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☆ Gulmarg: Snow has returned to Asia’s highest ski resort. Here’s what visitors going there now can expect
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Ramaa Reddy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —In early January, anyone who visited the ski resort village of Gulmarg in Indian-administered Kashmir with hopes of actually skiing was out of luck. A severe snow shortage, blamed on dry weather, threatened to derail the entire winter season, leaving both travelers and tourism operators disappointed. Regardless of whether you’re a full-time athlete or someone who enjoys skiing and snowboarding for fun, Gulmarg offers a winter experience like no other. Today, travelers headed for Asia’s highest ski resort can enjoy over 1,330 vertical meters (4,363 feet) of skiable terrain, with lifts offering access to four separate skiing zones on Mount Apharwat. Many of those visitors don’t ski but just ride up the gondola to play in the snow and take in the views at the top.

Persons: Mukhtar Ahmad, Nanga Parbat, ”, Brian Newman, Newman, “, ” Mehmood Ahmad Lone, –, nans, Kababs, Rogan Josh, Kati, It’s, Mount Apharwat, Colonel Mirza Zahid Baig, Gulmarg, Javedh Ahmad Reshi Organizations: CNN, El, El Nino, Adventure, Hindustan Times, Newman’s, US Department of State, Warfare, USA Locations: Gulmarg, Kashmir, India, Mount Apharwat, British, Apharwat, Nanga, Colorado, Europe, North America, Pakistan, Khyber, Highland, Hilltop, Kashmir’s, Srinagar, Mount

☆ Hideki Matsuyama overturns six-shot deficit to win Genesis Invitational
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I’m trying to think if that was the most impressive round I’ve ever seen in person,” the 30-year-old American told the PGA Tour. Harry How/Getty ImagesTriumph secured Matsuyama a $4 million cut of the $20 million prize purse and raised him 35 places to world No. 20, but the victor was more preoccupied with the significance of his ninth win on Tour – his first since Hawaii’s Sony Open in 2022. “After my eighth win, I’d been struggling with my back injury,” Matsuyama told reporters Sunday. “There were a lot of times where I felt I was never going to win again.

Persons: Hideki Matsuyama’s, ”, Patrick Cantlay, Phil Rodgers, Will Zalatoris, Luke, JT Poston, Matsuyama, “ I’m, “ It’s, ” Poston, Harry, –, South Korea’s KJ Choi, “, I’d, ” Matsuyama, I’m, Maruyama, Shigeki, you’ve, KJ Choi, Tiger Woods, Rob McNamara, ” Woods Organizations: CNN, Riviera, PGA, Matsuyama, Sony, Tiger Locations: birdies, South, Matsuyama

☆ Carl Icahn gets two seats on JetBlue’s board. Here’s how he may help build value
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Activist Commentary: Carl Icahn is the grandfather of shareholder activism and a true pioneer of the strategy. While Carl Icahn is not slowing down at all, in October 2020, he reached an agreement with his son Brett Icahn to rejoin the firm as the eventual successor. Carl Icahn is the quintessential, iconic corporate governance investor. On Jan. 19, Carl Icahn started acquiring his position. On Feb. 12, her first day in her new post, she had a Carl Icahn 13D on her desk.

Persons: Carl Icahn, Brett Icahn, Brett, hasn't, Carl, Sargon, Joanna Geraghty, Carl Icahn 13D, Icahn, Robin Hayes, Geraghty, Hayes, Ken Squire Organizations: Apple, Netflix, Forest Labs, JetBlue, Spirit, Investors, U.S, Transportation Department, 13D Locations: Icahn, Delta, United

☆ Jennifer Lopez's painful breakup with Ben Affleck inspired the 'heart factory' scene in the singer's new movie, director says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewJennifer Lopez's new musical film "This Is Me…Now: A Love Story" contains many allusions to Ben Affleck, including a cameo from the actor himself. "Their first breakup was very, very heavy on her," Meyers told Business Insider. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck attend the "Gigli" premiere in 2003. "Our relationship crumbled under the weight of the pressure," Lopez told Variety. "I've been on this journey, and I've been trying to figure it out," Lopez told Variety.

Persons: —, Jennifer Lopez's, Ben Affleck, Lopez, Dave Meyers, Meyers, Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Jeff Kravitz, Jen, You've, Jen's, Variety, he'd, Ben Pt, Ben, I've, we're Organizations: Service, Business, Variety

☆ Jane Fonda cameos in Jennifer Lopez’s ‘This Is Me… Now’ alongside Sofía Vergara, Kim Petras
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Fonda’s “Council” also contains other stars in cameo appearances, including Post Malone, Kim Petras, Sofía Vergara, Keke Palmer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jay Shetty, Jenifer Lewis, Sadhguru and Trevor Noah. Lopez and Fonda starred together in the 2005 comedy “Monster In Law,” a crowd-pleasing rom-com costarring Wanda Sykes that heralded Fonda’s return to making movies after a prolonged absence. Courtesy Prime VideoOther stars featured in the movie include Fat Joe and Lopez’s husband Ben Affleck. Lopez will also release an accompanying documentary, titled “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” on the streaming platform on February 27. If that weren’t enough, the star also announced an upcoming tour this week, to kick off this summer.

Persons: CNN —, Jennifer Lopez’s, ” Jane Fonda, Fonda’s, ”, Post Malone, Kim Petras, Sofía Vergara, Keke Palmer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jay Shetty, Jenifer Lewis, Sadhguru, Trevor Noah, Lopez, Fonda, Wanda Sykes, ” Lopez, Jennifer Lopez, Joe, Ben Affleck, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford Organizations: CNN, Zodiacal, Post

The 65-minute musical film, which she self-financed, follows a hopeless romantic in search of love (Lopez) and the myriad ways she contends with repeated heartbreak, including visits to her therapist (played by Fat Joe) and sobbing through old romantic films. Photos You Should See View All 22 ImagesAP: It's been a decade since your last album. But this was really different because I hadn’t been inspired to really go into the studio and write a whole album for years. I did “Marry Me” a few years ago for the movie, but that was not a Jennifer Lopez album, not a J.Lo album. It’s made me doubt myself and really feel bad about myself at times.

Persons: Jennifer Lopez, Lopez, Fat Joe, Jane Fonda, Post Malone, Keke Palmer, Sofia Vergara, Ben Affleck, It's, LOPEZ, Nobody, I’ve, ” —, “, They’re, It’s, Ben, they’re, you’re Organizations: ANGELES, AP Locations: Orlando , Florida

☆ Inside Twitter's first-ever company retreat: Jack Dorsey's parents posed for selfies, Elon Musk was a no-show, and employees meditated with the billionaire founder
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Kurt Wagner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Jack Dorsey once led a Twitter company retreat to boost employee morale and set a vision for the company. Had Dorsey opened his eyes, he would have seen nearly all of Twitter's 3,500 employees facing him in their own noiseless trance. From the convention center floor where they all sat looking up at the stage, Dorsey was just a silhouette, like a statue of a skinny Buddha. It was July 31, 2018, the first day of #OneTeam, Twitter's first-ever company-wide retreat. "BATTLE FOR THE BIRD: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, and the $44 Billion Fight for Twitter's Soul" by Kurt Wagner.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, Kurt Wagner, —, Dorsey, Twitter's, Marcia, Louis, Jay Rock, Getty Dorsey, Twitter, Leslie Berland, She'd, coaxing Dorsey, unapproachable, wasn't, humanize Dorsey, Tim, Bruce Falck, Ned Segal, JP Maheu, Del Harvey, I'm, Elon, hadn't, Lucy Nicholson, Musk, Simon Organizations: Service, Moscone Center, Twitter, Employees, American Express, Trust, Safety, Simon & Schuster, Bloomberg Locations: San Francisco's, San Francisco, St, @Twitter

☆ Phillippe Laffont's Coatue shifted money in technology amid fourth quarter rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Phillippe Laffont's Coatue made a flurry of changes to his portfolio in the fourth quarter, including shifts within the technology sector in the midst of the fourth quarter's big rally. Nvidia and Meta are only two of many notable cutbacks made by Laffont in the fourth quarter. Beyond Nvidia and Meta, Advanced Micro Devices , Amazon , Microsoft , Netflix and Tesla are the next biggest holdings in the fund. As of the fourth quarter, technology accounts for more than 59% of Coatue, according to InsiderScore. The Nasdaq finished 2023 up more than 43%, helped by a gain of more than 13% in the fourth quarter alone.

Persons: Phillippe Laffont's Coatue, Julian Robertson, Daniel Sundheim's, Laffont, Eli Lilly Organizations: Tiger Management, Nvidia, Meta, Taiwan Semiconductor, MIT, Intuit, Apple, Devices, Microsoft, Netflix, Tesla, Technology, Nasdaq, Ford, Moderna, Paramount Global Locations: Taiwan, Salesforce

☆ Italy donates 3D-printed replica of statue destroyed by ISIS to Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( James Imam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Italy has donated a reconstructed Assyrian statue to Iraq in a gesture former culture minister Francesco Rutelli described as a “miracle” of Italian cultural diplomacy. Constructed in the ninth century BC, the 5-meter-tall (16-foot) “Bull of Nimrud” was destroyed by ISIS fighters in 2015, before Italian artisans made a copy of the monument using 3D-printing technology. The replica, which was previously displayed at the Colosseum in Rome and the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, has now been permanently relocated outside the entrance to the Basrah Museum in the Iraqi city of Basra. "The Bull of Nimrud," a full-sized reconstruction of the bull figure from the ancient Assyrian city Nimrud, on display in the "Reborn from Destruction" exhibition at the Colosseum in October 2016. The “Bull of Nimrud,” which stood at the site and is a symbol of the Assyrian civilization, was among the destroyed monuments.

Persons: Francesco Rutelli, Nimrud, ” Gennaro Sangiuliano, ” Rutelli, Civiltà, meanwhile, Klaus Blume, Nicola Salvioli, ”, Shalmaneser III, Ashurnasirpal, Abdul Latif Rashid Organizations: The Art, CNN, CNN —, ISIS, UNESCO, Basrah Museum, Associazione, Facebook, of Bel Locations: CNN — Italy, Iraq, Rome, Paris, Iraqi, Basra, “ Italy, Nimrud, Mosul, Ashurnasirpal, Palmyra, Ebla, Italy

☆ Every song on Usher's setlist for the Super Bowl halftime show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Usher headlined the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. AdvertisementUsher took the stage at the Super Bowl on Sunday to deliver a medley of hits. His halftime show performance comes on the heels of his popular Las Vegas residency, which wrapped its 100-show run in December. Keep scrolling for live updates on Usher's halftime show setlist. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Usher, — Organizations: Service, Las, Business Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Second City Expands to the First City and Sets Up Shop in Brooklyn
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Kathryn Shattuck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

From the very beginning of the improv theater Second City, its name made clear that it wasn’t a New York institution and didn’t aspire to be. But after 65 years, the Chicago-based institution that has strongly influenced modern comedy is opening an outpost on Monday in Brooklyn, in what is the First City. Two weeks before the lights were set to officially go up, Ed Wells, Second City’s chief executive, showed off its new 12,000-square-foot home on North Ninth Street in Williamsburg even as he acknowledged the headwinds facing the expansion. There is a 190-seat main stage theater with a wraparound mezzanine and a 50-seat black box theater for student shows. The Bentwood restaurant, named after the chair that Second City actors use onstage, sometimes as a prop.

Persons: Ed Wells Organizations: Improv, North Ninth Locations: City, New York, Chicago, Brooklyn, It’s, Williamsburg

The first two Super Bowls that Jim Nantz and Tony Romo worked together for CBS lacked drama. “What a thrill to be able to say that we witnessed an overtime Super Bowl game and what will go down in history as one of the greatest games of all time and the longest Super Bowl game of all time. They had New England’s 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 and Tampa Bay’s 31-9 rout of Kansas City two years later. This was CBS’ ninth Super Bowl with McManus in charge. “Jim and Tony up at the booth deserved an exciting Super Bowl.

Persons: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, ” Nantz, “ I’m, Jim Rikhoff, San Francisco, Jake Moody, Patrick Mahomes, Mecole Hardman, San, Nantz, “, Mahomes, Romo, Francisco, Lombardi, you’re, ” Rikhoff, Mike Arnold, Dre Greenlaw, Jauan Jennings, Christian McCaffrey, Travis Kelce’s, San Francisco George Kittle, Sean McManus, McManus, McManus ’, ” McManus, “ Jim, Tony, ”, ___ Organizations: CBS, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Super, San, Kansas City, Chiefs, Romo, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay’s, Buffalo - Kansas City AFC divisional, Bills, 49ers, San Francisco, CBS Sports, Fox, Nielsen, Kansas City ’, Philadelphia Locations: San Francisco, New England, Kansas, Buffalo

☆ JetBlue resets with new CEO, industry veterans to run airline on time, and profitably
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article JBLU Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA JetBlue Airways plane prepares to depart New York's LaGuardia Airport. Leslie Josephs | CNBCIn the 24 years since JetBlue Airways ' first flight, the New York-based airline has pushed the envelope for a carrier of its size. And, until a judge blocked the deal last month, it planned to buy budget airline Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion. Last week, JetBlue said it has hired back the airline's former chief commercial officer, Marty St. George, 59, as president. A JetBlue Airways plane sits on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on January 31, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Persons: Leslie Josephs, it's, Joanna Geraghty, Robin Hayes, Carl Icahn, Geraghty, Chris Ratcliffe, we've, Marty St, George, Marty, Henry Harteveldt, George's, Warren Christie, JetBlue, We've, Brett Snyder, Snyder, Spirit, Joe Raedle Organizations: JetBlue Airways, New, LaGuardia, CNBC, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corp, World Aviation, Bloomberg, Getty, Latam Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Atmosphere Research, Transport Workers Union Local, Street, NYSE, Department of Transportation, discounter Frontier Airlines, Fort, Hollywood International Airport Locations: New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, U.S, Delta, United, punctuality, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale , Florida

SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — Marta Bassino edged out Federica Brignone for an Italian one-two finish in a tight opening run of a women’s World Cup giant slalom Saturday. Mikaela Shiffrin sits out this weekend’s races to nurse a left knee injury and the American star could lose her lead in the overall World Cup standings to Lara Gut-Behrami. The Swiss skier won the previous GS and trails Shiffrin by 95 points. In Saturday's race, Bassino showed glimpses of her best as the Italian skier looked for her first podium result of the season. She won the World Cup title in the discipline in 2021 but has won just one World Cup race over the last three years.

Persons: — Marta Bassino, Bassino, Alice Robinson, Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund, Mikaela Shiffrin, Lara, Shiffrin, Petra Vlhova, Canada's Valerie Grenier, ” Organizations: Swiss, Cortina d’Ampezzo Locations: SOLDEU, Andorra, Italy, France

LOS ANGELES (AP) — D'Angelo Russell scored 30 points, Austin Reaves added 27 and the Los Angeles Lakers rode a spectacular 87-point first half to a 139-122 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Anthony Davis added 20 points as Los Angeles dominated on the second night of a back-to-back set, surging ahead with a 51-point second quarter and staying in front throughout the second half. With Russell's 21 points leading the way, all five starters scored at least 12 while Los Angeles hit 11 3-pointers and 67.4% of its shots overall. “I thought we started the game well, but that second quarter got away from us. The Lakers responded with 51 points in the second, led by 16 from Russell and 12 by Reaves.

Persons: — D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Davis, ” Reaves, “ It’s, ” Russell, ” Davis, “ Rui, ” Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Willie Green, “, Russell’s, they’re, Spencer Dinwiddie, Rob Pelinka, Dinwiddie, “ We've, He's, ” Jonas Valanciunas, Davis, Russell, Reaves, Max Christie, spraining, Darvin Ham, Cam, ___ Organizations: ANGELES, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Lakers, Los Angeles, New, Los, Pelicans, ” Pelicans, Denver, Western Conference, Brooklyn, Dallas ’, Madison, Nets, Dallas, Clippers, Ingram, Saturday, Detroit Locations: Los, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Toronto, Brooklyn, Williamson, Portland

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left and the Golden State Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Saturday night for their sixth victory in seven games. Golden State avoided being swept by the Suns in the season series to get back to .500 for the first time since Dec. 25. The Warriors led 84-82 entering the fourth quarter. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesJonathan Kuminga added 21 points for Golden State. The Warriors answered with a spurt by Kuminga – who led Golden State with 13 points at halftime – to take a 59-58 advantage into the break.

Persons: — Stephen Curry, Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Booker, Durant couldn't, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, Durant, Kuminga –, Royce O’Neale, David Roddy, Phoenix’s, Gary Payton, Green, Nurkic, ___ Organizations: FRANCISCO, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Warriors, Phoenix, Suns, Golden State, Jazz, The Warriors, Sacramento Locations: Utah, Golden

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dustin Johnson won LIV Golf Las Vegas on Saturday in windy and chilly conditions for his third victory on the Saudi-funded tour, pulling ahead with a birdie on No. Johnson shot a 1-under 69 to finish at 12-under 198 at Las Vegas Country Club, breaking out of a late six-way tie on another day with the temperature barely climbing into the 50s in the shadow of the Super Bowl. Johnson opened with a birdie on the par-5 first, then dropped back with bogeys on Nos. 13, 15 and 17 — holing a 12-footer on the par-4 17th — and made the par save on the par-4 18th for the victory, hitting to 12 feet from the rough and two-putting. The 39-year-old Johnson has won in each of LIV's first three seasons, taking playoffs in Boston in September 2022 and Tulsa, Oklahoma, last May.

Persons: — Dustin Johnson, LIV, Peter Uihlein, Talor Gooch, Johnson, “, ” Johnson, I’ve, ” Gooch, Uihlein, Gooch, ” Uihlein, LIV's, ” Matthew Wolff, Graeme McDowell, Paul Casey, Jason Kokrak, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, McDowell, Brooks Koepka, ___ Organizations: LAS VEGAS, LIV Golf, LIV Golf Las Vegas, Saudi, Las Vegas Country Club, Super, PGA, Johnson's 4Aces Locations: LIV Golf Las, Boston, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Saudi, Hong Kong, Doral, Kokrak

☆ Chinese zodiac fortune predictions for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

Natalie Leung/CNN, Adobe StockMonkeys are going to have a relatively stable year. Natalie Leung/CNN, Adobe Stock“This year, you may have to work a bit harder and work longer hours than usual. Natalie Leung/CNN, Adobe Stock“It isn’t the worst year but there are going to be some challenges. Natalie Leung/CNN, Adobe Stock“According to ancient Chinese philosophy, Tigers and Dragons have a complicated relationship. Natalie Leung/CNN, Adobe StockAll you Rabbits can give yourself a pat on the back.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, There’s, ”, Chen, “, Thierry Chow, CNN Chow, floristry, “ It’s, Chow, Xuan, Duke, Jupiter, Stringer, VCG, Zhang Yu, Ulet Ifansasti, Johanes, NurPhoto, Zhang Cheng, Wu Wenjun, Axel Miranda, Tai Sui –, Tai Sui, Natalie Leung, Ben Ming Nian, “ Let’s, Ben Ming, “ You’ll, Ma Xing, –, it’s, It’s, there’s, ” Chow, Xing Tai Sui Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Shui, China News Service, Spring, Reuters Workers, Adobe, Adobe Stock, Adobe Stock People, ”, Roosters, Tiger Tigers, Dragons, Tigers Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, Xuan Kong, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, Beijing, Solo City, Indonesia, Dharmayana, Bali , Indonesia, Guangzhou, China's, Guangdong Province, Barcelona, Spain, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province

LAS VEGAS (AP) — In a short film shown at the end of the Super Bowl halftime performer news conference, the show’s headliner Usher comes up missing. ?” It’s one of the many creative projects from Apple Music, which has made a concerted effort to amplify the anticipation around Sunday's halftime show. Since Apple Music became the halftime show sponsor, the streaming service is pushing to leave an influential mark like never before. As Usher prepares to headline this year's festivities, Apple Music created a strategic plan before he hits the Super Bowl stage. Between Apple Music, Apple Music Radio, the talent who have a deep understanding of music and culture and obviously Apple's ecosystem, I think we can amplify that.”Leading up to Sunday, it's all about Usher.

Persons: Usher, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Taraji, Henson, “ We’re, ”, Oliver Schusser, Schusser, ” Schusser, “, Rihanna —, “ It's, Jermaine Dupri, Tiësto, Nadeska Alexis, Lil Wayne, Estelle, Tor Myhren, ” Myhren, there's Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Super, Apple Music, Pepsi, Apple, NFL, Jay, Apple Music Radio

☆ Usher’s Road to the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( William E. Ketchum Iii | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Usher’s “My Way” residency, which began in 2021 in Las Vegas (the town where Frank Sinatra himself once gallivanted), had the R&B singer courting celebrities and viral social media moments for 100 consecutive sold-out shows. The staging was energetic, replete with roller skates and stripper poles. But spectacle wasn’t the only draw. Usher, 45, used the retrospective to showcase the hallmarks of his 30-year music career: pristine vocals, polished but effortless dance moves and heart-melting charm in the tradition of his idols Sammy Davis Jr. and Ben Vereen, his godfather. It’s appropriate, then, that on Feb. 11 the eight-time Grammy winner will perform the halftime show at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, days after he’s slated to release his ninth studio album “Coming Home,” which he called a “love letter to the legacy of my career.” Here are the eras that have defined Usher’s career.

Persons: Usher’s, Frank Sinatra, Usher, Sammy Davis Jr, Ben Vereen Locations: Las Vegas

☆ China’s spectacular dragon dance is hundreds of years old. Here’s why it continues to dazzle
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Grab your camera and slap on something flame resistant, it’s time to witness one of China’s most incredible displays – the fire dragon dance. Dragon dances have been documented at ceremonial events since the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE), while fire dragon dances began appearing in records during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the Republican era (1912-1949). Some historians say fire dragon dances date back even further, to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Puzhai Fire Dragon, Fengshun County, GuangdongEntertainers perform a fire dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Puzhai town, in China's Guangdong province. Tongliang Fire Dragon, ChongqingVideo Ad Feedback See a dragon dance with molten iron fireworks 00:56 - Source: CNNThe Tongliang Fire Dragon in Chongqing province is undoubtedly one of the grandest fire dragon dance performances of them all.

Persons: ”, Kwok Kam Chau, Kwok, We’ve, Liu Long Organizations: CNN, Republican, Hong Kong Baptist University, China’s, Steel Locations: Fengshun County, Guangdong, Puzhai, China's Guangdong province, Imaginechina, China, Hunan, China’s, Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan province, Huanglongxi, Sichuan, Chengdu, China's Sichuan province, Chongqing, Chongqing province, majestically, Qicaimeng, Guizhou, Dafang County, Guizhou province

☆ Booming semiconductor companies just earned one more market leadership honor
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chip stocks have been on a stock market tear for the last year, outpacing FAANG and other tech sector leaders in a rapid rise boosted by market enthusiasm for advanced AI chips. That success has now migrated over to another corporate performance measure. Semiconductor companies overtook FAANG stocks in Just Capital's annual ranking of public companies on issues of importance to the American public, with Intel , Advanced Micro Devices , and Micron Technology all finishing within the top 10. Semiconductor firms ranked highly on this year's JUST 100 list, Whittaker said, not only due to the number of jobs that they created relative to other industries, "but the adoption and expansion of policies that support workers and communities." AMD also disclosed its minimum yearly salary for the first time as well as providing more information around career development and benefits, leading to a higher worker score.

Persons: outpacing FAANG, Martin Whittaker, Paul Tudor Jones, Whittaker, Russell Organizations: Semiconductor, Intel, Devices, Micron Technology, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Lam Research, Materials, Cirrus, Just, " Semiconductor, AMD, Capital

☆ On the Eve of the Super Bowl, Usher Proves His Mastery
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Jon Pareles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It has taken perseverance, extraordinary musical gifts and a little luck for Usher to land where he is right now. At 45, the R&B singer and songwriter Usher Raymond is releasing his new album, “Coming Home,” just two days before he will headline the Super Bowl halftime show. His single “Good Good,” released last summer, has racked up tens of millions of plays on Spotify. It’s one of the 20 tracks on “Coming Home,” an album that sums up and expands what Usher does best. “Good Good,” which features Summer Walker and 21 Savage, is a downright mature post-breakup song about genuinely staying friends afterward.

Persons: Usher, Usher Raymond, ”, cheater, Billy Joel’s, Summer Walker, ” Usher Organizations: Spotify Locations: Las Vegas, Atlanta

☆ Putin Calls on U.S. to ‘Negotiate’ on Ukraine in Tucker Carlson Interview
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Wouldn’t it be better to negotiate with Russia? Make an agreement,” Mr. Putin told Tucker Carlson, the American conservative commentator, in the Russian leader’s first interview with an American outlet since 2021. Mr. Putin also laid out his well-worn and spurious justifications for invading Ukraine, asserting that Russia’s goal was to “stop this war” that he claims the West is waging against Russia. But Mr. Putin was more direct than usual about how he sees his Ukraine invasion ending: not with a military victory, but through an agreement with the West. At the interview’s end, Mr. Putin told Mr. Carlson that the time had come for talks about ending the war because “those who are in power in the West have come to realize” that Russia will not be defeated on the battlefield.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, ” Mr, Tucker Carlson, Mr, Carlson Organizations: Fox News, “ Locations: United States, Russia, American, Russian, Eastern, Ukraine

LAS VEGAS (AP) — When the Super Bowl was in the balance in the fourth quarter a year ago, coach Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs put a twist on their frequent pre-snap motion. Two wide-open touchdown passes that helped the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 for a Super Bowl title. “He gives you all different types of looks, funky looking plays, different misdirections,” 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner said. “I think to put it simply, they do a really good job of marrying their run plays to their pass plays,” Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill said. But with more defenses disguising coverages and switching after the snap, the motion can confuse defenses and create breakdowns in coverage.

Persons: Andy Reid's, Reid, Kyle Shanahan, “, ”, Nick Bosa, Kadarius Toney, Darius Slay, Toney, Skyy Moore, Damien Williams, Fred Warner, there’s, we’ve, ” Reid, Steve Wilks, Drue Tranquill, Peyton Manning, Chris Foerster, There’s Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City, 49ers, ” Niners, Eagles, Niners, Reid's Chiefs, ” 49ers, “, Globe, Raiders, NFL, San Francisco, Solutions, SIS, ” Chiefs Locations: San Francisco, Kansas, ”, Miami

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