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☆ Bud Light maker Anheuser-Busch to lay off hundreds of corporate staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An employee adjusts bottles of Bud Light beer at an Anheuser-Busch InBev facility in Virginia, Aug. 8, 2018. Beverage giant Anheuser-Busch InBev announced it will lay off hundreds of corporate employees as sales of its flagship lager Bud Light falter. Bud Light sales have sagged following a conservative boycott over its March Madness partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light had 7% market share during that same period, the data found. The firm also found Bud Light sales dropped 28% for the week ending June 24 when compared with the same period last year.

Persons: Bud Light, Busch, Brendan Whitworth, Bud, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, Bump Williams, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Bud Light's, —, Kevin Breuninger Organizations: Anheuser, Busch InBev, Beverage, CNBC, Busch, Constellation Brands, Modelo, Bud Light, Florida Gov, State Board of Administration, Mulvaney Locations: Virginia, U.S, Florida

His travel extended well outside of traditional hot spots for a primary campaign, including events in Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Now, DeSantis’ political operation says it is embracing his position as an underdog. But that leaves questions about one of the largest expenses on DeSantis’ first quarter fundraising reports: private travel. DeSantis’ campaign has paid nearly half a million dollars in travel expenses to a company that didn’t exist until two days before he launched his White House bid. In guidance to some donors and supporters, the campaign foreshadowed that they expect these interactions to show DeSantis’ “fiery” side.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Donald Trump, ’, Generra Peck, pollster Ryan Tyson, Sam Cooper, Ethan Eilon, Nick Iarossi, ”, ” Iarossi, Peck, “, Adam Putnam, Trump, it’s, ” Iarossi siad, Elon, N2024D, Scott Wagner, Andrew Romeo, Bud Light, Dylan Mulvaney, Fox, Laura Ingraham, Don’t, ” Ingraham, Bud, “ They’re Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, White, Trump, ”, N2024D, Tesla, New York Times, Republican, Fox, Disney, State Board of Education Locations: Florida, Utah, Park City, Tallahassee, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Georgia, jetset, Miami, South Carolina

☆ Here’s how Bud Light became the latest corporate bogeyman for Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Partnering with a young, popular trans woman could help a brand like Bud Light reach a more youthful demographic. But because Bud Light managed to alienate everyone, it hasn’t gotten the benefit of a buycott. In the week ending on July 8, Bud Light sales, by dollar, fell nearly 24% year-over-year, according to data provided by Williams. Others are more breezy, showing people enjoying Bud Light despite the inconveniences of summer (sunburn, thunderstorm). Bud Light is “coming back,” said Marcel Marcondes, AB InBev’s chief marketing officer, during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud, BUD, “, Mulvaney, Lamar Taylor, “ prudently, DeSantis, Taylor, Scott Olson, Bud Light’s, Dylan Mulvaney, Anheuser Bush, — Anheuser, Brendan Whitworth, ”, LIV, Rob Carr, buycotts, hasn’t, Bump Williams, Williams, Busch, Whitworth, ” Whitworth, Marcel Marcondes, ” Daniel Korschun, ” Korschun, Erin Reed, Elon Musk, he’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Florida Gov, Republican, Bud Light, Anheuser, Busch InBev, State Board of Administration, AB InBev, CNN, Busch, “ Anheuser, Gallup, — Anheuser Busch’s, America, Trump National Golf Club, Modelo Especial, InBev’s, Cannes Lions International, Creativity, Drexel University, InBev, Republicans, Target, Twitter, Tesla, Disney Locations: New York, Florida, Sterling , Virginia, Central Florida

Ron DeSantis has told his government to investigate whether Bud Light's parent company breached its duties to shareholders as a conservative backlash continues to rage over the beer brand's deal with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Shares of AB InBev are down about 2% this year, while the broader market is up. Sales of Bud Light have plummeted in the wake of conservative uproar and a boycott over the Mulvaney partnership. The firm also found Bud Light sales are down by about 25% from last year. Mulvaney has criticized Bud Light for not standing by her during the boycott.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Bud Light's, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, DeSantis, Lamar Taylor, Bud Light, Bump, Bud, there's, Florida's, Disney, Donald Trump's, Taylor, Mulvaney, I've Organizations: Florida, United, Israel Summit, Crystal Gateway Marriott, Florida Gov, Republican, State Board of Administration, SBA's, InBev, Constellation Brands, Especial, Anheuser, Busch InBev, CNBC, Fox, Disney, Trump, GOP, NBC Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Florida

☆ New Yorkers Got Broken Promises. Developers Got 20 Million Sq. Ft.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Urvashi Uberoy | Keith Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

These agreements allow developers to build larger towers and earn more revenue in exchange for providing public spaces. “Developers received something that was disproportionately valuable,” said Jerold S. Kayden, a lawyer and professor of urban planning and design at Harvard University and an advocate for keeping privately owned public spaces open to the public. Bonus Building Space The additional space that developers received is often far larger than the public spaces they provided. Here are the 392 buildings with privately owned public spaces. The violations fall under three main categories:Reduced Access In 2021, the plaza at 835 Sixth Avenue was fenced off.

Persons: Jonathan J, Miller, Richard J, Roddewig, ”, Jerold, Kayden, Gale Brewer, ” Ms, Brewer, “, Larry Silverstein, Mr, Silverstein, Melissa Grace, David Rubenstein Organizations: of Buildings, Advisory Services, “, Harvard University, New York’s Department of City Planning, Municipal Art Society of New, The Times, greenwich, madison, Database, New York City Department of City Planning, Department, Environmental, Buildings, Department of, Planning, City, The, of City Planning, Department of City Planning, Wall, Lincoln Center, Times, MANHATTAN BRONX, Yorkers, Real, Board, New, Google Locations: New York City, Central, Municipal Art Society of New York, pennsylvania, greenwich, lincoln, “, Manhattan, MANHATTAN BRONX QUEENS BROOKLYN, New York, AKAM, Brooklyn

☆ In California, a Math Problem: Does Data Science = Algebra II?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Amy Harmon | More About Amy Harmon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since 2020, California has led a contentious experiment in high school math. — loosened their admissions criteria, telling high schools that they would consider applicants who had skipped Algebra II, a cornerstone of math instruction. In its place, students could take data science — a mix of math, statistics and computer science without widely agreed upon high school standards. Allowing data science, the universities said, was an “equity issue” that could send more students to college. On Wednesday, the State Board of Education voted to remove its endorsement of data science as a substitute for Algebra II as part of new guidelines for K-12 schools.

Persons: —, Linda Darling, Hammond Organizations: State Board of Education Locations: California, Berkeley

☆ 'The Good Doctor' actor Hill Harper is inching toward a potential Senate bid in Michigan, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The actor Hill Harper is making moves toward a US Senate campaign launch in Michigan, per Politico. According to Politico, Harper, who lives in Detroit, is putting the final touches on a campaign launch that is still likely a few weeks away. "I think Hill getting in the race would be a really good thing for Michigan Democrats," Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton told Politico. Most major Democratic officials in the state passed on the race earlier this year, but the Democratic primary is not hurting for candidates. Besides Slotkin, the other announced Democratic candidates include former state Rep. Leslie Love, businessman Nasser Beydoun, Michigan State Board of Education president Pamela Pugh, and attorney Zack Burns.

Persons: Hill Harper, Harper, —, John Fetterman's, Elissa Slotkin, Sen, Debbie Stabenow, Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton, Harper —, Barack Obama, Harvard Law School —, Leslie Love, Nasser Beydoun, Pamela Pugh, Zack Burns, Nikki Snyder, Ezra Scott, Michael Hoover, Alexandria Taylor Organizations: Senate, Politico, Democratic, Allies, Service, CSI, Win Company, Michigan Democrats, Washtenaw County Sheriff, Brown University, Harvard Law School, President's, Slotkin, Michigan State, of, Republicans, of Education Locations: Michigan, Detroit, Pennsylvania, Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids , Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Washtenaw County, Berrien

☆ Abortion regulations and LGBTQ-related legislation among state laws taking effect Saturday
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —As several state legislative sessions have concluded or are drawing to a close, some of the high-profile legislation enacted by state lawmakers is just taking effect. Many states saw particularly polarizing sessions, with Democrats and Republican state lawmakers moving in opposite directions on abortion- and LGBTQ-related legislation. The legislation requires K-12 public schools to define sex as “an immutable biological trait,” and says it is “false” to use a pronoun other than the sex on a person’s birth certification. The bathroom ban applies in places such as public schools, prisons and state universities. Abortion restrictionsNorth CarolinaA federal judge on Friday cleared the way for North Carolina’s 12-week ban on most abortions to take effect Saturday.

Persons: “ Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida Teachers, of, Iowa Teenagers Locations: Dakota, South Dakota, Georgia, Florida, codifying, Carolina, Wyoming, Iowa

☆ Opinion | Is There Any Twinge of Regret Among the Anti-Abortion Justices?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Linda Greenhouse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Because Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that saluting the flag or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance amounts to worshiping secular authority, they prohibit their school-aged children from engaging in the practice. The decision upheld a Pennsylvania school district’s expulsion of a Jehovah’s Witness brother and sister. A mere three years later, even though the United States itself was now at war, the court reversed itself. “Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard,” he wrote in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette. The consequences of the decision were alarming, and the country paid close attention as the court took up the issue for reconsideration.

Persons: Robert Jackson, ”, Dobbs Organizations: West Virginia State, of Education, Minersville, Jackson, Health Organization Locations: Europe, United States, West Virginia

☆ How to Find a Real Estate Agent
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Aly J. Yale | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +15 min

According to the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, more than three million people hold active real estate licenses in the U.S. That’s a lot of people with a range of experience and expertise. That’d be “knowledge,” says Philip Hordijk, founder of real-estate brokerage Leven Real Estate. A note of caution: Think hard before choosing a friend or family member to help with a real estate transaction. Search online directories—with careThere are plenty of third-party real estate sites that offer agent directories, too, including Realtor.com and Zillow. Real-estate broker vs. agentThere is also a differentiation between a real-estate agent and a real-estate broker.

Persons: Aly J, ”, Jonathan Rundlett, “, Philip Hordijk, Kimberly Jay, I’m, ” Jay, Jeremy Kamm, ” Kamm, —, Jesse Sheldon, don’t, ” Hordijk, Christian Ross, Völkers, Desiree Avila, Charles Rutenberg, Johnny, you’re, ” Ross, Bret Weinstein, ” You’ll, you’ve, Sellers, Hordijk Organizations: Yale, Association of Real, License, National Association of Realtors, Compass, Real, Engel, Exxon Mobil, Houston Association of Realtors, NAR, News Corp, Street, Realtors Locations: U.S, Leven Real Estate, New York, New York City, Seattle, Fort Lauderdale, Avila, Houston, Denver, In Texas

☆ North Carolina governor declares 'state of emergency' over 'extreme' education bills introduced by the state's legislature
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Roy Cooper said on Monday that the state's education system is in a "state of emergency." Roy Cooper declared a "state of emergency" for its education system on Monday. "Public education powers our workforce, builds our businesses, and boosts our communities. "The current General Assembly is considering extreme legislation that would cripple our public education system." Instead, use public money for public schools."

☆ A Florida teacher says the state is investigating her for showing students the Disney movie 'Strange World,' which features an LGBTQ character
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A teacher in Florida says she is being investigated for showing her students "Strange World." "Strange World" features Disney's first openly LGBTQ lead character. Released in 2022, "Strange World" follows a family of explorers who travel through various jungles and other "uncharted" land. "Strange World" attracted backlash from conservatives after its release because one of the characters is Disney's first openly LGBTQ lead. Zee indicated in the tweet that his friend, a school teacher, was being investigated after showing their class "Strange World."

☆ CEOs thought the return to office debate was over. It looks like they were wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Other companies, too, could see reverberations if they enact similar policies, especially if the mandates feel arbitrary, human resources professionals say. That's why companies that want to bring workers back to the office need to focus on reconfiguring workspaces to foster additional collaboration. If your company hasn't yet, maybe don't 'mandate'Many companies are still ironing out their return-to-office policies. JustAnswer, an online source for professional information, has seen a 49% increase in questions related to return-to-office mandates and/or policies in its Employment Law category compared with May 2022. Companies should also evaluate whether across-the-board policies make sense, or whether in-office mandates should be implemented for certain functions only, Kogut said.

CNN —A US Army sergeant who was convicted of murdering a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 was sentenced to 25 years in prison Wednesday morning – even as Texas’ governor pushes to pardon him. In April, a Texas jury convicted Perry of murder but found him not guilty on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The governor can only pardon Perry if the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommends it, according to Texas law. And in a June 1, 2020, social media comment, Perry compared the Black Lives Matter movement to “a zoo full of monkeys that are freaking out flinging their sh*t,” the documents show. CNN reached out to the governor’s office for comment on the social media posts.

☆ Daniel Perry, convicted of murder for shooting a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally, will be sentenced today
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A US Army sergeant convicted of murdering a protester at Black Lives Matter rally is set to be sentenced Tuesday morning – amid moves from Texas’ governor to pardon him. Perry’s legal team argued his actions were justified as self-defense, saying Foster had approached Perry’s car with an assault-style rifle and motioned for Perry to lower his window. The governor can only pardon Perry if the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommends it, according to Texas law. Broden said Foster also made social media posts advocating for violence and supporting riots, most of which can’t be made public due to Texas discovery rules. CNN reached out to the governor’s office for comment on the social media posts.

☆ Toronto home prices rise for third month in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A for sale sign is displayed outside a home in Toronto, Ontario in Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 13, 2021. The average price of a GTA home rose to C$1.153 million ($846,425) in April, up 4% from March, Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) data showed on Wednesday. On a year-over-year basis, the average price remained lower, but the pace of decline slowed to 7.8% from 14.6% in March. The average price was 13.6% below the February 2022 peak. "Many buyers have come to terms with higher borrowing costs and are taking advantage of lower selling prices compared to this time last year," TRREB President Paul Baron said in a statement.

☆ Mayor Adams Walks a Tightrope in Lashing Out at Migrant Influx
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jeffery C. Mays | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Speaking recently to the city’s power brokers at the Real Estate Board of New York’s annual gala, Mayor Eric Adams tried to make the case that his administration had conquered some of the city’s most vexing problems. He had swept homeless encampments off the street and flooded the subways with police officers. But there remained one nagging and growing problem that has so far evaded solution: the influx of more than 59,000 migrants since last spring. “Remove the $4.6 billion problem we have in asylum seekers,” Mr. Adams said, “and you will see one of the best administrations in budgeting taxpayer dollars in the history of this city.”In his 16 months as mayor, Mr. Adams has become known for latching onto a particular issue and using it to propel his agenda. His constant focus on shootings and crime, and even on the city’s ubiquitous presence of rats, have become symbols of his fight against disorder.

☆ The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Simone Pathe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

The GOP needs a net gain of one or two seats to flip the chamber, depending on which party wins the White House in 2024, and it’s Democrats who are defending the tougher seats. Jim Justice announcing his Senate bid in West Virginia – the seat most likely to flip party control in 2024. In a presidential year, the national environment is likely to loom large, especially with battleground states hosting key Senate races. Two businessmen with the ability to tap into or raise significant resources could be in the mix – Eric Hovde, who lost the GOP Senate nomination in 2012, and Scott Mayer. Still, unseating Cruz in a state Trump won by nearly 6 points in 2020 will be a tall order.

CNN —From statehouses to the presidential campaign trail, Republicans are escalating their political attacks on transgender people – a reflection of what they see as a cultural fight their base is eager to wage. And in recent days, those attacks have turned into new forms of mockery and political retribution, as Republicans seek to turn transgender rights into a flashpoint by seizing on social media controversies and exercising their rule-making power in statehouses where they hold large majorities. “A lot of young trans people are worried that their medication is going to get pulled,” she said of legislation targeting health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. Transgender rights activists protest outside the House chamber at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City on February 6, 2023. That is not a transgender person,” Haley said of Mulvaney as the crowd nodded.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks attract millions of visitors each year. "Disney now is forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment," the company said. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in Florida, had been enjoying unfair advantages for decades. Carlos Curbelo, a former U.S. Republican congressman from Miami, said DeSantis' attacks on Disney "made sense for a time." Florida's new oversight body on Wednesday said Disney's plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney's virtual autonomy in central Florida where the Disney World theme parks are located and attract millions of visitors each year. In the action filed in federal court in Tallahassee, Disney said it had no choice but to take legal action. DeSantis has argued that Disney, which employs roughly 75,000 people in the Florida, had been operating with unfair advantages for decades. Carlos Curbelo, a former U.S. Republican congressman from Miami, said DeSantis' attacks on Disney "made sense for a time." Florida's new oversight board on Wednesday said Disney's plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

I love writing about personal finance, but personal responsibility isn't the be-all and end-all. How disability shapes my family's finances »Demographic disparities persist through educationLike all areas of education, financial education suffers from disparities in school funding, which exacerbate racial inequality. As one instructor told the USBE auditors, "Financial literacy is critical to the financial wellbeing of our country. Financial education is under-resourced and undersupportedThe problems with financial education aren't surprising, given the lack of attention the subject receives from decision-makers. I'm glad I ignored mainstream financial advice »Financial literacy needs to include our history of inequalityPersonal finance media, gurus, and educators love to tout financial literacy as the missing puzzle piece to the American dream.

☆ Disney and DeSantis have been in a year-long feud that began after the company spoke out against a controversial bill. Here's a timeline of the events.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The feud began after the entertainment giant spoke out last March against a controversial piece of legislation critics have called the Don't Say Gay bill. The state Board of Education voted on Wednesday to expand that law to cover grades 4 to 12. The new district board also is considering more inspection regulations, building workforce affordable housing on land that borders the resort and theme park, and selling the district-owned utilities. It was the first time the board met since the revelation of the agreement between the prior district board members and Disney. On April 19, the state board approved a ban on classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for all grades, including grades 4-12.

☆ Disney and DeSantis have been in a yearlong feud that began after the company spoke out against a controversial bill. Here's a timeline of the events.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

After a yearlong feud, Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging that the Florida governor tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. The state Board of Education voted on Wednesday to expand that law to cover grades four to 12. Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, our state has seen record growth in jobs, GDP, and net domestic in-migration. It was the first time the board met since the revelation of the agreement between the prior district board members and Disney. On April 19, the state board approved a ban on classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for all grades, including grades four through 12.

☆ Fact Check-Kansas trans sports bill does not authorize ‘genital inspections of children’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters reported on March 9 (here) that the Kansas Republican legislature passed a bill banning transgender athletes from competing in female school sports if they were born male. The bill banned transgender girls and women from female sports teams in public elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges, and from private school teams that compete against public schools. Bill HB 2238 (here) restricts “participation on women’s teams to female students” and provides a basis for legal action if the act is violated. Nothing in the bill specifies how the biological sex of the students is to be determined. The Kansas bill HB 2238 does not contain any reference to genital inspections of student athletes, nor does it specify how state education groups should implement the new law restricting participation in girls’ sports teams.

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