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☆ Australian court fines Dell unit $6.5 million for misleading customers on discounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Dell Technologies flag outside the company headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, US, on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Australia's Federal Court on Monday ordered Dell Technologies local unit to pay $10 million Australian dollars ($6.46 million) in penalties for making misleading representations on its website about discounts for add-on computer monitors. In a legal action brought by the country's competition regulator, Dell Australia was found guilty by the Federal Court in June to have misled customers about the prices or discounts on add-on monitors on its website. "This outcome sends a strong message to businesses that making false representations about prices or inflating discounts is a serious breach of consumer law and will attract substantial penalties," said Liza Carver, commissioner of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Dell Australia, which sold more than 5,300 add-on monitors with overstated discounts between Aug. 2019 and Dec. 16, 2021, will be working "with impacted customers to provide appropriate refunds plus interest and are taking steps to improve our pricing processes to ensure this sort of error does not happen again," a spokesperson for Dell Australia said in a statement to Reuters.

Persons: Liza Carver Organizations: Dell Technologies, Monday, Dell, Federal Court, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Dell Australia Locations: Round Rock , Texas, Australia's, Dell Australia

☆ Sarajevo Film Festival opens with tribute to music and movies in times of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Daria Sito-Sucic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Sarajevo Film Festival, which was founded towards the end of the Bosnian war by a group of film enthusiasts, has become southeastern Europe's largest such event, showcasing 235 films this year. After the end of the Bosnian war, in 1997, U2 staged a huge concert in Sarajevo, which Bono ended by urging the crowd to "Kiss the Future". "Culture was one of the main things that gave us the power to survive that period," said Mirsad Purivatra, a founder of both the wartime cinema and the Sarajevo Film Festival. He described how people would pack into the basement to attend cultural events and meet friends, rushing home before curfew. Images of filmgoers and the underground rock shows by photographer Milomir Kovacevic Strasni are being displayed for an exhibition taking place to mark the 30th anniversary of the Apollo wartime cinema as part of the film festival.

Persons: Dado, Bono, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Mirsad Purivatra, Milomir Kovacevic, Daria Sito, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Sarajevo Film, Cinema, Hollywood, Academy of Performing Arts, Apollo, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sarajevo, Bosnia, Herzegovina, SARAJEVO, Bosnian

☆ 11 U.S. cities where rent has fallen the most—a pandemic migration hot spot is No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Median rent prices in these cities dropped by 0.5% in the last year, according to an analysis by Realtor.com. For renters, the decrease is a much-needed break after rent prices soared by nearly 25% from 2020 through most of 2021. This, alongside a growing number of newly constructed apartments, has likely driven down rent prices, the study says. At the same time, rent costs have steadily risen in many major Midwest and Northeast cities. In Columbus, Ohio, rent prices grew by 9.3% — the highest increase of all cities.

Persons: Warren Buffett Organizations: Riverside, San Bernardino -, Austin, Dallas, Fort Locations: Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Vegas, San Bernardino, San Bernardino - Ontario, California, Georgetown , Texas, Francisco Bay, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Clearwater , Florida, Fort Worth - Arlington , Texas, Charlotte, North Carolina, Sacramento , California, Atlanta, Denver, Midwest, Northeast, Columbus , Ohio, New York City, Pittsburgh, Boston, Buffalo , New York, Hartford , Connecticut, New Orleans, Providence , Rhode Island, Rochester , New York

☆ Austin, home to Elon Musk's Tesla, is the best city to start your career, a study has found. See the top 5.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Financial services company Bankrate ranked the best and worst cities for young professionals. Austin, Texas, took the top spot and ranked highly for year-on-year job growth. Bankrate, a financial services company, put together a list of the best and worst cities for professionals who are just starting out. The city is known as "Silicon Hills" and serves as a base for major companies such as Elon Musk's Tesla. Some of the worst cities to launch a career were Birmingham, Memphis, and New Orleans, the study found.

Persons: —, Alex Gailey, Austin, Elon Musk's Tesla, Musk, Franklin Nashville , Tennessee Michael Warren, Cary, DANIEL SLIM, Bellevue Seattle , Washington spotmatik Organizations: Financial, Bankrate, Service, Elon, Birmingham, Nashville, Davidson, Franklin, Getty, Raleigh, Austin, Georgetown Locations: Austin , Texas, Texas, California, Memphis, New Orleans, Murfreesboro, Franklin Nashville , Tennessee, Cary Raleigh , North Carolina, Salt Lake City Salt Lake City , Utah, AFP, Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue Seattle , Washington

☆ Part of the secret to Austin's thriving clean-tech startup scene: mentorship
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Austin, Texas, is home to a number of clean-tech startups. Austin's clean-tech scene isn't only composed of household names. But why do so many clean tech companies call Austin home? That's poised to help clean-tech companies, according to recruiters, venture capitalists, and those who have shifted to working for green companies. Taylor, who's lived in Austin for 38 years, has been part of the Austin startup scene since 1991.

Persons: —, Rebecca Taylor, Taylor, Austin, HolonIQ, Teague Egan, Larry Fink, Egan, Elon Musk, There's, who's, It's Organizations: Service, Austin Technology, ATI, University of Texas, Motors, EV, Blackrock, Giga, Southwest Festival, Computing, Dell, Apple, Microsoft Locations: Austin, Texas, Washington, Tesla, California, Giga Texas, Round, Taylor

☆ Investors are eyeing China's neighbors as the recovery from 'zero-Covid' slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesChina's lackluster economic recovery since emerging from strict "zero-Covid" lockdowns has caused weaker sentiment toward the country, prompting investors to look for alternative options — like its near neighbors. Higher targets for JapanForeign investors have undoubtedly been key in driving the Japanese market, maintaining the highest levels the Nikkei has seen since 1990. During the same period last year, foreign investors had sold a net 1.73 trillion yen approximately. Wall Street banks including Morgan Stanley and Societe Generale are among those that are optimistic on Japanese stocks, holding "overweight" positions. Upside for Korea tech stocksSouth Korea is another market closely watched as concerns over China's recovery linger.

Persons: Goldman, Andrew Tilton, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, India's, Goldman Sachs, Tilton, Morgan Stanley, ROE, Mike Wilson, we've, Price, Goldman's Tilton, Rhee Chang, Nomura, Chloe Andrieu, Pranjul Bhandari, Bhandari Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Asia, Pacific, Japan Foreign, Nikkei, Japan's Ministry of Finance, Societe Generale, Equity, U.S, UBS Global Wealth, U.S ., UBS, The Bank of, CNBC, Citi, AFP, Afp, Korea Financial Investment Association, South Korean, Fitch, Ben Advisors Locations: Macau, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Goldman Sachs, Berkshire, South, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wall, Korea, Asia, The Bank of Korea, Fuyang, China's, Anhui, Indonesia

☆ 51 US cities expected to see the highest home price increases and 5 at risk of falling in the next 12 months — plus where mortgage rates could be by year-end — according to a housing economist
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Areas that saw price declines during the pandemic are expected to make a comeback. Metropolitan areas including Anaheim, Seattle, and Sacramento top the list. In April, prices for single-family homes rose by 2% year-over-year and 1.2% from the previous month, according to CoreLogic's Home Price Index. Below is a list of 51 metropolitan areas expected to see the most home prices increase in the next 12 months, beginning from the highest to the lowest. The CoreLogic HPIFinally, while mortgage rates can be difficult to predict, Hepp believes we have likely peaked for the year.

Persons: Selma, it's, Selma Hepp, Hepp, Louis Organizations: CoreLogic, Irvine CA Metropolitan, Everett WA Metropolitan Division, Arcade, Statistical, Oakland, Berkeley CA Metropolitan, Metropolitan Statistical, Riverside, Jacksonville FL, Vegas, Paradise, Clearwater FL, Newark, Sanford FL, Angeles, Glendale CA Metropolitan, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach FL, Cambridge, Suffolk County NY Metropolitan, Towson, Metropolitan, Fort Lauderdale, Boston, Scottsdale, Scottsdale AZ Metropolitan Statistical, Miami, Kendall FL Metropolitan, Alexandria DC, Bloomington, Franklin TN Metropolitan, Virginia, Newport News, Livonia MI, Gastonia NC, SC Metropolitan, West Allis WI Metropolitan, Philadelphia PA Metropolitan, Kansas City, KS Metropolitan, Providence, Richmond VA Metropolitan, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh PA, Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Elyria, NJ, Columbus OH, Houston, Indianapolis, Arlington TX Metropolitan, Dallas, Irving TX Metropolitan Locations: Selma Hepp, Anaheim, Seattle, Sacramento, West Coast, Metropolitan, Santa Ana, Irvine, Bellevue, Roseville, Hayward, Berkeley, Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro, San Bernardino, Ontario, Diego, Carlsbad CA, Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Henderson, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Clearwater, Newark NJ, Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford, Long, Glendale CA, Palm, Delray Beach, Newton, Framingham, Nassau County, Suffolk, Baltimore, Columbia, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach FL, Mesa, Scottsdale AZ, Miami, Kendall, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Chester County, Washington, Arlington, Alexandria, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Minneapolis, Paul, WI, Murfreesboro, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Warwick, Chicago, Naperville, Arlington Heights IL, Troy, Farmington Hills MI, Antonio, New Braunfels TX, York, Jersey, White Plains, Carmel, Worth, Plano

☆ 51 US cities expected to see the highest home-price increases and 5 at risk of falling in the next 12 months — plus where mortgage rates could be by year-end — according to a housing economist
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The economist Selma Hepp says home prices in some areas are rising because of limited inventory. The US housing market started off on a solid footing this year as home prices rose. In April, prices for single-family homes rose by 2% year-over-year and 1.2% from the previous month, according to CoreLogic's Home Price Index. Below is a list of 51 metropolitan areas expected to see the most home-price increases in the next 12 months, from the highest to the lowest. The CoreLogic HPIFinally, while mortgage rates can be difficult to predict, Hepp said that we had likely peaked for the year.

Persons: Selma Hepp, it's, Hepp, CoreLogic's, Louis, CoreLogic Organizations: Irvine CA Metropolitan, Everett WA Metropolitan Division, Arcade, Statistical, Oakland, Berkeley CA Metropolitan, Metropolitan Statistical, Riverside, Jacksonville FL, Vegas, Paradise, Clearwater FL, Newark, Sanford FL, Angeles, Glendale CA Metropolitan, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach FL, Cambridge, Suffolk County NY Metropolitan, Towson, Metropolitan, Fort Lauderdale, Boston, Scottsdale, Scottsdale AZ Metropolitan Statistical, Miami, Kendall FL Metropolitan, Alexandria DC, Bloomington, Franklin TN Metropolitan, Virginia, Newport News, Livonia MI, Gastonia NC, SC Metropolitan, West Allis WI Metropolitan, Philadelphia PA Metropolitan, Kansas City, KS Metropolitan, Providence, Richmond VA Metropolitan, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh PA, Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Elyria, NJ, Columbus OH, Houston, Indianapolis, Arlington TX Metropolitan, Dallas, Irving TX Metropolitan Locations: Anaheim , California, Seattle, Sacramento , California, West Coast, Metropolitan, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Bellevue, Sacramento, Roseville, Hayward, Berkeley, Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro, San Bernardino, Ontario, Diego, Carlsbad CA, Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Henderson, Tampa, St, Petersburg, Clearwater, Newark NJ, Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford, Long, Glendale CA, Palm, Delray Beach, Newton, Framingham, Nassau County, Suffolk, Baltimore, Columbia, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach FL, Mesa, Scottsdale AZ, Miami, Kendall, Montgomery County, Bucks County, Chester County, Washington, Arlington, Alexandria, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Minneapolis, Paul, WI, Murfreesboro, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Warwick, Chicago, Naperville, Arlington Heights IL, Troy, Farmington Hills MI, Antonio, New Braunfels TX, York, Jersey, White Plains, Carmel, Worth, Plano

☆ In ‘City on Fire,’ the New York of the Early 2000s Burns Bright
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Austin Considine | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the younger actors there to help recreate the night of Aug. 14, 2003, what they “saw” required a leap of imagination. But thanks to postproduction wizardry, viewers of the new series “City on Fire,” debuting May 12 on Apple TV+, will see what for New Yorkers during the regionwide blackout that night was so extraordinary: a night sky dotted with stars. The 2003 blackout had a distinctly communal energy compared with the blackout of 1977, which features prominently in the Garth Risk Hallberg novel “City on Fire,” on which the Apple series is based. As in the late ’70s, New York City’s future then seemed uncertain and its underground rock scene was vital. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the beginning of Mayor Bloomberg’s controversial rezoning efforts.

☆ Properties in Austin have skyrocketed in value over the last 25 years. Here are the top 10 US areas where house prices have grown.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Property values in Austin have soared over the past 25 years, an analysis from SmartAsset found. The study analyzed average home value data in metro areas from 1998 to 2022. The study analyzed average home value data in 400 metro areas between 1998 and 2022, calculating collective increases to measure growth and drops in value to measure stability. Two areas in Colorado — Boulder and Fort Collins — also saw above-average home value growth. Here are the metro areas that have seen the biggest property value growth in the last 25 years:

☆ I run a multimillion-dollar slime business at 19. Here's how I got started in middle school with only $200.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Lola Christina Alao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Jungmin Kang started making slime out of Elmer's glue and borax as a hobby when she was 13. I started making slime in 2017 when I was a 13-year-old middle schooler after watching a video on Instagram. I realized that you could easily make it with glue and slime activator, which is borax diluted in water. When Jungmin started high school, it became difficult to balance the business with her education. Being a business owner has taught me about persistenceWhen I started, some of my classmates called slime childish and ridiculous.

☆ Maps: The devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Terrain map showing the 7.8- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes near the eastern border of Turkey and Syria. A woman stands near rubble and damage in Gaziantep, Turkey, Feb. 7, 2023. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi A section of the earthquake damaged D420 road in Demirkopru, Turkey, Feb. 8, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas A man walks past a partially-collapsed building in Pazarcik, Turkey, Feb. 9, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem People inspect the damage as rescuers search for survivors in Hatay, Turkey, Feb. 8, 2023.

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Dell Technologies Inc (DELL.N) on Wednesday said it reached a $1 billion settlement of a lawsuit accusing it of short-changing some shareholders in a controversial $23.9 billion transaction in 2018 that marked its return as a publicly traded company. The disputed December 2018 transaction involved a stock swap related to Dell's interest in software maker VMware. Dell paid $14 billion in cash and issued 149.4 million Class C shares in exchange for outstanding Class V shares, which tracked VMware's publicly traded stock. Holders of the Class V shares sought $10.7 billion in damages, saying their stock was worth far more than Dell paid for it, while the Class C stock was worth far less than Michael Dell and Silver Lake claimed. Michael Dell was worth $52 billion on Tuesday, according to Forbes magazine.

As a result, political observers say, public school funding is effectively on the ballot Tuesday. “These groups have been demonizing what is being taught in public schools, and that’s the fastest way to erode faith that public schools work,” Rottinghaus said. (Abbott publicly came out in support of private school vouchers two months after winning the primary with 66.5% of the vote.) Greg Abbott in the GOP primary, campaigned in support of private school vouchers. “I will never support vouchers.”Rep. John Bucy III said he will continue to oppose private school vouchers.

☆ ABCs not LGBTs: Battles over race, gender inflame Texas school board vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Oct 22 - At traffic-choked intersections in this Texas town, a blunt campaign slogan stands out from clusters of candidate signs: “Teach ABCs + 123s, Not CRTs & LGBTs." Blood-sport politics have come to school board elections in Round Rock, a rapidly growing and diversifying suburb of Austin. Zimmerman is running against incumbent Tiffanie Harrison, a progressive and the first Black woman elected to the Round Rock school board. Ryan Girdusky, who founded the 1776 Project, estimated about 70% of his school board candidates have won in elections held so far this year. FOLLOW THE MONEYIn school board races where name recognition may be the largest factor, a few thousand dollars can make a difference.

☆ Fact Check-Image purporting to show Houston Chronicle headline on Beto O’Rourke calling for fight with Abbott is fabricated
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The screenshot appears to show a tweet sent at 8 a.m. on Sept. 20, 2022 with text that reads: “Beto O’Rourke: “if you don’t want to debate me then fight me. A Twitter advanced search similarly did not reveal the supposed post (archive.ph/wip/kYSqb). A screenshot showing a tweet allegedly published by The Houston Chronicle saying Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke challenged Republican state Governor, Greg Abbott to a fight is fabricated. A Twitter advanced search similarly did not reveal the supposed post (archive.ph/wip/kYSqb). A screenshot showing a tweet allegedly published by The Houston Chronicle saying Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke challenged Republican state Governor, Greg Abbott to a fight is fabricated.

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