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☆ Nicolas Cage, Ranked From Wild to Mild
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Erik Piepenburg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the early 1980s, Nicolas Cage got his first big breaks in Martha Coolidge’s “Valley Girl” and Amy Heckerling’s “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” films that zeroed in on the peculiar allure of his dopey bad boy persona. Watching him was like eating a banana split: You tasted something nutty, sweet, indulgent, all-American. Since then, few actors have been able to match how nimble a polymorph Cage is in genre, how easily he power-bounces between action (“National Treasure”), comedy (“Moonstruck”) and horror (“Pay the Ghost”). He’s done the same for a who’s who of boundary-pushing directors, including the Coen brothers (“Raising Arizona”), David Lynch (“Wild at Heart”) and Spike Jonze (“Adaptation”). Each is rated on a scale of bees — one for sleepy, five for loony — in honor of the insects that tortured him in the 2006 remake of “The Wicker Man.”

☆ Workplace discrimination linked to increased risk of high blood pressure, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Kyla Russell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

High blood pressure damages arteries and makes them less elastic, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each participant said they did not have high blood pressure at the start of the study, and most said they were not smokers and consumed little or no alcohol. According to the analysis, 319 of the participants reported developing high blood pressure by the end of the eight years. People who experienced intermediate levels of workplace discrimination at the beginning of the study were 22% more likely than those who reported low levels of workplace discrimination to report high blood pressure after eight years. Compared with participants who experienced low workplace discrimination at the beginning of the study, people with high levels of workplace discrimination were 54% more likely to report high blood pressure after eight years.

CNN —Harry Belafonte, the dashing singer, actor and activist who became an indispensable supporter of the civil rights movement, has died, his publicist Ken Sunshine told CNN. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Belafonte, left, plays a school principal in a scene from the film "See How They Run" in 1952. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Belafonte poses with the Emmy Award he won in 1960 for the musical special "Tonight With Belafonte." Fred Sabine/NBCU/Getty Images Belafonte and other recipients of Albert Einstein Commemorative Awards display their medallions after being honored in 1972. He is survived by his wife Pamela, his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, David Belafonte, two stepchildren Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank and eight grandchildren.

☆ The Janes 1960s underground abortion network
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

The group was officially created in 1969 as the “Abortion Counseling Service of Women’s Liberation.”But after running ads in an underground newspaper: “Pregnant? “It wasn’t just abortion,” Barron explained. “Vacuum aspiration was much easier to do, and I think it’s less difficult for the woman,” Scott said. We had to keep the service running.”Laura Kaplan volunteered for the Janes, later immortalizing the group in her book, "The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service." Each Jane was charged with 11 counts of abortion and conspiracy to commit abortion, with a possible sentence of up to 110 years in prison.

☆ TemperPack is making recyclable cold packaging for Martha Stewart-branded meal company Marley Spoon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meal delivery kits really took off with the pandemic, and they're still gaining in popularity. Two years ago, fresh food meal kits were a $7 billion industry, and they're projected to become a $10 billion industry by 2024. Some considerable portion of that money is wasted on packaging to keep food cold. TemperPack is working with grocers, meal kit companies, bio-tech and online pharmacies -- basically, any business that previously used a styrofoam cooler for packaging. That was a big draw for Martha Stewart-branded meal maker Marley Spoon.

☆ Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego recently outraised Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in what could be the most unpredictable Senate race of 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego outraised Independent Kyrsten Sinema in the first quarter of 2023. Gallego's campaign reported raising $3.74 million, while Sinema raised $2.1 million, per the FEC. The Grand Canyon State could potentially boast the most competitive Senate race in the US next year. The outcome of a competitive three-way Arizona race could very well determine control of the Senate. And the race would also be held with the concurrent presidential election, which could feature a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

☆ Skittish Savers Are Fleeing Local Banks. Here’s Why They Could Still Be a Great Deal for You
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

In fact, experts say now may be the time to consider what small banks have to offer. Depositors appear to be fleeing small banks because they fear problems in the banking sector could spread beyond the tiny number of troubled banks that have made headlines so far. “Which is bad for them, but good for their customers.”Of course, online banks also offer savers high interest rates that meet or exceed what most small banks offer. Small bank loansIf you are looking for a loan, small banks have a lot to offer, too. And if you already have a relationship with a small bank, you might be able to obtain more favorable borrowing terms.

☆ Gavin Newsom says he's taking a road trip through red states to fight the policies and 'anger machine' of DeSantis and other GOP governors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is traveling to red states to tout the progressive agenda. Gavin Newsom of California already had a plan in the works to go on offense against Republican governors. California Gov. California Gov.

☆ Bicyclists are getting killed on American streets, and they want Congress to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They're asking for e-bike tax credits and road safety funding, among other things. He's brought that message to Minnesota and federal lawmakers as part of his pro-bicycle advocacy for the last 20 years. This week, bike advocates from all 50 states descended on DC as part of the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit. My kids tease me — please teach me how to ride a bike,'" Grilley said. Lindsey Nicholson/Getty ImagesElectrifying bike transportAdvocates for e-bike tax credits say they reduce the number of car trips people take, cutting emissions and congestion, and boosting public health.

☆ Cash-strapped Chinese cities are cutting medical benefits for seniors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Censors removed hashtags for “Wuhan health insurance” from Weibo’s hot topics section after the demonstrations began in January. State media reported at the time that some other regions had already spent public money on mass testing. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesCovering the shortfallChina’s health insurance scheme is a key part of its limited social safety net. To protesters, however, it looked like local governments were dipping into their individual accounts to cover the shortfalls of the collective pool. “There has to be some resolution of the financial capacity of local governments to meet current, and prospective, age-related costs,” Magnus said.

☆ Trump keeps saying he can solve the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Mike Pompeo says he has no idea what his former boss is talking about.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This week, Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he can solve the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he has no idea what Trump is talking about. "I don't know what he's talking about," the former Trump-era secretary of state told Fox News host Martha MacCallum. Meanwhile, Trump has kept saying it will take him just one day to solve the war in Ukraine. Representatives for Pompeo and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment outside regular business hours.

☆ It's not easy being a bicyclist in the US. Better infrastructure could help.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Eliza Relman | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Advocates are asking for more funding for bike safety measures, in addition to e-bike tax credits. The best way to address biking safety concerns, advocates say, is to build better bike infrastructure, including a robust system of bike lanes. If passed, the law wouldn't directly address the most pressing safety and infrastructure concerns facing bicyclists, but advocates say it could help. At the same time, this growing community of new bicyclists would likely demand better bike lanes and other infrastructure. Ultimately, advocates say it's about return on investment: More bikes, and better bike infrastructure, could lead to big savings for commuters and a rethinking of how everyone navigates their landscape.

☆ Inside a shake-up at the world's 'most feared law firm'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Casey Sullivan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

It's been a tumultuous period for Quinn and the storied law firm he built over the past 37 years — now the world's largest litigation firm with hourly rates that can be north of $2,000. But behind the scenes, a shift at QE has been the talk of elite law firm circles. Indeed, the firm – known as a singular, even freewheeling, institution that brands itself as the "#1 Most Feared Law Firm in the World" — may appear to be less in the image of its founder as a generational shift brings changes. "We all thought it was important that the world understands this is not a one generation law firm." One former firm partner in California says he believes Quinn's inner circle generally got better deals.

☆ Google Made the Bard AI Chatbot Boring. On Purpose.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Joanna Stern | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

If ChatGPT is your crazy Uncle Leo, Google’s Bard is your goodie-two-shoes Aunt Martha. On Tuesday, Alphabet Inc.’s Google released its artificial-intelligence chatbot contender, an answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft Corp.’s Bing chatbot, which uses OpenAI technology. As with those others, you type a prompt into Bard and out pops prose that’s likely better than your last texting convo. It can answer questions, draft emails and tell you a bedtime story. Yes, it can even write a newspaper column.

☆ A Florida Home Fit for a Pasta Queen—or At Least, the ‘Italian Martha Stewart’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Nancy Keates | Photography Amy Mikler For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Nadia Caterina Munno is the self-proclaimed The Pasta Queen. It’s a title she’s used over the past three years to accumulate a combined six million followers on various social-media platforms, where she posts boisterous, often ironic videos of herself prancing around in her enormous, blue steel and brass home kitchen, making Italian food and laughing at others’ attempts at making Italian food. But Ms. Munno, 40, is aiming much higher than TikTok celebrity. “I want to be the Italian Martha Stewart,” says Ms. Munno. Her cookbook made the New York Times bestseller list in November and she’s working on a second one.

☆ Unlike last year, this tax season has been going smoothly
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But by comparison, this year’s tax-filing season has been going relatively smoothly, tax preparers say. “After a few years of pandemic-related updates, mid-tax season IRS guidance, last-minute tax law changes and more, the ‘quiet’ is a welcome change to many,” the National Association of Tax Preparers said in a statement. Better but far from perfectA return to a more normal tax-filing season doesn’t mean tax preparers and their clients are getting all the guidance that they need, though. But the quality of the answers to their questions and request for guidance has still left some tax preparers wanting. And when it comes to online services, Colorado-based enrolled agent John Dundon II has noticed some improvements as well.

☆ The CD Market Is Doing Something Strange—and It Could Have a Big Impact on Your Money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

CD rates have been rising rapidly over the past year, thanks to the Federal Reserve’s efforts to fight inflation. And there’s potentially a bigger issue at play: Regardless of where you stick your cash, interest rates’ odd behavior suggests the economy may be out of whack. CD rates have climbed dramatically since the Federal Reserve embarked on its campaign to fight inflation, which peaked at nearly 10% late last year. But the Fed faces a conundrum: Hiking interest rates to fight inflation also slows economic growth. Short term rates remain high, while longer term rates—reflecting grim economic prospects in years to come—fall off.

☆ There’s a quicker, cheaper way to go to college, but fewer students are trying it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowHow 'early college' programs workIn some cases, students can even complete an associate degree by the time they finish high school, a type of dual enrollment known as "early college." These programs are not restricted to high school students on a specific — and often accelerated — academic track, as many AP classes are. Early college students are also more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree compared to their peers who were not enrolled in early college programs, according to one study by the American Institutes for Research. Although there are up to 900 early college programs nationwide, according to Zeiser, many are still under the radar. Early College High School is a Title I school in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which means there is a high percentage of low-income students.

☆ After Four Years, Martha Stewart’s Daughter Finds Buyer for Manhattan Triplex
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Katherine Clarke | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alexis Stewart, a media personality and the daughter of lifestyle guru Martha Stewart , has found a buyer for her triplex Manhattan apartment four years after listing it. Ms. Stewart has signed a contract to sell the six-bedroom West Village unit for a price in the low $30 million range, according to a person familiar with the situation. That price is significantly less than the $53 million she asked when the property first came on the market in 2019. It was most recently asking $37 million, according to listings website StreetEasy.

☆ From dual enrollment to course sharing, these 4 moves can help you save big on college costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Take college courses in high schoolDual enrollment is a state-run program that allows students to take college-level classes, often through a local community college, while they are still in high school. As many as 3 in 10 community college students are in dual enrollment programs, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. Unlike Advanced Placement, the program in which high school students take courses and exams that could earn them college credit, dual enrollment credits are more likely to transfer. Over four years, early college programs cost about $3,800 more per student than traditional high school, according to one study. Try course sharingIf you are already enrolled in a four-year school, tapping community college courses can still be a worthwhile way to cut costs, a strategy known as course sharing.

☆ If You’re a Foodie, You’ll Want This Cash Back Card
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

By Martha C. WhiteIf you, like many Americans, do the bulk of your credit card spending at the supermarket, Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards may be the perfect card for you. While this card’s base 1% cash back rate is unremarkable, its unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores is the highest uncapped rate we found in the cash back category. It’s why Buy Side from WSJ named this card Best Cash Back Card for Groceries. Card details you might missWhile Buy Side from WSJ judges cash back credit cards primarily based on their cash back offers, it’s important to understand all the terms and conditions. For instance, a family with $3,000 a month in credit card spending who spent half of that amount—$1,500—on food would earn $720 a year in cash back with this card, the same as they would with Buy Side from WSJ’s Best Overall Cash Back Credit Card pick, the Wells Fargo Active Cash, which offers 2% cash back on purchases across all categories.

☆ Tesla's new Mexico plant could create up to 6,000 jobs - foreign ministry official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MEXICO CITY, March 1 (Reuters) - Electric carmaker Tesla could create 5,000 to 6,000 jobs at a new plant planned for the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, said Martha Delgado, a Mexican deputy foreign minister. Speaking in an interview on Mexican television late on Tuesday, she also said the company is considering building an electric battery plant in central Mexico. Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tesla plans 6,000 jobs in Mexico and eyes more investment, government says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BMW, General Motors and Ford have all recently announced plans to begin or step up EV production in Mexico as automakers transition away from fossil fuels. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk is expected to detail his Mexico plans at an Investors Day event on Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT). "(Musk) is interested in investing more in Mexico," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, noting the two had discussed the government's plans to develop the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico when they recently talked. This closeness was very good for them," she told Mexican television. The factory will employ 5,000 to 6,000 people, she added, noting that similar Tesla plants elsewhere employ up to 10,000.

☆ Ron DeSantis, Florida Officials Seek to Dismiss Lawsuit From Martha’s Vineyard Migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jon Kamp | Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A group of migrants was flown to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts last year. Ron DeSantis and other Florida officials said a federal lawsuit over migrants the state flew from Texas to Massachusetts last year should be dismissed, arguing in legal filings the Boston court lacks jurisdiction and that migrants were told where the planes were going. Perla Huerta, a woman migrants said recruited them onto the Martha’s Vineyard-bound flights, filed a separate motion in the Boston federal court Tuesday to dismiss the case. The lawsuit was brought by some of the 49 migrants and an advocacy group in September. The contractor Florida hired to arrange the flights and the company’s chief executive also asked for the case to be dismissed.

☆ DeSantis accuses congressional Republicans of 'flagrantly' ignoring voters on immigration, leading to Trump election: Book
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

DeSantis criticized congressional Republicans over the issue of immigration in his new book. Ron DeSantis reserves some of his most scathing criticism of congressional Republicans for how the party has handled the issue of immigration. The election was largely decided on the issue of immigration, with Brat accusing his opponent of being too soft on the issue. DeSantis has publicly criticized his own party on illegal immigration before, saying they were too much talk and not enough action. Hispanic voters in Florida went overwhelmingly for DeSantis during his reelection in November — by 14% — over Democratic challenger former Rep. Charlie Crist.

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