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☆ Elon Musk's 'gamification' of government spending taps into our natural competitive instinct
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementIt was perhaps inevitable that Elon Musk — a tech titan and a prolific gamer — would try to turn government spending into a game. It's a natural move for Musk, who came up in the tech world in the early 2000s, as "gamification" took hold. "That's that kind of logic that you end up having if you're not really cautious about how it's designed." AdvertisementFor the government, that might hinge on what counts as waste and whether Musk's leaderboard can get people to agree. Otherwise, Hon said gamification might have short-term benefits but backfire in the long term as important, less-tangible factors are crowded out by overemphasizing one metric.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Elon, Musk, Jane McGonigal, McGonigal, Adrian Hon, You've, Richard Landers, it's, you've, Landers, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, " Landers, Jill, It's, Petrzela, Musk's, gamification, he's Organizations: Service, Government Efficiency, University of Minnesota, SXSW, Netflix, Nike, New School Locations: gamification

Do vibration plates have health benefits? Although vibration plates are safe for most people, ultimately, Johnson says, “when we make changes, we tell people to listen to their body.”Deja Mason of Roanoke, Virginia, said she first heard about vibration plates on TikTok. As vibration plates experience a resurgence, some hear echoes of past fitness fads. “Trends come and go,” she said, pointing to other trends that displaced vibration plates, like group fitness and CrossFit. But just as vibrating plates shake users up and down in quick succession, trends too are always oscillating.

Persons: ”, Jörn Rittweger, Rittweger, “, that’s, There’s “, Håkan, Peter W, Johnson, ” Johnson, Lifepro, Deja Mason, ” Mason, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, ” Petrzela Organizations: German Aerospace Center, University of Cologne, Lund University Cancer Centre, International Society of Lymphology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, New School Locations: TikTok, Germany, Sweden, Roanoke , Virginia, New York City

☆ Insider Today: Fine-dining faux pas
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Joi-Marie Mckenzie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Go to newsletter preferencesSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. On the agenda:This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Fitness industry consultant Pete McCall told Business Insider evidence shows "building muscle through strength training, as opposed to using cardio to manage weight, has a much greater effect on promoting longevity." A Business Insider reporter decided to test these habits for a week. More of this week's top reads:AdvertisementThe Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: —, Rebecca Zisser, Gabby Landsverk, Hilary Brueck, Pete McCall, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Mauro Maietta, Amr Bo Shanab, Wengen Ling, Bon appétit, Terri Peters, Taylor Swift, Kate Green, Kamala Harris, Swift, Natalie Ammari, Alex Garland's, Kirsten Dunst, Max, Dan DeFrancesco, Lisa Ryan, Amanda Yen, Grace Lett Organizations: Service, Business, Crunch Fitness, Hamptons, HBO, Apple, Apple Watch, tote Locations: ellipticals, Manhattan, Florida, America, New York City, New York, Chicago

☆ Where Are the Squat Racks? Gyms Are Rushing to Remodel for Strength-Training
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Related storiesThe boom of strength training in 2020Australian personal trainer Kayla Itsines developed the uber popular "Sweat with Kayla" app. "The 20-somethings, the 40-somethings, the 60-somethings will all be gravitating towards strength training, just because of the benefits it provides." They're branding themselves as more of a high-intensity training equipment provider than just a stair-climbing apparatus provider these days. Strength training is ideal for extending your "play span," your ability to keep doing what you love as you age. "What strength training really affords people is to make age just feel like a number," he said.

Persons: you'll, Mauro Maietta, that's, Kenneth Cooper, Arnold Schwarzeneggers, it's, Richard Simmons, Evan Hurd, Pete McCall, Kayla Itsines, Kayla, Kira Stokes, Kaisa Keranen, they'd, Pamela Kufahl, Kufahl, Gen Z, there's, —, they're, you've, Antonio Villalba, McCall, Clive Brunskill, Chris Travis, Jim Rowley, MoMo, JDI, Priscilla Del Moral, JDI's, Miriam Fried, MF, she's, Del, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela Organizations: Venture, Business, Sports, Fitness Industry Association, Crunch Fitness, Kids, Health & Fitness Association, Amazon, Health, Fitness, Getty, Seattle, New, Crunch, Athletech News, New School, Brands, Core Health Locations: Manhattan, L.A, Barre, Orange, New York City, New York

☆ KKR Partner celebrates Pride Month
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | 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 EmailKKR Partner celebrates Pride MonthKKR Partner Ken Mehlman says investing in diverse workforces leads to better performing companies.

Persons: Ken Mehlman Organizations: KKR, Pride

☆ Peloton's demise is another in a long line of failed fitness fads
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Peloton isn't going under imminently, but let's be real here: No fitness fad lasts forever. While there was a lot that went wrong, the long and short of it is that Peloton failed to read the room on its pandemic popularity. "It's not that Peloton isn't a good business model; it's that it simply isn't a mass product but more of a niche, luxe one," she said. Investors have soured on the company, and Peloton's once $50 billion market cap has fallen to under $2 billion. It also has to contend with the gym, which has all sorts of classes and fitness equipment that let people mix things up, including, in many cases, Pelotons or other connected-fitness devices.

Persons: I've, Tae, monthslong, Rina Raphael, Simeon Siegel, It's, That's, Siegel, Paul Golding, it's, Golding, there's, Raphael, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Emily Stewart Organizations: Private, BMO Capital Markets, Macquarie Capital, Google, YouTube, New School, Facebook, Business Locations: COVID, unsubscribing, Barre, America

☆ KKR raises $2.8 billion for second global impact fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Greg Roumeliotis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KKR & Co Inc (KKR.N) has completed the raise of its second global impact fund dedicated to investments that advance sustainability and social equity, amassing $2.8 billion. To fall within the impact fund's scope, investments must advance one or more of the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals in a measurable way. The impact fund can invest in companies alongside KKR's other private equity funds, though in the majority of its investments it is the sole KKR fund participating. KKR's global impact team, which has grown from four people when it launched in 2018 to more than 20, so far has made 18 investments. "We target middle-market private equity returns in line with our other businesses," Antablin said.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Ken Mehlman, Robert Antablin, Mehlman, Antablin, Greg Roumeliotis, Will Dunham Organizations: KKR, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Co Inc, Reuters, United Nations, Systems, Alliance, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, India

☆ Opinion | The Church of Group Fitness
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Some talked about clubs that formed organically in their neighborhoods or towns, like that Colorado hiking group. But they found community — and more — in CrossFit, a group class that involves a variety of high-intensity exercises and weight lifting. CrossFit also has parallels with some religious organizations in terms of the potential to alienate people who disagree with conservative-aligned beliefs. Petrzela described an unsavory side of group fitness involving entitled star instructors and the businesses that profit from them. Still, there are many positives to glean from group fitness.

Persons: Jeffrey Johnson, Louis, ” Johnson, ” Casper ter Kuile, ”, Johnson, CrossFitters, There’s, CrossFit, Greg Glassman, George Floyd, Covid, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Petrzela, Ter Kuile, Angie Thurston Organizations: Harvard Divinity School Locations: Colorado, Illinois, St, Haiti, CrossFit

Chris Christie's presidential campaign will report raising $1.65 million in the second quarter, which included the former New Jersey governor's first 25 days in the 2024 campaign. “In 25 days, the Christie campaign is building a strong foundation with small-dollar donors, industry leaders and familiar faces in the Republican Party,” said adviser Maria Comella. In addition, the super PAC aligned with Christie, Tell It Like It Is PAC, said it raised nearly $5.9 million between the former governor's campaign announcement on June 6 and the close of the second quarter on June 30. The Christie campaign also highlighted a number of notable donors who have given support so far, including several — former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Kentucky Republican donors Kelly and Joe Craft — who have also given support to former Vice President Mike Pence.

Persons: Chris Christie's, “, Christie, ”, Maria Comella, Bill Palatucci, Haley Barbour, Kelly, Joe Craft —, Mike Pence, Ken Mehlman, Anthony Scaramucci, Adam Kinzinger, Henry Kravis, Tom MacArthur, Bobbie, Bill Kilberg Organizations: New Jersey governor's, Republican Party, Mississippi Gov, Republican National, Trump White House, Trump, First PAC, GOP, KKR Locations: New Jersey, Mississippi, Kentucky

☆ Fact check: Trump’s own campaign can’t find proof for his ‘mental institutions’ immigration story
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

How we searched for proof of Trump’s storyCNN conducted a broad search for any proof for Trump’s story. These articles did not mention anything about South American mental health facilities being emptied under President Joe Biden, nor feature any quote from a doctor at any such facility. We then reached out to a pro-Trump super PAC asking for evidence for Trump’s “mental institution” story, but a spokesperson didn’t respond. We next turned to two groups that advocate for reduced immigration, the Center for Immigration Studies and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which would be good candidates to be aware of any such evidence. As a last resort, we posted Trump’s quotes on Twitter and invited the public to try to find support for them.

☆ The messy, high-stakes world of private equity's fossil-fuel dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Most major private-investment firms are working to cut down on emissions their portfolio companies send into the atmosphere. It's also set targets to get three-quarters of its majority-owned power-and-energy portfolio companies' emissions that they generate directly and indirectly covered by Paris-aligned climate goals by 2025. A growing number of private-equity firms' pension-fund limited partners are under pressure themselves to either invest around environmental, social, and governance matters or shun investing through those lenses altogether. Firms' plans with their upstream investments tend to draw the most attention because they're involved in drilling for new oil and gas. If you're a private-equity firm and you continue to make new upstream investments, I don't believe you have a Paris-aligned plan.

☆ Why it’s impossible to find an open squat rack at the gym
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

You’ll have much better luck finding an open elliptical machine than a bench press, squat rack or 30-pound dumbbells. The pandemic led more people to take up weight training, gym owners and industry experts say. Post-pandemic, the surge in the popularity of weight training has helped the gym industry recover. Paul/Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesThe arrival of Nautilus and Universal strength training equipment in the 1970s and 1980s made weightlifting more attractive to a broader range of people. Genesis clubs have added more squat and dumbbell racks to keep up with demand for strength training and downsized cardio areas.

Ron DeSantis, who won re-election in a landslide Tuesday, threw his political weight behind 30 school board candidates this election cycle. In Florida, because school board races are nonpartisan, if candidates capture at least 50% of the vote in the primary, they don’t need to compete in the November elections. That stands in contrast to the results for the Florida Democratic Party, which supported 30 school board candidates, only nine of whom won seats this year. Riding a wave of conservative parent anger, Republicans in several states targeted school board races, with mixed results. However, GOP candidates running against progressive ideas captured seats on the State Board of Education, which sets curriculum standards.

☆ Anthony Gonzalez snags GoodRx, Marie Newman sells Moderna, Gary Peters buys fossil fuel burners
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-26 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Newman sells ModernaLast week, Insider reporters Kimberly Leonard and Warren Rojas profiled the stock trades of Rep. Marie Newman, a freshman Democrat from Illinois, and her husband. On Wednesday, Newman reported that she or her husband made additional stock trades in January. And he and his wife last week reported making dozens of different stock trades and financial moves during March. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, made more than 60 stock trades during March. Rep. John Yarmuth, a Democrat from Kentucky, meanwhile made nearly 20 stock trades during March.

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