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☆ Choose hope. Studies show people are better than you think
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Jessica Dulong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Elites who want to ensure the status quo are well served by a population that believes things can’t get any better. Zaki: Cynicism is harmful for individuals’ overall health. Zaki: Cynicism gets treated as smart and socially savvy when it’s actually quite naive. People think, “Yeah, cynicism feels bad, but it’s the price of being right.” In fact, cynics often get things wrong. But when we lose sight of hope, cynicism drags down civic engagement.

Persons: Jamil Zaki, “ Hope, ” Zaki, Cynics, Zaki, Martin Luther King Jr, autocrats, —, Vern Evans, it’s, cynics, It’s, preciously, We’re, I’ve, Hope, “, Jessica DuLong, ” Organizations: CNN, Stanford University, Stanford Social Neuroscience, Central Publishing, General Social Survey, Elites, Vern Evans CNN Locations: Brooklyn , New York

CNN —German Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister on Wednesday, leaving the government teetering on the brink of collapse. “The economy cannot wait until after the elections,” Scholz said. Trading barbsThe German chancellor and Lindner criticized each other in separate press conferences on Wednesday. Scholz told reporters “Lindner showed no willingness to implement any of our proposals” and, therefore, “there is no trust basis for any future cooperation” with the outgoing finance minister. The Chancellor also accused the finance minister of being “not about serving the common good but about serving his own clientele and party.” According to Scholz, Lindner will also be dismissed by the country’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Christian Lindner, “, – Scholz, Lindner, Robert Habeck, Trump, Habeck, Friedrich Merz ’, ” Scholz, Germany’s, Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, Angela Merkel, “ Lindner, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, Alice Weidel Organizations: CNN, Social Democratic Party, Free Democratic Party, Green Party, Lindner’s Free Democratic Party, Greens, Christian Democratic Union, CDU Locations: Germany, Nazi

☆ He wore a toga and spoke Latin. This ancient philosopher can help you survive the anxiety of the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

They offered three pieces of Stoic advice for handling the anxiety of this year’s election. Many Stoic leaders would never be labeled as “idiotai.” They were passionately involved in politics and the pursuit of justice. Holiday says Aurelius wrote constantly about justice in his classic book, “Meditations.”Epictetus, the ancient Greek Stoic and philosopher. But the Stoic leaders were known for their courage in standing up to political tyrants. Stoic leaders may seem like distant figures encased in marble, but we can learn from them, Holiday says.

Persons: Biden, Trump, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Ryan Holiday, ”, Zeno, Citium, “, Aurelius, grappled, Donald Trump, Angela Weiss, “ Aurelius, Massimo Pigliucci, Don’t, “ Julius Caesar ”, Stoicism, don’t, Dominik Bindl, Holiday, ” Holiday, Pigliucci, Reinhold Niebuhr, ” Pigliucci, you’ve, ” Epictetus, Priscus, Vespasian, It’s, Marcus, chastising, unkind, he’s, He’s, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Police, Trump, Getty, ” CNN Locations: Greece, Rome, togas, Athens, New York City, Stoicism

☆ Why the far-right surge in European elections could be an omen for Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

US voters don’t take direction from foreigners, and American presidential elections, which play out state by state, are far different from those for the European Union. Another lesson of the European elections is that in an age of inflation, incumbents are vulnerable to a disgruntled electorate. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are smarting from their rebuke in European elections that rewarded far-right parties that echo the continent’s dark past. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s low approval ratings mean he might not even lead his Liberal Party into elections due by the end of next year. Macron, who heads a centrist party that was routed in the European elections, may be betting that the higher turnout in legislative elections could reverse the trend.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump’s, Hillary Clinton’s, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, he’ll, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Justin Trudeau’s, Rishi Sunak, Macron, Le Pen, Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s, ” He’s, ” Organizations: CNN, European Union, Canadian, Liberal Party, British, Conservative, “ Make, GOP, Labour Party, Trump, National Rally, Paris Locations: Britain, Europe, Italy, Poland, Normandy, EU

☆ 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' — the TV drama that shook Britain — comes to PBS
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Mr Bates vs the Post Office" had a remarkable impact after airing in Britain and now comes to PBS. Jo Hamilton, who ran the Village Shop and Post Office in South Warnborough, Hampshire, was wrongly convicted of theft in the Post Office Horizon scandal. ITVThe program focused on Alan Bates, who along with his partner invested in a post office store in Wales in 1998. Why did the Post Office — which has been owned by the government since 2012 – continue to prosecute people when there were doubts about the software? Advertisement"Mr Bates vs the Post Office" is being broadcast on PBS weekly from Sunday April 7.

Persons: Mr Bates, —, Rishi Sunak, Seema Misra, Peter Huxham, Martin Griffiths, Julian Wilson, Jo Hamilton, Adrian Dennis, Toby Jones, who's, Harry Potter, Alan Bates, Bates, wasn't, John Beer of, –, Kevin Hollinrake, Gwyneth Hughes, Innocent, Paula Vennells, Vennells, it's, James Strong, we'd, Polly Hill Organizations: PBS, Service, ITV, of, Post, Japan's Fujitsu, Office, Getty, Journalists, Computer, BBC, Post Office, Guardian, Fujitsu, Financial Times, subpostmasters, Channel Locations: Britain, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, South Warnborough, Hampshire, AFP, Wales, John Beer of Farnham, Surrey

☆ Opinion | What Schumer and Biden Got Right About Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One of my ironclad rules of journalism is this: When you see an elephant flying, don’t laugh, don’t doubt, don’t sneer — take notes. Something very new and important is happening and we need to understand it. Last week, I saw an elephant fly: The Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer — an authentic, lifelong supporter of Israel — gave a speech calling on Israelis to hold an election as soon as possible in order to dump Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet. And it produced predictable responses from the Jewish right (Schumer is a traitor), from Netanyahu (Israel is “not a banana republic”) and from cynics (Schumer’s just cozying up to the Democratic left). All predictable responses, and all wrong responses.

Persons: don’t, Chuck Schumer, Israel —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Schumer, Israel, “, Netanyahu, Netanyahu —, Biden Organizations: Democratic Locations: Netanyahu, cynics, U.S

☆ Starbucks is doubling down on its olive oil-infused coffee despite a barrage of bad reviews and online hate
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Starbucks is massively expanding its rollout of Oleato, its olive oil-infused coffee range. AdvertisementStarbucks is rolling out Oleato, its olive oil-infused coffee range, to all stores in the US despite mixed reviews. They're also available at some Starbucks stores in Canada, London, Paris, Osaka, and Tokyo, as well as a more extensive range at US Starbucks Reserve stores. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz introduced the range after mixing olive oil with his Starbucks coffee in Sicily, where the oil is a key component of the Mediterranean diet. A nutritionist told CNN that combining a high-fat substance, like olive oil, with coffee can have a laxative effect.

Persons: —, They're, Howard Schultz, Schultz, TikToker, Phoebe Hunt, barista, they're Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Starbucks Reserve, Wall Street, CNN, Business Locations: Italy, Canada, London, Paris, Osaka, Tokyo, Sicily

☆ Suicides, jail, and wrongful convictions — but it took the TV drama 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' to bring them justice
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Martin Griffiths, 59, jumped in front of a bus in 2013 after being falsely accused of theft at his post office branch in Ellesmere Port, near Liverpool. Jo Hamilton, who ran the Village Shop and Post Office in South Warnborough, Hampshire, was wrongly convicted of theft in the Post Office Horizon scandal. ITVThe program focused on Alan Bates, who along with his partner invested in a post office store in Wales in 1998. Why did the Post Office — which has been owned by the government since 2012 – continue to prosecute people when there were doubts about the software? "Mr Bates vs the Post Office" is available in the UK on ITVX.

Persons: It's, Mr Bates, Rishi Sunak, Seema Misra, Peter Huxham, Martin Griffiths, Julian Wilson, Jo Hamilton, Adrian Dennis, Toby Jones, who's, Harry Potter, Alan Bates, Bates, wasn't, John Beer of, —, –, Kevin Hollinrake, Gwyneth Hughes, Innocent, Paula Vennells, Vennells, it's, James Strong, we'd, Polly Hill Organizations: Service, Business, ITV, Post, of, Japan's Fujitsu, Office, Getty, Journalists, Computer, BBC, Post Office, Guardian, Fujitsu, Financial Times, subpostmasters Locations: Britain, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, South Warnborough, Hampshire, AFP, Wales, John Beer of Farnham, Surrey

☆ After an extraordinary November for stocks, December has a lot in its corner. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The stock market is boring right now, and that is not a bad thing. There's a strong backdrop going into December. The S & P 500 was up 8.9%, its best month since July 2022, and the fourth-best November since 1950. If it doesn't seem that way, it's because the S & P has been flat for the past week and a half. There will be lots of complaints about high valuations, and the cynics will be right: The S & P is approaching 19-times 2024 earnings.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, let's Organizations: Triple Witching, Treasury, Atlanta, Wall Street, Deutsche Bank, BMO Capital Markets, Capital Markets, Bank of America, Barclays, Goldman, UBS Global Wealth, Wells, Wells Fargo Securities, JPMorgan, Dow, Revenue Locations: Wells Fargo

As technology titans jockey to back hot new startups, they are extracting explicit or implicit promises of revenue in return. loadingMicrosoft’s injection of $10 billion into OpenAI in January helped kick off the craze. As part of their deal, the ChatGPT operator agreed to exclusively use its new investor’s cloud computing services. Much of the invested capital should be returned relatively quickly as AI firms buy back-end services. Nvidia (NVDA.O) has at least 80% and as much as 95% of the AI market, according to estimates by analysts.

Persons: Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, OpenAI, Optimists, cynics, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Microsoft, Financial Times, Apple, Nasdaq, Big Tech, OpenAI, Wall Street, Google, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Cisco Systems, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Technologies, Company, Global, Telecom, Nortel, Network, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Silicon Valley

☆ Cramer on why the emperor of this market has been naked long enough: Unpacking Apple, Amazon, Meta and Alphabet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

You think and think and think, and you still can't believe that things changed so radically in such a short period of time. So, let's pull apart Apple, Amazon, Meta and Alphabet to try to understand how unimportant what actually happened at these companies might be. Instead, Apple stock has climbed roughly 5% since it reported quarterly results on Nov. 2. Meta stock fell to $288 a share, down from $314, in a couple of sessions just because of that line in its earnings report. But like Apple and Amazon, Meta stock stabilized and has risen more than 14% since late October.

Persons: —, Lina Khan's, let's, Khan, Apple, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Alexi Rosenfeld Organizations: Apple, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, NFL, Amazon, Web Services, Google, YouTube, Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft, Federal, Treasury, Procter & Gamble, CNBC, Getty Locations: wearables, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, China, Israel, Gaza, GOOGL, New York City

☆ Philadelphia's mayor says his fellow Democrats just voted for more people to die from drug overdoses. Experts say he's right.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

People should not, generally, inject into their bodies a substance they bought with cash from a stranger on the street. And many will not resort to best practices, like using a clean needle, and contract diseases that require lifelong treatment. In 2019, the former president's Department of Justice sued to stop a Philadelphia-based nonprofit, Safehouse, from opening what would have been the country's first safe injection site, citing a federal law originally aimed at crack houses. AdvertisementAdvertisementBesides, Philadelphia, a city battling not just drug addiction but poverty and gun violence, is not about to open drug treatment resorts. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is one of the few public officials to explicitly endorse supervised injection sites.

Persons: Philadelphians, Scott Burris, Isaiah Thomas, Thomas, Mike Driscoll, Donald Trump, Biden, Nora Volkow, Ronda, Goldfein, —, Jim Kenney, Cherelle Parker, Kenney Organizations: Service, Center of Public Health, Research, Temple University, Philadelphia Inquirer, president's Department of Justice, National Institute on Drug, New York Times, of Pennsylvania, Walmart, Philadelphia, Democratic Locations: Philadelphia, Wall, Silicon, Kensington, Vancouver, Canada, Philadelphia's, New York City, Ronda Goldfein, Europe

☆ NASA spent billions on its SLS mega-rocket to take humans to the moon. It finally admitted it is 'unaffordable.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NASA officials have said their SLS mega-rocket program is "unaffordable." Officials agree the SLS budget "needs to be improved," but it's not clear how, per a government report. The exact costs are unclearThe GAO says NASA has spent $11.8 billion since 2011 on the development of the integrated SLS rocket. NASA's SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft shown here being rolled of their assembly building ahead of the Artemis I mission. NASA's SLS is an anomalyPart of the criticism for the SLS program is that it sticks out as a "bit of an anomaly" in NASA's latest approach to project development, Rosseau previously said.

Persons: Artemis, Brendan Rosseau, Joel Kowsky, NASA's, Rosseau, it's, SLS's, pare, they've, Eric Berger, Paul Martin, Berger, Blue Origin's Organizations: NASA, Service, Orion, SLS, Office, GAO, Planetary Society, Elon, SpaceX, Harvard Business School, Origin, SpaceX's, SpaceX NASA, Ars Technica Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ These factors will be big market drivers in the final five months of the year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Consider: The S & P 500 hasn't seen a 1% down day in two months . The S & P 500 is going to close higher for five consecutive months. The S & P 500 advance/decline line, which measures the daily activity of how many stocks are advancing versus declining, has been rising steadily for the past two months. The triumph (so far) of the soft landing has enabled earnings estimates to stabilize. The soft landing data must continue .

Persons: It's, What's, Frank Gretz, Wellington Shields, Gretz, Alec Young, Young, Jerome Powell's, Timmer, Matt Maley, Miller Tabak Organizations: PCE, Bulls, Tactical Alpha, Fed, Fidelity Investments Locations: Wellington

☆ Karen Firestone: The long-awaited recession hasn’t arrived yet. Here’s what forecasters are getting wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Karen Firestone | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The beginning of Bank of America's 2023 outlook report, which included interviews with its top economists and strategists, highlighted "what a potential recession could mean for the markets." The bank indicated in one of its reports that the average probability among strategists predicting a 2023 recession at the end of last year was about 65%. Cynics might say economists and market strategists are often wrong. Finally, it seems as if the stock market recognized the limitations of the recession prediction back in October 2022. The recession may follow that same path if inflation, including energy, continues to slide and enough portions of the economy hold up.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, It's, Louis, Karen Firestone Organizations: Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, Bank of, Federal, Treasury, Street, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Institute for Supply Management, Capital Markets, Federal Reserve Bank of St, Investors, Celtics, Bruins, Asset Management Locations: U.S

☆ In Abortion Pill Ruling, the Supreme Court Trades Ambition for Prudence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — It was an interim ruling, and the majority gave no reasons. But the Supreme Court’s order on Friday night maintaining the availability of a commonly used abortion pill nonetheless sent a powerful message from a chastened court. Ten months ago, five conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating a constitutional right to abortion that had been in place for half a century. All three of the Trump justices were in the majority. Cynics might be forgiven for thinking that the decision last June, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was a product of raw power.

☆ Elon Musk holds the keys to the moon because SpaceX's Starship megarocket launch is crucial to NASA's return
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The rocket, which NASA has tagged for upcoming missions, is crucial to NASA's return to the moon. The highly anticipated Starship launch will determine whether NASA's Artemis moon program is on track for success. NASA's SLS relies on Starship for the moon landingA Starship prototype being launched. NASA's SLS rocket, by contrast, has a high price tag for the taxpayer: The project has cost $50 billion in development since the program's inception in 2006. All of this makes NASA's SLS a poor competitor to SpaceX's shiny new rocket.

☆ Starbucks is launching olive oil infused-coffee, and even interim CEO Howard Schultz acknowledged there was 'some skepticism' about the drink
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Starbucks launched a new line of olive oil-infused coffee on Tuesday. Starbucks interim CEO Schultz had called the new line "transformative" and likened it to "alchemy." Now, the coffee giant is peddling its new Oleato line — essentially, olive oil-infused coffee. Customers in certain markets can also ask for a spoonful of olive oil to be added to beverages such as espressos and tea lattes. Schultz added Starbucks would not be making any health claims for the olive oil-infused drinks, per The Journal.

Some Republicans heckled him at times during a speech that lasted 73 minutes. But over the past two years, we proved the cynics and the naysayers wrong," said Biden, a Democrat. The White House has said Biden will not negotiate over that necessity; Republicans want spending cuts in exchange for their support. And he stuck to that theme, highlighting a massive infrastructure bill and gently ribbing Republican lawmakers who opposed it. Some House Republican lawmakers have questioned Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential race against Trump, vowing to investigate his Cabinet and family.

☆ Americans are pessimistic. With 2024 looming, Biden can't afford to squander the State of the Union.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

His State of the Union address will likely highlight his administration's wins thus far. Biden has some real wins to tout — but he's running out of timeTonight, Biden will have the best opportunity of the year to bridge this divide. True, fewer Americans are watching State of the Union addresses than in the past. Presidents are supposed to say the state of the union is strong, while the opposition party casts a more dour outlook. Even as Americans are largely satisfied with their quality of life, they're still pessimistic about the general direction of the country.

☆ Biden to deliver State of the Union address amid high inflation and divided Congress that threaten to derail economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"Put simply, I would argue the Biden economic plan is working. The White House is already seeing challenges under House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the new Republican majority. House Republicans have been in a fraught standoff with the White House over raising the debt ceiling, a topic the White House has said is not up for negotiation. The White House on Friday announced that National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, Biden's top economic aide, is departing. Jeff Zients, former White House Covid-19 response coordinator under Biden and an economic advisor to former President Barack Obama, will replace Ron Klain as White House chief of staff.

☆ Decades-low unemployment rate is welcome news for Biden ahead of State of the Union
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden cheered jobs numbers released Friday morning showing the lowest unemployment rate in almost 54 years, pointing to the report as another example of that his policies are working. "The last time the unemployment rate was that low was May 1969," Biden said, speaking from the White House. "More people are coming into the market looking for jobs and getting jobs, a positive sign for the health of the economy going forward." The Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report released Friday found the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, an almost 54-year low, even better than the 3.6% economists expected. Friday's jobs report showed the strongest payroll gains since July, a positive sign for the economy entering the new year.

☆ Cramer sees bullish signs starting to emerge in the stock market, just not in the same places as before
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Case in point: Mike Wilson, the genius of 2022, the strategist who was the most negative — and, therefore, the most right. Seven days ago, he predicted the bank earnings, the kick-off, would jolt the market by coming in sharply below expectations. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Here are the 7 investments the top-ranked inflation fund on Morningstar used to hedge against higher prices this year — and how the portfolio will change as inflation peaks in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The AXS Astoria Inflation Sensitive ETF is the top-ranked inflation fund of 2022. Greg Bassuk of AXS Investments shared how his firm invests with inflation high. It's hard to imagine a better first year than the one the AXS Astoria Inflation Sensitive ETF (PPI) just had. But Greg Bassuk, CEO of AXS Investments, is confident that his firm's fund can continue to provide solid returns as inflation stays higher than normal — even if the rate starts to slide. That means that the AXS Astoria Inflation Sensitive ETF will stick with its seven-part portfolio of TIPS, precious metals, agricultural products, and stocks in the energy, financials, industrials, and materials as inflation stays higher than normal in 2023.

☆ REVIEW Soccer-Whatever the ending, Qatar World Cup duly delivered
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country. But for a month the so-called beautiful game did, in the words of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, spread some joy. The marquee names of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered storylines. In five second-half minutes Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari wrote themselves into Saudi sporting folklore by scoring the goals to overturn a Messi penalty and seal the biggest statistical shock in World Cup history. Messi, channelling his inner-Maradona, inspired Argentina to beat Croatia and few would begrudge the diminutive number 10's record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance ending with him holding aloft the gleaming trophy.

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