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☆ Electric cars are too expensive because Americans insist on having more car than they need
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But Americans love SUVs and trucks, and they're going to have to pay for them in the near term. A lot of prospective EV buyers just haven't yet found the types of EVs they're looking for. They don't necessarily need more luxury electric sedans — they want the trucks and SUVs they're used to. A recent study found most car-buyers don't want to spend more than $50,000 to go EV, but they also want electric trucks and SUVs that inherently cost more. Bigger vehicles are often just more expensive, largely because they require bigger batteries — the most expensive part of these new EVs.

☆ You don't need an electric vehicle with a long range — buy one you can afford instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many prospective electric car buyers worry about an EV's range, or how far it goes on a charge. But with new battery tech and more available charging, range shouldn't be a prime factor. But some experts say that in picking the right electric car, that last question of range is becoming less important — and less helpful. That's because in reality, most drivers don't need long-range EVs. "You don't need batteries that go 800 miles when it's convenient and easy and quick to recharge every 300 miles.

☆ Brewing EV Pricing War Could Be Great for Car-Buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A pricing battle could accelerate EV adoption, but automakers will have to sacrifice profits. Today's pricing war (coupled with new federal EV tax credits) could boost demand, helping automakers to boost volume, further helping with cost. The problem lies in profitabilityBut Tesla and Ford's price cuts mean they'll deprioritize profitability for the time being, and that worries industry analysts. "The current EV price cuts appear to defy logic… This will make the unprofitable low-return EV business that much more challenging until massive scale is achieved." "We view the price war as being good for consumers and it should help with overall EV sales and adoption," Nelson said.

☆ The US's powerful Abrams tanks are heading to Ukraine, but generals disagree over how hard it'll be to use them on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

The US has pledged to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, joining a bevy of Western-made tanks. Here comes the M1 Abrams for UkraineA M1A2 Abrams tank fires at a target during an exercise. The same day, word spread that US President Joe Biden would announce he was sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. But Hertling disagreed that withholding the M1 Abrams was a "political decision" and didn't find the examples of non-US Abrams operators persuasive. M1 Abrams: training and sustainmentAn M1A2 Abrams drives into the woods during an exercise in Hohenfels, Germany.

Maike's absence has encouraged some direct trade between sellers and buyers in the market but they face challenges. Fitch Solutions expects China's copper consumption to rise 4.4% this year, after just 1.5% growth in 2022. Anti-pandemic restrictions had also prolonged smelter maintenance and curtailed copper production growth last year, especially in the Guangdong area. Some smelters there have hiked their offers for 2023 copper premiums to 300 yuan a tonne, up from 200 yuan a tonne last year, a Shanghai-based trader said. While Maike's disappearance from the import market has been blamed for disrupting supplies and pricing, China's refined copper imports increased 6.6% in 2022, according to customs data.

☆ NYC bike path killer convicted, could face the death penalty
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the New York City truck attack is seen in this handout photo released November 1, 2017. An Islamic extremist who killed eight people with a speeding truck in a 2017 rampage on a popular New York City bike path was convicted Thursday of 28 federal crimes and could face the death penalty. A death sentence for Saipov, a citizen of Uzbekistan, would be an extreme rarity in New York. A federal jury in New York has not rendered a death sentence that withstood legal appeals in decades, with the last execution in 1954. Saipov's lawyers have said the death penalty process was irrevocably tainted by former President Donald Trump, who tweeted a day after the attack that Saipov "SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!"

After finding Sayfullo Saipov guilty of committing murder with the goal of joining the militant group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, the Manhattan jury will return on Feb. 6 to consider whether the death penalty is appropriate punishment. The only point of contention between prosecutors and Saipov's lawyers was whether the defendant carried out the attack in order to join Islamic State, which the United States brands a terrorist organization. These included murder and attempted murder to gain entrance to Islamic State, providing material support to a terrorist organization, and damage or destruction of a motor vehicle. The U.S. Department of Justice said in September that it intends to seek the death penalty for Saipov, despite a moratorium on federal executions since July 2021 as the department reviews the practice. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler, Bill Berkrot and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

As with castmates Michelle Yeoh, nominated for best actress, and Ke Huy Quan, nominated for best supporting actor, Stephanie Hsu’s name drew particular applause during her category’s announcement. Notably, after Campion became just the third woman to ever win best director at last year’s ceremony, not a single female director was nominated this time around. Overall, the lesbian power-trip flick made a lesser showing than the Daniels’ queer kung-fu film. But its six nominations included spots in the evening’s biggest categories, including best picture, best cinematography, best original screenplay and, predictably, best actress. But an Oscar for best actor would be the ultimate prize in what has been a victorious comeback tour for the former heartthrob, following his decadelong, virtual exodus from Hollywood.

☆ New electric cars come with a built-in mystery: Nobody can predict their resale value
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But it's hard to say exactly how a used EV depreciates without much historical data. There are many things to consider when evaluating a used EV. Nobody knows how much a used EV is worthThe way that used luxury and non-luxury gas-powered vehicles depreciate might not necessarily apply to used electric cars because of several caveats, according to Edmunds analysts. What data we do have on used EV sale prices may not apply to the cars coming out now. There isn't much used EV data available to know how an EV might depreciate.

The Sundance Film Festival has long been known for premiering some of the most original — and ultimately the most award-winning — indie titles of the year. As the most notable international film festivals increasingly feature queer titles in their lineups, it’s no surprise that much of the exciting content premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival comes from LGBTQ filmmakers or features queer themes. The Premieres sectionAs usual, many of the year’s most high-profile films, including those from queer creators and featuring queer storylines, are coming out of the festival’s Premieres section. Courtesy of Sundance InstituteEnglert’s film will screen in the world cinema dramatic section alongside queer films “Girl,” from U.K. filmmaker Adura Onashile, and “Mamacruz,” from Spanish director Patricia Ortega. The list of LGBTQ creators and titles doesn’t end there, making this perhaps the most significant Sundance Film Festival for queer cinema yet.

☆ FedEx is slashing more Sunday deliveries, bolstering critics who say the strategy was a costly mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The company will end Sunday service in more zip codes to add to the savings, per an internal memo. Sunday service has been a pain point for both FedEx Ground and its 6,000 delivery contractors. A FedEx spokesperson told Insider via email that it will continue Sunday deliveries for "more than 50% of the U.S. population, primarily in densely populated areas with proven customer demand." Sunday service has been a point of tension for FedEx and the 6,000 delivery contractors that make doorstep deliveries for FedEx Ground, since many say demand for the service doesn't justify its cost. Multiple FedEx delivery contractors told Insider previous cuts to Sunday service made a noticeable positive difference in the health of their businesses.

Once considered taboo in film and television, gay entertainers and characters will be hard to miss at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. Some of the evenings most nominated films — including sci-fi dramedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and psychological thriller “Tár,” — and TV series that include “The White Lotus” and “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” — star LGBTQ actors or feature fictional queer characters. And to top off the evening, the Golden Globes will honor gay television writer and producer Ryan Murphy, perhaps best known for co-creating “Glee,” “Pose” and the “American Horror Story” franchise, with a lifetime achievement award. While this year’s pool of Golden Globe nominees ups the awards ceremony’s queer factor, many of the most anticipated wins involve seemingly straight actors playing queer characters. The Golden Globes airs on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.

☆ Explainer: How strained China-Australia relations hit trade in coal, barley, beef and wine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - China is resuming coal trade with Australia after a three-year halt following strained relations between the two countries over wider issues. Aside from coal, exports of barley, beef, cotton, wine, lobsters and grapes were all hit with restrictions of varying degrees during 2020. China issued verbal instructions to buyers to avoid Australian goods such as coal and cotton, and imposed anti-dumping tariffs on barley and wine. The barley trade with the world's biggest beer maker had previously amounted to between A$1.5 billion ($1.01 billion) and A$2 billion a year. Winemakers in South Africa have seen demand boom, while barley exports from France, Canada, Argentina and Ukraine to China also surged.

☆ Aldi is the US's fastest-growing grocery chain and more middle-income households are shopping there. Here are the no-frills tactics that help make it so cheap.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

More middle-income households are shopping there, lured by low prices and Aldi's "treasure hunt" approach. Smaller properties are cheaper to buy and maintain, and Aldi has said that its store layout enables "quick and easy shopping." Monford added that consumers "don't mind" that products aren't taken out of their boxes because they're shopping at Aldi for value. Campbell said the Aldi stores near her generally had just four or five aisles. Vadakkepatt said Aldi's stores have fewer employees and shorter hours than at other chains.

In TV, the top 10 list ranges from the indefinable second season of “The White Lotus” to laugh-out-loud comedies and smoldering fantasy shows. “Catch the Fair One” is available on Hulu and various video-on-demand platforms. “Paris, 13th District” is available on Amazon Prime Video and various video-on-demand platforms. “Peter Von Kant” is available on various video-on-demand platforms. “Tár” is available on various video-on-demand platforms.

☆ China must raise self-reliance in agricultural technology, Xi says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Dec 25 (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping wants China to accelerate efforts to achieve self-reliance in agricultural technology, identifying seed development and core equipment among areas to focus on, state media reported. "It is necessary to keep an eye on the frontiers of the world's agricultural science and technology," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying at the central rural work conference held in Beijing over Friday and Saturday. The President urged China's agricultural sector to "vigourously improve" its science and technology, with more efficient innovation. Xi urged the sector to address issues with innovation, such as the rate of conversion into commercial applications and a lack of cooperation between research teams. Reporting by Dominique Patton, Roxanne Liu and Bernard Orr Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FedEx is frantically cutting billions in costs as its pandemic success evaporates
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This time last year, the company said it had reached a turning point and would achieve a level of profitability not seen since the first rush of pandemic e-commerce packages. FedEx's Ground business, which makes everyday e-commerce deliveries in the US, struggled to a lesser degree. FedEx's operational missteps, combined with ballooning fuel and labor costs, created unrest among Ground delivery contractors and boosted costs across the company. Spencer Patton tried to unite FedEx contractors. A few big-time FedEx contractors have a new plan to boost struggling delivery outfits.

☆ China's cities battle first wave of COVID surge as wider spread looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China is currently in the first of an expected three waves of COVID cases this winter, according to the country's chief epidemiologist, Wu Zunyou. China reported some 2,097 new symptomatic COVID infections on Dec. 17. In Beijing, the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has already hit services from catering to parcel deliveries. A third wave of cases would run from late February to mid-March as people returned to work after the holiday, Wu said. He said those in the community that are vulnerable should be protected, while recommending booster vaccines for the general public.

In the mid-1990s, revelations that Israel may have shared U.S. fighter technology with China led Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wisc., to sponsor an amendment banning the not-yet-in-service F-22 stealth fighter from being exported. Unfortunately, this contributed to a negative outcome for the U.S. as well as its potential foreign partners. It’s true some U.S. defense partners maintain significant partnerships with potential military adversaries or may use U.S. arms in objectionable ways. If that happens, it could become impossible to rebuild domestic fighter production capacity fast enough to respond to a crisis. But it’s good for U.S. national security when our allies and partners retain an independent defense technology base rather than allowing their indigenous industries to atrophy.

Editor’s note: This article includes spoilers for “The White Lotus” season 2. “He kept saying, ‘Sabrina, the more bitchy you are, the more it’s going to work.’ And I really trusted him.”Sabrina Impacciatore in "The White Lotus." Jennifer Coolidge accepts the Emmy for her performance in season 1 of "The White Lotus." The brief, moan-filled love scene that follows gets about as close to a life-affirming event as an overnight stay at the White Lotus can. I was inventing magic rituals — literally, inventing rituals to get the role, to have Mike White in my life.

☆ Mongolians brave bitter cold to protest 'coal theft' corruption
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

people shouted at the government building on Sukhbaatar square on Thursday. The government promised on Wednesday to investigate and punish "coal thieves" and named 10 officials under investigation. "People who steal public funds should be held accountable just as someone who commits a crime is held responsible. Authorities first began investigating coal theft nine years ago, said Oyungerel Tsedevdamba, a former member of parliament and founder of the Civic Unity Party. Another public hearing on the coal theft will be held on Dec. 21.

☆ Mongolians clash with police in protest against inflation and graft
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ULAANBAATAR, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Mongolian protesters clashed with police as they tried to storm parliament after thousands gathered in freezing temperatures to demonstrate against soaring inflation and government corruption. Demonstrators clashed with police on Monday in front of the Government Palace where parliament sits. [1/5] Protesters take part in a demonstration against soaring inflation and government corruption on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia December 5, 2022. Rentsendorj 1 2 3 4 5Some later jostled violently with police as they tried to storm the building. Reporting by Bilguun Chadraabal and Josh Arslan; Writing by Dominique Patton; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

“Spoiler Alert” opened in U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “Women Talking” opened in select U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “The Whale” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 9. “Babylon” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23.

☆ China's LONGi denies circumventing U.S. tariffs on solar panels
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Chinese solar panel maker LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd (601012.SS) said on Monday it will provide evidence to show it is complying with U.S. laws after the U.S. Department of Commerce found it to be circumventing tariffs. The United States will impose new duties on imports from LONGi and three other Chinese solar panel makers, trade officials said on Friday, after an investigation found in a preliminary determination issued last week they were trying to dodge tariffs by finishing products in Southeast Asian countries. During this period, we will actively provide evidence that shows we are compliant with U.S. trade law and not circumventing," LONGi said in a statement sent to Reuters. BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ), Trina Solar Co Ltd(688599.SS) and Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ.O), also named in the preliminary determination, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. LONGi said it was working on increasing the strategic layout of its global operations, including improving its manufacturing and supply chain for the U.S. market.

“Spoiler Alert,” the new film based on entertainment journalist Michael Ausiello’s heartbreaking 2017 memoir, certainly doesn’t have a storybook ending. The film, directed by Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”), closely follows “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” which Ausiello wrote in the wake of his husband Kit Cowan’s death from colorectal cancer, at age 42. Even watching the movie now, it’s still a bit of a head trip to see it.”From left, Ben Aldridge, Jim Parsons, Sally Field and Bill Irwin in "Spoiler Alert." But, in general, these moments — and even the comedic stylings of Sally Field — aren’t able to distract from the inherent sadness of “Spoiler Alert” for very long. “I want them to have their own experience seeing the movie,” Ausiello said of audience members.

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