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Showing posts from February, 2024

Police IDed Lauren Boebert's son from surveillance footage because he wore a hoodie bearing the name of his mom's shuttered gun-themed eatery

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Police say Tyler Boebert was spotted in a Colorado store where a stolen credit card was used. Garfield Combined Courts Rep. Lauren Boebert's son, Tyler Boebert, was arrested connection to a string of Colorado property thefts. Tyler Boebert, 18, was linked to the crimes, in part, through surveillance footage, according to court documents. The teen was wearing a hoodie with the name of his mom's shuttered gun-themed restaurant. Investigators were able to identify GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's teenage son as a suspect in a Colorado crime spree, in part, because he was spotted on surveillance footage donning a hoodie bearing the name of his mom's shuttered gun-themed eatery , according to newly released court documents. Tyler Boebert, 18, was arrested on Tuesday by Colorado's Rifle Police Department in connection to a spate of property thefts and car break-ins. He faces more than 20 charges, including several felony charges, relating to the string of crimes. Ac...

Bonds backed by commercial real estate loans could be the next pain point for markets, economist says

Delinquencies of loans backing CMBS have spiked, with the troubled office sector to blame.  Trouble for CMBS bonds is a greater concern than banks' CRE exposure, David Rosenberg said.  He warned that a CMBS crisis could be the next source of pain for markets and investors.  Markets have been fretting over regional banks' exposure to troubled commercial real estate debt in recent months, but a bigger problem may be lurking in another corner of the property market.  Delinquencies for commercial mortgage-backed securities — bonds backed by loans on commercial properties — have spiked over the last year, with the office sector shouldering the blame as delinquency rates for office loans more than tripled since the start of 2023, David Rosenberg, president of Rosenberg Research, said in a note on Thursday.  Office values in major markets like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York have plunged due to rising vacancy rates driven by work-from-home dynamics. The...

Bitcoin jumped and Coinbase’s app crashed, while Aptos eyes Hong Kong and Telegram rolls out rewards with TON

Welcome to TechCrunch Crypto. Here’s the biggest news this week: bitcoin’s price jumped and Coinbase’s app crashed, Telegram rolled out a plan to pay out rewards using toncoin and more. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/6GqFerg via IFTTT

Almost 630,000 people worldwide are now worth at least $30 million, Knight Frank says

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The ranks of the super-rich increased last year, says Knight Frank. Getty Images Knight Frank's new wealth report shows that about 70 people a day became uber-rich last year. The total number of people worth at least $30 million rose by 4.2% to about 627,000 worldwide. The roaring US stock market and economy helped fuel the increase, but some luxury assets lost value. Almost 70 people a day joined the ranks of the uber-wealthy last year, Knight Frank has revealed. The newly minted members boosted the worldwide number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) by 4.2% to about 627,000, the real estate group said in its latest Wealth Report released on Wednesday. A net worth of at least $30 million is required to be classed as a UHNWI. However, it only takes $5.8 million to rank in the top 1% of wealthy Americans, Knight Frank said. North America had the fastest growth among the world's regions, with its UHNWIs rising by 7.2%. That reflected a strong showing from U...

I'm 39, and I tell men I want to get married and have kids by the second date

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Melissa Persling says she tells her dates early on that she wants to get married and have kids. Courtesy Melissa Persling I'm 39 and want to get married and have a child. Because of my age, I tell my dates early on what I want out of a relationship.  It can be difficult and embarrassing sometimes, but I don't have much time to waste. I used to think that middle-aged women who talked about marriage and children with partners during the early stages of dating were pathetic and, quite frankly, embarrassing. I'd wonder how they could be so foolish as to divulge their innate longing for offspring at their advanced age . "Don't they know how desperate they sound?" I'd wonder. Now that I am that single, childless, middle-aged woman , I wouldn't exactly say that I'm pathetic, but I did embarrass myself on a recent date when I blurted out, "I want a baby!" during a game of pool on a second date with a man drinking a light beer. Weren...

Stocks could see dismal returns for the next 12 years as the FOMO-fueled rally looks like it's nearing a peak, Wall Street legend says

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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on November 25, 2008. Lucas Jackson/Reuters Stocks could see dismal returns over the next 12 years, market vet John Hussman warned. The legendary investor pointed to signs that stocks are way overvalued, fueled by investor FOMO.  The market looks like it's nearing a peak, he wrote in a recent note. Stocks could end up seeing dismal returns for more than a decade, as the FOMO-fueled rally in stocks looks like its approaching its peak, according to legendary investor John Hussman. The Hussman Investment Trust president pointed to the monster rally in stocks over the last four months, with the S&P 500 hitting a string of all-time highs already in 2024. But most of that is due to Wall Street's "nearly frantic 'fear of missing out,'" Hussman said in a note on Sunday — which spells trouble for stocks over the long run. "Lots of pressures are driving that fear: the recent push ...

Footage appears to show Ukrainian drones destroying prized Russian armor, including a rare 'Terminator' tank, left in an unlocked warehouse

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A Russian weaponry cache being destroyed by Ukrainian drones. Wild Hornets Ukrainian FPV drone operators targeted a warehouse full of Russian weaponry. The attack appeared to show a rare Russian 'Terminator' tank being destroyed. Other equipment lost included two T-72 tanks, an infantry fighting vehicle, and military trucks. A new video appears shows Ukrainian FPV drone operators targeting a large concentration of Russian hardware after locating a warehouse in the south of Ukraine. Ukrainian attack drones infiltrated the hangar, crowded with valuable assets from Putin's war arsenal, and set about destroying the valuable weaponry. It is unclear when and where the video was taken, and Insider could not independently verify it. The logo at the bottom right of the footage belongs to the Wild Hornets, a team of volunteers manufacturing FPV kamikaze strike drones . They build batches of drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine on a volunteer basis. Per their website, ...

Taiwan fears that stalled Ukraine aid foreshadows their future if China invades

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Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, left, speaks during a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, right, in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. Taiwan Presidential Office/ AP Photo Taiwanese officials expressed concern to a visiting US delegation about stalled aid to Ukraine. The island is concerned what that means for US support if China invaded them. Taiwan is also anxious about what would happen if Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election. Taiwanese officials have expressed concerns about stalled US aid to Ukraine, fearing implications for US defense support in the event of a Chinese invasion. During a three-day visit to the self-governing island, Taiwanese officials repeatedly questioned a visiting US congressional delegation about US support for Ukraine, Politico reported. US and senior Taiwanese officials, including President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai Ching-te, attend...

Republicans vote unanimously to ban basic income programs in a state with one of the highest homelessness rates

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Phoenix, Arizona. Kevin Ruck/Shutterstock Arizona House Republicans unanimously voted to ban basic income programs in the state. They say guaranteed basic income programs are like socialism. Arizona has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the United States. Arizona Republican lawmakers appear to be in full agreement: A guaranteed basic income is a disastrous idea. The Arizona House of Representatives voted Thursday in favor of a bill that would prohibit guaranteed basic income programs in the state, despite Arizona grappling with the fourth-highest rate of homelessness in the nation. No Democrat voted in favor of the bill. But the Republican majority voted unanimously. Basic income programs, which offer segments of society no-strings-attached payments, are gaining traction across the nation as a way to address the wealth gap and reduce poverty. The bill's author, Republican Rep. Lupe Diaz, has compared such programs to socialism, calling the payments "...

Google releases new open LLMs, Rivian lays off staff and Signal rolls out usernames

Welcome, folks, to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter covering noteworthy happenings in the tech industry. This week, Google launched two new open large language models, Gemma 2B and Gemma 7B, in its continued bid for generative AI dominance. The company, which describes the LLMs as “inspired by Gemini,” its flagship family of GenAI […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/ycBmoau via IFTTT

Ukrainian analogs of the US Humvee, MaxxPro, and M113 go into battle against Russia, say reports

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Ukrainian serviceman stands next to a HMMWV (Humvee) vehicle in Donetsk region. STRINGER Ukrainian forces are deploying locally made armored vehicles modeled after US military versions. Analogs of US Humvee, MaxxPro, and M113 have been built, say reports. A soldier said when he first sat in a Ukrainian Humvee, he couldn't tell the difference from a US import. Analogs of US Humvee, MaxxPro, and M113 are being deployed into battle against Russian forces by Kyiv, say reports in the Ukrainian media. Recently, the Ukrainian "Kharakternyk" armored car, the "Sikach" armored personnel carrier, and the "Fox" carrier, all molded after American Humvees, MaxxPros, and M113s were deployed in several units of the Security and Defense Forces, said Defense Express. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said Sikachs and Kharakternyks were used in Avdiivka . The Ministry said the vehicles "proved themselves excellently in combat conditions." Avdiivka ...

Americans' 'love affair' with the stock market is stronger than ever

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Business Insider US households and nonprofits have quadrupled equity allocations over the past 40 years to a near-record high of 41%. Americans' "love affair" with stocks has pushed multiples up 20 percentage points relative to overseas markets.  The bank added that the forces that drove Americans' love of stocks will fade in coming years.  There's not a lot that can dent Americans' love for stocks it seems.  According to JPMorgan strategists Jan Loeys and Alexander Wise, US households and non profits have steadily ramped up stock buying over the last four decades, with allocations to US equities hitting a near-record of 41% this year. That's a stark contrast with the rest of the world, and it is a factor that has helped the US stock market put up big growth numbers in that timeframe.  "Together with superior earnings growth, this has propelled the US equity market to the strongest in the world over those decades to a point it is now 64% o...

Apple Music is going after Spotify Wrapped with a monthly recap of what you listened to most

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Apple Music Replay. Screenshot/Apple Watch out, Spotify : Apple Music is coming for you. Apple Music recently introduced a monthly version of its Replay that sums up listeners' favorites. Spotify Wrapped, by comparison, is only available once a year. Apple Music is turning up the heat in its competition with music streaming rival Spotify. Apple Music Replay , which provides a summary of users' listening habits, is now available monthly — offering more frequent summaries compared to the yearly Spotify Wrapped. Apple says you'll need to go to a website, replay.music.apple.com , and log in with your Apple ID to access your monthly stats. The summary tells you your top songs, artists, albums, playlists, genres, and stations based on your listening history, number of plays, and amount of time spent listening. Spotify's highly popular Spotify Wrapped , on the other hand, is only available once a year. In 2023, Spotify added several new elements to its recaps, inc...

A 34-year-old salon owner moved to NYC as a teen to cut hair. She explains how she bootstrapped a one-chair salon out of a basement before expanding to 2 bustling Williamsburg locations.

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Martha Ellen Mabry, owner of Headchop and Lil' Chop Alisha Wetherill Martha Ellen Mabry moved to NYC at 18 for a six-month cosmetology program and never looked back. At 21, she bootstrapped Headchop, which started as a one-chair basement salon in Williamsburg. Over a decade later, after overcoming the pandemic and cancer, she opened a sibling salon, Lil' Chop. This article is part of " Unlocking Small Business Success ," a series providing micro businesses with a road map to growth. To step into Headchop Hair Studio is to step back in time. Vintage chairs and eclectic wallpaper fill the space. There's an antique cash register and a white retro fridge with colorful alphabet magnets that spell out, "Chop it like iz hot." The humble basement salon, sandwiched between residential buildings on Berry Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is easy to miss. Descending the stairs elicits a similar thrill to stumbling upon a speakeasy. Roughly 10 New York ...

Fed rate hikes are creeping back into the conversation

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Fed rate cuts are creeping back into the conversation, in part thanks to Larry Summers' comments. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Wall Street has pushed back its expectations for Fed rate cuts over recent weeks. Larry Summers recently addressed the possibility that the next move could be a hike, assigning it a 15% probability. While higher-for-longer remains likely, there's now a small chance policy will get tighter before loosening. At the end of 2023, stocks soared and economists celebrated soft-landing calls as chatter of imminent interest-rate cuts hit a crescendo. Wall Street forecasters said the Federal Reserve could ease policy as much as six times , even though central bankers themselves forecasted no more than three. In any case, the "immaculate disinflation" narrative seemed to be on track. Then, as 2024 kicked off, a handful of economic reports tempered that optimism:  January CPI climbed 3.1% year-over-year, above the expected 2.9%  January PPI climbed...

A Trident missile test-fired by a UK submarine failed. That's a lot of money down the drain.

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Vanguard-class submarine HMS Victorious near Faslane in Scotland. UK Ministry of Defense A test of Britain's nuclear deterrent system ended in failure for the second time.  The incident involved a $70 million Trident missile that both the US and UK have in their arsenal.  Their high price is part of the reason these missiles are rarely tested by the British Navy. The British navy suffered an embarrassing flop after a failed test launch of a Trident nuclear missile was revealed. The Sun newspaper , which first reported the failure, quoted an unnamed source as saying the 58-ton missile "left the submarine but it just went plop, right next to them." It said the incident occurred on January 30 during an incident off Florida. The issue was reportedly caused by the booster rockets malfunctioning but no further details were revealed on national security grounds. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement: "On this occasion, an anomaly did occur, but it...

Varaha helps Indian farmers reduce climate-harming practices like burning crop residue and flooding rice fields

Varaha has attacted investor interst as an end-to-end developer for carbon credits that it generates by working with thousands of smallholder farmers yielding crops on a total land of over 700,000 acres across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Kenya. The voluntary carbon offset market will reach $250 billion by 2050 from $2 billion in 2020, according […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/XYv6Q4i via IFTTT

That airless Wilson basketball you see influencers trying out? It costs $2,500, and it's already sold out.

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Wilson's new airless basketball is selling for a whopping $2,500. Wilson Wilson debuted its limited edition airless basketball on Friday. The Airless Gen 1 comes with a $2,500 price tag, and it's already sold out. The 3D-printed ball is the topic of discussion on X, TikTok, and Instagram. Wilson created a futuristic airless basketball that's getting all the hype on social media, and the $2,500 price tag didn't stop it from selling out. The limited edition Airless Gen 1 is a 3D printed basketball that allows air to pass through it — unlike a traditional basketball that's pumped with air. Still, it can be dribbled and nearly fits the required specifications of a regulation ball, according to Wilson. At $2,500, the Airless Gen 1 is more than 10 times the price of Wilson's official NBA game ball, which goes for about $200 on the official site. And yet, it's sold out of all three color options. Wilson's airless basketball is getting a lot of h...

Wall Street giants like JPMorgan and Pimco are walking back their environmental pledges after years of outspoken support for fighting climate change

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JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon CNBC/Jamie Dimon Wall Street giants like JPMorgan, State Street, and Pimco recently exited Climate Action 100+. Other finance firms have walked back climate-friendly pledges and initiatives. This shift comes amid increasing criticism of "woke capitalism" and scrutiny of ESG investing. Some Wall Street giants, many of which have spent the last few years pledging to fight climate change through corporate responsibility, are now retreating from some of their environmental initiatives. Large financial institutions including investment bank JPMorgan, asset manager State Street, and investment management firm Pimco have in the last few days pulled out of Climate Action 100+ , a group of hundreds of institutional investors that collectively push large companies to address climate issues. The departures are a stark change for finance firms that have previously spent years working to improve their public images by loudly championing the fight agains...