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☆ The return of perms
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Yola Mzizi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Perms, or the permanent wave, have been a fixture of American culture since the late 19th century and reached peak popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. While beauty trends, like fashion, are cyclical, perms today differ greatly from those once seen on stars like Cher and Stevie Nicks, thanks to gentler products and digitized heat technology. Digital perms, or hot perms, have also become popular. “It certainly helps that K-Pop and K-Dramas are popular and the stars get perms, so that has made it more culturally acceptable,” said Chen. Wella’s Munz is hopeful the resurgence of perms will also encourage brands to further engage with the multicultural consumer.

Persons: Charles Chen, “, ”, Cher, Stevie Nicks, perms, Roland Munz, Briana Dunning, Dunning, BTS’s, Kim Tae, Gong Yoo, Lydia Wolfe, Jack, Wolfe, Chen, Wella’s Munz Organizations: The, Fashion, CNN, Wella, Korean, Busan ”, perms Locations: perm, Manhattan, TikTok, perm ”, Euromonitor, Gen, Los Angeles, “, Striiike, Korean, Korean perm, American perm, Busan, London

☆ China lithium price rebound to be capped by growing supply - analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Production and sales of EVs in May grew by 53.7% and 71.2% respectively year-on-year, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed. Demand from the energy storage sector, the second biggest user of the battery metal, is also growing rapidly. "We are seeing the energy storage market is boosting capacity expansion of LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries and cathode materials, which in turn sends pressure to the price of lithium carbonate," Zou said. Zou expects the lithium carbonate price in China to average 300,000 yuan a ton this year. "The May growth seen in the auto market, boosted by short-term policy support, is unlikely to last and lithium prices might fall below 200,000 yuan within this year," he added.

Persons: Price, Susan Zou, Zou, Yang Jing, Chen Junquan, Chen, Siyi Liu, Dominique Patton, Andrew Hayley, Emma Rumney Organizations: China Passenger Car Association, Cell, Rystad Energy, EV, Beijing, China Corporate Research, Fitch, Economic Research Institute, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Shanghai

The rains are also causing the kernels on his wheat crop to begin sprouting early, which, more crucially, means the grain will produce lower quality flour unsuitable for noodles or bread. "Look, all this wheat has sprouted," Chen told Reuters, pouring kernels into his hand while standing in his fields about 40 km (25 miles) north of the town of Zhumadian. About one-third of China's wheat is grown in Henan province, earning it the nickname the granary of China. A Xiping-based grain dealer surnamed Wang is paying growers 2,100 yuan ($295) per metric ton of germinated wheat, about 75% of the market price for food-grade wheat. "These (sprouted) wheat have a bad taste as they are sticky and doesn't mix well to make dough."

Persons: Chen, it's, Darin Friedrichs, Tang Renjian, Wang, Qin Ningwei, Josh Arslan, Dominique Patton, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Reuters, Sitonia Consulting, El, China's Agriculture, Thomson Locations: COUNTY, China, China's Henan, Zhumadian, Henan province, Henan, Anhui, Shanxi, Shandong, Shanghai, Australia, Ukraine

☆ Australian journalist nears 1,000 days in detention in China on state secrets charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

read moreHer arrest by state security in September 2020 came as China widened blocks on Australian exports amid a diplomatic dispute, but the barriers are falling now, with a visit by Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell planned. China has previously said Australia should respect China's judicial sovereignty, adding that her legal rights were being upheld. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Cheng had shown "great resilience and courage", and the Australian government was concerned by the delay. Born in China, Cheng moved with her scientist parents to Australia as a 10-year-old. "No light has been shed on the allegations" against Cheng after three years, said former trade minister Simon Birmingham, whom she interviewed on his visits to China.

☆ China weighs giving single women IVF access to stem population decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Crucially, Chen could access in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment legally in a private clinic. We have liberalized the policies here and I know a lot of single women are doing IVF." watch nowLiberalizing IVF nationwide could unleash more demand for fertility treatment in what is already the world's biggest market, straining limited fertility services. The NHC's Sichuan branch did not address questions from Reuters about whether it would offer IVF treatment to all women in public hospitals. Shanghai and the southern Guangdong province have also permitted unmarried women to register their children but IVF services for single women remain banned.

The fifth of young Chinese without jobs among a highly-educated generation is a record. The number of master's and Ph.D graduates in Beijing exceeds undergraduates for the first time, education authorities said. "However, young people who really pin their hopes on the gods and Buddhas when under pressure are also clearly going astray." "I don't believe I will ever find my ideal job," said the urban planning graduate, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her job prospects. "Why, instead of helping private enterprises develop, do you blame 11.58 million graduates for not taking off their scholar gowns?"

☆ Sustainability Is the Focus of Building Refurbishment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Kone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Both are mostly high-rise communities, growing fast and densely populated, but they represent two very different realities from a climate and sustainability perspective. One way is to focus on modernizing the buildings we already have, to create neighborhoods that adapt to the individual needs of residents. In a climate-aware, post-COVID-19 world, with an aging and tech-savvy population, the focus is now on the needs of connected micro-communities within livable cities." Data, including information from KONE elevators, can provide insights into people's movement in cities, and their changing behavior and needs. Kone"Modernizing an elevator, in an existing building, means we can reduce energy consumption by up to 70%, and a KONE elevator today is up to 90% more energy-efficient than its 1990s counterpart.

Chinese start-ups and fund managers said they are still looking to move their money out of SVB once they can. Such banks have offered account services similar to those of SVB, but found it hard to crack the U.S. bank's dominance among early-stage start-ups in China, where SVB has operated for more than two decades and has a local joint venture. STILL HUNTINGSome venture funds said they were in a quandary as SVB had certain advantages and was especially friendly to early-stage start ups. "Not a lot of banks are friendly to venture capital." "But the market space left by SVB will be filled by the next bank, which is an opportunity," said Chen, whose company counts Sequoia Capital China and Wu Capital among its investors and banks with SVB.

☆ After SVB and Signature failures, what small businesses should look for when choosing a bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Employees stand outside of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. The same holds true for customers of Signature Bank, which was shut down by regulators Sunday. Yet they now need to find another place to keep their money — and they and other small firms may fear a similar calamity elsewhere. For starters, the message is that when a bank fails, customer deposits will be covered for an unlimited amount, Boneparth said. FDIC coverage may be enough for some firmsAdditionally, for some small businesses, the FDIC coverage at their bank should be sufficient.

[1/4] China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. Previously the Communist Party chief in Shanghai, Li was confirmed as premier during the National People's Congress, charged with managing the world's second largest economy. "Officials know that Li Qiang is Xi Jinping's guy," he said. "He clearly thinks that Li Qiang is a very competent person and he has put him in this position because he trusts him and he expects a lot of him." American author Robert Lawrence Kuhn, who met Li and Xi together in 2005 and 2006, said the two shared an easy rapport.

☆ Luxury home sales plunge 45%, with Miami and the Hamptons hit hardest
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. housing market is taking a hard hit from higher mortgage rates, and luxury home sales are seeing the worst of it. Sales of luxury homes dropped 45% during the three months ended Jan. 31 compared with the same period the year before, according to Redfin, a real estate brokerage. Redfin defines luxury homes as those estimated to be in the top 5% based on the estimated market value. Miami, which had seen a massive influx of wealthy buyers migrating from the Northeast in the earlier days of the Covid pandemic, saw sales drop nearly 69%. While not all luxury buyers use mortgages, they are affected by the broader economy, and more specifically the stock market.

☆ Employers can use this retirement perk as a ‘stepping stone’ to a 401(k), says advisor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Visualspace | E+ | Getty ImagesSmall business owners today may feel they're getting pulled in two directions: stuck between wanting to offer a retirement benefit to their workers but feeling unable to afford costs associated with a 401(k) plan. But entrepreneurs scared by the affordability of maintaining a 401(k) plan can instead consider an alternative workplace retirement plan known as a SIMPLE IRA, said Marguerita Cheng, a certified financial planner based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The plans — formally known as a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees — don't carry the startup and operating costs of a "conventional" retirement plan, according to the IRS. watch nowEmployers are more pressured these days to offer a retirement benefit to stay competitive in a hot labor market, Cheng said. SIMPLE IRAs are also "a great stepping stone" to a 401(k) in the future, if an employer wants to make their offering more "robust," she said.

Previously the Communist Party chief in Shanghai, Li is poised to be confirmed as premier on Saturday during the ongoing National People's Congress, charged with managing the world's second largest economy. Trey McArver, co-founder of consultancy Trivium China, said Li is likely to be much more powerful than his predecessor. "Officials know that Li Qiang is Xi Jinping's guy," he said. "He clearly thinks that Li Qiang is a very competent person and he has put him in this position because he trusts him and he expects a lot of him." American author Robert Lawrence Kuhn, who met Li and Xi together in 2005 and 2006, said the two shared an easy rapport.

☆ Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney will be a professor at the University of Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Rep. Liz Cheney is about to become a professor at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. Once the chairwoman of the House GOP conference, Cheney became a prominent anti-Trump voice. In her new role, Cheney will participate in the center's research, and deliver university-wide lectures, and serve as a guest lecturer in student seminars. 3 House Republican, Cheney faced widespread attacks within the GOP after she blamed Trump over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and voted to impeach him. Upon her election loss, speculation swirled about Cheney's future political ambitions and whether she might run for president in 2024.

☆ Radioligand therapy, a 'game-changer' for cancer treatment, forces manufacturers to race against a ticking clock
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Ash from the eruption disrupted flights across Europe — including a time-sensitive shipment of experimental radioligand therapy that Sartor was expecting from Norway. Radioligand therapy, also called radionuclide or radiopharmaceutical therapy, is a targeted form of cancer treatment that delivers radiation directly to cancer cells. Once the radioactivity decays, it can no longer kill the cancer cells as effectively, which means radioligand therapy has a limited window of viability. Expensive to produce and ship fastNuclear medicine has been used to treat cancer for decades, and radioligand therapy itself is not new. In 2008, he traveled to a medical conference in Toronto where he heard about radioligand therapy for the first time.

☆ Netflix starts cracking down on password sharing in four countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Netflix sign in page displayed on a laptop sscreen and Netflix logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 2, 2023. Netflix on Wednesday outlined its long-awaited password-sharing guidelines, starting first with users in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, marking the latest step in the company's telegraphed crackdown. The streaming company said users in those countries will be asked to set a "primary location" for their Netflix accounts and will be allowed two "sub accounts" for users who don't live in that home-base household. Netflix said it plans to revisit and refine the new account management page based on user feedback. The company announced last fall that it would limit password sharing with the stalling of subscriber growth in its U.S.-Canada region.

Hong Kong's new global promotional campaign will "kickstart" the city's reopening to international travelers, the Hong Kong Tourism Board told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Friday. As part of the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign, which was launched on Thursday, 500,000 air tickets will be given away over the next six months, starting in March. The tickets will be given out through three Hong Kong's carriers — Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines. "[But] you want to kickstart and … tell the world in a clear message that Hong Kong and then mainland — we have finally reopened." Some 80,000 tickets have also been reserved for Hong Kong residents which authorities aim to give out in the summer.

☆ This former couple says splitting up saved their pizza company. Here's why they and others found running a business with your ex doesn't have to be a nightmare.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He's glad to have salvaged — and even improved — his professional relationship with Chen. Price, 48, and Sebastiani, 56, launched Blue Oak Coffee Roasting in Bakersfield, California, in 2015. That idea turned out to be popular — and Blue Oak grew into a full-time business. But launching Blue Oak ultimately helped Price and Sebastiani make their relationship more harmonious. Blue Oak Coffee RoastingThe business also offered a powerful imperative for the ex-couple to overcome their communication challenges, since their livelihoods depended on their ability to cooperate.

☆ After Indiana Univ. stabbing, Asian American students say they haven’t received enough support from school
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Since the incident, a sense of shock has rippled through the school’s Asian community. The students say that conversations around the incident have been active among the Asian Americans on campus. Karen Cheng, a senior at the university and the president of the school’s Asian American Association, noted a similar sense of fear. As an Asian American woman, she said, public safety concerns predate the tragedy. But the community is also flanked by some areas with white supremacist activity, something many Asian American students are aware of, Cheng said.

☆ China's economy looks set for a rebound in 2023, but a lot depends on one variable, KraneShares says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's gross domestic product grew 3% in 2022, less than half of 2021's rate. China's economy looks poised for a rebound in 2023, but a lot depends on one variable — the consumer, said investment management firm KraneShares. "We believe the reopening may lead to a V-shaped recovery in the share prices of China's consumer brands in early 2023. "The fallout from regulatory changes affecting the real estate development industry lingered longer than expected despite a commitment from the government to stabilize the sector," Chen said. China's real estate market slowed down sharply in 2022 as the government tightened restrictions on borrowing by developers.

☆ China's big consumer market isn't rebounding to pre-pandemic levels just yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

For the past six months, revenue had dropped to 30% of typical levels, Chong said. The travel season for China's big holiday runs this year from around Jan. 7 to Feb. 15. That's twice what it was last year, and 70% of 2019 levels, China's Ministry of Transport said Friday. It noted most of the trips will likely be for visiting family, while just 10% will be for leisure or business travel. By that time, people will have been able to process their passport applications, while the number of international flights may have recovered to 50% or 60% of 2019 levels, Chen said.

☆ China establishes mortgage rate adjustment mechanism for some home buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China's central bank and the banking and insurance regulator have established a dynamic adjustment mechanism on mortgage rates for first-time home buyers, the central bank said on Thursday, in a bid to further support the property sector. The crisis in China's property market, once a pillar of the world's second-biggest economy, worsened last summer with home prices, sales and investment all falling sharply. According to analysts' calculation, 38 cities are eligible for adjustable mortgage rate floors, including some second-tier cities such as Wuhan and Zhengzhou and more than 20 smaller cities. Analysts said the move shows the government's growing intent to support demand in weak cities, but added the impact may be limited. "Lowering mortgage rates has not been able to drive sales.

☆ It's time to boost 401(k) contributions for 2023: 'You're smart to jump on this,' says advisor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

If you're eager to boost your retirement savings, there's good news for 2023: higher 401(k) contribution limits. And now is the time to adjust your deferrals, financial experts say. You can funnel $22,500 into your 401(k), 403(b) and other such plans for 2023, up from the $20,500 limit in 2022. "Most people set [401(k) contributions] once and never look back." If you aim to max out 401(k) contributions for 2023, it may pay off to start early, as spreading it out may be easier than contributing more later in the year.

The methods for counting COVID deaths have varied across countries in the nearly three years since the pandemic began. CAN CHINA'S COVID DATA BE TRUSTED? With one of the lowest COVID death tolls in the world, China has been routinely accused of downplaying infections and deaths for political reasons. Globally, the study estimated 18.2 million excess deaths in 2021-2022, compared with reported COVID deaths of 5.94 million. China actually cut its accumulated death toll by one on Dec. 20, bringing the total to 5,241.

☆ The 5 U.S. cities expected to have the highest rent prices in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There are five cities where rent prices are predicted to cost the most next year, based on existing rent prices and projected demand, per an analysis provided by Zumper. Here's a look at the cities where rent is expected to be most expensive for a one-bedroom home, as well as price trends in each. New York CityMedian rent in December 2022 : $3,738: $3,738 Median rent in December 2020 : $2,399: $2,399 Percent change: 56% Prior to the pandemic, median rent for a one-bedroom home in the Big Apple was closer to $3,000. "We've seen record numbers of applications for apartments" in areas around New York City, Chen says. Luckily, rent prices have not climbed back up to the city's pre-pandemic peak of $3,700 in 2019.

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