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☆ Madrid joins race for high-spending tourists with bet on five-star hotels
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Corina Pons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] A swimming pool is seen at the top of Hyatt's Thompson Madrid Hotel, overlooking central Madrid, Spain, June 13, 2023. RISING ROOM RATESThe arrival of luxury hotels has marked a new peak in room rates. "We're seeking to capture the highest-spending international tourists," said Madrid's tourism director, Luis Martin. Employment in Madrid's tourism sector has grown by 15% since 2019, compared with 5.4% nationally. "The Spanish tourism sector has always tried to compete with other destinations on low prices," he said.

Persons: Hyatt's, Violeta Santos Moura, Santo Mauro, Richard Brekelmans, ”, Carlos Erburu, Thompson, Antonio Catalan, Alejandro Pitashny, Luis Martin, Jose Maria Martinez, Corina Pons, Belen Carreño, Charlie Devereux, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Madrid Hotel, REUTERS, Violeta Santos Moura MADRID, Hotels, Puerta del Sol, Dior, Marriott, Santo, Santo Mauro Palace, Westin, Ritz, Universal Music, Southern, Madrid, Colliers, Hyatt Hotels Corp, Reuters, Robuchon, Michelin, Airlines, Air, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Europe, Paris, London, Milan, Puerta del, Southern Europe, Barcelona, United States, Rome, Argentine, Iberia, America, Air China, China, Spanish

☆ Framework of PGA Tour-LIV golf deal released
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] May 25, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Patrick Reed hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the Pro-Am tournament as part of the LIV Golf Washington D.C. 2023 event at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington DC. The PGA Tour will have a permanent controlling interest in the subsidiary's board of directors, regardless of the Saudi investment, the framework says. The framework agreement also ends litigation between the two sides. The framework is likely to be a focus of a U.S. Senate panel on July 11 where Monahan, Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman have been invited to testify. He also wanted to know how any newly formed entity will be structured and operated, including how the PGA Tour intends to preserve its tax-exempt status.

Persons: Patrick Reed, Geoff Burke, LIV Golf, LIV, Yasir Al, Jay Monahan, Monahan, Greg Norman, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Chris Sanders, David Shepardson, Peter Rutherford Organizations: LIV Golf, Trump National Golf Club, Washington DC, USA, WASHINGTON, PGA Tour, Reuters, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment, U.S, Senate, PGA, Saudi, Investigations, Thomson Locations: Washington, DC, USA, LIV Golf Washington, Saudi, Al, Washington . U.S

Some billionaires rocketed into space as Branson and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have. Other rich travelers journeyed on a submersible to explore the wreckage of the ocean liner Titanic. For $250,000 to $300,000 a trip, Kent sometimes fields unusual requests including helping a Saudi prince fulfill his dream of flying a plane onto and off of an aircraft carrier. The experience was so demanding that Ackman's father expressed concern about the intended trip, not for his son but for another fund manager who had signed up to go. One person familiar with that excursion said it probably wouldn't happen again, in part because it was such a potentially risky undertaking.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Richard Branson, Branson, Jeff Bezos, ”, Alexandre Cymbalista, Geoffrey Kent, Kent, Goldman Sachs, Monica Heslington, Goldman, Melissa Biggs Bradley, Massimo Bottura, Bill Ackman, Whitney Tilson, Tilson, Ackman, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Tatiana Bautzer, Julia Harte, Nupur Anand, Paritosh Bansal, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Group, Amazon, Wall Street, Abercrombie, Kent, Credit Suisse, SPECIAL, Goldman, Art Basel, Rubell Museum, Bank of America, Indagare, Ferrari, Navy, Svea, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, New York City, Branson, safaris, Botswana, Kent, Saudi, Africa, Miami, Art Basel, Modena, Italian, Mongolia, California

☆ In Union Votes, 11% Can Make a Majority
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( F. Vincent Vernuccio | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's worst and best from Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson and Dan Henninger. Image: Richard B. Levine/Zuma PressShould three people control the future of a coffee shop with 28 employees? In an election last year, three workers voted to unionize, one voted no, and 24 didn’t participate. The election hasn’t been certified by the National Labor Relations Board, but it illustrates a problem in many unionization campaigns. Unions should be required to secure approval by a certain threshold of workers before organizing a business.

Persons: Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson, Dan Henninger, Richard B, Levine Organizations: National Labor Relations Board Locations: Riverside , Calif

☆ Why chaos in Russia could spell trouble for the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday, a fellow global energy power, Qatar, expressed “great concern” about the situation in Russia. Any meaningful loss of Russian energy would force China and India to compete with Western nations for supplies from other producers. Libya and Venezuela provide cautionary tales of how civil war and internal political strife can savage energy exports. At just under 10 million barrels per day, it produces about 10% of global crude oil demand. It took a long time for the Russian oil industry to recover from that.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, “ Putin, ”, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Richard Bronze, Matt Smith, Kpler, —, Stern, Agustin Carstens, Brent, Moscow, “, Sonnenfeld, — Sarah Diab, Sharon Braithwaite, Alexandra Peers, Ramishah Organizations: London CNN —, ” Yale, CNN, Western, Energy, Bank for International, BIS, US Energy Information Agency, Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia, China, India, Qatar, Americas, Europe, United States, Basel, Asia, Venezuela, Libya, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Soviet Union, London, New York

☆ Jobs are now requiring experience with ChatGPT — and they'll pay as much as $800,000 a year for the skill
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Experience with OpenAI's ChatGPT could help you land your next job. Here are the nine types of jobs companies are hiring for that require AI chatbot expertise. "It's somebody using AI that will take your job." Insider reviewed dozens of job postings on job board sites like Indeed and LinkedIn to see which companies are looking to hire workers with ChatGPT experience. Here are nine types of jobs that companies are looking to fill with ChatGPT experts — and what you can get paid doing them:

Persons: OpenAI's, ResumeBuilder, chatbot, Richard Baldwin Organizations: LinkedIn

☆ ProPublica’s Fishing Expedition for Justice Alito
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's worst and best from Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson and Dan Henninger. Image: Richard B. Levine/Zuma PressThe political assault on the Supreme Court continues, and the latest Justice in the grinder is Samuel Alito . ProPublica reports that the Justice went on a fishing trip to Alaska with a billionaire in 2008 and didn’t report it on his annual Court disclosure form. As usual, this is a non-scandal built on partisan spin intended to harm the Justice and the current Court majority.

Persons: Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson, Dan Henninger, Richard B, Levine, Samuel Alito, ProPublica Organizations: Zuma Locations: Alaska

☆ US lawmakers urge FTC to finalize new consumer protections for car buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - A group of 17 Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday urged the Federal Trade Commission to finalize new consumer protections for car buyers despite objections from auto dealers who argue the rules would actually raise the cost of buying a car. They argued that "unfair and deceptive practices involving motor vehicle dealers have widespread consequences." The lawmakers said the FTC should require dealers to provide a legally enforceable "Offering Price" "that includes all pre-installed and mandatory add-on products" and finalize regulations prohibiting specific misrepresentations, among other reforms. The FTC wants to ban fees for add-on products and services that provide no consumer benefits like "nitrogen-filled" tires that contain no more nitrogen than normal air. "Dealers also pack vehicle sales with mandatory and price-inflated add-ons, increasing the cost and creating further confusion and uncertainty about a vehicle’s ultimate price," the lawmakers wrote.

Persons: Ed Markey, Ron Wyden, Cory Booker, Brian Schatz, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Pramila Jayapal, David Shepardson, Chris Reese, David Gregorio, Leslie Adler Organizations: Democratic U.S, Wednesday, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Reuters, National Automobile Dealers Association, Center for Automotive Research, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Thomson

☆ TikTok acknowledges some US creator data may be stored in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Other exceptions include “public data, business metrics, [and] interoperability data,” TikTok told the senators, describing how some of the data it collects is meant to assist with its legal compliance obligations. The creator data is distinct from what TikTok refers to as “protected data” involving app-based information — including users’ behavioral data — that the US government deems more sensitive, TikTok told US lawmakers. In the document, TikTok does not explicitly say that creator data is stored in China. But TikTok’s disclosure drawing the distinction between protected user data and creator data comes after Blackburn and Blumenthal challenged the truthfulness of TikTok’s testimony in light of a Forbes report finding that TikTok was storing some US financial data in China. “TikTok has been clear that there are certain, limited exceptions to the definition of protected data,” the company wrote.

Persons: CNN — TikTok, Sen, Marsha Blackburn, Richard Blumenthal, TikTok, Shou Chew, “, ” TikTok, Chew, Blumenthal, “ TikTok, Blackburn, ” Blackburn Organizations: CNN, TikTok, Foreign Investment, Texas, Blackburn, Forbes Locations: China, Washington, Texas, United States

PGA Tour logo during the third round of the Travelers Championship on June 24, 2017, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Key lawmakers on Wednesday invited the officials behind the proposed deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf to testify at a Senate subcommittee hearing. Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Johnson, R-Wisc., requested testimony from the tour's commissioner, Jay Monahan, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman and Yasir al-Rumayyan of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. "Fans, the players, and concerned citizens have many questions about the planned agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf," Johnson said in a release. Blumenthal has expressed a particular interest in whether the PGA Tour deserves to keep its tax exempt nonprofit status as a business association that benefits its members.

Persons: LIV Golf, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Johnson, Blumenthal, Conn, Johnson, Jay Monahan, LIV, Greg Norman, Yasir al, Monahan, PIF didn't, Norman Organizations: Wednesday, PGA Tour, Senate Homeland Security, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf, PGA, CBS Locations: Cromwell , Connecticut, Saudi, United States

☆ Stockton Rush: What we know about the Titan submersible's pilot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Rush has approached his dream of deep-sea exploration with child-like verve and an antipathy toward regulations — a pattern that has come into sharp relief since Sunday night, when his vessel, the Titan, went missing. But in 2004, he told Smithsonian, the dream shifted after Richard Branson launched the first commercial aircraft into space. “I had this epiphany that this was not at all what I wanted to do,” Rush told the magazine. The commercial sub industry is “obscenely safe” he told Smithsonian, “because they have all these regulations. He also asked Rush about what the vessel’s “MacGyvery” components — like the plastic PlayStation controller and LED lights that Rush bought from an RV retailer.

Persons: Jacques Cousteau, Rush, MacArthur, you’re, ” Rush, Alan Estrada, ”, Richard Branson, Kirk, OceanGate, Greg Gilbert, Estrada, “, David Lochridge, OceanGate hasn’t, David Pogue, You’re, Pogue, plumb, Nick D’Annunzio, TARA, Celina Tebor, Sam Delouya Organizations: New, New York CNN, Stockton Rush, verve, Princeton, Smithsonian Magazine, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, UC Berkeley, Smithsonian, Enterprise, OceanGate, Everett, NASA, CBS, Boeing, University of Washington, USA, Michelin Locations: New York, Seattle, Washington

☆ US Senate panel invites PGA Tour commissioner, LIV CEO to testify on merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Nick Lachance/File PhotoWASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday invited PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to testify at a July 11 hearing. The Justice department has been investigating the PGA Tour for trying to keep its players from defecting to LIV. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV circuit, which had been involved in a bitter fight that split the sport, announced an agreement to merge and form one unified commercial entity. The LIV Golf series is bankrolled by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIV). The PGA Tour and LIV did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

Persons: LIV, Nick Lachance, Jay Monahan, Yasir al, Greg Norman, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Johnson, Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, LIV Golf, Critics, Jamal Khashoggi, David Shepardson, Mark Porter, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Canadian, PGA Tour, Oakdale, Country Club, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, Senate, Wednesday, Saudi, Public Investment, Investigations, PGA, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Justice Department, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Saudi Arabian

☆ From Titanic tours to space exploration: extreme tourism is on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Kukenan (L) and Roraima mounts are seen from the Tec Camp, near Venezuela's border with Brazil January 14, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File PhotoJune 21 (Reuters) - The $250,000-a-head expedition that vanished this week en route to the deep-sea wreck of the Titanic ocean liner is just one example of extreme tourism that is becoming more commonplace for those who can afford it. Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings said last week its first commercial spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", would launch between June 27 and June 30. Before he set his sights on space, Branson was one of an elite group of extreme hot-air balloon travelers, becoming the first to traverse the Pacific Ocean in a balloon in 1991. Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Donna Bryson and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Branson, Arthur Conan Doyle's, Julia Harte, Donna Bryson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Tec, REUTERS, SPACE, Virgin Galactic Holdings, SpaceX, Heli, Thomson Locations: Roraima, Venezuela's, Brazil, Indian Kashmir, India, Pakistan, New Delhi, Mount Roraima, Venezuela

☆ OceanGate Expeditions' Titanic tourism is a thing, and it's dangerous
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But for those willing to shell out, tourism and research company OceanGate Expeditions offered eight-day missions that allow customers to explore the Titanic more than 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface using five-seat carbon fiber and titanium underwater vessels. OceanGate launched successful expeditions to the Titanic wreckage in 2021 and 2022. Geoffrey Kent, the founder of luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent, has recently planned trips for clients including race car driving on ice in Finland and orangutan trekking in Borneo. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush has also repeatedly claimed that existing submersible regulations needlessly prioritize passenger safety over commercial innovation. But it also hasn’t innovated or grown—because they have all these regulations,” Rush said in an interview that appeared in a June 2019 issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

Persons: –, ”, Nick D’Annunzio, TARA, OceanGate, Stockton Rush, Andrea Doria, Bill Sikes, Rush, Knight Frank, “, Gideon Kimbrell, Everest’s, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Geoffrey Kent, Sal Mercogliano, hasn’t, It’s, ” Rush, David Pogue, don’t, “ Don’t, ” It’s, D’Annunzio, Ann Epting, Epting, Brad Lendon, Parija Kavilanz Organizations: CNN, OceanGate Expeditions, US Coast Guard, Expeditions, Stockton Rush, Rescuers, OceanGate Foundation, Virgin Galactic, Virgin, VSS Unity, Origin, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Abercrombie, Kent, Campbell University, Smithsonian Magazine, CBS, Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX, FAA, Kent’s, Abercrombie & Kent Locations: Everett , Washington, Boston, Stockton, Finland, Borneo, North Carolina, Oman

☆ Justice Samuel Alito: ProPublica Misleads Its Readers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Samuel A. Alito Jr. | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's worst and best from Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson and Dan Henninger. Image: Richard B. Levine/Zuma PressEditor’s note: Justin Elliott and Josh Kaplan of ProPublica, which styles itself “an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force,” emailed Justice Alito Friday with a series of questions and asked him to respond by noon EDT Tuesday. They informed the justice that “we do serious, fair, accurate reporting in the public interest and have won six Pulitzer Prizes.” Here is Justice Alito’s response:

Persons: Kim Strassel, Kyle Peterson, Dan Henninger, Richard B, Levine, Justin Elliott, Josh Kaplan, ProPublica, ”, Alito

☆ Housing market inventory keeps declining and that's bad news for homebuyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We're revisiting housing inventory today because it's one of the key sticking points that's keeping home prices elevated and buyers wary. Get this: The housing market today has 39% fewer homes for sale than before the pandemic. Mortgage rates are currently about double what they were in 2021, when ultra-low rates fueled a home-buying boom. That could help influence mortgage rates to go even higher this year. People who are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for mortgage rates to decline, should know that's unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future."

Persons: I'm Phil Rosen, Jerome Powell, Joe Raedle, There's, Powell, Redfin's Chen Zhao, Edward Seiler, Tweet, JIM WATSON, Morgan Stanley, Steve Eisman, Larry Summers, Richard Branson's, Phil Rosen, Max Adams, Hallam Bullock Organizations: realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association, US, Getty, Fed, FedEx, Nvidia, Bloomberg, Treasury, Virgin Galactic Locations: homebuilding, New York, London

☆ Taliban's treatment of women could be 'gender apartheid' - UN expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, June 19 (Reuters) - A United Nations expert said on Monday that the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women and girls could amount to gender apartheid as their rights continue to be gravely infringed by the country's de facto authorities. The U.N. defines gender apartheid as "economic and social sexual discrimination against individuals because of their gender or sex." "We have pointed to the need for more exploration of gender apartheid, which is not currently an international crime, but could become so," Bennett told reporters on the sidelines of the Council. In a report covering July to December 2022, Bennett found in March that the Taliban's treatment of women and girls "may amount to gender persecution, a crime against humanity." The Taliban authorities say they respects women's rights in accordance with their strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Persons: Richard Bennett, Bennett, Ali Khara, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Marguerita Choy Organizations: United, Human Rights, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, United Nations, Afghanistan, Geneva, Afghan, Kabul

☆ The Space Industry Is Taking Off. Space Law Is Still a Mystery.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Ephrat Livni | Sarah Kessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson are racing to establish a presence in space. It’s not clear what the rules are, even as the $460 billion space industry is growing quickly. Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company founded by Mr. Branson, announced on Thursday that it would launch its first commercial spaceflight this month, joining Mr. Bezos’ Blue Origin, and Mr. Musk’s SpaceX in sending ticketed passengers to space. But travel is just one emerging corner of the industry, which is mostly fueled by U.S. and international government contracts. “We didn’t want to bring the Cold War into space,” Michelle Hanlon, co-director of the air and space law program at the University of Mississippi, told DealBook.

Persons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Branson, Bezos, Musk’s, ” Michelle Hanlon, DealBook Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Mr, Musk’s SpaceX, Orbital Assembly, Citigroup, Soviet Union, United Nations, University of Mississippi Locations: U.S, United States, Soviet

☆ Virgin Galactic plans first commercial space service for June; shares take off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 15 (Reuters) - Virgin Galactic Holdings (SPCE.N), the space tourism firm founded by Richard Branson, said on Thursday its long-awaited commercial spaceflight service would launch later this month, sending its shares up over 55% in trading after the bell. The first spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", is planned between June 27 and June 30, the company said. Shares of Virgin Galactic had lost over two-thirds of their value last year due to delays in the company's launch of commercial service. But in February, it said it had completed a lengthy upgrade period for its centerpiece tourist spacecraft, clearing the path for its first commercial spaceflight. The first commercial mission will carry three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy to conduct microgravity research, Virgin Galactic said.

Persons: Richard Branson, Chavi Mehta, Pooja Desai, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Virgin Galactic Holdings, Virgin Galactic, VSS Unity, Italian Air Force, National Research Council, Thomson Locations: Italy, Bengaluru

☆ Virgin Galactic surges 47% as Richard Branson's space tourism company preps first commercial flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Max Adams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Virgin Galactic soared on Friday on news the company was readying commercial flights. After years of delays, the first flight will take place on June 27, with another scheduled for August. The stock spiked 47% Friday, but is still trading far below highs reached in 2021. Billionaire Richard Branson's space company announced that the first flight, dubbed Galactic 01, is scheduled between June 27 and June 30. Virgin Galactic is trading far below highs reached in 2021, when the stock was trading at nearly $60 per share.

Persons: —, Richard Branson's, Branson, Virgin Galactic's Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Service, Wall Street, Galactic, Virgin Locations: Thursday's

☆ How riding rockets going 4,000 mph into suborbital space could slash international flight times from 22 hours to 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This idea of point-to-point rocket travel, however, could be uncomfortable and inconvenient. Space companies that are exploring the technologyWhile no one is going from Down Under to Big Ben in less than 24 hours these days, some space companies are already testing the technology needed for point-to-point rocket travel. No company has announced projected ticket prices for point-to-point rocket trips, but if other space travel is any indication they'll likely be super expensive. Currently, you can book a two-hour space flight with Virgin Galactic for $450,000. But he's not planning any future point-to-point rocket flights because it's not worth the hassle.

Persons: —, David Doughty, Admiral Jet, Doughty, Big Ben, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Joe Cassady, there's, Thompson, Cassady, It's, he's Organizations: SpaceX, Service, Qantas, Rockets, Passengers, Virgin Galactic, Rocket, astronautics, US Air Force, NASA, Astronauts, Travelers Locations: London, Sydney, New York, Boca Chica , Texas, Mexico

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Virgin Galactic, iRobot, Cava, SoFi and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

iRobot — The stock surged 19% after U.K. regulators approved Amazon's $1.7 billion acquisition of the Roomba vacuum cleaner maker. Cava Group — Cava Group shares dropped 15% during trading Friday, giving back some of its gains from its massive debut Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. SoFi Technologies — The financial technology stock dropped more than 8% after both Bank of America and Piper Sandler downgraded it to neutral from buy, citing SoFi's recent run higher. Micron Technology — Shares dipped 1.5% after Micron Technology said a China chip ban could hurt the company. Truist Financial — Shares fell 1.6% after Odeon Capital Group downgraded Truist Financial to hold from buy, according to FactSet.

Persons: Richard Branson, iRobot, Piper Sandler, Refinitiv, Morgan Stanley, Joseph Moore, — CNBC's Michelle Fox, Alex Harring, Yun Li Organizations: Virgin Galactic —, West Pharmaceutical Services, Bank of America, — Cava, New York Stock Exchange, Technologies, Adobe, Nvidia, Devices, Micron Technology, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, — Humana, Odeon Capital Locations: China

☆ Meta lowers the minimum age for its Quest headsets from 13 to 10
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Facebook-parent Meta plans to lower the minimum age for its virtual reality headsets from 13 years old to 10 years old, despite pressure from lawmakers not to market its VR services to younger users. In its Friday blog post, Meta said parents will be able to set time limits and enforce breaks for their preteens on the headsets. Meta also makes it possible to cast content from its VR headsets to a TV or phone screen, so parents can watch what their kids are seeing. Meta’s headset and Horizon Worlds represent Zuckerberg’s vision for a next-generation internet, where users can interact with each other in virtual spaces resembling real life. Update: This story has been updated to reflect Meta’s plan to continue restricting Horizon Worlds to users 13 and older.

Persons: Preteens, Meta, ” Meta, Massachusetts Sen, Ed Markey, Connecticut Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, Facebook, Connecticut, CNN, Meta Locations: New York, Massachusetts, United States, Canada, Europe

☆ Virgin Galactic defies gravity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, June 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Virgin Galactic (SPCE.N) countdown has begun. Richard Branson’s space tourism company said on Thursday it plans to launch its first commercial flight within days. Virgin Galactic also depends on there being enough people willing to pay $450,000 for a few minutes in weightlessness. If Virgin Galactic could carry six passengers a week, and earn a 20% EBITDA margin, it would someday generate about $30 million of such earnings. For a company that has so badly missed previous projections, it’s Virgin Galactic’s valuation that is out of this world.

Persons: Richard, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Robert Cyran, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Streisand Neto Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Virgin, Galactic, Origin, SpaceX, Southwest Airlines, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Cava

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Don’t fight the Fed? What Fed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Markets liked the pauseU.S. markets rallied Thursday as traders digested the Federal Reserve's rate pause — and seemed to decide it was a good thing. But traders in Europe didn't like the ECB's rate hike, resulting in a 0.13% drop in the pan-European Stoxx 600 index. Either the Fed's lying about rates or economic data's lying about a recession.

Persons: Richard Branson, Trade Bell, Coinbase, Kevin Scott, it's, CNBC's Bob Pisani Organizations: of Virgin Galactic, Trade, New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, ECB, European Central Bank, Markets, BlackRock, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Microsoft, Federal Reserve Locations: New York City, Europe

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