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☆ Supersaver who stashed 78% of his salary has one regret: 'We might have been too extreme, tipping into misery'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

He and his wife Taylor were living an upwardly mobile lifestyle in San Diego, but it turned out their budget was upwardly mobile, too. "We lived in a beautiful beach town, drove a BMW, dined at high-end restaurants and often indulged in expensive hobbies. Essentially, as our income increased, so did our spending," Rieckens, 39, tells CNBC Make It. At first, the couple went full-throttle, even going so far as to briefly move in — with a brand-new baby in tow — with Rieckens' parents in Bellvue, Iowa. "Looking back, we might've been too extreme, tipping into misery, not from deprivation but the unending focus on finances," Rieckens says.

Persons: Scott Rieckens, Taylor, Rieckens, you'll, — Organizations: BMW, CNBC Locations: San Diego, —, Bellvue , Iowa

☆ Luton ready to crank up volume in first top-flight home game for 31 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But anticipation is building for the visit of West Ham, who will become the first top-flight team to play a league match at Kenilworth Road since Aston Villa 31 years ago. The volume created by the Hatters fans crammed in on Friday will shake the 118-year-old stadium to its foundations. Forward Cauley Woodrow, who scored in the League Cup win at Kenilworth Road against Gillingham this week, said Luton needed to turn their home into an intimidating 'fortress'. Arsenal's priority will be avoiding any repeat of the early goals they have conceded on a regular basis at home of late. Andreas Pereira's strike for Fulham after 57 seconds last weekend meant the Gunners became the first Premier League team to concede a first-minute goal three times in a calendar year.

Persons: Matthew Childs, hemming, Rob Edwards, We've, Woodrow, Luton, Bramall, Mikel Arteta's, Andreas Pereira's, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer, Luton Town, Gillingham, Kenilworth, Luton, West Ham United, Burnley, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Premier League, Coventry City, Aston Villa, Hatters, League, West Ham, Hammers, Manchester City, Fulham, London, Tottenham Hotspur, Sheffield United, Everton, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Manchester United, Gunners, Thomson Locations: Luton, Britain, Kenilworth, West Ham, West, Bramall Lane, Liverpool, Brighton, Saturday's

☆ Fernandes inspires United comeback win, Arsenal held, West Ham go top
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Erik ten Hag's Manchester United began abysmally against Forest and conceded twice inside the opening five minutes to Steve Cooper's enterprising outfit. United got the quick response they needed however with Marcus Rashford's cut back being touched in by Cristian Eriksen. Dejan Kulusevski sealed the points in the second half for new manager Ange Postecoglou's side. First half I thought we were really good," Australian Postecoglou, who has quickly changed the mood at Spurs, told reporters. Champions Manchester City, who are fifth on six points, visit promoted Sheffield United on Sunday when Newcastle United, on three points, host Liverpool who have four.

Persons: Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, James Ward, Prowse, Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, West Ham, Erik, Steve Cooper's, Fernandes, Forest, Andre Onana, Willy Boly, United, Marcus Rashford's, Cristian Eriksen, Casemiro, Joe Worrall, Danilo, Rashford, Andreas Pereira, Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah, Calvin Bassey cynically, Marco Silva's, Arsenal's, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Ange Postecoglou's, we've, We've, Sasa Kalajdzic, Crystal Palace's Joachim Andersen, Kevin Schade's, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Manchester United, Forest, Arsenal, Fulham Flying West Ham, Manchester, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Premier League, . West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth, Hammers, Seagulls, United, Bukayo, Spurs, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves, Brentford, Manchester City, Sheffield United, Sunday, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Thomson Locations: Brighton, ., West, Portuguese, Forest's, London

CNN —One year after catastrophic floods devastated swathes of Pakistan, some 4 million children in the South Asian nation remain without access to safe water, the United Nations children’s agency has warned. “Vulnerable children living in flood-affected areas have endured a horrific year,” Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, said in the statement. “The climate-related disaster deepened pre-existing inequities for children and families in affected districts,” UNICEF said in the statement. Children pick vegetables from water at a flooded market after heavy rainfall in Lahore on June 26, 2023. Fadil from UNICEF said the agency has called on the government of Pakistan and its partners to “increase and sustain investment in basic social services for children and families.”He added: “We cannot forget the children of Pakistan.

Persons: ” Abdullah Fadil, “, Asim Hafeez, Dera Allah Yar, Fida Hussain, Imran Khan, Khan, ”, Stephen Innes, Arif Ali, Fadil Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UNICEF, UNICEF Representative, Bloomberg, Getty, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Capital Economics, Analysts Locations: Pakistan, Karachi Division, Sindh province, Pakistan’s, Dera, Jaffarabad district, Balochistan, AFP, Asia, Lahore, South Asia, Afghanistan, India

It is the second contest between the two after Mnangagwa won a closely contested poll in 2018, which the opposition allege was rigged. Some 6.6 million people are registered to vote in the nation of about 15 million. LITTLE CHANGE SINCE MUGABE ERAPolitical analysts say Zimbabwe's unending economic maelstrom could tip the contest in favour of the opposition if the election is clean. We will not accept a rigged vote," Chamisa said at his last campaign rally on Monday. If there is no outright winner, a run-off between the top two candidates will be held on Oct. 2.

Persons: Mugabe, Mnangagwa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Chamisa, Chamisa, Olivia Kumwenda, Estelle Shirbon, Giles Elgood Organizations: World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Citizens Coalition, MUGABE, PF, Risk Consulting, ZANU, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Parliamentary, Thomson Locations: HARARE, Zimbabwe, Shurugwi, Harare

☆ Opinion: Who the drone attacks on Russia are really aimed at
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Jade Mcglynn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jade McGlyn Jade McGlynIt is the latest in more than 140 suspected Ukrainian drone attacks directed against Russia and its occupying forces on Ukrainian territory this year, according to the BBC. Does that mean the drone attacks are strategically pointless? Investigators work near a damaged roof following a reported Ukrainian drone shot down in Moscow, Russia, on Friday, August 18. Unlike in Russia, Ukraine’s population is not passive or depoliticised, as shown by its heroic fight for its sovereignty. The drone attacks probably won’t turn Russians against the war.

Persons: Jade McGlynn, “, Read, McGlyn, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrogate, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Igor Girkin, Shamil Zhumatov, pacifying, Vladimir Kara Murza, ”, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Center for Strategic, International Studies, CNN, Russia, BBC, Malaysia Airlines Flight, Kremlin, of Defence, Armed Forces, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Putin’s Russia, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

“If you were to throw gasoline on a fire that’s already burning, that fire would grow really rapidly, really quickly. “Being hurricane season prepared also means being compassionate and kind to yourself during times of hardship,” NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness campaign, advised in a post on Instagram. Ms. Sibley, an administrative assistant and Ms. Ozane’s sister, has tried to save money to help with riding out hurricanes only for other demands to interfere with that. “What am I going to do if a hurricane really comes?” she said. “I pray we don’t have a bad one this year,” Ms. Sibley said.

Persons: El Niño, ”, Roishetta Sibley Ozane, Phil Klotzbach, “ There’s, Hurricane Ida, Emily Kask, The New York Times El, El, Eric Blake, Andrew, Craig E, Blake, Michael, Laura, Ian, Clay Tucker, NOLA Ready, Hurricane Laura, Ozane, “ They’re, Lake Charles, Ms, Meoshia Sibley, Sibley, Ozane’s, ” Ms, “ Organizations: Biscayne, El, Colorado State University, ”, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic, The New York Times, National Hurricane Center, Experts, Louisiana State University, University of Southern, Delta, of Louisiana Locations: Biscayne Beach, Florida, Westlake, La, Hurricane, Galliano, United States, University of Southern Mississippi, New Orleans, Lake Charles, Louisiana

☆ The South Knows a Hot, Sticky Summer. But This? ‘It’s Hell.’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Rick Rojas | More About Rick Rojas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Grab-N-Go, a drive-through and walk-up convenience store in New Iberia, La., has a central air-conditioning system, a window air-conditioning unit and two small, portable air-conditioners. Lately, brisk business could almost be considered a curse: Every time a customer arrived, Mr. Vitto had to slide open the window to take their order. The outside air — nearly 100 degrees but feeling even warmer — forced its way inside. “It’s a sticky, heavy heat,” Mr. Vitto said, disgust dripping from every drawn out syllable. It’s the moist, soupy, suffocating humidity that swallows up everything and conspires with the heat to make any activity without air-conditioning draining and even deadly.

Persons: Don Vitto, Vitto, Mr, It’s Locations: New Iberia, La, ”, Louisiana, Gulf

☆ Nick Hornby Reviews a Short History of the Beatles Before the Band
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Nick Hornby | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

THIS BOY: The Early Lives of John Lennon & Paul McCartney, by Ilene CooperIn the early 1980s I was an English teacher at a high school in Cambridge, England. “He introduced John Lennon to Paul McCartney.” I stared at him. Vaughan invented fame. Introducing Paul to John was like introducing ketchup to fries, or causing the Big Bang. By the time John and Paul were 10 and 8, respectively, only 7 percent of 17-year-olds were in school.

Persons: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ilene Cooper, Ivan Vaughan, ”, Vaughan, Paul, John, Paul McCartney ”, “, Cooper, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Peter Sellers, Starchy George Martin Locations: Cambridge, England, Woolton, Liverpool, American

☆ TPG dangles messy end for EY’s loveless marriage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Monday, the Financial Times reported that private equity firm TPG (TPG.O) had approached EY about buying a stake in its consulting arm. Back in May of last year when EY’s split was leaked to the press, valuations were much more attractive. If TPG pushes for a full breakup, EY would still have to work out how to divvy up its tax advice business between audit and consulting. Given the challenges, EY may well decide it’s better to soldier on with an awkward marriage than risk a messy divorce. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: EY’s, EY, Aimee Donnellan, Exor’s Philips, Bain, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Financial Times, TPG, Big, Partners, Twitter, Thomson

☆ Sea sails recklessly into choppy e-commerce waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Singapore-based Sea Limited Chairman and CEO Forrest Li, speaks during an interview with CNBC following his company's IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., October 20, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Aug 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sea's (SE.N) boss Forrest Li has picked a turbulent time to rock the boat. But Li's declaration on Tuesday that it's time to "ramp up" investments again risks wiping out the hard-earned investor goodwill. Despite Li's assurances that Sea will keep emphasising self-sufficiency and cost efficiencies, investors promptly erased some $10 billion, or 29%, in market value. In July, the latter injected $845 million into its Southeast Asian arm, signalling a price war may be on the horizon.

Persons: Forrest Li, Brendan McDermid, HONG KONG, Li, China's Alibaba, Robyn Mak, Exor’s Philips, Bain, BoE, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Reuters, HK, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Thomson Locations: Singapore, New York, U.S, HONG, York

☆ High services costs make UK rate-cutting laggard
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey speaks as he attends a press conference for the Monetary Policy Report August 2023, at the Bank of England in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - UK inflation is slowing, according to many metrics. Unfortunately, those are not the ones the Bank of England values the most. Prices in that category grew 7.4% in July, faster than June’s 7.2%, due to more expensive restaurants, hotels and airfares. Policymakers keep a close eye on services’ prices and wage growth, which hit a record in the three months to June.

Persons: Bank of England Andrew Bailey, Alastair Grant, Andrew Bailey, Bailey, Francesco Guerrera, Exor’s Philips, Bain, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Bank of, Office, National Statistics . Services, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bank of England, June’s

☆ Salesforce cage-rattlers leave in profitable peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For activist investors in Salesforce (CRM.N), the low-hanging fruit should suffice. Fast growth and big-ticket acquisitions that Salesforce boss Marc Benioff had pursued turned anathema last year. The stock price roughly halved, falling faster than the Nasdaq-100 Technology Sector Index (.NDXT). Benioff eventually acquiesced, slashing 10% of the workforce, disbanding the deals committee and unveiling a $20 billion stock buyback plan. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Porte, Jeff Smith’s, Dan Loeb’s, Marc Benioff, ValueAct, Benioff, Jonathan Guilford, Exor’s Philips, Bain, BoE, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, Reuters, Big Tech, Nasdaq, Profit, Elliott Investment Management, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Salesforce, Salesforce’s

☆ Exor’s Philips bet looks well-timed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Agnelli family’s investment company on Monday said it bought a 15% stake in the toothbrushes-to-defibrillators group for 2.6 billion euros ($2.8 billion). Philips’ shares are down some 62% since the peak in April 2021, and it now looks much cheaper than the sum of its parts. Based on peer multiples, its diagnostics business could be worth 14 times 2024 EBITDA, while its connected care unit, which helps hospitals manage patient data, might be valued at 18.5 times EBITDA. Lastly, throw in the consumer division, which makes toasters and TVs, and could fetch 12 times EBITDA. Using Refinitiv forecasts, that would imply a total enterprise value of 33 billion euros, and equity of some 24 billion euros, after taking off debt and 2.4 billion euros for legal costs estimated by Bernstein analysts.

Persons: John Elkann, Agnelli, Philips ’, EBITDA, Bernstein, Roy Jakobs, Philips, Karen Kwok, Bain, BoE, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Koninklijke Philips, U.S . Department of Justice, Philips, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Siemens, Thomson

☆ Bain puts Chindata minority owners out of misery
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Aug 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bain Capital has just taught a refresher course in the perils of being a minority investor. On Friday the buyout firm agreed to take Chindata private in a deal that values the Chinese data centre operator it already controls at $3.2 billion. But those who bought in when the U.S. private equity firm took Chindata public in 2020 or were hoping for a bidding war – or both – have good reason to be disappointed. Second, a unit of state-owned conglomerate China Merchants Group countered Bain with a $3.4 billion deal, which Chindata took a month to acknowledge. And it has let investors holding another fifth or so of Chindata stock into the buyout group.

Persons: Bain’s, Bain, Chindata, Antony Currie, BoE, Robyn Mak, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Bain Capital, China Merchants Group, China Merchants, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Siemens, Thomson Locations: New York

☆ Haaland back in the groove with double as Man City win at Burnley
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Haaland, who bagged a Premier League season-record 36 goals and a total of 52 in all competitions for treble winners City last season, slotted his side in front after four minutes. POACHER'S GOALHaaland's opening goal was a typical poacher's effort, pouncing to jab a shot past goalkeeper James Trafford after Rodri headed a De Bruyne cross back into the area. Burnley recovered from that early setback quite well and almost punished City for some sloppiness when Lyle Foster curled a shot past the far post. The second half was a lessen in game management by City who were content to run the legs out of Burnley. Haaland was substituted late on while City also offered a late cameo to new defensive signing Josko Gvardiol.

Persons: Erling Haaland, Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, Rodri, Vincent Kompany, Anass Zaroury, Kyle Walker, Craig Pawson, Guardiola, James Trafford, Lyle Foster, De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic, Julian Alvarez teeing, Josko Gvardiol, City's Rico Lewis, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: City Rodri, Turf Moor City, Premier League, BURNLEY, Manchester City, Burnley, Turf, City, Champions League, Thomson Locations: England, Norwegian, Burnley, City's

☆ Bearish investor Boaz Weinstein is feeling the pain from this year's unexpected stock rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Boaz Weinstein has been tagged by this year's stock-market rally, according to the Financial Times. Saba Capital's flagship $1.3 billion fund is down 8% year-to-date, the publication reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. [Quantitative tightening] is going to be a real headwind for investors," Weinstein told the FT back in October. Contrary to Weinstein's gloomy forecast, US stock valuations have soared in 2023, powered higher by the rise of AI and rapidly cooling inflation.

Persons: Boaz Weinstein, Boaz Weinstein's, Weinstein, That's, Morgan Stanley's, Mike Wilson Organizations: Financial Times, Saba Capital's, Service, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Saba Capital Locations: Saba, Wall, Silicon, Boaz Weinstein's Saba Capital

The findings come as support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his coalition slumps and the AfD capitalises on voter insecurity. German inflation has been on a downward trend, but is still much higher than the European Union's 2% target. Low and middle income households have been generally hit harder by inflation, Florian Dorn, a researcher at Ifo told Reuters. Although higher energy import prices initially drove inflation in Europe and Germany, companies were also putting up prices beyond their cost inflation, WSI analysis showed. Companies' profit inflation rose by 7% in 2022 compared to an only 3.3% rise in labour costs.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Florian Dorn, Ulrich Schneider, Der, Riham, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Kantar Public, Ifo, Reuters, Workers, Companies, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Europe's, Europe

[1/3] Participants play with a ball at the camping site for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Buan, South Korea, August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSEOUL, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Organisers of the World Scout Jamboree raced on Monday to evacuate thousands of mainly teenage participants from their South Korea campsite before a typhoon is expected to hit the area just days after a debilitating heatwave. Typhoon Khanun, which has wreaked havoc in southern Japan, is forecast to reach southern South Korea on Thursday, near the jamboree's campsite in Jeolla province. South Korea's government has informed the group that they were planning an early departure from the campsite due to the typhoon, the World Organization of the Scout Movement said. South Korea has pledged to ensure the event's safety, and have laid on water trucks, air-conditioned spaces and medics.

Persons: Kim Hong, Ji, Khanun, Yoon Suk, Kim Kwan, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, World Organization of, Scout Movement, Local, Scouts, ABC, Thomson Locations: Buan, South Korea, Ji SEOUL, Korea, Japan, Jeolla province, Seoul, North Jeolla, Australian, U.S, British

☆ Two dead, 57 rescued from migrant shipwrecks off Italy's Lampedusa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Migrants on board of NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat looks at boat Guardia Costiera heading to Lampedusa island, in central Mediterranean Sea, close to Lampedusa island, Italy, August 19, 2022. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File PhotoROME, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Italy's coastguard said on Sunday it had recovered two bodies and rescued 57 people off the southern island of Lampedusa, amid reports that more than 30 people were missing following two shipwrecks. A coastguard spokesperson said he could only confirm the number of survivors and the recovery of two bodies. Italy's right-wing government has adopted a policy of assigning far-away ports to charity ships, rather than letting them disembark rescued migrants in nearer Lampedusa or Sicily, with the aim of spreading arrivals across the country. Reporting by Angelo Amante and Alvise Armellini; Editing by Toby Chopra and Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Juan Medina, Ansa, Angelo Amante, Toby Chopra, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Migrants, Uno, Guardia, REUTERS, Italy's coastguard, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, Sfax, Europe, Ivory Coast, Brindisi, Sicily

Pope Francis gestures on the day he meets with aid and charity representatives at "Centro Paroquial de Serafina" during his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos MouraLISBON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis visited a Church-run social centre in a low-income Lisbon neighbourhood Friday, urging young people to shun "distilled," orderly lives where everything seems perfect but to "get your hands dirty" by helping the needy. "Tangible love is that which gets its hands dirty," he said. The 86-year-old pope is in Lisbon for the Catholic Church's World Day of Youth festival, which ends on Sunday. "Through your actions, your commitment, by getting your hands dirty, by touching the reality and misery of others, you are creating inspiration, you are generating life," he said.

Persons: Pope Francis, Violeta Santos Moura, Vincent de Paul, Francis, Amelia Grantham, Grantham, Philip Pullella, Louise Heavens Organizations: Centro, REUTERS, Violeta Santos Moura LISBON, Catholic, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, Serafina, Spain, Italy, Guatemala, Birmingham, England

☆ ‘Passages’ Review: A Toxic Ménage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Amy Nicholson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The misery unfurls in a straight timeline of dramatic scenes that leap over the lived-in moments that make up a relationship. We only get fleeting seconds of Martin and Agathe without Tomas dominating the conversation, or lack of one, as he tends to mutely prod them into an extended sex scene. As a result, we barely know his partners at all. Agathe, in particular, might look powerful in Khadija Zeggaï’s striking costumes, but she’s so vaguely written that she barely seems to exist when Tomas isn’t in the room. Sachs frames one talk between the spouses with Tomas’s body eclipsing Martin’s until he’s invisible; the camera reflects how little Tomas sees his partners, too.

Persons: Martin, Agathe, Tomas, Tomas isn’t, Justin Bieber, Hailey, “, Sachs, Tomas can’t, we’ve

☆ Office loans just hit a 5% delinquency rate – a 20-month high – as WFH and rate rises pile more pressure on commercial real estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It's the costliest time to borrow money as interest rates now stand at 5.5%. Commercial real estate has been particularly damaged by the Fed's rate-hiking campaign. Defaults on commercial real estate loans have hit their highest levels since December 2021. The combination of workers unwilling to return to the office, coupled with the highest interest rates in 22 years, has spelled misery for the sector over the last 18 months. Commercial real estate has been particularly troubled by the Fed's aggressive hiking campaign, which has pushed up interest rates sharply since spring 2022.

Persons: Trepp, Kiran Raichura, we've, it's Organizations: Service, Capital Economics Locations: Wall, Silicon, delinquencies

☆ Richard E. Grant Fights Grief With ‘A Pocketful of Happiness’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Amy Bloom | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One is Joan Washington, whom we get to know as passionate and commanding, a great teacher, a wonderful mother, a smartass and a woman who understood and loved her husband, deeply. To be clear, I make no complaints about her, and neither Grant nor I criticize anything she does in this book. It is not her fault that Richard E. Grant has adored her since he wrote her a fan letter when he was 14. I could have done without all of that, because, like Richard E. Grant, I just wanted more of the feisty, unvarnished, irritable, generous, wise, unimpressed Joan Washington. Amy Bloom’s most recent books are “Flower Girl” and “In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss.”A POCKETFUL OF HAPPINESS | By Richard E. Grant | 336 pp.

Persons: Joan Washington, ” Olivia, Grant, Barbra Streisand, Richard E, ”, —, Amy Bloom’s, Simon Organizations: Schuster

☆ Blind and other anonymous forums are 'places of pure misery,' says Redfin's CEO – but also let workers 'speak truth to power'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The CEO of real estate brokerage Redfin said anonymous forums are "places of pure misery." "Anonymity lets us slander one another without consequences, but it's also the only way to speak truth to power," Kelman said. "That led us to think there's a need for a third-party forum where people have the freedom to talk honestly about work," Kim said. "I was living there for six months and met with Amazon employees and signed them up in person – that's how we started flying." He also hosted parties and barbecues and invited Amazon workers so Blind could get more signups through word-of-mouth.

Persons: Redfin, Glenn Kelman, they're, Kyum Kim, it's, Kelman, Kim, Andrew Bosworth, Christian Charisius, Redfin didn't Organizations: Service, Meta, Twitter, Microsoft, Google, Korean, Amazon Locations: Wall, Silicon, Korea, California, Seattle

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