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☆ An Arizona Home Filled With Western and Native American-Inspired Art Asks $6.685 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Libertina Brandt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Be the first to know about the biggest and best luxury home sales and listings by signing up for our Mansion Deals email alert. Richard Adkerson has spent years filling his Arizona home with Western and Native American-inspired art, such as traditional wooden kachina dolls and paintings and sculptures by the likes of John Moyers and John Coleman.

☆ Mattel Earnings Plunge as Sales Fell 22% in Holiday Period
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kathryn Hardison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mattel Inc.’s fourth-quarter earnings plunged as sales fell 22% after cash-strapped consumers pulled back on spending and last-minute holiday purchases weren’t enough to lift results. The maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars said Wednesday that overall revenue declined to $1.4 billion in the period that ended Dec. 31 amid a macroeconomic environment that was more challenging than it anticipated. Profit came in at $16.1 million, down 93% from $225.8 million a year earlier. Both measures missed Wall Street expectations.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Disney, Mattel, Wynn Resorts, Affirm and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Disney — Shares of the entertainment company rose more than 6% after the company released its fiscal first-quarter earnings report. Robinhood — Shares rose 5% after Robinhood missed revenue expectations in its latest earnings report. Analysts called for per-share earnings of $1.83 on revenue of $4.59 billion, according to FactSet. Although the company reported $1 billion in revenue for the latest quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $958 million, according to Refinitiv. MGM beat analysts' estimates on fourth-quarter revenue, posting $3.59 billion compared to the $3.35 billion expected by Wall Street, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Mattel shares tumble after holiday season fails to boost sagging sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Mattel company logo is pictured during the inauguration of the expansion of the Montoi plant, in Escobedo, Mexico March 15, 2022. Barbie-maker Mattel posted fourth-quarter results after market close on Wednesday that came in well below Wall Street's expectations after disappointing holiday sales. The company had hoped that the "all-important holiday season" would be a potential buoy for sales as demand has slowed amid inflation. As it enters its 2023 fiscal year, Mattel is projecting adjusted earnings per share for the full year of between $1.10 and $1.20. The project is a part of Kreiz's larger strategy to transition Mattel from purely a toy manufacturer to a multi-segmented house of toy franchises.

☆ Remote work hasn't actually saved Americans much time — they're mainly just working more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Not having to commute could mean getting to partake in leisure activities — or more time to get work done. A working paper looked at how people working from home are using their time saved by not commuting. In the US, 23 minutes of this time saved goes to jobs, 19 minutes on leisure, and four minutes on caregiving. Looking at just the results for these wealthy democracies, the US stands out for its lack of minutes saved. This isn't just the case for remote workers in the US; other countries like France also saw workers using most of their saved time on work.

They had hoped to represent a much larger class of artists who filed termination notices with UMG. A provision of U.S. copyright law allows artists to terminate agreements to transfer their copyrights and reclaim them after decades in some circumstances. Kaplan said Friday that the musicians could not represent a broader class of artists who sent termination notices to UMG with effective dates between 2013 and 2031. A related lawsuit filed against Sony Music by musicians including former New York Dolls singer David Johansen has been paused since 2021 for settlement discussions. The UMG case is Waite v. UMG Recordings Inc, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No.

☆ ‘The Last Taboo’ in Fashion: Showing Off Your Belly Button
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Rory Satran | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Has fashion reached Peak Belly Button? Recently, we’ve witnessed the rise of crop tops for men, children, dolls, puppies and pregnant women, as well as super low-rise jeans and miniskirts from designers such as Miu Miu. Swimsuits and dresses now feature so many tummy and side cutouts they can resemble Swiss cheese. As midriff exposure has become almost humdrum, a new style is emerging: the belly-button-focused diamond-cutout dress. “Showing the belly button is the last taboo,” says New York designer Michael Kors, who created a black diamond cutout gown for entrepreneur and model Lori Harvey to wear to the 2022 Met Ball.

☆ Mattel launches taller Barbie aimed at children as young as 3
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Love her or loathe her, Barbie has been transformed again, this time into a version for children as young as 3. I think doll play allows children to really practice storytelling skills, perspective taking and social interactions,” LeVos said. McKnight made it clear that My First Barbie will not be a separate, parallel Barbie universe. Andrea Werner, a pediatric occupational therapist in West Hartford, Connecticut, and mother of a preschooler and an infant, supports doll play as developmentally valuable. “Companies will always be trying to sell consumers the next best thing.”Kohchi isn’t entirely sold on My First Barbie as appropriate.

☆ Mexico’s buck-toothed cartoon president ruled 'electoral violation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY — A buck-toothed cartoon version of Mexico’s president constitutes an “electoral violation,” the country’s electoral tribunal ruled Wednesday, arguing use of the popular caricature in official propaganda gave party candidates an unfair advantage. It argued “capitalizing on the image” of the president, whose approval rating hovers around 60%, gave his party’s candidates an undue advantage. The chamber called on “political-electoral propaganda campaigns” to limit themselves to candidates, their proposals, party ideology and platforms. Morena had earlier appealed, arguing there was no legal ban in force on using the caricature. “Now the (electoral tribunal) has confirmed the action was illegal and sanctioned them,” Jorge Alvarez, an opposition party organizer who filed the complaint, said in a tweet.

☆ Mexico's buck-toothed cartoon president ruled 'electoral violation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Carlos Jasso/File PhotoMEXICO CITY, Jan 11 (Reuters) - A buck-toothed cartoon version of Mexico's president constitutes an "electoral violation," the country's electoral tribunal ruled Wednesday, arguing use of the popular caricature in official propaganda gave party candidates an unfair advantage. The tribunal said it was sanctioning President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's ruling Morena party for "using the caricature of the President of the Republic in its propaganda, which violates the constitutional principles of neutrality and fair contest." It argued "capitalizing on the image" of the president, whose approval rating hovers around 60%, gave his party's candidates an undue advantage. The chamber called on "political-electoral propaganda campaigns" to limit themselves to candidates, their proposals, party ideology and platforms. "Now the (electoral tribunal) has confirmed the action was illegal and sanctioned them," Jorge Alvarez, an opposition party organizer who filed the complaint, said in a tweet.

☆ Mattel is giving preschoolers an age-appropriate Barbie
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Mattel is giving preschoolers a new age-appropriate Barbie doll that it says is better suited for their needs. Mattel launched a new Barbie doll, called My First Barbie, specifcially designed for preschoolers. My First Barbie is larger, 13.5 inches tall versus 11.5 inches for the standard Barbie fashion doll. My First Barbie is bigger than the originally Barbie fashion doll and features a softer body. First introduced as Barbie Millicent Roberts in 1959, Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year of her launch.

A group of mostly Venezuelan families who migrated to the U.S. seeking asylum were welcomed with a Three Kings celebration in New York City organized by a national Latino nonprofit. "Many families are seeking refuge in New York after fleeing civil strife, natural disasters, violence, and so much more." Newly arrived asylum-seekers celebrated their first Three Kings Day in the United States at a dinner Thursday hosted by Hispanic Federation. Three Kings Day this year is an opportunity that allows families to connect and celebrate while keeping with the traditions of home." Greg Abbott following the busing of thousands of migrant families to New York City, with Abbott responding that it's up to the federal government to deal with border issues.

New York CNN —After years of legal battles, pontificating and theorizing, former President Donald Trump’s tax returns from 2015 to 2020 are now part of the public record. However, Trump’s tax returns raise numerous questions about the former president’s finances, his business activities, foreign ties and his charitable donations, among other issues. The tax returns do not show what the bank account was used for or how much money passed through it or to whom. The tax returns don’t say how much he lent them or why he gave them loans in the first place. Since 1977, the Internal Revenue Service has had a policy of auditing every president’s personal tax returns while they are in office.

☆ Barbie's creator wanted Ken to have more of a 'bulge' — but Mattel refused to give the doll a prominent crotch
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Barbie creator Ruth Handler wanted the Ken doll to have a "bulge," she wrote in her autobiography. "Both the all-male design and marketing staffs, however, disagreed, so the groin on the first Ken doll was as smooth as Barbie's." "Ruth felt the design team lacked 'the guts' to give the Ken doll even the suggestion of male sex organs," Gerber wrote. "But Ruth was not political or prone to dwell on the root of cultural standards," Gerber wrote. A range of Barbie dolls for sale during the 2015 National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention.

☆ South Korea lifts ban on imported sex dolls
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has formally lifted a ban on the import of full-body sex dolls, ending years of debate over how much the government can interfere in private life. The customs service said it will still ban the import of child-like sex dolls or others embodying certain people. It said other countries like the United States, Australia and Britain also ban child-like sex dolls. It said South Korea must reform other regulations that have a negative impact on the economy. Customs officials said they still most likely held more than 1,000 sex dolls that had been sent to South Korea since 2018.

☆ 'Kidults' age 12 and up are buying more toys than ever, with teens and adults driving significant growth for the industry thanks to the pandemic and TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

'Kidults' age 12 and above are comprising a growing sector of the toy industry, according to NPD Group. NPD Group's Juli Lennett told Insider the growth is largely due to the pandemic and social media. "Now many of them are hooked," Lennett said of kidults who purchased toys early in the pandemic. Today, Lego now sells 100 adult Lego sets, according to the Associated Press, including a replica of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night and a functional roller coaster. "We make LEGO sets specifically for adults with more detail, challenging building techniques, and cool ways to display."

☆ In Thailand, Santa delivers presents on elephants
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/6] A mahout dressed as Santa Claus gives a gift to an elephant to be handed over to students ahead of Christmas celebrations at a primary school, in Ayutthaya, Thailand, December 23, 2022. REUTERS/Chalinee ThirasupaAYUTTHAYA PROVINCE, Thailand, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A trunk, rather than a red nose, is what Rudolph would need to join a herd of elephants helping Santa Claus deliver presents in Thailand. Mahouts dressed as Santa led the gentle giants to a school in central Thailand to hand out Christmas presents to about 2,000 students this week, part of an annual tradition. Students lined the school courtyard and hall while the elephants approached slowly and unfurled their trunks to give out balloons, toys and dolls. Reporting Napat Wesshasartar; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ I started the Elf on the Shelf with my mom and sister. We self-published a book and took on credit-card debt to turn our family tradition into a business.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Taayoo Murray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Christa Pitts is the co-CEO of the Lumistella Company, the manufacturer for the Elf on the Shelf. Her family started the business in 2005 after being inspired by their own Christmas family tradition. Facebook / The Elf on the ShelfIn 2005, my mom and Chanda wrote "The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition." In 2020, the company rebranded to the Lumistella Company to better reflect our portfolio of products, entertainment, and experiences. We also started Scout Elf Productions, our own production company, and began developing content around our brands.

Known in the legal world as the “death penalty” of child welfare, it can happen in a matter of months. One in 100 U.S. children — disproportionately Black and Native American — experience termination through the child welfare system before they turn 18, the study found. Still, longer timelines can also reflect a stronger focus on family reunification and a willingness to devote greater resources to meet that goal, child welfare experts say. And some child welfare advocates have criticized the law’s focus on narrow initiatives like parenting classes, which they say fail to address poverty and the other root causes of neglect that prompt most child welfare cases. Snodgrass said she never imagined when her child welfare case started that she could lose her rights to her children.

☆ Adults are buying toys for themselves, and it’s the biggest source of growth for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | Whitten Is A Social Media Writer For Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

It’s an important moment for the toy industry, too, with the holiday season upon us. “The definition of adulthood has definitely evolved,” said Jeremy Padawer, chief brand officer at toy company Jazwares. Toy companies have even begun creating their own television and movie content in order to support toy lines. Still, the stakes remain high for the toy industry as it heads into the final weeks of the year. “Right now, adult toy buyers are the reason for growth in the toy business,” Larian said.

☆ Adults are buying toys for themselves, and it's the biggest source of growth for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There are two things keeping the toy industry afloat right now: inflation and a consumer group known as "kidults." These kids at heart are responsible for one-fourth of all toy sales annually, around $9 billion worth, and are the biggest driver of growth throughout the industry, according to data from the NPD Group. It's an important moment for the toy industry, too, with the holiday season upon us. Higher toy prices helped outweigh these losses, as sales revenue for the time period jumped 3%, NPD reported. Kidults, who tend to spend more on toys, have a great fondness for cartoons, superheroes and collectibles that remind them of their childhood.

☆ What a Newsmax host's fake outrage over an American Girl doll tells us
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Susanne Ramírez De Arellano | Susanne Ramírez De Arellano Is A Freelance Writer | Journalist Based In New York City. She Is The Former News Director Of Channel In Puerto Rico | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

“My daughter is just a cute little 6-year-old white girl — we couldn’t find anybody that looked like my daughter. It begs the question: What does an American Girl look like today? Because, going by the numbers, American Girl dolls represent what America looks like at present — not a “wokeified” version, but a real one. American Girl’s ethos is to build girls of strong character and help them reach their full potential. It is a future that can’t be stopped by a ridiculous anchor decrying that he can’t find a white doll for his cute white child.

☆ Father of Texas girl allegedly killed by FedEx driver files lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The father of 7-year-old Athena Strand, the little girl allegedly killed by a Texas FedEx delivery driver, filed a lawsuit for negligence. Athena Strand. of Public SafetyAfter hitting her with the van, Horner allegedly "either took Athena into the van or enticed her to enter the van," the suit says. "Our thoughts remain with the family of Athena Strand in the wake of this tragedy," the company said. Investigators learned that a FedEx driver had delivered packages to the home around the same time and worked with the contracting company to determine which driver was on that route, according to the affidavit.

☆ From bloody Balkan war to World Cup heavyweight: the making of Croatia as a soccer nation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Croatia’s World Cup pedigree is an altogether different story. Štimac challenges Clarence Seedorf of the Netherlands during the 1998 World Cup third place playoff match, which Croatia won 2-1. The Croatia players celebrate a goal against France in the 1998 World Cup semifinals. Having been appointed after the team’s qualification for the 2018 World Cup, Dalić came with pressure on his shoulders. Antonio Bronic/Reuters“There is no place in the national team dressing room of Croatia for big egos, and everyone knows that.

☆ FedEx driver allegedly told investigators Texas girl was still alive after he struck her with vehicle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Antonio Planas | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A FedEx driver panicked after striking a 7-year-old girl in Texas with his work van and threw her in the truck, where he killed her, authorities said. Horner allegedly told investigators the child was not seriously injured when he accidentally backed the truck into her. Horner also told investigators he even spoke to the girl in his van where she told him her name, the affidavit said. Investigators also learned the FedEx truck was equipped with cameras that captured one-minute clips, the affidavit said. Horner, after allegedly admitting he killed the girl, also allegedly told investigators where to find her.

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