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☆ US consumer spending appears solid early in second quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Retail sales excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services rebounded 0.7% last month, the Commerce Department said. Data for March was revised slightly down to show these so-called core retail sales slipping 0.4% instead of 0.3% as previously reported. Core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product. Economists estimated that core retail sales adjusted for inflation rose by about 0.6% in April. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services category in the retail sales report, rose 0.6%.

☆ Major natural gas investor sees signs prices are bottoming
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The investor who ran the country's biggest natural gas ETF said he believes prices have hit bottom. John Love, who managed the United States Natural Gas Fund , cites global demand and production dynamics for his bull case. Natural gas prices rose 6% this week and just notched their fourth positive week in five. Since then, several European countries including Germany have announced new LNG, or liquefied natural gas, projects or are expanding existing ones to reduce their dependence on natural gas exports. Teucrium Trading CEO Sal Gilbertie said he believes natural gas has been trying to build a bottom over the past four to six weeks.

☆ Robot Lawn Mowers Are (Finally) Getting Good. But Are They Worth the Hefty Price Tag?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Sal Vaglica | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SUBURBIA IS apparently filled with masochists—evidenced by the fact that each Sunday I wake to the sound of all my neighbors concurrently grooming their lawns. I feel compelled to join them, though I hate the two-hour chore. At least it makes my Apple Watch’s pedometer happy. You could outsource the task to an expensive landscaper, of course. Those who work at home will have to deal with the sonic blitzkrieg.

☆ Australia's Allkem, Livent to merge into $10.6 bln lithium giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Harish Sridharan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 10 (Reuters) - Lithium producer Allkem Ltd (AKE.AX) has agreed to merge with U.S.-based Livent Corp (LTHM.N) to create one of the world's most valuable producers of the key raw materials used in electric-vehicle batteries. The all-stock deal will create a $10.6 billion entity, the fifth-largest in the world after Albemarle Corp (ALB.N), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQMA.SN), Ganfeng Lithium Group (002460.SZ) and Tianqi Lithium Corp (002466.SZ). ASX-listed Allkem produces lithium carbonate from its Sal de Vida facility in Argentina, which is near Livent's Hombre Mureto lithium project. Livent, based in Philadelphia, supplies lithium products to multiple U.S. automakers, including General Motors Co (GM.N), Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and BMW (BMWG.DE). Under the deal, Allkem shareholders will get one share in the combined entity for each of their shares and the company will ultimately own 56% of the new firm.

☆ Geopolitical grains: Utilizing agricultural ETFs in a time of oversupply
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Kevin Schmidt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"There's an oversupply of wheat in Russia right now," he said. The Teucrium Wheat Fund (WEAT) , for example, spreads futures contracts across multiple maturities instead of concentrating holdings in front-month futures. In addition to WEAT, Teucrium offers four other ETFs with agricultural exposure: CORN , CANE and SOYB , as well as the Teucrium Agricultural Fund (TAGS) . "And so, without [the Black Sea Grain Initiative], shipping will become uncertain, because you'll be in a war zone." However, prolonged conflict or expansion of the conflict could continue to harm Ukraine grain production, he said, underpinning valuation uncertainty for the commodity regardless of the current oversupply.

☆ AI is going to offer every student a personalized tutor, founder of Khan Academy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, recently gave a TED Talk on AI's potential impact on education. The technology could offer personalized tutors to every student at a large scale, he said. Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, an educational nonprofit that aims to provide free learning resources, is not necessarily fearful of the technology. In a TED Talk that was released this week, Khan explained the potential benefits of AI across the field of education, likening the possibilities to a personalized tutor for every student. Khan said AI could also offer personalized assistance to teachers, by helping with pre-class work like lesson planning, filling out report cards, and general administrative tasks.

☆ Opinion | A.I. Could Actually Be a Boon to Education
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Those are crazy high benefit-cost ratios, considering that a lot of nonprofits would be happy with a ratio of 10 to 1. I’m citing it because Khan has a new plan to make the ratio, whatever it is, even higher. I watched a TED Talk he gave on April 18 about his A.I. “My intellectual selfishness is that I really like making videos,” Khan told me. (Though he’s no longer the only person making videos.)

☆ Tech powers Nasdaq gains; recession fears weigh on cyclicals, dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 14, 2023. "(Recession) is still out there as a pretty significant risk, but handicapping the timing of it is difficult." Upbeat earnings from Microsoft (MSFT.O), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Boeing Co (BA.N) took the sting out of some disappointing economic data, which suggested weakening corporate expenditures on core capital goods. Emerging market stocks rose 0.23%. The dollar index fell 0.35%, with the euro up 0.57% to $1.1034.

☆ Wall St dips to lower close as rate hike bets firm, banks jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Today we're taking bit of a breather," said Sal Bruno, chief investment officer at IndexIQ in New York. Citigroup Inc (C.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) beat earnings expectations, benefiting from rising interest rates and easing fears of stress in the banking system. The S&P 500 banking sector (.SPXBK) jumped 3.5% and JPMorgan Chase surged 7.6%, its biggest one-day percentage gain since Nov. 9, 2020. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, seven ended the session lower, with real estate (.SPLRCR) falling most. The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 47 new highs and 205 new lows.

☆ US retail sales post second straight monthly drop; factory output falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Retail sales dropped 1.0% last month, the Commerce Department said. Data for February was revised up to show retail sales falling 0.2% instead of 0.4% as previously reported. Retail sales are mostly goods, which are typically bought on credit, and are not adjusted for inflation. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services category in the retail sales report, edged up 0.1%. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales slipped 0.3% last month.

Of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes, seven declined, led lower by industrials (.SPLRCI), down 2.25%, followed by a 1.72% loss in energy (.SPNY). The S&P 500 declined 0.58% to end the session at 4,100.68 points, closing lower for the first time in a week. The Nasdaq declined 0.52% to 12,126.33 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.59% to 33,403.04 points. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidHealthcare (.SPXHC) and utilities (.SPLRCU), which many investors expect to hold up better during an economic slowdown, were among the few S&P 500 sector indexes gaining on Tuesday. The S&P 500 posted 14 new highs and one new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 64 new highs and 238 new lows.

☆ U.S. consumer spending retreats in February; inflation cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The slowdown in consumer spending reported by the Commerce Department on Friday followed the largest gain in nearly two years in January. Consumer spending, which remains supported by a tight labor market, appears on track to pick up this quarter after growing at its slowest pace in 2-1/2 years in the fourth quarter. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, increased 0.2% last month. In the 12 months through February, the PCE price index advanced 5.0% after rising 5.3% in the 12 months through January. The so-called core PCE price index rose 4.6% on a year-on-year basis in February after gaining 4.7% in January.

☆ How to become an Amazon influencer and how much the program pays
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Here's a breakdown of how to become an Amazon influencer and how much creators earn from the program. "We are looking to [influencers] to tell us what they want and what they need," Katie Scott, director of the Amazon Influencer Program, said of the program. Amazon's Influencer Program operates as an extension of its online Associates Program, the company's affiliate-marketing program for creators, publishers, and bloggers. Read more about becoming an Amazon influencer:How much does it pay to become an Amazon influencer? The Amazon Influencer Program will occasionally run limited time incentives around new projects, the company previously told Insider.

☆ I'm an influencer who makes 80% of my 6-figure income from Amazon. Here are my top 5 strategies for success.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

About 80% of his six-figure influencer income comes from promoting products on Amazon. One night while we were having dinner, my kids were watching funny videos on TikTok. Now, 80% of my six-figure yearly income as a creator comes from Amazon commissions, and the rest comes from partnerships with brands. This will make it easier for you to promote the products and for your audience to trust your recommendations. Go live with Amazon Live shoppable videos — here's how I do itShare your favorite finds live on Amazon, where viewers can watch your streams, chat with you, and shop the products you recommend.

☆ I make 6 figures reviewing tech products with the Amazon influencer program. Here are my 6 tips for success.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

About 80% of his six-figure influencer income comes from promoting products on Amazon. He shared his top tips to build a successful business as an Amazon Influencer. Here are my top tips for finding success as an Amazon Influencer. This will make it easier for you to promote the products and for your audience to trust your recommendations. Go live with Amazon Live shoppable videos — here's how I do itShare your favorite finds live on Amazon, where viewers can watch your streams, chat with you, and shop the products you recommend.

☆ US reports strong job growth in February; wage gains slow
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

They say the economy needs to create 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. The labor market has remained tight, with first-time applications for unemployment benefits staying extremely low despite high-profile layoffs in the technology industry. Households' perceptions of the labor market were also quite upbeat last month. The unemployment rate rose to 3.6% in February from 3.4% in January, which was the lowest since May 1969. This broader measure of unemployment rose to 6.8% in February.

☆ The evolution of ChatGPT will fuel the future of higher education, says Udacity's Sebastian Thrun
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe evolution of ChatGPT will fuel the future of higher education, says Udacity's Sebastian ThrunSebastian Thrun, chairman and co-founder of Udacity, and Sal Khan, CEO of the Khan Academy, join 'The Exchange' to discuss the influence of AI technology on the software engineering landscape, disrupting higher education with mentorship programs and an emerging blended model of high school and college education.

☆ A treasure trove of over 500 retro Apple products is being auctioned off from one of the biggest collections in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Over 500 Apple computers and products that span from 1977 to 2008 are going to auction next month. The collection, one of the biggest in the world, is called "The Hanspeter Luzi Vintage Apple Archive," and belonged to Swiss Apple collector Hanspeter Luzi. Steve Jobs (left), John Sculley (center), and Steve Wozniak unveil the new Apple II computer in San Francisco in 1984. As a teacher, Luzi used computers as a teaching aid for his students. Before starting his Apple collection, Luzi collected vintage sewing machines that became the foundation for the Sammlung Albrecht Mey sewing machine museum in Germany.

☆ Dear Co-Workers, Call Me by My Real Name
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Callum Borchers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A familiar host greeted viewers tuning into the Winter X Games on ESPN last month, but many of them may not have known—or known how to pronounce—the name that appeared under his face: Selema Masekela. After going by Sal for more than two decades as a sports commentator, Mr. Masekela, 51 years old, wants to be known by his full name.

With a majority of S & P 500 companies having posted their quarterly results, investors' focus will turn toward inflation and the consumer price index reading in the upcoming week. The three major indexes are on pace to end the week down, with the S & P 500 poised to post its worst performance since December. Sharp declines for Alphabet , which is off by more than 9% this week, dragged the tech-heavy index. January's consumer price index With the latest Powell speech in the books, investors are now looking ahead to the consumer price index for insight into the pace of inflation. "Retail sales and CPI is really driven by the consumer, and a lot of eyes are on how the consumer doing," Bruno said.

☆ A.I. and education can go hand and hand, says Khan Academy's Sal Khan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA.I. and education can go hand and hand, says Khan Academy's Sal KhanSal Khan, Khan Academy CEO, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss AI's impact in the classroom as Big Tech battles for the space.

☆ Health care is in crisis. New York’s nurses strike is just the latest sign
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It is just the latest in a series of job actions across the nation by nurses’ unions and other health care workers who say they had to strike in order to provide patients with quality health care. Of the 20 major strikes tracked by the Labor Department over the first 11 months of 2022, seven of them, or 35%, were in health care. The surge in health care related strikes comes despite the fact that only 3% of union members nationwide work at private sector health care jobs. “Labor is the main expense in health care, so how do you make money? If someone is tired, overworked, sleep deprived, they’re going to make more mistakes.”A nurse’s strike won’t help patients in the short term, he said.

☆ U.S. consumer spending, inflation cool in November
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, edged up 0.1%. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending rising 0.2%. Slowing price increases for some goods also lowered the dollar amount of consumer spending. Consumer spending is being driven by solid wage gains, thanks to a tight labor market, as well as savings accumulated during first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher borrowing costs, fast-depleting savings and diminishing household wealth could stifle consumer spending, and tip the economy into recession next year.

☆ The 15-Minute Fix: Replace Your Showerhead With One of These Superior Sprayers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Sal Vaglica | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WHAT MAKES for an excellent shower? Some say it is about when you get soaked: in the morning or at night. Others say it depends on temperature, how long you spent in the spray, even whether you use bar soap, shower gel or no soap at all. But few people, I find, point to what I consider the true key to a high-quality suds-up: a great showerhead. They simply don’t know what they’re missing.

☆ U.S. heading into shallow recession, no respite from rate hikes yet: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Indradip Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Unless inflation recedes quickly, the U.S. economy still appears headed for some trouble, though possibly a little later than expected. Although the fed funds rate is expected to peak at 4.75%-5.00% early next year in line with interest rate futures, one-third of economists, 24 of 72, expected it to go higher. A large majority of economists, 35 of 48, said any recession would be short and shallow. Eight said long and shallow, while four said there won't be any recession. The U.S. unemployment rate (USUNR=ECI), which so far has stayed low, was expected to climb from the current 3.7% to 4.9% by early 2024.

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