’s life, can anything top the overture performed by this supremely self-confident, mildly abrasive, quasi-pugnacious but likable impresario-artist-actor and feeder of the elite?

Persons: Michael Chow, Chow, ”, “ Lawrence, Nick Hooker, “, Hooker, Jean Tsien, Chow — Organizations: HBO Locations: Northwest, Arabia

☆ ‘The Pigeon Tunnel’ Review: Decoding John le Carré
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

David Cornwell, aka writer John le Carré Photo: Apple TV+If someone were going to tell you their life story, the ideal someone would be one of the world’s great storytellers—John le Carré, for instance, the celebrated spy novelist, literary archivist of the Cold War, spinner of tales of diaphanous morality. And what better conduit than Errol Morris , a filmmaker fascinated by people who delude themselves, or defend the indefensible, or become pawns in a system that eventually devours them—just like those in a Le Carré novel?

Persons: David Cornwell, John le Carré, — John le Carré, Errol Morris Organizations: Apple

☆ As Rite Aid's bankruptcy shutters drugstores, these retailers will benefit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Rite Aid's bankruptcy is likely to be a bigger boost to retailers such as Walmart and Costco than it will be to other drugstore chains, according to UBS. And as drugstore closures accelerate, dollar stores may be able to scoop up some of the abandoned locations. Discount chains Dollar Tree and Dollar General could also benefit from drugstore closures. Dollar stores, in particular, could also expand into store fronts once operated by drugstore chains. For dollar stores, the real advantage will be the real estate left behind.

Persons: Michael Lasser, it's, Lasser, Stephen Buschbom, Buschbom, Gordon Haskett, we've Organizations: Walmart, Costco, UBS, Rite Aid, CVS Health, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Target, KR, Wall Street, FactSet, Albertsons, HSBC Locations: U.S

☆ A low-cost way to protect against an S&P 500 drawdown as risks escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The Cboe Volatility Index , commonly referred to simply as "the VIX", is an index derived from 30-day S & P 500 index options prices. Put simply, the VIX represents the options market's expectations for S & P 500 volatility over the next 30 days. Sometimes referred to as a "fear index", Friday's VIX Index closing level of 19.32 is only slightly below the 6-month high of 20.09 seen on May 4th. Financials significantly outperformed, finishing Friday up 0.2% while the S & P overall fell by 0.5%. Options traders and strategists are often asked, "Is there a way to use options to hedge my portfolio?".

Persons: Gerald Ford, Dwight Eisenhower, Ike, Ray Dalio, Wells, Financials, doesn't Organizations: Investors, Federal, University of Michigan, West Bank, IDF, Bridgewater Associates, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Trader, Trust Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iran, Europe, Wells Fargo

Search resuls for: "Aka"

25 mentions found