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☆ How High Will Savings Rates Go in 2023?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

By Steve GarmhausenInterest rates on savings accounts have been rising fast, and savers are likely to see more improvements in 2023. Where are interest rates headed in 2023? Will savings rates go up in 2023? Though they take their cues from the fed-funds rate, banks tend to take weeks or even months to hike their savings account rates. The Fed could cut rates sooner than expected, pulling savings rates down in the process.

☆ 33-year-old jewelry designer ditched Amazon and Walmart, now brings in $4.8 mil/year: Big companies 'make such stupid mistakes'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Zachary Green Megan Sauer | Zachary Green | In Zachary-Green-News | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Automic Gold's growing popularity is backed by an unconventional strategy: ditching those major platforms and selling only on its own website. Al Sandimirova officially founded Automic Gold, an size- and LGBTQ-inclusive jewelry company in 2016. In 2021, its first full year exclusively selling jewelry from its online storefront, it brought in $4.8 million. "Regular companies assume it's harder to target the LGBT community," Sandimirova says. Searching for outletsSandimirova named Automic Gold — spelled to include "AU," the chemical abbreviation for gold, and pronounced like "atomic" — with "autonomy," independence and freedom in mind.

☆ Explainer: Europe set to import banned Russian diesel without knowing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Rowena Edwards | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The European Union banned Russian crude imports from Dec. 5 and will ban Russian oil products from Feb. 5, as it attempts to deprive Russia of oil revenues. Blending Russian diesel elsewhere with a non-Russian equivalent would not change its origin, while refining Russian Urals crude into diesel elsewhere would. Russian diesel is likely to be delivered to and re-exported from countries such as India and Turkey, market sources said. Europe has already started to replace Russian diesel imports with refined product from the Middle East, but analysts also expect India to refine more Urals and increase diesel exports to Europe. Many of the larger oil companies, including BP (BP.L) and Shell have self-imposed sanctions on Russian oil and oil products.

But keeping Russian oil on the market and global prices low soon became the bigger priority as oil prices jumped, people familiar with the mechanism's evolution and energy analysts said. Analysts said the cap will have little immediate impact on the oil revenues that Moscow is currently earning. "I really think that the U.S. Treasury's main objective was to defuse the EU embargo," on Russia's oil exports, Cahill said. The official said the price cap is "institutionalizing" current market discounts, arguing that the price cap created them. The $60 price cap level was agreed on Friday after fierce debate.

☆ The 5 best leadership books I read this year — and what they taught me about running a company
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( David Siegel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For a roadmap for effective, kind leadership and smart decision-making, he shares 5 book recommendations. Publishing a leadership book gave me a newfound perspective on the genre. Here are the top five leadership books I read in 2022 and why I found each one particularly enriching. After reading The Promise of a Pencil, I learned how seemingly small acts can make a world of difference in communities. For anyone considering executive coaching or looking to find a coach, this book is a must-read.

☆ Tech wreckage catches up to Salesforce as cloud giant's valuation reaches parity to Microsoft's
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

This is the daily notebook of Mike Santoli, CNBC's senior markets commentator, with ideas about trends, stocks and market statistics. This pattern will break at some point, so a run to the old lows or beyond can't be assumed. Big Tech has done nothing to distinguish itself in the October-November rally in terms of regaining leadership. History says the big overheated leadership group of one bull market usually is sidelined even after the next one starts. It happened to Meta and Alphabet, now finally Salesforce is valued in parity with Microsoft after 17 years of extreme priciness.

☆ 10 best bean bag chairs for kids and teens in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Mili Godio | Mili Godio Is An Associate Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

SKIP AHEAD How to shop for a kids bean bag chairWherever they end up, different styles of bean bag chairs sport various fillings, covers and other features that can make choosing the right one for your kids slightly overwhelming. Best bean bag chairs for kids and teensTo recommend the following bean bag chairs for kids, we considered options that have removable and machine-washable covers and are filled with safe polystyrene, pellets or foam. Best outdoor-friendly bean bag chair: West ElmShaffer said choosing a bean bag chair with covers made from outdoor-friendly fabrics like Sunbrella can be extremely beneficial when looking for durability and multi-use. Top-rated multi-purpose bean bag chair: CordaRoyThis hybrid seat converts from a classic bean bag chair to a full-size mattress for sleepovers and guests. Children should also never play with bean bag chair fillings since they can pose a choking hazard — fortunately, many bean bag chairs come with safety locks that prevent children from unzipping them.

☆ The iconic Wednesday Addams dance gets a cultural twist from Asian TikTok creators
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

"Wednesday," a comedy horror show and the latest “Addams Family” spinoff, was released on the streaming service last week. It follows daughter Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, as she navigates Nevermore Academy, her psychic abilities and a murder mystery. The dance scene, which shows Wednesday ghoulishly grooving at Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave’N dance, has mesmerized thousands on the app. She was also dressed in all black with a Polynesian dancing belt called a hip hei and her hair in a braided crown. The Addams Family consists of mother and father Gomez and Morticia; children Pugsley and Wednesday; butler Lurch; and extended family members Uncle Fester and Grandmama.

☆ Russian oil selling at $79/barrel in Asia on Monday, well above price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Russia's ESPO oil blend from the Far Eastern port of Kozmino was selling for around $79 a barrel in Asian markets on Monday - almost a third higher than the price cap imposed on Russian oil by the G7 and European Union - according to Refinitiv data and estimates from industry sources. Russia exports up to 65 million tons of ESPO Blend oil per year via the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) pipeline, including up to 35 million tons through the port of Kozmino. Reporting by ReutersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Exports also benefited from the restart of a PDVSA-Chevron crude upgrader at their Petropiar joint venture in the Orinoco Belt. Nearby, one of Petrolera Sinovensa's two crude blending plants operated by PDVSA and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) also resumed work. Venezuelan PDVSA's crude processing facilities restarted operations after outages and a lack of diluents, leading to a sale increase in November. PDVSA also sent about 38,000 bpd of crude, fuel oil and gasoline blend stock to key political ally Cuba. Another Iran-flagged tanker in Venezuela, the Huge, is also expected to navigate back carrying fuel oil for NICO this month as part of an oil swap with PDVSA, according to the documents.

☆ Biden EPA Proposes to Bump Share of Renewable Fuels in Blended Gasoline
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Benoît Morenne | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued a draft proposal that would force oil refiners to use more biofuel to blend with their products. The proposal sets the volumes of renewable fuel that refiners are required to blend with transportation fuel under federal standards to 20.82 billion gallons in 2023 up from 20.63 billion gallons in 2022, an amount that would gradually rise to reach 22.68 billion gallons in 2025.

☆ Analysis: Russian oil revenues could weather EU ban, G7 price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Olesya Astakhova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Looking ahead to 2023, one of the main variables will be the ceiling G7 countries and the EU agree on importing Russian oil. Some of the biggest importers of Russian oil, including China and India, are not part of the initiative. The more Russian oil that is lost to world markets, the greater the likely impact on prices. "If the price cap is around $60 per barrel, Russia will continue to export its oil comfortably." Beyond the price cap and European import ban, Russia's oil sector may also be affected by COVID-19 restrictions in China, an increasingly important buyer of its crude.

☆ The 13 Best Winter Hats for Women, According to Style Insiders
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

By Leah Melby ClintonNecessary essential or fashion statement, a winter hat is a wardrobe must, period. Below, a breakdown of the four big winter hat trends this year, with the pros’ specific picks that combine warmth and sartorial elan. The perfect wool beanieAcne Studios Appliquéd Ribbed Wool Beanie $170 at Net-A-PorterA knit beanie is a wardrobe staple, and this 100% wool version from Acne was mentioned by multiple style pros. Retro-modern bucket hatA ’90s throwback moment enveloped the fashion industry this year, with the return of the bucket hat. Chic cashmere beanieThis warm all-cashmere style was a constant in Sanford’s wardrobe when she lived in the Northeast.

The EPA is expected to announce multiple years of renewable fuel obligations, Reuters has previously reported. The agency is also expected to include in the announcement a request for comment for provisions regarding electricity use under the law, the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the sources said. Under the RFS, oil refiners are required to blend billions of gallons of biofuels into the nation's fuel mix, or buy tradeable credits from those that do. Reuters previously reported that the EPA is expected to propose that electric vehicles be eligible for renewable fuel credits, according to sources. Earlier this year, the EPA set biofuel blending mandates for 2022 at 20.63 billion gallons and retroactive volume mandates for 2021 at 18.84 billion gallons and for 2020 at 17.13 billion gallons.

But satellite images and photos show the Chinese-owned ship had loaded the oil four months earlier in Venezuela, an OPEC nation in South America under U.S. oil sanctions. Two of those tankers, including the Young Yong, were designated this month by U.S. authorities for violating sanctions on Iran, one of Venezuela's closest allies. The U.S. Treasury declined to comment on the involvement of the Young Yong or the other vessels identified by Reuters in shipping Venezuela crude. Indonesian authorities said in early November that the Young Yong had run aground off the Riau Islands on Oct. 26. The United States imposed oil trading sanctions on Venezuela in 2019 after calling Maduro's re-election the previous year a sham.

☆ Blended travel lets people switch from work to leisure with ease. Here's how hospitality and travel companies are accommodating this experience.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Crowne Plaza Hotels | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For business travelers, this means combining work with leisure or blended travel. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts reimagined its hotel spaces, amenities, and service culture to help travelers flex between work and leisure. "Many other hospitality brands put the blend into bleisure, but at Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, we know the future is about flexibility." Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts"It's vital to provide these transitional moments for the new breed of connected traveler," Taggart said. Book your blended travel experience at Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

☆ Exclusive: EU embargo diverts Lukoil's Caspian oil to CPC link
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A European Union embargo from Dec. 5 is set to ban European buyers from purchasing and transporting Russian oil. As a major route for Kazakhstan's oil, CPC oil exports are excluded from the ban. "Russian oil is leaving BTC, the reason is sanctions, BTC doesn't let Russian oil in," - one of the sources said. CPC Blend exported via the CPC pipeline currently trades at a significant discount to Azeri BTC oil, which is supplied via BTC. The main exporters of the Azeri BTC oil are Azerbaijan's SOCAR and BP, as well as Hungarian company MOL, Exxon (XOM.N) and Turkey's TPAO.

The governors' proposal raised oil industry concerns about fuel regulations differing from state to state. "We have good support," Fischer told Reuters. The legislation also has the support of Senator Kevin Cramer from North Dakota, a co-sponsor of the bill. Cramer's support is significant, as North Dakota is one of the top oil-producing states, Fischer said. Organizations including the API, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the National Farmers Union wrote to congressional leaders this month to urge them to adopt legislation to expand nationwide E15 sales.

Best Cyber Monday 2022 kitchen and home dealsBelow, we’re sharing the best Cyber Monday kitchen and home deals based on our previous coverage and reporting. 4.3-star average rating from 4,663 reviews on AmazonThis automatic espresso machine from Philips can make five different coffee types — including cappuccinos, Americanos and lattes. 4.8-star average rating from 8,733 reviews at AmazonNinja calls the Food Power Blender and Processor its most powerful blender system. Best Cyber Monday home dealsLowest price ever4.7-star average rating from 1,443 Brooklinen reviewsThese super-soft, mid-weight hand towels are made of 100% Turkish cotton and are Brooklinen’s bestselling towel weave, says the company. Best Cyber Monday 2022 kitchen and home salesHere are the best Cyber Monday home and kitchen sales we think you’ll want to know about.

Cyber Monday is here, and on top of finding great deals on tech products and kitchen appliances, you can also find steep discounts on more specific items like weighted blankets. Great Price Gravity Blanket (25 lb, Single) The Gravity Blanket uses deep touch pressure stimulation to help you relax and sleep better. $209.00 from Gravity Originally $300.00 Save 30%Gravity Cooling Blanket (15 lb, Single) Gravity Blanket introduced a cooling weighted blanket, which features a cooling duvet cover made from a polyester/spandex blend. In our guide to the best weighted blankets, we named Gravity's 35-pound version the best extra-heavy weight blanket. In addition to deals on Gravity blankets, we've also seen low prices from other brands we've tested.

☆ 50+ best Cyber Monday 2022 deals for beauty and wellness
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Gabriella Depinho | Gabriella Depinho Is A Production Coordinator For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

SKIP AHEAD Cyber Monday beauty and wellness deals | Cyber Monday beauty and wellness salesTo help you make the most of the shopping holiday, we compiled some of the best Cyber Monday deals and sales on beauty and wellness products that we think you’ll want to know about. Best early Cyber Monday 2022 beauty and wellness dealsBelow, we’re sharing the best Cyber Monday beauty and wellness deals based on our previous coverage and reporting. 4.9-star average rating from 16 reviews at Best Buy. Best early Cyber Monday 2022 beauty and wellness salesHere are the best Cyber Monday beauty and wellness sales that we think you’ll want to know about. Remember that sales include multiple deals, and not every product listed in a sale is going to be the best deal around.

☆ 40+ best Walmart Cyber Monday 2022 deals from Ninja, Sony and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Mili Godio | Mili Godio Is An Associate Reporter For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

SKIP AHEAD Best Walmart Cyber Monday sales |What to expect during Walmart’s Deals for Days 2022 | Walmart Black Friday and Cyber Monday price matching | What is Walmart+? To help you make the most of Walmart’s Deals for Days this year, we will continuously compile standout deals to consider based on Select reader interest and our previous coverage. Best Walmart Cyber Monday deals to shop nowBased on our previous coverage and Select reader interest, we rounded up some of the best deals from Walmart’s Cyber Monday sale. Best Walmart Cyber Monday sales to shop nowHere are some of the best sales to shop for during Walmart’s Cyber Monday sale that we think you’ll want to know about. What to expect during Walmart’s Deals for Days 2022Walmart’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings event — known as Deals for Days — hosts deals through most of November.

☆ Another tech bubble bursts: 2022 has been brutal for Silicon Valley workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +28 min

Gem: 100A maker of recruiting software, the startup cut a third of its workforce Nov. 1, The Information reported. HealthCare.com: 149The health insurance marketplace announced the job cuts Aug. 3, Miami Inno reported, citing state regulatory filings. Fabric: 120The robotics startup said July 13 that it was layoffing off 40% of them, TechCrunch reported, citing company confirmation. It affected about 300 people, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported, citing company confirmation. Policygenius: 170The online insurance company cut about 25% of its staff, Axios reported June 6, citing company confirmation.

☆ The 11 Best Flannel Shirts for Men, According to Style Experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

By Rachel MoselyWhether your current climate is mild wintry bliss or more like cold-weather chaos, the flannel shirt can be a wardrobe hero this season. To find out, we asked fashion pros for their flannel favorites, from bold plaid and buffalo-check versions to subtler monochromatic pieces. Formal(ish) pickFor an elevated spin on flannel, consider this wool-cashmere option from Ralph Lauren, suggests New York City-based stylist Andrew Franco. Patchwork printA mix of multihued, cotton flannel panels gives this shirt an eye-catching effect. Pair the flannel with chinos, corduroys, denim or even sweatpants to “go all in on the skater look,” Tsui adds.

☆ 30+ best Walmart Black Friday deals: Apple Watch, Samsung TV, Chromebook and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Mili Godio | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

SKIP AHEAD Best Walmart Black Friday sales | What to expect during Walmart’s Deals for Days 2022 | Walmart Black Friday price matching | What is Walmart+? To help you make the most of Walmart’s Deals for Days event this year, we will continuously compile standout deals to consider based on Select reader interest and our previous coverage. Best Walmart Black Friday deals to shop nowBased on our previous coverage and Select reader interest, we rounded up some of the best deals from Walmart’s Black Friday sale. Best Walmart Black Friday sales to shop nowHere are some of the best sales to shop for during Walmart’s Black Friday sale that we think you’ll want to know about. What to expect during Walmart’s Deals for Days 2022As with the past two years, Walmart’s Black Friday savings event — known as Deals for Days — hosts deals throughout the majority of November.

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