Aggressive strategy and loss in the trial highlight a problem for tech firms: a widespread distrust of social media companies When Meta , the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, sought to defend itself in the landmark social media addiction lawsuit alleging its products caused personal injury to a young user, it went on the offensive. The mental health problems that the 20-year-old known as ...
Aggressive strategy and loss in the trial highlight a problem for tech firms: a widespread distrust of social media companies When Meta , the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, sought to defend itself in the landmark social media addiction lawsuit alleging its products caused personal injury to a young user, it went on the offensive. The mental health problems that the 20-year-old known as KGM suffered since she was a child were not the result of exposure to harm on Instagram, Meta’s lawyers and public relations team argued, but instead linked to her mother’s parenting and her offline social problems. In a bench memo filed before the trial began, lawyers for Meta quoted excerpts from KGM’s teenage text messages, personal writings and social media posts complaining about her mother. They combed through therapy notes and called on doctors to testify to examples of personal conflict. Throughout the proceedings, Meta’s communications team sent reporters repeated updates from the trial and quotes from testimony that highlighted her familial issues. Far from causing harm, they alleged that Instagram offered a helpful respite from the real world. Continue reading...
Sara Ziff, founder of Model Alliance, said business leaders need to be hauled before House oversight committee A top modeling industry activist has called for business leaders to be hauled before lawmakers in Washington to investigate what role modeling agencies may have played in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal. Sara Ziff is founder of the Model Alliance, a non-profit advocacy group c...
Sara Ziff, founder of Model Alliance, said business leaders need to be hauled before House oversight committee A top modeling industry activist has called for business leaders to be hauled before lawmakers in Washington to investigate what role modeling agencies may have played in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal. Sara Ziff is founder of the Model Alliance, a non-profit advocacy group calling for fair treatment, labor rights and safe working conditions for fashion industry workers. Continue reading...
Sandra and Roy are adapting to sex as new parents, from postpartum pain to acting fast when they have a private moment • How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously Sex was a reminder that I’m still me. That this identity still exists, which is really important because you do lose it a bit, especially in the early weeks of becoming a mother Continue reading...
Sandra and Roy are adapting to sex as new parents, from postpartum pain to acting fast when they have a private moment • How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously Sex was a reminder that I’m still me. That this identity still exists, which is really important because you do lose it a bit, especially in the early weeks of becoming a mother Continue reading...
A string of Chinese analogue chipmakers have announced price increases in step with their international peers, as a broader pricing wave sweeps across the semiconductor supply chain – a shift that analysts say could hand China’s mature-node producers a rare window to gain ground. Novosense Microelectronics, SG Micro, Fortior Technology, Halo Microelectronics, Silan Micro and Kiwi Instruments are a...
A string of Chinese analogue chipmakers have announced price increases in step with their international peers, as a broader pricing wave sweeps across the semiconductor supply chain – a shift that analysts say could hand China’s mature-node producers a rare window to gain ground. Novosense Microelectronics, SG Micro, Fortior Technology, Halo Microelectronics, Silan Micro and Kiwi Instruments are among the domestic firms recently raising prices, in line with global leaders including Texas...
A Chinese mother has handcrafted more than 1,000 pairs of shoe pads for new army recruits in memory of her soldier son who died rescuing his comrade two decades ago. Zhang Xinghui, from southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, is affectionately nicknamed “shoe pad mum”. In 2005, her son, 19-year-old Gu Nu, died while patrolling a mountain in Tibet and rescuing his teammate from a landslide. Gu...
A Chinese mother has handcrafted more than 1,000 pairs of shoe pads for new army recruits in memory of her soldier son who died rescuing his comrade two decades ago. Zhang Xinghui, from southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, is affectionately nicknamed “shoe pad mum”. In 2005, her son, 19-year-old Gu Nu, died while patrolling a mountain in Tibet and rescuing his teammate from a landslide. Gu became a frontier guard in 2003 and was promoted as his squad’s deputy leader. When Zhang learned...
Pauline Newman's story shines a light on the aging judiciary, where judges are getting older and lifetime tenure is raising thorny questions about retirement. (Image credit: Paul J. Richards)
Pauline Newman's story shines a light on the aging judiciary, where judges are getting older and lifetime tenure is raising thorny questions about retirement. (Image credit: Paul J. Richards)
Calling a cryptocurrency the next XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is practically shorthand for describing an asset that starts small, builds real utility within a tightly focused niche, and eventually vaults into the crypto big leagues. Bittensor (CRYPTO: TAO) has invited that comparison lately. Its price popped by 57% during the last three months alone (as of March 24), thanks to its increasingly successful ec...
Calling a cryptocurrency the next XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) is practically shorthand for describing an asset that starts small, builds real utility within a tightly focused niche, and eventually vaults into the crypto big leagues. Bittensor (CRYPTO: TAO) has invited that comparison lately. Its price popped by 57% during the last three months alone (as of March 24), thanks to its increasingly successful ecosystem of projects, many of which pertain to training or testing artificial intelligence (AI) models. But the comparison to XRP deserves some scrutiny. XRP and Bittensor sit at opposite ends of the cryptocurrency design spectrum, and understanding how they differ is essential for evaluating whether Bittensor can deliver comparable returns. Let's dig in and determine if it really could become the next XRP. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Top diplomats from key regional powers were gathering in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East, but there were few signs of progress as Israel and the US kept up strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones across the region. Pakistan said foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were taking part in the talks in Islamabad. Paki...
Top diplomats from key regional powers were gathering in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East, but there were few signs of progress as Israel and the US kept up strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones across the region. Pakistan said foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were taking part in the talks in Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held “extensive...
Key PointsMacro shocks like the Strait of Hormuz disruption ripple directly into AI through higher energy costs, tighter financial conditions, and valuation compression.
Key PointsMacro shocks like the Strait of Hormuz disruption ripple directly into AI through higher energy costs, tighter financial conditions, and valuation compression.
Don't believe claims that Social Security benefits are now tax-free. Sure, a "senior bonus" passed by Congress will help lower federal taxes on Social Security benefits for many retirees. However, this deduction is only temporary: It expires in 2028. Even with the deduction, though, some will still owe some taxes on their Social Security benefits. The trick to minimizing how much tax you must pay ...
Don't believe claims that Social Security benefits are now tax-free. Sure, a "senior bonus" passed by Congress will help lower federal taxes on Social Security benefits for many retirees. However, this deduction is only temporary: It expires in 2028. Even with the deduction, though, some will still owe some taxes on their Social Security benefits. The trick to minimizing how much tax you must pay on your benefits is to reduce your combined income (adjusted gross income plus non-taxable interest plus half of your Social Security benefit). Here are seven simple steps you can take to lower your Social Security benefit taxes. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
BAHRAIN - APRIL 17: Aluminium ingots seen at the Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C plant in Bahrain, Tuesday, April 18, 2006. (Photo by Phil Weymouth/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Aluminium Bahrain, which hosts the world's largest smelter of the metal, said on Sunday its facility was subjected to an Iranian attack as the U.S.-Israel-led war extended into a second month. Th...
BAHRAIN - APRIL 17: Aluminium ingots seen at the Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C plant in Bahrain, Tuesday, April 18, 2006. (Photo by Phil Weymouth/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Aluminium Bahrain, which hosts the world's largest smelter of the metal, said on Sunday its facility was subjected to an Iranian attack as the U.S.-Israel-led war extended into a second month. The company, known as Alba , said in a statement that the attack happened on Saturday. "Alba is assessing the extent of the damage to its facilities and remains focused on maintaining its operational resilience and the safety of its employees," Alba said. The company had cut production capacity by 19% of its 1.6 million tons of annual output "as an operational measure to preserve business continuity amid ongoing supply and transit disruptions affecting the Strait of Hormuz," the company said on March 15. The production cuts have been adding to fears of a global shortage of the metal. Aluminum prices surged to four-year highs earlier this month before paring some of those gains. They remain 4.3% above their Feb. 27 levels. While aluminum may be the most abundant metal on earth, it is crucial to the functioning of the world economy. It is an essential material across electronics, transport, and construction, as well as other industries such as solar panels and packaging. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon LME Aluminum Iran has been retaliating against U.S. and Israeli attacks that began on Feb. 28 by firing missiles and drones at its regional neighbors. The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday its air defenses were dealing with the latest salvo of incoming missiles. Houthis enter the fray On Saturday, Iranian-backed Houthi fighters said they launched a missile strike against Israel, the first time the group has participated in the war. Analysts have told CNBC that the Houthis could attempt to choke off maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating the Arabian Penin...
Hinterhaus Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images Background I wrote the article " Global Business Travel Group: Buy This Travel Stock On Revenue Growth " in August 2023. My investment thesis was driven by transaction volume recovery, margin improvement, and the return to positive free cash flow analysis. The stock moved higher to $9.45 but has since pulled back to $5.33 due to macroeconomic c...
Hinterhaus Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images Background I wrote the article " Global Business Travel Group: Buy This Travel Stock On Revenue Growth " in August 2023. My investment thesis was driven by transaction volume recovery, margin improvement, and the return to positive free cash flow analysis. The stock moved higher to $9.45 but has since pulled back to $5.33 due to macroeconomic concerns and ongoing CWT integration uncertainty. In this article, I revisit the thesis using FY2025 results and analyze whether the stock has upside potential. In my view, Global Business Travel Group ( GBTG ) is a financially improving company with strong revenue growth, expanding margins, growing free cash flow, and an accretive CWT acquisition. The stock is trading at 6.26x forward EV/EBITDA compared to the peer average of 9.12x. With timely execution of the CWT integration and improving macroeconomic indicators, the stock has potential for upside. Positive Growth Outlook for the Business Travel Sector During COVID, businesses thought that virtual meetings would be a new way of working. However, later they realized that in-person meetings are critical for negotiations, team building, and exploring new business opportunities. This realization leads to a sustained structural recovery for the business travel industry. According to the American Express Global Business Travel Trendex survey , more than 95% of senior executives are bullish about the sector and expect business travel to remain the same or increase over the next year. The same sentiments were also echoed by the independent industry reports confirming the positive trend of the long-term growth outlook. Grand View Research Report on Business Travel Market According to Grand View Research , the global business travel market is projected to reach $3.2 trillion by 2033 from $1.8 trillion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2025 to 2033. The IMARC Group projects the global business travel market to reach $2.0 tril...