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☆ I'm a Brit living in the US. I dread Mother's Day because my mom lives over 3,000 miles away.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jane Ridley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

My 93-year-old mom lives over 3,000 miles from me across the Atlantic. I envy families who are together on Mother's Day and can make their moms feel special in person. AdvertisementIn the run-up to Mother's Day this year, my inbox has been flooded with holiday specials. Every time I receive a new email with Mother's Day in the subject line, I can't help but feel sad. Related storiesMy husband suggested we go out for Mother's Day brunch a few years ago.

Persons: —, she's Organizations: Service, Mother's, Hallmark, Business Locations: England, New York, Portland , Oregon, British

☆ Roses Are Red, Love Is True. Here’s Why This Bouquet Costs $72.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Stefanos Chen | Adrienne Grunwald | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To gather every last stem and ribbon, Mr. Patrikis is on the phone constantly, negotiating with 15 distributors to get the best deals. “If you don’t know how to buy from the wholesalers, the wholesalers are going to buy you,” he said. Mr. Patrikis prefers the Explorer variety of red roses, which he said tend to have larger blooms and stay fresh longer than some other varieties. The elevated prices put pressure on longtime florists like Mr. Patrikis, whose shop was one of five on his block around 2010. Ditmars Flower Shop is now the last one left.

Persons: Patrikis, ” Locations: New York City

☆ Flower Arrangements Are Reaching New Heights
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Alice Cavanagh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“I have so much admiration for florists who can make haphazard, wild arrangements,” says Miguel Yatco, 30, the floral artist behind the Brooklyn-based studio Agos Muni. If last summer saw the culmination of a trend for sprawling, low-lying floral landscapes, Yatco’s work represents an aesthetic about-face. But these works are also defined by their height, their long stems often extending above or through equally elongated vessels. Compared to the bouffant-like silhouettes of Bosschaert’s assemblages, Boutemy’s were narrow, continuing the line of the cylindrical Venetian bubble-glass vases that held them. “Rigor and clarity are the most important things,” Boutemy says, and an elongated shape means “each flower remains visible and each gives strength to another.”

Persons: florists, ”, Miguel Yatco, Agos Muni, Jacqueline Sullivan —, Thierry Boutemy, Ambrosius Bosschaert, ” Boutemy Organizations: Flemish Locations: Brooklyn, York, Paris, Brussels, Wan

☆ Putin's big week means more uncertainty for the markets during a critical time
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Milly Struthers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In today’s big story, we’re looking at why the recent resurgence of Vladimir Putin and Russia comes at an inopportune time for the markets. The big storyPutin's big weekRebecca Zisser/Business InsiderVladimir Putin hasn't notched many personal wins since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but last week was an exception. Putin’s successes further complicate a geopolitical situation that has silently loomed over a US economy trying to tiptoe past a recession.

Persons: —, florists, Vladimir Putin, Rebecca Zisser, Vladimir Putin hasn't, Tucker Carlson, he’s, Tom Porter, Carlson, Putin, Joe, Donald Trump, BI’s Brent D, Griffiths, Tom, GAVRIIL, Jamie Dimon, Ray Dalio, Jerome Powell, It’s, David Rosenberg, doesn’t, Alex Wong, Stocks, Savita Subramanian, Grammarly, Abanti Chowdhury, Zers, Temu, Sam Altman, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb Organizations: Service, NATO, Sputnik, Kremlin, JPMorgan, Bridgewater Associates, Reserve, Federal Reserve, Bank of America, Labor Statistics, Tech, Chiefs, 49ers, World, Ferrari, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, China, Israel, Gaza, Washington ,, New York, London

☆ Florists share the 7 mistakes to avoid when buying someone flowers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Alyssa Towns Swantkoski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Business Insider asked florists about mistakes people make when buying flowers. AdvertisementAhead of Valentine's Day, Business Insider asked florists to share mistakes people make when buying and ordering bouquets. Colleen McGing , a floral and event designer, told Business Insider that consumers might get a better value by trusting the pros. “Florists aren’t equal, so it’s important to read reviews, look for certifications, and ensure a florist’s professionalism and reliability before ordering,” he told BI. Factor in hidden costs and delivery fees when ordering flowers onlineWhen ordering flowers online, beware of add-on costs that can make an arrangement cost significantly more than you'd think.

Persons: —, florists, aren't, Colleen McGing, ”, McGing, Igor Podyablonskiy, Podyablonskiy, Elena Noviello, Rachel Cho, Cho, Alexander Spatari, premade, ” McGing Organizations: Service, Business, Research

The White House Historical Association hopes to provide answers to some of those questions when it opens The People’s House: A White House Experience, in the fall of 2024. The center will feature a large cutaway model of the White House with rooms that, with the help of technology, can morph into the Green Room, the Blue Room or the Red Room. People will also learn about the slave labor that went into building the White House. About 500,000 people visit the White House yearly, McLaurin said. The White House Historical Association was created in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to help preserve the museum quality of the interior of the White House and educate the public.

Persons: ” Stewart McLaurin, president’s décor, —, McLaurin, ”, you’re, Jill Biden, Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen, ” Biden, Jacqueline Kennedy Organizations: WASHINGTON, Historical Association, House, Pennsylvania, Associated Press, White, Metropolitan Museum of Art, “, White House Locations: Washington, White, housekeepers, New York

☆ The warped financial logic fueling America’s ‘doom loop’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Well, when a landlord doesn't lower the rent to get a new retail tenant, it's because that landlord can't. They're free to renegotiate or refinance the terms of mortgages, given the extraordinary downturn facing retail storefronts. And the future will be full of even higher vacancy rates, higher interest rates, and lower rents. Retail rents have flattened, she says, but the construction of retail space has not. Still, from an urban-planning standpoint, the way we finance retail space makes no sense.

Persons: You've, apocalypses, that's, It's, David Greensfelder, Greensfelder, Banks, what's, —, Larisa Ortiz, Ortiz, Justin Sullivan, Lorenzo Perez, I've, Rachel Meltzer, Kazuko Morgan, Perez, Culdesac, Something's, Meltzer, Adam Rogers Organizations: McKinsey & Company, Verizon, Republics, Harvard Locations: America, Urban, Manhattan, San Francisco, Market, vaya, What's, Phoenix, That's, LA, New York, Wakefield, Tempe , Arizona

Strike signs await striking SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 25, 2023. The WGA, which represents 11,500 film and television writers, described the deal as "exceptional" with "meaningful gains and protections for writers." While writing may resume, the SAG-AFTRA actors' union remains on strike. Efforts to restart daytime talk shows without writers, such as "The Drew Barrymore Show," collapsed this month, in the face of criticism from striking writers and actors. Even as studio executives celebrated the end of the longest-running writers' strike since 1988, it is only half the labor battle.

Persons: Mike Blake, Caroline Renard, Hollywood's, Drew Barrymore, Bob Iger, Iger, It's, Brandon K, Hines, Kevin Klowden, David Zaslav, Ted Sarandos, Donna Langley, AFTRA, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Danielle Broadway, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Disney Studios, REUTERS, WGA, Hollywood, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Disney, Milken Institute, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, California, New Mexico, Georgia, New York, Los Angeles

☆ Egypt’s Government Is Bulldozing the City of the Dead - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Hussein Omar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It’s the oldest continuously used Muslim cemetery in the world, and its history traces back to the seventh century. The City of the Dead has always been a city of the living as well. My visits, and the small acts of tending to the dead, helped me make meaning out of a meaningless loss. The City of the Dead does not just house my own personal memories; it is one of the last remaining open repositories of Egypt’s historical memory. Now the dead are being exhumed, the living are being evicted, and the historic buildings that house them both are being bulldozed.

Persons: grievers, Cairenes, I’ve, Abdel Fattah el Locations: Cairo, al, City, Egypt

☆ ChatGPT is becoming a certified cash cow with OpenAI on course to generate $1 billion in annual sales, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

ChatGPT is set to become a $1 billion sales cash cow for OpenAI. The Information cited a source saying OpenAI will soon hit $1 billion in annual sales. It's a sign that AI tools like ChatGPT can be lucrative as businesses drive demand. AdvertisementAdvertisementOpenAI's prized possession ChatGPT is helping propel the company towards $1 billion in annual revenue as the boom in AI demand from businesses drives a sales bonanza, according to a new report. Developers using the AI model at the heart of ChatGPT say it's getting dumber.

Persons: OpenAI, Carlyle, Similarweb, ChatGPT, hoover Organizations: Morning, Microsoft, Enterprise, ChatGPT, Amazon, The New York Times

BREAKING VASES IS an occupational hazard for florists, but for Wagner Kreusch it’s also a source of inspiration. The Brazilian-born, London-based botanical artist collects ceramics from makers around the world and when one of them accidentally slips through his fingers, he saves the fragments, reconfiguring the shards on the floor of his studio to look like the vessel has just toppled over, and arranges flowers (he prefers wild flora such as amaranth and mimosa) amid the chaos. Most recently, Kreusch, a certified ikebana instructor, transplanted a cluster of foraged roadside marigolds, root systems intact, and placed them amid a half-smashed terra-cotta garden pot he found at a market in Porto, Portugal. “They looked like they broke the vase to free themselves,” he says of the unruly cluster of yellow blooms. The gravitational pull is both literal and metaphorical; by building on the floor, they’re at once returning flowers to the earth (if only symbolically) and repositioning a flower arrangement’s hierarchy in a given room — these are designs that demand space, that shift the balance of focus from the mantel or dining room table, that make life a little inconvenient for the occupants.

Persons: Wagner Kreusch it’s, “, ”, you’re Locations: Brazilian, London, Porto, Portugal, they’re

☆ Hollywood strikes have already had a $3 billion impact on California's economy, experts say: It's causing 'a lot of hardship'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

People take selfies beneath the Hollywood sign as the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike continues on July 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. "A lot of different people are impacted surrounding the industry," Holmes says, "and it's causing them a lot of hardship." How long could the strike lastSome experts say the current strike could set the record for the longest writers' strike in Hollywood history. If strikes last until October, Holmes estimates the economic cost will total closer to $4 billion to $5 billion. The WGA represents 11,500 members, while SAG-AFTRA represents roughly 160,000 members.

Persons: Todd Holmes, Holmes, Lee Ohanian, Billy Porter, Kevin Klowden, Milken, Ohanian, it's Organizations: WGA, Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Cal State Northridge, Milken Institute, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, University of California, CNBC, LA Times, Hollywood, Variety, SAG, Disney, Warner Bros Locations: Los Angeles , California, California, LA, Los Angeles

☆ The UK has slapped so many sanctions on Russian oligarchs, authorities are struggling to keep up with their applications to pay at supermarkets, florists, and yoga studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UK's sanctions enforcement authority is swamped with license applications from Russian individuals, per the Guardian. The sanctioned individuals need to get permission to access funds even for their daily needs. UK received 1,000 applications related to Russian sanctions since the Ukraine war started — up 100 times on-year. After all, sanctioned individuals appear to be willy-nilly applying for licenses for every spend. "I've always advised my clients that, frankly, you shouldn't be applying for the florist or the yoga teacher," a second unnamed lawyer representing several sanctioned individuals told The Guardian.

Persons: Europe —, willy, I've, it's Organizations: Guardian, Service, Russia, Waitrose, Treasury Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Europe

☆ Striking Hollywood writers, studios meet to discuss resuming talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 2, 2023. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Aug 4 (Reuters) - As the Hollywood writers' strike approaches the 100-day mark, Writers Guild of America (WGA) negotiators will meet on Friday with representatives of the major studios for the first time in three months to discuss whether contract talks can resume. "We challenge the studios and AMPTP to come to the meeting they called for this Friday with a new playbook," the WGA said in an email. Fox is expected to announce that television's Emmy Awards will be rescheduled to air in January due to the strikes, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a person familiar with the plans. Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; additional reporting by Danielle Broadway in Los Angeles Editing by Mary Milliken and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mario, Walt Disney, Fox, Jorge A . Reyes, Kevin Hill, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Paramount Studios, REUTERS, Hollywood, Guild of America, WGA, Television Producers, Walt, Netflix, Screen Actors, Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros Discovery, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ What Does It Mean to Be a Witness?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Mateo Askaripour | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

WITNESS: Stories, by Jamel BrinkleyThe National Book Award finalist Jamel Brinkley’s sophomore story collection, “Witness,” opens with an epigraph from James Baldwin, describing how thin the line is between a witness and an actor: “Nevertheless,” Baldwin concludes, “the line is real.” But is it? Over the course of 10 splendidly thought-provoking stories — set in Brooklyn and featuring animal rescue volunteers, florists, ghosts, UPS workers and a host of other characters — Brinkley shatters Baldwin’s thesis, masterfully demonstrating that witness and actor are one and the same. The act of witnessing is often rooted in physical sight, so an emphasis on what the eye perceives only makes sense. Throughout the collection, characters see and are seen, experiencing a kaleidoscopic range of emotions in response to being observed. “I can see your true nature now,” a woman tells her brother in “Witness,” a particularly heart-shattering story about a jobless grad student living in a cramped apartment with his ill sister and her new husband.

Persons: Jamel Brinkley, Jamel, ”, James Baldwin, “, ” Baldwin, — Brinkley, Brinkley Locations: Brooklyn

☆ ChatGPT was an 'oh crap' moment for hundreds of CEOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Shona Ghosh | Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

ChatGPT was an 'oh crap' moment for every CEO. Bosses of everything from travel firms to online florists showed off hastily built ChatGPT plug-ins. For much of corporate America right now, there's the world before ChatGPT, and the world after. Beckley was trying to enjoy the remainder of his Thanksgiving holiday when AI startup OpenAI dropped ChatGPT to the public on November 30. In 2022, the startup was reportedly heavily loss-making due to the costs of creating and running ChatGPT.

Persons: ChatGPT, florists, Michael Beckley, Appian, Beckley, Jefferies, Chris McCann, Jim Conroy, Appian's Beckley, everyone's, everything's Organizations: Morning, America, Mother's Locations: OpenAI

☆ It's time to see whether AI is the new internet – or the next Metaverse
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AI could transform business like the internet – or end up in the tech graveyard like the Metaverse. Companies will have a chance to show that their increased spending on AI tech helped them make more money, over the quarter in which ChatGPT fully established itself in the public consciousness. Zealots have used early success stories like Nvidia, Tesla, and other mega-cap names to argue that AI is like a new version of the internet – technology that outlasts a period of initial hype, and then transforms the way that business is done forever. But for every dot-com boom there's so-called "disruptive tech" like crypto or the Metaverse – fads that end up losing companies money, rather than boosting their profits. In other words, soon companies will have to show that AI can raise their profits like the internet did – or else it'll be consigned to the tech graveyard like the Metaverse was.

Persons: Jensen, Jordan Stuart, Federated Hermes Organizations: Morning, America, Semiconductor, Nvidia, Tesla, Federated Locations: ChatGPT

☆ AI has to show it's like the internet in 1995 – not the Metaverse in 2021
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AI could transform business the way the internet did – or be consigned to the tech graveyard like the Metaverse was. Companies will have a chance to show that their increased spending on AI tech helped them make more money, over the quarter in which ChatGPT fully established itself in the public consciousness. But for every dot-com boom there's so-called "disruptive tech" like crypto or the Metaverse – fads that end up losing companies money, rather than boosting their profits. "But finding companies that can actually make money using this technology is going to be really difficult." In other words, soon companies will have to show that AI can raise their profits like the internet did – or else it'll be consigned to the tech graveyard like the Metaverse was.

Persons: Jensen, Jordan Stuart, Federated Hermes Organizations: Morning, America, Semiconductor, Nvidia, Tesla, Federated Locations: ChatGPT

The case, though framed as clash between free speech and gay rights, was the latest in a series of decisions in favor of religious people and groups, notably conservative Christians. A Colorado law forbids discrimination against gay people by businesses open to the public as well as statements announcing such discrimination. But when the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, 303 Creative L.L.C. He was the author of every major Supreme Court decision protecting gay rights under the Constitution. But he was also the court’s most ardent defender of free speech.

Persons: Neil M, Gorsuch, Lorie Smith, Smith, Smith’s, Mary Beck Briscoe, Judge Briscoe, “, ” Judge Briscoe, Timothy M, Tymkovich, George Orwell, ’ ”, ”, Anthony M, Kennedy, Justice Kennedy, Jack Phillips, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Brett M, Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett Organizations: Supreme, U.S ., Appeals, Circuit, Colorado Civil Rights Commission Locations: Colorado, Denver, “ Colorado

Weekly orders this year now average 26 as the strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) halted many film and TV productions, Elyea said. Florists, caterers, costume suppliers and others have seen orders dwindle as many are still recovering from disruptions caused by COVID-19. No new talks are scheduled between major Hollywood studios and the writers, who are seeking higher pay and guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence. The strike's impact would be magnified if the SAG-AFTRA actors union also goes on strike when its contract expires on Friday. "Now, there's the writers' strike, and we're losing the movies that have been so good to us."

Persons: Pam Elyea's, Elyea, Kevin Klowden, Klowden, You've, Ross Garner, Danni Sapp, Sapp, Cristina, John Iverson, Cristina Iverson, Iverson, we're, hadn't, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Sandra Maler Organizations: Hollywood, Hire, Writers Guild of America, SAG, WGA, Milken Institute, NFP's Entertainment Group, Services, Netflix, HBO, Television Fund, Vogue, FBI, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles, California, United States, COVID, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Waco

☆ Three Summery, Swoonworthy New Romance Novels
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Olivia Waite | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Estrada women are no ordinary florists, however: They grow magical blooms used for truth serums, memory removers and dangerous, desirable love potions. Soon Harlow is caught up in the delivery of a bonding bouquet for an older couple, and flirting with the bouquet customer’s attractive, mysterious grandson. It’s hilarious at the start, heartbreaking toward the end, and full of places you want to dive into and never leave. These are simple questions, but they are simple the way a blade is simple, and Cervantes makes their edge palpable. Perfect for flaying open your heart on a summer afternoon, with a glass of something cool to soothe the sting.

Persons: Estrada, Harlow, Ben, it’s, we’ve, Cervantes

There has been close attention to diplomatic detail in advance of Thursday’s state dinner, including catering to the guest’s dietary restrictions. Nina Curtis, a plant-based chef from Sacramento, California, will be the dinner’s guest chef, working with White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison to develop the menu, the office of the first lady said. Modi, a White House official said, is a vegetarian and “the First Lady selected Chef Curtis for her experience with plant-based cuisine.”And Grammy Award-winning American violinist and conductor Joshua Bell will provide the evening’s entertainment, the office of the first lady said. The state dinner is one element of an elaborate visit for the prime minister, which comes amid some criticism over Modi’s human rights record. This will mark the third state dinner of the Biden administration after the Bidens hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in December and South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol in April.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Narendra Modi, Nina Curtis, Cris Comerford, Susie Morrison, Modi, Chef Curtis, Joshua Bell, Betty Monkman, Jake Sullivan, “, Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Yoon Suk Organizations: CNN, White, State Department, South Locations: Washington, Sacramento , California, India, United States

☆ The average wedding just hit $29,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The average cost of a wedding, nationally, this year is $29,000, up $1,000 from 2022, according to online wedding planning site Zola. It said searches for alternative weddings – especially underwater weddings – have jumped 305% on its platform. “Though slightly challenging logistically, it should be interesting to see the data for underwater weddings in 2023,” she said. “Wedding photographer Kimber Greenwood, who specializes in underwater wedding photography, is booked to photograph 20 of them this year. The wedding industry should enjoy the recovery, because it may not last.

Persons: Zola, they’re, Emily Forrest, San, Esther Lee, ”, Knot’s Lee, “, Kimber Greenwood, Pinterest, Jenna Landi, “ There’s, Greenwood, they’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, New York, Big Apple, Jewelers Locations: New York, New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Ft . Lauderdale, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, Gainesville , Florida

☆ Florists, caterers...Tiktokers? Content creators are bringing in up to $150/hour filming weddings for social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Wilkins, 29, of Fayetteville, Ark., says social media plays a large role in her life as a small business owner. She thinks hiring wedding content creators makes sense in addition to hiring traditional wedding photographers and videographers. For one, she says, "No matter what media you use to take the pictures, they're going to end up on social media." Lanise Harris was always good at capturing social media content at weddings. Alejandra Hernandez wedding content creator, Always a Bride Events

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