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☆ A fluffy, $85 toy is taking Asia by storm and sparking legions of knockoffs. Inside the meteoric rise of Labubu.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Aditi Bharade | Erin Liam | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Labubu and Pop Mart phenomenonLabubu dolls at the opening of a Pop Mart store in Bangkok. AdvertisementIn a statement to BI, a representative from Pop Mart said that Labubu has gained a strong global fan base. Advertisement"There's a bit of a 'FOMO' feeling," said Sim, 31, who owns around six Labubu toys. She has around 17 Labubu toys and said she spent over $10,000 on them. Once, she even camped outside a Pop Mart store for the latest drop.

Persons: —, Grace Lee, Lee, ─, Joey Khong, Khong, Bangkok . Sun Weitong, Lung, it's restocked, Tony Lee, Mart doesn't, Taobao, Erin Liam, Lisa, Juda, Kanaprach, Gen Zers, They're, Labubu, It's, Sim Pei Yi, Sim, Ana Gonzales, she's, Gonzales, Tracy Hsu, Lisa —, Hsu Organizations: Service, Getty, Business, Pop, Pop Mart, Daxue Consulting, Southeast, Insight, Singapore, Mart Locations: Asia, Bangkok . Sun, Xinhua, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Pop, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, China, Philippines, New Jersey, California, Canada

☆ Germany’s Scholz calls Putin, ending Western isolation over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The conversation on Friday was the first time Scholz had spoken with Putin in two years. It comes as the German leader gears up for a snap election and Europe waits to hear US President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine. “He stressed Germany’s unbroken determination to back Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary,” the spokesperson added. Ukraine said however that phone conversations with Putin brought no added value on the path to achieving a “just peace” in Ukraine. But of course, (it is a) question about how Russia spins it.”Scholz to brief alliesThe Kremlin said Putin had told Scholz Russia was willing to look at energy deals if Germany was interested.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Zelensky, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, Scholz, Donald Trump’s, Zelensky, “, ”, Trump, ” Scholz, Scholz Russia Organizations: Berlin Reuters, Kremlin, Reuters, Scholz’s Social, Ukraine, Kyiv, European Union, NATO, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Berlin, Germany, Baltic, North Korea, Russia’s, Kursk, United States

☆ Inside Microsoft's struggles with Copilot
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

In September 2023, Microsoft's famously soft-spoken CEO, Satya Nadella, unveiled the company's flagship AI product, Copilot, with sweeping fanfare. Some of Microsoft's own employees and executives are privately concerned that Copilot won't be able to deliver on its ambitions. Copilot's struggles have created an opening for Microsoft's rivals, some of whom have seized on the opportunity to promote their own agendas. "Now, when Joe Blow logs into an account and kicks off Copilot, they can see everything," said one Microsoft employee familiar with customer complaints. As complaints and questions over Copilot mount, so does the pressure to justify Microsoft's unprecedented level of spending on AI.

Persons: Microsoft's, Satya Nadella, Gartner, Copilot, it'll, Copilot's, Marc Benioff, Benioff, Goldman Sachs, Marc Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz, Ethan Miller, Jared Spataro, Spataro, —, Joe Blow, Joe, Nadella, Gary Marcus, Marcus, Wile, Coyote, Brontë, Judson Althoff, Jason Zander, Zander, We've, OpenAI, Tasos Katopodis, Steve Jobs Organizations: Microsoft, Venture, Getty, Goldman, BI, Fortune, Excel, Lumen Technologies, Honeywell, Gartner, Wall Street, Initiative, Department of Homeland Security, Employees, San Francisco, Software, Apple, Jobs Locations: Microsoft's, Copilot, New York City

“I was completely stunned when he mentioned violence so bluntly,” said the 32-year-old, who was born and raised in China. In Britain, “Cafe Scientifique,” a laid-back science debate forum, kicked off in 1998 and “Pint of Science,” a three-day science festival, launched in May 2013. Unlike Western universities, which generally welcome the public, most Chinese campuses remain fenced off, keeping their academic resources exclusive to students, faculty and authorized personnel. Nationalist voices online have also grown into a powerful unofficial force policing speech across Chinese social media. Liang, who deemed the state-building talk “bold,” said he loves these academic pub sessions but suspects they will eventually face restriction.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Liang Xiao, urbanites, Liang, ”, …, Lei Ya, Cinnamon Wu, Wu, Jerry Zhang, “ It’s, ” Wu, Zhang, Jerry Zhang Elephant, China’s, They’ve, Lei, Kang Siqin, Kang, ” Kang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, American, Guangzhou –, Harvard University, CNN, ” University, Communist Party, Chinese University of Hong Locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai, China, “, China’s, Beijing, Guangzhou, West, Britain, ”, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

☆ From clothes to computers, 6 things expected to get more expensive if Trump's trade plans are enacted
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

If implemented, Americans could see prices rise across several product categories. AdvertisementBased on analyses from economists and trade experts, here are the goods that could become more expensive for Americans under Trump's tariff proposals. AdvertisementSome retailers have already announced preparations to increase prices should Trump's tariff plans go into effect. AdvertisementGold said it's unlikely Trump's tariffs would go into effect on day one or day two, and "it's tough to say right now at what point consumers would feel the impact." AdvertisementA report from centrist think tank ThirdWay said that Trump's tariff proposals analyzed eight common purchases that the US either heavily imports or is unable to produce domestically.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, —, Mary Lovely, Lovely, There's, Joe Biden, Jonathan Gold, it's, Karoline Leavitt, Tim Boyle, Gold, Philip Daniele, Daniele, Shinji Aoyama, Henrik Elm, Elm, Taylor Rogers Organizations: Trade, Service, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Trump, Consumers, National Retail Federation, Retailers, Bank of America, Columbia, Washington Post, Electronics, Consumer Technology Association, CTA, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Inter Ikea —, Ikea, Reuters, NPR, International Trade Commission, Republican National Committee Locations: China, Mexico, Europe

☆ Disney is turning record parks profits — even before its big expansions
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Gary Hershorn | Corbis News | Getty ImagesAll is well in the Magic Kingdom. Experiences, which includes parks, resorts, cruises and consumer products, was the second-highest revenue driver behind Disney's entertainment division, which tallied $41.18 billion in fiscal 2024. "It's small things adding up to big things," said David Lightbody, senior vice president of Disney Live Entertainment. Limited time holiday merchandise available at Disney parks. A stunning firework show is held at the Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort on July 1, 2021 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Persons: Gary Hershorn, King Thanos, it'll, Gavin Doyle, Doyle, Mouse, Helene, Milton, David Lightbody, Lightbody, Lindsay Brookshier, Disney hasn't, Liao Pan Organizations: Magic, Walt Disney World, Corbis, Getty, Magic Kingdom, Disney, Big, Marvel, Epcot, Guardians, Falcon, Disney Live Entertainment, Walt Disney, Disneyland's, Pixar Fest, Medianews, Orange, China News Service Locations: Orlando , Florida, Magic, Florida, California, Hong Kong, Anaheim, Walt, Lake Buena Vista , Florida

☆ Next year is already looking rough for retail store closures
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

If this year's closures are any indication — and if the economy worsens — they won't be alone. 2025 is still more than a month away, but it's already shaping up to be another rocky year for retail. Analysts at UBS project the total number of US retail closures could reach 45,000 over the next five years. For one thing, even healthy retailers like Walmart and Target periodically review and trim their store fleets in the normal course of business. In any event, the year hasn't even begun, but nearly 1,500 retail closures are slated — already roughly half the amount BI has tracked for full-year totals in recent years.

Persons: —, Topping, Shane O'Kelly, Donald Trump's Organizations: Parts, Walgreens, UBS, Coresight Research, Walmart, Target, Blockbuster

☆ A millennial couple in Singapore spent 8 months turning a rundown unit into their dream home. Take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Jeremy Ng and Amanda Misso bought the first floor of a 1950s house in Singapore for about $1.34 million. AdvertisementJeremy Ng and Amanda Misso bought their house in Singapore in 2022. Amanda Goh/Business Insider"Sometimes, when you go to viewings, every other condo looks the same. Amanda Goh/Business InsiderAbout a fifth of the country's resident population lives in private housing, which includes condominiums and landed property. Amanda Goh/Business InsiderAs much as they love their house, there's just one tiny thing they wish they'd changed about the place.

Persons: Jeremy Ng, Amanda Misso, —, Joo Chiat, Amanda Goh, Misso, Ng, Jill, they're, Amanda, there's, they'd, you've Organizations: Service, Singapore —, Zurich —, Housing, Urban Land Institute Asia Pacific Centre for Housing Locations: Singapore, Geylang

☆ Long-lost marine worm species photobombs seahorses, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The long-lost worm is Haplosyllis anthogorgicola, a species of bristle worm, or polychaete. But as Forreau was sorting her underwater photos of seahorses and corals, she made another unexpected discovery: The worms’ coral burrows were visible in the images. Perhaps, she thought, that might also be the case in other photos of pygmy seahorses. Images of pygmy seahorses taken by scuba divers were crawling with worm photobombs. Worms’ limbs, heads and tails poked out of coral burrows in the hundreds; the scientists even counted seven examples of worms crawling on seahorses’ bodies.

Persons: Huzio Utinomo, Chloé Fourreau, “, ”, Karen Osborn, Osborn, Ai Takahata, ” Forreau, coauthors, Chloé, Forreau, ” Osborn, Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Kyoto University, Royal Society, Biological Sciences, University of, Smithsonian National Museum of, Royal Society B, Scientific Locations: Japan, Australia, Okinawa, Washington ,, Sukumo, Kochi, Worms, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan

☆ Opinion | Yes, Most People Probably Should Hold Off on Claiming Social Security
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Many readers said that while they didn’t absolutely need to start collecting Social Security early, they calculated that they would come out ahead by investing some or all of their checks in the stock market rather than waiting. I agree with Peggy Bishop that some people simply have to collect Social Security at the first opportunity. They don’t have enough savings to tide them over to age 70 without Social Security. Saying you should delay claiming Social Security when possible is not the same as saying you should keep working past the breaking point of body and soul. Readers brought up other cases where claiming early might be the right decision, although it’s impossible to generalize.

Persons: it’s, Peggy Bishop, Teresa Ghilarducci, you’ve, you’ll, Readers, you’re Organizations: Social, Social Security

☆ Inside the Quest to Make Fusion Energy a Reality
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

The Quest to Build a Star on Earth Start-ups say we’re closer than ever to near-limitless, zero-carbon energy from fusion. Today’s fusion start-ups aren’t just preparing for this moment in the lab. Such advances helped the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory produce more fusion energy than the energy in the incoming laser beams, for the briefest of moments, in 2022. They also helped European researchers generate record amounts of fusion energy at a facility in Britain last year. What worries researchers is how much some fusion start-ups are promising, and how soon.

Persons: General Atomics, Lawrence, —, Charles Darwin’s, Lord Kelvin, Darwin, Arthur Eddington, Nicolas Tucat, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Vinod Khosla, Sam Altman, Kitty, presale, Gerald Navratil, Navratil, “, it’s, ”, Robert Goldston, you’ve, David James Bartho, Simon Simard, Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr, Stark, Bob Mumgaard, Mumgaard, Brandon Sorbom, Sorbom, “ We’re, Dr, Earl Marmar, Thea Energy, Salvador Dalí, Cary Forest, Grant Hindsley, Richard Magee, “ It’s, Jean Paul Allain, there’s, Steven Cowley, Cowley, ” David Gates, you’d, Gates, ” Thea, Thea, Eos Organizations: Nuclear Fusion Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Agence France, Princeton University, University of Sydney, Underwood Archives, Getty, Fairfax Media, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, SPARC, The New York Times, ARC, Commonwealth, The New York, Dawn Princeton Plasma Physics, tokamaks, That’s, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Energy, Thea, Zap Energy, Helion, Microsoft, General Fusion, West, Technologies, Department of, Princeton Plasma Physics Locations: France, Columbia, Princeton, Harwell , England, Britain, Massachusetts, Russian, Commonwealth, Seattle, Vancouver, Southern California

☆ Inside the secretive operation helping manage billionaire Steve Schwarzman's vast fortune
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Schwarzman has called Blackstone his family office, but he has another family office, BI has learned. Inside Schwarzman's secretive family office with a name that harkens back to his childhood. The concept of the family office can be traced to the 1838 founding of the House of Morgan to handle J.P. Morgan's fortune. Every family office, however, is just as unique as the wealthy family that's spawned it, he said. Advertisement"The term family office," Sharpe said, "is possibly the most misused, overused, and poorly used term in finance today."

Persons: Steve Schwarzman, Schwarzman, Blackstone, —, Averell Harriman, Harriman, Brown, Harry Truman, Donald Trump, Christine Hearst Schwarzman, Gwen Stefani, Theo Wargo, Pennypack, Steve Schwarzman's, Blackstone Schwarzman, Pete Peterson, Marc Sharpe, Michael Dell, Sharpe, they're, Stephen A, John Magliano, Magliano, Paul A ., LLCs, tony Easton, Hearst, Alexi Rosenfeld, Trump's, Stephen Schwarzman, Jabin, Tim Sheehy, Montana, Sheehy, Morgan Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Ford Motor Co, White, New York Public Library, Metropolitan, Bank of America Securities Financial Services, Blackstone, Vanguard, Family Office Association, Dell Computer, BI, Getty, Schwarzman, LinkedIn, Hearst Schwarzman, Art, Federal Communications Commission, MIT, Humanities, Oxford, New York Public, Schwarzman Education Foundation, Tsinghua University, Policy, Washington, Getty Images Locations: New York, Vietnam, Manhattan, Philadelphia, Blackstone, Schwarzman, Pennypack, Delaware, Nantucket , Massachusetts, Nantucket, Schwarzman's, Newport , Rhode Island, Miramar, Wiltshire, England, Newport ., Beijing, China, North America

☆ Here's why Americans are obsessed with iced coffee
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Ryan Baker | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In 2023, Americans spent about $17.7 billion on out-of-home cold coffee including iced coffee, cold brew and frozen coffee drinks. Giants like Starbucks have played a major role in iced drinks taking share from more traditional hot coffee. 45% of coffee drinkers ages 18 to 24 said they had a cold coffee in the past day according to a survey conducted in July 2024 by the National Coffee Association. Cold coffee drinks are highly customizable, with syrups, toppings and cold foam incorporated into many of the popular offerings at major coffeehouse chains. Watch the video to learn more about why cold coffee has taken off in the United States.

Persons: Matthew Barry, Kelsey Olsen, Olsen, Dunkin, Barry, David Henkes Organizations: Giants, Starbucks, Euromonitor, National Coffee Association, Mintel's, Bros, CNBC Locations: U.S, Mintel's U.S, Technomic, United States

“Wicked” director Jon M. Chu reflected on how the feature film might have greater meaning in the wake of the election. “‘The Wizard of Oz’ was always sort of prophetic in a way,” Chu said. Nina Westervelt / WWD via Getty ImagesNBC News and NBCUniversal, the distributor of “Wicked,” share Comcast as a parent company. Chu said the musical adaptation, which premiered on Broadway in 2003, was also coincidentally released during a momentous time. “When ‘Wicked’ came around, it was a re-examination of that,” Chu said.

Persons: Jon M, Chu, “, Oz ’, ” Chu, ”, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Oz ”, Oz, ” Cynthia Erivo, Nina Westervelt, Elphaba, Glinda, ’, Donald Trump’s Organizations: NBC News, Getty Images NBC, Comcast Locations: America, New York

Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTop Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are being careful to keep their options open regarding President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for attorney general, former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz. Asked if the Senate should receive the House Ethic Committee report on Gaetz, incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, of South Dakota, said: “I haven’t given that any thought yet. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis were less insistent on seeing the House committee’s report. Elections have consequences; (Trump) chose Matt Gaetz. Latest from the Ethics Committee: Asked about the pending report on Gaetz, House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest said Thursday, “What happens in Ethics is confidential.

Persons: Sen, John Cornyn, Chambers, Anna Moneymaker, Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, John Thune, ”, ” Texas Sen, Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, North Carolina Sen, Thom Tillis, Tillis, Graham, “, Missouri Sen, Josh Hawley, ” Graham, Trump, Matt, ” Tillis, Hawley, there’ll, ” Hawley, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, we’ll, Indiana Sen, Mike Braun, he’s, Gaetz, Michael Guest, ” Gaetz Organizations: Capitol, Committee, GOP, Gaetz, North, Alabama Locations: Washington , DC, South Dakota, ” Texas, Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri

"OMG," a current senior Justice Department official said. Another Justice Department employee said, "I’m struggling to find words." "And look, he is uniquely qualified," that Justice Department official said, snarkily. A current senior Justice Department official "did not see this coming," while another called it "absolutely unbelievable." A former senior Justice Department official, meanwhile, said in a text message Gaetz's selection "cannot be real."

Persons: Donald Trump's, Matt Gaetz —, ” Gaetz, ”, Gaetz, I’m, Kevin Dietsch, Ray Epps, Brandon Straka, “, Trump, Matt, ” Said Organizations: WASHINGTON, Justice Department, Trump, FBI, Department, Justice, U.S . Capitol, Republican National Committee, Democratic National Committee, Senate, Department of Justice Locations: Florida, United States, Pennsylvania

☆ Elon Musk is a showman, not an accountant
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The merch will be 🔥🔥🔥”If you need more evidence of how silly this whole thing is, note (as many commentators did online) that the efficiency department is being overseen by two people. On the campaign trail last month, Musk was asked how much he thought he could cut from the nation’s $6.5 trillion budget. Musk would be lucky to find $200 billion in the federal budget, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said at the Economic Club of New York on Tuesday. Even Trump joked to House Republicans on Wednesday that he can’t get rid of Musk, a source in the room told CNN. And that means Musk himself, as Tesla’s largest individual shareholder, is $55 billion richer today than he was a week ago.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, ”, he’s, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Trump, Elon, Vivek, Trump, Musk, ments on Organizations: New, New York CNN, bro, “ Department, Government, Ford, United Airlines, Republican Congress Locations: New York, le

☆ Elon Musk's 'gamification' of government spending taps into our natural competitive instinct
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementIt was perhaps inevitable that Elon Musk — a tech titan and a prolific gamer — would try to turn government spending into a game. It's a natural move for Musk, who came up in the tech world in the early 2000s, as "gamification" took hold. "That's that kind of logic that you end up having if you're not really cautious about how it's designed." AdvertisementFor the government, that might hinge on what counts as waste and whether Musk's leaderboard can get people to agree. Otherwise, Hon said gamification might have short-term benefits but backfire in the long term as important, less-tangible factors are crowded out by overemphasizing one metric.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Elon, Musk, Jane McGonigal, McGonigal, Adrian Hon, You've, Richard Landers, it's, you've, Landers, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, " Landers, Jill, It's, Petrzela, Musk's, gamification, he's Organizations: Service, Government Efficiency, University of Minnesota, SXSW, Netflix, Nike, New School Locations: gamification

☆ Apple's future product lineup is starting to come into focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple is exploring new headsets and smart-home devices to expand its lineup. Its plans don't always work out; it scrapped a car project and faces weak demand for the Vision Pro. The company in February scrapped plans for a car, and its $3,500 Vision Pro has gotten mixed reviews in the months since its release. Bloomberg on Tuesday reported on a wall-mounted smart-home tablet in Apple's production lineup that could operate home appliances, use Apple Intelligence, and access Apple apps. AdvertisementThe report said the project, code-named J490, could come as early as March, a month before new Apple Intelligence features are expected to roll out.

Persons: —, Mark Gurman, Ming, Chi Kuo, Apple's, Gurman, Apple, EMARKETER, Kuo, Meta, William Kerwin, Tim Cook, who's Organizations: Apple, Vision, Service, Bloomberg, Apple Intelligence, Big Tech, Asset Management, Business Locations: Taiwan, Morningstar

☆ Cabinet confirmation process and recess appointments, explained
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Rather than face the humiliation of a rejection vote in the Senate, Cabinet nominees are more frequently withdrawn when it becomes clear they cannot be confirmed. Here’s a look at the Cabinet confirmation process, why it exists, where it’s gone wrong and how Trump wants to find a way around it. Presidents like Ronald Reagan, Clinton and both Bushes did use recess appointments, although usually for positions below the Cabinet level. While Democrats can no longer filibuster Cabinet nominees, they can slow the process down. Then, the Senate rejected Taney when Jackson put him forward for a Supreme Court nomination.

Persons: George H.W, Bush, John Tower, ”, Tower, Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Gaetz, Department of Justice –, Trump, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, it’s, Bill Clinton, Zoe Baird, Joe Biden, Biden, Trump’s, Sen, John Thune, Ronald Reagan, Clinton, Mickey Kantor, Barack Obama, Senate can’t, …, Republicans don’t, Mike Johnson, Let’s, Johnson, Edward Whelan, Roger B . Taney, Andrew Jackson, Taney, Jackson, Martin Van Buren, England . Taney, Scott Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Florida Rep, Department of Justice, Senate, Former House, of Health, Human Services, White House, United Nations, CIA, Law, Public Service, Democratic, Partnership for Public Service, Office, National Labor Relations, US, Senators, Republicans, GOP, Trump, Republican, The Washington Post, Bank of, Federal Reserve, Taney Locations: Texas, Geneva, United States, The, England

☆ Bill Ackman's Pershing Square doubles down on Nike and one name tied to data centers
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square doubled down on Nike and Brookfield in his concentrated portfolio last quarter. The high-profile investor boosted his investment in Nike drastically in the third quarter, making the bet worth $1.4 billion, according to a regulatory filing. The bet was only worth about $220 million at the end of June. Nike is in the midst of a broader restructuring after it shifted its strategy to sell directly to consumers. Pershing Square also boosted its bet on Brookfield last quarter to a stake worth $1.74 billion, making it the second biggest holding behind Alphabet.

Persons: Bill Ackman's, Elliott Hill, Howard Hughes Organizations: Bill Ackman's Pershing, Nike, Brookfield, Pershing, Microsoft, Brookfield Asset Management, Hilton Worldwide, Restaurant Brands, Canadian Pacific, Canadian Pacific Kansas City Locations: Canadian Pacific Kansas

☆ A smart way to follow value investor David Einhorn into his latest play that generates income to boot
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Value investors believe these companies are undervalued due to temporary issues, market overreactions, or broader economic conditions. The approach is long-term, as value investors wait for the market to recognize the company's actual value, which may take time. On a podcast earlier this year, well-known hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital lamented that modern-day passive investors pay no attention to "value" of the companies they buy. Outcome Scenarios : If the stock price stays above the strike price, the option expires worthless, allowing the investor to keep the premium as profit. If the stock price falls below the strike price, the option buyer will likely exercise it, obligating the seller to buy the stock at the strike price.

Persons: Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, David Einhorn, CNH Organizations: Greenlight, Deere & Co, Agco Corp, Farmers, CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL

☆ Applying for a job you’ve never done before? Here’s how to stand out, says ex-Google exec
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For Jennifer Dulski, hiring candidates who've served in the exact type of role she's looking to fill is not a priority. She adds that, at Rising Team, "in zero of our job descriptions will you ever see the term 'X years experience' doing ' XYZ.'" She's hired many people who have not had exactly the same job before, she says, and "fewer than 5% of them have failed." That doesn't mean she's hiring people who've never done anything related to the role. Their experience just doesn't have to be a carbon copy of the job she's hiring for.

Persons: Jennifer Dulski, who've, She's, haven't, Dulski, what's Organizations: Rising Team, Google, Rising

☆ On-the-Job Training Is Broken. That Hurts Companies and Workers.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Workers are struggling to get a handle on their jobs, and this failure falls on everyone — companies, managers, human-resources departments, and, in some cases, the workers themselves. The chaos has left employers, managers, and employees wondering just how much time and money it's worth investing in training in the first place. It's tough to learn by osmosis over Slack, and the deluge of HR apps and training modules isn't filling in the gaps. As workers and managers are increasingly overextended, these types of unmeasured, softer activities can fall by the wayside. Gavin emphasized that it's not just on companies and managers to make sure employees are learning and getting onboarded but also on individual workers.

Persons: Gen, It's, what's, Gallup, Ana Goehner, Kenneth Matos, Matos, they're, it's, Ashley Herd, nonmanagers, Christy Pettit, Herd, Stephanie Wolf, she's, Wolf, that's, Phoebe Gavin, Gavin, I'd, hadn't, Michelle, Z, they've, Emily Stewart Organizations: Workers, Adobe, doer, Fortune, Business Locations: America, HiBob, RebuttalPR

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk have big ambitions for making the federal government leaner and more efficient by reviewing its budget and operations from top to bottom. Details about how the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, will operate – and how Musk and his co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy will avoid conflicts of interest – remain scarce. Musk also took aim at the Department of Education, a frequent target of Trump and Republicans, criticizing the agency for allegedly indoctrinating kids with left-wing propaganda and other failings. Slashing that much from the federal budget – which totaled roughly $6.8 trillion in fiscal 2024 – would require cutting every program by roughly one-third, said Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. “Trump’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ will not be an actual department.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump, ” Musk, Ramaswamy, Musk, ”, “, ” Ramaswamy, Stephen Moore, Elon, Vivek, Moore, Larry Summers, Clinton, Glenn Hubbard, George W, Bush, Bobby Kogan, ” Kogan, Brian Riedl, Riedl, GOP Sen, Rob Portman, Sharon Parrott, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, William Hoagland, Peter G, Peterson, –, Jon Greenbaum, ’ that’s, Harry Sandick Organizations: CNN, Elon, Department of Government, Trump, Republican, White House, SpaceX, Department of Education, of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, Education Department, Labor Department, FBI, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Heritage Foundation, US, of Economic, American, Security, Social Security, Manhattan Institute, GOP, ‘ Department, Government, White, White House & Congress, Congressional Republicans, Children’s Health Insurance, Affordable, Budget, Republicans, Grace, Center, Elon Musk, Federal Advisory Committee, Democratic Locations: Rob Portman of Ohio

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