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☆ Some wealthy people trying to sell their luxury homes are struggling
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe world of luxury real estate might seem like a place where deals are plentiful, transactions are swift, and satisfaction is guaranteed. "I wanna be free to garden and travel and not have to worry about the house — but I'm not taking nothing," Morgan told Curbed. "A lot of luxury buyers may already have a primary home, so maybe they're looking for a new investment," StreetEasy Senior Economist Lee said. AdvertisementThat's partly why more luxury buyers are increasingly considering renting out their homes rather than selling them, he added. Concierge AuctionsLee noted another factor contributing to the difficulty of selling luxury properties: the high costs associated with their maintenance and upkeep.

Persons: —, Kenny Lee, Sonja Morgan, John Adams Morgan, Morgan Chase, Morgan, Curbed's Bridget Read, I'm, Michael Jordan, There's, Nile Niami, Richard Saghian, Ron DeSantis, Lee, canalso, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Housewives, New, Fashion, Florida Gov, Morgans, Yorker Locations: New York City, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Upper Eastside

☆ How author David Nicholls uses humor in his book ‘You are Here’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Saira Mueller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

That’s not too surprising coming from Nicholls, whose 2009 novel “One Day” explored many of the same themes. It was the most enjoyable writing experience I’ve had for a long time. While hiking the coast-to-coast walk in England, author David Nicholls encountered some torrentially rainy days. I wanted the book to be partly about the comedy of miscommunication — the things we don’t say or the things we say and regret. You say you wanted the book to be in part about miscommunications and what ifs.

Persons: Marnie, Michael, David Nicholls ’, Cleo, That’s, Nicholls, ”, Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, ” Michael, HarperCollins Marnie, “, that’s, I’ve, it’s, David Nicholls, David Nicholls I’m, you’re, Dexter, Emma, there’s, I’d, —, else’s, It’s, Leo Woodall, Ambika Mod, Ludovic Robert, Ambika, Leo, Woodall, we’d, There’s, they’ll Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Netflix, HarperCollins, Dales Locations: York, England’s, London, romcoms, England

☆ Wayne Brady and Nichelle Lewis on Striving for Excellence in ‘The Wiz’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Salamishah Tillet | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

“That show was so Black,” my 8-year-old whispered after we saw “The Wiz” on Broadway. He hadn’t made this observation last fall after seeing a performance of the show in Baltimore, during the national tour that preceded this revival. So I was curious: What had changed, and why was this iteration more culturally resonant for him than even the 1978 movie starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson or NBC’s 2015 “The Wiz Live!” special that I’d screened for him. I suspected my son was drawn to this version’s colloquial expressions (“All I got to do is stay Black and die,” Evillene tells Dorothy), choreography (ranging from Atlanta street dancing to South African amapiano) and its casting of Wayne Brady as the Wiz, who greets the Scarecrow and the Tinman with a dap. (Brady will depart the production on June 12.)

Persons: hadn’t, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Evillene, Dorothy, Wayne Brady, Brady Organizations: Broadway Locations: Baltimore, Atlanta

☆ Opinion: Alito’s second red flag
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Kirsi Goldynia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

This is not the first time Alito has found himself in hot water over displaying a controversial flag on his property. The upside-down flag, a signal of distress, was adopted by Trump supporters who believed the false claim that the election had been stolen. (Alito said his wife had raised the upside-down flag in response to a disagreement with a neighbor. The discovery also comes at a time when the Supreme Court will be making a decision about Trump’s claims of sweeping presidential immunity, his get-out-of-jail-free card for the federal cases he faces. “The notion that the Supreme Court can be trusted to be an arbiter above partisan politics has suffered major blows in recent years.

Persons: ”, Scott Peck, Samuel Alito, “, Alito, Joe Biden’s, Trump, Julian Zelizer, Walt Handelsman, Michael J, Broyde, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Donald Trump, ‘, ’, ” Nikki Haley’s, Nikki Haley’s, Nikki Haley, Haley, Nancy Pelosi, She’s, Joe Biden ‘, I’ve, ” Clay Jones, Drew Sheneman, Judge Juan Merchan, Robert Costello, Michael Cohen, Norm Eisen, Costello, ’ Merchan, cautioning, …, Eisen, Sunak, Rishi Sunak, Henry Nicholls, Holly Thomas, Sunak —, Thomas, Joel Pett, Adolf Hitler, Ruth Ben, Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Said Ben, Anna Sauerbrey, Sauerbrey, Biden, America —, Richard Curtis ’, Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Laura Beers, it’s, —, Ebrahim Raisi, Frida Ghitis, Ali Khamenei, Peter Kuper, Cagle, “ I’m, What’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al, Masri, Ismail Haniyeh, Peter Bergen, ” Netanyahu, Israel’s, Netanyahu, Kerri Kennedy, Biden “, Israel, ” Don’t, Agency Carrie Sheffield, Noah Berlatsky, Singleton, Biden’s Morehouse, Jill Filipovic, Diddy, Cassie Ventura, Catherine Tan, Shanahan, Brian Castrucci, Frank Luntz, Mark Zandi, Trump Will Cathcart, Joyce M, Davis, Bill Maher, Jimmy Kimmel, Randy Holmes, Bill, ” Nicole Hemmer, Said Will, Maher, Hemmer, ” “ Maher, It’s Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Agency, Trump, South Carolina Gov, Republican, NHS, Labour, Tory, Social, Italiana, European Union, ”, Islamic, Education, Workforce, Harvard, University of California, Columbia University, Columbia, Criminal Court, ICC, Israeli, International Court of Justice, United Nations Security, American Friends Service Committee, RFK, Disney, Entertainment, Democrats Locations: Alito’s Virginia, New Zealand, AFP, ”, England, Trump’s America, America, Italian, Germany, Poland, France, Berlin, Hill, American, British, London, Notting Hill, Iran, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic, University of California Los Angeles, Gaza, United Kingdom, Rafah, Georgia’s, Moscow, Africa

Tim Cook has delivered at least seven commencement addresses since becoming the chief executive of Apple. The superstar Taylor Swift, whose concerts have been credited with lifting local economies, addressed New York University’s graduation ceremony in 2022. Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Dimon — they’ve all given graduation speeches more than once. The appeal of being a commencement speaker, however, seems to be waning. Just three Fortune 50 chief executives appear to be commencement speakers this year, as colleges have faced campus protests over the war in Gaza, student arrests and wealthy alumni threatening to break ties with their alma maters over antisemitism.

Persons: Tim Cook, Taylor Swift, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Dimon —, They’re, ”, David Murray Organizations: Apple, Fortune, Professional Speechwriters Association Locations: New, Gaza

: That college sports association just agreed to a $2.8 billion class-action settlement that, if approved by a judge in California, would pay student athletes after a century of deeming them amateurs. and its member institutions allowing athletes to make money from sports programs that have made millions for their schools. Starting in the fall of 2025, schools could have about $20 million a year to pay their student athletes. payments, giving student athletes a big stream of revenue. And in March, the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted to unionize, adding potentially more pressure on universities to pay athletes.

Persons: It’s Organizations: Dartmouth men’s Locations: California, Southeastern, Atlantic Coast ,

☆ Defense Strategy in Gilgo Murder Case: Blame a Corrupt Police Chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Corey Kilgannon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After Rex Heuermann was arrested last summer and then charged with murdering four women whose bodies were found in 2010 along Gilgo Beach on Long Island, prosecutors disclosed a barrage of details to support their case, including genetic evidence and sadistic porn sites they said Mr. Heuermann visited. Now, with the trial still months away, the defense’s strategy is beginning to take shape. Brown, has begun to float an alternate theory about the case: that the investigation into the murders was tainted years ago by the involvement of a now-disgraced Long Island police chief. At a hearing last month following a procedural court appearance by Mr. Heuermann, Mr. Brown repeated his client’s claims of innocence. He also suggested that the real killer might have eluded arrest years ago when Mr. Burke was running the investigation.

Persons: Rex Heuermann, Heuermann, Heuermann’s, Michael J, Brown, James Burke, Burke Organizations: Long, police, Suffolk County Police Department Locations: Gilgo, Long Island, Suffolk

The Haley rationale for backing TrumpAfter months of speculation, Nikki Haley said — in her first appearance since dropping out of the Republican presidential primary — that she would vote for Donald Trump, the man against whom she waged a sometimes scathing campaign. But it may provide cover to prominent donors like Ken Griffin who in recent weeks has suggested that he might come in from the cold and donate to Trump. Deep-pocketed Republicans flocked to Haley during the primary. “I think she is just what we need right now,” Langone said on Fox News. “What Trump put this country through the last three months of his presidency was disgraceful.”But donors are rethinking their aversion to Trump, who handily beat Haley and other rivals and is now leading President Biden in some polls.

Persons: Haley, Nikki Haley, —, Donald Trump, Ken Griffin, Griffin, Paul Singer, Henry Kravis, Barry Sternlicht, Cliff Asness, Stanley Druckenmiller, Ken Langone, Reid Hoffman, wasn’t Trump, Nikki, ” Sternlicht, ” Langone, Trump, Biden, White, Israel Organizations: Trump, Republican, PAC, Elliott Management, KKR, Starwood Capital, AQR Capital Management, Democratic, LinkedIn, Times, Fox News Locations: Gaza

All eyes on NvidiaDespite concerns about stubbornly high inflation, elevated interest rates and ballooning U.S. debt, the S&P 500 is trading at a record on Wednesday, having soared 27 percent over the past year. Among the factors driving the rally, few are bigger than the boom in stocks tied to artificial intelligence — and the biggest of all of those is Nvidia. Investors have high hopes for Nvidia’s earnings on Wednesday. Expect a torrent of trading when the chip maker reports results for its fiscal first quarter after market close. A year ago, Nvidia’s stock jumped more than 24 percent after it posted knockout earnings.

Organizations: Nvidia, Investors

☆ Apple thinks it's figured out the top 10 albums of all time. That's kicked off debate among music fans.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple Music team has released its list of the top 100 albums of all time list. AdvertisementApple Music has released its list of the best albums of all time, and it's dividing the internet. The music streamer released its top 100 albums over several days, and the top spot was revealed Wednesday morning. "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," released in 1998 by Lauryn Hill, is ranked No. 1, according to Apple Music.

Persons: —, Lauryn Hill, Hill, Michael Jackson, Frank Ocean Organizations: Apple Music, Service, Business

OpenAI’s Scarlett Johansson problemWhen OpenAI unveiled the latest version of ChatGPT last week, a chatbot that can listen to spoken questions and respond verbally, many users had one question: Is that Scarlett Johansson? It’s another sign of eroding trust in OpenAI, which has taken fire from creative industries and former employees. In her statement, Johansson shed more light on the matter:Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system. Altman tried again two days before the ChatGPT product announcement, she added, but released the service before they could connect. Johansson — no stranger to waging war against big companies — suggested that she was ready to take legal action.

Persons: OpenAI’s Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI, Scarlett Johansson, ”, OpenAI —, ” Johansson, Sam Altman, Mira Murati, Johansson, Altman, Johansson —, — Locations: OpenAI

☆ Wilson deal: Caitlin Clark just did something no athlete has done since Michael Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Breakout basketball star Caitlin Clark has a new achievement that hasn’t been accomplished since Michael Jordan. The WNBA player signed a multiyear deal with Wilson Sporting Goods Co., the league’s official basketball supplier, for “signature basketball collections celebrating Clark’s continued legacy,” the company announced Tuesday. In addition, she will “creatively direct her first-ever signature basketball line” that will roll out later this year. Wilson, which has produced the basketballs for the NBA for several decades, became the official game ball of the WNBA in 2020. Nike is also reportedly on the verge of signing Clark to design her shoe line, but no official deal has been formally announced.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, hasn’t, Michael Jordan, Clark’s, Wilson, Clark, “ Wilson, ” Clark, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, WNBA, Wilson Sporting Goods Co, CNN, NBA, Indiana Fever, ESPN2, ESPN, Nike, Farm, Gatorade, Panini Locations: New York

OpenAI’s fear factorThe tech world’s collective eyebrows rose last week when Ilya Sutskever, the OpenAI co-founder who briefly led a rebellion against Sam Altman, resigned as chief scientist. “Safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products,” Jan Leike, who resigned from OpenAI last week, wrote on the social network X. Along with Sutskever, Leike oversaw the company’s so-called superalignment team, which was tasked with making sure products didn’t become a threat to humanity. Sutskever said in his departing note that he was confident OpenAI would build artificial general intelligence — A.I. Leike spoke for many safety-first OpenAI employees, according to Vox.

Persons: Ilya Sutskever, Sam Altman, hadn’t, ” Jan Leike, Sutskever, Leike, —, Vox, Daniel Kokotajlo, Altman Organizations: OpenAI, C.E.O

No matter who wins the White House and control of Congress this autumn, one aspect of trade policy is likely to endure: Washington’s tough-on-China protectionist stance. But several trade experts predict that the America-first model of slapping tariffs on adversaries — as President Biden did this week — will backfire. Critics of tariffs and export restrictions say they not only will potentially exacerbate inflation and drag down economic growth, but are also likely to fail for a simpler reason: Chinese companies may see their businesses slowed down by the restrictions, but have found ways to beat them. As Alex Durante, an economist at the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank that works with policymakers in the United States and Europe, bluntly put it: “They don’t work.”Huawei has shown that companies can find workarounds. Last year, the Chinese telecom giant unveiled the Mate 60, a smartphone powered by a high-end semiconductor.

Persons: —, Biden, Alex Durante, ” Organizations: White, Tax Foundation, ” Huawei Locations: China, America, United States, Europe, Washington

Regulatory warsThe Supreme Court lifted the existential threat hanging over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, rejecting a challenge to the agency’s funding. The decision could have huge consequences for a raft of conservative-led lawsuits involving administrative authority — but business groups and Republicans are vowing to fight on. A recap: Payday lenders had sued the C.F.P.B. over a rule that would limit the number of times they could withdraw money from a customer’s account for repayment. The companies and conservative groups argued that the practice wasn’t harmful, and said the way the regulator is funded — via annual allocations from the Fed’s profits rather than from Congress — was unconstitutional.

Persons: Congress — Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection, Congress

1s ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (2012) 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (2012) 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 Two bar charts: one for the Beatles, one for Taylor Swift. 30 15 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 ‘Thriller’ 15 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 ‘Thriller’ 15 ‘Fearless’ ‘1989’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 15 5 Not yet certified MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 15 5 Not yet certified MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 30 million 15 15 million 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million ‘1989’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million ‘1989’ ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES A grid of 10 Michael Jackson albums covers transitions into charts depicting Michael Jackson’s and Taylor Swift’s album sales. 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES ‘... Baby One More Time’ 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES ‘1989’ 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES Two side-by-side charts depict album sales for Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. 1s ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘Vogue’ (1990) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘This Used To Be My Playground’(1992) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘Music’ (2000) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 Two charts show Billboard top hits for Madonna and Swift, over the course of their respective careers. 15 million 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million ‘I Am ... Sasha Fierce’ 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ 10 ‘Cowboy Carter’ 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES Two side-by-side charts depict album sales for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, respectively.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, ”, Swift, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Drake, Billy Joel, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Kareem, Brady, Marino, Harry Potter, TAYLOR, TAYLOR SWIFT, Swift’s, didn’t, Max Martin, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, McCartney, George Harrison, “, Taylor, Jackson, MICHAEL JACKSON, ’, Michael Jackson’s, …, “ Ben ”, —, Jackson’s, Micheal Jackson, It’s, she’s, Department ”, Spears, BRITNEY SPEARS, Spears’s, Madonna, Dick Tracy ”, Evita, I’m, David O, “ Ray, Bob Dylan, John, Springsteen, Elton John Farewell, Bruce Springsteen Springsteen, Elton John’s, Bruce Springsteen’s Springsteen, Madonna’s, it’s, Beyoncé, Georg Solti, Quincy Jones, It's, Madonna didn’t, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Sinatra, — Beyoncé, Sasha Fierce, Carter ’, Carter ”, Cowboy Carter, DRAKE, Kendrick Lamar, they’re, gunning, she’ll Organizations: Poets Department, MetLife, Beatles, “, Marvel, Billboard, TAYLOR SWIFT, U.S, Swift, MTV, Recording Industry Association of America, Department, Vogue, Veterans Touring, Drake, Beyoncé, Beyoncé’s Locations: New Jersey, U.S, Kobe, ”, “, pigtails, Amsterdam, Texas

I fell in love with the Louvre one morning while doing disco moves to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” in the Salle des Cariatides. The museum, a former medieval fortress and then royal palace, had not yet opened, and I was following instructions to catwalk and hip bump and point in the grand room where Louis XIV once held plays and balls. The sun cast warm light through long windows, striping the pink-and-white checkered floor and bathing the marble arms, heads and wings of the ancient Grecian statues around me. “Point, and point, and point,” shouted Salim Bagayoko, a dance instructor. So I struck my best John Travolta poses and pointed around the room, my eyes landing on the delicate sandaled foot of Artemus, the wings of a Niobid and the stone penis of Apollo.

Persons: Michael Jackson’s, Louis XIV, ”, Salim Bagayoko, John Travolta Organizations: Salle des Cariatides Locations: Salle

Inflation euphoria goes globalStocks in Asia and parts of Europe rose on Thursday as investors bet that new data showing inflation easing would finally persuade central bankers to lower interest rates from multidecade highs. Another test comes on Thursday when Walmart, a bellwether for U.S. consumer sentiment, reports quarterly results. The market moves follow Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index report, which came in better than expected. Inflation remains well above the Fed’s 2 percent target, but traders were encouraged by the results. The futures market now sees two Fed rate cuts this year, the first most likely coming in September.

Organizations: Walmart Locations: Asia, Europe

☆ Embattled Georgia DA Fani Willis and Trump trial judge hit the campaign trail
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Sara Murray | Jason Morris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Wise Smith, meantime, has faced some skepticism from voters worried that if he ousts Willis it could endanger the Trump case. The disqualification drama surrounding Willis hasn’t spared Wise Smith from skepticism from some Democrats who believe Willis will most aggressively prosecute the Trump case. “Some folks were worried that me jumping in the race, you know, might mean we lose that case,” Wise Smith said in an interview with CNN. Let me say this, I think the case is in grave jeopardy right now,” Wise Smith said of the Trump case. In a rarity for a sitting judge, McAfee has also been granting interviews to local media.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Scott McAfee, ” Willis, “, Trump, Willis, Christian Wise Smith, Willis ’, Wise Smith, McAfee, Robert Patillo, he’s, Courtney Kramer, ”, Michael J, Moore, she’s, Willis hasn’t, ” Wise Smith, Wise Smith –, –, ” McAfee, wouldn’t, “ I’ve, Patillo’s, ” Patillo, “ It’s, Patillo, Brian Kemp, Roy Barnes, Kemp, Barnes, Ray Smith III, Smith, ” Moore, that’s Organizations: CNN, Democratic Party, Democratic, Trump, Trump White House, Middle, Middle District of, WSB, Georgia Gov, Republican, Democrat, McAfee, Boy Scouts Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Middle District, Middle District of Georgia, Inman

Behind a big shake-upA day after OpenAI announced major updates to its ChatGPT chatbot, the company said its chief scientist and co-founder was leaving. There were signs that Ilya Sutskever would quit, six months after he helped lead the rebellion that briefly ousted Sam Altman as OpenAI’s C.E.O. But it also raises questions about the future of a leading developer of generative A.I. “OpenAI would not exist without him and certainly was shaped by him,” Altman told The Times about Sutskever. But Sutskever’s presence at OpenAI may have become untenable.

Persons: OpenAI, Ilya Sutskever, Sam Altman, OpenAI’s, “ OpenAI, ” Altman, Altman, Elon Musk, Sutskever Organizations: Times

The restrictions build on Trump-era measures, and many are likely to appeal to voters in battleground states ahead of the election. But it’s less clear if they are enough to rebuild America’s industrial base in a global race with China to lead in the new economy. The new duties will apply to about $18 billion of annual Chinese imports, the Biden administration said. Biden is at pains to say that he’s being smarter than Trump on China. Trump imposed sweeping trade barriers and has vowed to impose more if he’s re-elected.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, he’s Organizations: China, Trump Locations: China, American, U.S

Wall Street is increasingly divided over whether the Fed will cut interest rates by Election Day. New inflation data out this week will go a long way toward settling that question, as polls show that President Biden is struggling to convince voters that he’s done a good job on the economy. A first-quarter uptick in inflation has forced the Fed to keep borrowing costs at a 23-year high. Economists see a slight improvement, forecasting that April’s Consumer Price Index report on Wednesday will show that inflation moderated slightly last month. (Economists will also be watching Tuesday’s Producer Price Index and retail sales data on Wednesday.)

Persons: Biden, he’s, Sarah House, ” Organizations: Fed Locations: Wells Fargo

At the Milken Institute’s Global Conference this week, a little-known risky financial tool became the subject of a hot debate among Wall Street titans. Many private equity firms have quietly begun mortgaging their investment funds, piling leverage upon leverage. In other words, they’re taking out loans against the businesses they’ve already taken out loans to buy. At a time when dealmakers are desperate to raise new cash after the boom of the pandemic era, this mechanism — known as a net asset value loan — is allowing them to do it overnight. firms are using the tool as they set out to raise their next funds, especially those confronting a hurdle during a slow period for dealmaking: They have yet to return cash to the limited partners they tapped for their last round.

Organizations: Milken Institute’s Global Conference, Wall Street titans

The “stretched” consumerBetter than expected quarterly earnings have helped propel the S&P 500 to within a whisker of a record high on Friday. But Wall Street and Washington are closely monitoring another worrying economic indicator: the struggling consumer. The split-screen view of the economy is becoming clearer as earnings season draws to a close. Mass-market brands, like the fast-food companies McDonald’s, KFC and Starbucks, have reported that a lot of customers are pulling back on spending as high inflation bites. This is “an economy of the haves and have-nots,” Michael Reid, an economist for RBC Capital Markets, told DealBook.

Persons: Biden, ” Michael Reid, DealBook Organizations: KFC, Starbucks, RBC Capital Markets Locations: Washington

Splitting the Paramount empireEver since Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management expressed interest in buying Paramount Global, a big question has loomed over the potential $26 billion deal: What would they do with the company? The answer: Break it up, write The Times’s Ben Mullin and DealBook’s Lauren Hirsch. Sony and Apollo would keep Paramount Pictures. Paramount Pictures would become part of a joint venture controlled by Sony, with Apollo taking a minority stake in the new entity that it could eventually sell to Sony or to another buyer. The venture would also keep Paramount’s library of films and TV shows, as well as the rights to characters like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Persons: Ben Mullin, DealBook’s Lauren Hirsch, “ Organizations: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Apollo Global Management, Paramount Global, Sony, Apollo, Paramount Pictures, Paramount

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