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‘Show me the money!’ how unofficial merch is cashing in on movie quotes 2024-06-06 11:24:00+00:00 - You might have heard that the film industry is in trouble. You might have seen how big movie after big movie has underperformed at the box office, or watched as giants such as David Lynch and Francis Ford Coppola struggle to find financing or distribution, and wondered if the glory days of cinema really are behind us. But relax! Movies still represent a thriving marketplace, just maybe not necessarily the one you thought. In fact, if you want to see how bursting with life the movies still are, you simply need to look at all the stuff on Etsy that has film quotes on it. View image in fullscreen A ‘Bond, James Bond’ T-shirt that has gained such glowing five-star reviews as: Overall very easy to use. No, really. A new study by the titans of cinema industry known as QR Code Reader has discovered and compiled the most profitable movie quotes of all time when applied to fan-made merchandise. There’s no point beating around the bush here. The most lucrative fan-made merchandise movie quote is: “Bond, James Bond.” There are almost 4,000 items on Etsy bearing this quote, retailing for a whopping average of $82.47. And what a cornucopia of items they are. Can you really know in your heart that you have a full and satisfying life if there isn’t a mimosa and pineapple-scented “Bond, James Bond” California-made soy wax candle constantly burning in your living room? Or if you don’t walk around in a “Bond, James Bond” T-shirt that has gained such glowing five-star reviews as: “Overall very easy to use” and “Only issue I had was that it was very late. Which made me upset.”? And, yes, technically it might not bear the classic quote, but there is an incredible piece of wall art where every 007 from Connery to Craig has been badly Photoshopped to sit around a poker table together. Forget actual movies! This is where the money is! Second on the list is the quote “I see you,” from Avatar. At first you might think it surprising that an incredibly forgettable line from a film nobody ever thinks about is the second most lucrative movie quote to put on fan-made merchandise, but that just shows what a dummy you are. There is a wealth of products to be found here, from birthday party invitations (“I see you: Jackson is turning 9”) to personalised Lego gift frames (“I see you: Jamie & Beckie engaged 31/12/22”). And, yes, if you search Etsy for the phrase “I see you” instead of “I see you Avatar”, you do mainly just get lyric posters from the Groove Armada song I See You Baby (“shaking that ass”) and for some reason a painting of a crow with a human eyeball in its mouth. View image in fullscreen ‘Represents the crushing agony of human loneliness’ … a planter in the shape of Wilson from Castaway. Other winning movie quotes that people love enough to put on stuff for money include “This is Sparta” from 300 (872 listings), “Avengers assemble” (295 listings), “Good morning, Vietnam” (152 listings) and “Wilson” from Castaway. The last one, named after Tom Hanks’s wordless volleyball friend, has inspired prints, T-shirts, badges and – for those people who have everything except a spherical pot with a bloody handprint on it that represents the crushing agony of human loneliness – a £29 planter. But don’t worry if the movie quotes you like didn’t make the top 10, because Etsy’s near-incomprehensible jungle of tat means that there’s probably something there for you anyway. For example, do you often quote “Daddy would you like some sausage,” from the 2001 Tom Green film Freddy Got Fingered? Great! It’s available in T-shirt, sew-on patch and 20oz double-walled hot/cold tumbler. Love “Hasta la vista, baby,” from Terminator 2? Wonderful! You can get it on pencils, wall art, giant neon signs and T-shirts of leather jacket-wearing meatballs that say “Pasta la vista, baby.” Big fan of “You had me at hello” from Jerry Maguire? Fantastic! There’s a greetings card that reads “You had me at.. let’s go to Nando’s” which is close enough if you think about it. This is the real business. Slightly shoddy online products are the next stage that the movie industry needs to evolve into. There are millions to be made here. To quote Jerry Maguire: “Show me the money!” (also available as an embroidered £50 tassel pillow).

Semtech Stock’s Breakout Could Have Another Leg Higher 2024-06-06 11:15:00+00:00 - Shares of Semtech Co. NASDAQ: SMTC had been stuck in limbo until recently. For the past two years, the stock struggled to break out of its $20 to $30 price channel. That was until the past quarterly earnings figures came on the scene, bringing Semtech shareholders a much-needed breakout to what is now 89% of the stock’s 52-week high price. Semtech Today SMTC Semtech $37.98 -0.70 (-1.81%) 52-Week Range $13.13 ▼ $46.86 Price Target $42.35 Add to Watchlist While other technology stocks, particularly semiconductors, like Nvidia Co. NASDAQ: NVDA, got the lion’s share of market attention during the past 12 months, stocks like Semtech offer a much better value proposition to catch up to the artificial intelligence hype. What comes next for the industry could continue bullish momentum, and Semtech may be near the top leaders. Get Comcast alerts: Sign Up In today’s economy, growth matters more than ever, so investors should pay attention to Wall Street’s expectations for Semtech’s future earnings per share (EPS) growth projections. Investors will find out why analysts have placed so much faith in the stock’s future upside using a few valuation metrics. However, before the nitty gritty details are broken down, here’s what’s pushing Semtech’s sector higher. Understanding Semtech’s Role in the AI Breakout Artificial intelligence relies heavily on data sources to implement machine learning models. Semtech’s main long-range, low-power communication methods for Internet of Things (IoT) devices make data collection more accessible so that these models can build on themselves. The company’s analog and mixed-signal circuits expertise also helps optimize power efficiency and high-speed data processing for neural network models. Boiling it down to simple terms, Semtech’s technology helps AI have quicker and better digestion even when it takes larger chunks of data down its processing tube. A story needs facts to be credible, so here are some of the biggest industry names picking Semtech as a reliable technology provider. Comcast Co. NASDAQ: CMCSA is one IoT customer. Apple Inc. NASDAQ: AAPL is one of Semtech’s consumer electronics customers, giving the company’s services another quality stamp. The list of customers goes on, but investors get the point in adoption rates for Semtech's services. This adoption translates into an up to 80% market share in the passive optical network space today, leading analysts to become bullish on the stock despite the current economy. Semtech’s Growth Doesn’t Care About the Fed Most of the market is hanging by the interest rate cut expectation thread, relying on the Federal Reserve (the Fed) to follow through with its proposal of interest rate cuts for this year. The initial timetable was set for March 2024, but according to the CME’s FedWatch tool, it now looks like September 2024 instead. Semtech MarketRank™ Stock Analysis Overall MarketRank™ 2.91 out of 5 Analyst Rating Moderate Buy Upside/Downside 22.1% Upside Short Interest Bearish Dividend Strength N/A Sustainability -1.71 News Sentiment 0.21 Insider Trading Acquiring Shares Projected Earnings Growth Growing See Full Details Having priced in these potential cuts, the market finds little reason to keep pushing higher, especially in today’s stagflation environment. Defined as low economic growth and high inflation, the U.S. economy pushed a revised GDP growth rate of only 1.3%. In comparison, inflation remained above 3% during the quarter. Because of this, Semtech’s recent breakout has nothing to do with interest rate cuts and everything to do with the business’s future prospects. These prospects include an industry-leading EPS growth rate of up to 142% this year, even higher than Nvidia’s 20.3%. Following this bullish outlook, analysts at Piper Sandler took things even further by setting a price target of up to $60 a share, calling for the stock to rally by as much as 56.6% from where it trades today. But analysts weren’t the only ones on Wall Street taking a liking to Semtech’s future. The Vanguard Group, one of the largest owners in Semtech, decided to up its stake in the stock even further. As of May 2024, the asset manager pushed its ownership higher by 1.6% to bring its net investment to a dollar value of $232.5 million. Semtech’s financials show a gross margin of 48.6% in the past 12 months, pushing higher to 49.5% as seen in the past quarter’s earnings results. More importantly, free cash flow (operating cash flow minus capital expenditures) rose to $12.2 million in the past quarter, compared to a negative $12.4 million in the previous quarter and a deeper outflow of $24.5 million in the same quarter last year. Semtech Co. (SMTC) Price Chart for Thursday, June, 6, 2024 → Top 5 AI Stocks to Buy for 2024 (From Market Moving Trends) (Ad) Before you consider Comcast, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Comcast wasn't on the list. While Comcast currently has a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. View The Five Stocks Here

Help! A Gas Station Charged Me $1,500 and My Bank Won’t Believe It’s Fraud. 2024-06-06 09:03:01+00:00 - Dear Tripped Up, Last October, my extended family spent a week in Todos Santos, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, for a wedding. All went well, but when I got back, I noticed an unusual charge on my credit card: $1,500.49, made on the day we flew home to the United States from San José del Cabo. The merchant appeared to be a restaurant in Mexico City. I recalled that when we went to fill up the rental car at a Chevron station near the airport, the attendant placed the card in a hand-held machine and then told me it had been rejected, requiring me to use a second card. Nothing else unusual happened that day, and reviews on Google for this gas station contain eerily similar accusations of fraudulent charges from other tourists. I disputed the charge, but Wells Fargo repeatedly denied my claim, even when I asked the Better Business Bureau to intercede. Can you help? Nate, Wayland, Mass. Dear Nate, We cannot be sure the fraud occurred at the gas station, but if so, it’s a clever scam. The worker presumably slipped your card into a bogus card reader and charged you $1,500 just as you were rushing to return your rental car and catch a flight out of the country, knowing you were unlikely to report the crime to Mexican authorities. It’s a good reminder for travelers that we need to be ever vigilant on vacation, even when we’re cranky or tired or stressed or otherwise out of our element. It’s also a good excuse to consider how dependent we have become on our credit card issuers to save the day in such situations. As you found out, that doesn’t always happen. Humor me while I consider the situation from the perspective of a bank like Wells Fargo. What might seem like obvious fraud when it happens to us is not necessarily a crystal clear crime to a fraud claims team tasked with sifting out their clients who are honest vacationers from others who may themselves be fraudsters.

Lululemon stock surges after company boosts profit outlook, stock buybacks 2024-06-06 05:28:00+00:00 - Lululemon's (LULU) stock rose more than 10% in after-hours trading as the company boosted its full-year profit outlook and raised its stock repurchase program by $1 billion. The company said it now sees full-year earnings per share in a range of $14.27 to $14.47, up from a prior range of $14 to $14.20. It maintained its previously given full-year revenue forecast in a range of $10.7 billion to 10.8 billion. The report came as investor concerns mount over the company's slowing sales growth amid growing competition in the athleisure space from newer brands like Alo and Vuori. Prior to the earnings release, Lululemon stock was down about 40% to start 2024, making it one of the worst performers in the S&P 500(^GSPC) this year. "It’s a bit of a relief rally that you’re seeing in the market," Aneesha Sherman, Bernstein senior analyst, told Yahoo Finance after Lululemon's release. While the company benefited from a boom in consumer demand for casual wear during the pandemic, sales growth has slowed in recent quarters. In Q4, revenue grew 16% compared to the year prior, down from 19% in Q3. In the most recent quarter, Lululemon's revenue increased 10% from the year prior. In May, Lululemon announced its chief product officer Sun Choe was leaving the company, sending the stock tumbling 7% the day the news broke. The departure fueled the case for bears such as Jefferies analyst Randal Konik, who said that the company's product assortment is "falling flat." In the first quarter, Lululemon's revenue of $2.21 billion came in just above Wall Street's estimates for $2.20 billion. Meanwhile, the companies earnings per share of $2.54 surpassed Wall Street's estimates of $2.39. Comparable sales in North America were flat in the first quarter, which Sherman noted was largely expected but remains a concern from investors moving forward. "The question is can they offset that with international, and in this quarter they did," Sherman said. Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said the company had some "missed opportunity" in its women's clothing lines in the US. Particularly, a narrow color palette in leggings contributed to the slowing sales growth, per McDonald. Conversely, McDonald noted male consumers have responded well to new launches in categories like golf and training. "Absolutely nothing has changed in terms of the growth potential of this brand, not just internationally, across all markets, but in the US," McDonald said. He added: "All of this is within our control. All of this the teams have been chasing, and we expect much of that to be addressed in the second half of this year." Story continues Analysts like Konik are still skeptical that sales outside the US can continue to support earnings growth moving forward. "What matters is US revs continue to slow and share is being lost to Alo and Vuori," Konik wrote in a research note after the release. "After-hour gains in the stock unlikely to hold, as the future looks tepid, and we believe margins won't be maintained as US momentum fades." A Lululemon sign is seen at a shopping mall in San Diego, Calif., Nov. 23, 2022. (REUTERS/Mike Blake) (REUTERS / Reuters) Josh Schafer is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on X @_joshschafer. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Why Nvidia Stock Blasted to a $3 Trillion Market Cap on Wednesday 2024-06-06 05:18:00+00:00 - Shares of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) surged higher (again) on Wednesday, jumping as much as 5.2%. At the end of the day, the stock was still up 5.2%, putting its market cap above $3 trillion for the first time. Several developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) helped fuel the stock's relentless rise. The poster child for AI As the leading provider of graphics processing units (GPUs) used in artificial intelligence (AI), it seems any bit of positive news in the space can be a catalyst for Nvidia stock. The phenomenon was in full view today. News broke that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, also called TSMC, is purchasing a high-NA extreme ultraviolet machine from ASML. This marks the latest in AI chipmaking technology, and Nvidia is TSMC's second-largest customer, giving it full access to this top-of-the-line tech. In an unrelated development, Hewlett Packard Enterprise reported the results of its fiscal second quarter (ended April 30), and the results blew past even the most bullish expectations. While the company generated modest year-over-year gains, it cited growing demand for AI as the catalyst for its better-than-expected results. What's good for the goose... What do these developments have to do with Nvidia? Nothing, at least not directly. However, it does illustrate that the demand for AI continues to accelerate, bolstering the theory that it's still very early days for AI. Consequently, what's good for AI seems to be good for Nvidia. The company has been among the biggest beneficiaries of AI adoption, as Nvidia's processors are the gold standard for AI use cases. While estimates vary, Nvidia is credited with a market share of roughly 90% of the AI chip market. Finally, excitement has reached a fever pitch ahead of Nvidia's 10-for-1 stock split, which is scheduled to take place after the market close on Friday. The adoption of generative AI continues to gain steam. While estimates vary wildly, the size of the market is expected to be between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion in the coming years, according to global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. The growing body of evidence suggests there's still plenty of room left for Nvidia to run. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Story continues Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $713,416!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 3, 2024 Danny Vena has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Nvidia Stock Blasted to a $3 Trillion Market Cap on Wednesday was originally published by The Motley Fool

‘At heart it’s the same technology’: the heat pump that uses water instead of air 2024-06-06 05:01:00+00:00 - Scientists in Edinburgh have developed a home heating system that draws its energy from the world’s most abundant resource: water. The equipment can use sea water, rivers, ponds and even mine water to heat radiators and water for baths and showers, using the same technology as in air source heat pumps. It is being trialled by Edinburgh University in an affordable housing project close to the Firth of Forth near the Forth Bridge, at a gold-mining museum in south-west Scotland and in a commercial greenhouse in Fife. Another system is due to be installed this summer at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, also drawing its energy from the Firth of Forth. All of the systems use water from the sea or nearby rivers. It is the latest way of exploiting the ambient warmth in the natural environment to heat buildings, using the same technologies in air and ground source heat pumps. The warmth of the sea or river water is captured by glycol, the liquid used in anti-freeze, which is then compressed in the heat pump. That compression makes it hot enough to heat water for radiators or baths. As it travels through the heat pump, the liquid cools down again, and the process repeats. View image in fullscreen Dr Andrew Fraser Harris and Professor Christopher McDermott with the SeaWarm system – layers of looped tubing carrying the glycol, which transfers the warmth of the water to the heat pump. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian Similar technology is already used in large district heating networks: water from the Clyde is used at the Queen’s Quay housing development at Clydebank near Glasgow. Sewage is being used to power district heating systems in places such as Stirling, Borders college in Galashiels, and in Granton, Edinburgh. Unlike large-scale plants, the prototypes built by hydrogeologists at Edinburgh University are designed to be compact, easily portable and used in homes and smaller buildings, particularly in rural and coastal areas. They are intended to provide another type of the small-scale green energy systems needed in huge numbers to replace gas- and oil-powered heating, as the UK moves towards a zero-carbon energy supply. The UK has about 23m gas boilers, and about 1m oil-fired boilers. The team behind the design said water was normally a more predictable source of energy than the outside air, as the sea, lakes and rivers generally remain at a consistent temperature. It sits alongside the mini-hydro schemes used in hilly areas or the ground-source heat pumps householders with large gardens can install, by running pipes down deep boreholes into the ground or by laying the pipes over a large area below the surface of the ground. While air source heat pumps need to work harder in very cold conditions, the Edinburgh University team say their designs, which they have called SeaWarm and RiverWarm, can also use frozen water. “It’s about trying out a whole series of constellations, but at the heart of it is the same technology,” said Prof Chris McDermott, from Edinburgh’s school of geosciences and the lead designer. Gus Fraser-Harris, a hydrogeologist involved with the design, said the system would be more expensive to buy and install than an air source heat pump but cheaper than a ground source heat pump when its final version goes on sale. The SeaWarm system collects the water in a large circular tub, which holds 3.7 cubic metres of water, roughly the same volume as 12 bath tubs. Inside the tub are layers of looped tubing carrying the glycol, which transfers the warmth of the water to the heat pump. It can use a water body 500 metres away from the building. View image in fullscreen The chief operating officer of Lar Housing Trust, Mikko Ramstedt, in what was the jail of the Naval Barracks where the heat pump is at work, heating radiators. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian They have called the system HotTwist and say the tub can be buried in the ground, which also helps to keep it at a constant temperature. It delivers 350% to 400% more heat than the electricity it needs to operate, Fraser-Harris said, comparable to the most efficient air source heat pumps. The pilot project near Edinburgh, part of a project by LAR Housing Trust to convert an old naval barracks and prison into affordable housing project, involves pumping water up from the sea. The gold-mining museum at Wanlockhead, south of Glasgow, uses gravity to transfer water from the river used for gold-panning down to the heat pump, while the greenhouses in Fife take water from a nearby burn.

Nvidia closes above $3 trillion for first time, overtakes Apple as second-largest co. in US market 2024-06-06 04:12:00+00:00 - Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) climbed more 5% on Wednesday reaching a record high of $1,224.40 and giving the company a market cap above $3 trillion for the first time ever. The stock's advance pushed Nvidia past Apple, making it the second-most-valuable company in the US stock market. Microsoft currently holds the top spot. Wednesday's rally comes amid a broader gain in tech stocks, with softer US economic data and a decline in Treasury yields boosting markets on hopes the Federal Reserve may cut rates as early as July. Nvidia has been the poster child for investor enthusiasm in AI, which accelerated with OpenAI's release of ChatGPT in late 2022. The stock is up over 140% this year and 200% over the last year; Nvidia shares have gained more than 3,300% in the last five years. Over those same periods, the Nasdaq has gained a more modest 14%, 29%, and 126%, respectively. This week's rally in Nvidia follows an announcement on Sunday from its CEO, Jensen Huang, who said at an industry conference the company will release a high-powered version of its Blackwell chip — called the Blackwell Ultra — in 2025, followed by a new AI chip platform, Rubin, in 2026. The company will debut an Ultra version of Rubin in 2027. Nvidia is the tech industry's go-to supplier for AI chips and integrated software. Tech behemoths, including Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG), Meta (META), Microsoft, Tesla (TSLA), and others, use its hardware to power everything from their cloud-based AI offerings for customers to their own AI models and services. In the first quarter, Nvidia reported adjusted earnings per share of $6.12 on revenue of $26 billion, jumps of 461% and 262%, respectively, from the same period a year ago. Nvidia's Data Center revenue in the most recent quarter increased 427% year over year to $22.6 billion, accounting for 86% of the company's total revenue for the quarter. Nvidia's gaming segment, which was previously its most important business, saw revenue of $2.6 billion. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang arrives at an event at COMPUTEX forum in Taipei, Taiwan, June 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Ann Wang) (Reuters / Reuters) Nvidia also announced that its stock would undergo a 10-for-1 split on June 7, and the company will raise its dividend from $0.04 per share to $0.10 per share. But Nvidia isn't the only game in town. AMD (AMD) and Intel (INTC) are pushing forward with their own AI chips with the goal of outmaneuvering Nvidia. AMD recently announced its MI325X and MI350 will hit the market in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and said its next-generation MI400 AI accelerator platform will land in 2026. Intel, meanwhile, said its Gaudi 2 and Gaudi 3 AI accelerators will undercut competing chips on price. And with companies spending billions on AI chips, any price savings will certainly be welcome. Story continues Nvidia is also contending with growing competition from its own customers, as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft seek to wean themselves off of their dependence on the company's chips and save on capital expenditures while they're at it. For now, though, Nvidia continues to maintain its grip on the AI space, and it will do so for the foreseeable future. Subscribe to the Yahoo Finance Tech newsletter. (Yahoo Finance) Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

It Looked Like a Reliable News Site. It Was an A.I. Chop Shop. 2024-06-06 04:00:26+00:00 - The news was featured on MSN.com: “Prominent Irish broadcaster faces trial over alleged sexual misconduct.” At the top of the story was a photo of Dave Fanning. But Mr. Fanning, an Irish D.J. and talk-show host famed for his discovery of the rock band U2, was not the broadcaster in question. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who got in touch,” said Mr. Fanning, who called the error “outrageous.” The falsehood, visible for hours on the default homepage for anyone in Ireland who used Microsoft Edge as a browser, was the result of an artificial intelligence snafu.

Short-seller Andrew Left is betting against GameStop again, undaunted by his 100% loss last time 2024-06-06 03:17:00+00:00 - Citron Research founder Andrew Left is shorting GameStop again, arguing the stock is “extremely overvalued” after its latest meteoric rise. The veteran short seller was burned on his first bet against meme-stock traders’ favorite company in 2021, eventually closing out his short position at a 100% loss and halting the publication of short reports after he said an “angry mob” of fanatical GameStop shareholders harassed him. But Left, who made his name with big bets against the pharmaceutical giant Valeant and China’s now-defunct property giant Evergrande, told the Wall Street Journal that he made a profit when he bet against GameStop again last month. The video game retailer saw its shares surge from just over $10 at the start of May to an intraday peak of $64.83 by May 14 after Keith Gill—the trader, and de facto meme-stock leader, who goes by Roaring Kitty—referenced the company in social media posts, leading retail investors to pile in. After that initial surge, GameStop stock eventually fell to a low of $18.93 on May 23, and Left says he was able to close out his short position for a profit during this period, he says. On Monday, the Citron Research founder doubled down on his bearish bet against GameStop after Gill posted a screenshot on Reddit that implied he owns over $100 million of the retailer’s stock. “When I saw it, I shorted it,” Left told Bloomberg of the Reddit post. The surge in GameStop shares simply “makes no sense” and shows the U.S. has become a “nation of gamblers,” he said in his Wall Street Journal interview. GameStop stock has risen more than 33% from its opening price on Monday, but fallen over 23% from that day’s intraday high. That means the potential profitability of Left’s current short position, at least at the moment, depends on the price at which he was able to secure shares for the bet. Either way, the veteran short-seller said that he did learn not to make large bets against “cult” stocks when he was burned shorting GameStop back in 2021, and his latest short compromises a small portion of his portfolio. “It’s a cult stock. You don’t do that on cult stocks,” he told the Journal. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Warren Buffett Was Asked If He Had To Start Over In His 30s, How Would He Make $30 Billion Today — Here's How He Would Do It With $10,000 2024-06-06 03:03:00+00:00 - During the 1999 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting, an ambitious attendee named Grant Morgan posed a compelling question: "If you were starting out again today in your early 30s, what would you do differently or the same in today's environment to replicate your success? In short, Mr. Buffett, how can I make $30 billion?" Buffett’s response didn't focus on get-rich-quick schemes or risky ventures. Instead, he unveiled a timeless blueprint for building wealth, emphasizing the importance of starting early, harnessing compounding interest, and practicing disciplined investing. Don't Miss: The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement — How do you compare ? Can you guess how many Americans successfully retire with $1,000,000 saved? The percentage may shock you. He explained, "Charlie's always said that the big thing about it is we started building this little snowball on top of a very long hill. We started at a very early age in rolling the snowball down. And of course, the snowball, the nature of compound interest, behaves like a snowball of sticky snow. The trick is to have a very long hill, which means either starting very young or living to be very old." Buffett then detailed his strategy if he were starting out today. "I would do it exactly the same if I were in an investment world. If I were getting out of school today and I had 10 thousand dollars to invest, I'd start with the A's. I would start going right through companies and probably focus on smaller companies because I would be working with smaller sums and there's more chance that something is overlooked in that arena." He added, "You have to buy businesses and your little pieces of business are called stocks. You have to buy them at attractive prices, and you have to buy into good businesses." Trending: A startup that turns videos into games gets backing from Mark Cuban and opens a round for regular investors at $250. While some may feel the advice would change based on market conditions, Buffett clarified this wasn't the case. He explained, "That advice will be the same 100 years from now regarding investing. That's what it's all about." He stressed the importance of independent thinking and thorough research. "You can't expect anybody else to do it for you," he said. He emphasized that people will not share valuable investment tips, so individuals must understand their own knowledge and limitations. "You have to pursue it very vigorously and act on it when you find it," he added. He also highlighted the need to think for oneself rather than seeking agreement or validation from others. Story continues Despite being delivered 25 years ago, Buffett's advice remains highly relevant today. Although theoretically straightforward, it emphasizes the importance of starting early, thinking independently, and maintaining disciplined investment practices. Consulting a financial advisor can be invaluable for those seeking to build a diversified portfolio, especially for individuals who may not have the expertise to pick stocks themselves. Buffett’s response is a reminder that the path to financial success, though requiring patience and a long-term perspective, is well within reach for those willing to learn and take action. Read Next: Warren Buffett flipped his neighbor's $67,000 life savings into a $50 million fortune — How much is that worth today? Boomers and Gen Z agree they need a salary of around $125,000 a year to be happy, but millennials say they need how much? *This information is not financial advice, and personalized guidance from a financial adviser is recommended for making well-informed decisions. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Warren Buffett Was Asked If He Had To Start Over In His 30s, How Would He Make $30 Billion Today — Here's How He Would Do It With $10,000 originally appeared on Benzinga.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Why Semiconductor Stocks Broadcom, Arm Holdings, and Lam Research Rallied Today 2024-06-06 02:25:00+00:00 - Shares of most semiconductor stocks including sector leaders Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), Arm Holdings (NASDAQ: ARM), and Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX) were rallying today, with these three up 5.2%, 5.3%, and 4.6%, respectively, as of 12:50 p.m. ET on Wednesday. These three chip leaders are players within the artificial intelligence (AI) race, and their stocks have seen solid price appreciation in 2024. But that growth stalled last month, as recent inflation reports came in hotter than expected in April. But today, more positive AI news continued to roll in. Meanwhile, Wednesday saw a softer-than-expected May jobs report. That fueled hope that lower inflation could be in the cards, and strengthened the prospects for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. Bad news is good news? This morning, the Automatic Data Processing (ADP) employment report came out for May, showing that 152,000 jobs were added last month, below expectations of 175,000. Furthermore, the April reading was revised down to 188,000 jobs added. The report also showed that wage gains for job-switchers moderated to 7.8%. The report dovetailed nicely with yesterday's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report, which also showed falling job openings. What does this have to do with semiconductor stocks, and why would it be good? Because a softer-than-expected jobs number and wage growth that's moderating but still solid suggest services inflation might begin to come down, as wage pressures and labor shortages have been a key factor in the services inflation we've seen over the past couple years. A moderating economy that doesn't tip into recession would be an ideal scenario, enabling the Federal Reserve to cut the federal funds rate this year without needing a recession -- what is called a "soft landing." High interest rates in particular weigh on growth stocks, which often trade at high multiples, as well as cyclical stocks that can be sensitive to an economic slowdown. And semiconductor stocks have both those qualities, especially since many have seen their valuations run up on expectations of strong AI-fueled growth. For example, Broadcom and Lam Research have each seen their price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios more than double over the past year to 52 and 35, respectively. Meanwhile, Arm Holdings has always traded at an extremely high valuation since going public in September, with a P/E of 460. So, the prospects for lower interest rates seem to be lifting the entire chip sector today, especially as the AI growth story remains intact. Story continues AVGO PE Ratio Chart A report that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) would be investing in the most advanced kind of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machine this year, called high N.A., suggests that the world's leading foundry will move rapidly to the latest chipmaking technology. That suggests AI demand and associated competition continues unabated, and may even be picking up steam, which would be a great thing for these three companies. TSMC makes chips for Broadcom, as well as many chips based on the Arm-based architecture. In fact, TSMC's biggest customer is Apple, which designs Arm-based chips for its smartphones and PCs. Qualcomm has also begun producing Arm-based chips for AI-enabled PCs and potentially even servers in a bid to expand its market beyond handsets. Those chips will also be made by TSMC fabs. So the TSMC investment news could mean strong growth for Arm. A bigger investment in EUV would also be good for Lam Research, whose etch-and-deposition machines are used alongside EUV lithography machines as part of the chipmaking process. Lam has pioneered a new technology that will likely have to be used alongside high-N.A. EUV machines, like the one TSMC reportedly is buying, in order to prevent defects that more easily happen at extremely fine molecular sizes. Existing processes struggle to maintain design integrity at extremely small sizes, so an acceleration of high-N.A. adoption could mean good things for Lam Research as well. Image source: Getty Images. Is the chip cycle getting long in the tooth or just getting started? The semiconductor sector has broadly recovered from the 2022 lows, with many stocks now up by multiples of their 2022 bottom prices. However, their businesses are really just starting to see a recovery in revenue and profit, driven by AI and a recovery in legacy sectors like smartphones and PCs. Yet while the upturn is about 18 months old, AI-backed growth could make the boom last longer than prior cycles. And if the Fed can pull off a soft landing with falling interest rates and no recession, so much the better. Should you invest $1,000 in Arm Holdings right now? Before you buy stock in Arm Holdings, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Arm Holdings wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $713,416!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 3, 2024 Billy Duberstein and/or his clients have positions in Apple, Broadcom, Lam Research, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Lam Research, Qualcomm, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Semiconductor Stocks Broadcom, Arm Holdings, and Lam Research Rallied Today was originally published by The Motley Fool

A San Francisco Gen Xer quit his job to escape 60-hour workweeks and spend his time being an 'older dad': 'I'll be 70 when my son graduates from high school' 2024-06-06 02:03:00+00:00 - Randy Gerstbacher quit his job to spend less time at work and more time with his son. Randy Gerstbacher A San Francisco Gen Xer quit his job to escape the long hours and spend more time with his son. Being an "older dad" and a cancer survivor made him want to prioritize family time. He's among the American men who have at least temporarily stopped looking for work. A San Francisco Gen Xer quit his job to escape 60-hour workweeks and spend his time being an 'older dad': 'I'll be 70 when my son graduates from high school' In June 2022, Randy Gerstbacher made a decision that was years in the making: He quit his job as a project manager. And he's not in a rush to return to the workforce. Gerstbacher, a 50-year-old based in San Francisco, was "really unhappy" at work, he told Business Insider via email. "I grew tired of being coerced into working 50- and 60-hour weeks without overtime, then only getting a 1.5% raise at year-end, a minimal or no bonus, and only lateral position movement opportunities within the company," he said. However, he said there were a few other key reasons he left his job. First, he's an "older dad," and he wanted to maximize the time he could spend with his three-year-old son. He said the male lifespan data he's seen has provided additional motivation: US male life expectancy was 74.8 years as of 2022, according to the CDC. "I felt that I should take the quality time now since I'll be 70 when my son graduates from high school," he said. Gerstbacher, a cancer survivor, added that his "brush with death" a few years ago also pushed him to prioritize family time. And perhaps most crucially, his financial situation made it possible for him to forego his previous income. Gerstbacher said his wife is the "breadwinner" in the family and that she was on board with him leaving his job. He's also generally been responsible with his finances, which has allowed him to accumulate a solid amount of savings, he said. While the vast majority of working-age American men have a job, Gerstbacher is among the rising share of men over the last several decades who've — at least temporarily — stopped looking for work. In 1950, roughly 97% of American men ages 25 to 54 had a job or were actively looking for one, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of April, this figure had fallen to about 89%. Some men have dropped out of the workforce because they've struggled to find well-paying jobs. While some people without a college degree have seen strong wage gains in recent years, the employment and earnings prospects of this cohort have still taken a hit over the last few decades. Other factors, like disabilities and health issues, can make working difficult for some men like Gerstbacher — he said he had lingering physical limitations after surgery related to his cancer treatment. Story continues However, the decline in working men is also due to some positive developments, like the growth of women in the workforce. This has made it possible for some men like Gerstbacher to become stay-at-home dads. Additionally, some men have stashed enough money for retirement to call it quits ahead of schedule. Gerstbacher shared how he's getting by financially and how he went about dipping his toe back into the workforce. It was only worth returning to work for a job that's flexible and interesting In addition to his past focus on budgeting, saving, and investing, Gerstbacher said the income he receives from an investment property and his low mortgage rate on his home also helped him quit his job. Gerstbacher said spending more time at home hasn't saved him and his wife money on childcare, as they were already fortunate to have an "amazing support group" around them that effectively provided free care. However, he and his wife's decision a few years ago to cut down from two cars to one has been a big money saver. "My wife drives our family car to work while the baby and I walk, ride bicycles, and use public transportation to get around," he said. In the years ahead, the family's finances could also benefit from Gerstbacher's return to the workforce. He said he never intended to say goodbye to work forever — he just wanted to return on his own terms. Ever since he left his job in 2022, Gerstbacher has monitored job boards for roles that "really interest" him and don't seem too demanding, he said. He's intrigued by recycling and composting, which led him to monitor the local job listings at the waste management company Recology. But until a couple of months ago, he said he'd only sent out roughly a dozen applications and done a few interviews, in part because the job search process can be very time-consuming. He said he worked briefly as a substitute teacher but isn't doing so anymore. However, Gerstbacher recently began more actively looking for jobs and in June, he accepted a temp consulting job at a brokerage firm — the role involves data migration work. He also said he took an exam to become a San Francisco park ranger, and that he's currently on a waitlist. He said his son starts preschool soon, which means he'll have a bit more time on his hands. Even though he's in the process of returning to the workforce, Gerstbacher said he's continued to prioritize spending time with his son. "The most valuable thing to me at this point is time," he said. "The company I'm working at is very flexible with start and stop times, which allows me to be available after work to get the baby." Are you a man who's not looking for work or has struggled to find a job? Are you willing to share your story? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider

TJ Maxx store workers now wearing body cameras to thwart shoplifters 2024-06-05 22:50:00+00:00 - TJ Maxx shoppers may now encounter security workers outfitted with police-type body cameras at some of the retailer's stores. TJX, which operates TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, said it made the move late last year as part of an effort to curb shoplifting, with executives disclosing the initiative during an earnings call late last month. When somebody walks in, "It's almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they're being videotaped," Chief Financial Officer John Klinger told Wall Street analysts. TJX, which operates more than 4,900 stores across nine countries, isn't the only retailer turning to cameras to deter theft. More than a third of retailers said they were researching body-worn cameras for workers, according to a 2023 survey by the National Retail Federation survey, with 11% saying they were piloting or testing the technology. A TJX spokesperson said the retail chain began using body cameras in some stores across its brands over the past year, noting that the company also implements policies and training to safeguard stores. "Body cameras are currently used by certain loss prevention associates, who have gone through thorough training on how to use the cameras effectively in their roles," the spokesperson said. "Video footage is only shared upon request by law enforcement or in response to a subpoena. We hope that these body cameras will help us de-escalate incidents, deter crime and demonstrate to our associates and customers that we take safety in our stores seriously." What retailers call "shrink" or shrinkage, including theft, amounted to more than $112 billion in industry losses in 2022, representing 1.6% of total retail sales and up from 1.4%, or roughly $94 billion in losses the previous year, according to the NRF. Shrinkage also encompasses losses related to merchandise that isn't scanned properly, vendor fraud and fraudulent product returns. Giant Food supermarkets recently banned large bags in some of its stores experiencing high shrink, while others are investing in AI-driven surveillance and like technologies. The NRF also points to the problem of what it calls "organized retail crime," or large-scale, coordinated thefts at stores involving multiple people. In the aftermath of the pandemic, a number of retailers reported a surge in retail crime. Target last year said it was closing nine stores in four states because mounting thefts and organized retail crime threatened the safety of workers and customers. Yet measuring the scale of the problem is difficult, with legal advocates noting that even more reliable crime data is inadequate. And while some cities did, in fact, see a jump in shoplifting following the pandemic, other metros saw a decline, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. A November study by the non-partisan think tank found that, excluding New York City, the number of shoplifting incidents in 24 U.S. metros fell roughly 7% in the first six months of 2023 compared with the first half of 2019. Over that four-year period, New York saw the largest spike in reported shoplifting, with a 64% increase, followed by Los Angeles (61%). By contrast, some cities saw a steep decline, with such incidents falling 78% and 65% in St. Petersburg, Fla., and St. Paul, Minn., respectively, the group found. —CBS News Senior Coordinating Producer Jamie Nguyen contributed to this report.

Starmer says Sunak broke ministerial code with £2,000 Labour tax claim 2024-06-05 22:03:00+00:00 - Rishi Sunak lied to the country and broke the ministerial code when he claimed Labour’s spending plans would increase taxes by £2,000, Keir Starmer has said, as his party attempts to regain control of the election narrative. Both Starmer and the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, rounded on Sunak in an increasingly bitter and personal war of words, saying the prime minister’s tactics during Tuesday night’s TV debate showed he was dishonest under pressure. The Conservatives were jubilant at how the figure had landed on Tuesday night, and some Labour insiders were privately horrified at how slow Starmer had been to challenge the tax claims during the debate. But a new YouGov poll 24 hours later threatened to shatter their moment of hopefulness, putting Reform within two points of the Tories, and Labour on 40%. Both parties are expected to launch their manifestos next week. There was a flash of panic in Labour as Sunak repeatedly said during ITV’s head-to-head debate with Starmer that “independent Treasury officials” had costed Labour’s policies “and they amount to a £2,000 tax rise for everyone”, an assertion the Labour leader initially struggled to counter. View image in fullscreen Starmer and Sunak during the ITV debate. Photograph: Jonathan Hordle/ITV/Reuters The party launched a counteroffensive on Wednesday morning with videos accusing Sunak of lying, the first time the party has levelled that accusation. To make the case, Labour released a letter from James Bowler, the Treasury’s permanent secretary, in which he said ministers should not suggest civil servants had produced the figure. Starmer said he believed Sunak should be investigated for breaching the ministerial code. “What you saw last night was a prime minister with his back against the wall, trying desperately to defend an awful record in office, resorting to lies,” Starmer said in a round of media interviews during a D-day-related visit to Portsmouth’s dockyard. “He knew very well what he was doing. He lied about our plans. And that is a true test of character. As we go to the polls it is important for voters to know about the character of the two individuals who want to be prime minister.” He added: “The prime minister revealed his character last night: someone who resorts to lies when he’s under pressure.” Asked if he believed Sunak had breached the ministerial code and if he would back an investigation, Starmer said: “Yes, he breached the ministerial code because he lied.” The election, he said, was “a choice between chaos and division, and now lies on top of it”. 5:26 Taxes, NHS, immigration: Starmer and Sunak clash in first election TV debate – video highlights In a letter to Darren Jones, the shadow Treasury chief secretary, sent on Monday, Bowler said the document “includes costs beyond those provided by the civil service”. He wrote: “Costings derived from other sources or produced by other organisations should not be presented as having been produced by the civil service. I have reminded ministers and advisers that this should be the case.” Starmer, who went for a trip around the harbour in a D-day-type landing craft with passengers including Len Chivers, a second world war veteran, dodged questions about whether he had known about Bowler’s letter before the debate, and if he had been too slow to rebut the figure, which Sunak used repeatedly. “What matters is the facts. All of our plans are fully costed or fully funded,” he said. Claire Coutinho, the energy secretary and one of Sunak’s closest allies, had earlier doubled down on the attack, saying the figure came from “official costings from the Treasury”. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Election Edition Free daily newsletter Make sense of the UK election campaign with Archie Bland's daily briefing, direct to your inbox at 5pm (BST). Jokes where available Enter your email address Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion When asked whether the Treasury had calculated the figures based on “assumptions from special advisers”, Coutinho told BBC Breakfast: “I can tell you that these are brilliant, independent civil servants and they would not be putting anything dodgy in there.” She later said the claimed tax rise would be “over the course of parliament. It’s £2,000 over four years,” when speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Conservative strategists also plan to stick with the attacks and have defended using the costings. Sunak tweeted the £2,094 figure again on Wednesday. The Conservatives also challenged Labour to rule out further potential taxation, as they launched a “family home tax guarantee”. The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, said on Wednesday that the party would rule out changes to council tax bands and cutting discounts, would maintain protections on homes from capital gains tax, and would not increase stamp duty. Labour said it would match all those pledges and said the Tories had already raised billions of pounds in increased council tax. In his media interviews in Portsmouth, Starmer reiterated that there would be no further tax measures apart from the ones Labour had already set out, saying : “All of Labour’s plans are fully costed and fully funded. They do not involve tax rises for working people.” Asked about inheritance tax, Starmer said: “We have no plans to raise inheritance tax. In fact, none of our plans involve tax rises over and above the ones we’ve spelled out because all of our plans are fully costed and fully funded. But it is very important that I get across that we will not be increasing tax on working people, so no increase in income tax and national insurance or VAT.” Both Starmer and Sunak will be in Normandy on Thursday for the commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of D-day.

An ex-Meta employee says he tried to stop Instagram from stifling pro-Palestinian posts and was fired for it 2024-06-05 21:42:53+00:00 - An ex-Meta employee filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit. Ferras Hamad said he was fired after reporting bugs that stifled pro-Palestinian Instagram posts. Meta claimed he was let go for breaching data policies. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. Advertisement A former Meta employee has filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the company, claiming he was fired for trying to resolve bugs that stifled pro-Palestinian posts on Instagram. Ferras Hamad, a Palestinian American, accused Meta of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination, among other claims, according to the complaint he filed in California court on Tuesday. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in .

Alaska set to limit daily number of cruise ship passengers that can visit Juneau 2024-06-05 21:38:00+00:00 - Cruise aficionados looking to experience Alaska's capital, Juneau, may have to vie for permission to disembark and step foot on land, under a new agreement between the city and major cruise lines that sail there. The agreement between Juneau and Cruise Lines International Association in Alaska (CLIA), finalized last week, seeks to limit the number of daily cruise passengers who can arrive in Juneau to 16,000 on Sundays through Fridays, and to 12,000 on Saturdays, effective in 2026. The measure intends to limit the congestion and wear and tear tourists can cause a city. Visitors to Juneau skyrocketed to a record 1.6 million last year, after the pandemic depressed numbers for two years. Other popular cities have taken similar measures to limit tourists and their effect on daily life for residents. For example, Venice, Italy, in April became the first city in the world to charge day-trippers a fee just to enter on peak days. Alaska's new agreement is designed to cap levels of visitors to roughly where they are now. "The cruise industry is vital to our local economy, and we need to improve our infrastructure and grow our tour capacity to create a great guest experience and reduce impacts on residents," Juneau Visitor Industry director Alexandra Pierce said in a statement Tuesday. "With this agreement, we are committing to a cap to manage our busiest days and to meet annually to ensure that our visitor numbers remain sustainable." In Alaska, residents have complained that record numbers of visitors contribute to bad traffic and increase noise pollution when they visit glaciers by helicopter. On the other hand, many local businesses rely on the cruise industry and the steady flow of visitors it provides, the city of Juneau acknowledged in a statement. A cruise ship departs from downtown Juneau, on June 7, 2023, along the Gastineau Channel, in Alaska. Becky Bohrer / AP Cruise seasons have also been extended from early April to late October, offering year-round residents little reprieve from tourists' presence. Under a separate agreement, only five large ships are permitted a day during the current cruise season. Pierce said other projects in the works will also likely diminish the impact tourists have on the city. They include installing a gondola at the city's ski area, updating its downtown sea walk and expanding capacity for visitors at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. City leaders are "trying to balance the needs of our residents, the needs of our economy, the needs of future opportunities for people to stay in our community," she said. The agreement has its skeptics, though. Cruise industry critic Karla Hart says the new measure isn't sufficient to curb unsustainable levels of tourism. "It feels like we're just getting led along again, and expansion will continue and more time will pass," she said, according to the Associated Press. Hart is behind a local ballot proposal that would ban ships of at least 250 passengers from stopping in Juneau on Saturdays or on July 4. —The Associated Press contributed to this report

This isn't hard: Benjamin Netanyahu should not deliver a speech to Congress. 2024-06-05 21:32:09+00:00 - With no date set for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver his controversial joint address to Congress, there’s still time for Democratic leaders to renege on their absurd participation in this event. Congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, extended an invitation to Netanyahu over the weekend — to "build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America’s solidarity with Israel," as they said in their letter — and the prime minister accepted. The invitation comes over the objection of many liberals in Congress who have voiced a range of concerns about the event, from, “We should not platform more war criminals period” (Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo.) to "it’s just going to be about benefiting Netanyahu’s personal politics back home” without progress toward peace (Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.). I agree. Delivering a joint address to Congress is meant to be an honor. Just recently some lawmakers were apoplectic over the disrespectful message House Speaker Mike Johnson sent by not permitting Kenyan President William Ruto to deliver such a speech during his visit to the U.S. (Politico reports that Jeffries "told reporters that invitations to foreign leaders came from agreements between the House and Senate majority parties. 'That process took place in the context of the invitation to the head of state of the state of Israel, a democratic ally,” Jeffries is quoted as saying. Jeffries also said the decision to attend is up to individual members.) On the heels of that controversy, the message Congress is sending with its invitation to Netanyahu is even more odious. This is a man whose government has seemingly ignored U.S. officials’ demands to limit civilian casualties in Gaza; a man who President Joe Biden said people have "every reason" to believe is prolonging the war for political purposes; a man who has been denounced by families of Israeli hostages for not agreeing to deals that would return hostages (Netanyahu has said that "anyone who says that I’m not doing everything to bring back our hostages is wrong and is misleading"). While the U.S. deals with its own internal attacks on judicial legitimacy, the prospect of Congress platforming the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face criminal corruption charges, who’s pursued anti-democratic policies against the judiciary within his own country, seems ill-advised, to say the least (Netanyahu has pleaded not guilty). In 2015, congressional Republicans invited Netanyahu for a joint address to denounce the Obama administration’s negotiations with Iran, which were intended to prevent the country from building a nuclear weapons program. That speech — by a foreign leader in the same forum in which the U.S. president delivers the State of the Union address — was widely viewed as a slight against Obama. Israel’s prime minister is desperately clinging to power. In his effort to stave off accountability for his policies, Netanyahu has aligned himself with far-right forces that want to continue an indiscriminate bombing campaign that, in the long term, arguably puts Americans at risk by accelerating a cycle of radicalization. The idea that Netanyahu, as a leader, merits a joint address to Congress seems out of touch with reality. This invitation to Netanyahu is even more disrespectful to the president and the country he leads than the last one — which is part of the reason why it’s so disturbing to see Democrats going along with it.

Trump Georgia election case halted pending outcome of challenge to DA 2024-06-05 21:29:00+00:00 - A Georgia appeals court on Wednesday halted the criminal election interference case against Donald Trump in the state pending the outcome of his bid to disqualify the district attorney prosecuting the former president. The order by the Georgia Court of Appeals all but guarantees that Trump and eight co-defendants in the case will not stand trial before the November presidential election, where Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee. The appeals court said it would hear arguments on Oct. 4 on Trump's effort to boot Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case. Trump is appealing a decision by Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee to allow Willis to remain on the case after her romantic relationship with a top prosecutor in the case came to light. The appeals court must rule on the question by March 14, 2025, according to the court's website. If Trump loses his appeal, he could then ask the Georgia Supreme Court to hear his argument for Willis' disqualification. Trump and the other defendants are charged with crimes related to their attempts to reverse his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia after the popular vote. The appeals court order Wednesday halting the case also applies to Rudy Giuliani, David Shafer, Robert Cheeley, Michael Roman, Mark Meadows, Cathy Latham, Jeffrey Clark and Harrison Floyd. Trump was found guilty in New York state court last Thursday of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment by his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election to buy her silence about an alleged sexual tryst with Trump. Trump is due to be sentenced in that case on July 11 in Manhattan Supreme Court.

How Israel is using AI to try to get Americans on its side 2024-06-05 21:26:39+00:00 - By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Israel tried to drum up American support for its war in Gaza with a secret influence campaign targeting US lawmakers and civilians, according to The New York Times. Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs commissioned the scheme and funded it to the tune of $2 million, hiring a political marketing firm called Stoic to carry out the operation on social media, Israeli officials told the Times. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. With the help of AI, the campaign created hundreds of phony accounts pretending to be pro-Israel Americans on Facebook, as well as on X, Instagram, and YouTube, Meta announced in a report published last week. Some of the accounts targeted over a dozen members of Congress — particularly Democrats like New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, and New York Representative Ritchie Torres — pressuring them to fund Israel's war in Gaza, the Times reported. Advertisement Meta said in its report that it had identified the disinformation campaign, which it linked to Stoic, and removed the accounts. OpenAI also published a report last week announcing its own takedown of malicious actors connected to Stoic, which the company said was using ChatGPT to generate and disseminate content about the war in Gaza. Related stories Israeli officials told the New York Times that the covert campaign began in October, shortly after Hamas' October 7 terror attack, in which militants took hostages and killed hundreds of people in a cross-border assault. In its beginning, the operation sought out tech-savvy Israelis to become "warriors for Israel" and run "digital campaigns" to support the war in Gaza, the Times reported, citing messages it viewed from Israeli officials and recordings of meetings that were held. Advertisement But, Israel's plan hasn't had much success on social media. Both OpenAI and Meta said in their reports that the influence campaign hasn't generated meaningful engagement from real users. It also doesn't appear to be changing the minds of average Americans. According to a Gallup poll conducted in March, 55% of Americans disapprove of Israel's war in Gaza — and just 36% approve, down from 50% in November. Israel has, however, found some success in securing US funding for its war, with President Joe Biden pledging to deliver $1 billion in military aid. Hamas-run Palestinian health authorities say Israel's attacks have killed more than 35,000 people, mostly civilians, since the war began, according to Reuters. Advertisement And Israel has said it isn't slowing down any time soon, despite a push by the Biden administration to reach a cease-fire. Hamas, meanwhile, also has yet to agree to terms on a deal to halt the fighting. Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Cucumbers linked to salmonella outbreak that has spread to 25 states 2024-06-05 21:25:00+00:00 - What to know about U.S. food safety amid bird flu, E. coli outbreaks U.S. food safety: What to know amid outbreaks U.S. food safety: What to know amid outbreaks A salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers has expanded to 25 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with at least 162 people having fallen ill and 54 hospitalized, health officials announced on Wednesday. Federal and state agencies are investigating the outbreak following data showing that cucumbers may be contaminated with salmonella, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a public post. Testing that identified salmonella in a Fresh Start Produce product sample prompted the recall two days ago of cucumbers shipped to 14 states, "but these sellers may have shipped to additional states or repackaged them for stores," according to the federal agency. Testing is still underway to establish a definitive link, according to the agency. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in the young, frail or elderly. Healthy people infected with salmonella can experience symptoms including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause more severe infections. Illnesses linked to the outbreak started on March 11 and continued through mid-May, according to the CDC. Those impacted live in the District of Columbia and the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The CDC and FDA are also investigating a separate outbreak of salmonella infections tied to 158 illnesses in 23 states. "Investigators are working to determine whether the two outbreaks could be linked to the same food," stated the CDC. Hundreds of deaths Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.3 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the U.S. every year, with food causing most of the illnesses, according to the CDC. Anyone with severe salmonella symptoms should call their health care provider. Most people recover without specific treatment and should not take antibiotics, the agency noted. The agency urged consumers not to eat any of the recalled cucumbers and to wash any items or surfaces that may have touched a recalled cucumber with hot soapy water or a dishwasher. "If you recently purchased cucumbers and have them at home, you can check with the store where you purchased them to see if they were part of the recall. If you can't tell, do not eat them," the CDC said.