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☆ Is Aretha Franklin’s True Will the One Found in the Couch or a Cabinet?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At issue in the trial is which document best reflects Franklin’s wishes before she died, at age 76, of pancreatic cancer. Two of her sons, Edward and Kecalf Franklin, assert that the document found in a spiral notebook under the couch cushions, which is dated March 2014 and substantially favors Kecalf, should be considered primary. Another son, Ted White Jr., contends that the papers found in the cabinet, dated June 2010, should take precedence. As a result, they will not be taking a side in the trial, said Joseph Buttiglieri, a lawyer for Clarence Franklin’s guardian. The total estate was estimated at about $18 million after she died, Mr. Smith said, though another appraisal suggested the figure might be lower.

Persons: Edward, Kecalf Franklin, Ted White Jr, Clarence Franklin, Joseph Buttiglieri, Clarence Franklin’s, Franklin, Smith Locations: Michigan

☆ Payrolls rose by 209,000 in June, less than expected, as jobs growth wobbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nonfarm payrolls increased 209,000 in June and the unemployment rate was 3.6%, the Labor Department reported Friday. Employment growth eased in June, taking some steam out of what had been a stunningly strong labor market. A more encompassing unemployment rate that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons rose to 6.9%, the highest since August 2022. "This is a strong labor market where demand for higher paying jobs is clearly the trend," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM. The June report "suggests labor market conditions are finally beginning to ease more markedly," wrote Andrew Hunter, deputy chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

Persons: Nonfarm, Dow, downwardly, payrolls, Seema Shah, Joseph Brusuelas, Andrew Hunter Organizations: Labor Department, Dow Jones, Asset Management, ADP, Blacks, of Labor Statistics, RSM, Capital Economics

☆ Welcome to the Age of the Cage Match
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Joseph Bernstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That would be Elon Musk versus Mark Zuckerberg in Las Vegas, or maybe the Colosseum in Rome. The rival tech billionaires are inching toward a cage match, brokered by Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. And for an undercard, how about a sitting U.S. senator versus a union boss? In case that’s not enough testosterone, perhaps some feats of strength are in order. On Thursday, the Democratic representative of New York posted to Twitter a video of himself bench-pressing 405 pounds.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Dana White, Markwayne Mullin, Sean O’Brien, O’Brien, ”, Robert Kennedy Jr, Jeff Bezos, Jamaal Bowman Organizations: Elon, Oklahoma Republican, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Twitter, Democratic, New Locations: Las Vegas, Rome, Oklahoma, Venice Beach, New York

☆ How a record-setting 'Ugly Baby' mission allowed US special operators to outmaneuver Iraqi forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US special-operations forces wanted to infiltrate northern Iraq to tied down Iraqi forces there. Operation Ugly BabyA map of the Ugly Baby mission route along Iraq's western border on March 22, 2003. US Green Berets in an MC-130H heading to Iraq during Operation Ugly Baby on March 22, 2003. A US special-operations aircraft that was forced land by enemy fire during Operation Ugly Baby in March 2003. In all, Task Force Viking numbered about 400 special operators, including elite Delta Force commandos, Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group, and frogmen from the UK's Special Boat Service.

Persons: —, Saddam Hussein, Elwell, JOSEPH BARRAK, Baby, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Operation, US, Allies, US Army, Operation Iraqi, NATO, Turkish, Special Forces, Green Berets, Air, Special Operations Squadron, Detachment Alpha, Air Force, Task Force, US Army 173rd Airborne Brigade, Getty, Delta Force, 10th Special Forces Group, CIA, Republication Guard, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Iraq, Operation Iraqi, Baghdad, reorienting, Turkey, Kurdish, Turkish, Romania, Jordan, Syria, Erbil, AFP, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Johns

☆ Kenyan starvation cult suspect dies in custody after hunger strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A Kenyan accused of involvement in the deaths of hundreds of members of a starvation cult has died after a 10-day hunger strike in police custody, a prosecutor said on Wednesday. Joseph Buyuka was among 30 people, including self-styled pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church, in custody over the deaths of 337 followers of the church. Authorities have exhumed most of the bodies from the forest in southeast Kenya since April. “He died …(due to) … complications from hunger strike and starvation, but we will await postmortem report,” Yamina told a court in Mombasa. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki had expressed concern in May that some of Mackenzie’s rescued followers were refusing food.

Persons: CNN —, Joseph Buyuka, Paul Mackenzie, …, Buyuka, Jami Yamina, “, ” Yamina, ” Mackenzie, Kithure Kindiki, Mackenzie’s Organizations: CNN, Good News International Church, Police Locations: Shakahola, Kenya, Malindi, Mombasa, “

☆ The Dad Canon (Circa Now)
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Joseph Bernstein | June | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

But to be honest, it didn’t really make me feel like a dad, let alone the number one dad. Neither had I), I’ve come to see the old dad ways a little more sympathetically, and with some measure of recognition. Still, the touchstones of Boomer dad culture have outlived their descriptive usefulness for younger generations. What, we might ask, is dad culture in 2023? Finally, the new dad culture has definitely not found it necessary to put away childish things.

Persons: gamely, didn’t, I’m, George W.S, Trow, I’ve, Boomer, —, There’s Organizations: Father’s, Star Locations: American

☆ Bad news for the Fed: American workers are becoming less productive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But what does the Fed mean when it talks about labor markets and their impact on inflation? What’s happening: At its most basic level, labor productivity is a measure of the value of the goods and services produced by a company compared with the amount of labor used to produce that output. Labor productivity decreased 2.1% in the first quarter of 2023, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this month. The silver lining: The good news is technological innovations typically drive upturns in productivity and AI could be such an innovation. Absolutely not,” Yellen said, echoing the joint statement leaders from the Group of Seven made at last month’s summit in Japan.

Persons: Lisa Shalett, ”, Lisa Cook, Joseph Brusuelas, Sundar Pichai, aren’t, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Richard Blumenthal, “, Doug McMillon, Roger McNamee, Steven Spielberg, Vito Corleone, Janet Yellen, ” Yellen, Elisabeth Buchwald, Yellen, Biden Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN — Federal Reserve, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Fed, Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, McKinsey Global Institute, Federal, RSM US, of America, Google, Yale School, Management’s, Leadership Institute, Walmart, Technology, Financial, International Monetary Fund, Inter, American Development Bank group’s, African Development Fund, IMF Locations: New York, United States, Michigan, Connecticut, China, Japan

☆ Opinion: How to respond to anti-LGBTQ hate this Pride month
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Opinion Allison Hope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I promise there are some simple and immensely helpful ways in which LGBTQ people and allies can take action in June and every month. Don Arnold/Getty ImagesIf you don’t know where to begin with lobbying, look to an LGBTQ or civil rights group doing the hard work on the ground. Commit to learning and teaching: Even members and strong allies of the LGBTQ community can benefit from fresh learning. After all, the LGBTQ community is anything but a monolith — there are so many diverse forms of representation and a landscape that is quickly evolving. It’s also not a bad time to support brands that are supportive of the LGBTQ community.

Persons: Allison Hope, Read, Allison, ”, isn’t, ” Melanie Willingham, “, they’re, Octavio Jones, allyship, —, Don Arnold, Virginia Woolf’s, Orlando ”, Dorian Gray ”, Oscar Wilde, Janet Mock’s, ” Young, Maia Kobabe’s, Juno Dawson, Jessica Love, Wilhelmina ”, Joseph Belisle, It’s, Ron DeSantis, intersectionality, let’s Organizations: New Yorker, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Slate, Allison Hope, Tampa Pride, Getty, Progress, Florida Capitol, Sydney Opera House, Volunteer, Reading, Florida Gov, Twitter, Facebook Locations: New, Florida, Tampa, Tallahassee, Australia, Virginia, Paisley, America

☆ Arnold Schwarzenegger explains in Netflix docuseries how he told wife about his secret son, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —It sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger struggled to tell his then wife Maria Shriver about his secret son with their housekeeper Mildred Baena. According to The Sun, Schwarzenegger revealed how the bombshell came out that Joseph Baena, now 25, was his son. “One day, the counselor said, ‘Today Maria wants to be very specific about something,’” Schwarzenegger reportedly says. The affair with Mildred Baena happened in 1996. “It was then just a matter of, ‘How do you keep this quiet?’”CNN has reached out to reps for Schwarzenegger and Shriver for comment.

Persons: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver, Mildred Baena, Schwarzenegger, Joseph Baena, Shriver, Maria, ’ ” Schwarzenegger, Joseph ’, ‘, Joseph, ’, Baena, John, ” Schwarzenegger, “ Arnold ”, ” Organizations: CNN, Netflix Locations: California

☆ Mark Zuckerberg Would Like You to Know About His Workouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Joseph Bernstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Picture Mark Zuckerberg. Perhaps you envision the Meta boss and Facebook founder in a gray T-shirt, spotlighted on a Silicon Valley stage. Possibly Jesse Eisenberg, the bony actor who played the fledgling tycoon in “The Social Network” (2010), appears in your mind’s eye. But it’s unlikely you conjure anything like the image Mr. Zuckerberg posted to Instagram (which Meta owns) and Facebook on Monday. He also looks completely focused, like a guy in a Michael Bay movie who just finished a dangerous mission, or at least the Raya profile picture of the actor who plays that guy.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg, Zuckerberg, Michael Organizations: Social Network, Meta, Facebook

☆ Cool Tribal Tattoo. Is It From the ’90s?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Joseph Bernstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Sometimes there will be a week of nothing but tribal,” said Mr. Bast, 30, whose long hair and neo-Deadhead style give him the look of an Online Ceramics model. Just as those seeking tribal tattoos 20 and 30 years ago were drawn to the aesthetics of an exoticized, ancient culture, so too are many of the new, Gen Z tribal fans: specifically, to the years 1997 to 2004, and their curious folkways. That is the cultural period Aesthetics Wiki defines as “Y2K,” an era that is in the process of being strip-mined by cool internet people under 30 for outfit ideas, design trends and general vibes. “The street culture pages on social media are relentless in the way they upload ’90s and 2000s content,” said Lewis James Dixon, who runs Cold Archive, a social media research firm and brand consultancy. For some of these customers — and some of the tattoo artists — a dash of authentic ’90s bad taste is the whole idea.

☆ How to invest in the S&P 500 — a guide to the funds that mimic the influential index's makeup and moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Martin Daks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

After tracking the S&P 500 from 1965 to 2021, Berkshire Hathaway found the compound annual gain in the S&P 500 was 10.5%. In the case of S&P 500 index funds, the stocks are those of the companies listed in the S&P 500. With 500+ stocks in their portfolio, S&P 500 funds are especially diversified, their securities representing a range of industries. With 500+ stocks in their portfolio, S&P 500 funds are especially diversified, their securities representing a range of industries. The diversified, passive approach of S&P 500 funds — like most index funds — means an investor's downside is generally limited.

☆ How TikTok sensation Squishmallows found Warren Buffett
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

May 13 (Reuters) - Squishmallows joined Warren Buffett's business empire two years after Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and others helped make the plush stuffed toys a viral sensation on TikTok. They married in 1993 and embarked on law careers, but Judd Zebersky soon realized that wasn't his destiny. Laura Zebersky, a litigator, sold her practice in 2005 and joined him, becoming Jazwares' president. "This was a brand that needed a lot of love," Judd Zebersky said. "Greg is exactly what we have all learned about the Berkshire model," Laura Zebersky said.

☆ ‘Don’t freak out’: Notes from defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A note from the defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial. A note from the defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial. In one note, however, someone at the defense table took issue with prosecutors’ characterization of the Proud Boys marches. A note from the defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial. It’s unclear what the doodle refers to, though the Proud Boys have adopted the rooster as a symbol.

☆ Fed survey: Banks are tightening up their lending standards after rate hikes, turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Survey respondents attributed the changes in lending standards to economic uncertainty, a reduced appetite for risk, deterioration in collateral values and broader concerns about banks’ funding costs and liquidity positions, according to the Fed report. At the time, banks expected that trend of tightening credit, waning demand and deteriorating loan quality would continue. Fed president: Central bank should weigh effectsFederal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said in an interview with Yahoo! Fed officials, including Chair Powell, have previously noted that credit tightening could act similarly to a rate hike. A ‘salient risk’Separately on Monday, the Fed released its semi-annual Financial Stability Report, which assesses the resilience of the US financial system.

☆ Scientists used DNA to unlock who wore a 25,000-year-old pendant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyA deer tooth pendant has revealed details about the woman who wore it between 19,000 and 25,000 years ago. The groundbreaking analysis by a team of European researchers marks the first time scientists have successfully isolated ancient human DNA from a Stone Age artifact. Gregory BretonWith large ears and adorable faces, sand cats went viral seven years ago when their kittens were photographed in the wild for the first time. Although smaller than domestic cats, sand cats live in harsh environments with scorching heat, hunt venomous Saharan horned vipers and rely on blood from prey as a source of water. To unravel the many mysteries of sand cats, researchers tracked 22 of the felines that had been fitted with radio collars for four years.

☆ Donald Trump: Fresh January 6 convictions raise the stakes for the former president
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The first scene of his reelection announcement video released last month showed smoke rising over the US Capitol and rioters with Trump flags. The legal complications facing Trump and GarlandGiven the fraught situation, the Justice Department’s next moves will be hugely significant. Thursday’s Proud Boys convictions are among the most significant of hundreds of successful Justice Department prosecutions of people linked to the US Capitol riot. So while a prosecution of Trump and his closest political associates over January 6 could be tough, it may not be impossible. So for now, at least with GOP primary voters, what doesn’t convict Trump, makes him stronger.

☆ What the April jobs report means for you, your employer, and the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Minneapolis CNN —High prices, rising interest rates and banking uncertainty be damned: The US labor market is still chugging right along. “The American labor market right now is simply unstoppable,” RSM economist Joseph Brusuelas wrote in a note Friday. “This is what a soft landing would look like, with job growth gradually slowing to a more sustainable pace,” Faucher added. The milestone comes just three years after the Covid-19 pandemic caused mass layoffs that pushed the Black unemployment rate as high as 16.8%. “Make no mistake, the Black [unemployment] rate is still too high,” Shierholz tweeted.

☆ Proud Boys' ex-leader Enrique Tarrio found guilty of seditious conspiracy for Jan. 6 Capitol riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy Thursday. A seditious conspiracy charge carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. But prosecutors said he organized and directed the attack by Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol that day. In addition to Tarrio, a Miami resident, three other Proud Boys were convicted of seditious conspiracy: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl. As Proud Boys swarmed the Capitol, Tarrio cheered them on from afar, writing on social media: "Do what must be done."

☆ Proud Boys trial: Four members found guilty of seditious conspiracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Four members of the far-right Proud Boys have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a jury in Washington, DC, for their role to forcibly prevent the peaceful transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the seditious conspiracy charge against Pezzola. Proud Boys were at the front lines of the mob on Capitol grounds and were there when the first barriers were breached. Prosecutors have alleged that leaders of the group riled members up and communicated with them, through hand signals, to move ahead. During the trial, jurors listened to testimony from multiple officers who defended the Capitol on January 6 as well as FBI agents who investigated the Proud Boys and testimony from several Proud Boys members including two of the defendants, none of whom said there was ever a specific plan to take the Capitol.

Proud Boys former leader, Enrique Tarrio, and 3 others were found guilty of seditious conspiracy on Thursday. Seditious conspiracy is when people conspire to overthrow, put down, or destroy the government. Enrique Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean, and Zachary Rehl were all found guilty of seditious conspiracy as well as charges of conspiracy to obstruct Congress. But, the prosecutors succeeded, and the four convicted Proud Boys members could face up to 20 years in prison. The jury is still split about seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges against a fifth Proud Boys member, Dominic Pezzola, according to NBC News.

☆ Jury convicts Proud Boys members of seditious conspiracy in US Capitol attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In addition to Tarrio, Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl were convicted of seditious conspiracy under a Civil War-era law - a charge that can carry up to 20 years in prison. The trial of the Proud Boys members was the longest of any of those arising from the Capitol attack, with the 12-member jury in federal court in Washington hearing about 50 days of testimony since January. To mobilize, according to prosecutors, Tarrio, Rehl, Nordean and Biggs created what they called the Ministry of Self Defense, comprising about 65 Proud Boys members who exchanged encrypted messages. Defense lawyers told the jury their clients had no plans to attack the Capitol and had traveled to Washington merely to protest. The defense also sought to blame Trump, saying he was the one who urged protesters to descend on the Capitol.

☆ Premarket stocks: What happens above 5%? The Fed's big risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

However, job openings that month tumbled to their lowest level since May 2021, according to data released Tuesday. The shifting landscape paved the way for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March and First Republic Bank this week. By blessing JPMorgan’s takeover of First Republic Bank, the Democratic US senator fears federal regulators just made the “too big to fail” problem even worse. To the relief of investors and bank customers, the JPMorgan deal protects all of First Republic’s depositors. The decision to invest in food and grocery delivery during the pandemic has become a big advantage for Uber.

New York CNN —The collapse of First Republic Bank is unlikely to worsen the US economic outlook, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said Monday. Dimon told CNN’s Poppy Harlow early last month that the stress in the banking system had increased the odds of a US recession. The bank had $100 billion in those deposits withdrawn from the bank during the first quarter, it reported last week. “The American banking system is extraordinarily sound,” he said. But he agreed with Dimon that the seizure of First Republic, however, does not shift those forecasts, he told CNN Monday.

☆ Unique fossil site discovered in Wales reveals early life
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Exceptionally well-preserved fossils of tiny worms, starfish, sponges, barnacles and other creatures with no modern parallel discovered at a quarry in Wales are painting a picture of life on Earth 462 million years ago. The fossils come from a period of time known as the Ordovician when life was becoming more complex. Most of the 170 animals discovered so far from the fossil site were tiny (1-5 millimeters) and many were either completely soft-bodied when alive or had a tough skin or exoskeleton. It’s a completely unique site,” said Lucy Muir, study coauthor and also an honorary research fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru Museum Wales. A crowdfunding project to buy microscopy equipment helped them identify the animals and understand the importance of the site.

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