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☆ I started working at Medieval Times after getting laid off — now I play the queen. It's a dangerous but really fun job.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Erin Zapcic portrays a queen at Medieval Times' Buena Park castle in California. It was 2011 and at the age of 27, I had just gotten laid off from my office job. Still wanting to continue my work with Medieval Times, I reapplied at the Buena Park castle. I tumbled to the ground as the horse ran away, and my crown went flying off. While I love my job, there are certain aspects of it that could use improvementZapcic recently helped unionize the staff at Medieval Times.

☆ Brazil's Yanomami region looks like ‘concentration camp,’ says official
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“It looks like a concentration camp,” Tapeba, a doctor appointed to the position by Brazil’s new government, said in a radio interview. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, visits the Yanomami Indigenous Health House (Casai) in the Boa Vista rural area, Roraima state, Brazil, on Saturday. “It’s an extreme calamity, many Yanomami are suffering from malnutrition and there is a total absence of the Brazilian state,” Tapeba said. This can only be resolved by removing the gold miners and that can only be done by the armed forces,” he said. Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered the removal of the gold miners.

☆ Google job cuts hit 1,800 employees in California, including 27 massage therapists
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google headquarters is seen in Mountain View, California, United States on September 26, 2022. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Google eliminated over 1,800 jobs in its home state California as part of the biggest round of layoffs in company history. Some 1,436 jobs were cut in Mountain View, where Google is based, while 119 were in San Bruno, home to YouTube. The cuts also included 27 in-house massage therapists, with 24 in Mountain View and three in the Southern California markets of Los Angeles and Irvine. There were 60 cuts in Irvine.

☆ Ken Griffin has built two of Wall Street's most powerful firms. His next target could be influencing politics.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel. It's good to be Ken Griffin. Plenty of people find success on Wall Street that most can only dream of. But Ken Griffin seems to be winning in ways that even his peers can't fathom. Click here to read more about Ken Griffin rise to the top of Wall Street and what could be next for the billionaire.

☆ Brazil declares emergency over deaths of Yanomami children from malnutrition
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRASILIA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Brazil's ministry of health has declared a medical emergency in the Yanomami territory, the country's largest indigenous reservation bordering Venezuela, following reports of children dying of malnutrition and other diseases caused by illegal gold mining. In four years of Bolsonaro's presidency, 570 Yanomami children died of curable diseases, mainly malnutrition but also malaria, diarrhea and malformations caused by mercury used by wildcat gold miners, the Amazon journalism platform Sumauma reported, citing data obtained by a FOIA. Lula visited a Yanomami health center in Boa Vista in Roraima state on Saturday following the publication of photos showing children and elderly men and women so thin their ribs were visible. In recent violent incidents, men on speed boats on the rivers have shot with automatic weapons at indigenous villages whose communities oppose the entry of gold miners. Lula said the new government will put an end to illegal gold mining as it moves to crack down on illegal deforestation in the Amazon, which surged to a 15-year high under Bolsonaro.

☆ Gun companies reckon with declining demand after pandemic surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

American Outdoor Brands and Vista Outdoor have reported weaker sales in their shooting categories of late. But the past year has seen gun sales fall precipitously as demand wanes. Sturm, Ruger & Company did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Other major gun companies including American Outdoor Brands and Vista Outdoor, which purchased Remington Ammunition out of bankruptcy in late 2020, are seeing similar declines in gun sales. Vista Outdoor reported a sales decline of 4% to $432 million for its sporting products, which includes its Remington acquisition.

☆ How China planted an FBI mole who was discovered only after gutting the CIA's vast spy network
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

At the time, four years after the handover from Britain to China, much of Hong Kong remained a world of neon and noise. "Five years ago, everyone looked down on you if you spoke Mandarin," said a Beijing executive living in Hong Kong. As soon as the Hong Kong Arts Festival ended, the Hong Kong International Film Festival began. In February 2006, Alex Ma, China's mole in the FBI, sent David photos he received from his handlers of five suspected human sources. Born in Hong Kong like Alex, Lee grew up in Hawaii and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

☆ A battle between Disney and activist Peltz brews. Here’s how the situation may unfold
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Disney offered Peltz, founding partner of Trian Fund Management, a role as a board observer and asked him to sign a standstill agreement, which Peltz declined. Offer of a board observer positionSometimes a board observer position can be beneficial, particularly for investors who do not have a lot of board experience and are less likely to be a regular contributor to board discussions. But offering Peltz a position as a board observer is like saying to Whitney Houston, "You can join the band, but you are not allowed to sing." It is curious as to why Peltz started this proxy fight in the first place and why Disney is resisting it. Peltz acquired his position when Bob Chapek was CEO and likely had a plan to replace him with someone Peltz had already identified.

☆ Disney Tax District Shores Up Development Plans Amid Florida Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Robbie Whelan | Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Florida legislature in April passed a law eliminating the Reedy Creek district, which has permitted Disney to manage its theme parks and resorts in Florida with little red tape. City officials from the special tax district in Florida controlled by the Walt Disney Co. moved to make changes that would allow Disney to build new theme parks and additional hotel rooms at Walt Disney World, steps that come as the state is trying to rein in the company. At a meeting Wednesday officials from the two cities that make up the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Fla., approved a resolution to consider changing land-use regulations to accommodate the district’s comprehensive plan, which serves as a 10-year road map for development at Walt Disney World, according to minutes of the meeting and a spokeswoman for Reedy Creek.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond is closing dozens of stores in 2023 — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Bed Bath & Beyond released an updated list of store closures set to take place by March. San Leandro: 15555 East 14th St., Suite 24015555 East 14th St., Suite 240 Burbank: 201 East Magnolia Blvd. ArterialKansas:Lawrence: 3106 S. Iowa St., Suite 2153106 S. Iowa St., Suite 215 Manhattan: 425 3rd PlaceKentucky:Elizabethtown: 1998 N. Dixie Ave.1998 N. Dixie Ave. New Hartford: 4805 Commercial Drive4805 Commercial Drive Kingston: 1187 Ulster Ave.1187 Ulster Ave. Plattsburgh: 73 Centre Drive, Suite 10073 Centre Drive, Suite 100 Farmingdale: 251 Airport Plaza Blvd. Wisconsin:Mequon: 11110 N. Port Washington RoadPuerto Rico:Bayamon: Plaza Del Sol, 725 West Main Ave.Do you work for Bed Bath & Beyond?

☆ This restaurant started as a Mexican beach-side taco stand in a $3,000 VW bus—soon, it could come to a block near you
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Today, it's a fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain with 15 locations across New York, Miami and Washington, D.C. That's a far cry from Tacombi's beach days, which started when Wolos bought his 1963 green VW "bus" in Mexico City for $3,000. Wolos converted the van into a mobile restaurant where he sold his first tacos, he told Total Food Service in November. He wrote a business plan for a restaurant chain concept called "Taco Rex" where he'd sell Mexican food that was, to him, actually Mexican. "I saw that Taco Bell, Chipotle and Old El Paso and all these legacy brands of Mexican food weren't connecting people to this side of Mexico."

☆ Vista to take Duck Creek Technologies private in $2.6 bln deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Manya Saini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Duck Creek Technologies (DCT.O), which serves some of the biggest clients in the property and casualty sector, will be taken private by Vista Equity Partners in an all-cash deal valued at about $2.6 billion, the insurance tech firm said on Monday. The deal for Duck Creek at a purchase price of $19 per share, represents a premium of 46% to Duck Creek's last close. Duck Creek provides cloud-based property and casualty insurance solutions to its customers including Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and American International Group (AIG.N). Duck Creek expects the deal to close in the second-quarter of this year. J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor to Duck Creek.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Lululemon, Duck Creek, Mastercard, Uber and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Visa , Mastercard — Shares of the payments companies gained 1.1% and 1.7% respectively, after Keybanc upgraded their ratings to overweight from from sector weight. Shares gained 2.8% premarket. Uber — Shares gained 2.8% after the rideshare platform was upgraded to overweight from neutral by Piper Sandler. Nvidia — The stock gained 1.6% premarket after being named a top pick by Wells Fargo analysts, who said they see a positive data center product-cycle materializing through 2023. Ferrari — Shares rallied more than 2% premarket after being named a top pick for 2023 by Bank of America.

☆ Duck Creek Technologies surges more than 30% after reaching takeover deal with Vista
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A person walks through the Wall Street subway station near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York on May 27, 2022. Insurance tech company Duck Creek Technologies has reached a takeover deal with Vista Equity Partners, sending its stock soaring on Monday morning. Shares of Duck Creek surged more than 45% to hover just under the offer price in premarket trading. At its high watermark in February 2021, the Duck Creek closed above $59 per share. Duck Creek reported its fiscal first quarter results last week, showing revenue of $80.6 million and a net loss of $5.2 million.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Tesla, Nvidia, Lululemon and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong, China, 13 Sept 2022, A red Tesla car passes in front of a Tesla dealership in Wanchai. Tesla – Shares of Tesla rose 8% Monday after CEO Elon Musk's attorneys on Saturday asked a California court to move a trial over the company stock to Texas, citing local negativity. Uber – Uber shares gained 5.2% on an upgrade from Piper Sandler to overweight from a neutral rating. Monolithic Power Systems – Shares of Monolithic Power Systems gained 6.4% amid the semiconductor rally, following shares of Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices. Goldman Sachs – Shares gained 2% following reports that the banking giant is laying off 3,200 employees, or 6.5% of the workforce it had in October.

☆ China boosts coal output, eases Australia ban to bolster energy security
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The increasing need to secure energy supplies after easing COVID-19 restrictions has pushed China to gradually resume Australian coal imports and urge domestic miners to boost their already record output. "Many miners would welcome the opportunity to renew their commercial relationships in China for both metallurgical coal and thermal coal." read moreAmong them, China Energy Investment Corp has placed an order to import Australian coal which could load later this month. read moreMarket participants expect more firms to be granted permission to buy Australian coal in the coming months. HIGHER QUALITYChina purchased more than 30 million tonnes of coking coal and nearly 50 million tonnes of thermal coal from Australia before buying stopped.

☆ 6 top M&A bankers lay out their dealmaking playbook for 2023 — from getting around a sagging bond market to dealing with skeptical shareholders
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Carter Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

"We're certainly telling clients to plan for longer timelines between signing an announcement and when a transaction closes," RBC's Sperduto said. Bankers noted the figure was on pace with the average amount of deals done in the five years preceding the pandemic. "There is still significant desire from both corporates and financial sponsors to transact," Gary Posternack, co-head of global M&A at Barclays, told Insider. But in 2023, bankers see more transactions receiving greater scrutiny from stakeholders. Vito Sperduto, the co-head of global M&A at RBC Capital Markets.

☆ Tesla shares tumble 10% following deliveries report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of Tesla dropped 10% on Tuesday morning, a day after the electric auto maker reported fourth-quarter vehicle production and delivery numbers for 2022. The company reported 405,278 total deliveries for the quarter and 1.31 million total deliveries for the year. According to a consensus of analysts' estimates compiled by FactSet, as of Dec. 31, 2022, Wall Street was expecting Tesla to report around 427,000 deliveries for the final quarter of the year. Some Wall Street analysts think Tesla's deliveries miss spells trouble for the electric vehicle maker, but others see a buying opportunity for the company in 2023. "We believe key debates from here will be on whether vehicle deliveries can reaccelerate, margins and Tesla's brand," the analysts said.

☆ From Amazon to The Trade Desk, experts predict these companies will be the most active acquirers of advertising businesses next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

There's a strong interest from acquirers in hot trends like commerce media and data consultancy. Experts predicted the companies most likely to be acquirers of advertising businesses in 2023. Many industry observers expect advertising industry M&A deal volume and value to be down next year due to volatile macroeconomic conditions. Experts across the advertising industry — from consultants, to agency executives, analysts, investors, and adtech leaders — named the companies likely to be active in the advertising M&A market in 2023 and why. Apple could make an under-the-radar adtech acquisition for its sleeping giant advertising businessIndustry insiders predict Apple has big plans for its $5 billion-and-growing advertising business next year.

☆ Here are the 34 tech companies most likely to be snapped up by private equity firms like Vista and Thoma Bravo in 2023, according to bankers and market data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Ben Bergman | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

With a stock price down 45% in the last year, though, it may soon find itself on the other side of the table. But it has $732 million in cash on hand, with zero debt, and analysts are projecting 16% revenue growth. This year, though, Varonis has come back to earth — its stock price has sunk over 57% in the last 12 months. However, with strong projected 2023 revenue growth of 18.6%, Zuora remains a strong target for PE firms. Its stock price has been hammered, going down about 40% this year and making it the subject of mergers-and-acquisitions chatter.

A California interior designer was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday after prosecutors said she killed her butterfly conservationist stepfather when she found nude photos of herself on his computer. Merriman was killed on Dec. 31, 2020, not long after Janks found the compromising photos on Merriman's computer. Janks drugged Merriman and then suffocated him with a plastic bag and choked him to death, prosecutors said. A text message Janks sent to an acquaintance the day of Merriman's death, and shown to jurors, read: "I just dosed the hell out of him." Janks' defense insisted Merriman died from poor health and his own chronic drug abuse.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Disney, Tesla, Mesa Air and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday Monday:Disney — Disney fell 3.6% after its film, "Avatar: The Way of the Water" fell short of box office expectations. The highly-anticipated movie brought in $134 million, less than the $175 million expected by analysts and under the $135 million to $150 million range Disney had forecast. Casino operators — Wynn Resorts fell 4.2%, while MGM Resorts lost 2.9% and Las Vegas Sands dropped 1.6%. Mesa Air Group — Shares of the airliner jumped 5% after Mesa Air announced it is finalizing a deal to run regional flights for United Airlines, while ending its partnership with American Airlines. Warner Music Group — Shares gained 2.5% following an upgrade to overweight from Atlantic Equities.

Below is a complete list of all-inclusive resorts you can book with Hyatt points in Latin America and Europe — and the number of points you'll need to do it. Caribbean/Latin AmericaHotel Category Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana C (25,000 points) Zoëtry Casa del Mar Los Cabos C (25,000 points) Zoëtry Curaçao Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Zoëtry Montego Bay Jamaica C (25,000 points) Zoëtry Marigot Bay St. Lucia F (50,000 points) Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita Riviera Maya C (25,000 points) Zoëtry Villa Rolandi Isla Mujeres Cancun C (25,000 points) Sunscape Akumal Beach Resort & Spa A (15,000 points) Sunscape Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino B (20,000 points) Sunscape Dorado Pacifico Ixtapa A (15,000 points) Sunscape Puerto Plata Dominican Republic A (15,000 points) Sunscape Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa A (15,000 points) Sunscape Sabor Cozumel A (15,000 points) Breathless Cabo San Lucas Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Breathless Cancun Soul Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Breathless Punta Cana Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Secrets Akumal Riviera Maya C (25,000 points) Secrets Aura Cozumel C (25,000 points) Secrets Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort B (20,000 points) Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun C (25,000 points) Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen C (25,000 points) Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica C (25,000 points) Secrets Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort C (25,000 points) Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort C (25,000 points) Secrets Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Secrets Royal Beach Punta Cana B (20,000 points) Secrets St. James Montego Bay C (25,000 points) Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Secrets The Vine Cancun C (25,000 points) Secrets Vallarta Bay Puerto Vallarta B (20,000 points) Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay C (25,000 points) Dreams Acapulco Resort & Spa A (15,000 points) Dreams Aventuras Riviera Maya B (20,000 points) Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort B (20,000 points) Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino B (20,000 points) Dreams Dominicus La Romana B (20,000 points) Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Jade Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Karibana Cartagena Golf Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica C (25,000 points) Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Macao Beach Punta Cana B (20,000 points) Dreams Natura Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Onyx Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Palm Beach Punta Cana A (15,000 points) Dreams Playa Bonita Panama A (15,000 points) Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf & Spa Resort C (20,000 points) Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa A (15,000 points) Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa B (15,000 points) Dreams Royal Beach Punta Cana B (20,000 points) Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Sapphire Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Villamagna Nuevo Vallarta B (20,000 points) Dreams Vista Cancun Golf & Spa Resort B (20,000 points) Hyatt Ziva Cancun C (25,000 points) Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos B (20,000 points) Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta B (20,000 points) Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun C (25,000 points) Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana C (25,000 points) Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall C (25,000 points) Hyatt Zilara Cancun C (25,000 points) Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya C (25,000 points) Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana C (25,000 points) Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall C (25,000 points)EuropeHotel Category Alua Atlántico Golf Resort A (15,000 points) Alua Boccaccio A (15,000 points) Alua Calas de Mallorca Resort B (20,000 points) Alua Golf Trinidad A (15,000 points) Alua Gran Camp de Mar A (15,000 points) Alua Helios Bay (opening expected May 1, 2023) A (15,000 points) Alua Illa de Menorca A (15,000 points) Alua Leo (participation effective October 17, 2022) A (15,000 points) Alua Suites Las Rocas A (15,000 points) Alua Tenerife A (15,000 points) AluaSoul Carolina A (15,000 points) AluaSoul Costa Málaga A (15,000 points) AluaSoul Menorca A (15,000 points) AluaSoul Orotava Valley A (15,000 points) AluaSun Cala Antena A (15,000 points) AluaSun Continental Park Hotel & Apartments A (15,000 points) AluaSun Costa Park A (15,000 points) AluaSun Doblemar A (15,000 points) AluaSun Far Menorca A (15,000 points) AluaSun Helios Beach (opening expected May 1, 2023) A (15,000 points) AluaSun Lago Park A (15,000 points) AluaSun Lago Rojo A (15,000 points) AluaSun Marbella Park A (15,000 points) AluaSun Mediterráneo A (15,000 points) Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Dreams Sunny Beach Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Secrets Lanzarote Resort & Spa B (20,000 points) Secrets Mallorca Villamil Resort & Spa C (25,000 points) Secrets Sunny Beach Resort & Spa (opening expected May 1, 2023) B (20,000 p

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☆ Here are the 34 tech companies most likely to be on the holiday shopping lists of private-equity firms after valuations plunged this year, according to bankers and private data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ben Bergman | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

☆ California and the Midwest face 'high risk' of electricity shortages in next five years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Projected energy shortfalls have been projected in that region since 2018, Olson said. The Southwest could also suffer when demand is high and wind energy generation is low in the region. For its annual long-term electricity security assessment, NERC looks at the coming decade, but energy and capacity risk assessment goes out for the coming five years, from 2023 to 2027. There are too many moving parts and uncertainties for a risk assessment past the next five years to be worthwhile, according to NERC. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission certified NERC to measure and enforce safety standards for the energy grid in the United States in 2006.

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