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☆ Congress hasn’t been able to make social media safer. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This has been true since the early 2010s, when tech companies began realizing the benefits of influencing policymakers on issues including net neutrality and privacy. This week, Microsoft announced its support for the Kids Online Safety Act, a leading social media bill. Even when lawmakers can agree on what the problem is, they often disagree on how to solve it, creating a smorgasbord of half a dozen or more social media bills floating around Congress. That would be a huge down payment on a future social media law, said Balkam. But even that proposal is still subject to many of the same dynamics that make social media regulation hard.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Danny Weiss, Ben Thompson, Adam Kovacevich, “ That’s, hasn’t, Republican stonewalling, Weiss, Kovacevich, ” Kovacevich, I’m, ” Weiss, Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Schumer, Nancy Pelosi’s, “, Johnson didn’t, Evan Greer Organizations: Washington CNN, Big Tech, Tech, Sense, Microsoft, Kids, LinkedIn, of, Republican, CNN Locations: Washington, United States

☆ In Angola, a Former Cold War Rival, Blinken Touts U.S. Investments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken wrapped up a four-nation tour through Africa on Thursday with a visit to Angola, an oil-rich former Cold War battleground that has become the site of a struggle for 21st-century economic influence. During his visit to the coastal capital, Luanda, Mr. Blinken spotlighted major American investments in Angola, including more than $900 million for solar energy projects and $250 million to upgrade a rail corridor that carries critical minerals, including cobalt and copper, from central Africa to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito. Those solar investments help to advance President Biden’s climate agenda while the transportation improvements further his goal of diversifying American supply chains — in part to reduce U.S. dependence on Chinese control of the vital ingredients for a modern economy. Just over 20 years since the end of Angola’s civil war, which left perhaps as many as one million people dead, the country has rebuilt, modernized and developed friendly relations with Washington, which once funded rebels against a government backed by the Soviet Union and Cuba.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken Organizations: Mr Locations: Africa, Angola, Luanda, Lobito, Washington, Soviet Union, Cuba

☆ These are the 30 best investments to make now as US stocks rally to record highs, according to bullish strategists at 3 large investment firms
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Lerner noted that such occurrences are correlated with near-term pain as well as sizable forward returns. Another encouraging omen for US stocks is their successful track record in the second year of a bull market, as Belski noted last fall. Furthermore, since the financial crisis, Belski noted that stocks fell in the first month eight times but have ended the year in the green in six of those years. BMO Capital Markets30 investments to make during a rallyIn addition to sharing market commentary, strategists at BMO, Truist, and UBS outlined investment ideas as stocks enter uncharted territory. UBS spotlighted high-quality stocks with healthy balance sheets and sound earnings that drive profitability, especially since economic growth is slowing.

Persons: Solita Marcelli, Keith Lerner, Brian Belski, Lerner, Belski, who've Organizations: Business, BMO, Truist, UBS, BMO Capital Markets, BMO Capital, UBS spotlighted Locations: Swiss, Europe

Former President Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial turned Tuesday to one of the topics that has vexed him most — the value of his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. A Palm Beach luxury real estate broker played a glimmering video of the historic estate and testified that he'd value it at over $1 billion as of 2021. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesMar-a-Lago also is a key element of the current New York civil case and Trump's vehement frustration with it. The attorney general, a Democrat, maintains that Trump should have valued Mar-a-Lago the same way the county does, based on its club income. “Anybody who buys it … would just step into the shoes of President Trump,” defense attorney Christopher Kise said.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump, “, Lawrence Moens, Jack Smith, Lago, Letitia James ’, Judge Arthur Engoron, Jeffrey McConney, James, John Shubin, ”, Shubin, Christopher Kise Organizations: Republican, Mar, Trump, National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Trust, Democrat, Associated Press Locations: Lago, Palm Beach , Florida, Florida, New York, York, Beach, Miami, Palm Beach

☆ Thomas Randele makes deathbed confession: He was 1969 bank robber Ted Conrad
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

More than 50 years earlier, when he was 20 years old, he’d robbed an Ohio bank of $215,000. A day or so after her father’s shocking revelation, Ashley told CNN she pulled her mother Kathy aside and told her. Theodore "Ted" Conrad was an unassuming bank teller when he strolled out of an Ohio bank with more than $200,000. And I also wanted to learn about Ted Conrad, the bank robber, and Tom Randele, my dad,” she told CNN. Someone had sent his obituary to a crime reporter in Ohio with a note saying the deceased man was likely Conrad, Ashley Randele said.

Persons: CNN — Thomas Randele, he’d, Thomas Randele, Theodore Conrad, Ashley Randele, “ I’m, Ted Conrad, ’ ”, Thomas, “, ‘, they’re, Ashley, Kathy, ” Ashley Randele, Kathy Randele, ”, Steve McQueen, D.B, Cooper, Conrad, —, Theodore, Ted, Ross Anthony Willis, spotlighted, Thomas Crown, Pierce Brosnan, He’d, didn’t, ” Randele, Carl B, Ken Blaze, she’d, Tom Randele, Randele, Pete Elliott, Elliott, John Elliott, Robin Hood Organizations: CNN, National Bank, Fairfax Media, Stokes, Courthouse, Randele Locations: Boston, Ohio, ’, Lynnfield , Massachusetts, Cleveland, Pacific Northwest, Washington ,, Los Angeles, California, Hawaii , Texas, Oregon, Massachusetts, France, United States, Lynnfield

☆ US, European officials crack down on crypto service accused of laundering money for North Korean leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The US Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned a cryptocurrency service accused of helping launder millions of dollars for the North Korean regime. The FBI and European law enforcement agencies have also seized the website of the crypto service, known as Sinbad, according to a notice that appeared on the website Wednesday. Analysts say North Korea has leaned heavily on mixers to move money amid greater scrutiny from law enforcement agencies from the US, South Korea and elsewhere. The North Korean regime has also used thousands of IT workers working overseas, sometimes posing as other foreign nationals, to quietly raise revenue, according to US officials and North Korea experts. “The laundering tactics of North Korean cyber criminals continued to evolve,” Nick Carlsen, who was an FBI intelligence analyst focused on North Korea until 2021, told CNN.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sinbad, Nick Carlsen, Carlsen, “, ” Organizations: Washington CNN, US Treasury Department, Wednesday, North, FBI, cyberattacks, White House, US, CNN, US Treasury, Treasury, TRM Locations: launder, Korea, South Korea, cryptocurrency, North Korea, North Korean, North Koreans, Korean, Koreans

☆ New Video Suggests Israeli-Russian Academic Kidnapped in Iraq Is Alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | More About Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Ms. Tsurkov was kidnapped in late March after having coffee in a Baghdad cafe. Ms. Tsurkov went to Iraq in January to do academic research. Israel and Iraq do not have diplomatic relations; Iraq deems Israel a hostile state and has banned all contact with it. In the video, Ms. Tsurkov, who speaks in Hebrew throughout, is shown alone, seated on a couch. At the end of the video, Ms. Tsurkov speaks directly to her family, pleading with them to help win her release.

Persons: Elizabeth Tsurkov, Tsurkov, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, “, ”, Netanyahu, Sara, Yair, Iraq “, ” Ms, Rina, Arkady, Emma, Avital, David, ” Falih Hassan Organizations: Princeton University, Al, Hezbollah —, Kataib Hezbollah, New York Times, ”, New Lines Institute, Strategy Locations: Iraqi, Israeli, Russian, Baghdad, Al Rabiaa, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Syrian, United States

☆ MrBeast: American YouTuber builds 100 wells in Africa, attracting praise – and some criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —American YouTuber MrBeast’s latest video, in which he says he built 100 wells across Africa, has drawn a complex response online since it was published on Saturday. Some Kenyan activists and journalists said he has spotlighted the failures of the Kenyan government, while MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, anticipates that he will be “canceled” following the reaction. The new wells will provide clean drinking water for up to 500,000 people in Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda and Zimbabwe, Donaldson said, while an accompanying fundraiser to support local water aid organizations had raised more than $300,000 by Monday morning. Donaldson is the most popular individual creator on YouTube, with more than 200 million subscribers. He has become known for his philanthropy, posting videos in which he sponsored 1,000 blind people’s cataract surgery and bought prosthetic limbs for 2,000 amputees.

Persons: MrBeast, Jimmy Donaldson, Donaldson, Boniface Mwangi, Ferdinand Omondi, ”, I’m, Francis Gaitho Organizations: CNN, Kenyan, ” CNN, YouTube Locations: Africa, Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Such recruitment-based adoptions are the most difficult to carry out, social workers say. Gonzaga, who worked with his wife Heather Setrakian at eharmony and then on the Family-Match algorithm, referred questions to Ramirez. Social workers say Family-Match works like this: Adults seeking to adopt submit survey responses via the algorithm’s online platform, and foster parents or social workers input each child’s information. Adoption-Share is part of a small cadre of organizations that say their algorithms can help social workers place children with foster or adoptive families. “It’s wasted time for social workers and wasted emotional experiences for children.”___Contact AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/

Persons: –, Thea Ramirez, Ramirez, ” Ramirez, “ There’s, ”, Bonni Goodwin, “, Gian Gonzaga, Gonzaga, Heather Setrakian, Setrakian, Kristen Berry, ” Berry, Melania Trump, Virginia’s, Terry McAuliffe, Traci Jones, ” Jones, Virginia, Kylie Winton, Scott Stevens, Stevens, ” Jenn Petion, Petion, ” Petion, Fort, Bree Bofill, ” Bofill, Bofill, Ramirez didn’t, Ramirez wouldn’t, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Biden, Connie, didn’t, We’ve, “ It’s Organizations: Associated Press, AP, University of Oklahoma, American Enterprise Institute, Democrat, ”, Virginia Department of Social Services, Georgia Department of Human Services, FamiliesFirst, Family, Family Support, Fort Myers, Children’s Network of Southwest, Miami, Care, Winton, AS GUINEA, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Tennessee, Biden White, Science, Technology, Brown University, U.S . Health, Human Services Department, Florida Department of Health, Health Locations: Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Brunswick , Georgia, eharmony, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, Virginia , Georgia, New York City , Delaware, Missouri, Investigative@ap.org

☆ UK officials close antitrust probes into Amazon’s and Meta’s retail platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The United Kingdom’s competition watchdog has wrapped up its antitrust investigations into Amazon’s and Meta’s retail platforms, saying it has secured commitments from the US tech giants that will ultimately benefit consumers. In theory, the more businesses are able to fairly compete for consumers’ cash, the more choice consumers ultimately have. Meta’s competitors will have the option to “opt out” of the tech firm using some of their data to improve Facebook Marketplace, the CMA said. That commitment, along with others, means Meta “cannot exploit advertising customers’ data to give itself an unfair advantage — and as such distort competition,” Pope said. A spokesperson for Meta told CNN it welcomed the CMA’s decision to close its investigation into Facebook Marketplace.

Persons: Ann Pope, ” Pope, Meta Organizations: London CNN, Markets Authority, CMA, Amazon, Facebook, CNN, Meta, Global, Big Tech, US Federal Trade Commission, European Union

☆ The War in Gaza Is Giving Russia’s Putin What He Wants - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Hanna Notte | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Mr. Biden has vowed that the United States can support both Israel’s and Ukraine’s security needs, and is asking Congress for $105 billion in emergency funding to cover them. But Israel may eventually need weapons that are now running short in Ukraine, including armed drones and artillery rounds. Trapped in a war of attrition of its own making, Russia must be relishing the appearance of a new and demanding conflict for the United States, draining the strength of its adversaries. What’s more, the war in Gaza threatens to postpone — if not derail — the Biden administration’s efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Kremlin’s response to the war in Gaza, putting distance between itself and Washington’s unequivocal pro-Israel stance, is designed to exploit those feelings further.

Persons: Biden, What’s, —, David, Israel Organizations: Abraham Accords, Kremlin Locations: United States, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Saudi, Moscow, American, Iran, Europe

☆ I visited the viral tinned fish store in NYC's Times Square that sells $19.60 cans of tuna and $44 hand-deboned sardines with edible gold flakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A luxury Portuguese tinned fish store just opened in the middle of Times Square in NYC. Tinned fish has gone viral on social media over the last year, in part because of affordability. Tinned fish has been having a viral moment this past year. Tinned fish is an important and engrained part of other food cultures outside of the US, like in Portugal and Spain. The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine is already an established brand across Portugal, but the Times Square store is its first international location.

Persons: — Organizations: Times, Service, NYC's Locations: Olive, Portugal, Spain

☆ A fund manager beating 90% of peers in 2023 after getting crushed last year shares the unconventional investing philosophy that sets him apart — and why Nvidia and these 5 other stocks will keep domin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Six of the eight top holdings in his Virtus Silvant Large-Cap Growth Fund (STCIX) are among the top 20 performers in the S&P 500 this year. That performance is quite the departure from last year, where Sansoterra's fund fell more than 29%, yet still managed to finish in the top half of its category. "They're there, but they're just a little bit harder to find." "And a lot of money managers are quality growth, GARP-y growth, momentum growth, high beta growth, et cetera. Indeed, Sansoterra's fund has posted solid relative returns in almost every imaginable environment, data from Morningstar shows.

Persons: Michael Sansoterra's, Eli Lilly, Sansoterra, Sandeep Bhatia, haven't, it's, doesn't Organizations: Virtus Silvant, Growth, Nvidia, Meta, Morningstar, Silvant Capital Management

☆ An 'extended war'? Markets may be underestimating the Israel-Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Oil prices jumped 4% on Monday before shrugging off those gains in subsequent sessions, and gold prices have inched higher by a little over 1% since the attack. "Global markets have yet to fully price the inflation risks from developments — from higher oil prices and more defense spending," Savage cautioned. That would cause the premium [of oil prices] to go higher," said Rapidan Energy Group's President Bob McNally. This could spike oil prices well north of $150 per barrel," Alpine Macro said in a note following the incursion. One analyst is of the view that even if the conflict prolongs, its implications on global markets is still largely contained.

Persons: Sameh, BNY Mellon, shrugging, BNY, Bob Savage, Savage, Amir Cohen, Bob McNally, McNally, Antony Blinken, Marko Papic, Mahmud Hams Organizations: Nurphoto, Hamas, U.S ., Swiss, BNY, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Reuters, Energy, United Nations, U.S, ., NBC News, Palestinian Health Ministry, Clocktower Group, CNBC, Brigades, Afp, Getty Locations: Gaza City, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Ukraine, Stockholm, U.S, Ashkelon, Iran, United States, Persian, Mahmud

☆ Morning Bid: 'Remarkable' US markets surf crosscurrents
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. Stock futures are higher once again ahead of the bell today. As cash Treasury markets returned from Monday's Columbus Day holiday to a week of heavy long-term debt auctions, they were also greeted with rekindled optimism about the Federal Reserve's policy rate trajectory. Ten-year U.S. Treasury yields are set to kick off Tuesday's U.S. trading day at some 4.65% - almost a quarter of a percentage point below the peak set just after Friday's blowout September jobs report. Elsewhere, PepsiCo (PEP.O) edged 0.8% higher ahead of the beverage maker's third-quarter results and Unity (U.N) jumped 6.4% after the video-game software maker said its CEO John Riccitiello would retire.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, Lorie Logan, Logan, Philip Jefferson chimed, John Riccitiello, Christopher Waller, Neel Kashkari, Mary Daly, Raphael Bostic, Ed Osmond Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Columbus, Federal, Dallas Fed, Treasury, Monetary Fund, IMF, World Bank, Fund, HK, Bloomberg, Alibaba, Baidu, PepsiCo, Reserve, San Francisco Fed, Atlanta Fed, PepsiCo NFIB Consumer, Reuters Messaging, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New York City, U.S, Israel, Marrakesh, China, Beijing, Minneapolis, San

☆ New exhibition shines a light on the forgotten Black voices of fashion
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Funmi Fetto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“The Missing Thread, Untold Stories of Black Fashion” is filled with photos like this, as the showcase dives deep into the history of Black British culture from the 1970s to the present day — specifically, how it has been a forgotten influence on the fashion industry. British Jamaican photographer Vanley Burke has spent over 50 years documenting Black British communities in Birmingham. London-born photographer Jennie Baptiste is another artist getting her dues in "The Missing Thread." At the center of the exhibition is the work of Black British designer Joe Casely-Hayford, who died in 2019. Casely-Hayford was nominated for Womenswear British Designer of the Year in 1989 and also Innovative Designer of the Year in 1991.

Persons: London CNN —, Neil Kenlock, ”, Andrew Ibi, Jason Jules, Harris Elliot —, Jules, Black creatives, Law Roach, Chioma Nnadi, Ibi, Elliot, Vanley Burke, “, Wayne Pinnock, Pinnock’s, Suzy Menkes, Pinnock, Jennie Baptiste, Pinky, Chinyere Eze, Brenda Cuffy, Charlie Allen, Joe Casely, Hayford, Kevin Davies, White, Bruce Oldfield, Queen, Ozwald Boateng, Savile, Bono, Charlie, Harris Organizations: London CNN, London’s Somerset House, Development Agency, CNN, Somerset House, Royal College of Art, New York Times, Moschino, Vogue, British Empire, Victoria & Abert Museum, FIT Locations: British, Birmingham, Handsworth Park, Somerset, Milan, London, Casely, New York City

☆ Caroline Marks: How surfer capitalized on a ‘special connection with the ocean’ to win her first surfing world title
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Marks celebrates winning the world title at Lower Trestles in California. Pat Nolan/World Surf League/Getty Images“I feel like I had a special connection with the ocean already that day, and my board felt amazing,” says Marks. But for Marks, winning the world title was the culmination of years of hard work, a goal that had formed in her mind even before she became the youngest surfer to qualify for the Championship Tour aged 15. But this year’s world title, Marks says, was even more satisfying after last season’s four-month absence from competitions. “The world title to me was my biggest goal ever,” says Marks, who won the Tahiti Pro event in August.

Persons: Caroline Marks, Marks, Carissa Moore, Tyler Wright –, ” Marks, idolize Moore, Moore, Pat Nolan, ”, “, Caitlin Simmers, Wright, Kelly Slater, Marks “, Ryan Pierse, –, I’ve, that’s, “ I’d, She’s, Mike Parsons, “ She’s, Marks hasn’t, there’s, Matt Dunbar, She’ll, gunning Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, women’s, SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro, Tokyo, Kyodo, Tokyo Games, Tahiti Locations: Trestles, Southern California, Florida, California, Melbourne Beach, Tahiti –

☆ Morning Bid: Messy market mood as oil irks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Model of Oil barrels are seen in front of rising stock graph in this illustration, July 24, 2022. The crude spur is more supply than demand related and most fingers point to the latest output cuts from Saudi Arabia and Russia. Headline inflation rates are already backing up as a result of the energy price rebound and U.S. gas pump prices rose last week to $3.88 per gallon - the highest since October 2022. Stock markets around the world were mixed to positive and U.S. futures were up a fraction ahead of Wall St's open. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Mike Dolan, Claudio Borio, Mehmet Simsek, Goldman Sachs, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Energy, Administration, Federal Reserve, Bank for International, U.S, Economic, American Chamber of Commerce, Stock, Kingfisher, . Federal Reserve, Treasury, Turkey's, Goldman, Reuters Graphics, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Treasuries, China, Shanghai, Europe, Canada, New York

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's trip to China last month had promised some economic and trade detente between the two superpowers now at loggerheads. And none of the 222 funds polled expected China economic growth to be any higher next year than this - mirroring a recent Reuters survey of domestic and overseas banks and investors. As these sorts of surveys go, there's an awful lot in there that could spell "peak gloom". Indeed, shorting China equities was deemed the second "most crowded trade" behind long exposure to supercharged Big Tech stocks. Even if the economy turns, political catalysts for a return to China may be slow in coming.

Persons: Aly, Gina Raimondo's, it's, Jamie Dimon, Jay Clayton, Jenny Johnson, Franklin Templeton, Willem Sels, Mike Dolan, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, . Commerce, Bank of, Big Tech, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, JPMorgan, Investments, The Ontario Teachers, Caisse, Franklin, HSBC Private Banking, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Shenzhen, China, loggerheads, Wall, Asia, Silicon Valley, Hong Kong, Temasek, Bridgewater, Blackrock, India, Indonesia, Washington, United States

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court Friday significantly whittled down a lower court's order curbing Biden administration communications with social media companies over controversial content about COVID-19 and other issues. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Friday said the White House, the Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and the FBI cannot “coerce” social media platforms to take down posts the government doesn’t like. Even the appeals court’s softened order doesn’t take effect immediately. The administration has 10 days to seek a Supreme Court review. The case was heard by judges Jennifer Walker Elrod and Edith Brown Clement, nominated to the court by former President George W. Bush; and Don Willett, nominated by former President Donald Trump.

Persons: evening's, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, Jeff Landry, “, Terry Doughty's, Friday's, Jennifer Walker Elrod, Edith Brown Clement, George W ., Don Willett, Donald Trump, Doughty Organizations: ORLEANS, —, Biden, U.S, Circuit, Centers for Disease Control, FBI, Facebook, District, National Institute of Allergy, Infrastructure Agency, State Department, Trump Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, Missouri, U.S

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Rising U.S. business bankruptcies may raise a red flag in what otherwise appears like an economy now impervious to rising interest rates. Commenting on the numbers, insolvency research organisation ABI blamed elevated interest rates, price inflation and a resumption of student loan payments as just some of the headwinds causing stress. That partly mirrors some of built-in household resilience to rising rates related to long-term fixed-rate borrowings and still-high cash savings that now earn significantly higher rates of interest now too. And that 10% - accounting for more than 60% of index market cap - had seen no rise in net interest payments so far in the Fed campaign. But creeping insolvencies among the smaller firms - many of whom have been dubbed 'zombies' for years due to their survival solely on low interest rates - may be a better reflection of what's starting to happen at the coalface of the economy.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Albert Edwards, Edwards, Andrew Lapthorne, Russell, NFIB, Mike Dolan, Josie Kao Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Yellow Corp, P Global Market Intelligence, Reuters, Societe Generale, Fed, National Federation of Independent Business, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, midyear

☆ Head of Japan's top pop agency resigns after admitting founder Johnny Kitagawa sexually abused minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The head of Japan’s top pop agency Johnny & Associates stepped down Thursday after admitting that her uncle, the company’s late founder, had sexually abused minors for years, following months of international scrutiny and an independent investigation. Julie K Fujishima, the niece of Johnny Kitagawa, announced her resignation in a news conference Thursday, saying the company would compensate the victims of her uncle’s abuse, according to public broadcaster NHK. It was the first time the agency has addressed the media about the scandal, according to NHK. He alleged that over the course of four years, beginning in 2012 when he was 15, he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Kitagawa. In 1999, a Japanese magazine published accounts of other young men and boys who claimed they were sexually abused by Kitagawa.

Persons: Julie K Fujishima, Johnny Kitagawa, Kitagawa, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Higashiyama, “, Jae, Mary Kitagawa, Fujishima, Kauan Okamoto Organizations: CNN, Johnny, NHK, BBC, Johnny & Associates, Associates Locations: Tokyo

☆ NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo spread his money across half a dozen bank accounts as a rookie because of the FDIC's $250,000 limit. Billionaire team owner Marc Lasry told him to invest instead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Silicon Valley Bank's implosion spotlighted the federal deposit insurance limit of $250,000. The cap led NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo to open multiple bank accounts to protect his fortune. Billionaire investor Marc Lasry told the player to invest in US Treasuries and other assets instead. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. When Giannis Antetokounmpo first learned of the limit, he opened half a dozen bank accounts to protect his fortune.

Persons: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Marc Lasry, Antetokounmpo, Giannis, Lasry, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Tom Brady, John Koudounis, Bill Ackman, Mark Cuban Organizations: NBA, Service, Bloomberg, Milwaukee Bucks, Bloomberg Wealth Summit, JPMorgan, Forbes, Deposit Insurance Corp, Signature Bank Locations: Wall, Silicon, Greece

☆ 'It seems inevitable': A $254 million hedge fund manager warns that banking and fiscal crises are coming as reckless government spending gets out of hand — but investors can avoid the pain by making t
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Investors should prepare for fiscal, banking, and energy crises, a hedge fund manager warned. And thanks to a strong performance in July, the $254 million hedge fund has risen 16.8% after fees in 2023. Oil prices came under pressure when government reserves were released, but Kupperman said that's not a viable long-term recipe for reasonable energy prices. He expects a massive spike in oil prices in either 2024 or 2025, which will greatly benefit companies tied to the commodity. The investing opportunity Kupperman said he's most excited about is uranium, which he's playing through the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust.

Persons: Capital's Harris Kupperman, he's, Harris Kupperman, Kupperman, —, He's, he'll, we've, Macrotrends Banks, it's, that's, Joe, JOE Organizations: Praetorian Capital Management, Praetorian, Fund, Treasury, Uranium Trust, Energy, Florida Panhandle Locations: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Ukraine, Florida

☆ The minds behind JPMorgan's AI-driven ETF share the high-yielding strategy that's helped it beat 94% of its human-powered peers this year — and the 7 investments they're making now
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ) is dominating the competition. Of course, Reiner and his colleagues, Eric Moreau and Andrew Stern, aren't complaining about their fund's 22.6% rise in 2023. It's hard to poke holes in JPMorgan's growth-focused income ETF. JPMorgan's income-focused ETF uses an AI model that gathers and sorts through a treasure trove of information, especially financial statements, to help find suitable investments. Other than putting a premium on income and using AI to find standout stocks, a pair of traits that make JPMorgan's income ETF sing are its transparency and its liquidity.

Persons: Hamilton Reiner, Reiner, Eric Moreau, Andrew Stern, aren't, what's, it'll, Morningstar, —, I'm, Moreau, Stern didn't, they've, Bonds, — it's, it's, Moreau spotlighted, he's Organizations: JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity, Nasdaq, JPMorgan, NXP Semiconductors, NextEra Energy, NextEra Locations: Netherlands, Florida

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