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☆ The 'Airbnbust' proves the Wild West days of online vacation rentals are over
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( James Rodriguez | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

"We started panicking and started connecting with other folks who we know have short-term rentals," Sullivan told Insider. Given the sharp rise of short-term rentals there, some local lawmakers have recently called for amending the law. But short-term rentals are often essential to a healthy tourism economy, particularly in vacation destinations. Investors jumped in to capitalize on the boom, and the market soon became saturated with short-term rentals. There's one thing pretty much everyone can agree on: Short-term rentals are here to stay.

☆ Saddam Hussein's yachts were once signs of luxury. Now, one is a wrecked picnic spot for fishermen and the other was almost turned into a hotel.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Saddam Hussein's yachts were once luxurious signs of the dictator's power. The 'Al Mansur,' Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's private yacht, lies at the dockside in central Basra April 10, 2003. Iraq stepped in and courts decided the "Bashrah Breeze" belonged to the government. In 2018, reports that "Bashrah Breeze" would be made into a hotel for pilots made international headlines. The 'Bashrah Breeze' superyacht owned by Saddam Hussein.

☆ A new Pentagon map shows how China is beefing up what a top US general calls its 'dangerous position' in the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China and several of its neighbors have claimed parts of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The map also gives rough locations for seven Chinese outposts, including three airfields, and 63 other outposts in the Spratlys. China's outposts "are capable of supporting military operations" and "have supported non-combat aircraft," the Pentagon report says. Recent action by those forces around Taiwan, as well as ongoing Chinese activity in the South China Sea, have worried US commanders. The Spratly IslandsFilipino fishermen sail by a Chinese coast guard ship near Scarborough Shoal on February 5.

☆ China is scrambling to find pilots to fly from its growing aircraft carrier fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's fleet of aircraft carriers has grown quickly, expanding from one to three in a decade. To use that fleet effectively, China's navy also has to train pilots to operate carrier aircraft. "Starting in 2023, the Navy will select carrier-based aircraft pilots from fresh graduates from local ordinary colleges and universities," according to a Chinese navy brochure. Yet it takes more than ships to build an effective carrier fleet. In fact, the Chinese navy ended up copying a Russian carrier jet without permission to give its carrier program a boost.

☆ Russia has been able to keep its most effective drone flying over Ukraine thanks to Western-made parts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine and Russia have employed an array of drones since Moscow attacked in February 2022. Despite sanctions imposed by the US and its allies, Russia has been able to keep its most effective drone flying over Ukraine thanks to Western-made parts. The Orlan-10's specifications and characteristics in a graphic published by the Royal United Services Institute in December 2022. Russian intelligence services are likely involved in sourcing this technology through contacts and front companies around the world. Western-made components found in the Orlan-10, according to the Royal United Services Institute.

☆ A year into the war, Ukraine and the West prepare for the biggest reconstruction since World War II
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

People help to clean up debris at a bus station damaged after a shelling, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine February 21, 2023. Lisi Niesner | ReutersOne year since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's economy and infrastructure are in tatters, with the government and its allies planning the largest rebuilding effort since World War II. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the Ukrainian economy contracted by 30%, a less severe decline than previously projected. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva visited Ukraine this week, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy, among others. It is difficult to predict the size of this debt reduction as it depends on the state of the Ukrainian economy at the time the restructuring is agreed," Nasser said.

☆ After a tough year for crypto, here's how to handle losses on your tax return
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Plus, there's currently no "wash sale rule" for crypto. The rule blocks the tax break if you buy a "substantially identical" asset 30 days before or after the sale. If your crypto losses exceed other investment gains and $3,000 of regular income, you can use the rest in subsequent years, Greene-Lewis said. But it's easy to lose track of carryover losses and miss future opportunities to lower taxes, she warned. If you wind up getting, say, 10% back after claiming a bad debt deduction, that 10% becomes regular income.

☆ The top-performing stock-picker of 2022 shares 6 of his favorite companies to buy now to protect against high inflation, low profits, and an energy shortage that will last for years to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here are six energy companies that Davolos believes are strong long-term investments. Expect high inflation to hurt earnings in 2023 and beyondOf all the trends Davolos spotted, one stands out most: inflation will be higher for longer. Most investors assumed that the high inflation of the 1970s and '80s was gone forever after the internet and other technology kept prices down during the previous two decades. Stocks broadly will likely suffer if inflation stays stubbornly high, Davolos said, given that higher prices weigh on firms' profit margins. Energy royalty companies' efficient, asset-light business model gives them lofty operating margins that are the envy of their peers.

CNBC rounds up some of the boldest price calls for bitcoin in 2023. Bitcoin miners, who use power-intensive machines to verify transactions and mint new tokens, are being squeezed by the slump in prices and rising energy costs. "In prior down markets, miner capitulation has usually indicated major bottoms," Ayyar told CNBC. However, Mobius told CNBC that he is sticking for his $10,000 price call in 2023. "There will be a managed bull market in 2023, not a bubble -- so we won't see the price overshooting as before," she told CNBC.

☆ Kim Jong Un's daughter makes her second public appearance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter made a public appearance again, this time with missile scientists and more honorific titles as her father’s “most beloved” or “precious” child. Others showed Kim’s daughter clapping her hands, exchanging handshakes with a soldier or talking to her father as people cheered in the background. “Kim Ju Ae is expected to appear occasionally at Kim Jong Un’s public events and take a succession training.”Revealing the young Ju Ae came as a huge surprise to foreign experts, as Kim Jong Un and his father Kim Jong Il were both first mentioned in state media dispatches after they became adults. Cheong, however, said Kim Jong Il had Kim Jong Un in mind as his heir when his son was 8 years old. Cheong cited his conversations with Kim Jong Un’s aunt and her husband, who defected to the United States.

☆ What the Club is watching Friday — China locks down (again), Black Friday sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ Superyacht rentals, private jets and a soccer-themed hotel: Dubai is cashing in on the Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A yacht that can be rented to watch the World Cup while sailing around Dubai is docked in Dubai harbor on November 1, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup football tournament. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, in August called Dubai "the major gateway" to the World Cup and predicted it would see more tourists than Qatar itself. Getty Images | A general view of the West Bay area ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at on November 18, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. "Its tourism infrastructure and straightforward entry requirements make it a convenient base for World Cup fans." Dubai, meanwhile, as a city has more than 140,000 hotel rooms, according to hotel data firm STR.

☆ FTX’s Bankruptcy: Three Things to Know
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Watch: Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Attends Missile Test, State Media Reports For the first time, North Korean state media published images of a girl it identified as the daughter of leader Kim Jong Un. She was seen attending the test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile with her parents. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

☆ Kim Jong Un reveals his daughter to the world at latest ballistic missile launch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Experts say images of Kim and his daughter are for elite consumption, and could symbolise Kim priming his daughter to be the next supreme leader STR / AFP - Getty ImagesA new ballistic missile with the range to hit all of the United States is a hard thing to upstage. But North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did just that with a surprise guest at the test-launch: his little-known daughter. North Korean state media said that Kim had observed the launch of the state's new type of intercontinental ballistic missile with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, other officials, and his "beloved daughter" on Friday. It was the latest escalation in months of provocations from Pyongyang, but attention was suddenly focused on the daughter whose existence had never been publicly confirmed before. It is the first confirmed public appearance of a child of the North Korean leader, whose personal life remains shrouded in mystery.

☆ The US is sending 40 more boats to join Ukraine's growing 'river navy'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Peter Suciu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US is sending Ukraine more riverine patrol boats in an aid package announced this month. The 40 boats in the latest package will join the 18 boats that the US supplied to Kyiv in June. The aid assistance package hasn't detailed the type of riverine boats that will be sent, but six from the previous batch were made by Louisiana-based Metal Shark. Those are now reportedly operating in the Black Sea. Ukraine defiantThe US supplied 10 34-foot Dauntless Sea Ark patrol boats, like those seen above, to Ukraine in June.

☆ More Hotel Rooms Are Looking Shabby, Even With Higher Prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Allison Pohle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Someone will fix your broken hotel shower—eventually. Delayed renovations, labor shortages, supply-chain snarls and general wear and tear are colliding with record-high room rates, leaving some guests frustrated by what they feel are rooms undeserving of hefty price tags. Hotel rooms cost an average of 13% more compared with the same period in 2019, according to hospitality data and analytics company STR.

☆ I've made $740,000 on Airbnb this year. Here's my best advice for beginner hosts to maximize success and avoid common mistakes.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Narina Exelby | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They bought their first short-term-rental property in 2019 and scaled while working full time. My wife, Jill, and I bought our first short-term-rental property in November 2019 after moving to Nashville. These are my best pieces of advice for beginners to avoid common pitfalls when investing in short-term-rental properties. Always plan for the worst-case scenarioI always use conservative numbers when I evaluate potential properties in my Google Sheet template. I rerun the numbers to see what the break-even point is and what the best potential profit could be.

☆ This 22-year-old survives Lebanon with a bitcoin mining business that's been earning $20,000 a month
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Against this backdrop, Abu Daher jumped into the crypto mining business a little over two years ago. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Ahmad Abu Daher repairing mining equipment in the basement of a home in Zaarouriyeh. Ahmad Abu DaherIt has been 26 months since Abu Daher first set up shop, and he says that business is thriving. watch nowBuilding a bitcoin mining businessAbu Daher had a few black swan events on his side soon after he broke into crypto mining. In January, police raided a small crypto mining farm in the hydro-powered town of Jezzine, seizing and dismantling mining rigs in the process.

Airbnb users will soon be able to see the total cost of booking a stay before they check out, a reversal of the platform's longstanding policy that had peeved many users. Starting in December, guests will have the option to view the total price of a booking, including all fees, before taxes. Users will also be able to view a full price breakdown that shows Airbnb’s service fee, discounts, and taxes. The change means total price, instead of nightly price, will be prioritized in its search ranking algorithm. Guests are still charged an Airbnb service fee, a cleaning fee, an extra-guest fee if applicable, plus any taxes and deposits.

☆ In bankrupt Lebanon, locals mine bitcoin and buy groceries with tether, as $1 is now worth 15 cents
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +32 min

Others arrange clandestine meetings via Telegram to swap the stablecoin tether for U.S. dollars in order to buy groceries. In Jan., police raided a small crypto mining farm in the hydro-powered town of Jezzine, seizing and dismantling mining rigs in the process. But mining crypto tokens to earn a living is not for everybody. Younes tells CNBC that he initially moved 15% of his money into bitcoin, and he kept the remaining balance in cash. Lebanon has six bitcoin ATMs — one in Aamchit and five in Beirut, according to metrics offered by coinatmradar.com.

Elon Musk is shaking up Twitter. From the blunt email to Twitter employees about layoffs to angry advertisers, a lot is happening. Insider has exclusive insights from employees, advertisers and others about working with Musk. And this kind of chaos is only the beginning, warns one former SpaceX VP who says Elon Musk can be 'vicious' in the workplace. Rebecca Blackwell/AP PhotoAdvertisers are nervously pausing their spendMusk has been wooing advertisers, his major Twitter customers, but they are wary.

☆ A 32-year-old military veteran who owns 74 rental units breaks down how she's continuing to increase her cash flow in the current real estate market.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

She's the CEO of the Five Pillars Team, a brokerage team built by veterans to help military members and investors reach their real estate goals, at eXp Realty. In 2017, she had first considered the idea of building a real estate portfolio that could generate an income. However, as demand began to fall due to rising interest rates, she also hit the brakes on this strategy. Normally, when you're scaling a real estate portfolio, any tasks you don't have to do yourself can be delegated, she noted. Although interest rates are higher, buyers have way more power than they had six months to 18 months ago, she said.

Austin later condemned North Korea’s “irresponsible and reckless activities” during a joint press conference with Lee. The South Korean government source said officials suspect it was a Hwasong-17, North Korea’s most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that was first successfully tested on March 24. That launch set a new standard for Pyongyang, recording the highest altitude and longest duration of any North Korean missile ever tested. North Korea followed the presumed ICBM test Thursday with two short-range ballistic missile launches, according to South Korea and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to the media in Tokyo following North Korea's weapons tests.

☆ The US is spending billions to boost chip manufacturing. Will it be enough?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

US-based fabs, or chip manufacturing plants, currently only account for 12% of the world’s modern semiconductor manufacturing capacity, according to data from the Semiconductor Industry Association trade group. Some 75% of the world’s modern chip manufacturing is now concentrated in East Asia – a majority of that in geopolitically-vulnerable Taiwan. Now, simply having the facilities already set up to produce or expand chip manufacturing gives Asia a big advantage. This is not yet the case in places like Arizona and Ohio, where plans to build massive chip manufacturing plants are already underway. If not, even the billions of dollars committed by the private and public sector may not be enough to reshore semiconductor manufacturing.

☆ Business travel spending might not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2026
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-15 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Business travel spending might not recover to pre-pandemic levels until sometime in 2026 — two years later than previously expected — as inflation, labor shortages and geopolitical issues slow the sector's rebound, according to a new industry forecast. Spending worldwide is set to rise nearly 34% in 2022 to $933 billion, according to the Global Business Travel Association's annual report and forecast, published Monday. That's still far short of the more than $1.4 trillion in business travel generated in 2019, before the Covid pandemic. The report forecast a 42% increase in business travel spending in the U.S. this year from 2021, to nearly $213.4 billion. U.S. airline and hotel executives have touted a return of business travelers this year after many companies put trips on hold during the pandemic.

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