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☆ A Chinese gaming billionaire now ranks as one of the top landowners in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementChinese billionaire Tianqiao Chen is the US' 82nd-biggest individual landowner according to the latest edition of The Land Report. Chen owns 198,000 acres of timberland in central Oregon through his investment group – Shanda Asset Management – per the ranking. Related storiesThe land is currently owned by Shanda Asset Management, The Land Report said, citing Oregon tax records. Shanda Asset Management is a branch of the Shanda Group, an investment firm. As well as the land in Oregon and Ontario, Shanda Asset Management owns real estate in China.

Persons: Tianqiao Chen, —, Chen, Bend . Chen, Canadian Irving, Chrissy Organizations: Deschutes National Forest, Shanda Interactive Entertainment, Service, Forest, Bend ., Business, Fidelity National Financial Ventures, Forest Resources, Deschutes Land Trust, Shanda Asset Management, Shanda, Management, Bloomberg, Nasdaq, Shanda Group Locations: timberland, Oregon, Deschutes, Bend, Ontario, Canada, Canadian, China

☆ Celebrities are having full-blown golf complexes built in their gardens. Here’s how they’re doing it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

From putting greens and par-three holes to full-blown course replicas, the sport is increasingly taking up residence in gardens and backyards as golf enthusiasts of all levels look to shorten their travel time to the tee. California in particular is especially prone to drought, with state officials encouraging its citizens to cut their water usage. Yet “the number one” factor that can hike prices for larger greens, Nappi explains, is — ironically — drainage. Though they don’t require watering, greens sculpted in areas susceptible to heavy rain — such as Florida or Georgia — invite the threat of standing water, which can lead to mold and ruin the playing experience. “You can make it look pretty and beautiful and they love it, but it better play right,” Nappi said.

Persons: Mark Wahlberg, Cindy Crawford, DJ Khaled, Josh Allen, ”, Dominic Nappi, Tim Venturi, Ken Venturi, Nappi, ” Nappi, “, Wahlberg, Los Angeles Times — Nappi, Tim Jackson —, Jackson Kahn, I’ve, “ There’s, Crawford, Rande Gerber, Allen, Jim Nantz’s, Courtney Richards, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter, Tony Romo —, Dave Pelz’s, SYNLawn, Augusta National’s, Gareth Bale’s, —, Tiger Woods, ‘ Organizations: CNN, Back Nine Greens, Business, Nine Greens, Greens, British, Nine Greens Star, Hollywood, Los Angeles Times, Malibu, Bills, Wall Street, NASA, Welsh, Real Madrid, Tiger Locations: Southern California, Palm, California, backyards, Florida, Georgia, Beverly, Scottsdale, Buffalo, Miami Beach, American, Austin , Texas, Glamorgan, South Wales, Island, South Dakota

☆ The sexiest new hotels for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

This list tries to do just that – spotlight the hotels opening (or reopening, as one of them is) in 2024 that make us want to visit for the hotel alone. Properties with a little bit of oomph – the sexy hotels of 2024, as we like to call them. For spring 2024, Costa Rica’s on the cards, with this beachfront hotel at surfer central Santa Teresa, on the Pacific Coast. Existing ones have been refurbished, and new pool villas, suites and bungalows have been added to the mix. Pool villas are cute cabins with patio doors opening on the open-to-the-elements plunge pools, while the bungalows will be wood-clad, tropical spaces.

Persons: Will, ”, that’s, King Charles, Maria, Casa Lucia Argentina, swank, Kit Kemp, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, George, Gran, Palazzo Cordusio, Cordusio, There’s, Emanuele II, Mina Al, Ras, Anantara Mina Al Arab, Ras Al Khaimah, Mina Al Arab, Al Riffa, Mollie's, who’ll, KAI Akiu, Hoshino, Rupert Peace, Michel Rojkind, Moxy Banff, Marie, they’re, Philippe Kjellgren, It’ll, Aman, you’ve, you’ll, Roma, Romeo Roma, Romeo, starchitect Zaha Hadid, Rome’s Piazza, Costa Rica’s Organizations: CNN, Casa Lucia, Bacan, Leinster, Collins, Gran Meliá, Milan, Galleria, Tunisia –, Soho, Manchester TV, Beatles, Granada Studios, Old Granada Studios, Soho House, Resorts, Michelin, Guadalupe, Moxy, VW, Brisbane . Tourism, Queensland, Casa, Hoxton, Popolo, Princeton, Hotels, Ivy League, Mercure, Darwin, Training Academy Locations: Matca, Transylvania, Romania, Romanian, Brașov, Maria, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Retiro, Dublin, Ireland, Merrion, Georgian Dublin, Uganda, Rwanda, Queen, Edward, Milan, Italy, Meliá, Piazza, Duomo, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, Arabian, Dubai, Ras Al, Oman, Mina, Al, Tunisia, Douz, Sahara, Matmata, Manchester, Japan, Tokyo, Akiu, Sendai, superlatives, Kempinski, Dresden, Germany, grande, Taschenbergpalais, Baja California, Mexico, Valle, Mexican, Valle de Guadalupe, Canada, Banff, Brisbane, Australia, Brisbane ., Dios, Peru, Casa, Andina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peruvian, Folegandros, Greece, Santorini, –, Hoxton Vienna, Austria, Hoxton, Vienna, Ennismore, Landstrasse, Sainte, Marie, Madagascar, Aman Nai, Bangkok, Thailand, Aman, Nai Lert, Thai capital’s, Rome, Naples, starchitect, New Jersey, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, Morocco, Coast, Darwin, Larrakia, Northern Territory

☆ UC Berkeley is using a wall of shipping containers to block activists from the new site of its student housing complex
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UC Berkeley is trying to build a new $312 million housing complex on the iconic People's Park. AdvertisementThe makeshift wall is around "15 to 16 feet high," UC Berkeley spokesperson Kyle Gibson told The Associated Press. People's Park on a night that UC Berkeley and other authorities prepare to cordon off People's Park on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 in Berkeley, CA. In August, people in a mass protest pushed down a fence that UC Berkeley tried to use to cordon off the area. The empty shipping containers around People's Park echo the hundreds of containers set up to fill gaps on the Arizona-Mexico border in 2022.

Persons: —, UC Berkeley's, Kyle Gibson, Jason Armond Organizations: UC Berkeley, Service, UC, Associated Press, UC Berkeley's, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Berkeley, Guardian Locations: Berkeley , California, People's, Berkeley , CA, Park, California, Berkeley, Arizona, Mexico

☆ Please don't bother Jeff Bezos on vacation
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-31 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewJeff Bezos' yacht is such a spectacle to behold that local authorities have had to ask the public to give the billionaire some privacy while he's on vacation. Before that, Bezos broke a California record by purchasing a $165-million estate built by Warner Bros. cofounder Jack Warner in 1937. The Beverly Hills estate provides privacy with tall hedges that hide the home from the street. Even in the way he conducts his businesses, from Amazon to Blue Origin, Bezos has cherished privacy, keeping some of the company projects secret for years, The Washington Post reported.

Persons: —, Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, Tourism Charles Fernandez, Fernandez, Jeff, Lauren love Maui, Bezos, Jack Warner Organizations: Service, Business, Barbuda's, Tourism, Antigua Observer, Pacific Business, Warner Bros, Washington Post Locations: Falmouth, Antigua, Barbuda, Koru, Maui's, California, Beverly, Amazon

Purifoy, an Alabama native who lived mostly in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree before his death in 2004, was known for his large-scale assemblages made from discarded materials. Visitors can wander among more than 100 installations and sculptures at the artist’s former 10-acre residence. Purifoy’s early works, one of which is here, used charred debris gathered from the 1965 Watts rebellion, a series of uprisings in response to the violent arrest of a Black man in Los Angeles. Pieces like “Carousel,” which looks like a homemade space station made of toasters, skis and computers, make the capacity of Purifoy’s imagination to create such evocative sculptures from junk seem infinite. Free entry, donations are welcome.

Persons: Noah, Joshua Tree, Purifoy’s Organizations: Art Locations: Alabama, Los Angeles

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

☆ Occidental Petroleum to buy Permian producer CrownRock for $12 billion, raise dividend
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Occidental will issue $9.1 billion in debt and about $1.7 billion in common stock to finance the transaction. Occidental Petroleum on Monday agreed to buy CrownRock , a major privately held energy producer that operates in the Permian Basin, for $12 billion. Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said the company is purchasing CrownRock to increase its scale in the Midland Basin. Occidental is the ninth-largest energy company in the U.S. with a market capitalization of $49.7 billion. Occidental's purchase of CrownRock is the third major deal in the energy sector in less than two months.

Persons: Vicki Hollub, Hollub, CNBC's, CrownRock, Timothy Dunn, Warren Buffett's, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, Carl Icahn, Enverus, Weeks, Hess Organizations: Midland Basin, U.S . Energy Information Administration, U.S, Occidental Petroleum, Occidental, Endeavor Resources, Houston, Lime Rock Partners, Warren Buffett's Berkshire, Anadarko Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, Chevron, Pioneer, Texas Intermediate, CNBC, Energy Information Administration Locations: Occidental, Midland, Texas, U.S, Warren, Berkshire, CrownRock

☆ 'Visit anytime!' NY attorney general and Trump fraud-trial judge get open invite to tour all '$1B' of Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Tuesday, a Palm Beach real estate broker testified on Trump's behalf that Mar-a-Lago is worth $1 billion. "If you have a dreamer, and a great American, I don't think that's a bad thing," the broker testified of his Palm Beach neighbor. "You have dozens and dozens of hand-carved cherubs" on the living room doors, Moens testified at one point. Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The property is currently worth closer to $1.5 billion, Moens testified in the July deposition.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Letitia James, Arthur Engoron, Lawrence Moens, Steve Wynn, Larry Ellison, Moens, James, –, MAL, efferson,, artin, uther, roker, ines, ove y ou., ince, rees, J r., lew, orth, lon, ake Organizations: Mar, Trump, Service, New, New York, Palm Beach, ust, ives Locations: New York, York, Manhattan, Trump’s NY

☆ Period poverty: How air pollution in Kenya could make periods heavier, more painful and more expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Elizabeth Wells | Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Studies have linked air pollution to an increased risk of endometriosis , a condition that causes tissue like what lines the womb to grow outside of the uterus. Compared with Kenya, women can more easily access anti-inflammatory drugs and birth control commonly used to manage painful periods. She believes that the new research on air pollution should be a major concern for the millions of women struggling to manage their periods in Nairobi. Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba is calling for more research on the link between air pollution and women's reproductive health. Now, she tells CNN, targeted government intervention is needed to address the possible effects of air pollution on menstrual cycles.

Persons: Alice Shikuku, Shikuku, Mercy, Audrey Gaskins, we've, Gaskins, Oscar Lee, Lee, Emmie Erondanga, Miss Koch, Erondanga, Wanjiru Kepha, Kepha, Wanjiru, Damaris Atieno, Atieno, Sen, Gloria Orwoba, Orwoba, William Ruto's, she's, I'm Organizations: CNN, US Agency for International Development, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, China Medical University, World Health Organization, Miss, Huru International, Kenya, Kenyan, William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Korogocho, United States, Taiwan, Taichung, Shikuku's, Dandora, Miss Koch Kenya, Mukuru, Miss, Wanjiru Kepha

☆ Late Lynyrd Skynyrd Guitarist’s 80-Acre Georgia Estate Lists for $12 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( E.B. Solomont | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Be the first to know about the biggest and best luxury home sales and listings by signing up for our Mansion Deals email alert. Right up until his death in March, Lynyrd Skynyrd founding member Gary Rossington played guitar in a modest music studio on his 80-acre Georgia estate, according to Dale Rossington, his wife of 41 years.

Persons: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gary Rossington, Dale Rossington Locations: Georgia

☆ A groom who went viral on TikTok for putting on the 'wedding of the century' in Paris is now facing up to life in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A groom who shared his extravagant wedding on TikTok could face prison time. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA groom whose multimillion-dollar wedding in Paris captured the attention of millions on TikTok is facing life in prison for shooting at North Texas police officers, according to multiple reports. Behind the curtain of their lavish wedding were multiple charges stemming from a March 14 incident involving three police officers, WFAA reported.

Persons: Jacob LaGrone, —, Madeline Brockway, LaGrone Organizations: Service, North Texas, Eiffel, Harpers Bazaar Arabia, WFAA, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News Locations: Paris, de Villette, Tarrant County, Tarrant

☆ Opinion: How Taylor Swift conquered capitalism
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Opinion Jeff Yang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —There’s a whole cottage industry in pop culture essay writing dedicated to trying to unpack why Taylor Swift is so successful. Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Taylor Swift performs onstage during night one of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 05, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Already a billionaire, Swift stands to personally make as much as $4.1 billion from the “Eras” tour, according to estimates cited by the Post. Keep an eye out: “The Tao of Tay: The Swift Path to Success,” coming soon to better airport bookstores everywhere.

Persons: Jeff Yang, Bruce, “, CNN —, Taylor Swift, Jeff Yang CNN, Kim Kardashian, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, aplomb, Swift, Ariana Grande, Tay, bestie, she’s, Celine Dion, She’s, Christopher Polk, Scooter Braun, ” It’s, Joan of Arc, John Shearer, “ Taylor Swift, Swift’s, Merrill Lynch, ” Organizations: CNN, Singer, Los, Staples Center, Republic Records, Universal Music Group, Universal, Washington Post, Nissan, Machine Records Locations: Asian America, America, Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, Nashville , Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Nashville, Tay

☆ Trailer park caretaker surprises his hometown with a gift of $3.8 million, years after another secret millionaire did the same nearby
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In the small town of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, people knew Geoffrey Holt as the unassuming caretaker of the mobile home park where he lived. What they didn't know was that he was a multimillionaire — and he donated the entirety of his $3.8 million fortune to the 4,000-person community after he died at age 82 in June. "Geoff was a private person, preferring to be in the crowd rather than in the front of it," Smith tells CNBC Make It. Holt had previously confided to Smith about his wealth, but Smith didn't know of Holt's plans until he became caretaker. He didn't own a car and lived frugally in a mobile home on the 25-acre land Smith owned.

Persons: Geoffrey Holt, Holt, Edwin, Smokey, Smith, Geoff, Mr, Holt's Organizations: CNBC, New, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Navy Locations: Hinsdale , New Hampshire, Brattleboro, New Hampshire, Hinsdale

☆ US jury awards $17.7 mln to Kraft, other producers in egg price-fixing case
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Mike Scarcella | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The damages award could be tripled under U.S. antitrust law to more than $53 million. The same jury on Nov. 21 found the egg producers liable for the alleged antitrust conspiracy after a more than five-week trial. The damages award was limited to alleged overpayments during a four-year window in the mid-2000s. The jury's liability decision held Cal-Maine accountable with other defendants, including trade associations United Egg Producers and United States Egg Marketers. The case is Kraft Foods Global Inc v. United Egg Producers Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, No.

Persons: Oscar Mayer, Heinz, General Mills, Kellogg, Brandon Fox, Jenner, Steven Seeger, Robin Sumner, Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders, Patrick Collins of King, Rose Acre, James King, Porter Wright Morris, Mike Scarcella Organizations: Kraft, Kraft Foods Group Inc, 3G Capital, Berkshire Hathaway Inc, Food, Nestle, Friday, Cal, Maine Foods, United Egg Producers, United States Egg, U.S, Kraft Foods Global Inc, United Egg Producers Inc, Northern, Northern District of, Jenner, Patrick Collins of King & Spalding, Arthur, Thomson Locations: Northfield , Illinois, Acre, Ridgeland , Mississippi, Maine, Cal, Northern District, Northern District of Illinois

The jury ruled last week that the egg producers used various means to limit the domestic supply of eggs to increase the price of products during the 2000s. The damages verdict was reached Friday in the Northern District of Illinois. According to federal antitrust law, the damages are automatically tripled, bringing the total to over $53 million. Court documents on the verdict were not readily available Friday evening, but statements from the manufacturers' attorney and one of the egg producers confirmed a total of about $17.7 million. Email messages sent to the United Egg Producers and United States Egg Marketers representatives were not immediately returned Friday.

Persons: —, ” Brandon Fox, John Rust, Rust, General Mills, “ Rose Acre, ” “, Jim Banks, ”, Banks, ” Rust, Donald Trump, Republican Mike Braun Organizations: INDIANAPOLIS, —, U.S, Northern District of Illinois, U.S . Senate, Kraft Foods Global, Inc, Kellogg Company, General, Nestle USA, Maine Foods, United Egg Producers, United, United States Egg, Rust ., Cal, Company, Rep, “, Hoosiers, Indiana’s, State, Republican, GOP, Indiana Republican Party Locations: Illinois, Northern District, Indiana, Cal, United States, Acre, U.S, ” “ Cal

THITU ISLAND, South China Sea (AP) — The Philippine coast guard inaugurated a new monitoring base Friday on a remote island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea as Manila ramps up efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the strategic waterway. It’s pure bullying,” Ano told reporters after the ceremony, describing the actions of Chinese ships as flouting international law. Surrounded by white beaches, the tadpole-shaped Thitu Island is called Pag-asa — Tagalog for hope — by about 250 Filipino villagers. It’s one of nine islands, islets and atolls that have been occupied by Philippine forces since the 1970s in the South China Sea’s Spratlys archipelago. Speaking in Honolulu, where he met U.S. military leaders about two weeks ago, Marcos said the situation in the South China Sea “has become more dire” with China showing interest in atolls and shoals that are “closer and closer” to the Philippine coast.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, it’s, Eduardo Ano, ” Ano, Ano, ”, Daisy Cojamco, asa —, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Duterte, Marcos, ” Marcos Organizations: National, Philippine, Associated Press, Washington, South China Locations: THITU, South China, Philippine, China, Manila, United States, Philippines, Asia, Thitu, Pag, Palawan, Vietnam, Australia, Beijing, U.S, Japan, Honolulu, South, asia

☆ How Chinese Marijuana Operations Cropped Up in Small-Town America
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Liyan Qi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Maine officials said they seized some 3,400 marijuana plants and 111 pounds of processed marijuana in June at a property in Carmel, Maine, identified as one of many unlicensed marijuana-growing operations in the state run by Chinese networks. Photo: Penobscot County Sheriff’s OfficeCARMEL, Maine—An astronomical electricity bill was the first tipoff that something unusual was going on at a former chicken farm in this town of 3,000 people off Interstate 95. A Massachusetts-registered construction company had bought the 5.5-acre property in 2021. But instead of construction equipment moving in, a new power pole sprang up. Electricity use jumped to nearly $7,000 in December 2022 from $600 a month a year earlier.

Organizations: Office Locations: Maine, Carmel , Maine, Penobscot County, Office CARMEL, Massachusetts

☆ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman went on an 18-month, $85 million real-estate shopping spree — including a previously unknown Hawaii estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Katherine Long | Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementYears before the recent drama at OpenAI turned CEO Sam Altman into a household name, the former Y Combinator president went on an extraordinary 18-month, $85 million real-estate shopping spree, according to records reviewed by Business Insider — including a previously unreported $43 million Hawaii estate on land that locals describe as historically significant. AdvertisementSam Altman's Hawaii estate is immediately adjacent to the reconstruction of the royal temple of King Kamehameha I. Maxar TechnologiesA $43 million estate in HawaiiIn July 2021, Altman bought a twelve-bedroom estate in Kailua-Kona, on the big island of Hawaii, for $43 million. Altman's purchase of the Hawaii property has not been previously reported. AdvertisementAnnie had been unaware that her oldest brother owned property in Hawaii until Business Insider asked her about it, she said. A $27 million San Francisco homeAltman's weekday residence is a home on San Francisco's Russian Hill that was once described — inaccurately — as the most expensive home in San Francisco.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, —, OpenAI, he's, He's, Sam Altman's, King Kamehameha I, King Kamehameha, Jennifer Serralta, Serralta, Jack, Max, — Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Marc Benioff, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, Annie Altman, Annie, Sam's, Napa Altman, Cade Metz, Bob Dickinson Organizations: Service, Business, Bloomberg Tech Summit, Wall Street Journal, YouTube, Altman, LinkedIn, Apollo, Opportunity Fund, Silicon Valley, Business Insider, San, SEC, 9Point Ventures, Uncommon Ventures, New York Times, Capital Management, San Francisco Chronicle, New Yorker, Israeli Defense Force, Tesla Locations: San Francisco, Napa, Hawaii, Napa , California, Sam Altman's Hawaii, Kailua, Kona, wakesurfing, Kauai, Lanai, San, Russian, California, Hollywood, Big Sur

NAPERVILLE, Illinois, Nov 28 (Reuters) - It is rare that U.S. corn supplies build in a marketing year while soybean supplies slip, but that is exactly what is happening in 2023-24, keeping soybean prices relatively elevated versus corn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture pegs total U.S. corn supplies in 2023-24 to rise 10% on the year, while soybean inventory is seen shrinking 3%. U.S. corn versus soybean supply: Year-on-yearThe 2007-08 rise in corn and fall in soybean supplies was policy-driven, and the only other recent, directionally similar year was 2003-04, when the U.S. soybean crop fell victim to rare, widespread pest issues as well as dry weather. USDA’s long-term projections issued earlier this month suggest just that, pegging 2024 U.S. corn acres at 91 million and soybeans at 87 million versus 83.6 million in 2023. Interestingly, USDA in the couple of years leading up to 2007-08 had also overestimated U.S. soybean acres in March and undershot corn.

Persons: Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department, Agriculture, USDA, Crop Watch, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, U.S, Chicago, North Dakota

☆ Bay Area Estate Asks $16 Million More Than Its 2020 Sale Price
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( E.B. Solomont | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A private-equity founder is asking $35 million for his Bay Area estate, just three years after buying it for $19 million. J. Taylor Crandall, a founder of private-equity firm Oak Hill Capital, is listing his 21.48-acre estate in Alamo, an affluent suburb about 30 miles east of San Francisco. When he bought the house in 2020 with his wife, Suzanne Crandall, it set a record for Contra Costa County, said Marilee Headen of Compass , who is marketing the property with Taso Tsakos of Engel & Völkers.

Persons: Taylor Crandall, Suzanne Crandall, Marilee, Taso Tsakos, Engel, Völkers Organizations: Contra Locations: Oak Hill, Alamo, San Francisco, Contra Costa County

☆ US holds first of several oil and gas auctions as COP28 gets underway
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BLM will also offer acreage in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada, North Dakota and Utah on Nov. 30, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12. Dozens of nations plan to push for the world's first deal to phase out carbon dioxide-emitting coal, oil and gas at the meeting. "Instead of doing the necessary work to fight climate change, Biden continues to support the expansion of fossil fuels here in the U.S.," Nicole Ghio, senior fossil fuels program manager for Friends of the Earth, said in a statement. Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a climate change law passed last year, made oil and gas auctions a prerequisite for renewable energy development. Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rick Wilking, Biden, Joe Biden, Nicole Ghio, Trump, Nichola Groom, Aurora Ellis, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Interior Department's, Interior Department's U.S . Bureau of Land Management, Department, Thomson Locations: Ft . Laramie , Wyoming, Wyoming, Dubai, Interior, Interior Department's U.S, Converse County, New Mexico , Oklahoma , Nevada , North Dakota, Utah, U.S

Russia, whose officials haven't commented on the corridor, warned this summer that ships heading to Ukraine's Black Sea ports would be assumed to be carrying weapons. Despite such attacks, Ukraine has exported over 5.6 million metric tons of grain and other products through the new corridor, U.S. “That corridor worked in an unpredictable way for us,” said Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association. Before the invasion, the exporter paid $50 per metric ton to ship grain through the Black Sea. To ease that hurdle, an insurance program launched this month to provide affordable coverage to shippers carrying food from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

Persons: Roman Andreikiv, ”, Munro Anderson, Lloyd’s, Ukraine’s, haven't, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Taras Kachka, it’s, Kelly Goughary, “, Oleksandr Kubrakov, it's, Mykola Horbachov, ” Horbachov, Osmachko, Anderson, ” Osmachko, Marsh McLennan, Zelenskyy, Mykola Solskyi, ___ Bonnell Organizations: —, Agroprosperis, Liberian, Gro Intelligence, Farmers, Ukrainian Grain Association, Ukrainian Locations: KYIV, Ukraine, Russia, Africa, East, Asia, Egypt, Spain, China, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Tunisia, Turkey, Kyiv, U.S, Sumy, Ukrainian, Europe, Lloyd’s, Nigeria, London, russia, ukraine

☆ The looming office space real estate shortage. Yes, shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

You read that right: amid a commercial real estate market across U.S. downtowns being described in apocalyptic terms, CoStar sees a shortage on the horizon, with one key caveat for top companies to bear in mind. CoStar's call of an upcoming office space shortage is predicated on a look at the current data on leasing and construction activity compared to recent market history. They have attracted over 175 million square feet of net new occupancy since the beginning of 2020, an average of 12.7 million square feet per quarter. "Modern, premium office space remains in demand, just as it has historically, even during difficult economic times," said Phil Mobley, national director of office analytics at CoStar Group. Less than 30 million square feet has broken ground in 2023, making this year the lowest for construction starts since 2011.

Persons: Visoot, downtowns, Phil Mobley, Google's, Mobley, Jeff Greene Organizations: CNBC, Google, City, Gas Co, Billionaire Locations: U.S, New, Los Angeles, West Palm Beach

☆ $550,000 Homes in Massachusetts, Illinois and Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Angela Serratore | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sheffield, Mass. It is about 20 minutes from Great Barrington, a popular shopping and dining destination, and 40 minutes from Lenox, home to the Mount, Edith Wharton’s country estate, and the Tanglewood Music Center. Size: 1,506 square feetPrice per square foot: $365Indoors: The house sits back from the road, at the end of a long driveway. The front door opens into a bright living room with multiple windows and a fireplace with a stone chimney flanked by built-in cabinetry and shelves. This space is open to a dining area in front of a large window with a view of mature trees.

Persons: Edith Wharton’s Organizations: Tanglewood Music Center ., New Locations: Sheffield, York, Connecticut, Great Barrington, Lenox, Tanglewood Music Center . Albany, N.Y, Hartford, Conn, New York City, Boston, cabinetry

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