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☆ The Cathartic Value of Dame Edna’s Extravaganzas of Ego
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ben Brantley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Or Surreal Housewife, if you prefer. Her name was Edna Everage (just one vowel away from “average”), and her advent in the mid-20th century anticipated a brash new age of undeserved celebrity. “Oh, my prophetic soul,” she might have said, contemplating the constellation of self-anointed stars who occupy our attention these days. The line comes from “Hamlet.” But Edna was the kind of gal who could convince you that she had coined it all by herself. Dame Edna, as she became known from the early 1970s, was the inspired alter-ego of the sui generis performer Barry Humphries, who died on Saturday in Sydney, Australia.

☆ Welcome to the era of viral AI generated 'news' images
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

None of these things actually happened, but AI-generated images depicting them did go viral online over the past week. The images ranged from obviously fake to, in some cases, compellingly real, and they fooled some social media users. There are also concerns that AI-generated images could be used for harassment, or to further drive divided internet users apart. Eliot Higgins, founder and creative director of the investigative group Bellingcat, posted fake images of former President Donald Trump to Twitter last week. Many of the recent viral AI-generated images were created by a tool called Midjourney, a less than year-old platform that allows users to create images based on short text prompts.

☆ Welcome to the era of viral AI generated ‘news’ images
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

☆ 'A tough stock not to own.' Wall Street endorses Club name Nvidia, as it dominates AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Of 15 bank notes surveyed this week, 13 firms have a buy rating or equivalent on Nvidia, citing its AI capabilities. But, longer term, Nvidia's AI applications portend significant upside for the stock in the years to come. Raymond James Reiterated a strong buy rating – one level above buy — and price target of $290 per share. UBS The bank said its buy rating and $270-per-share price target are "under review pending further analysis." That's why the commentary in an analyst note or in a Club story is more relevant than any rating or price target.

☆ Putin makes surprise trip to Mariupol, first to occupied Donbas in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Lidia Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 19 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Mariupol, Russian state media reported on Sunday, in what would be the Kremlin leader's first trip to the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine's Donbas region since the start of the war. Putin flew by helicopter to Mariupol, Russian new agencies reported citing the Kremlin. The Organization for Security and Cooperation and Europe (OSCE) said Russia's early bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol was a war crime. In the Nevsky district of Mariupol, a new residential neighbourhood built by Russian military, Putin visited a family in their home, Russian media reported. Mariupol is in the Donetsk region, one of the four regions Putin moved in September to annex.

☆ I have a 6-figure side hustle as a user-generated-content creator. It only takes a few hours a week — here's how I scaled it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

I'm a creative director with a part-time gig as a user-generated-content, or UGC, creator. Between then and May 2016, I worked part time, lived at home, and built my UGC portfolio. I make my UGC ads feel naturalAlthough my UGC concepts are launched as ads, I make them feel like your friend posted it. As a UGC creator, you have to be aware of the latest social trends and nuances in marketing. What you choose to do after these gut punches is what separates the UGC creator who gave up after two weeks from the creator who makes four or five figures a month.

HONG KONG, March 8 (Reuters) - China has announced plans for a national data bureau, describing it as part of an effort to coordinate data resources in the country and to achieve a vision of "digital China" conceived by President Xi Jinping. Xi's vision for a "digital China" aims to see the country populated by smart, internet-connected cities and data treated alongside labour and capital as a key factor to drive the economy and help China compete more effectively globally. In December, China's top leadership published an outline of how China should develop basic data systems and utilize the country's data resources. Last week, they unveiled a new plan that aims for the country to lead digital development globally by 2035. Areas to watch include big data infrastructure, data processing, the digitization of government data as well as data encryption, they added.

☆ House Democrats push back against GOP bill to abolish IRS, impose national sales tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — Three Democrats in the U.S. House introduced a measure to push back against a controversial Republican tax proposal that would abolish the IRS, eliminate income taxes and impose a national sales tax. House Republicans introduced the Fair Tax Act in January shortly after Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, was voted in as speaker. The three Democrats introduced a House resolution opposing a national sales tax on working families and, instead, supporting a tax cut to benefit middle-class families. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who introduced the Fair Tax Act, said it would simplify the tax code. Pettersen said the sales tax would hurt the most those who are unable to save, such as seniors and low-income families.

☆ China plans to create new regulator for data governance -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 6 (Reuters) - China is planning to create a new government agency to centralise management of the country's vast stores of data, in a bid to address businesses' data-security practices and streamline its regulatory structure, the Wall Street Joural reported on Monday. The new national data bureau would set and enforce data-collection and sharing rules for businesses and decide whether multinational companies can export data generated by their operations in China, it said. It would also investigate various issues in the digital domain and identify data-security vulnerabilities that are prone to cyberattack, the newspaper reported. Chinese regulators recently eased some deadline pressure on multinational companies struggling to comply with new rules requiring them to seek approval to export user data. Reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's market regulator bars 21 entities in Axis mutual fund front-running case
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jayshree Pyasi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - India's market regulator on Tuesday issued interim orders in a case of alleged front-running at Axis Mutual Fund, while issuing show cause orders to a former mutual fund executive and related entities. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) directed that 21 entities be barred from the capital markets until further orders. The regulator conducted a probe in a case of front running in trades of Axis MF between September 2021 and March 31, 2022. The regulator alleged that Joshi conceived a 'fraudulent scheme' in 'collusion' with other 'unscrupulous entities' to front run trades of Axis MF. Further front-running trades were executed from trading accounts of the entities and persons indirectly connected to Joshi.

☆ How TV dinners changed American cooking, forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Kate Sammer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

American frozen food aisles wouldn't be as jam-packed if it wasn't for the TV dinner. Our desire for convenience in the kitchen has fueled a wave of food innovations, and it all began with the TV dinner. The TV dinner's promise of a hot-and-ready meal in under 25 minutes laid the groundwork for convenience-centric meal options to become the norm today. "Convenience foods are always going to be important for the consumer," said Phyllis Levy, the former executive director of new ventures at Campbell Soup Company . Watch this video to find out how TV dinners ushered in a new age of convenience in American kitchens, and how they led to a pandemic-era boom in frozen food sales.

☆ Home prices could drop 10% 'in many places' this year, said a 50-year real-estate veteran who's witnessed many booms and busts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One real-estate veteran sees the housing market cooling down further after a multiyear bull run. As prices fall, he added, there will also likely be a mass exodus of real-estate agents. For instance, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and Phoenix have all seen their median home prices decline by 10% or higher since the housing market peaked last year. Liniger, who in 1973 established ReMax, which now has 140,000 real-estate agents in 110 countries, has witnessed numerous economic peaks and valleys over his 50-year career in real estate. Real-estate agents may flee the industryHowever, the housing bust of 2008 led to severe attrition of real-estate agents, and that exodus from the industry could be repeated this time around, Liniger said.

☆ How a Houston real-estate agent who closed $28 million in deals in 2022 turned her broadcast news layoff into a lucrative new career
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Layne Van Vranken | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"I took my profession as a news anchor, my marketing skills, and leveraged everything I had and who I was, and I used that in real estate," Jang said. Here's how she built a business that's thrived through social media and organic marketing. My business is 70% referral from day one and 30% social media," she said. Jang also shares on social media what she does off the clock, like her overseas travel and fine dining. "'Lily's List' was just as important as social media for me in reaching potential clients."

☆ China’s property crash is prompting banks to offer mortgages to 70-year-olds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Some banks in the cities of Nanning, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Beijing have extended the upper age limit on mortgages to between 80 and 95, according to a number of state media reports. China’s property market is in the midst of a historic downturn. The mortgage borrower’s age plus mortgage length should not usually exceed 70 years, according to previous rules published by the banking regulator. Separately, a branch of Citic Bank has extended the upper age limit on its mortgages to 80, the paper said, citing a bank client manager. Other than Beijing, some banks in Nanning, the provincial capital of Guangxi province, have raised the upper age limit on mortgages to 80, according to the city’s official newspaper Nanguo Zaobao.

☆ Privacy Regulators Step Up Oversight of AI Use in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

European privacy regulators are intensifying their scrutiny of companies’ use of artificial intelligence, hiring experts and opening new units to crack down on data violations. “AI is appearing in all sectors,” said Kari Laumann, head of a division for research, analysis and policy at Norway’s data protection authority. The regulator’s office has worked with 64 companies to test AI initiatives under its supervision, in a program started in 2020. Regulators have fined companies for privacy failings in their AI applications in recent years, but European data protection officials and privacy analysts say it is still unclear how to apply some aspects of European privacy law to the technology. Mr. Jairaj said he expects the EU’s coming legislation to force companies to look closely at third-party suppliers of AI products.

☆ A GOP lawmaker wrote a one-sentence bill to abolish the Department of Education. His reasoning doesn't address student loans, grants, or any of the major things the department does.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The CBO previously said that getting rid of an agency would only cut spending if its programs were eliminated, as well. Last week, Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie introduced a bill to abolish the Education Department, and it's a short, one-sentence read: "The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2022." Congress recently approved a $1.7 trillion budget for the government, including $79.6 billion for the Education Department. Former President Donald Trump also said in 2015 that he'd consider getting rid of the department, saying it could be cut "way, way, way down." Reagan's efforts were clearly unsuccessful, given both of those agencies are operating at full capacity today, and millions of Americans are now relying on the Education Department's Federal Student Aid Office to facilitate the disbursement of federal student loans and grants.

☆ U.S. List of China Balloon Suppliers Hints at New Age in Surveillance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( James T. Areddy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Navy sailors recover the remains of the Chinese balloon off the South Carolina coast after vessel was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean. As the U.S. military retrieves debris from a Chinese balloon destroyed this month over the Atlantic Ocean, new indications are emerging from Washington of how high-tech components might have made Beijing’s program a spying threat. The Commerce Department on Friday named six Chinese enterprises as makers of balloon and airship equipment, which the agency alleged is connected to intelligence gathering by the People’s Liberation Army. The companies were added to a lengthy register of companies the U.S. aims to block from obtaining American high technology.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with New Age Wealth Advisors' Todd Gordon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with New Age Wealth Advisors' Todd GordonTodd Gordon, co-founder and director of investing for New Age Wealth Advisors, joins 'TechCheck' to break down Affirm Holdings, Robinhood and PayPal results.

☆ I am skeptical on Affirm Holdings' product right now, says New Age Wealth Advisors' Todd Gordon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailI am skeptical on Affirm Holdings' product right now, says New Age Wealth Advisors' Todd GordonTodd Gordon, co-founder and director of investing at New Age Wealth Advisors, joins 'TechCheck' to break down Affirm Holdings, Robinhood and PayPal results.

☆ U.S. Treasury bond yields rise — and stock markets fall — on January’s jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. The 2-year Treasury yield was trading at 4.485% after climbing more than 18 basis points. "Creative destruction" is the process by which existing practices are dismantled and replaced by new ones that increase productivity. Subscribe here to get this report sent directly to your inbox each morning before markets open.

The sharp contrast with Bolsonaro, who criticized environmental agents, was a relief to some scientists concerned that the retreating Amazon rainforest may be near a point of no return. Ibama's staffing and resources expanded in Lula's 2003-2010 presidency, when he managed to reduce Amazon deforestation by 72%. Rodrigo Agostinho, whom Lula tapped to run Ibama, told Reuters in an interview that the agency now has about 350 active field agents for all of Brazil. That is less than half what it had at the start of Bolsonaro's term and well below the 2,000 field agents at the peak of its powers, he added. Sidelining Ibama, Bolsonaro deployed the military to protect the Amazon, but their inexperience in conservation failed to lower deforestation while running up a massive bill.

☆ U.S. says Russia violating New START nuclear arms control treaty
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Delegates from Russia attend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York City, New York, U.S., August 1, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday accused Russia of violating the New START Treaty, the last major pillar of post-Cold War nuclear arms control between the two countries, saying Moscow was refusing to allow inspection activities on its territory. The two countries, which during the Cold War were constrained by a tangle of arms control agreements, still account together for about 90% of the world's nuclear warheads. "The New START Treaty remains in the national security interests of the United States," the spokesperson said. Asked if Moscow could envisage there being no nuclear arms control treaty after 2026, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA state new agency: "This is quite a possible scenario."

☆ I thought having a 4-year-old would be easier. I feel like I'm living with a teenager.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Abigale Berwager Schreier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But my 4-year-old acts like an angsty teen with a chip on his shoulder (minus the acne and body odor). I often feel verbally abused, manipulated, and not cool enough for him — and I'm a grown-up. Normal 4-year-old behaviorThey don't call it the "F-you 4s" for nothing, Alanna Gallo, an education and parenting expert and the founder of Play Learn Thrive, said. Red flags parents should look forWhile most of this behavior is normal, albeit frustrating, there is a point where you may need outside help. And don't worry, my 4-year-old doesn't actually hate me, and he'll stop calling me a "booty butt" — eventually.

President Joe Biden on Thursday is expected to criticize the fiscal proposals of House Republicans in his first major economic speech of the year, which he will deliver at a steamfitters union hall in Springfield, Virginia. Biden will talk about his goals of growing the U.S. economy with new factories and construction in communities across the country and creating well-paying jobs for the middle class that don’t require a four-year degree, a White House official said. Biden also is expected to announce a new “Invest in America” Cabinet comprised of the secretaries of commerce, labor, transportation, treasury, energy, and health and human services; the EPA administrator; and senior White House advisers, a White House official told NBC News. In his remarks, Biden will contend that the House GOP's economic agenda would pose a threat to the economy and the working class, the official said. Biden is expected to characterize the House GOP’s economic proposals as a “MAGA economic plan,” the White House official said — a reference to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” 2016 campaign slogan.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Todd Gordon on Big Tech earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Todd Gordon on Big Tech earningsTodd Gordon, New Age Wealth Advisors joins 'Tech Check' to discuss the communication services trade and why it isn't overbought. Todd also discusses Microsoft and the earnings on deck for the company.

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