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☆ Inside the downfall of Henrik Fisker's second automotive startup, which just filed for bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

AdvertisementA Fisker spokesperson said it would be "unfair" to compare the two companies. A Fisker spokesperson denied comments that Henrik took on a more passive role and said he was "deeply involved." AdvertisementA Fisker spokesperson said Magna was responsible for testing and releasing the Ocean and it had been fully certified by regulators in the US and Europe. A Fisker spokesperson pushed back on the comments questioning Henrik's business prowess. For Henrik, whose earlier company, Fisker Automotive, filed for bankruptcy in 2013, his present predicament echoes the past.

Persons: —, Henrik Fisker, Wendy Gruel's, Geeta Gupta, Gupta, Henrik Fisker's, James Bond, Henrik, Fisker, Rivian, Tesla, Phil McCarten, Magna, hadn't, YouTuber, Marques Brownlee, Kurt Mechling, he'd, they'd Organizations: Service, Business, TechCrunch, Aston Martin, BMW Z8, Magna International, Fisker Inc, Apollo Global Management, Tesla, Ford, GM, Magna, Reuters, Fisker, Business Insider, Engineers, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Technicians, California Bureau of Automotive, BI, New York Stock Exchange, Fisker Automotive Locations: Fisker, Europe, California, Graz, Austria, Panera

☆ South China Sea: US blasts ‘aggressive’ China over collision with Philippine ship
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all of the South China Sea, and most of the islands and sandbars within it, including many features that are hundreds of miles from mainland China. China had “obstructed the Philippines from executing a lawful maritime operation in the South China Sea, interfering with the Philippines’ freedom of navigation,” Campbell said, according to a State Department readout. The Chinese coast guard on Monday said a Philippine supply ship “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings” and “deliberately and dangerously” approached a Chinese vessel in “an unprofessional manner,” resulting in a collision. China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu on Monday accused the Philippines of “illegally” delivering supplies to the stranded warship. It should now be clear to the international community that China’s actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

Persons: Shoal, Manila MaryKay Carlson, China’s, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Marcos, Matthew Miller, Kurt Campbell, Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro, ” Campbell, “, ”, Francel Margareth Padilla, Adrian Portugal, Ren’ai Jiao, Thomas, Gan Yu, Gan, ” Gan, Jay Tarriela, Gilberto C, Teodoro , Jr Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Philippine, US State Department, Foreign Affairs, Department, Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Reuters, China Coast Guard, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, Chinese Coast Guard, CNN, Armed Forces, ( Armed Forces, Philippine Defense Locations: Hong Kong, United States, China, Philippines, Philippine, Second, Spratly, South China, Manila, South, Beijing, The Hague, Palawan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, BRP Sierra, Thomas Shoal, “, West Philippine

☆ Putin to visit Kim in North Korea on June 18-19
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) visit a construction site of the Angara rocket launch complex on September 13, 2023 in Tsiolkovsky, Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in Russia for talks with Russian President Putin. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Kremlin said, a rare trip that underscores Moscow's burgeoning partnership with the reclusive nuclear-armed state. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended an invitation to Putin during a visit to Russia's Far East last September. Ukrainian officials say they have counted about 50 such missiles delivered to Russia by North Korea.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Leif, Eric Easley, Kim Hong, Putin's, Kurt Campbell Organizations: Russian, Kremlin, State Affairs of, DPRK, Democratic People's, West, United Nations, Ewha University, U.S, South Korean Locations: Tsiolkovsky, Russia, Russian, North Korea, Russia's, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Ukraine, United States, Europe, Asia, Washington, Seoul, Moscow

☆ US sounds alarm over Chinese and North Korean support for Russia’s war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But the reality is that China’s fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II,” Stoltenberg said at The Wilson Center. The idea of an anti-US front among Russia, China, North Korea and Iran has long preoccupied foreign policy experts in Washington. In March, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress that Russia’s need to replenish its military supplies had forced it to grant “long-sought concessions” to North Korea. “What is Russia going to provide in exchange to North Korea, hard currency? So, we know that they are using DPRK ammunition to threaten Ukraine and kill Ukrainians,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Zelensky, Xi Jinping, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, “, Xi, ” Stoltenberg, Putin, Kremlin, Kim Jong Un, of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Kurt Campbell, Kim, ” Campbell, Matthew Miller, John Kirby, ” Kirby, “ We’re, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Washington, “ Publicly, The Wilson, “, of National Intelligence, Stimson, ”, House Locations: Ukraine, Russian, China, Ukrainian, Italy, Russia, Beijing, Moscow, Europe, North Korea, Iran, Washington, Pyongyang, Korea, Northeast Asia, Korean, North

Reached by phone, Lisa’s live-in partner Maria Tazbaz said she sold the Easter baskets at her hardware store. By 2009 Lisa was on supervised parole, but couldn’t stop committing crimes, according to her parole officer, who asked a judge to consider putting her back in prison. In a letter to the judge, the parole officer outlined Lisa’s infractions: She faked cancer to get sympathy from a court on a charge for bogus checks. After spending much of 2010 and 2011 imprisoned in Oklahoma, Lisa was released. At a hearing for the revocation of her release, the parole officer testified she had “noticed, and attempted to stop, a pattern by the defendant of defrauding her boyfriends.” A judge locked her back up.

Persons: Carloyn Naussany, Lisa, Maria Tazbaz, Carolyn, ” Tazbaz, Girl’s, Tazbaz, Linda, It’s, ” Lisa’s, Steven Sullins, Leonardo DiCaprio, “ That’s, ” Sullins, Sullins, Lisa Sullins, ’ ” Lisa, Steve, Lisa wasn’t, Dodge, Kurt Naussany, ”, Kurt Howell, “ I’ve, I’ve, ” Steve, Howell, “, ” Lisa, Lisa’s, couldn’t Organizations: Facebook, King Food Saver, Branson Buzz, Google, Oakley Auto, Chrysler, Kimberling City, NBC, Oklahoma State Department of Health, South Pointe Chrysler, Dodge Ram, Prosecutors, KMart, Ramada Oasis Convention Center Locations: Branson West, Kimberling City, Kimberling, Rock, South, Tulsa, Las Vegas, Nevada, Clark County, California, Cleveland , Oklahoma, Vietnam, Osage County, Sapulpa , Oklahoma, Springfield , Missouri, Oklahoma

☆ Inside Henrik Fisker's second failed automotive startup
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

AdvertisementA Fisker spokesperson said it would be "unfair" to compare the two companies. A Fisker spokesperson denied comments that Henrik took on a more passive role and said he was "deeply involved." AdvertisementA Fisker spokesperson said Magna was responsible for testing and releasing the Ocean and it had been fully certified by regulators in the US and Europe. But in the year since the Ocean's release, the company has delivered around 7,000 vehicles, a Fisker spokesperson said. A Fisker spokesperson pushed back on the comments questioning Henrik's business prowess.

Persons: —, Henrik Fisker, Wendy Gruel's, Geeta Gupta, Gupta, Henrik Fisker's, James Bond, Henrik, Fisker, Rivian, Tesla, Phil McCarten, Magna, hadn't, YouTuber, Marques Brownlee, Kurt Mechling, he'd, they'd Organizations: Service, Business, TechCrunch, Aston Martin, BMW Z8, Magna International, Fisker Inc, Apollo Global Management, Tesla, Ford, GM, Magna, Reuters, Fisker, Business Insider, Engineers, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Technicians, California Bureau of Automotive, BI, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Fisker, Europe, California, Graz, Austria, Panera

☆ U.C. Berkeley’s Leader, a Free Speech Champion, Has Advice for Today’s Students: Tone It Down
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Kurt Streeter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Waves of boos, angry chants and the steady rhythm of feet pounding on metal seats were upending the graduation ceremony at the University of California, Berkeley. “Viva, viva Palestina!” students sang out. “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Israel’s apartheid has got to go!”It was the soundtrack of this year’s antiwar protest, voiced on the morning of May 11 by hundreds of cap-and-gowned graduates, loud enough to nearly drown out the ceremony’s official speakers — and force the event to halt. It looked like Berkeley’s 2024 commencement was about to be canceled midstream. Once it was over and most had left the school’s low-slung football stadium, Berkeley’s chancellor, Carol Christ, sat near the podium in a folding chair.

Persons: Carol Christ Organizations: University of California Locations: Berkeley

☆ Millennium org chart: The 47 executives behind Izzy Englander's $64 billion hedge-fund behemoth
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A decade ago, Millennium Management managed $21.1 billion and had 18 senior people — all a part of the executive committee — listed on its website. Now the $64 billion multistrategy manager has 47 names on its leadership page split among divisions like the relatively new Office of the CIO. Executive teams are often just a firm's founder and a few trusted lieutenants. Many departures from the firm's top level have been executives launching their own funds or joining Millennium colleagues starting their own funds. Michael Gelband and Hyung Lee, who once ran fixed income and equities, respectively, brought the business-development pro Peter Hornick and the risk executive Dev Joneja with them when they launched ExodusPoint.

Persons: —, Izzy Englander, hasn't, Englander, Bobby Jain, Ajay Nagpal, Michael Chung, Peter Santoro, Izzy, Jain, Stephen Haratunian, Michael Gelband, Hyung Lee, Peter Hornick, Dev Joneja, Kurt Baker, Jonathan Xiong Organizations: Millennium Management, Business, Fidelity, Bloomberg, Citadel, Millennium Locations: BlackRock, New York, Asia

☆ The US accused China of offering Russia 'every support behind the scenes' for its war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe US has accused China of covertly supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and suggested that further US and NATO sanctions would be leveled against it. "What we've seen from China to Russia is not a one-off or a couple of rogue firms involved in supporting Russia," Campbell said, according to Reuters. "This is a sustained, comprehensive effort that is backed up by the leadership in China that is designed to give Russia every support behind the scenes." While many Western countries have put sanctions on Russia, China has remained a close economic ally, which has helped Russia finance its war. AdvertisementWhile Ukraine has support from many allies, including the US, UK, and Germany, their support has come in waves that have been disrupted by politics.

Persons: —, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, he'd, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Reuters, North Atlantic Council, US Locations: China, Ukraine, Belgium, Russia, Europe, Beijing, Iran, North Korea, Germany

CNN —Josef Newgarden used a scintillating last-lap pass to win the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday for the second consecutive year in a race that started four hours late due to extreme weather. We worked our tails off,” Newgarden told race broadcaster NBC. “Absolutely, they can say whatever they want after this point, I don’t care any more,” Newgarden said after the Indy 500. The Indy 500 regularly shares a date with the famous Monaco Grand Prix, known as the “crown jewel” of the Formula One calendar. Michael Conroy/AP“(Racing at 50) was always my goal, but I don’t want to just ‘do it’,” he told Indy Star.

Persons: CNN — Josef Newgarden, I’m, …, ” Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, Hélio Castroneves, Roger Penske, ” Josef Newgarden, AJ Mast, Tom Blomqvist, Mark J, Newgarden, O’Ward, “, ”, “ It’s, ” O’Ward, Scott Dixon, ” Dixon, Charles Leclerc, Kyle Larson, Larson, ” Larson, Justin Allgaier, Christopher Leduc, Allgaier, John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Castroneves, Michael Conroy Organizations: CNN, Indianapolis, NBC, Indycar, USA, Sports, Reuters, Team Penske, IndyCar, Indy, Monaco, Larson NASCAR, NASCAR, Indy Star Locations: Indianapolis, St . Petersburg , Florida, Monte Carlo, Indiana, North Carolina, Larson’s

☆ How Free School Meals Went Mainstream
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Susan Shain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At those schools, all students get free breakfast and lunch, regardless of their family’s income. “We’ve done a lot of good things to feed kids here in Butte,” Mr. Marthaller said. But introducing universal free meals, he added, was “probably the best thing we ever did.”Advocates for free school meals have pushed for them to be offered to every student for a long time, but saw significant progress in the last decade and a half. Their first big win came quietly, in 2010, when Congress passed an under-the-radar policy called the community eligibility provision, which made it easier for schools to serve free meals to all. Then, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government let every public school student eat for free, rapidly transforming the nation’s thinking around school meals.

Persons: Kurt Marthaller, fuming, “, ” Mr, Marthaller Locations: Butte, Mont

☆ A Forest Retreat in ‘Tokyo’s Backyard’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Kurt Soller | Josh Robenstone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Although the two had regularly worked in the country (their firm is currently renovating Tokyo’s Ritz-Carlton), neither of them ever imagined they’d settle permanently in Japan. Over the course of three years, however, they moved out of their Hong Kong apartment, sold their home in Taipei, Taiwan, and bought the last available piece of land next to their existing Japanese property, just over an acre crowded with cherry, pine and larch trees that flash gold, green or gray depending on the season. The pair had considered other Japanese locales where they could one day retire — snowy Niseko; Hakone, by the sea — yet it was ultimately in Karuizawa, Ng says, that they wanted to prove, after years of championing glamour and shine, that they could make someplace “supertranquil” for themselves.

Persons: Ng Organizations: Ritz, Carlton Locations: Japan, Hong Kong, Taipei, Taiwan, Hakone, Karuizawa

☆ In Beijing, Xi and Putin left no question of their close alignment in a divided world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Putin’s two-day state visit comes as Western leaders have leant on Xi to ensure that soaring exports from his country aren’t propping up the Russian war effort – a claim Beijing denies. Putin also traveled to Beijing with top security officials who the Russian president said Thursday would join informal talks on Ukraine. Beijing, which says it is neutral on the war, has repeatedly defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral relations. Xi, analysts say, is seeking to keep Putin as a close partner, while not stepping over Western red lines. For that reason, she added, “he’s okay with on-going dependency between Russia and China – and with inequality in this relationship.”

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin’s, Xi, Putin, Putin’s, Andrey Belousov, Sergey Shoigu, “ Putin, he’s, Kurt Volker, “, ”, Alexandra Prokopenko Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, –, Israel, Hamas, Russian, Russian Security, Chinese Communist Party, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Observers, CNN, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Taiwan, Gaza, Russian, China, ”, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, China’s Harbin, Siberia, Europe

☆ U.S. may characterize new tariffs as 'derisking rather than decoupling,' former diplomat says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | 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 EmailU.S. may characterize new tariffs as 'derisking rather than decoupling,' former diplomat saysKurt Tong, managing partner of The Asia Group and former U.S. diplomat, says the United States is likely to "make the point that they're fairly narrow in range as a proportion of total trade, and try and juxtapose that to the previous broad-based tariffs implemented by the Trump administration."

Persons: Kurt Tong, Trump Organizations: The Asia Group Locations: U.S, United States

☆ US officials doubt Israel can actually eradicate Hamas and achieve a 'total victory'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewUS government officials are skeptical Israel can actually achieve its goals and completely eliminate Hamas in Gaza. He argued that "we have to achieve victory and that means that we have to destroy all these battalions, which we will." The current US view of what victory looks like in this war appears different than that of Israel. "With the question of a strategic endgame, I don't think that's really a question about American influence," he said. "That's a question about Israel's strategy and what Israel chooses to do."

Persons: —, Kurt Campbell, Phil McGraw, Phil, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, hasn't, Joe Biden, Biden, Khan Younis, State Anthony Blinken, CBS's Margaret Brennan, Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Israel Organizations: Service, CNN, NATO Youth, Business, Israeli, Republican, State, National Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, I'm

☆ US assesses Israel has amassed enough troops to launch full-scale incursion into Rafah, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Mj Lee | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If Israel were to proceed with a major ground operation into Rafah, it would be going against months of warnings from the US to forego a full-scale offensive into the densely populated city. Going “headlong into Rafah” could have dire consequences, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Sunday. “They couldn’t launch an attack of that scale today.”“Their weapons production factories underground have been eliminated. However, the Biden administration has been ramping up the pressure on Israel to start focusing much more in earnest on post-war Gaza plans – so far, to little effect. Blinken publicly called on Israel to engage more seriously on developing a plan for post-war Gaza over the weekend.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Jake Sullivan, Kurt Campbell, ” Campbell, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Antony Blinken, “ Israel’s, ” Blinken, Israel, Matt Miller, “, Yahya Sinwar, Blinken, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Israel, White, State, NATO Youth Summit, Aspen Institute, Press, Hamas, CBS Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel

Firefighter Anthony Martinez rates depictions of fires and firefighting scenes in movies and TV shows. He breaks down how a real back draft works in "Backdraft," starring Kurt Russell and Robert De Niro. He explains fire safety in supertall buildings as seen in "Skyscraper," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; and "The Towering Inferno," starring Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Faye Dunaway. He analyzes how vehicle fires are portrayed in "Crash," starring Matt Dillon, Thandiwe Newton, and Sandra Bullock. Finally, he examines the house fires in "End of Watch," starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña; and "Ladder 49," starring John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix.

Persons: Anthony Martinez, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, Pete Davidson, Bill Burr, Steve Buscemi, Kurt Russell, Robert De Niro, Dwayne, Johnson, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway, Chuck, Larry, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Matt Dillon, Thandiwe Newton, Sandra Bullock, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, John Travolta, Joaquin Phoenix Organizations: Business Locations: Staten Island

☆ In Berkeley Public Schools, a War Gives Rise to Unusual Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Kurt Streeter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Oct. 18, hundreds of Berkeley High School students, with the blessing of some of their teachers, left their classrooms in the middle of the day and gathered at a nearby park. Just as on the nearby campus of the University of California — famed since the 1960s for its marches, sit-ins and progressive ideals — students at Berkeley High have a long history of hitting the streets in dissent. In the 1960s, they walked out to oppose the Vietnam War. More recently, they have shown up in droves to advocate for Black Lives Matter, immigration reform, reproductive rights and L.G.B.T.Q. But this walkout reverberated in unexpected ways through the Berkeley public school system and the city’s ordinarily tight-knit community.

Persons: ”, Becky Villagran Organizations: Berkeley High School, University of California —, Berkeley Locations: Gaza, Vietnam, Berkeley

☆ GM wants to scoop up interns impacted by Tesla's cuts, recruiter says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

General Motors is seeking to recruit students impacted by Tesla's recent internship rescindments. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. "In light of recent industry news, GM is extending an invite to software students who may have been impacted from the changes in Tesla's upcoming summer internship cohort," the recruiter wrote. Del Amo and a spokesperson for GM did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider ahead of publication. On Monday, Tesla workers entered their fourth week of layoff notices.

Persons: Motors, Tesla, —, Laura del Amo, who'd, Del, Elon Musk, It's, Kurt Kelty, JP Clausen, Austin Gigafactory Organizations: GM, Service, LinkedIn, Business, Tesla Locations: Detroit, Del Amo

☆ These sisters became co-owners of the family farm at 22 and 24, joining the ranks of women as key decision-makers on farms
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Rebekah Alstede Modery, left, and Sarah Alstede, sisters and co-owners of Alstede Farms in Chester, New Jersey. Courtesy: Alstede FarmsSisters Rebekah Alstede Modery and Sarah Alstede were raised on a New Jersey farm. In February, the sisters joined their father, Kurt Alstede, and their stepmother, Mary Thompson-Alstede, as co-owners of Alstede Farms. 'A huge undertaking' as a familyCo-owners of Alstede Farms from left to right: Mary Thompson-Alstede, Rebekah Alstede Modery, Kurt Alstede and Sarah Alstede. Rebekah Alstede Modery, left, and Sarah Alstede, sisters and co-owners of Alstede Farms in Chester, New Jersey.

Persons: Rebekah Alstede Modery, Sarah Alstede, Rebekah, Kurt Alstede, Mary Thompson, It's, Dominique Sims, NASS, Agriculture hasn't, Inwood, Lance Honig, Sarah, that's, Bernt Nelson, Rachel Schattman, Alstede Organizations: Delaware Valley University, CNBC, Centenary University, Alstede, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S . Department of Agriculture, The Ohio State University, Agriculture, Agricultural Resource Management, USDA Economic Research Service, American Farm Bureau Federation, University of Maine, Farmers Locations: Chester , New Jersey, New Jersey, Sarah, Agriculture, U.S

☆ How Real Estate Became Showbiz and Agents Became Stars
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Debra Kamin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The crowd began gathering at 5 p.m., into the movie-perfect backyard of a 1920s Spanish-style Los Angeles estate once owned by Madonna. Unlike the Oscars or the Golden Globes, these awards didn’t go to actors, directors or screenwriters. They went to real estate agents, crowned in categories like “Stratospheric Sale of the Year.” (The winner of that award was Kurt Rappaport, who represented Beyoncé and Jay-Z as they closed on a $190 million Malibu pad last May.) As a real estate broker with two seasons of “Buying Beverly Hills” and 13 seasons as a real husband on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” under his belt, Mr. Umansky was the consummate M.C. for the evening’s Power Broker Awards.

Persons: Mauricio Umansky, Kurt Rappaport, Beyoncé, Umansky Organizations: Madonna, Globes, Malibu, Housewives, Beverly, evening’s Locations: Spanish, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills

☆ Real Estate Fantasies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Debra Kamin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There are few acts more optimistic than shopping for a home. You walk through its doors, run your fingertips along its appliances and see your face reflected in its windows and mirrors. Real estate agents understand this allure. And the really good ones are so adept at spinning the fantasy that they’re building careers on television out of it. For a new story for The Times’s real estate section, which published this morning, I spent time with agents from shows like “Million Dollar Listing” and “Buying Beverly Hills” to understand how they became stars in their own right, and what that tells us about the state of housing in the U.S.Hollywood luxuryLate last year, I flew to Los Angeles to attend an awards show for some of Hollywood’s most famous real estate agents.

Persons: Mauricio Umansky, Kurt Rappaport, Beyoncé Organizations: Hollywood, Madonna, Malibu Locations: U.S, Los Angeles

☆ It's already hard to get your Fisker fixed. Bankruptcy could make it impossible.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Grace Kay | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementBusiness Insider spoke with seven Fisker Ocean owners who shared their anxieties about what will happen to their cars if Fisker is no more. AdvertisementSome Fisker owners said they are already struggling to get service and parts. Three Fisker ocean owners described instances where the vehicle was bricked for days after their 12-volt battery died. What Fisker's failure would mean for its competitorsIf Fisker files for bankruptcy, there are likely to be ripple effects for other EV startups, Fiorani said. "If Fiskers start falling off the side of the road in the next few months because there's no one to update them, that's going to put fear into a lot of electric vehicle owners — not just Fisker owners," Fiorani said.

Persons: —, Henrik Fisker teeters, Sam Fiorani, Kurt Mechling, Mechling, Fisker, Chris Salvo, Salvo, Henrik Fisker, Mario Anzuoni, Fiorani, Patrick Burrell, Tesla Organizations: Service, Business, AutoForecast Solutions, BI, Reuters, EV Locations: California

They call it an encirclement of their nation and say the United States is trying to constrain its main economic and military rival. The United States also has a new security agreement with Papua New Guinea. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden signed a $95-billion supplemental military aid and spending bill that Congress had just passed and that includes $8.1 billion to counter China in the region. In addition, the United States continues to send weapons and Green Beret trainers to Taiwan, a de facto independent island and the biggest flashpoint between the United States and China. A swarm of Chinese militia and Coast Guard vessels chased a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea last year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Yuri Gripas, ” Ely Ratner, Xi, ” Kurt Campbell, Joseph Wu, ”, “, Samuel J, Paparo Jr, Mr, Paparo, Carl Vinson, Richard A, Brooks, Trump, Lloyd J, Austin III, Chen Jining, Jes Aznar, David H, Berger, Obama, Tony Mcdonough, United States —, Admiral Paparo, China’s “ revanchist, we’re Organizations: Australian, U.S, Marines, United, Pentagon, Corps, Mr, White House, White, The New York Times, American, Marine, Green, China’s, Liberation Army, Seoul SOUTH, Pacific Command, People’s Liberation Army, Agence France, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Defense, Communist Party, Tokyo Okinawa, U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, Philippines Luzon Partner, Australia Darwin Potential, NATO, Tomahawk Locations: Beijing, United States, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Shanghai, South China, South Korea, Guam, Washington, Manila, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Palau, West Papua, Seoul, Tokyo JAPAN CHINA Taipei TAIWAN Hong Kong, GUAM philippines MALAYSIA INDONESIA JAPAN CHINA TAIWAN, philippines GUAM, INDONESIA Seoul, GUAM philippines, MALAYSIA INDONESIA, Philippine, Moscow, Tokyo, Ryukyu Islands, South, Philippines Luzon, Luzon, Spratly, Australia, Canberra, Singapore, Darwin, Australia’s, . North Carolina, Virginia, Perth, United Kingdom, Navy’s, America

☆ Why auction houses are embracing luxury — and celebrity — fashion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Joan Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

(CNN) — There’s a lot of talk about luxury’s rising prices, but it’s at auction that fashion is selling for the most eye-popping of sums. Fashion items from the sets of TV, film and even commercials can also garner high prices. Frank Augstein/APWhile selling prices are widely publicized, auction houses maintain something akin to attorney-client privilege when it comes to the identities of their bidders. In fact, much of the archival fashion seen on stars today has passed through auction. “That dress would now sell for $10 million because of that double whammy connection of a celebrity,” said Nolan.

Persons: —, Celine, Joan Didion, Levi’s, Kurt Cobain, Elton, Burberry, ”, Nicole Kidman, Lucy Bishop, Frank Augstein, Bishop, Audrey Hepburn, Diana —, Victoria, they’re, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Michael Jackson’s, Laverne Cox, Jordan Strauss, ’, Shannon Hoey, Hoey, Dior, Elizabeth Debicki, Diana, “, Meg Randell, Leigh Anne Clark —, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Chanel, Andre Leon Talley’s Birkin, Christie’s, Anna Wintour, Clark, Talley, would’ve, Andre Leon Talley's, Meghan McCarthy, Renae Plant, Diana’s, It’s, Carrie Bradshaw, Martin Nolan, Carrie Bradshaw's, Craig Blankenhorn, Barbie, Marilyn Monroe, John F, Kennedy, Nolan, Read Organizations: The, Fashion, CNN, AMC, Albert Museum, York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vogue, USA, Plant, City, Julien’s, HBO Locations: London, Dallas, Palm Beach , Florida, California, Paris, Australia

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