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☆ Starbucks employee suspended after labeling Black woman’s cup ‘Monkey'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Samantha Kubota | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

A Maryland woman is speaking out after a Starbucks barista wrote her name as “Monkey” while taking her order. Monique Pugh told TODAY.com that she has been a loyal Starbucks customer for 20 years. Monique Pugh took a photo of the Starbucks cup, labelled with the word 'Monkey.' A Starbucks corporate representative confirmed the incident occurred and told TODAY.com the employee who took the order had been suspended. Pugh told TODAY.com the whole situation has been “very overwhelming.”“And to have them apologize, but then say it was an honest mistake and a labeling error?

☆ China’s Covid Protests Began With an Apartment Fire in a Remote Region
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Austin Ramzy | Wenxin Fan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As smoke crept through the 21-story apartment building in far western China, panicked messages filled the residents’ chat group. “On the 16th floor, we don’t have enough oxygen,” a woman gasped in an audio message. “Soon our children won’t be OK.”Another resident added a plea about the people in apartment 1901: “They wouldn’t be able to open the door. Can you break into it and take a look? There are many children inside.”

☆ Why the Fed may finally loosen its grip
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Fed should be pleased that its aggressive rate hikes in the past few months are having their desired effect, and they can ease up a bit. After four giant three-quarter-point hikes in a row, all signs point to Fed Chair Jay Powell announcing a half-point bump later this month. BIG PICTUREIt’s taken most of the year, but the economy appears to have made it over the mountain of inflation and aggressive rate hikes, according to Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Financial Group. But while 200,000 is nothing to sniff at, it’s still not soft enough for the Fed to pause its rate hikes. However, markets may cheer the fact that it’s low enough for the Fed to hike at a less aggressive pace than we’ve seen in recent months.

☆ How a Fire in Remote China Triggered Nationwide Covid Protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Austin Ramzy | Wenxin Fan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ SBF won’t shut up, and it’s driving lawyers mad
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

SBF has repeatedly admitted that he “f—ked up.” He has apologized on Twitter and in a letter to staff. “What SBF is doing is a form of litigation suicide,” Howard Fischer, a former Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer tells me. SBF resigned as CEO when his crypto exchange, FTX, declared bankruptcy on November 11. Ray sought to make clear that SBF does not speak for FTX or its affiliates. (And no, I don’t mean extra sick days — I mean any sick days, which workers currently have to take unpaid).

☆ Protests in China send a chill through global markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The protests had an immediate impact on global markets, and raised questions about the path forward for China’s increasingly sluggish economy. The protests began Friday after 10 people were killed in a fire in China’s Xinjiang province, where Covid lockdown restrictions reportedly hindered first responders from reaching the blaze. Step down, Communist Party!”Meanwhile, the prospect of social upheaval in the world’s second-biggest economy has sent a chill through global markets. Oil prices dropped sharply as investors feared that surging Covid cases and protests in China would sap demand from one of the world’s largest oil consumers. To fix its economy, China needs to ease lockdowns to allow its people to get back to their lives.

☆ Analysis: ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ strips down a true crime origin story
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

So in the coming weeks, we shall be switching things up and putting a little meat on the bone. Three things to watch‘Welcome to Chippendales’Kumail Nanjiani in a scene from Hulu's "Welcome to Chippendales." This new limited series, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Murray Bartlett, among others, also doubles as a true crime tale. Let me grab my dollar bills now, because the first two episodes of “Welcome to Chippendales” are streaming now. Grime is a British genre of hip-hop/electronic music, and Stormzy is one of its best-known stars.

This time round, Charles III hosted the first state visit of his reign and welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the UK. The South African state visit was Charles’s first big diplomatic test. But this week, the prominence of the Prince and Princess of Wales during the state visit indicated that the couple have been elevated into crucial central roles. PHOTOS OF THE WEEKHere’s a few of our favorite shots from the first state visit King Charles hosted as monarch. Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty ImagesThe state visit also allowed UK PM Rishi Sunak the opportunity to welcome Ramaphosa to 10 Downing Street for a bilateral meeting.

☆ China’s Xi attempts to claim diplomatic victory in battle for global influence after summit whirlwind
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping attends the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday. Since taking office, Biden has shored up relations with allies and partners to counter China’s growing influence. In a rare, candid moment caught on camera, Xi chided Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accusing him of leaking details of a brief conversation between them. He also attended the Group of 20 dinner, where he shook hands and chatted with leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apart from the Dutch Prime Minister, Xi also invited US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s newly elected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to visit Beijing early next year.

☆ Historic Artemis I mission is just beginning its lunar journey
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Artemis I mission launched on its journey to the moon Wednesday. NASAHours after the launch of Artemis I, the Orion spacecraft began to share its impressive views from space. The Artemis I mission is speeding along on a 25.5-day journey that will loop around the moon and return to Earth on December 11. Across the universeA newborn star is at the heart of a new James Webb Space Telescope image that looks like an hourglass. NASA/ESA/CSA/STScIAn awe-inspiring new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the gas and dust released by a chaotic newborn star.

☆ Analysis: The final season of ‘Dead to Me’ is a poignant eulogy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Believe it or not, one of the things that has been helping me lately is just carving out some chill time. Three things to watch‘Dead to Me’ Season 3Christina Applegate as Jen Harding in a scene from "Dead to Me" on Netflix. Saeed Adyani/NetflixThe new season of “Dead to Me,” starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, will be the dark comedy series’ last. I am especially invested in this last season given Applegate’s revelation that she has multiple sclerosis. ‘The Santa Clauses’Tim Allen (second from right) in a scene from "The Santa Clauses" on Disney+.

☆ Analysis: It’s messy history week with ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ and ‘The Crown’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Dusan Martincek/StarzI love, love, love a good origin story – especially one tied to one of my favorite movies. ‘The Crown’ Season 5(From left) Dominic West as Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in a scene from "The Crown." Something to sip onAngela Bassett as Queen Ramonda in a scene from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." Marvel StudiosThe world may not be ready for the emotional journey that is the “Black Panther” sequel. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is steeped in the loss of Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 at 43 after a private battle with colon cancer.

☆ Chinese Developer Sells L.A. Luxury Tower at Steep Discount
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Will Parker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The much higher asking price 18 months ago for the downtown Los Angeles apartment building was less than Greenland’s development costs. A major Chinese developer on Tuesday disposed of the tallest rental apartment tower in downtown Los Angeles at a steep loss, the latest in a recent wave of Chinese investors unloading prized U.S. real-estate assets. The U.S. subsidiary of China’s Greenland Holding Group sold the 59-story apartment skyscraper for $504 million, according to the buyer, privately held apartment owner Northland.

☆ Crypto's self-appointed savior just reached for a lifeline
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He’s an entrepreneur whose name often appears alongside descriptors like “wunderkind,” “savior,” white knight, “digital Warren Buffett,” etc. Then, in a truly unexpected twist, Binance said it had offered to buy FTX to resolve its liquidity crisis. The news prompted a brief recovery in digital assets but wasn’t enough to calm anxious investors. Other digital assets and equities tied to the industry, such as Coinbase, also fell. There’s a lot to figure out still, but we can expect digital assets to remain volatile until more details about the FTX-Binance deal are made public.

☆ Analysis: A new Netflix show keeps the memory of Blockbuster alive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Three things to watch‘Blockbuster’(From left) Olga Merediz and Melissa Fumero in a scene from Netflix's "Blockbuster." In the eponymous show, Randall Park plays Timmy Yoon, “an analog dreamer living in a 5G world” who manages the last Blockbuster location out there. The series is streaming on Netflix now. ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’Selena Gomez attends the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 27 in Santa Monica, California. (From left) Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls perform during the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 12, 2012.

☆ Dozens of tech companies, from Lyft to Twitter, are laying off workers. Here are 5 concrete steps to take if you lose your job.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Rachel Durose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are five steps two career experts say workers should take if they've lost their job. They suggest taking time for yourself, looking into legal counsel, and posting on social media. In 2022, more than 99,000 technology workers have been laid off, according to the tech-industry-layoffs tracker Layoffs.FYI. Workers need time to process their emotions before diving into the logistics of their severance and job hunting. "If you can, I always recommend utilizing legal counsel," she said.

☆ America’s housing dream is broken
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN Business —A little over a decade ago, the dominant narrative about the housing market was that Millennials simply weren’t buying. As that 2020 housing boom begins to go bust, those who managed to close on a home in the crush of competition fed by rock-bottom mortgage rates should count themselves extremely lucky. “And this year were facing increasing home prices while mortgage rates are also climbing.”Oh yeah, one other thing: In addition to mortgage rates going up, home prices also shot up, with the median peaking at $413,800 in June. As affordability reaches crisis levels, now is a good time for federal and local governments to rethink the way we frame the American Dream. Another strong data point on jobs will only reassure the Fed that the labor market can withstand more rate hikes.

☆ One sentence from the Fed got markets all worked up. Then Powell spoke
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

BIG PICTUREThe Fed is operating on data that’s offered a murky view of the economy’s health in recent months. On one hand, the housing market is cooling off markedly, but higher borrowing costs so far haven’t made a dent in inflation. That may reassure the Fed that there’s room to keep rate hikes going without triggering a recession. There is a glut of avocados in America and that’s triggered a steep drop in wholesale prices. Don’t yell at me, I don’t make the rules…Anyway, starting Thursday, it’s festive cup season, which Starbucks fans seem excited for.

☆ China is caught in a zero-Covid trap of its own making
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The new political ecology also provided more incentive for local governments to impose more draconian Covid control measures,” Huang said. Chinese health officials maintain that changing tack now would risk a huge surge in infections and deaths that could overwhelm the country’s fragile health care system. Zhengzhou, a city of 12 million, imposed sweeping lockdown measures last month after identifying dozens of Covid-19 cases. On Wednesday, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, where the Foxconn plant is located, announced new lockdown measures. As the winter approaches, experts warn that China could be hit by a new wave of infections – and a new cycle of draconian lockdowns.

☆ More good news for workers is bad news for the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

We the people can create the strongest job market in a generation and what do we get in return? Here’s the deal: The labor market is still very, very strong. And while that’s great news for workers, it’s bad news for the Fed. The “quit rate” held steady at 2.7%, or about 4.1 million workers voluntarily leaving their jobs — not a record, but still historically high. In summary: “If you were waiting for signs of labor inflation easing, you’ll have to keep waiting,” said Lightcast senior economist Ron Hetrick.

☆ The Elon Musk wrecking ball
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN Business’ Nightcap newsletter. New York CNN Business —Elon Musk bought a $44 billion fixer-upper, and he’s not wasting any time gutting the joint. If you spent the weekend trying to ignore the news, like I did, let’s catch up on what the Musk wrecking ball has targeted so far:And yes, this is all Textbook Musk. Musk himself has long favored using Twitter rather than an PR team to break news about his other companies like Tesla. And for that I turn to my colleague Frank “Craven” Pallotta, CNN Business’ resident expert on all things Hollywood and horror.

☆ Analysis: 'The Surreal Life' reboot brings together another wild group of celebrity roommates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

No judgment if Halloween is your thing, but I don’t like to be scared so I don’t indulge. Three things to watch‘The Surreal Life’The new cast of "The Surreal Life" sit down for dinner -- and some heated conversation -- in a scene from the VH1 show. From VH1/YouTubeI should probably start by mentioning that Dennis Rodman likes to walk around the house in which he filmed the new season of “The Surreal Life” naked. ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2(From left) Will Sharpe, Aubrey Plaza, Meghann Fahy and Theo James in a scene from season 2 of "The White Lotus" on HBO. And not to give too much away, but there’s a cool scene in season two which addresses binge-watch culture.

☆ Xi’s ‘action men’ now lead China’s military. Here’s what that means for Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The rhetoric from both sides and Beijing’s recent maneuvers have stoked fears that an attempted Chinese military takeover of Taiwan could be next on the horizon. Besides that joint command experience, He possesses another key attribute sought in top PLA leadership – field experience in hostile situations. Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said He was one of Xi’s “action men” on the military commission. Zhang served on the previous military commission and has been retained and promoted despite being past the unofficial retirement age of 68. There’s just too much work to be done with Xi’s military modernization to achieve good odds of success, they said.

Persons: Xi Jinping’s, Xi, –, Tsai Ing, ”, James Char, ” Char, Weidong, Nancy Pelosi, Rod Lee, Lee, Xi Jinping, ” Lee, Carl Schuster, Zhang Youxia, Zhang, Xi’s, Meia Nouwens, Joel Wuthnow, he’s, ” Wuthnow, Zhang’s, Li Shangfu, Wuthnow, There’s, “, Char Organizations: CNN, Central Military Commission, Communist Party’s National, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Chinese Communist Party, China Program, Institute of Defense, Strategic Studies, Theater Command, Eastern Theater Command, US Air Force Air, China Aerospace Studies Institute, People’s Armed Police, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Center, Chinese Military Affairs, US National Defense University, Party, US Air University Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, Asia, Singapore, India

☆ Meghan Markle discusses the ‘angry Black woman’ stereotype with Issa Rae and Ziwe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Alex Portee | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

On Tuesday, Oct. 25, the former actor tackled the stereotype’s concept, history and impact with actor Issa Rae and television host and comedian Ziwe. Meghan recalled how the book’s author typed “why are Black women so...” on a search engine, resulting in options like, “Why are Black women so loud?”; “Why are Black women so mean?”; and “Why are Black women so angry?”“Those were the seeds being planted,” Meghan noted at the start of the podcast. Yet, this trope of the angry Black woman, it persists.”Meghan went on to share her own experience in encountering the stereotype during her days as an actress. “It was this ruthless Black woman or this uncouth Black woman,” Rae noted. For all three women, unpacking the angry Black woman stereotype has meant understanding how it has impacted them in their everyday lives.

That loyal inner circle has not only strengthened Xi’s hold on power – but also tightened his grip over China’s future. In the eyes of Xi, China is closer than ever to achieving its dream of “national rejuvenation” and reclaiming its rightful place in the world. What he decides to do – and how he goes about doing it – will have a profound impact on the world. Under Xi, Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, sending warplanes and conducting military drills near the island. Xi continues to back a costly zero-Covid policy that keeps borders heavily restricted and regularly sends its cities into lockdown – dragging down China’s economic growth.

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