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☆ 30-year-old balances 9-to-5 job with Olympic swimming side hustle: 'I'm really thankful that they're letting me do it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"My co-workers, in and out of the pool, are really great with my schedule. Fink isn't the first professional athlete with a standard day job. But balancing a side gig and a full-time job isn't easy, especially when the side gig is high-level athletic competition. Of course, Fink's swimming career isn't over yet. I'm really thankful that they're letting me do it," he said in a statement following his victory last week.

Persons: Nic Fink's, Fink, he's, Melanie Margalis, He's, Katie Ledecky, Michael Andrew . Fink isn't, Pierre le, Lanni Marchant, Paul Adams, Marchant, Warren Buffett Organizations: U.S, CNBC, Services, TYR, Olympics Locations: Atlanta, Tokyo, Canadian

☆ Taylor Swift is an unlikely public transit icon
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Taylor Swift, public transit savior? Public transit systems across the United States are getting a much-needed, if temporary, boost from Taylor Swift fans flooding trains, buses and subways to her sold-out Eras Tour. As transit agencies scramble to recover from the pandemic, transit experts say all those Swifies taking mass transit offer lessons for policymakers on how to adapt to the post-pandemic world. Philadelphia’s SEPTA system and New Jersey Transit also got a boost from concertgoers taking mass transit to Swift shows. But public transit agencies still have yet to fully recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Persons: New York CNN — Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift’s, Swift, Raymond James, Matthew Dickens, Taylor, ”, Jim Aloisi, Aloisi, Yanfeng Ouyang Organizations: New, New York CNN, Chicago Transit Authority, CTA, Soldier, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Mercedes, Benz, SEPTA, New Jersey Transit, Swift, American Public Transportation Association, Public, MIT, Transportation, University of Illinois Locations: New York, United States, New Jersey, Pittsburgh , Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign

☆ What it's like to work with a billionaire, according to ex-colleagues of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Sara Blakely
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jack Sommers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Past colleagues discussed working with Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sara Blakely. Here, people who've worked alongside Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Sara Blakely talk about what it was like. After buying their company, Gates interrogated Williams and his colleagues about why their product was better than its Microsoft rival's. Reuters 'Girl next door' Sara Blakely was a 'creative genius'Lisa Magazine and Kenya Graham were personal and executive assistants, respectively, to Blakely, the Spanx founder. Read more: Elon Musk was a 'fun' boss but fired people on the spot if they disagreed with him, former Tesla manager says

Persons: Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sara Blakely, they'd, —, who've, Gates, Alex Wong, Chris Williams, Williams, aul Ellis, Colin Bryar, Bryar, Bezos, I've, Blakely, Lisa, Kenya Graham, Graham, Read, Sara Blakely's, Musk, Dimitrios Kambouris, Elon, Carl Medlock, he'll, Medlock, didn't Organizations: Service, Elon, Microsoft, Amazon, Amazon VP, Reuters, Lisa Magazine, Kenya, Nordic Business, Getty Locations: Blakely, Atlanta, Medlock

☆ Will the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia hurt the economy? Look at other cities for answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —A section of northbound I-95 in Philadelphia collapsed Sunday after a tanker truck caught fire underneath the highway. I-95 is an important artery for not only the East Coast, but for regional transportation and commuters in Philadelphia. Another analysis by the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development and the transportation department found the economic loss was about $17 million in 2007 and $43 million in 2008. Morning commutesThe Philadelphia bridge collapse also brings up another question: How will commuters get to work? Advocates for public transport in Philadelphia look to Atlanta, when the Interstate-85 bridge collapsed in 2018 after a massive fire.

Persons: Tumar Alexander, ”, ” Alexander, Kristen Scudder, ” Scudder, Scudder, Scrudder, Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, “ I’ve, Shapiro Organizations: New, New York CNN, Delaware, Regional Planning Commission, City, Philadelphia Office, Emergency Management, New Jersey Turnpike, of Transportation Statistics, University of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Transportation, state’s Department of Employment, Economic, Bureau, Transportation, Invest, Atlanta Regional Commission, Southeastern, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, “, Twitter, Federal Highway Administration, FHWA, Gov Locations: New York, Philadelphia, East Coast, City of Philadelphia, New Jersey, Memphis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, West Memphis , Arkansas, Atlanta, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Roosevelt, Northeast Philadelphia

☆ Read the pitch deck that helped raise $5 million for fintech FilmHedge after it closed $100 million in debt financing to fund new films and TV shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

FilmHedge closed in March on a $5 million funding round and has a $100 million credit facility. FilmHedge, an Atlanta-based fintech launched in February 2020, provides liquidity to productions with budgets ranging from $1 million to $50 million. It follows a $100 million credit facility from Coromandel Capital and Fallbrook Capital in 2022, which helps FilmHedge finance projects. "We have access to $100 million, but we see around $70 million in applicants per month," he said, "so we have to pass on a lot of deals." FilmHedge gave Insider a look at the 18-page pitch deck it used while raising its $5 million Series A round and $100 million credit facility — check it out here.

Persons: FilmHedge, Jon Gosier, fintech, May FilmHedge, Gosier, —, Axios, FilmHedge hadn't Organizations: Hollywood, Netflix, Entertainment, Variety, Lionsgate, Disney, Collab, WOCStar, Savannah College of Art & Design, TriplePoint, Coromandel Capital, Fallbrook, Media Locations: Atlanta, Coromandel, Hollywood

☆ A woman claims James Brown was murdered and has given potential evidence to prosecutors. It’s since disappeared
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Thomas Lake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Somebody wanted him dead.”After Hollander visited the DA’s office in 2020, prosecutors agreed to check out her story. “Don’t employees from the DA’s office have to sign a log when they handle evidence?” a reporter wrote to Geary. This came about after the items were shipped to her.”Legal counsel Don Geary has since left the Fulton DA’s office. CNN emailed Deputy District Attorney Jeff DiSantis, the DA’s spokesman, to ask about Hollander’s lawsuit and the missing potential evidence. In a recent phone interview with CNN, Hollander called for Willis to account for the missing items from the evidence bags.

☆ Former Lululemon employees say they were fired after calling police to report a robbery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Two former employees say they were fired for allegedly breaking store policy at a Lululemon store in Georgia. The women told local outlets they were fired two weeks after reporting a robbery to police. "We didn't really feel very protected or know what else to do," Rogers told local TV station 11Alive. Lululemon said in a later, expanded statement that the two employees weren't fired for calling the police. Update: May 30, 2023: This story has been updated with a new, expanded statement from Lululemon.

☆ Former Lululemon employees say they were fired for breaking store policy after calling police to report a robbery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two former employees say they were fired for allegedly breaking store policy at a Lululemon store in Georgia. The women told local outlets they were fired two weeks after reporting a robbery to police. "We didn't really feel very protected or know what else to do," Rogers told local TV station 11Alive. The former employees said they are working through how to deal with the sudden firing financially, and hope Lululemon considers changing the policy. Company policy shared with Insider further indicates the women were likely fired for recording and interacting with the robbers, rather than for calling the police.

☆ Chick-fil-A's first-ever restaurant — a 56-year-old location in an Atlanta mall — is closing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chick-fil-A's oldest restaurant is closing on Sunday after 56 years of operation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The restaurant in Greenbriar Mall, Atlanta, first opened in 1967 and sold chicken sandwiches for $0.59. "At the time, the concept of a shopping mall restaurant was groundbreaking," Chick-fil-A says in a history of the Greenbriar Mall store, describing it as a "pioneer in the modern-day food court." The restaurant later relocated to a larger spot in the mall. Chick-fil-A's first free-standing restaurant didn't open until nearly two decades later in North Druid Hills, northeast Atlanta.

☆ Body Cameras Can Be a Powerful Tool. But Not All Police Forces Wear Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Sean Keenan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Still, the use of body cameras continues to vary widely, and only seven states have enacted requirements for them, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Georgia, the police chiefs association reported that nearly 90 percent of the 254 local agencies it surveyed in 2021 were using body cameras in some fashion. But the Georgia State Patrol, with nearly 800 troopers, does not routinely equip its officers with them, relying instead on dashboard cameras. Nor does the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which was part of the forest-clearing task force and led the investigation of Terán’s death. Some other state police forces share that policy, said John Bagnardi, executive director of the American Association of State Troopers.

☆ Fed Chair Powell says rates may not have to rise as much as expected to curb inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that stresses in the banking sector could mean that interest rates won't have to be as high to control inflation. "So as a result, our policy rate may not need to rise as much as it would have otherwise to achieve our goals," he added. Powell spoke with markets mostly expecting the Fed at its June meeting to take a break from the series of rate hikes it began in March 2022. Powell characterized current Fed policy as "restrictive" and said future decisions would be data-dependent as opposed to being a pre-set course. "Importantly, there is no evidence that the era of very low natural rates of interest has ended," New York Fed President John Williams said in prepared remarks.

At the same time, he said the job market is showing an "unprecedented" break from past behavior with a steady drop in job openings without any rise in the unemployment rate. The big unknown is whether that continued job market health is consistent with inflation falling steadily from its current levels above 4% back to the Fed's 2% target. That could allow the job market to cool without as much of a rise in unemployment as might otherwise be the case. Economists and policymakers at this week's conference pointed to other factors adding to the case for a soft landing. But at this point the "uncertainty" about what's at work in the economy could, some officials feel, mask developments that are working in their favor.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence Fox News aired ‘darkened’ photo of Atlanta shooter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fox News reports of a shooting suspect who opened fire at an Atlanta medical facility in May 2023 featured an authentic police handout of the suspect. On the right is an altered version of the same picture that was used on fox news. Reuters found no evidence that Fox News published or broadcast an altered version of the handout photo where the skin tone of the suspect was darkened. Fox News coverage on the shooting used the original unaltered photo. Fox News reports about a suspect behind the May 2023 Atlanta hospital shooting do not show a darkened version of his photograph as released by police.

☆ Allen, Texas shooting:New details emerge about Texas outlet mall shooter Mauricio Garcia as investigators continue to probe for motive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Josh Campbell Ed Lavandera Elizabeth Wolfe Sara Smart | Josh Campbell | Ed Lavandera | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Christian LaCour was working as a security guard in the mall when he was killed, his family said. Brianna SmithIn addition to an AR-15 style firearm and another weapon found with Garcia, police also discovered several more weapons in his car, the law enforcement source told CNN. Neighbors of an address matching that of Garcia’s parents told CNN that police and the FBI arrived at the home about an hour after the attack and had the street blocked off for several hours. As part of his work, Garcia received Level II and Level III security training. He found a surviving child whose mother had been struck and killed as she shielded him from bullets, Spainhouer told CNN affiliate KTVT.

☆ Some Uber and DoorDash drivers say rich people are the worst tippers, but they can count on the middle class
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Many gig workers rely on tips to make ends meet, but some say tipping is getting worse. Three gig workers told Insider that people who appear to be wealthy are the worst tippers. Several delivery drivers replied to the story, and while a few related to Jay's experience, most of the workers Insider heard from said that the opposite was true in their experience: Rich people are the worst tippers. Drivers for companies like Uber and DoorDash say they're reliant on tips to make ends meet, but many of them have told Insider that tipping has gotten worse in recent years. When reached for comment, an Uber spokesperson told Insider that tipping has risen considerably for both Uber and Uber Eats over the last few years.

☆ After Jan. 6 Sedition Convictions, Far-Right Threats Remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The guilty verdicts on Thursday against four leaders of the Proud Boys on charges of seditious conspiracy were arguably the most significant victory the Justice Department has won so far in its vast investigation of the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors took a victory lap, with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland noting that along with the similar convictions of six members of another extremist group — the Oath Keepers militia — a major blow had been struck against two of the country’s most prominent far-right organizations. And yet on April 23 — one day before closing arguments took place at the Proud Boys trial — fliers blaming Jews for “the rise in transgenderism” were found in the driveways of several homes in suburban Atlanta. One week later, as the Proud Boys case went to the jury, a neo-Nazi group flying a swastika flag protested a drag show in Columbus, Ohio. The incidents were just two of the many such episodes in recent weeks.

☆ Macy’s opens more strip mall stores as expansion strategy faces pivotal test
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The shops, called Market by Macy's and Bloomie's, are about one-fifth of the size of the retailer's typical Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores. It has not announced the locations of the four Market by Macy's stores, but said the additional Bloomie's store will be in Seattle. By opening the strip-mall shops, the retailer could steal business away from its larger namesake mall stores. Market by Macy's stores have worked best in shopping centers with grocery anchors or stores such as off-mall retailers that draw traffic, Mastronardi said. Melissa Repko | CNBCInside of Market by Macy's, shoppers find a narrower mix of merchandise than in the mall stores.

[1/2] Deion Patterson, who Atlanta Police describe as the suspect in a lunchtime mass shooting at a medical building, poses in an undated photograph. Atlanta Police Department/Handout via REUTERSATLANTA, May 4 (Reuters) - A former U.S. Coast Guardsman accused of killing a woman and wounding four others in a shooting in an Atlanta medical building was expected to make his first court appearance on Thursday. The suspect is accused of opening fire in the Northside Medical facility in the city's busy Midtown area at about 12:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The woman killed in the shooting was 39-year-old Amy St. Pierre, an employee of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency said. The mother of the suspect told a local ABC affiliate he was upset that doctors would not refill for him a prescription for Ativan, an anti-anxiety drug.

☆ MLB roundup: Dodgers stun Phillies on walk-off slam
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

Brandon Drury also hit a homer for the Angels, who won for the sixth time in their last eight games. Starter Seth Lugo (3-2) held the Reds to one run on seven hits over six innings to earn the win. Pfaadt, a touted pitching prospect, went 4 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits -- four of which were home runs -- and seven runs. Texas starter Andrew Heaney allowed six runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, with four walks and five strikeouts. Losing pitcher Eric Lauer (3-3) allowed four runs -- all unearned -- on four hits and struck out six in 4 2/3 innings.

☆ The business case for green sports stadiums and arenas is growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A general exterior view of Climate Pledge Arena before the game between the Seattle Kraken and the Carolina Hurricanes on October 17, 2022. Much like the broader world of commercial real estate, arenas, and stadiums have been slowly adopting sustainable practices over the last few decades, from recycling programs to energy efficiency efforts. That led to what has become the Climate Pledge Arena. AMBSE has even created a "playbook" for other stadium operators to follow if they also want to get to zero waste. It's reached a level of critical mass where people have moved past greenwashing, and they're making substantive changes to their business practices," Cannon said.

They said two in five people seeking food assistance in the Atlanta region this year have not done so before. In central Ohio, the local food bank says the number of households seeking aid has increased by nearly half since last year. Craig Gundersen, a Baylor University economics professor who is a prominent researcher for Feeding America, said that food banks experiencing spikes above COVID levels are outliers. The Highland Food Pantry in Winchester, Virginia, said it served about 90 families a week during the pandemic. In early April, White visited a community center to donate old clothes and noticed a line for the food pantry.

☆ Fact Check-Posts misidentify Atlanta jail inmate who died after being ‘eaten alive by insects’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A tweet reads, in part, “Lashawn Thompson (below) died after being devoured by insects and brutalized for 3 months in a filthy cell in the Atlanta jail” (archive.ph/X22vW). He died at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta in September 2022. A search for the photo on the right leads to news reports of a separate incident at an Indiana jail in 2021. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office didn’t respond to Reuters requests for comment. The posts share photos of inmates who died in separate incidents at jails in Atlanta and Indiana.

☆ Joe Exotic warns Trump in a phone interview with Fox News that 'karma's a bitch' before he's cut off by a recording saying he's in federal prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In a Fox News interview, the "Tiger King" star blamed the Trump Administration for his conviction. A prerecorded message interrupted the interview, saying, "This call is from a federal prison." The "Tiger King" star previously tried and failed to get a presidential pardon from Trump, and he appears to have held a grudge for being omitted from the pardon list ever since. During a phone interview from Atlanta Penitentiary with Fox News' Lawrence Jones, Exotic blamed the Trump Administration for putting him behind bars. In his closing statement during the interview, Exotic encouraged people to visit his campaign website to learn more about his platform, but he was cut off as viewers were inadvertently reminded where he was calling from.

☆ Check out the 18-page pitch deck that Hollywood-focused fintech FilmHedge used to raise tens of millions and help hot new movies and TV series get made
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

FilmHedge lends credit to movies and TV shows with budgetary needs between $1 million and $5 million. The 3-year-old fintech closed on a $5 million round in March and has a $100 million credit facility. FilmHedge, an Atlanta-based fintech launched in February 2020, provides liquidity to productions with budgets ranging from $1 million to $50 million. It follows a $100 million credit facility from Coromandel Capital and Fallbrook Capital in 2022, which helps FilmHedge finance projects. FilmHedge gave Insider a look at the 18-page pitch deck it used while raising its $5 million Series A round and $100 million credit facility — check it out here.

☆ Joe Exotic welcomed a newly indicted Trump to the 'party' of presidential candidates charged with crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Joe Exotic welcomed Donald Trump to the club of presidential candidates charged with crimes. "Former President Trump now that you have been indicted- Welcome to the party!" Exotic wrote on Instagram. The "Tiger King" star took to Instagram to welcome Trump to the "party" after Trump was indicted on Thursday. Despite being in prison, Exotic announced on Twitter in March that he had launched a long-shot 2024 presidential bid.

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