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☆ When China and Saudi Arabia meet, nothing matters more than oil
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi Arabia is China’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and the top global supplier of crude oil. Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesEnergy is coreLast year, bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and China hit $87.3 billion, up 30% from 2020, according to Chinese customs figures. China’s crude imports from Saudi Arabia stood at $43.9 billion in 2021, accounting for 77% of its total goods imports from the kingdom. Beyond security of supply, Saudi Arabia could offer Beijing another prize with bigger geopolitical ramifications. Eurasia Group’s Kamal believes it’s “highly unlikely” that Saudi Arabia would take such a step, unless there is an implosion on the US-Saudi relationship.

☆ Why going into work five days a week is a thing of the past
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Chris Cillizza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Though it feels like the five-day, 40-hour work week has always been with us, it’s actually a relatively new invention. As far back as 1866, Congress considered mandating a 40-hour work week, but the legislation stalled. In 1926, Henry Ford instituted a 40-hour work week for his employees, believing that was the optimal amount of time for someone to work in a week. But the 40-hour work week was – and is – routinely violated by salaried employees (and their bosses) who believe that working more is working better. “If you think about it, your contract with your employee is not just buying time,” Charlotte Lockhart, an advocate for a four-day work week, told me.

☆ The real reason so many remote workers are refusing to go back to the office: their dogs.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Drew Limsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

According to a survey by Digital.com, 75% of workers say they want to stay home with their pets instead of going into the office. Similarly, the ASPCA reports 90% of dogs adopted during the pandemic are still in the home. Pup owners surveyed by Veterinarians.org said their dogs inspired them to get out more and try new outdoor activities. Google, WeWork, Tripadvisor, Etsy, and even Ben & Jerry's also permit dogs in the office. In numerous surveys, workers have stressed the value they put on flexibility; many say it's even more important than money or advancement.

☆ 'I love being with her': Trump says in new book that New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman is like his 'psychiatrist'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump once said New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman was like his "psychiatrist." Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, conducted a series of interviews with Trump for her upcoming book, "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America." Haberman wrote that it was an insightful but "meaningless line, almost certainly intended to flatter," per The Atlantic. All present a chance for him to vent or test reactions or gauge how his statements are playing or discover how he is feeling," Haberman wrote, according to the excerpt. Along the way, he reoriented an entire country to react to his moods and emotions," Haberman wrote, per The Atlantic.

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