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☆ TikTok election? Indonesia's presidential hopefuls battle it out on social media
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Joseph Rachman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Indonesia's presidential election is due 14 February and candidates are going all out to win over voters in this country of 274 million. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesJAKARTA — Indonesia's presidential hopefuls are pulling out all stops to win over voters on social media ahead of the Feb. 14 election. This time it's the TikTok election," says Aryo Seno Bagaskoro, a young spokesperson for the presidential campaign of Ganjar Pranowo, the former governor of Central Java. One of his supporters is a 22-year-old female student who posts on social media platform X about Anies and his campaign using Korean hangul captions. The Ganjar campaign has gimmicks of its own too, such as "Top Gun"-style jackets and penguin symbols.

Persons: TikTok, Seno, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo, Ganjar, Anies, belying, Karaniya Dharmasaputra, Mahfud, Pak Mahfud Organizations: Getty, Central Java, Defense, CNBC Locations: JAKARTA, Central, Indonesia, Jakarta, Islam, TikTok

"Given the absence of a growth engine, it wouldn't surprise me if the Japanese economy contracted again in the current quarter. The risk of Japan falling into recession cannot be ruled out," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. "The weak growth and the spectre of slowing inflation could delay the BOJ's exit from negative interest rates," he said. Japan’s economy contracts in the third quarterThe weak reading reflects lacklustre consumption and capital expenditure, dashing policymakers' hopes for a post-pandemic rebound in domestic activity to offset weaker external demand from China and elsewhere. He said better net exports, underpinned by car shipments and tourism, helped lift growth in the second quarter, belying the weakness in domestic demand.

Persons: Androniki, Takeshi Minami, Stefan Angrick, Angrick, Fumio Kishida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Norinchukin Research, Gross, Moody's, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, China

Biden’s troubles stem in large part from negative perceptions about the economy, even as several indications show that it is performing strongly. Here’s a deeper look at what “Bidenomics” has, and hasn’t, accomplished. Since Biden took office, employers have created 14 million jobs, and the unemployment rate has been hovering around a 50-year-low for months. “Bidenomics is just another way of saying the American dream,” he said in a speech. The economy grew last quarter at nearly 5 percent, belying a global slowdown.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump —, ”, Bidenomics, It’s Organizations: Infrastructure Investment, Jobs Locations: America

☆ Chance encounter transforms girl from Mumbai slum into teenage model, internet influencer
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Hemanshi Kamani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Three years ago an inquisitive American tourist wandered into a waterfront slum in Mumbai and met a tiny, smiley girl. In March, a luxury Indian cosmetics brand Forest Essentials chose Maleesha as the face of its Yuvati campaign celebrating young Indian women. [1/5]Maleesha Kharwa, 15, a model and Instagram Influencer, takes a selfie next to a bus terminal in Mumbai, India, September 11, 2023. Since then, Maleesha has become a social media influencer, using the hashtag 'the princess from the slum' in some of her posts. Reporting by Hemanshi Kamani, writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kharwa, Maleesha, Influencer, Hemanshi, Robert Hoffman, Hoffman, Hemanshi Kamani, Tanvi Mehta, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Cosmopolitan India, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Mumbai, India, American

☆ Australia Outlasts France on Penalties, and a Host Nation Exhales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Rory Smith | More About Rory Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Not from the heights that Australia has reached in its home World Cup, beating France to reach a first semifinal, but from the winding, coiling, nauseating road it took to get there. The game itself was fraught enough, the goal-less stalemate of the score line belying more than two hours in which the balance of power hopped back and forth: France started well, composed and inventive, only for Australia to wrestle control. It was not an evening defined by patterns of play so much as storm surges, and the ability to withstand them. France missed its first kick, with Australia goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold denying Selma Bacha. Ève Périsset, introduced specifically to take a penalty, missed France’s fifth; Arnold, the goalkeeper, stepped up to win it.

Persons: Mackenzie Arnold, Selma Bacha, Solène Durand, —, Steph Catley, Ève Périsset, Arnold, Durand Organizations: Brisbane, Australia Locations: Australia, France

☆ The U.S. Economy’s Lost Decade - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

President Obama did pass what media reports insistently called a “massive” fiscal stimulus, but it was in fact far too small, given the size of the financial shock. That’s not 20/20 hindsight; I was tearing my hair out over the plan’s inadequacy in real time. Or they didn’t want to work, maybe because the improving quality of video games was keeping them at home. OK, but before I simply declare that inadequate government stimulus led to a lost decade for the U.S. economy, I need to address one objection from economic theory. Conversely, if the economy persistently has excessive unemployment, the hypothesis says that we should see ever-falling inflation, perhaps eventually leading to deflation.

Persons: Obama, insistently, belying, Milton Organizations: Obama Locations: Washington, U.S

☆ Electric cars aren’t just for the wealthy anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Thanks to a combination of new models, more production and new tax laws, electric vehicles are no longer just for the wealthy. Currently the “days supply” of electric vehicles – a measure of the number units on dealer lots relative to how quickly they sell – is now twice that of new vehicles overall. The biggest bargain among electric vehicles currently, whether you lease or buy, happens to be one that’s going away soon. A Chevrolet Bolt EV sits parked at a charging station at Stewart Chevrolet on April 25, 2023 in Colma, California. For almost $10,000 less, in terms of sticker price, Hyundai offers the soon-to-be redesigned Kona Electric.

Persons: Kia, Erik Pendzich, it’s, Mark Luxcombe, Wolters, “ There’s, ” Luxcombe, Brian Moody, Moody, ”, Stewart, Justin Sullivan, Kia EV6, Josh Lefkowitz, Tony Quiroga, Bing Guan, Quiroga, Chevrolet Bolt Organizations: CNN, General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, GT, New York, Wolters Kluwer, Cox Automotive, Chevrolet Bolt, Stewart Chevrolet, GM, Angeles, Kona, EV, Chevrolet Locations: America, Colma , California, Los Angeles , California

☆ The mortgage market isn't sending the signal homebuyers need on affordability
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Usually around 1.75 percentage points, and as low as 1.3 in 2021, the so-called mortgage spread is hovering at more than 3 percentage points now. And that is propping up mortgage rates, keeping home owners from selling their homes and buying nicer ones, and hurting first-time buyers, Yun said. Why mortgage spreads should move lowerLogically, mortgage spreads should move down sharply from here, thanks to the recent spate of good economic news, and bring relief to home buyers who have seen affordability deteriorate sharply since 2020. But as the Fed began raising interest rates in March 2022, mortgage rates rose even faster than bond yields. Mortgage rates also dropped, to 6.89% last Friday from a recent peak of 7.22%, according to Mortgage News Daily.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun, Logan Mohtashami, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Rob Haworth, Banks, refinance, Haworth, Neel Kashkari Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Federal Reserve, Fed, Bank, Atlanta Federal Reserve, Mortgage News, HousingWire, Treasury, U.S . Bank, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank Locations: Stockton , California, treasuries, Silicon, U.S, Irvine , Calif, Seattle

☆ In 7 Great Cities, 7 Great Walks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Christine Chitnis | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +32 min

Urban Walks In 7 Great Cities, 7 Great Walks The pleasures of strolling through an urban landscape are manifest. Credit... Joann Pai for The New York Times Its organically styled bouquets feel as though they’ve been freshly picked from the garden. Credit... Joann Pai for The New York Times Image Astier de Villatte specializes in antiques and tableware. Three quarters of a mile into the walk, you’ll be standing atop the first of three mountains, the 1,100-foot-high Inwangsan. Credit... Petrina Tinslay for The New York Times Few cities are so abundant with forest-like parks, coastal walks and beaches as Sydney, which is best explored on foot.

Persons: Joann Pai, Sandra Sigman, ”, Sigman, de Mars, you’ll, Dominique, Boulangerie Laurent B, Bellechasse, Germain, Bac, Pierre Hermé, monsieur, Le, Rue de Babylone, Sèvres, Rue de l’Abbaye, de Furstemberg, Furstemberg, they’ve, Tournon —, Villatte, Queen Marie de ’, Palazzo Pitti, Fna, Imane, —, Rue Riad Zeitoun, Rue Djane Ben Chegra, Rue Laarassi, darija, Rue Sidi Boulabada, Rue Bab Ahmad, Rue Bin Lafnadek, Michael Park, it’s, Earl Grey scones, Hadid, Petrina, It’s, Strickland, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Ian Cheibub, Ayrton Senna, touristy, Clarice Lispector, altinha, Tom Jobim, toting Tom Jobim, Osório, Rua Vinícius de Moraes Organizations: Shops, Jardin de, The New York, Rue Saint, Mars, ., The New York Times, des Invalides, Saint, Blvd . Saint, Rue de, Rue du, Rue de Rennes, de, Compagnie Française, Français, du, Palazzo, Credit, Rue Riad, des, Rue Bahia Bab, Moors, Jewish, Rue, Rue Sidi, Tachenbacht, Rue Bin, Wall ., Korean, South Korean, Milk, Nielsen, New, Opera, Milk Beach, Gibsons, Reserve, South, Heritage, Hornby, Fort, Francisco, Rua Locations: Cities, Paris, Seoul, Marrakesh, Jardin, Jardin de Luxembourg, Rue, Esplanade des Invalides, Blvd, Raspail, bac, Rue de Bac, Bac, Rue de Babylone, Seine, Astier, Français ., du Luxembourg, Italian, Florence, medina, Moroccan, Central Park, Jemaa, ., El, unburied, El Badi, Spain, Marrakesh ., darija —, Marrakesh enfolds, Morocco, Naksan Park, Gyeongbokgung, Scoff, Inwangsan, Seongbuk district, Dongdamun, Sydney, Hermitage, Bayview Hill, Vaucluse, Watsons, Queens Beach, . Credit, Bayview, Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour’s, Milk, Camp Cove . Credit, Parsley Bay, Hopetoun, Palmerston, Moreton, Camp Cove Beach, Mosman, Balgowlah, Manly, Bay, Watsons Bay, de Janeiro, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian, Ipanema, Rio, Beach . Credit, Italy, Copacabana Beach . Credit, de, Leme, Fort Copacabana, Arpoador, Vero, Polis Sucos, Polis

☆ My final, unexpected conversation with Cormac McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

My last conversation with Cormac McCarthy, the acclaimed and elusive novelist who died last week at 89, came as unexpectedly as the first. "I thought you said Cormac McCarthy edited your book on theoretical physics?" "I got the manuscript back in the mail, and it was marked up on every page," Randall told me. By the time I interviewed Randall, Cormac was spending his days at the Santa Fe Institute, a theoretical-research institute in the piñon foothills of New Mexico. "Don't do this to yourself," McCarthy told the guy, before shutting the door in his face.

Persons: Cormac McCarthy, McCarthy, —, Belying, Cormac, Lisa Randall, Randall, Gil, Jon, MacArthur, Murray Gell, Mann, it's, Einstein, they're, Doug Erwin, David Krakauer, David, Stella Maris, I'd, He'd, David Kushner Organizations: Wired, Stone, Harvard, drifters, Santa Fe Institute, Atari Locations: backwoods Florida, piñon, New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee, El Paso, Rolling Stone, SFI

☆ Avedon at 100: Celebrities select the famed photographer’s best works
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationWhen Hillary Clinton, then a US Senator, arrived for a shoot with Avedon in 2003, she recalled him looking at her and saying, "I've seen this image before." courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationFashion designer Miuccia Prada selected this image of Boyd Fortin, a teenaged rattlesnake skinner from Texas, taken in 1979. courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationFashion designer Calvin Klein selected this infamous campaign image from his label's archives. courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationFilmmaker Sofia Coppola chose this iconic 1958 photograph of model China Machado. courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon Foundation“Avedon 100” is on view at Gagosian in New York through June 24.

☆ Philadelphia Fed manufacturing gauge plunges unexpectedly
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Manufacturing activity in the Mid-Atlantic region dropped off sharply and unexpectedly in February, and goods producers reported input cost increases accelerated for the first time in 10 months while their own price increases slowed dramatically, signaling margin pressures were building. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's monthly manufacturing index plunged to -24.3 this month from -8.9 in January, belying expectations among economists for a third straight monthly improvement. Moreover, firms expect smaller price increases for consumers in the next 12 months than they did in November. In a special question, firms said they expect to impose 4.5% price increases for their own products in the year ahead, down from 4.8% when asked the same question in November and also lower than the 7.0% price increases they'd realized over the last year. Wage increases were also expected to be lower at 4.8% in the year ahead, down from 5.0% in the November survey.

☆ Oath Oath Keepers founder used money donated to the far-right group for holiday travel and personal expenses: January 6 trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Rakoczy then pressed him, asking if he'd tapped into Oath Keepers funds "quite a bit" to cover personal expenses. Rhodes, who remained outside the Capitol, testified that he thought it was "stupid" for Oath Keepers members to enter the building. From the Oath Keepers' founding, the group was focused on "forceful opposition to the government, isn't that right?" In her questioning, she also noted that the Oath Keepers provided ammunition for AR-15 rifles during the 2014 standoff at the Bundy Ranch. For Rakoczy, Rhodes' preferred image of the Oath Keepers was belied by his own messages with fellow members.

☆ A small war in Central Asia is a big problem for Joe Biden's narrative about taking on Russia and China
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Chris Mccallion | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is only one part of a broader geopolitical contest, however. Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesWhile Armenia and Azerbaijan both have warm relations with Russia, Armenia has a security agreement with Russia as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an alliance of six post-Soviet states in Central Asia. More recently, Erdogan has acted as a diplomatic broker in the Ukraine war and has bucked Western sanctions by purchasing Russian military hardware. KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty ImagesIt is probable that the timing of the most recent flare-up between Armenia and Azerbaijan was not coincidental. Azerbaijan was likely emboldened to launch the recent attack on Armenia by the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive around Kharkiv and Russia's generally poor performance during the Ukraine war.

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