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☆ Several big-name GOP lawmakers won't go to CPAC this year amid chairman Matt Schlapp's sexual assault scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

CPAC is typically a major opportunity for GOP politicians to boost their profile and give red-meat speeches. But many aren't going this year as chairman Matt Schlapp faces a $9.4 million sexual assault lawsuit. Nikki Haley, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida — are still scheduled to speak later this week. Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, also not attending, visibly cringed when asked about CPAC.

☆ A year later, the Fed still has a long way to go in the fight against inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The rate hikes appeared to have quelled some of the inflation surge that inspired the policy tightening. Indeed, Fed officials for months stuck to the narrative that inflation was "transitory" and would abate on its own. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell recently insisted that he and his colleagues are taking "forceful steps" now to bring down inflation. The index most recently showed an annual inflation rate of 6.4%, down from a peak around 9% in the summer of 2022. Citigroup economist Andrew Hollenhorst thinks the Fed could tame key inflation metrics to around 4% by the end of this year.

☆ Goldman Sachs shares 4 charts that explain the state of the housing market right now — and show why 4 cities could soon see the biggest price declines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Housing supply on a national basis will remain tight, Goldman Sachs strategists say. Part of that call — which is less bearish than forecasts from firms like KPMG, Interactive Brokers, and Pantheon Macroeconomics — is due to Goldman's outlook for housing supply levels. In certain areas of the country, supply levels are rising faster than in others. In four cities in particular, supply levels are above pre-pandemic levels, the bank said, which will result in greater price declines than the national average. Goldman SachsSupply developments in the multi-family housing market could also signal trouble for prices down the line, the strategists said.

☆ I quit an emotionally-draining job and started a dog-walking business. I love being my own boss and finishing work at 4.30 p.m.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Lola Christina Alao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kelsey Clark became a professional dog walker after she quit a job at a veterinary clinic. When she came back, she needed a dog walker and asked whether I was available. If they get to a time when they're looking for a dog walker, they think of me. When people ask me what I do, they think it's a joke or that dog walking isn't a career you can make good money from. I love dog walking, but I've had some negative experiencesWhile I enjoy walking dogs, I've been in upscale areas and had people yell at me because they think a dog I'm walking is too excited.

New data shows light pollution has made the night sky today twice as bright as it was eight years ago. That would mean 60% of the stars we see today will be gone by 2041 if light pollution keeps growing. For decades, astronomers have been building telescopes in the darkest places on Earth to avoid light pollution. However, satellites miss the blue light of LEDs, which are commonly used for outdoor lighting – resulting in an underestimate of light pollution. Note: If a night sky containing 250 stars today has only 100 stars in 18 years, that equates to a loss of 60% of the stars in the night sky by the year 2041.

☆ Amyloid Gains Converts in Debate Over Alzheimer’s Treatments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Joseph Walker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The success of Eisai Co.’s new Alzheimer’s drug has helped quiet a decadeslong dispute over a leading theory of what causes the disease and how to treat it, with proponents declaring victory and some former skeptics switching sides. Since the early 1990s, many scientists have thought that removing clumps of a sticky protein called amyloid from the brains of Alzheimer’s patients could help slow the disease, if not stall or reverse it. The theory was an outgrowth of the “amyloid hypothesis,” which held that an abnormal accumulation of brain amyloid was the central trigger in a complex neurodegenerative process leading to Alzheimer’s.

☆ Janet Yellen Visits Ukraine to Discuss Economic Support
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Marcus Walker | Andrew Duehren | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Kyiv on Monday, the latest high-profile trip aimed at sending a message of American commitment to supporting the country’s defense against Russia’s invasion, including with financial aid. Ms. Yellen’s presence in Kyiv, a rare trip to a war zone by a U.S. Treasury secretary, came a week after President Biden ’s surprise visit a week ago, and three days after Ukrainians commemorated the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale assault on their country.

☆ Woody Harrelson Can Play Anyone. It’s Being Himself That’s Hard.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

“I’m an A personality and a B facade,” says Woody Harrelson, and that’s as good an explanation for his charm and success as you’re likely to find. I don’t know. I could go hang off one of those big mountaintop-remover coal things, but that’s not going to stop it. I meet with the director, and I’m going to do it — they’re making it for like $500,000 — then the guy just goes with someone else! I have a gluttonous side, and I know that’s not going to help me be a spiritually better person.

PayPal CEO Dan Schulman scooped up more than 26,000 shares of his company's stock last week, at a cost of nearly $2 million, according to VerityData and securities filings. Prior to that, Schulman had been a consistent seller of PayPal stock, according to VerityData. PayPal : $1.99 million buy from CEO Dan Schulman on Feb. 17. ConocoPhillips : $0.63 million buy from director Al Walker on Feb. 17 Wintrust Financial : $0.61 million buy from director Brian Kenney on Feb. 16 Devon Energy : $0.53 million buy from CEO Richard Muncrief on Feb. 17. Markel : $0.53 million buy from director Greta Harris on Feb. 17.

☆ Audi CEO: IRA subsidies make prospect of building U.S. plant "highly attractive"
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chief Executive Markus Duesmann said that a decision had not yet been made but that the IRA made it far more attractive to build electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States. Asked whether Audi would build a plant itself or do so together with other Volkswagen brands, Duesmann said: "Both are possible. But a growing number of firms are now announcing heightened investment in the United States over Europe in light of the IRA, worrying European officials. Volkswagen is also upgrading its Mexican plants in Puebla and Silao to starting building EVs, motors and related components by mid-decade. Volkswagen is due to lay out in March how it will rejig its production network worldwide to scale up EV production.

☆ NHL roundup: Flames rally with five unanswered goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Feb 22, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund (11) shoots the puck as Arizona Coyotes left wing Matias Maccelli (63) defends in the third period at Mullett Arena. Blackhawks 4, Stars 3Patrick Kane and Max Domi each had two goals and an assist as visiting Chicago rallied from a three-goal, second-period deficit to beat Dallas. Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist and Jason Robertson and Tyler Seguin also scored goals for the Blackhawks, who lost their fifth straight game (0-3-2). Nikolaj Ehlers scored in the second for the Jets, who missed a chance to move past the idle Dallas Stars into first place in the Central Division. Hellebuyck recorded 20 saves for Winnipeg, which went 1-3-0 on a four-game Eastern Conference road trip.

☆ Ex-Bon Appétit editor Marissa Ross says the wine world ruined her. Now she's back and ready to give it hell.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

Her rise was tied to a period of reinvention for the wine world during which natural wine conquered millennial taste buds and became ubiquitous on menus across the US. Marissa Ross, Bon Appétit's wine editor from 2016 to 2020, often posted pictures of herself chugging straight from the bottle — a technique she called "The Ross test." "Natural wine," a nebulous term that generally refers to wine made with minimal intervention and without additives like sulfites, was tentatively entering the American wine world. Many in the wine world took the idea that you didn't have to be educated to know about wine as a personal insult. When she first told BA that she planned to cover only natural wines, Ross said, Rapoport called to try to change her mind.

☆ Top 25 roundup: No. 25 Texas A&M hangs on vs. No. 11 Tennessee
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The Volunteers pulled within 64-63 when Zakai Zeigler (14 points) made a layup with 25 seconds to play. 9 Baylor 65Keyontae Johnson scored 25 points to lead the Wildcats past the Bears in Manhattan, Kan., for their second victory in a row. LJ Cryer scored 16 points and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Bears, who have lost two in a row after winning 10 of their previous 11 games. Creighton's Baylor Scheierman recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds and Ryan Nembhard had 16 points. Jalen Hood-Schifino had 16 points for the Hoosiers, who had won nine of their previous 11 games.

☆ Lithium Industry Looks to Australia for Refining, Not Just Mining
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese companies refine it into lithium sulfate and then process it into the lithium hydroxide used to make cathodes for batteries. China plays an outsize role in battery production, accounting for 44% of all lithium refining globally and 70% of battery cell production, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Some companies also are building European facilities for the next stage of the process: refining lithium sulfate into lithium hydroxide. Lithium mining projects in Germany and Portugal have emerged, although the permitting process can be complex, particularly if there is local opposition. In the meantime, new processing facilities can be built in three to five years, creating more opportunities for lithium mining companies.

Police officers involved in the deaths have become an intense focus of investigation, protest, and media coverage. Despite being at the heart of some of the most defining incidents in modern policing, most of the officers involved continue to live their lives under the radar. Insider's review of 72 cops involved in two dozen of the most notorious police killings of the past 30 years shows the many different paths officers have taken. There's no nationwide view into what happens to officers involved in egregious incidents of violence. In rare cases, cops involved in these killings have tried to publicly rehabilitate their image rather than seek out anonymity.

☆ Russia’s War in Ukraine Revives the West—for Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Stephen Fidler | Marcus Walker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

One unexpected outcome of Russia’s war in Ukraine has been the resurgence of the West as a strong security alliance. For how long is still in doubt. The skepticism common in Western capitals in recent years about the unity of the trans-Atlantic alliance may have encouraged Moscow’s decision to challenge Europe’s post-Cold War order. If so, that Russian calculation backfired. The invasion of Ukraine rapidly welded the U.S. and its European allies back together, with Washington resuming its old leadership role in the continent.

☆ Former Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker says Trump has 'earned the right' to be in the 2024 Republican presidential primary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scott Walker said Ron DeSantis was in a "good position" to make the case for a 2024 White House run. In an interview with NBC News, Walker also said Trump had "earned the right" to compete this year. Walker said Republicans needed to remain connected to voters "energized" by Trump in 2016 and 2020. Walker jumped into the GOP race in July 2015, but left the race that September, before any of the primaries or caucuses had even been held. In numerous national polls, Trump maintains leads among Republicans, but DeSantis in recent months has edged out the former president in polling in several key states among GOP voters.

☆ 9 things to know before you get leg-lengthening surgery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Natalie Rahhal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

During limb-lengthening surgery, which can cost anywhere from $75,000 to $90,000, he breaks the leg bones and inserts a metal rod, or nail. The recovery process is long and involvedRecovery from limb-lengthening surgery can be painful and there's a lot of physical therapy involved. "After surgery, patients really have to concentrate on working on their flexibility and regaining strength," Mahboubian said. Surgery may make sex a little difficult for some people during recoveryOne of the most common reasons Mahboubian's patients want limb-lengthening surgery is to improve their love lives. "But I've seen time and time again how the surgery really changes the confidence level in my patients.

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio—Shelby Walker said she was watching a movie with her family on the evening of Feb. 3 when a 150-car Norfolk Southern train skirting the edge of town came off the tracks, sending 38 cars into a jumbled mass that caught fire and sent orange flames and black smoke into the sky. On Tuesday, she watched as a machine with a scissor-like attachment shredded a scorched railcar that had fallen near the bicycles, trampoline and plastic play toys in her backyard. Over the clanging of steel being torn apart, Ms. Walker, 48 years old, said her family is still haunted by the accident, which sent chemicals into the air, ground and creeks leading to the Ohio River.

☆ NBA roundup: Jayson Tatum's big 2nd half leads Celtics past Pistons
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Tatum had 24 points, including six 3-pointers, in the third quarter -- the most points he's scored in one quarter during his NBA career. Jalen Green scored 14 points before exiting in the second quarter due to a groin strain. Bane added 24 points and six rebounds, while Ja Morant tallied 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Utah's Kelly Olynyk had a double-double in the first half, and he wound up with 28 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Jordan Clarkson added 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Walker Kessler logged 10 points and 14 rebounds.

☆ Analysis: Clock ticking for loan market as Libor nears its end
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( John Mccrank | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNEW YORK, Feb 16 (Reuters) - It's crunch time for the corporate loan market. "The shot clock is on," said Tal Reback, who leads KKR's global Libor transition efforts. The Libor transition began in 2017 and had been smooth until 2022, when rising interest rates, decades-high inflation, Russia's war on Ukraine and recessionary fears rocked markets. "The new issue market shut down," said Ian Walker, head of legal innovation at financial information provider Covenant Review. Libor was phased out for new contracts at the end of 2021, though most existing U.S. dollar-denominated contracts have until June 30 to switch.

☆ Ukraine, IMF Begin Loan Talks as Country’s Economic Woes Deepen
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Yuka Hayashi | Marcus Walker | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A damaged apartment building in Lyman, Ukraine. The government’s finances have been severely stretched during the war. The International Monetary Fund has started negotiating with Ukrainian officials to put together what could be its largest loan package for the country since Russia’s invasion as the prolonged war deepens its economic woes. The Ukrainian government is seeking a loan that is far larger than the $2.7 billion the multilateral lender has provided through two emergency loans since last March, according to people familiar with the situation. Ukraine has argued that IMF involvement is crucial to reassure other foreign backers that its economic policies and its financial data are sound.

☆ NBA All-Star Saturday: Damian Lillard tops 3-Point Contest field
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Feb 13, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) stands with teammates during the singing of the national anthem before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center. / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY SportsFebruary 15 - Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who has hit the sixth-most 3-point shots in NBA history, will take part in the 3-Point Contest as part of All-Star Saturday Night this week in Salt Lake City. Also competing in the 3-point event will be Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and Sacramento Kings swingman Kevin Huerter. Curry won the 3-Point Contest in 2015 and 2021, and Allen won it in 2001. The Slam Dunk Contest will include one player, Mac McClung, who hasn't appeared in an NBA game this season.

☆ Fact Check-Michigan State University shooter is misidentified online
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A 43-year-old man named Anthony Dwayne McRae was identified as the gunman in the Michigan State University shooting on Feb. 13, 2023, contrary to claims online saying it was another man named “Lynn Dee Walker.”Reuters reported that three students were fatally shot and five critically wounded at the Michigan State University campus (here). The gunman has been identified as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, by Michigan State University Police in a tweet (here). One of the photographs being shared in the post was posted by the Twitter account “@Logo_Daedalus” (here) in October 2020. The same account posted tweets about being wrongfully identified as the shooter in social media posts (here) and (here). The men depicted in the posts being shared do not show Anthony Dwayne McRae, the gunman identified by the Michigan State University Police.

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