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☆ Bitcoin edges higher after dismal February for risk assets as investors assess rate outlook and new China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bitcoin and other risk assets rose after strong Chinese manufacturing activity data. The coin on Wednesday was gaining ground on notably strong manufacturing data out of China. China's National Bureau of Statistics said its manufacturing activity index rose to 52.46 in February, the highest reading since April 2012, according to Bloomberg. Chinese stocks bounced higher, with the Hang Seng Index soaring more than 4%. Copper was another risk-on asset gaining ground, up 1.2% at $4.14 per pound on prospects of higher Chinese demand for the metal used for construction projects.

☆ The 'profitless Nasdaq junk' stocks leading the recent rally pose the biggest risk to investors, says Josh Brown
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tech stocks are outperforming in the new year, but some of the names leading the market right now pose some of the biggest risks for investors, according to Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO Josh Brown. The comments from Brown come amid Tuesday's sharp market selloff, with the Nasdaq Composite last trading down about 2.3% on the day as concerns mounted that a Federal Reserve pivot may not come as soon as expected. The dropdown in technology stocks during Tuesday trading, Brown added, is likely an example of "machines chasing machines." "What's going on is profits are being taken because volatility has come back," Brown said. Many investors bought a slew of tech stocks believing that they looked cheap after the recent pullback in shares.

☆ K-pop stocks soar after agency behind BTS announced it would become its rival’s top shareholder
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

South Korean girl group aespa at the 2022 KBS Song Festival at Jamsil Arena on Dec. 16, 2022, in Seoul, South Korea. The K-pop agency behind BTS is set to become the largest shareholder of SM Entertainment — the legacy company known to have kickstarted the wave of popularity around Korean pop culture. That would make Hybe a top shareholder in SM Entertainment. Shares of SM Entertainment soared on Friday, rising more than 16% at the open in Seoul. Hybe rose 6% and JYP Entertainment rose 2.5%, while YG Entertainment gained 3.8%.

☆ A subsidy arms race is kicking off between Europe and America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

This premium is expected to shrink as clean energy technologies become more advanced and infrastructure to produce them is scaled up. Most of the money the IRA has earmarked for clean energy initiatives comes in the form of tax credits. In the meantime, government officials are lobbying the United States to rethink parts of the IRA. “Europe and other allied countries have nothing to fear from the Inflation Reduction Act and quite a bit to gain,” said Brian Deese, Biden’s top economic adviser. The fight over green subsidies also comes as geopolitical tensions are pushing countries to focus on greater localization of production — not just for green energy, but also for sensitive technologies like computer chips.

☆ I lied on my résumé and got the job that kickstarted my entire career. I don't regret it, but I wouldn't do it again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Fortesa Latifi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

She had no experience, so when a music video producer role came up, she faked her résumé. When I was 29, I got a job producing a music video for a country music star, based on a résumé I sent in that showed I was tailor-made for this job. I brought a proposed budget for the music video that I had almost completely copied from a budget I found online. Lying on my résumé worked out for me, but I wouldn't do it in 2023Even though my résumé was an exaggeration, I did a great job producing that music video. Having that credit to my name helped me get my next job, producing a pilot for VH1, which snowballed into other opportunities in my career.

☆ HR startup Deel striving to be more than a well-funded flash in the pan as it confirms $12 billion valuation and touts five-fold jump in annual revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

HR startup Deel, which lets employers hire remotely, has raised capital at a $12 billion valuation. The funding round more than doubles the company's previous $5.5 billion valuation. The founder of HR startup Deel has insisted the company is more than just a "well-funded flash in the pan" as he confirmed a long-mooted funding round that more than doubled its valuation to $12 billion. Deel also automates payroll, benefits, compliance, and other HR functions through an API to help companies scale remote teams. The company previously raised $425 million at a $5.5 billion valuation in a round led by Coatue in October 2021.

☆ Take a look behind the scenes of 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' including the giant tank where James Cameron filmed much of the movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Cameron used 3D cameras rather than converting the movie to 3D in post production. Cameron filming on the set. Disney/20th Century StudiosThe success of "Avatar" kickstarted a 3D boom in the early 2010s. But Cameron thinks it didn't last because movies were converted in post-production. "I think the studios blew it," Cameron told The New York Times.

☆ World Cup starts from now, Japan's Asano says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Irene Wang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Japan have already scripted one of the best stories of the World Cup with comeback victories over former champions Germany and Spain but Takuma Asano says they have not achieved anything yet. "Now I started feeling it's becoming a great World Cup. But we haven't achieved anything yet, so honestly speaking, I think everything starts from now." Of course, they have many good players, and they are a good team. Monday will be Japan's fourth last 16 clash at the World Cup finals but they have never yet been past the opening round of the knockout stage.

☆ 3 key takeaways on how Bob Iger's surprise return to Disney could shape its sports strategy, from 'deep cost-cutting at ESPN' to 'quick wins' in sports betting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Colin Salao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Analysts expect Iger to make major changes to ESPN's broadcasting strategy for live sports. Bob Iger has been reinstated as the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, replacing Bob Chapek after less than three years at the helm. Iger's return has boosted Disney's stock price by 6% in the past day with experts predicting major strategic changes within the company. The cost of these rights deals have also continued to shoot up amid the transition from linear TV to direct-to-consumer services. It actually strengthens the brand of ESPN when you have a betting component, and it has no impact on the Disney brand."

☆ 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry reveals 5 stocks he bought last quarter - after slashing his portfolio to a single holding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Burry expanded his US stock portfolio from a single holding to six last quarter. "The Big Short" investor placed bets on Qurate Retail, Charter Communications, and other companies. The value of Burry's portfolio jumped from about $3 million to over $41 million. Overall, Burry's US stock portfolio ballooned in size to $41.3 million, compared to only $3.3 million at the end of June. Read more: A Michael Burry expert breaks down what makes the 'Big Short' investor special.

☆ The Lehman Brothers of Crypto: Here's how the fall of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX compares to the collapse that sparked the Great Financial Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It gives maybe the clearest, most entertaining breakdown of how many, many very bad bets on subprime mortgages kickstarted the 2008 Financial Crisis. The most serious domino to fall 14 years ago was Lehman Brothers, the classic too-big-to-fail behemoth that did in fact go under. All this is a roundabout way of saying the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange, FTX, is severe and dramatic enough to warrant its own movie in a few years. Reminisce with me for a moment: In the years leading up to 2008, Lehman Bros loaded up its balance sheet with huge amounts of subprime mortgage debt. Lehman went under, and the world sunk into its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

☆ Animal shelters say they're 'beyond capacity' as more people give up their pets due to soaring inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rising inflation means people are having to give up pets they can't afford, animal shelters say. Animal shelters are facing higher costs and fewer donations — as well as more mouths to feed. Surging prices and widespread housing insecurity are putting pet owners in a tricky situation. The kitten adoption room at the Cat House on the Kings. Pet owners who are struggling financially could check if nearby offer support to help them keep their pets at home.

☆ 'Black Adam' wants to be a Marvel movie, but can't leave the Snyder era behind — and it highlights the mess that DC Studios' new bosses will have to sort out
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are a lot of Snyder-esque moments in "Black Adam," particularly when it comes to slo-mo action sequences and an overall somber tone. Johnson's Black Adam is a serious-faced anti-hero who isn't afraid to kill a lot of people. "Black Adam" is the perfect encapsulation of both the last nearly decade of DC movies and what the franchise wants to be in the future. For all of its troubles, the DC movie universe had at least seemed to be course correcting. The director, Jaume Collet-Serra, doesn't so much as put his personal touch on it as borrow familiar touches from past Snyder-directed DC movies.

☆ Breakingviews: BoE’s bond-buying U-turn is worth the risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Neil Unmack | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The fallout makes it even harder for Governor Andrew Bailey to convince markets he can tighten monetary policy. His decision on Wednesday to buy UK government debt and delay plans to sell down its 857 billion pound ($915 billion) bond portfolio carries big risks. Bailey’s goal is to cut holdings by 80 billion pounds over the next year. UBS analysts reckon issuance of gilts, after factoring in sales and redemptions from QT, will reach 355 billion pounds in the year ending March 2024. If Bailey can now tighten monetary policy without freaking out investors, his U-turn will have been worth the risk.

☆ Spanish residents are limiting heating and boiling kettles to shower as the country struggles with reduced Russian gas supply
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-09 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Spanish residents say they are changing their habits amid a national energy crisis. Residents say they are limiting their cooking and showering to cope with soaring energy bills. A 61-year-old journalist, Miguel, told Euronews that national energy prices and inflation had made things increasingly difficult for him. Energy prices were rising in Spain even before the war in Ukraine, but Russia limiting its gas supply to Europe has kickstarted a substantial cost of living increase for residents. In August alone, energy prices soared by 65.8%, according to organization's data.

☆ It's time to get rid of managers. All of them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-12 | by ( Molly Lipson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

What would happen if a company completely got rid of middle managers? In 2012, the publishing company Medium restructured its organization and moved away from centralized management power. The model gets rid of managers and spreads their responsibilities across different roles, giving average workers more of a voice. The reality is that psychological safety isn't intrinsically available to everyone, and holacracy doesn't have anything in it to ensure that safety." It's true that holacracy doesn't eliminate the power structures determined by characteristics such as race, gender, age, and sexuality.

☆ How viral memes did the Taliban's work of helping them rebrand
▼ + stars: | 2021-08-31 | by ( Chris Stokel-Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Since the Taliban took control of Kabul on Aug. 15, memes have helped soften the Taliban's image. Widely shared clips show Taliban fighters struggling to understand how gym equipment works and riding carousel horses. One image of Taliban fighters eating ice cream shared on Twitter by journalist Sami Yousafzai received 8.4 million impressions in a little over a week. Taliban fighters gather in the outskirts of Kabul to showcase and repair captured military equipment from defeated elite Afghan units on Aug. 16, 2021. Others are categorically not: a video purporting to be Taliban fighters celebrating by dancing to music was fact-checked as a fraud.

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