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☆ China Pays for Economic Mismanagement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Mickey D. Levy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Review and Outlook: A joint naval patrol near the Aleutian islands is a warning and a test for the U.S. Images: Zuma Press/Alaska Volcano Observatory/Associated Press Composite: Mark KellyIt’s economic payback time in China. The bill is coming due for excesses resulting from Beijing’s rejection of free enterprise in favor of communist ideals. Xi Jinping has been a powerful dictator, but his stewardship of China’s economy has been awful, proving again that government leaders who allocate resources without regard to markets create economic dysfunction. China’s overreliance on real estate and debt will take years to unwind.

Persons: Mark Kelly It’s, Xi Jinping Organizations: Zuma Press, Associated Locations: Alaska, China

☆ Starlink has become the 'blood' of Ukraine's communication infrastructure, but officials are reportedly growing concerned about relying on Elon Musk's tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukrainian official told The New York Times that Starlink satellites are vital to their communication systems. His fears stem from several months of back-and-forth with Musk about the use of Starlink internet in the war against Russia. Mykhailo Fedorov told The Times that Starlink has become the "blood" of Ukrainian communication infrastructure. Starlink satellites, then, are invaluable resources — but also ones that Fedorov told The Times he's worried Ukraine has become overdependent on. In September 2022, Ukrainian officials revealed Musk had blocked Starlink internet access in Russian-occupied Crimea, citing concerns about escalating the conflict.

Persons: Musk, Mykhailo Fedorov, Starlink, Fedorov, he's, Mykhailo Podolyak, SpaceX — Organizations: New York Times, Russia, Service, Elon, The New York Times, Times, Pentagon, SpaceX Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea

☆ What 'Shark Week' can teach investors about a money 'survival instinct'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Aaronp/bauer-griffin | Gc Images | Getty ImagesIt's "Shark Week," the annual television-programming event on Discovery that stars the ocean's apex predators. Specifically, investors have a tendency to get swept away by the fear or euphoria of the recent past. This is called "recency bias," and it's often accompanied by financial loss. "People need to understand that recency bias is normal, and it's hard-wired," said Charlie Fitzgerald III, an Orlando, Florida-based certified financial planner. Investors are most vulnerable to recency bias, he said, when on the precipice of a major life change such as retirement, when market gyrations may seem especially scary.

Persons: bauer, Charlie Fitzgerald III, Steven Spielberg's, Omar Aguilar, Fitzgerald, I'm, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, FOMO Here's, Aguilar, Christopher Polk Organizations: San Diego Convention Center, Aaronp, GameStop, Schwab Asset Management, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Filmmagic, Getty, Finance Locations: Orlando , Florida

☆ Layoffs at Dow Jones have Wall Street Journal staffers on edge as the newsroom expects more cuts and changes under top editor Emma Tucker
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dow Jones laid off 10 people on the business side in late June. Wall Street Journal insiders are prepping for a content overhaul and potential cuts later this summer. A steady drip of layoffs continues at Dow Jones, which laid off another 10 people in the last week of June. The roles were mostly finance, sales, and marketing people who work across Dow Jones properties, which include The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and MarketWatch. The Journal newsroom has largely been spared, but EIC Emma Tucker is conducting a sweeping content review.

Persons: Dow Jones, Almar Latour, Emma Tucker, Tucker, Rupert Murdoch's, she's, Liz Harris, Taneth Evans —, Charles Forelle, Karen Pensiero, Neal Lipschutz, Jason Anders, Thorold Barker, Kristina O'Neill, Sarah Ball, She's, Bernard Arnault, There's Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Dow, Street, MarketWatch, News Corp, Sunday Times, . Magazine Locations: Dow Jones, London, Europe, Middle East, Africa

☆ More layoffs have hit Dow Jones, and The Wall Street Journal's newsroom sees changes ahead, including cuts, under top editor Emma Tucker
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dow Jones laid off 10 people on the business side last week, the latest in ongoing reductions. Wall Street Journal insiders are prepping for a content overhaul and potential cuts later this summer. A steady drip of layoffs continues at Dow Jones, which laid off another 10 people in the last week of June. The roles were mostly finance, sales, and marketing people who work across Dow Jones properties, which include The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and MarketWatch. The Journal newsroom has largely been spared, but EIC Emma Tucker is conducting a sweeping content review.

Persons: Dow Jones, Almar Latour, Emma Tucker, Tucker, Rupert Murdoch's, she's, Liz Harris, Taneth Evans —, Charles Forelle, Karen Pensiero, Neal Lipschutz, Jason Anders, Thorold Barker, She's, Bernard Arnault, There's Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Dow, Street, MarketWatch, News Corp, Sunday Times Locations: Dow Jones, London, Europe, Middle East, Africa

☆ Apple may be diversifying supply chains away from China — but it's still relying on the country's suppliers to build the Vision Pro headset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's diversifying supply chains away from China, but it's still using Chinese firms to make the Vision Pro. Apple's Vision Pro has been exciting investors since its reveal, sending the company's shares soaring. Tech giant Apple has been trying to diversify its supply chains away from China — but it appears there's no getting away from the manufacturing powerhouse. According to Wellsenn, the list shows eight Chinese companies involved in the making of Apple's Vision Pro headset. And despite the internet's derision about the gadget's hefty price tag and its goofy aesthetics, the Vision Pro itself has been exciting investors.

Persons: Wellsenn, Cowell, Taiwan's Foxconn, Zinya, Nidhi Pandurangi Organizations: Tech, Apple, Vision, Apple's, Cowell e Holdings, Samsung, LG, Sony Locations: China, India

☆ Future wars are going to be catastrophic and robotic, and militaries have to 'come to grips' with that, former general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Mick Ryan, the author and a strategist, says militaries need to "come to grips" with what is coming. The scene comes from a new novel, "White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan," written by a former military officer. "That is especially the case when the ratio of humans to autonomous systems in militaries is going to flip," Ryan told Insider. "We are not at the point yet where robotic systems are able to match humans in decision making," Ryan said. And these autonomous systems will have many similar flaws. "

☆ Takeaways from special counsel John Durham’s report on FBI’s Russia-Trump probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Zachary Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Special counsel John Durham released his final report on Monday in which he casts doubt about the FBI’s decision to launch a full investigation into connections between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. The report does not ultimately fulfill the expectations set by former President Trump and his allies who have long claimed that it would prove the FBI’s investigation was nothing more than a political witch hunt. That finding was at the core of Durham’s most scathing criticism of the FBI’s decision to launch a full investigation. “Strzok, at a minimum, had pronounced hostile feelings toward Trump,” Durham wrote, while quoting in a footnote previously known texts between Strzok and Lisa Page, then an FBI attorney. Witness testimony exposed the FBI’s overreliance on the dossier as it sought court approval to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser in 2016.

☆ Special counsel John Durham concludes FBI never should have launched full Trump-Russia probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Zachary Cohen Devan Cole Tierney Sneed Evan Perez Hannah Rabinowitz Jeremy Herb Marshall Cohen | Zachary Cohen | Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“Strzok, at a minimum, had pronounced hostile feelings toward Trump,” Durham wrote, while quoting in a footnote previously known texts between Strzok and Lisa Page, then an FBI attorney. Witness testimony exposed the FBI’s overreliance on the dossier as it sought court approval to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser in 2016. Mixed results over 3+ yearsBarr tapped Durham in 2019 to review the origins of the Russia probe, and the scope of Durham’s work grew over the years. Former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which inherited the initial Russia probe, released a detailed accounting of Russia’s effort to interfere in the 2016 election. Mueller found no evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but investigators documented numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russians.

☆ How to know if your leadership style is more like Elon Musk or Steve Jobs — and what each of their strengths and weaknesses are
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Christopher Myers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Isaiah Berlin, a prominent 20th-century philosopher and historian, popularized the foxes and hedgehogs metaphor in his 1953 essay "The Hedgehog and the Fox." By understanding this metaphor, modern business leaders can harness the strengths of both foxes and hedgehogs to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. Leadership lessons from history: Xerxes and ThemistoclesExamining historical figures through the lens of the foxes and hedgehogs metaphor can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of different leadership styles. Modern business titans: Steve Jobs and Elon MuskIn the world of technology and entrepreneurship, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk represent the quintessential hedgehog and fox, respectively. Isaiah Berlin's foxes and hedgehogs metaphor provides modern business leaders with a valuable framework for understanding and implementing effective leadership styles.

☆ Don't trash your Bed Bath & Beyond coupons — you can now use them at Big Lots, The Container Store, and Boscov's
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Container Store, Big Lots, and Boscov's are accepting "expired" Bed Bath & Beyond coupons. Wednesday was the last day to use coupons at Bed Bath & Beyond stores following the company's bankruptcy filing. Discount furniture and home decor retailer Big Lots said Thursday it would also accept Bed Bath & Beyond's expired coupons through May 7. Pennsylvania-based Boscov's, which operates 50 department stores mostly on the East Coast, said that it, too, would accept Bed Bath & Beyond coupons. Bed Bath & Beyond said it would stop accepting coupons by April 26, and it began liquidation sales this week at the remaining 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buybuy Baby locations.

☆ The Fed’s autopsy report on Silicon Valley Bank is coming. Here’s what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Federal Reserve, which is responsible for supervising banks in the United States, plans to release its report at 11 a.m. Another federal regulator, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, will release a similar report on Signature Bank, which fell two days after SVB, in the afternoon. Those assets began steadily losing value when the central bank raised interest rates at a rapid pace last year. As the bank stumbled, it became clear that virtually all — 97%, according to data from Wedbush Securities — of SVB’s deposits were uninsured. There are indications the Fed, SVB’s primary regulator, warned the bank as early as 2019 about its insufficient risk-management systems, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

☆ As US and Philippine defense ties grow closer, China drives wedge over Taiwan issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But the election of his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, last year has returned relations to a more even keel, in part because Manila has become wary of a more assertive China. Last year the US granted $100 million to boost the Southeast Asian country’s defense capabilities and military modernization. Heydarian added that China has to rethink its strategy towards the Philippines, as the Marcos Jr administration is openly more aligned with the US. China remains one of the top trade partners of the Philippines, while Marcos Jr also continues to negotiate energy and agriculture investments from Beijing. Some worry Marcos Jr might be giving too much access to the US, especially when it comes to bases and facilities close to Taiwan, Heydarian said.

☆ Don't trash your Bed Bath & Beyond coupons — you can now use them at The Container Store
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Container Store will accept "expired" Bed Bath & Beyond coupons until the end of May. Wednesday is the last day to use coupons at Bed Bath & Beyond stores following the company's bankruptcy filing. Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday after months of uncertainty over its survival. Bed Bath & Beyond's ubiquitous and oversized coupons — known as Big Blue — may have played a role in the company's slow demise. Liquidation sales will begin Thursday at the remaining 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buybuy Baby locations.

☆ Europe approves its $47 billion answer to Biden's CHIPS Act — here's everything that's in it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The initiative, dubbed the European Chips Act, seeks to help the bloc compete with the U.S. and Asia on tech, and secure control over a critical bit of technology behind the world's electronics products and devices. What's in the Chips Act? The European Chips Act is a massive, 43-billion-euro ($47 billion) package of public and private investments that aims to secure its supply chains, avert shortages of semiconductors in the future, and promote investment into the industry. The Chips Act has three main aims: Building large-scale capacity and innovation. "The Chips act puts Europe in the first line of cutting-edge technologies which are essential for our green and digital transitions."

☆ Opinion: The revolving door access to state secrets has to end
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Brett Bruen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The US national security team is once more ignominiously living out the line made famous by pop star Britney Spears after finding itself back in the uncomfortable position of watching state secrets ping-pong around the internet. As a veteran of the National Security Council and State Department, I have a couple of ideas about what we need to change to get Spears’ song off repeat. Indeed, whatever the cause of this latest breach, it should galvanize us to shut the revolving door of access to our most sensitive secrets. For starters, there should be a minimum time commitment from those appointed to high political office. This turnover creates massive disruptions and gaps in our national security structure.

☆ France’s Macron starts tough talks with China’s Xi Jinping on state visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Two of Europe's heaviest weights in politics are holding talks with China's President Xi Jinping at a time when the EU-Sino relationship is at a serious crossroads. With President Xi Jinping, we will also talk about our businesses, the climate and biodiversity, and food security," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter, moments before meeting the Chinese leader. This is particularly relevant when EU economic growth is vulnerable to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met China's President Xi Jinping last week. Europe's top foreign affairs diplomat, Josep Borrell, is also heading to China next week.

☆ America's Parking Addiction Hurts the Economy, Drives up Housing Costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jeral Poskey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

A society committed to housing and feeding its people will ensure plenty of land is dedicated to homes and farms. According to the builder WGI, the average parking stall in the US costs $27,900 to build, more than the cost of many new compact cars. The money and resources dedicated to parking could be used for other purposes, but breaking our country's reliance on parking has been difficult. Parking accounted for about 27% of per-unit costs, regardless of whether the resident owned a car or not. Better transportation, better land use, better citiesEfforts are underway to finally rid America of its unhealthy devotion to parking.

☆ Putin's top troops are being 'decimated' as Russia relies too much on so-called 'elite' forces to wage war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Several so-called "elite" Russian units have suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine. The 155th is only the latest so-called "elite" Russian unit to face serious setbacks on the battlefield. An abandoned Russian military tank left in the Ukrainian city of Balakliia after Russian Forces withdrew from the Kharkiv region on September 15, 2022. So I think it's much more of a blow to Russia's ground force's combat power than it is to their reputations." Russia's military leadership has at times faced criticism and even domestic outrage over its decision-making.

☆ British semiconductor bosses threaten to move overseas as U.S. and EU splurge on chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government is yet to announce a strategy outlining U.K. efforts to support the chip industry. And semiconductor bosses in the country are growing frustrated. Pragmatic Semiconductor, a Cambridge-based startup that produces non-silicon chips, warned it may be forced to relocate overseas if the government doesn't issue a plan for the industry soon. The EU, meanwhile, has earmarked 43 billion euros ($45.9 billion) for Europe's semiconductor industry with the aim of producing 20% of the world's semiconductors by 2030. In December, the country was said to be preparing a more than 1 trillion yuan ($147 billion) package for its chip industry, according to Reuters.

☆ Companies Tap Tech Behind ChatGPT to Make Customer-Service Chatbots Smarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Businesses hope the artificial-intelligence technology behind ChatGPT can turn ordinary chatbots into impressive fonts of information, potentially transforming customer service. But customer-experience executives said overreliance on such AI models could lead to companies dishing out incorrect information to customers online without knowing they are doing so. Some executives hope the technology that drives ChatGPT might also improve customer-service chatbots. But companies should exercise care when dealing with the new AI, Mr. Truog said. Nice is also working on building OpenAI’s language models into chatbots, Mr. Willcutts said, adding that the company plans to run more tests and fine-tune more models before selling its own take on ChatGPT to clients.

☆ Davos: India flexes its muscle as China's star fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In 2023, as global recession fears persist, the country is expected to log the best performance of any major economy. An Invest India banner hanging from a building ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, Jan. 16. India is also due to displace its powerful neighbor as the world’s most populous country this year. They’re a substantial asset — if India’s economy can create enough jobs. “The world needs resilience,” Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran told a Davos panel.

☆ Casinos in Macau, the Vegas of the East, have managed to renew crucial gaming licenses. But there's a hefty catch — they need to pump in $15 billion into non-gaming sectors.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Macau's six casino operators pledged to invest nearly $15 billion in non-gaming sectors. In return for the investments, Macau's government has renewed their gaming licenses. Gaming licenses for the six major casino operators had expired back in June, throwing into question Macau's future as a gambling hub. The new 10-year gaming licenses come into effect on January 1, 2023. Among the six gaming companies, Sands China has committed to spending the most in non-gaming projects — about 27.8 billion patacas, or $3.5 billion.

☆ India is trying to become the new factory of the world, but it could take more than a global pandemic to unseat China from its 40-year reign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But it isn't easy to fully replace China's supply chain ecosystem in any country — even one as vast as India. "India has a large labor pool, a long history of manufacturing, and government support for boosting industry and exports. Data irregularities improved China's position in 2018, according to a World Bank audit published in December 2020. India also has a history of protectionism, which makes it less competitive in terms of attracting large investments. That's precisely because they want to diversify, from having dependency on one country, like China, to a couple of locations."

☆ U.S.-Backed Researchers Use AI to Probe for Weaknesses in Drug Supply Chains
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has approved research that will use artificial intelligence to delve into drug supply chains and probe for weaknesses, including foreign influence. Any overreliance on foreign inputs in drug supply chains could leave the U.S. open to dire shortages in the event of conflict or natural catastrophe. PREVIEWThe DHS-backed dive into drug supply chains will examine to what extent the supply of drugs might be susceptible to disruption. The new DHS-backed study will try to map out supply chains several layers deep, and potentially uncover previously hidden issues, Mr. Tuchman said. Consultant Steven Lynn says the pandemic opened people’s eyes to issues inherent in far-flung pharmaceutical supply chains.

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