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☆ 'Swiftie' moms are passing down their passion — and parasocial relationship with Taylor Swift — to their kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"People pull their kids from school for way stupider reasons than to go to a Taylor Swift concert," Vladek says to CNBC Make It. "That's the part Taylor Swift has done so brilliantly," she says. Taylor Swift doesn't." "When I was pregnant, I would hold my phone to my belly and play Taylor Swift," she says. "Honestly, I'd be crushed [if my daughter didn't like Taylor Swift].

Persons: Karen Vladek didn't, Taylor Swift, Taylor, Vladek, Maddie …, Swift, Tim McGraw, Michael Jackson, isn't, Kate Kurtin, Kurtin, Katy Perry, Russell Brand, Katy Perry's, —, Sally A, Theran, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Sawyer, Sawyer, Jessica Dinney, Swift's, Dinney, wouldn't, didn't, Harry Potter, I've Organizations: CNBC, California State University , Los, Wellesley College, Disney, Twitter Locations: Houston, Austin , Texas, California State University , Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Jacksonville , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Tampa

☆ Connor McDavid wins third Hart Trophy for NHL’s MVP after near unanimous vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Connor McDavid won his third Hart Trophy – awarded to the NHL’s most valuable player – on Monday after a near unanimous vote. McDavid enjoyed a stellar season for the Oilers, leading the league in goals, assists and points. Although the 26-year-old has yet to taste Stanley Cup success, the importance of his personal accolades is hugely significant to Hart. “Certainly, it’s not lost on me what these trophies mean in the grand scheme of our game,” McDavid said. The accolade is presented “to the most outstanding player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players’ Association.

Persons: CNN — Connor McDavid, –, David Pastrňák, McDavid, Hart, “, it’s, ” McDavid, I’m, Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Clarke, Bobby Orr, Alex Ovechkin, Gretzky, Ben Stelter, Stelter, Ted Lindsay, Jason Kempin, Ben, ”, Maurice Richard Trophy –, ” – Organizations: CNN, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Oilers, Edmonton, NHL, NHL Players ’ Association, Art Locations: glioblastoma

☆ How Putin defenders among the US right reacted to the Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Several figures from the US right weighed in on the Wagner Group mutiny in Russia. Many of the MAGA wing of the party have long been defenders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some said Yevgeny Prigozhin would be a worse leader than Putin, and vaguely blamed the US for the events. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Several figures from the US right weighed in on the events – many of whom have previously expressed admiration for the Russian president.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, —, Wagner, Joe Biden, Tucker Carlson, MAGA Organizations: Wagner, Service, Wagner Group, Former Fox News Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Gen Z is forcing fast-food restaurants to change their menus. They're now offering more spicy food and chicken to lure in younger diners.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen Z diners crave spicy food and chicken more than other generations. Restaurant execs say that younger diners crave spicy food and chicken. "Spice levels generally heat up with younger generations," Fabiola Del Rio, VP of integrated marketing communications at Panda Express, told Insider. And where they can, Gen Zers like to get their chicken spicy, too. Or a restaurant exec who's noticed interesting dining patterns among your Gen Z customers?

☆ It’s Coronation Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Melissa Kirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But as with a sports playoff game or Hollywood awards ceremony, the coronation of Charles III has made me into an instant, if temporary, royals superfan. In a recent poll of 3,070 adults in Britain, 64 percent of respondents said they had little to no interest in today’s coronation. The ceremony has been modified to be more inclusive, but still “the hoary rituals of the coronation are a reminder of how — in a secular, multiethnic, digital-age society — the crown is fundamentally an anachronism,” wrote The Times’s London bureau chief, Mark Landler. An over-the-top coronation for a new king does make for an incongruous viewing experience while Commonwealth nations call for Britain to redress its colonialist legacy and the country reckons with a cost-of-living crisis. It’s possible to be fascinated by the pageantry while remaining skeptical of it, to gawk at the fairy-tale elements of the coronation while still questioning the system that supports them.

☆ Chipotle says it has seen some of its best digital sales after launching its TikTok-inspired Fajita Quesadilla
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chipotle added the Fajita Quesadilla to its menu last month, inspired by a viral TikTok menu hack. During the launch, quesadilla sales nearly doubled and Chipotle had two of its best-ever digital sales days. It is inspired by a menu "hack" of adding fajita veggies to its steak quesadilla that went viral on TikTok in 2022. Adding fajita veggies – pepper and onion – to a quesadilla was not previously an option at Chipotle. "During the launch, we nearly doubled our Quesadilla business and had two of our top digital sales days of all time."

☆ A couple moved 700 miles to Florida so they can visit Disney World 3 times a week and say it helped save their marriage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A married couple moved from Tennessee to Florida to live closer to Disney World. Holly and Cody Cole now visit the resort about three times a week with their two-year-old. The couple, both 29, left Nashville, Tennessee and moved more than 700 miles to Auburndale, Florida in December. "We just wanted to leave Tennessee, but this is always where I wanted to end up," Holly Cole told Insider. "We've been here almost four months now and get to visit Disney around three times a week and we absolutely love it."

☆ ‘Swarm’ Review: Donald Glover Creates a Murderous Megafan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Created by “Atlanta” alums Donald Glover and Janine Nabers , “Swarm” is the kind of show dubbed “risky” and in which most of the risks are misfires. There are reasons why homicidal maniacs aren’t made the protagonists of seven-episode series, chief among them the fact that there’s no emotional tension in madness: The mentally imbalanced killer, like the thinly veiled Beyoncé superfan who dominates virtually every moment of “Swarm,” acts on impulses that are not just foreign to the average viewer but impenetrable. We watch, we cringe, we can’t relate, and in the end it is not just meaningless but a bloody bore.

☆ The Twitter leaders Elon Musk put in place keep quitting or getting fired. See who's left and who's recently been hired, including engineers from Google's DeepMind and a Tesla superfan.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

About half of the 20 people who reported to Elon Musk after his takeover have left Twitter. Musk has hired some new people, including engineers who may be working on an AI project. Elon Musk's Twitter is ruled by chaos. None have been directly replaced, the people familiar said, although Musk has also hired some new people from outside his companies. Below is a complete list of who Musk set as his direct reports, including those who have already left the company.

☆ Dogs Win the Super Bowl Ad Lineup, Surveys Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The winner of USA Today’s annual Super Bowl Ad Meter was a commercial for dog-food delivery company Farmer’s Dog Inc. that tracked one chocolate Lab’s relationship with its owner from puppyhood to old age. The USA Today rankings had some overlap with other results. Research by Ace Metrix, a unit of TV ad measurement firm iSpot.tv Inc., crowned Jeep’s Super Bowl commercial as the most likable of the night. Jeep had the game’s most likable ad, according to Ace Metrix. “In past years, we’ve seen the majority of Super Bowl conversation generated in the weeks leading up to the Big Game,” a Mars spokeswoman said.

☆ Tabasco teams with a TikTok star to surprise hot sauce fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“TikTok made us do it,” according to Lee Susen, Tabasco Brand’s chief sales and marketing officer. Tinx, he said, is on a “mission to normalize hot sauce as dressing.”A superfan of the brand, Tinx has been posting her adoration for the hot sauce on her TikTok for the past few years. “There’s a tendency to think about hot sauce as only an agent of heat,” he said. He added that since hot sauce uses are limited compared to other condiments, Tabasco Brand has to innovate to keep growing. “They will hope that their hot sauce dressing provides a new avenue and converts some new customers to the brand.

☆ How 'Real Housewife' Jen Shah's fabulous life came crashing down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Stephanie Clifford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +43 min

The woman wrote to the judge overseeing Shah's case that she'd had to remortgage her house, almost divorced, and "thought about ending my own life." The couple decided that he should get his degree while Jen Shah dropped out of college to work. (Shah told a judge at her 2022 plea hearing that she had been treated for "alcohol and depression" two years prior. Koa Johnson, Jen Shah's former fashion designerWhen Sharrieff Shah did participate in filming, he quickly became a fan favorite, calm and sensible. Once the show aired and Jen Shah developed a fan base, her behavior became more dramatic, Johnson said.

☆ Aldi is the US's fastest-growing grocery chain and more middle-income households are shopping there. Here are the no-frills tactics that help make it so cheap.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

More middle-income households are shopping there, lured by low prices and Aldi's "treasure hunt" approach. Smaller properties are cheaper to buy and maintain, and Aldi has said that its store layout enables "quick and easy shopping." Monford added that consumers "don't mind" that products aren't taken out of their boxes because they're shopping at Aldi for value. Campbell said the Aldi stores near her generally had just four or five aisles. Vadakkepatt said Aldi's stores have fewer employees and shorter hours than at other chains.

☆ BTS fandom tech firm Weverse reaches beyond K-Pop
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We are a fandom business," Weverse President Joon Choi told Reuters. The app also currently has more than 80 teams of artists represented including BTS, and about 8-9 million monthly active users. However, Weverse users' 'superfan' qualities make engagement in those services turbo-charged, Choi said. Users are based in more than 200 countries and only about 10% of the app users speak Korean, Choi said. Top 5 countries Weverse users are from include Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, the United States and South Korea.

☆ Lawsuit accusing former 'SNL' star Horatio Sanz of grooming, assaulting teen is dismissed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A lawsuit accusing former “Saturday Night Live” star Horatio Sanz of grooming a teenage girl and sexually assaulting her two decades ago her was dismissed, according to a court filing. Lawyers for Sanz and NBCUniversal, the other defendants listed in the filing, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday night. Sanz, who appeared on “Saturday Night Live” between 1998 and 2006, was 31. In a court filing in April, Sanz acknowledged knowing the teen but denied the allegations. After the suit was filed, a lawyer for Sanz, Andrew Brettler, called the claims "totally meritless" in an August 2021 statement.

☆ The small but mighty love for ‘Willow’ that led to a shiny new series
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It’s a refreshing turn against recent trends that a cult classic without the sizable built-in fanbase of, say, a “Star Wars” or Marvel property would receive the fancy reboot treatment. “You could be walking around a convention floor, and in a sea of Harley Quinns, you’ll spot a Willow,” Delaney observed. High hopesThe arrival of the new 8-episode series comes with high hopes from the small but mighty fanbase. Bob Dolman, who wrote the screenplay for the original film, also acted as supervising producer on the first episode. Kilmer’s ex-wife Joanne Whalley, who he met on the original film, will be back in the series as warrior Sorsha.

☆ Where can you buy Taylor Swift tour tickets? Not Ticketmaster
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( James Skoufis | James Skoufis Is A Democratic New York State Senator Representing The Hudson Valley. In | He Undertook A Legislative Investigation Into Predatory Ticketing Practices | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Ticketmaster is, yet again, pointing blame at literally everyone but itself after the latest debacle involving tickets for Taylor Swift’s 2023 “Eras” concert tour. Federal anti-trust regulators never should’ve allowed the company’s 2010 merger with Live Nation — and should course-correct by breaking up Ticketmaster. It’s likely that at each of Taylor Swift’s 52 upcoming concerts, thousands of tickets will be “held back” and never released to the general public. Even if you do secure a ticket, fees are out of control. “I should not be left to my own devices,” sings Taylor Swift.

☆ Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson brings young fan with heart condition to tears with kind gesture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In a post on Facebook from Landon’s dad Jason, Jackson spent some time with the youngster as the pair threw a ball together. The NFL fan was wearing a Ravens jersey with Jackson’s name inscribed on the back, which the quarterback duly signed. “It all started over a year ago when Landon said dad you know my favorite team is the Baltimore Ravens,” Jason wrote on Facebook. He said: ‘because Lamar Jackson is a beast.’“All he ever talked about is how much he would love to meet him. So I started thinking how can I make this happen?”Huge shout out to the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jacksonfor making Landon’s dream come true today.

CNN —“Mattress Mack” had reason to celebrate the Houston Astros’ World Series win on Saturday – and not just because he’s an Astros superfan. Houston furniture store owner Jim McIngvale, known as “Mattress Mack,” made a series of bets amounting to $10 million on the Astros to win the World Series. The Houston Astros celebrate their World Series win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, November 5. Peña was awarded the World Series MVP for his stellar play during the series. He is just the second rookie to be named LCS and World Series MVP in the same postseason.

☆ ‘Mattress Mack’: Houston Astros superfan has wagered $10 million to win $75 million if team wins World Series
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

If the Astros do regain their MLB crown – the team’s first title came in 2017 – McIngvale will win an eye-watering $75 million, which has been widely reported would be largest payout in sports betting history. Mack watches batting practice prior to Game 5 of the 2021 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. In an interview with CNN last year, McIngvale said he had bet $3.35 million back in June 2021 that the Astros would win last year’s World Series. “And I say, thanks to the Houston Astros for bringing Houston together. “It’s their birthday, it’s their anniversary but they’re there cheering on the Houston Astros.

☆ Aldi is the US's fastest-growing grocery chain and more households earning $50-100K are shopping there. Here are the no-frills tactics that help make it so cheap.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Aldi is the US's fastest-growing grocer for the third year running, the real-estate firm JLL said. Aldi almost always has the lowest prices for core products like bread, milk, and eggs, Monford said. Monford added that consumers "don't mind" that products aren't taken out of their boxes because they're shopping at Aldi for value. Campbell said the Aldi stores near her generally had just four or five aisles. Vadakkepatt said Aldi's stores have fewer employees and shorter hours than at other chains.

☆ An Elon Musk superfan made the Forbes 400 list after snapping up Tesla stock during the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An Elon Musk superfan joined the Forbes 400 list for the first time this year. Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyAn Elon Musk superfan just joined the Forbes 400 list after going all in on Tesla stock. What makes KoGuan's wealth so unusual is how he amassed it: by snapping up Tesla stock during the early days of the pandemic. In late 2020, KoGuan reportedly paid about $46 million for a Singapore penthouse owned by vacuum-cleaner tycoon James Dyson. At the start of 2020, Tesla's stock was trading at about $30 a share.

☆ Seth Moulton bankrolls ring maker, Mark Green goes crypto, Mark Warner sells a 7-figure window-and-door investment
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-19 | by ( Dave Levinthal | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton has made a major investment in a Finnish wearable tech firm. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, sold a major investment in a high-end window company. Elon Musk would be proudRep. Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, purchased between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of cryptocurrency Dogecoin — the same day virtual currency platform Coinbase went public. According to Barron's, he paid $1.95 million to acquire 15,000 shares for $130 each, and paid $1.4 million for 10,000 shares for $140 each. He also bought between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of stock in Amazon.

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