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☆ Meet the brothers building massive spacecraft to leverage SpaceX’s Starship
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

What we're finding is that, with the new launch capabilities of vehicles like Starship, there's actually an interesting opportunity to go the opposite direction," Karan Kunjur told CNBC. Los Angeles-based startup K2 Space, co-founded by CEO Karan Kunjur and CTO Neel Kunjur, is setting out to build satellite buses — the physical structure of a spacecraft that provides power, movement and more. A pair of brothers is aiming to challenge the way spacecraft are built, by going against the industry trend and designing massive satellites in a bet that towering rockets such as SpaceX's Starship are the way forward. K2 Space, a play on the brothers' surname and a nod to astronomer Nikolai Kardashev's scales of civilization, marks Karan and Neel's first venture together and fuses their previously divergent careers. For K2, the company is targeting prices that would be unheard of for satellite buses of these sizes.

☆ Why Everyone Is Moving to Florida: Jobs, Economy, Cost of Living, Taxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Emil Skandul | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

For other states to compete, they will need to pay attention to what Florida is doing right. Floridians pay no income tax and fewer taxes overall than people in states like New York, California, or Massachusetts. But a low tax rate isn't the only thing people care about. Despite having a budget half the size of New York's and a larger population, Florida, by many metrics, is able to do significantly more with the taxes it collects. Florida is also outshining New York and other major population centers in tackling the soaring cost of housing.

☆ Dwarf elephants? Giant rats? Strange island creatures at high risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - A dwarf elephant the size of a Shetland pony once roamed the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. They were examples of the "island effect," a rule in evolutionary biology describing how large-bodied species tend to downsize on islands while small-bodied species upsize. Extinction risk was seen highest among species that underwent more extreme body size shifts compared to mainland relatives. But small-bodied species, because there is a decreased risk from predators on islands, are emancipated from evolutionary constraints on their size. It once was home to a dwarf elephant relative, giant rats and a giant stork, as well as a dwarf human species - Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the "Hobbit," standing just 3-1/2 feet tall (106 cm) tall.

☆ Exclusive: Mexico's Pemex, 'punished' by markets, weighs how to pay heavy debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Ana Isabel Martinez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Romero hit back at credit rating agencies that have "punished" Pemex by declaring its bonds speculative grade, or junk, which made its borrowing more expensive. He said the agencies were ignoring progress made by current management on boosting production, lowering debt and keeping reserves stable. At the end of January, Pemex issued 10-year bonds worth $2 billion at a 10.375% interest rate on the market to refinance some debt. That production target significantly scales back Lopez Obrador's initial oil ambitions, when in late 2018 at the start of his administration he promised to grow Pemex production to 2.6 million bpd. Pumping more, he said, "will comfortably allow us to meet our country's demand for crude oil and fuels."

☆ Bridgewater's new executive team is already making big changes. But was it all part of Ray Dalio's master plan?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On tap, we've got stories on the top VCs in Texas, more headaches for Blackstone's BREIT, and why boomers stink. Maybe it's just the fear of facing your own mortality and realizing that life, in fact, will go on without you. As Rebecca Ungarino reports, the world's largest hedge fund is making a slew of new changes less than six months after billionaire founder Ray Dalio stepped aside. Bridgewater, which was founded in 1975 from Dalio's two-bedroom apartment, is arguably just as well known for its culture as its size. Edited by Jeffrey Cane (tweet @jeffrey_cane) in New York and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) and Nathan Rennolds (tweet @ncrennolds) in London.

☆ Fair and Balanced? Murdoch’s private messages show Fox News was instructed to help Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But a deposition and private messages made public in recent weeks has exposed that even Rupert Murdoch doesn’t treat Fox News like an actual news organization. But at Fox News, that’s not the case. It’s just striking to hear Fox leadership like Ryan talk openly behind the scenes about what the company is at its core. Fox News has accused Dominion of having “cherry picked” statements to unfairly malign the network. But it’s hard to see how, under any circumstances, these instructions to a supposed network news chief would be appropriate.

☆ IKEA’s Latest Climate Target: Glue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The company expects biomaterials to become more cost competitive with fossil-based materials in the coming years. Instead, Mr. Rangel Ahrens said IKEA uses weight because it allows them to measure changes in a material, such as recycled and renewable content. It discovered around half of the material’s emissions were from the glue used to bind the wood chips and fibers together, meaning that fossil-based glue was responsible for about 5% of IKEA’s carbon footprint, Mr. Rangel Ahrens said. “We are not just telling them you should reduce emissions from suppliers by 80% and go fish,” Mr. Rangel Ahrens said. It needs to be available also for people with thin wallets,” Mr. Rangel Ahrens said.

☆ INDIA RUPEE Rupee scales near 3-wk high as Chinese yuan boosts Asian FX
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Anushka Trivedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, March 1 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee hit a near three-week high against the dollar on Wednesday after a stronger Chinese yuan sparked a rally in Asian currencies. The rupee rose 0.20% to 82.50 per dollar, having strengthened up to 82.37 at one point, near its 55-day moving average of 82.3514 and at its highest level since Feb. 10. There were a "decent" amount of inflows into the market, and the broader sentiment was better, while a pullback in the dollar index helped the rupee, said a dealer at a private bank. Hence, the local unit is likely to stay in the range of 82.60-83.00 in the near term, Krishnamurthy said, noting that technically, only a break of either side on a daily close basis would trigger a directional move. Asian currencies and equities rose in response, while the dollar index fell 0.5%.

☆ Russia and Ukraine have a lot of the same tanks and jets, but Kyiv has a decisive 'flesh and bone' advantage, top US enlisted leader says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia and Ukraine have often fought against each other using the same military hardware. But Ukraine has a "human dynamic" advantage that Russia lacks, a top US enlisted leader said. US and Ukrainian officials have praised the role of Ukraine's NCOs during the conflict for being leaders on the front lines. "The government of Ukraine decided to go all in on an NCO development model," Colón-López said this week. "It is definitely a decisive advantage that the Ukrainians have that the Russians do not."

☆ Apple, Nvidia in the news: Here's our take on these outsized tech holdings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Apple (APPL) and Nvidia (NVDA) made headlines Monday, with bullish implications for both Club holdings. For example, Apple's market share of the 18-to-29-year-old cohort in South Korea has increased to 52% from 44% over the past two years, the Journal report noted, citing a Gallup poll. More broadly, the Journal explained, Apple continues to take market share away from South Korea's Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker overall. That's a key reason we've expressed frustration with Qualcomm's slow progress on diversifying its revenue stream away from its heavy reliance on the smartphone market. Nvidia (NVDA) The news: Analysts at Bernstein took a crack at sizing up the market opportunity that generative AI represents, particularly as it relates to Nvidia.

☆ Amazon Expands Same-Day Delivery, With Fees, While Battling Slow Growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Sebastian Herrera | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Amazon.com is focusing on delivering packages in less than a day to shoppers who have more fast-delivery options than ever. Amazon .com Inc. is expanding ultrafast delivery options, a sign that it remains committed to pushing its logistics system for speed as it scales back plans in other areas. The tech giant is continuing to devote resources to facilities and services structured to deliver packages to customers in less than a day. The expansions are happening at a crucial point for Amazon, which faces competition for fast-delivery options while Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy puts a renewed focus on profits.

☆ Paul, Fury hit their marks ahead of Saudi celebrity boxing showdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Jake Paul and Tommy Fury made weight on Saturday ahead of their showdown in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, when both men will put their unbeaten records on the line in a long-awaited contest more about celebrity bragging rights than punching prowess. "Tomorrow night his time is up, Jake Paul will no longer be boxing. I'm going to put Jake Paul away inside four rounds," a riled-up Tommy Fury said from the stage. The 23-year-old Fury may have a more traditional boxing background behind his record, but he is more famous for his celebrity sibling and his career in British reality TV than his pugilistic skills. "Like the posters say, the talk is over, we've done all the 'yeah, yeah, yeah', all the hoopla.

☆ Tesla scales back German battery plans, won over by U.S. incentives
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) has paused plans to produce entire batteries in Brandenburg, Germany, and will instead carry out some production steps in the United States where tax incentives are more favourable, the Brandenburg economy ministry said on Tuesday. The U.S. carmaker had originally planned to produce the full battery at the Gruenheide site in Germany, with a peak capacity of over 50 gigawatt hours per year. But with the United States offering electric vehicle makers sourcing batteries from within the United States tax breaks and consumer discounts, the company has changed course. "Tesla has started its battery system production in Gruenheide and is preparing to manufacture battery cell components. The company has prioritized further production steps in the USA because tax incentives make business conditions more favorable there," the Brandenburg economy ministry said in a statement.

Hidalgo, just outside Mexico City, is hundreds of miles from the border yet land and labor costs are lower. The United States and Canada have formally entered a trade dispute over Mexico's energy policy. It remains unclear exactly what Tesla's investment in Mexico will look like and what the company plans to produce in the country. Yet Mexico's capacity for a nearshoring boom has been held back by Lopez Obrador, particularly his energy policies, analysts said. Reporting by Diego Ore and Daina Beth Solomonin Mexico City Additional reporting by Kylie Madry in Mexico City Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why America's outdated energy grid is a climate problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

'A double whammy': Age and locationWind resources in the United States, according to the the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. That's especially true for tapping into the highest quality of wind energy, explained Princeton professor Jesse Jenkins, a macro-scale energy systems engineer. Solar resources in the United States, according to the the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy.

☆ Electric cars need less service — but they could cost you more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Electric cars require different service and maintenance than gas-powered ones. They also wonder what it means to service and maintain these vehicles — and how much that will cost them. Tesla even advertises its vehicles as "eliminating the need for service." EV tires are different than those for a gas-powered vehicle. What it means for car dealersAs a result of these shifts, dealers are assessing just how much of an impact that potentially less vehicle service will have on their bottom lines.

☆ Silicon Valley layoffs are a boon for tech-hungry farm equipment makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Bianca Flowers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The executives said the newly available tech talent could inject much-needed expertise into farm equipment manufacturing, helping to transform the industry through the use of more artificial intelligence and automation. Detroit automakers are also hiring tech workers to meet the growing software needs of vehicles, auto executives have said. REMOTE-CONTROLLEDDeere's main rival, Irving, Texas-based Caterpillar Inc. (CAT.N), is also making a big push to recruit tech talent. "Companies really need to jump into action," said Michael Solomon, co-founder at 10x Management, a compensation negotiation agency for senior tech talent. The amenities aim to attract tech workers.

It was created by OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), and made available to the public for free. Its ubiquity has generated fear that generative AI such as ChatGPT could be used to spread disinformation, while educators worry it will be used by students to cheat. A second congressional aide described the discussions as focusing on the speed of changes in AI and how it could be used. In an interview with Time, Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer, said the company welcomed input, including from regulators and governments. "The whole value proposition of these types of AI systems is that they can generate content at scales and speeds that humans simply can't," he said.

☆ Shopify is trying to lure sellers away from Amazon by promising seamless shipping and VIP access on container ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Shopify rolled out the latest iteration of its e-commerce logistics service Thursday. Shopify Logistics is a "port to porch" logistics service for even the smallest merchants. Flexport will allow Shopify merchants to get "front of the line access," to space on container ships they'd struggle to get otherwise, Brown said. Shopify rolled the badge, a direct competitor to Amazon's Prime shipping program and its newer "Buy with Prime" feature, out last year and expanded it to all Shopify sellers Thursday. A lot of e-commerce businesses with good products "flame out" because they simply can't hack the operations, Sauceda said.

☆ CVS scales up its vertical ecosystem in $10.6B Oak Street Health deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCVS scales up its vertical ecosystem in $10.6B Oak Street Health dealCVS Health CEO Karen Lynch joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss CVS's latest primary care deal with Oak Street Health, mapping out the end of Covid, and providing women with health care products, including abortion pills.

☆ Seven out of ten UK households fear cost-of-living hit -NielsenIQ
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Scales to weigh loose fresh produce are seen in the UK supermarket Asda in Leeds, Britain, October 19, 2020. NielsenIQ said UK grocery sales on a value basis rose 7.6% in the four weeks to Jan. 28, due to an increase in food price inflation to 13.8%. However, volume sales fell 6.9% - the lowest volume growth recorded in over nine months, which reflects the concern shoppers have about cost-of-living increases, it said. It said Lidl overtook Morrisons to become the UK's fifth largest grocer with a market share of 8.9%. NielsenIQ said online's share of all FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sales was 11.1% - similar to its share in the latter part of 2022.

☆ Vietnam seizes 600 kg of ivory smuggled from Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Seized elephant ivory and rhino horns are destroyed by Vietnamese authorities in Hanoi November 12, 2016. REUTERS/Nguyen Thanh Cao/File PhotoHANOI, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Vietnamese authorities have over the past week seized more than 600 kilograms of ivory smuggled from Africa, the government said on Monday. Trade in ivory is illegal in Vietnam but wildlife trafficking remains widespread. This followed the finding of nearly 500 kilograms of African ivory on Thursday last week at Lach Huyen Port in the city, the government said. This has been the largest seizure of smuggled ivory in the country in more than four years.

One of Amazon 's key air cargo operators said Monday that the e-commerce giant is scaling back on flights this year, citing lower demand and slower economic growth. Air cargo rates, which surged in recent years due to port congestion and high demand for fast deliveries, have slumped. The International Air Transport Association said last month that air cargo demand in November was down nearly 14% from the year-ago period, while capacity fell 1.9%. Through Amazon Air, the company has built up a burgeoning air network to control more aspects of the delivery process and ensure faster delivery. WATCH: How the pandemic shifted how Boeing and airlines think about air cargo

☆ First Quantum suspends copper concentrate loading at Panamanian port
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FM.TO) said on Monday it has suspended loading operations at a major port in Panama, blocking the Canadian company's path to export from the Cobre Panama copper mine and sending its shares down nearly 8%. The Panama Maritime Authority last month ordered the company's subsidiary Minera Panama to suspend copper concentrate loading at the port until it showed evidence that its scales were calibrated by an accredited company. First Quantum said that its subsidiary initiated the certification process by submitting the required proof to an accredited company on Feb. 3, but has not heard back from the Panama Maritime Authority. The process deviates from Minera Panama's previous approach of providing internationally accepted certifications to the Panama Maritime Authority, the company added. Cobre Panama represented more than half of First Quantum's earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in 2021.

☆ A Swedish-made fighter jet could tip the scales against Russia in Ukraine, but it might not get there any time soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Ukraine's air force remains in the fight almost a year after Russia's shambolic invasion. Sooner or later, Ukraine must induct new jet fighters into service — and they sure aren't buying them from Russia. JAS-39 Gripen: background and capabilitiesA Swedish JAS 39 Gripen at Bobo, Norway in October 2018. A Hungarian Air Force JAS-39 Gripen in August 2010. JAS-39 Gripen vs. F-16A US Air Force F-16 takes off from Aviano Air Base in Italy in June 2020.

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