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☆ Plants let out an ultrasonic scream when their leaves are cut or they don't get enough water
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They may be filling your house with deafening clicks, but these are too high for you to hear, scientists have found. Plants that aren't stressed are almost quietTomato plants are being recorded in a greenhouse in this picture from Tel Aviv University. For instance, tomato plants emit sounds of stress before they started looking dehydrated, Hadany said. Animals — and perhaps even plants — may be able to hear the soundsA fruit bat might be one of the animals who can hear noises from plants. It's also possible plants themselves could react to these sounds, Hadany said.

☆ This $38 million LA palace — and many others — are in a rush to be sold this week to avoid millions in the new California 'Mansion Tax'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new "mansion tax" approved by voters in November goes into effect April 1. LA voters approved Proposition ULA, commonly referred to as the "mansion tax," by a 58% to 42% margin. The Star Resort, lit up from the perspective of the 70-foot infinity pool. Yann Ippolito/Ikon AdvisorsThe Star Resort features a Kobe Bryant-themed half basketball court. Yann Ippolito/Ikon Advisors

☆ Cactus League roundup: Padres hang 18 runs on Diamondbacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Feb 26, 2023; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Pavin Smith (26) bats against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY SportsFebruary 27 - The host San Diego Padres exploded for nine runs in the second inning en route to an 18-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday in Peoria, Ariz.Juan Soto went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs to headline San Diego's 20-hit effort, while Pavin Smith went 2-for-3 with a homer and a pair of RBIs for the Diamondbacks. Rangers 13, Guardians 4Corey Seager had a homer and three RBIs, and Texas struck for five runs (four earned) off Zach Plesac in a victory over host Cleveland in Goodyear, Ariz.Royals 8, Mariners 7Kansas City used a three-run sixth inning to take a lead it wouldn't relinquish, edging visiting Seattle in Surprise, Ariz.Dodgers 9, Cubs 4Hunter Feduccia went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs to lift host Los Angeles over Chicago in Glendale, Ariz.Giants 7, Reds 6Will Wilson hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth as San Francisco rallied from a four-run, eighth-inning deficit to slide past visiting Cincinnati in Scottsdale, Ariz.Angels 7, White Sox 0Eight pitchers combined to throw a five-hitter as host Los Angeles blanked Chicago in Tempe, Ariz. Athletics 11, Brewers 4Ryan Noda and Shea Langeliers each went deep as visiting Oakland blew by Milwaukee in Phoenix. Rockies 12, Brewers 6Host Colorado brought up five runs in the seventh inning and tacked on four more in the eighth to tackle Milwaukee in Scottsdale, Ariz.--Field Level MediaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cactus League roundup: Seth Lugo leads Padres to win
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lugo hasn't started a major league game in the regular season since 2020 and has just 38 career starts. Trent Grisham went 2-for-3 and Aaron Brooks got the win for the Padres, as they held the White Sox to four hits. Athletics 12, Diamondbacks 7Kevin Smith went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Jace Peterson drove in two as host Oakland beat Arizona in Mesa. McLain went 2-for-2. Brewers 7, Dodgers 4Garrett Mitchell hit two home runs and had four RBIs to lead host Milwaukee past Los Angeles in Phoenix.

☆ Tuesday Morning says it wants to close 265 stores as part of its bankruptcy filing. See if your local store is on the list.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Camarillo: Camarillo Village Square, 2450 Las Posas Road, Ste HCamarillo Village Square, 2450 Las Posas Road, Ste H Roseville: Fairway Commons Shopping Center, 5771A Five Star Blvd. San Diego: Pacific Plaza Shopping Center, 1772‐D Garnet AvenuePacific Plaza Shopping Center, 1772‐D Garnet Avenue Woodland Hills: Pride Shopping Center, 22950 Victory Blvd. Winston-Salem: Whitaker Square Shopping Center, 1947 North Pease Haven Road, Space #1947Whitaker Square Shopping Center, 1947 North Pease Haven Road, Space #1947 Matthews: Windsor Square Shopping Center, 9945 E. Independence Blvd. ; Westhill Village Shopping Center, 7525 WestheimerWeslayan Plaza West Shopping Center, 5442‐A Weslayan Street; Westheimer Commons, 12568 Westheimer Rd. ; Westhill Village Shopping Center, 7525 Westheimer El Paso: West Towne Marketplace, 6450 N. Desert Blvd., Ste.

☆ How a family's struggle to help their son gave rise to controversial $400 million psychedelics giant Compass Pathways
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Today, Compass Pathways, the for-profit company they launched in 2016, is a Nasdaq-listed firm worth about $400 million. Compass Pathways Show lessIt could also boost the dozens of psychedelics companies inspired by Compass that have been formed in recent years. Insider spoke with more than a dozen industry participants to chart the rise of Compass Pathways and its role in the psychedelics boom. He recalled the 2018 Quartz article that detailed the growing alarm around Compass Pathways' "magic mushroom monopoly." Were it not for his decision to take a break from college, and his parents' efforts to find a treatment, Compass Pathways might not exist.

☆ American cacti are rapidly colonizing the slopes of the Swiss Alps as snow disappears, says report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Prickly pear cacti, native to the arid regions of the Americas, are now thriving in the Swiss Alps. The plants are typically seen in hot, dry areas, such as the Grand Canyon. So, diminishing snow cover provides a fertile environment for them to thrive. Snow cover in the Alps has been plummeting. Another study said the number of days where there is snow cover under 2,600 feet has halved since 1970.

☆ Secretive Society Keeps Watch Over Arizona’s Holy Grail of Cactus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Eliza Collins | Photographs Ash Ponders For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PIMA COUNTY, Ariz.—Millions of saguaro cactuses grow in the Sonoran Desert, yet only an estimated one in 200,000 exhibits the spectacular crown of the crested saguaro. Its rare beauty spawned the needle-in-a-haystack mission of Arizona’s secretive Crested Saguaro Society. With the zeal of birders, the society’s 10 members are out to find as many of the crested saguaro as time and energy allow. They hunt in a desert that stretches across 100,000 or so square miles.

The company said its Permian assets in 2023 are expected to benefit from continued production growth. Plains All American reported quarterly revenues of $12.95 billion versus $12.98 billion a year earlier. It reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2022 adjusted EBITDA of $659 million and $2.51 billion, respectively. It expects full-year 2023 adjusted EBITDA of $2.45 billion to $2.55 billion. The company reported net income for the fourth quarter and full-year 2022 of $263 million and $1.04 billion, respectively, and net cash provided by operating activities of $335 million and $2.41 billion, respectively.

☆ McDonald's tops profit estimates, warns short-term inflation to persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Hilary Russ | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] McDonald's Crispy Chicken Sandwiches and fries are pictured in New York, U.S. March 30, 2021. REUTERS/Hilary RussJan 31 (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) on Tuesday beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on higher menu prices, even as it warned short-term inflationary pressures would persist in 2023. McDonald's benefited from higher menu prices, increased restaurant traffic and sales in the UK, Germany and France rose despite fears of a recession in Europe. Visits to some other fast-food chains started to fall last summer as they hiked menu prices, he said. McDonald's U.S. comparable sales rose 10.3% in the quarter ended Dec. 31.

☆ McDonald’s Sales Boosted by New Menu Offerings, Price Increases
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Heather Haddon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

McDonald’s ran several promotions during the quarter that analysts had expected to increase sales, and brought back the McRib sandwich in the U.S.McDonald ‘s Corp. said menu promotions and price increases helped boost its fourth-quarter sales in the U.S., but cautioned that inflation will continue to pressure its business this year. The burger giant said its global same-store sales, or those in stores open at least 13 months, were up 12.6% from a year earlier in the three months ended Dec. 31. The company said that price increases, to-go sales and promotions such as the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box of food and figurines—called “adult Happy Meals” by fans—drove a 10.3% increase in same-store sales at its U.S. locations.

☆ McDonald's sales surge, warns short-term inflation to persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Hilary Russ | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A huge advertisement for a branch of fast-food giant McDonald's is seen on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany, April 22, 2016. The burger chain's global same-store sales increased 12.6% in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with estimates for an 8.6% rise, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. That is compared to a 0.6% decline for fast food overall in the fourth quarter over the previous year. Visits to some other fast-food chains started to fall last summer as they hiked menu prices, he said. McDonald's U.S. comparable sales rose 10.3% in the quarter.

☆ McDonald's hiked prices and started offering adult Happy Meals — and sales are soaring
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McDonald's reported double-digit sales growth for 2022, driven by a 5% increase in customer count. The brand attributed the bump to a combination of higher menu prices and unique promotions, like adult Happy Meals. The Chicago-based fast food giant reported a 10.9% increase in same-store sales for 2022, powered by a blockbuster fourth-quarter increase of 12.6%. Like many companies last year, McDonald's raised prices and widened profit margins, but that didn't deter customers. On the call, Kempczinski told investors the chain is seeing some signs of a pullback in consumer spending.

☆ McDonald's beats profit estimates, warns short-term inflation to persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Hilary Russ | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Hilary RussJan 31 (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) on Tuesday beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on higher menu prices, even as it warned short-term inflationary pressures would persist in 2023. McDonald's benefited from higher menu prices, increased restaurant traffic and sales in the UK, Germany and France rose despite fears of a recession in Europe. Even so, traffic rose 5% for full-year 2022 as McDonald's meals remained less expensive than many competitors, drawing low-income consumers. Visits to some other fast-food chains started to fall last summer as they hiked menu prices, he said. McDonald's U.S. comparable sales rose 10.3% in the quarter ended Dec. 31.

☆ Why desalination won't save states dependent on Colorado River water
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The Colorado River wraps around Horseshoe Bend in the in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Page, Arizona. "Ocean water desalination has tremendous allure," said Robert Glennon, a professor emeritus of law and water policy scholar at the University of Arizona. Pipes containing drinking water are shown at the Poseidon Water desalination plant in Carlsbad, California, U.S., June 22, 2021. The cost of water is highSince desalination is a drought-resistant process, some have argued that states with such facilities could make themselves less dependent on water from the Colorado River. That's significantly more than the amount the San Diego County Water Authority pays for water sourced from the Colorado River and the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta.

☆ Why tiny cactus bugs in red food dye are a $35 billion industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Robin Lindsay | Victoria Barranco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Cochineals are parasites that live on cactuses, and the acid in their guts has been used as red dye for millennia. Today, cochineals are used to dye cosmetics and foods like M&Ms and Yoplait strawberry yogurt. But up against synthetic dyes, Mexican cochineal farms are dying off, taking the ancient tradition with them. The acid in their guts makes a red dye used in textiles, cosmetics, and foods like M&Ms and Yoplait yogurt. It can be found on the walls of archeological sites, in priceless paintings, and in the robes of kings.

The Sundance Film Festival has long been known for premiering some of the most original — and ultimately the most award-winning — indie titles of the year. As the most notable international film festivals increasingly feature queer titles in their lineups, it’s no surprise that much of the exciting content premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival comes from LGBTQ filmmakers or features queer themes. The Premieres sectionAs usual, many of the year’s most high-profile films, including those from queer creators and featuring queer storylines, are coming out of the festival’s Premieres section. Courtesy of Sundance InstituteEnglert’s film will screen in the world cinema dramatic section alongside queer films “Girl,” from U.K. filmmaker Adura Onashile, and “Mamacruz,” from Spanish director Patricia Ortega. The list of LGBTQ creators and titles doesn’t end there, making this perhaps the most significant Sundance Film Festival for queer cinema yet.

☆ Arizona suburb sues the city of Scottsdale for cutting off its water supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A saguaro-cactus lined road where new homes are being built in in Rio Verde Foothills, Arizona, on January 7, 2023. An Arizona suburb has filed a lawsuit against the city of Scottsdale after the city cut off the community from its municipal water supply amid extreme drought conditions and declining water levels in the Colorado River. In the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court, residents in the unincorporated community of Rio Verde Foothills are seeking an injunction against Scottsdale to force the city to resume water services. The dispute comes after the federal government last year announced unprecedented water cuts in Arizona due to water shortages along the Colorado River. Earlier this month, hundreds of homes outside of Scottsdale could no longer access water from the city, leaving residents with no reliable source of water.

☆ Brazil's former President Bolsonaro accused of trashing the nation's iconic presidential palace, says report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, has been accused of trashing the official residency. The Palácio da Alvorada – Palace of Dawn – in Brasília is considered a masterpiece of modernist architecture. The new President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, was sworn into office on New Year's Day. The shabby state of the building was revealed in a tour of the palace with Brazil's first lady, Rosângela Lula da Silva, who GloboNews political correspondent Natuza Nery accompanied. According to a New York Times report, Bolsonaro flew to the US and planned to stay for at least a month while he faced investigations from his term as president relating to misinformation.

Put another way, more Black children in metro Phoenix will go through a child maltreatment investigation than won’t. Almost all described a system so omnipresent among Black families that it has created a kind of communitywide dread: of that next knock on the door, of that next warrantless search of their home. Many Black families first moved there as a result of redlining and racial covenants that blocked them from renting or owning property elsewhere. In Maricopa County, Black children experienced child welfare investigations at one of the highest rates among large counties nationally, and nearly three times the rate of their white peers, from 2015 to 2019. But throughout the country, investigations were more pervasive among Black families.

☆ Chick-fil-A is selling merchandise for the first time ever
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —If your holiday wish list includes a Chick-fil-A sauce-themed blanket or a chicken nugget pillow, look no further. The chicken chain has launched its first-ever online store, and it’s filled with quirky merchandise that pays homage to cult-favorite items. Chick-fil-A said it expects the products, which range from $15 to $75, to “sell out quickly” — and the chain is already planning for more merchandise next year. Chick-fil-A is selling merchandise for the first-time ever. “Our studies show that one-third of consumers in the 18-44 age range are likely to buy products from collaborations,” Jensen told CNN Business earlier this year.

☆ Restaurant sales are going up. But dining out is on the decline
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Restaurant traffic is dipping as consumers make food at home. In that month, traffic at fast food restaurants fell 1.2%, dipped 1.7% for fast casual and dropped 4.7% in full service eateries. Fast food traffic bounced back slightly in September and October, but fast casual and full service traffic remained negative. Restaurant prices increased by 8.6%. But groceries are generally cheaper than restaurant meals.

☆ How this beauty brand founder turned her side hustle into a business bringing in millions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Araceli Ledesma, founder and CEO of Araceli Beauty, is a master at building a successful business from the ground up while staying true to her culture and values. As a freelance makeup artist, Ledesma launched Araceli Beauty, a "Mexicana-inspired" beauty and cosmetics brand, in 2018 as a side hustle. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Ledesma, who prefers not to share her age, and her family relocated to California for a better life when she was just 5 years old. Drawing inspiration from her hometown of Jalisco, Ledesma pays homage to her Mexican roots by incorporating regionally sourced ingredients in her formulas. For example, Araceli Beauty Eyeshadow Palettes, Tequila Highlighters, and Las Flores Blushes include tequila leaf extract from the agave plant."

☆ People are splurging to buy Grimace, Birdie, and Hamburglar toys from McDonald's adult Happy Meal, with some spending $50 for the figurines
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

People are spending big money to snap up limited-edition toys from McDonald's adult Happy Meals. One eBay account is selling some sealed toys for $49.95 each, or $119.95 for a pack of all four. One eBay account is charging $24.95 each for sealed Grimace and Cactus Buddy toys and $49.95 for Hamburglar and Birdie toys, or $119.95 for a pack of all four. Another account selling the toys individually and in four-packs for slightly cheaper has sold 116 lots. The McDonald's and Cactus Plant collaboration has proved incredibly popular.

☆ McDonald's limited-edition adult Happy Meal toys are listed for as much as $300,000 on eBay
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

McDonald's recently-released adult Happy Meal was designed to engender feelings of "nostalgia" among its older customers. Opportunistic resellers are taking advantage of McDonald's limited-time collaboration with streetwear company Cactus Plant Flea Market to try to make a quick buck. Another seller is asking for $25,000 for an unopened Happy Meal toy, and asks that the winning bidder also cover the $6.10 in shipping fees. In New York City, the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box retailed for $12.95. The fast food giant has brought back its collectible Halloween Happy Meal pails for the first time since 2016.

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