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☆ Starbucks’s New CEO Brews Coffee at Stores to Prepare for Role
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Heather Haddon | Photography Lucy Hewett For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHICAGO—New Starbucks Corp. Chief Executive Laxman Narasimhan plans to be in regular contact with departing CEO Howard Schultz —but it will be clear who is in charge, both men said. “There’s places where he can be really helpful. The world, though, needs boxes and lines,” Mr. Narasimhan said in an interview. “There’s one CEO, and that’s me.”

☆ Norway wealth fund to vote for labour rights motion at Starbucks AGM
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Starbucks coffee shop is seen in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 29, 2022. REUTERS/Lucy NicholsonOSLO, March 23 (Reuters) - Norway's $1.3 trillion wealth fund, one of the world's largest investors, will vote in favour of a shareholder motion calling on Starbucks (SBUX.O) to report on how it respects labour rights, the fund's manager said on Thursday. The Norwegian fund owns 1.05% of Starbucks' shares, worth $1.2 billion at the end of 2022, according to fund data. Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which operates the Norwegian wealth fund, said it would vote in favour of commissioning a third-party assessment of Starbucks' commitment to freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. "Freedom of association and the right to collective wage bargaining are fundamental employee rights - and human rights," they said.

☆ Utah governor signs bill requiring teens to get parental approval to join social media sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

As part of the bill, called the Utah Social Media Regulation Act, social media platforms will have to conduct age verification for all Utah residents, ban all ads for minors and impose a curfew, making their sites off limits between the hours of 10:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. for anyone under the age of 18. The bill will also require social platforms to give parents access to their teens’ accounts. “Social media provides a lifeline for many young people, in addition to community, education, and conversation,” said Jason Kelley, director of activism at the EFF. Given that the bill is unprecedented, it’s unclear how exactly the social media companies will adapt. Inouye said minors could “steal” identities – such as from family members who don’t use social media – to create accounts that they can access and use without oversight.

"The bank run has abated for the moment, but that might be contingent on what the Fed signals today," said Adam Button, chief currency analyst at ForexLive in Toronto. "The risk is that the (Federal Open Market Committee) shatters the fragile calm in markets today... by acting too aggressively." The Fed meeting concludes on Wednesday with the 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) release of a policy statement followed half an hour later by a news conference by Powell. Christopher Wong, currency strategist at OCBC, said the focus will be on how the Fed communicates its forward guidance, in particular "the higher for longer" rhetoric. The Japanese yen weakened 0.20% to 132.80 per dollar, while the Australian dollar rose 0.07% to $0.667.

Food prices soared 18.2% through the year to February, the sharpest rise since the late 1970s. The latest figures could make it more likely that the Bank of England hikes interest rates again when it meets Thursday. "It's still a very close call, but these figures give us a bit more confidence in our forecast that the Bank will raise interest rates from 4% to 4.25% tomorrow." The data complicates the central bank's decision over whether it should raise rates for the 11th consecutive time Thursday — and makes it harder for the government to deliver on its January pledge to halve inflation this year. Wages rose 6.5% in January compared with a year prior, far below the inflation rate both that month and in February.

☆ Wall Street investment firms are thirsty for the West's vanishing water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Lucy Kafanov | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

And it comes at a time when Arizona’s allocation of Colorado River water is being slashed amid a decadeslong megadrought. “In the face of record shortages on the Colorado River, we have voluntarily answered urgent and repeated calls to conserve water. Water Asset Management owns at least 3,000 acres in Western Colorado’s Grand Valley, where Mueller works to protect Colorado’s share of the river. “Water Asset Management has engaged in a number of different purchase methods to keep their transactions unknown to many of the local jurisdictions,” Mueller said. The Colorado River in Eagle County, Colorado.

☆ Women's NCAA roundup: Ohio State sinks UNC at buzzer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Buckeyes (27-7) led by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter but needed the heroics from Sheldon to put away the Tar Heels (22-11). Sheldon finished with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, and teammate Taylor Mikesell scored 17 points. Kelly led North Carolina with 22 points and three steals, while Alyssa Ustby and Kennedy Todd-Williams each scored 16 points. Ohio State advances to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. Texas (26-10) became the second hosting team to not advance to the Sweet 16 in this tournament, joining No.

☆ Streaming boosts recorded music revenue, China market growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Among the trends highlighted by the IFPI, a trade body for the recorded music industry, were China nudging into the top five markets globally for the first time, and income from the use of recorded music in adverts, film, television and games, rising by 22.3%. Subscription audio streaming revenues rose 10.3% to $12.7 billion, IFPI said, adding there were 589 million users of paid subscription accounts by end-2022. Overall, streaming accounted for 67% of total recorded music revenues. Global music revenues enjoyed their eighth consecutive year of growth. Puerto Rican singer and rapper Bad Bunny's "Un Verano Sin Ti" topped the 2022 IFPI Global Albums Chart while Britain's Harry Styles won the IFPI Global Single of the Year Award 2022 for hit "As It Was", the body said last month.

The Credit Suisse rescue has shaken the European banking sector and fears of wider fallout remain. Under the Credit Suisse rescue deal, 16 billion Swiss francs worth of Credit Suisse Additional Tier 1 debt will be written down to zero on the orders of the Swiss regulator. Overall, bank debt remained under pressure, with the cost of insuring exposure to the debt rising in the credit default swaps (CDS) market. CONTAGION RISKThe wipeout of AT1 bonds in the Credit Suisse rescue has alerted fixed income investors to the risks of investing in these instruments. At Credit Suisse, the bank's AT1 bonds were bid as low as 1 cent on the dollar on Monday as investors braced for the wipeout.

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - European bank bonds slumped on Monday following the state-backed rescue of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) by UBS (UBSG.S) as a wipeout of some bondholders raised concerns around broader bank capital and also hammered bank shares. "The takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS was done fast and should have provided reassurance to the market that we haven’t had another bank collapse. However, what it has done is exposed the issues around AT1 bonds,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. In the bond market, Credit Suisse's Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds were bid as low as 1 cent on the dollar on Monday as investors braced for the wipeout. Shares in Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) fell as much as 64.5% while UBS Group (UBSG.S) shares dropped as much as 16%.

☆ European banks battered after Credit Suisse rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Lucy Raitano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Shares in European banks were battered in early trade on Monday following UBS's (UBSG.S) state-backed rescue of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) that brought with it massive writedowns for the latter's bondholders. Shares in Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) fell more than 63% while UBS Group (UBSG.S) shares were last down 12.5%. UBS on Sunday agreed to pay 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.23 billion) for 167-year-old Credit Suisse and assume up to $5.4 billion in losses. JPMorgan said that although UBS stood to gain in the longer-term from the deal, the writedown of the AT1 bonds would impact other European banks. Barclays cut its view on European banks to "neutral" from "positive" on Monday, citing likely increased regulatory scrutiny after Silicon Valley Bank collapse and UBS agreeing to buy Credit Suisse.

☆ On the picket line with Paris garbage collectors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsOn the picket line with Paris garbage collectorsPostedMeet the Paris garbage collectors who have spent two weeks on the picket lines protesting French President Emmanuel Macron's pensions reform. Like other workers, they're angered by the government forcing the measure through, and gearing up for a day of industrial action this week. Lucy Fielder has more.

☆ Ex-PM Khan attends court as police storm home
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsEx-PM Khan attends court as police storm homePostedPakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan officially marked his presence in court in Islamabad on Saturday, his aide said, complying with judicial orders. Police clashed with his supporters there and in Lahore and stormed the former cricket star's home. Lucy Fielder has more.

☆ US presidents who faced sex scandals before and during their time in office
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Franklin D. Roosevelt cheated with his wife's secretary, records show. Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt. CORBIS/Corbis via Getty ImagesRoosevelt, who was in office from 1933 until his death in 1945, had a longtime affair with his wife's secretary, according to The New York Times. FDR married Eleanor Roosevelt, his fifth cousin once removed, in 1905. The couple continued a civil marriage, but there's some evidence Roosevelt's affair with Rutherfurd likely continued during his presidency, according to The Times.

☆ Investors pile into cash but "no equity capitulation" - BofA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Lucy Raitano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File PhotoCash funds saw a “huge” inflow of $112.7 billion in the latest week, BofA said, citing EPFR data. Inflows into cash for the first quarter of 2023 are on course to be the highest since the second quarter of 2020, BofA said. Meanwhile, equity funds saw a “tiny” weekly outflow of $26 million, and investors pulled $2.3 billion from bonds and put $600 million into gold. The turmoil in markets has spooked investors, but BofA said equity flows had been unchanged week-on-week and there was “no equity capitulation”. There was a “flight to quality” in fixed income according to BofA, with $9.8 billion poured into Treasuries - the largest weekly inflow since May 2022.

☆ Mazda to appoint former North America head Moro as next CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Daniel Leussink | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Masahiro Moro, President and CEO of Mazda North America, speaks at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California U.S. November 29, 2017. Moro, 62, currently a director and senior managing executive officer, had previously served as the head of the automaker's North America operations. Current President and CEO Akira Marumoto, who took up his role in 2018, will step down from his posts at that time, Mazda added. Mazda also nominated Jeff Guyton, 56, senior managing executive officer and its current North America head, as chief financial officer and assistant to the president pending the June approval of the shareholders and board. ($1 = 132.9600 yen)Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Kim Coghill and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Zealand to ban TikTok on devices linked to parliament, cites security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - New Zealand said it will ban TikTok on devices with access to the country's parliamentary network due to cybersecurity concerns, becoming the latest nation to limit the use of the video-sharing app on government-related devices. Concerns have mounted globally about the potential for the Chinese government to access users' location and contact data through ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company. The depth of those concerns was underscored this week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes or the app could face a U.S. ban. read moreIn New Zealand, TikTok will be banned on all devices with access to parliament's network by the end of March. "Based on this information the Service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment,” he said.

[1/2] The Credit Suisse logo adorns a sign at the entrance to their campus in Research Triangle Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S., March 15, 2023. In its statement early Thursday, Credit Suisse said it is exercising its option to borrow from the Swiss National Bank up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion). They said the bank could access liquidity from the central bank if needed. Credit Suisse said it welcomed the statement of support from the Swiss National Bank and FINMA. The U.S. Treasury also said it is monitoring the situation around Credit Suisse and is in touch with global counterparts, a Treasury spokesperson said.

March 15 (Reuters) - Swiss regulators pledged a liquidity lifeline to Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) in an unprecedented move by a central bank after the flagship Swiss lender's shares tumbled as much as 30% on Wednesday. They said the bank could access liquidity from the central bank if needed. Credit Suisse said it welcomed the statement of support from the Swiss National Bank and FINMA. Hoping to quell concerns, FINMA and the Swiss central bank said there were no indications of a direct risk of contagion for Swiss institutions from U.S. banking market turmoil. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022.

March 15 (Reuters) - Swiss regulators said Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) can access liquidity from the central bank if needed, racing to assuage fears around the lender after it led a rout in European bank shares on Wednesday. The U.S. Treasury is monitoring the situation around Credit Suisse and is in touch with global counterparts about it, a Treasury spokesperson said. They slid again as a crisis of confidence gripped Credit Suisse on Wednesday after its largest investor said it could not provide Credit Suisse with more financial assistance because of regulatory constraints. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. Ralph Hamers, CEO of Credit Suisse rival UBS (UBSG.S) said market turmoil has steered more money its way.

Two supervisory sources told Reuters that the European Central Bank (ECB) had contacted banks on its watch to quiz them about their exposures to Credit Suisse. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on Switzerland's second-largest bank, after its largest investor said it could not provide Credit Suisse with more financial assistance because of regulatory constraints. Credit Suisse had appealed to the Swiss National Bank and Swiss financial watchdog FINMA for a public show of support, the Financial Times reported. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. Ralph Hamers, CEO of Credit Suisse rival UBS (UBSG.S) said market turmoil has steered more money its way.

The drop in Credit Suisse shares led a 7% fall in the European banking index (.SX7P), while five-year credit default swaps (CDS) for the flagship Swiss bank hit a new record high, highlighting increasing investor concerns. We move from the problems of American banks to those of European banks, first of all Credit Suisse," said Carlo Franchini, head of institutional clients at Banca Ifigest in Milan. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on Switzerland's second-largest bank, after its largest investor said it could not provide Credit Suisse with more financial assistance because of regulatory constrains. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. Ralph Hamers, CEO of Credit Suisse rival UBS (UBSG.S) said it has benefited from market turmoil and seen money inflows.

March 15 (Reuters) - European bank stocks fell sharply on Wednesday, with embattled Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) tumbling to a new low, on renewed investor concerns about stresses within the sector triggered by Silicon Valley Bank's sudden collapse. A more than 20% drop in Credit Suisse shares led a 6% plus fall in the European banking index (.SX7P), while five-year credit default swaps (CDS) for the flagship Swiss bank hit a new record high, highlighting increasing investor concerns. We move from the problems of American banks to those of European banks, first of all Credit Suisse," said Carlo Franchini, head of institutional clients at Banca Ifigest in Milan. BlackRock (BLK.N) Chief Executive Laurence Fink warned on Wednesday that the U.S. regional banking sector remains at risk, and predicted further high inflation and rate increases. And in an attempt to avert a similar crisis down the line, the U.S. Federal Reserve is considering tougher rules and oversight for midsize banks similar in size to SVB.

Credit Suisse fell below 2 Swiss francs ($2.18) for the first time after Saudi National Bank said it could not go above 10% ownership due to a regulatory issue. Credit Suisse shares fell by as much as 23.8% and were last down 20.2%. An index of European bank stocks (.SX7P) fell in morning trading and was last down 6.1%, hitting its lowest since January 3. Fears of contagion after the collapse of tech-focused lender SVB (SIVB.O) and New York-based Signature Bank (SBNY.O) last week have weighed on European bank stocks. We move from the problems of American banks to those of European banks, first of all Credit Suisse," said Carlo Franchini, head of institutional clients at Banca Ifigest in Milan.

New York CNN —A key measure of inflation fell dramatically in February, according to the latest Producer Price Index, which tracks what America’s producers get paid for their goods and services. Producer price increases slowed to an annual pace of 4.6% last month, significantly down from 6% in January, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Refinitiv had been expecting the 12-month rise in wholesale prices to slow to a 5.4% increase. Those are down from January’s downwardly revised 5% annual price gain and 0.1% monthly increase. The latest Consumer Price Index, which was released Tuesday, showed prices were up 6% during the 12 months ended in February.

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