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☆ 12 swaps everyone should make in their living room, according to an interior designer
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Cheyenne Lentz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Swap out matching throw pillows for fresh patterns and designs. Give your living room a fun feel with new throw pillows. Andy Dean Photography/ShuttershockAccording to Joyner, an easy way to change up your living-room design is to swap out matching pillows that may have come with your sofa for coordinating ones. "Mix velvet and linens, add in silk, and bring in an animal print to keep the couch fresh," Joyner told Business Insider. Joyner also recommended collecting throw pillows from your favorite shops to create your own bespoke or custom-made look.

Persons: Andy Dean, Joyner

It’s just the latest sign that the pilgrimage to Trump’s criminal trial in New York has become a new litmus test for Trump loyalty inside the GOP ahead of November. Then, the GOP members joined Trump in his motorcade – including the Republican candidate challenging GOP Rep. Bob Good, who has tried to cozy up to Trump after initially endorsing Florida Gov. President, we’ve got your back,” GOP Rep. Andy Ogles said outside the courthouse. Gaetz along with Boebert and GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who were all in New York on Thursday, missed the vote. GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene sparked outrage when she went after Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s appearance and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s intelligence, with the committee meeting devolving into a heated sparring match.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump’s, Trump, GOP Sen, Rick Scott of, Mike Johnson – who’s, “ There’s, It’s, it’s, Johnson, Lauren Boebert, Ralph Norman of, ”, Doug Burgum, Ohio Sen, J.D, Vance, Rick Scott, Vivek, Ramaswamy, Todd Blanche, Sen, We’ve, Eric, Bob Good, Ron DeSantis –, “ Mr, we’ve, Andy Ogles, ” Norman, “, Matt Gaetz, Stormy Daniels, Andrew Kelly, Reuters Legislating, Merrick Garland, Joe BIden’s, Robert Hur –, Andy Biggs, Biden, Anna Paulina Luna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jasmine Crockett’s, devolving, haven’t, “ Greene, johnny, suzy, latelys, Greene –, –, Boebert, Greene, “ Lauren Boebert, ” Boebert Organizations: CNN, Trump, he’s, GOP, Republicans, ”, North Dakota Gov, Manhattan Criminal, Caucus, Capitol, White House, Republican, Florida Gov, US Capitol Police, U.S, Reuters, Judiciary, Democratic Rep Locations: Manhattan, New York, Rick Scott of Florida, Colorado, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Ohio, New York City, Trump, U.S, Capitol Hill, Israel, Gaza, Gaetz, Alexandria

☆ FLiRT variants threaten a summer Covid wave, but experts say the risk remains uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

FLiRT variants are offshoots of the JN.1 variant — all part of the broader Omicron family — that caused this winter’s wave. The mutations of the FLiRT variants make increased transmissibility — and a possible summer wave — a real threat. “We learned from the laboratories that FLiRT variants appeared, so far, to be as transmissible as the other Omicron subvariants, which means they’re really quite contagious. As of May 1, the requirement for all hospitals to report Covid-19 data to the federal government has expired. While the FLiRT variants pose some risk this summer, experts remain focused on what might happen in the fall.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Andy Pekosz, “ We’ve, William Schaffner, ” Schaffner, it’s, ” Pekosz, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, we’ve Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, Data, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Vanderbilt University, Schaffner’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center, CDC, JAMA, CNN Health, JN, US Food Locations: United States, Covid

☆ PGA Championship: ‘Shaking’ Scottie Scheffler warmed up in a jail cell. Then he climbed the leaderboard
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —His body shaking, Scottie Scheffler sat in a jail cell watching the story of his own arrest unfold on a nearby TV. Once his heart rate had settled, the world’s top-ranked golfer began his warm-up routine for the second round of the PGA Championship in Kentucky. Mere hours after being arrested, charged with felony assault and released from jail, Scheffler eased round Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club with a five-under 66 to accelerate his pursuit of a second consecutive major title. “I feel like my head is still spinning,” tournament favorite Scheffler told reporters on his return to the clubhouse. Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesAsked about Scheffler, Schauffele added: “You felt like it was sort of a prank or something when you see a mug shot of Scottie.

Persons: Scottie Scheffler, Scheffler, “, John Mills, Mills, ”, ” Scheffler, Maddie Meyer, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Morikawa, Schauffele, Andy Lyons, Scottie, we’ve, Theegala, Mark Hubbard, Bryson DeChambeau, Thomas Detry, Woods, Scott Taetsch, ” Woods, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Phil Mickelson Organizations: CNN, PGA, Golf, America, Getty, ESPN Locations: Kentucky

☆ Columbia University president hit with no-confidence vote from faculty group over handling of pro-Palestinian campus protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Alisha Ebrahimji | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Columbia cited security concerns in canceling the large event, a school official told CNN, and instead is holding smaller ones. “Canceling the traditional commencement ceremony was one of the toughest calls in a year of many tough calls,” Shafik wrote in an op-ed in the Columbia Daily Spectator, noting her top priority has been the safety of students, faculty and staff. Fifty people were arrested, and police began the booking process onsite, university spokesperson Tom Vasich said in an email. Pro-Palestinian protesters had set up a campus encampment on April 29, when the university also called in local law enforcement. “This is not protest, this is pure hate.”The building’s takeover came a day after the UCB Divest Coalition agreed to end its campus encampment following discussions with university leadership.

Persons: Minouche Shafik, “, Shafik “, Ben Chang, Shafik, ”, ” Shafik, Tom Vasich, ” Vasich, Vasich, Anna, Dan Mogulof, Nazism ”, David, Mogulof, Santiago Mejia, ” Carol Christ, Jagdeep Singh Bachher, Ana Mari Cauce, ” Cauce, David Ryder David Ryder, ’, Russell Dorn, Robert Manuel, ” Manuel, Manuel, –, ” Benjamin Meyer, Morehouse, Joe Biden’s, David A, Thomas, CNN’s Victor Blackwell, Amanda Musa, Matt Egan, Julia Vargas Jones, Andy Rose, Chris Boyette, Melissa Alonso Organizations: CNN — Pro, Columbia University, Ivy League school’s, New York, CNN, Barnard College, American Association of University Professors, –, Columbia Daily Spectator, UC Irvine, University of California, Irvine Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Authorities, KABC, UC Berkeley, Pro, KGO, Jewish Community Relations, Nazism, UCB, UC Berkeley’s, Palestine, San Francisco, Getty, UC Regents, UC, Regents, University of Washington, Seattle, Wednesday, REUTERS, Reuters, University, ” DePaul University, Police, DePaul University in, WLS, DePaul, ” University, Coalition, ” Morehouse, Morehouse College’s, White House, White Locations: Israel, Gaza, Shafik, Columbia, Irvine, Orange, Berkeley, Merced, Seattle, DePaul University in Chicago, Atlanta

☆ Inside the life and career of Larry Page, Google's co-founder and first CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

AdvertisementSo who is Larry Page and how did he get to where he is today? AdvertisementPage and Sergey Brin create GoogleGoogle co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page met as students at Stanford. Google's parent company, Alphabet, has developed self-driving cars through Waymo, the company formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car project. Page's personal lifeGoogle cofounder Larry Page and his wife, the scientist Lucinda Southworth C Flanigan/FilmMagicThroughout it all, Page has kept information about his personal life closely guarded. Life after GoogleGoogle cofounder Larry Page bought Cayo Norte, an island in Puerto Rico.

Persons: —, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Page, Sundar Pichai, Gloria, Carl Page —, Larry, what's, Nikola Tesla, he's, Brin's, BackRub, Brin, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt, Andy Rubin's, he'd, Andrew Kelly, Sergey, Lucinda Southworth C, Lucinda Southworth, Richard Branson, Page's, Carl Victor Page, Carl Page, He's, Hugh Langley Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Michigan State University . Education, Getty, Michigan State University, The, Montessori, Google Google, Stanford, Associated Press, University of Michigan, Labs, Reuters Page, Virgin Group, Investments, Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation, Zee Aero, Pacific, Virgin Island, Atomic Locations: Michigan, Waymo, Toronto, Stanford, Caribbean, Palo Alto, Cayo Norte, Puerto Rico, Koop, Tavarua, Fiji

☆ Amazon's cloud business needs a 'bulldozer.' New AWS CEO Matt Garman fits the bill.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewAt an October all-hands meeting, an Amazon Web Services employee asked executive Matt Garman about the company's difficult work environment. The people who spoke with BI about Garman asked not to be identified so they could freely discuss his abilities. One AWS employee pointed out to BI that Amazon Q was months behind the launch of Microsoft's AI Copilots. Associated PressOutside of AI, AWS has struggled in its core startups and small business segments, failing short of sales targets last year, as BI previously reported. Those customers are particularly important for AWS because the company built its early business by embracing that market.

Persons: —, Matt Garman, Garman, It's, Adam Selipsky, Selipsky, Andy Jassy, Matt, Amazon's, Patrick Neighorn, He'd, We're, Neighorn, it's, Claude, AWS's, let's Organizations: Service, Amazon Web Services, AWS, Business Insider, Employees, Business, Amazon, Stanford, BI, Mizuho Securities, Q, Cohere, Mistral, Google, Associated Locations: Anthropic

☆ An AI agent may soon be at your beck and call, but it might cost you a bit of your privacy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In today's big story, we're looking at Google's big event that's pitching all the ways AI agents can make our lives easier . Google I/O, the tech giant's biggest developer conference, was heavy on the rise of so-called AI agents , writes Business Insider's Hugh Langley, who was there in person. AdvertisementGoogle's faithful, old search engine got a noticeable facelift with the help of AI , writes BI's Geoff Weiss. Steven Puetzer/Getty, Tyler Le/BIThe stakes for Google are high, as nailing AI agents opens up a massive business opportunity. For AI agents to be so intuitive, they'll need access to seemingly every aspect of our lives.

Persons: —, Tyler Le, you've, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Hugh Langley, Sundar Pichai, Geoff Weiss, Hugh, Alistair Barr, Gregory Wayne, Steven Puetzer, hasn't, Alistair, Demis Hassabis, Minchillo, Keith Gill, Naz Vahid, Andy Sieg's, Noah Berger, Jia Feng, Tingting Ji, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, BI's Peter Kafka, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Google, Astra, GameStop, AMC Entertainment, JPMorgan, Citi, Amazon Web Services, Walmart, UPS, Nielsen, Cisco Systems, Warner Bros, Discovery Locations: New York, Dublin, London

☆ This year's biggest air battles are showing the US what it could need most in a missile war with China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, FileThe war has shown how effective air defenses can be at denying air superiority, protecting key areas, and threatening high-value aircraft, as well as the costs when capabilities are degraded. Ukraine's air defenses, like its Soviet-era S-300s and US-supplied Patriots, have defeated enemy missile and drone strikes, hindered Russian air operations, and shot down numerous fighter-bombers and other Russian planes. "Ukraine and NATO might reduce risks with a two-prong strategy of strengthening air defenses and boosting infrastructure resilience." Needing more interceptors for the PacificFrom the fights this year, the US can see how it'll need to employ air defenses in a potential showdown with China. Running out of air defenses before the enemy runs out of air threats spells trouble.

Persons: —, Bradley Martin, Evgeniy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Firefighters, Archer Macy, Martin, Shaan Shaikh, We've, Amir Cohen TPX, Shaikh, it's, Andy Wong, Thomas Shugart, Shugart, Joshua Smoot, Heath Collins, Navy Carlos Del Toro, Macy, Mark Wright Organizations: Service, Business, US Navy, Ukraine, AP, Patriots, Institute for, Emergency, Ministry, RAND Corporation, NATO, Western, Central Command, Combat, Navy, RAND, Patriot, US, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, REUTERS, China, Pentagon, Defense, Center, New, Air Force, 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, US Air Force, Aegis, Missile Defense Agency, Former Navy, CSIS, Pacific Missile, AP Air Locations: China, Ukraine, Israel, Navy, Russia, Congress, Avdiivka, Kharkiv, Russian, Kyiv, NATO, Yemen, Gulf of Aden, Iran, Red, Screengrab, French, Ashdod, South Korea, Japan, Guam, Beijing, New American, Gen, Kauai, Hawaii

☆ Fat Brands confidentially files to IPO Twin Peaks, Smokey Bones brands days after federal indictment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Fat Brands announced its intention to spin off Twin Peaks through an IPO last year. Since its founding in 2005, Twin Peaks has grown to nearly 115 restaurant locations in the U.S. and Mexico. Smokey Bones is a newer addition to Fat Brands' portfolio, which currently includes 18 chains. Fat Brands acquired it in September 2023, with the goal of converting more than half of its 61 corporate-owned restaurants into Twin Peaks locations. Wiederhorn has a 45% stake in Fat Brands through Fog Cutter Holdings, according to FactSet.

Persons: Brands, Smokey, Andy Wiederhorn, Smokey Bones, Darden, Wiederhorn Organizations: Fat Brands, Securities and Exchange, Brands, SEC, Hooters, Olive Garden, Fog Cutter Locations: Wiederhorn, Los Angeles, U.S, Mexico, Olive, Twin

☆ Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky to step down
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Amazon’s biggest moneymaker, Amazon Web Services, is getting a new leader. Adam Selipsky, the chief executive of the cloud computing unit, will step down from his role next month, the company announced Tuesday. Selipsky, who first joined AWS in 2005 — before its services were even publicly available — has led the business since 2021, when previous AWS CEO Andy Jassy was promoted to lead all of Amazon. Matt Garman, currently vice president of sales, marketing and global services, will take over as AWS CEO starting June 3. Amazon Web Services’ sales have grown more than 85% since Selipsky’s takeover.

Persons: New York CNN —, Adam Selipsky, Selipsky, —, Andy Jassy, Matt Garman, Jassy, “, he’d, Adam, ” Jassy, “ I’m, Matt, ” Selipsky, Garman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon Web, AWS, Google, Microsoft, Amazon Locations: New York

☆ Adam Selipsky is out at AWS
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ellen Thomas | Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewAmazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky is stepping down from his role leading Amazon's cloud unit, according to an internal memo viewed by Business Insider and later posted to Amazon's website. Matt Garman, currently senior vice president of sales, marketing, and global services for AWS, will assume the CEO role. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementSelipsky, who first worked for AWS between 2005 and 2016, was tapped by Jassy to lead the unit in 2021. Selipsky led AWS during the height of the pandemic when the shift to remote work spurred an unprecedented spike in demand for cloud services.

Persons: —, Adam Selipsky, Matt Garman, Matt, Andy Jassy, Jassy, He'll, Selipsky, Ellen Thomas, Eugene Kim Organizations: Service, Business, AWS

☆ Leaked Memo: The head of Citi's fastest-growing wealth business is leaving. Read Andy Sieg's announcement.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewCiti's ailing wealth business has one bright spot: a division devoted to serving rich law-firm partners and other wealthy executives. She's one of at least 20 senior wealth executives to depart since Andy Sieg took over Citi's wealth business in September after leaving Merrill Lynch. AdvertisementAndy Sieg took over Citi's wealth division in September after leaving Merrill Lynch. Merrill LynchVahid's unit, Wealth at Work, is the smallest but fastest-growing part of Citi's wealth division. Naz then spearheaded the expansion of this successful model with the creation of Wealth at Work, a cornerstone of our Wealth business.

Persons: —, Mehrnaz, Naz, Vahid, Andy Sieg, Merrill Lynch, Sieg, Naz Vahid, Andy Organizations: Service, Citi, Business, Wealth, Law Firm Group

☆ Amazon's cloud CEO departs with dour views on his tenure, amid growing competition and AI woes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Selipsky's three years as AWS CEO were marked by mixed results. AdvertisementHe steered through some of the cloud business' slowest growth rates, largest layoffs, and biggest challenges in the artificial intelligence space. AdvertisementAmazon's generative AI service Bedrock was delayed after originally being scheduled to launch in the fall of 2022, the person said. Garman was once considered a frontrunner to replace former AWS CEO Andy Jassy in 2021 when Jassy took over as Amazon's CEO. Some insiders referred to Selipsky as "just a sales guy" and "uninspiring," as the cloud leader faced unprecedented competition in generative AI.

Persons: —, Adam, Selipsky, shakeup, Patrick Neighorn, Matt Garman, Garman, Andy Jassy, Jassy, Amazon, Ashley Stewart Organizations: Service, Web Services, Business, AWS, Amazon, BI, Rivals Microsoft, Google

CNN —Pro-Palestinian encampments were cleared from at least three college campuses early Friday, marking some of the latest examples of schools using law enforcement to respond to demonstrations that have popped up across the country in recent weeks. Police begin dismantling protest encampment at University of Pennsylvania: Police ordered protesters to leave their encampment early Friday morning. Signs and flags are seen at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the lawn of the Stratton Student Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday. Rick Friedman/AFP/Getty ImagesMIT encampment dismantledDemonstrators chanted messages like, “Free Palestine” as police dismantled the pro-Palestinian encampment on the Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus early Friday, video from CNN affiliate WFXT showed. On Thursday, fewer than 10 students were arrested on campus, according to the university.

Persons: United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Reynold Verret, won’t, Donna Shalala, Rick Friedman, WFXT, Francesca Riccio, Ackerman, Andy Rose Sam Simpson, Rob Frehse, Zenebou Sylla Organizations: CNN — Pro, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Law, The University of Arizona, . Police, University of Pennsylvania : Police, Daily, Police, ” Police, CNN, WPVI, Xavier University, UN, US, United Nations, Hamas, The New, New York City, Faculty Senate, Stratton Student, Getty, MIT Locations: College, Louisiana, Israel, Stratton, Cambridge , Massachusetts

☆ Racism Alleged at Multiple Globe Life Affiliates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Susan Antilla | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

"If I'd brought it up, I would have been blackballed," he told BI. She told BI that Lobello frequently sent her racist memes he found online that contained the N-word. AdvertisementBell, in the hat at right, at a team dinner for an AIL agency then known as Giglione-Ackerman. In the areas she was assigned, she told BI, "most of the people were uninsurable" because of poor health, hard drug use, and poverty. If you work at Globe Life or AIL and have information to share about the company, please contact Susan Antilla at susan.antilla1@gmail.com .

Persons: Domenico Bertini, Chris Selejan, Rob Gray, James " Bo, E, Gentile, Organization —, Frank Svoboda, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Fuzzy Panda, Scott Dehning, AIL, Dehning, Jennifer Haworth, I'd, John L, Ann Marie Arcadi, Gray, Eric Giglione, Giglione, Bell, He'd, Brian W, Fraser, Popeyes, Morgan Lobello, Lobello she'd, y'all, Lobello, David Zophin, Ackerman, Andy Mercado, texted, quieted, Bell's, Raynaldo Lafontant, David Ackerman, Lafontant, Mercado, Sarah Reay, Reay, Debra Gamble, Gamble, Nicole Korkolis, Donnaya Presberry, Presberry, Abeni, Mayfield, Amy Williamson, Abeni Mayfield, Rosem Morton, Silvana Pajor Flores, Pajor Flores, Susan Antilla Organizations: Globe Life, Business, Globe, New York Stock Exchange, Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, Organization, BI, Department of Justice, Research, Latina, Ackerman Agency, New Jersey Superior Court, SEAT, Giglione, Commission, Professional Employees International Union, Liberty National Division, Liberty National, Edison, AIL Locations: Kentucky, Bertini, Pennsylvania, McKinney , Texas, Michigan, West Virginia, New Jersey, Argentina, Aurora , Colorado, Edison , New Jersey, Edison, Giglione, Morgantown , West Virginia, Moon Township , Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Columbia , Maryland, Cumberland , Maryland, Kansas, Waco , Texas, Colorado, AIL, susan.antilla1@gmail.com

☆ China trade data not the most important consideration for investors: Investment firm
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina trade data not the most important consideration for investors: Investment firmAndy Rothman, CIO at Matthews Asia, says "we need to remember that China is now a domestic demand story."

Persons: Andy Rothman Organizations: China, Matthews Asia Locations: China

☆ US Pacific bases and aircraft are wildly vulnerable to Chinese missile barrages that could overwhelm defenses, lawmakers warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUS bases and aircraft in the Pacific are facing intense threat from Chinese missiles, and the Pentagon isn't doing enough to counter that challenge, according to American lawmakers. In a Wednesday letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, 13 members of Congress pointed out glaring vulnerabilities in the Pacific region and demanded "immediate changes." A U.S. Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer (L) and a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (R) sit on the tarmac at Andersen Air Force base on August 17, 2017, in Yigo, Guam. Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesIn the letter, lawmakers note that many of the US bases in the Pacific remain unhardened, leaving aircraft and assets vulnerable to missile strikes. Notably, none of the US shelters were in Guam — home to Andersen Air Force Base which routinely hosts American bombers.

Persons: —, Frank Kendall, Carlos Del Toro, John Moolenaar, Justin Sullivan, Tom Shugart, Timothy A, Walton, Andy Wong Organizations: Service, Pentagon, Air Force, Business, Department of Defense, Chinese Communist Party Rep, Commonwealth of, Pacific ., U.S . Air Force Rockwell, Boeing KC, Andersen Air Force, US, Center, New, New American Security, Hudson Institute, Andersen Air Force Base, American, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, Lawmakers, Rocket Force, China's Locations: Pacific, China, Okinawa, Guam, Commonwealth, Northern Mariana, U.S, Yigo, New American, Shugart, Tiananmen, Beijing

☆ Fat Brands and chair Andy Wiederhorn indicted in $47 million 'sham' loan scheme
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Federal authorities on Friday charged Fat Brands and its chair Andy Wiederhorn of committing a brazen scheme that netted him $47 million in bogus loans from the restaurant company that owns Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and Twin Peaks. Fat Brands, Wiederhorn and a few other people were criminally indicted by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles for wire fraud, tax evasion and other counts related to the alleged scheme. "These charges are unprecedented, unwarranted, unsubstantiated and unjust," Fat Brands counsel Brian Hennigan said in a statement. As chief executive of Fat Brands, Wiederhorn, 58, allegedly directed the company to loan its own funds to him, with no intention of ever paying the "sham" loans back, according to the indictment. He also did not report any of the so-called loans from Fat Brands as income, according to the indictment.

Persons: Andy Wiederhorn, Johnny, Brian Hennigan, Wiederhorn, overreach —, Nicola Hanna, Wiederhorn's, Thayer, Ron Roe, Rebecca Hershinger, William Amon Organizations: Brands, Johnny Rockets, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Fat Brands, SEC, Fog, Wiederhorn Locations: Los Angeles, Oregon, U.S

☆ An art market full of cracks is about to face a $1 billion test
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Art auction sales at Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips over the next two weeks are expected to total $1.2 billion, down 18% from a year ago and nearly half the total for the May 2022 sales, according to ArtTactic. It extends a recent decline for the art market from its post-Covid peak, when cheap money, a booming stock market and fiscal stimulus saw record sales. It's the buyers showing up and what the work will sell for that will define our perception of the art market right now. Price pressuresDealers and art experts say the auction art market is stalled over price, with sellers not willing to get a lower price than they might have gotten at the peak of the market in 2021-2022. "The question they're asking is, 'Should we buy in to the art market right now?'"

Persons: Robert Frank, Phillips, Paul Allen, Brooke Lampley, Buyers, Sellers, Philip Hoffman, CNBC's Robert Frank, Andy Warhol, Jean, Michel Basquiat, Crystal Lau, Andrew Fabricant, It's, Hoffman, Francis Bacon's, George Dyer, Bacon, Dyer, Michel Basquiat's Organizations: Sotheby's, Fine Art Group, CNBC Dealers, CNBC Locations: —, Gagosian

☆ ‘Lord of the Rings’ franchise has a new movie coming in 2026
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly $6 billion blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films. The first of the new projects from Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens is tentatively titled “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” Warner Bros. Walsh and Boyens have been tapped to write the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Warner Bros. is owned by CNN’s parent company. Jackson made history with “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously.

Persons: Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Gollum, ” Warner, “, Andy Serkis, Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, “ Yesssss, ” Serkis, ”, Peter, Fran, Philippa, ” Jackson, Tolkien’s, Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy, Jackson, King ”, Serkis, Jackson’s Organizations: CNN, ” Warner Bros . Discovery, Warner Bros, Warner Bros . Pictures, Globes

☆ Chinese EV maker Zeekr prices IPO at $21, at the top end of range, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Zeekr 001 electric vehicle (EV) by Geely is seen displayed at the Zeekr booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 19, 2021. Chinese electric vehicle maker Zeekr priced its initial public offering at $21 a share Thursday, at the top end of its range, according to news reports. Zeekr, which is backed by Chinese-based automotive group Geely, offers several luxury vehicle models, including an upscale sedan it began delivering in January. "Our sales gap with Tesla keeps on narrowing," Zeekr CEO Andy An told CNBC in an interview last month translated from Mandarin. Zeekr has said it plans to use the proceeds from the offering to develop more advanced battery electric vehicle technologies.

Persons: Geely, Tesla, Andy, Zeekr, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch Organizations: Auto Shanghai, New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, Bloomberg News, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Tesla, CNBC, Underwriters, China International Capital Locations: Shanghai, China, Zhejiang, Europe, Latin America, Sweden, Netherlands

☆ Exclusive: Convergence AI, a new startup founded by ex-Cohere employees, is in talks to raise a major pre-seed round
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Callum Burroughs | Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A UK-based AI startup, founded last month by former Cohere employees, is already in talks to raise a major pre-seed round amid venture capitalists' continued spending spree in the sector. Convergence AI, incorporated at the end of April, was founded by ex-Cohere employees Marvin Purtorab and Andy Toulis, who was also a machine learning engineer at Uber. Its primary aim, per leaked investor documents seen by BI, is to build out automated workforces using AI. The nascent business has been feted by several leading funds, with the company receiving at least six different term sheets for investment, two London-based sources said. The startup opted for a funding round led by London-based Balderton Capital, six sources familiar with the deal told Business Insider.

Persons: Marvin Purtorab, Andy Toulis, Slack Organizations: Uber, Business, Balderton, BI, Nvidia, Mistral Locations: London, Paris

☆ These are the top business-development execs competing to hire elite portfolio managers at hedge fund giants Citadel, Millennium, Point72, and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +34 min

Unlike business development in corporate America, which focuses on growing a company's prospects with partners and clients, hedge fund BD teams specialize in scouting, evaluating, and wooing investment talent. AdvertisementFew have been involved in hedge fund BD longer than Jennifer Blake, Balyasny's global head. The fund's BD department remains in close contact with PMs after they join as a resource and advisor. Vernon Yuen/Getty Images$61 billion AUM2,200+ employeesAdvertisementKen Griffin's Citadel has outperformed not just its immediate rivals but every other hedge fund. He runs a team of about 20 as head of business development in the Americas, the largest region of the largest player in this space.

Persons: —, Griffin's, Izzy Englander's, Goldman Sachs, Headcount, execs, Dmitry Balyasny, Brendan McDermid, Jennifer Blake, Balyasny's, Morgan Stanley, Dmitri Balyasny's, Blake, it's, Federico Chavarria, Balyasny, Dave Matz, Smith Hanley, Alistair Jacobs, Dave Black, Peter Appel, Federico Chavarria MD, Andrew McHugh, Jules Biolsi, Michael Platt, he's, BlueCrest, Michael Grad, Grad, Jake Lindsay, Mungo Strachan, BlueCrest's, Brevan Howard Brevan Howard, Alan Howard, Ringo Chiu, Brevan Howard, Alan Howard's, Aran Landy, Brevan, Abu, It's, Landy, Howard, Peter Hornick, David Abbou, Jonathan Candy, Gregoire Vidal, Vidal, Tim Williams, Andy Silver, Gautam, Ken Griffin, Vernon Yuen, Ken Griffin's, Griffin, Matt Giannini, Giannini, headhunter, Matt, I've, — Thomas DeAngelis, Lindsay Previdi, Rice, Dore, Eleanor Sharkey, Melinda Urban, Mark Hansen, Julian Ulmer, Mathur, Adam Sharkie, Michael Page, Eisler, Edward Eisler, Sam Wisnia, Chris Milner, Milner, Hilary Curran, Hilary Curran Global, Rebecca Zisser, Michael Gelband, Hornick, Jeff Gelband, Mike Tiano, Eric Han, Garrett Berg, Liu, APAC Blackstone, Euan Shand, Kevin Carroll, Emily, Needham, Ostendorf, Ben Levine, Stefan Renold, LMR, Marcus Fairhurst, He'd, LMR's, Izzy, Ronda, Singh, Mark Meskin, Justin Gmelich, Steve Keller, Benjamin Williams, Madhvani, Paritosh Singh, Ben Williams, Kristina Tully, Steven Cohen, Point72, Shayanne, Steve Cohen's, Harry Schwefel, Chandler, Steve Cohen, JT Shields, They're, Schwefel, Alyssa Friedman —, Chandler Bocklage, Reid Murphy, Jae Yang, Japan Goldman Sachs, Alyssa Friedman, Jackie Dai, Gabriel Sanders, Ajay, Steven Schonfeld, Michael Nagle, Steve Schonfeld's, Ryan Tolkin, Schonfeld, doesn't, Akshay Aggarwal, Alex Burns, Ryan McCort, Colin Lancaster, Mitesh, Sameer Buch, Brittany Lynch, DMFI, Goldman, Verition, Nicholas Maounis, Josh Goldstein, Brian Townes, Townes, Elizabeth Xiang MD, Vir, Steve Satenstein, Chris Svoboda, Will England, Thomas DeAngelis, DeAngelis, Jonathan Brenner, hasn't, Maureen Reed, John Sullivan, Brenner, Walleye's Organizations: Service, Management, Wall, Business, Balyasny, Balyasny Asset Management, Quadra Advisors, SAC, Macquarie, BD, UBS, Grad, Financial Times, Michael, Lascaux, Howard BD, Brevan, Argentum Advisors, BH Digital, McKinsey & Company, JPMorgan, Ken Griffin's Citadel, Citadel, Citadel's, decamping, Chicago, Citadel BD, Walleye Capital, of Surveyor, Millennium, Capital, Credit, Ashler, Rice, Deutsche Bank, LMR Partners, London, Dore Partnership, Soros, Soros Fund, Ronda Churchill, Bloomberg, Getty, Guggenheim, Industry, MLP, Americas Guggenheim, Americas Citadel, SAC Capital, SEC, Point72 Academy, Citigroup, BD Energi, Japan, EMEA, APAC BNP, Schonfeld, PAAMCO, KKR, DMC Partners, Topwater, LinkedIn, New, New Holland Capital, BD —, Walleye, Lehman Brothers, Hutchin, Putnam Investments, ~$ Locations: America, Asia, Balyasny, Blackstone, New Holland, Abu Dhabi, BlueCrest, Europe, Graticule, ExodusPoint, Hornick, Freestone, New York, Schonfeld, Brevan, he's, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, Zurich, Glasgow, Dubai, Americas, Point72, quant, Verition, London, Greenland, Minnesota, Citadel

☆ Opinion: What ‘Unfrosted’ reveals about my growing unease about Jerry Seinfeld
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Gene | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

I love “Seinfeld.” As for the actual comedian Jerry Seinfeld, however it’s…complicated. In most of his activities outside his eponymous classic sitcom (1989-1998), Seinfeld bemuses more than amuses me. This ambivalence only obliquely affects my opinion of “Unfrosted,” Seinfeld’s recently-released feature-length Netflix comedy. Still, I’ve always had the disquieting sense of Seinfeld somehow always Getting Away With Something when he pulls off this suave, impeccably creased act. Seinfeld isn’t about unsettling his viewers and I’m in no way suggesting he should be.

Persons: Gene Seymour, —, Seinfeld, Jerry, George, Elaine, Kramer, Gene Seymour Jeremy Freeman, “, Jerry Seinfeld, he’s, I’d, ” Seinfeld’s, Barbie ”, ”, Seinfeld’s, Tony, Tiger, Hugh Grant, Thurl Ravenscroft, Andy Daly, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman, Unfrosted ”, Kyle Dunnigan’s Walter Cronkite, Bill Burr’s, Grant, Melissa McCarthy, James Marsden, Amy Schumer, Christian Slater, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Larry David, David, don’t, that’s, I’ve, John Mulaney, snags, ” Seinfeld, he’d Organizations: The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment, The Washington, CNN, Quaker Oats, Bill Burr’s JFK, Seinfeld, Netflix, Twitter Locations: Israel

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