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☆ My flight got canceled right before Christmas — so I rented a car with 3 strangers and drove 20 hours home
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Fortesa Latifi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

When Maynard's flight from Florida to Ohio got canceled, he rented a car with strangers to get home. I've always liked having adventures, but I never thought I'd find myself driving 20 hours across the country with three total strangers to make it to Christmas. After the flight cancellation was announced, I made my way to the airline help desk to try to get a refund or another flight. Greg mentioned that he was going to go secure a rental car just in case there weren't any flight options, which I thought was really smart. Bridget (back right), and Abby (front right) in a rental car.

☆ 3 ways entrepreneurs are using QR codes to connect with customers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kim Kardashian released an ad in December for her brand, Skkn by Kim, that included a QR code. Kardashian is one of many entrepreneurs using QR technology in their marketing strategies. Additionally, QR codes saw a resurgence in the pandemic, as businesses used them for contactless payment or instead of physical menus. Three small-business owners share how entrepreneurs can use QR codes to grow their brands. The pop-up included a collection of fashion, wellness, and home-goods items, each with a QR code that directed shoppers to the brand's Instagram account.

Seven decades ago, Carol Aird and Therese Belivet went on a second date. The film earned six Academy Award nominations and the enduring adoration of queer women the world over, who have dubbed Dec. 21 “Carol Day,” and the holiday season “Carol Season.”One of the best ways to celebrate? ‘Carol’ is that magic for the sapphic community.”Watching “Carol” has also been a holiday tradition for Kaina Dominguez, the founder of The Bush Films, a queer film festival with screenings throughout the year. Queer women-centered site Autostraddle once had a “30 Days of Carol” event, where it posted 30 articles about “Carol” in as many days, and one of its writers also watched “Carol” on a 24-hour endless loop. And then there is ‘Carol,’ braving the tsunamis of ‘business/industry requirements’ and telling the tale of love with sensitivity and honesty.”

While travel demand is roaring back, many hotels, airlines, cruise operators and airports are still racing to hire and train workers. That means the level of customer service will likely take a hit, industry experts say. One potential bright spot can be found at sea: During the summer, several cruise lines had to cancel voyages due to staffing shortages, but major disruptions have been largely resolved. “It’s highly unlikely your holiday cruise will be canceled due to lack of staffing,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, a Tripadvisor-run travel site. “This year, I moved my annual holiday travel to earlier in December,” said Abby Rhinehart, an educational researcher in Tucson, Arizona.

☆ Bullet found near bodies of 2 Indiana teens in Delphi killings linked to suspect’s gun, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Mirna-Alsharif-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Mirna Alsharif | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A bullet found near the bodies of two teenage girls who were killed in Delphi, Indiana, has been linked to a gun belonging to the suspect in their 2017 deaths, newly unsealed court documents revealed. On Feb. 13, 2017, investigators believe Abby and Libby were dropped off at around 1:49 p.m. near an entrance to the Delphi Historic Trail. "As the male subject approaches Victim 1 and Victim 2, one of the victims mentions 'gun'," according to the document. "Near the end of the video a male is seen and heard telling the girls, 'Guys, down the hill.' Analysis performed by the Indiana State Police laboratory of the weapon determined that the .40 caliber unspent round found near the girls' bodies was allegedly fired from Allen's pistol, according to the document.

☆ Brett Favre helped an experimental drug maker get $2M in welfare money. Experts doubt the drug can work.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | Ken Dilanian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

And he did more than evangelize, court records show — he successfully lobbied Mississippi state officials who granted the company $2.1 million in federal welfare money that was intended to help poor families. The payment was illegal, state officials allege in a lawsuit — part of a huge Mississippi welfare misspending scandal that has tarnished Favre’s reputation. Favre, who is being sued by Mississippi, has consistently said that he did not know the money he was seeking from the Mississippi Department of Human Services—the state welfare agency—was welfare money. Six people have been charged in what state and federal officials call a massive fraud scheme, including the former director of the state welfare agency, who is cooperating with the FBI and federal prosecutors. Favre is among 38 defendants in a civil lawsuit by the state seeking to recoup the welfare money, including the funds devoted to the volleyball facility and the unproven concussion drug.

☆ I quit my job as a Goldman Sachs VP to write romance novels. It was scary but worth the career change.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Lindsay Macmillan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She left Wall Street to pursue her passion during the Great Resignation. I left my job at Goldman Sachs to pursue my lifelong dream of being an author. In my last few years at the firm, I had an uncommonly good work-life balance for Wall Street, logging only about fifty hours a week. In the midst of the rejections and self-doubt in the years leading up to the book deals, I was grateful for my Wall Street job. In my first job at Goldman, I'd been the only woman investor on my NYC team of twenty men.

☆ My life in NYC revolved around drinking. After I got laid off from Hinge, I moved across the country and started a non-alcoholic wine brand. I'm never going back.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

During the pandemic, she moved across the country and started a non-alcoholic wine company. After I was laid off, I started a non-alcoholic wine companyCourtesy of Molly FedickIn December of 2020, I was laid off from Hinge along with a few other people on the marketing team. It was during that time that I came up with the idea for my business Buzzkill Wines, which is a non-alcoholic wine company. So when I stopped drinking, I Googled non-alcoholic wine. I love how inclusive the "sober-curious" movement isLondon's first adult non-alcoholic drink store.

☆ Student debt forgiveness is on hold for now—here's why it's blocked and what could happen next
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

After appearing to clear a number of other legal hurdles, President Joe Biden's student debt forgiveness plan has been blocked. If the president's appeal in Texas is successful, it's likely the plaintiffs will escalate the case to the Supreme Court or vice versa. Still, federal judges are appointed by elected officials, and it so happens the judges striking down Biden's debt forgiveness were nominated by Republican presidents. Aside from appealing in Texas, the president has not yet announced next steps for the debt forgiveness plan or other relief for borrowers. The 8th Circuit Court's decision to keep the block on debt forgiveness for now adds to the likelihood of a Supreme Court case, she says.

☆ Nick Cannon is set to welcome his 12th child
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —If Hollywood is looking for someone to cast in another version of “Cheaper by the Dozen,” Nick Cannon would now seem the natural lead. The host of the show “The Masked Singer” continues to embrace fatherhood, this time with Abby De La Rosa, who has confirmed that she will welcome her third child with Cannon. This baby news comes on the heels of model Alyssa Scott sharing – via maternity photos with Cannon – that she is also expecting. Scott and Cannon lost their five-month-old son Zen to brain cancer last year. “And I hope my kids can eventually do it their way, whatever that may be in whatever capacity that is.”

☆ Suspect in Delphi slayings of teen girls says he can't afford lawyer and begs court for public defender
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

— The man accused of killing two teenage girls has requested a public defender in a letter to the court filed Wednesday because both he and his wife can no longer work. “I, Richard M. Allen, hereby throw myself at the mercy of the court. I am begging to be provided with legal assistance in a public defender or whatever help is available,” he wrote in the letter to Carroll Circuit Court. Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter announces an arrest Richard M. Allen in Delphi, Ind. “I also did not realize what my wife and I’s immediate financial situation was going to be,” he wrote.

☆ Despite the recent chaos, UK stockpickers are rubbing their hands: Here's what they're buying
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The U.K. has been beset by political and economic instability in recent months, but as the investment environment undergoes a fundamental transition, investors see opportunity. These attractive valuations for U.K. stocks were also identified in a note last week by BlackRock Fundamental Equities. "Not only has the U.K. discount widened to a level not seen since 2008, but companies are buying back record amounts of their own shares. This compares to the current yield on UK 10-year gilts of around 4%." GAM holds around 50% of its U.K. equity income portfolio in small and midcap stocks, with a focus on companies with strong competitive moats.

The states filed their friend-of-the-court brief in San Jose, California, federal court, where the FTC in July asked a federal judge to bar Meta's acquisition of Los Angeles-based Within. The states, joined by the District of Columbia and Guam, said the deal threatens to "harm competition in the emerging virtual reality space." Circuit to revive the states' claims after a U.S. district court judge dismissed the case. Utah, which also signed the amicus brief, is leading a group of states in an antitrust lawsuit challenging how Google runs its app store. The case is Federal Trade Commission v. Meta Platforms Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No.

☆ 9 ways to make your small business go viral on TikTok and increase sales, according to entrepreneurs who've booked thousands in revenue
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Alexandra York | Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

One of the most popular platforms for content creation is TikTok, which has more than 1 billion monthly users. Ford determined her best-performing videos and her best-selling products based on TikTok views and interaction with customers. Her account now has more than 47,000 followers and her most popular video garnered nearly two million views. TikTok screenshotIn March 2021, Damoin Harrell created his first video on TikTok at the request of his niece. To be sure, more views don't always equate to more sales, business owners said.

Sal Perez got his start in "Sesame Street" right out of college as a production coordinator in 2006. Sixteen years later, Perez, 38, is making history as the beloved children's show's first Latino executive producer, ushering in a new season — the show's 53rd — on Thursday. Creating ‘a feeling of community’In his new role as executive producer, Perez wants to continue creating stories with the “Sesame Street” characters “that so many kids love and families trust” while instilling “a feeling of community” and a sense of belonging. “I hope to bring in as many new voices as possible into the fold of 'Sesame Street' as a family,” he said. A scene from the first episode of season 53 of "Sesame Street."

☆ Indiana police to make announcement in unsolved 2017 Delphi murders of 2 teenage girls
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Indiana police will announce an update Monday morning in the the 2017 murders of two teenage girls in Delphi, Indiana, a case that has puzzled the community and online crime sleuths for years. Abigail “Abby” Williams, 13, and Liberty “Libby” German, 14, vanished while hiking in their hometown of Delphi, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis, in February 2017. Their bodies were found Feb. 14, 2017 in a wooded area near the Delphi Historic Trail, a half mile upstream from the bridge. For years police worked to find the girls’ killer and previously said the assailant may have had close connections to Delphi, a city of about 3,000 people. Police previously released two sketches of a suspect.

☆ Laura Dern (sort of) made a cameo on ‘White Lotus’ Season 2
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Laura Dern has returned to working with one of her previous collaborators – but you may have missed it. The “Jurassic Park” star has a small part in the second season premiere of HBO Max’s ensemble dramedy anthology “The White Lotus,” in a voice role as Dominic Di Grasso’s (Michael Imperioli) estranged wife. “The White Lotus” is an Emmy-winning series from writer and creator Mike White that centers on a luxury resort chain and the guests who visit, as well as the staff who run the establishment. White previously collaborated with Dern on the Emmy-nominated HBO show “Enlightened,” which ran from 2011 until 2013. Laura Dern and Mike White in 'Enlightened' (2011).

☆ Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott expecting child following death of son Zen
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Nearly a year after losing her infant son, Alyssa Scott has announced she is pregnant again. Scott shared five-month-old son Zen with Nick Cannon. When their baby was sick, Cannon called Scott “just the strongest woman I’ve ever seen” on his talk show. Along with Zen, Cannon is father to Rise Messiah, 5 weeks, Golden Sagon, 5, and daughter Powerful Queen, 19 months, with model Brittany Bell. He also shares son Legendary Love, 3 months, with model Bre Tiesi and has a baby daughter daughter, Onyx Ice Cole, with model LaNisha Cole.

☆ The South Asian comedians who walked so Gen Z could run
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Those kids are now young adults, and that state of South Asian comedy looks far different than it did 10 years ago. “The South Asian people I grew up with, we were all collectively embarrassed of our culture and background,” said Ayaon Yadav, 21. If not for the Indian comedians before me who did use the Indian accent, I would not be where I am today. “I don’t do the Indian accent because I feel like, in a way, the punch line becomes the accent,” she said. “But if not for the Indian comedians before me who did use the Indian accent, I would not be where I am today.

☆ Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, who's seeking his eighth term in office, has a slim lead over Democratic challenger Mike Franken, poll says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Veteran GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley has a slim three-point lead over Democratic challenger Mike Franken. The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed Grassley leading Franken 46%-43% among likely voters. Grassley usually wins reelection handily, but Franken might give him his toughest race in decades. Franken, a retired United States Navy vice admiral, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Senate nomination in 2020 but was defeated by businesswoman Theresa Greenfield. This year, Franken won the Democratic nomination over former Rep. Abby Finkenauer in a party primary.

☆ Austin Stoker, star of ‘Assault on Precinct 13’ and ‘Sheba, Baby,’ dies at 92
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Austin Stoker, a veteran actor who most notably starred in John Carpenter’s sophomore feature “Assault on Precinct 13” and co-starred with Pam Grier in the 1975 blaxploitation feature “Sheba, Baby,” died Friday of renal failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Details regarding Stoker’s death were shared by his wife of 43 years, Robin Stoker, on her personal Facebook Monday evening. In the landmark independent thriller “Assault on Precinct 13,” Stoker starred as Lt. Ethan Bishop, a Black cop who must lead a group of criminals, civilians and office workers as a police station is besieged by a relentless army of street gang members. In addition to “Precinct 13,” Stoker also played a key role in 1973’s “Battle for the Planet of the Apes,” in which he played Macdonald, the right hand human to Roddy McDowall’s primate leader Caesar. His first TV role came in 1969 with an episode of “The Mod Squad.”Stoker is survived by his wife, Robin; children, Tiffany and Origen; and grandsons, Marcus and Austin.

☆ 'Walker Independence' and 'The Winchesters' review: These are far from pioneering prequels
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If all shows were animated like “The Simpsons,” networks wouldn’t need to strain to keep them alive. Yet live-action dramas come with shelf lives, which explains the CW’s twin attempts to extend two of its franchises with prequels: “Walker Independence,” a back-to-the-Old-West adjunct to its Texas Ranger reboot; and “The Winchesters,” a one-generation-back rekindling of the “Supernatural” flame. The main problem with “Walker” is the events that set the show in motion feel much better tailored to a limited series than an open-ended run. For now, “Walker Independence” (which, yes, will follow “Walker”) and “The Winchesters” come blessed with name recognition, but creatively speaking, first impressions say that the network has dipped into the prequel well twice too often. “Walker Independence” premieres October 6 at 9 p.m.

☆ Gen X is late to the leadership table in US politics, prompting the question: Will it ever produce a president?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Darren Samuelsohn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

By historical standards, Gen X should be in charge of the US by now. Think of them as the godparents of the "Xennials" — those born in the late 1970s or early 1980s who aren't fully Gen X or millennial. No matter whether you deny the 61-year-old Obama is a boomer, Gen X is starting to get up there in age. Michael Ciaglo-Pool/Getty ImagesWhat's the US missing without a Gen X president? "It's like seeing a ghost that doesn't appear," she said of any expectation the presidency would just suddenly open up for Gen X.

☆ The White House calls a lawsuit to block student loan forgiveness 'baseless' because anyone can opt out of relief
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A conservative legal organization sued the Education Department over Biden's debt relief plan. It's the first major lawsuit against the Biden administration's announcement that it would forgive up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers making under $125,000. "The claim is baseless for a simple reason: No one will be forced to get debt relief. Anyone who does not want debt relief can choose to opt out," Abdullah Hassan, White House assistant press secretary, said in a statement to Insider. Because opponents of the debt relief plan are trying anything they can to stop this program that will provide needed relief to working families."

Earlier this summer, Snap executives told managers they should put at least 10% of their teams on performance improvement plans. In a few weeks, Snap employees have gone from feeling relatively stable to joking that they now work at "Snapazon," a reference to the sometimes grueling, metric-heavy approach of Amazon. Snap is chopping the Snap Pixy mini drone, its accelerator program, Snap Originals, Snap Minis and its Games vertical. Other Snap workers expressed similar doubts about the company's acquisition strategy. AR likely will not be a major success story, despite Snap's leadership in the area.

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