Mission Everywhere

Walmart currently has roughly 4,600 US stores and employs 1.6 million people. Walmart Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, is about to get even bigger in the US. The company announced it plans to add or convert more than 150 locations over the next five years. It will also upgrade 650 locations this year to its " store of the future " concept. The world's largest retailer is growing again in the US. Walmart announced Wednesday it will "build or convert" more than 150 stores across the country over the next five years. In addition, the company will upgrade 650 locations this year to its "store of the future" concept revealed last fall. Walmart's first two new locations will be Neighborhood Markets in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia, opening this Spring.  Another 12 projects will begin construction this year, as well as the conversion of a smaller store into a Supercenter, the company said. The news could signal...

Dean Seal / Wall Street Journal : The US DOJ says eBay agreed to pay $59M to settle allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by allowing sales of pill presses and other items   —  Justice Department says eBay has also agreed to enhance its compliance program  —  EBay will pay $59 million to settle … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/luIvTEK

Nassim Taleb. Mohd Zakir/Getty Images The US is headed for a debt "death spiral" if politicians don't rein in spending, Nassim Taleb said.  "The Black Swan" author said debt troubles will continue if Congress can't  "A debt spiral is like a death spiral," Taleb said at an event on Monday. The US is facing a "death spiral" as a result of its mounting debt and the inability of politicians to confront the issue, according to "The Black Swan" author Nassim Taleb. Per Bloomberg, the Universa Investments advisor who correctly called the 2008 financial crash cast a dire warning about the US debt situation, which has seen the federal debt balance notch $34 trillion for the first time ever to start the year.  As long as Congress keeps up its rapid pace of spending, those debts are going to continue to pile up, which could have disastrous consequences for the US economy, Taleb said this week at an event held by Universa Invest...

Chance Miller / 9to5Mac : Apple's visionOS doesn't let users rearrange home screen icons or pin web apps to the home screen, particularly limiting as Netflix and YouTube lack native apps   —  In addition to not letting you rearrange home screen icons, visionOS 1.0 also doesn't support the ability to pin web apps to the home screen. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/5Pwa42E

wsmahar/Getty Images Cash-like Treasurys will offer lower returns as the Fed cuts rates, Bernstein said. Investors who pick up longer-dated bonds ahead of time will earn the most. The best time to move into bonds is three months prior to the first Fed cut. The risk-averse strategy of piling into Treasury bills will soon lose its allure, and investors who switch into longer-dated bonds now will enjoy the strongest market returns, Bernstein wrote . While T-bills — which take anywhere from a few weeks to 12 months to mature — have made a sensible passive trade for investors trying to safely take advantage of high rates since 2022, they're already failing to keep up with the broader bond market.  "From October 2022 through December 2023, cumulative returns for the US Treasury Bill 1-3 Month Index were 6.1%, compared with 7.5% for the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index," Bernstein's senior investment strategist Monika Carlson wrote. Added, rising bets that the ...

Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEVs) still only make up 2% of all car sales in Japan. YUICHI YAMAZAKI / Getty Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants the company to improve its sales in Japan. Despite being a pioneering automaker, the country has been slow to embrace EVs. Japan bet early on hybrids and appears reluctant to move on. Back in 2010, Elon Musk predicted that Japan would become Tesla's largest market outside of the US. But more than a decade later, the EV maker isn't doing as well in the country as Musk had hoped. "There are some geographies where our market share is remarkably low, like Japan," Musk said in a fourth-quarter earnings call earlier this week. "We should at least have a market share proportionate to, say, other non-Japanese carmakers like Mercedes or BMW, which we do not currently have," he added. But while Tesla is already up against major Japanese carmakers like Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, and Nissan, the reality is that all EV makers are...

Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Jason Mendez/Getty Images Megan Thee Stallion appeared to diss Nicki Minaj's husband on her new song, "Hiss." Minaj responded by referencing Tory Lanez, who was convicted in Megan Thee Stallion's shooting. Here's everything the rappers have said about each other so far.  "Hot Girl Summer" is officially over for Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj , who are embroiled in a fiery online feud. The rappers appeared to have an amicable relationship before tensions exploded on Friday when Megan, 28, debuted her latest single, "Hiss." While Megan took aim at several unnamed people on the track, many fans believe she also mocked Minaj, 41, and her husband. This prompted Minaj to diss Megan on Instagram Live and X, formerly known as Twitter. In one post , Minaj purportedly called Megan a "manipulative liar" and claimed she used ghostwriters for music. "Every album she...

Being a woman in her 30s solo traveling around the world is a superpower in and of itself. Hayley Domin I did a lot of solo travel in my 20s but I like it even better in my 30s. I've matured and I value making connections around the world.  I've also realized I don't need to rush or try to cram everything into one trip.  I visited 30 countries while I was in my 20s. Most of the time, I traveled by myself, chasing parties worldwide . It resulted in many days wasted, money spent, and nights forgotten. Friends would come and go, and at the time, I thought this was how travel was supposed to be. But as I entered my 30s, I realized I wasn't a 21-year-old on a mission to party five nights a week anymore. Now, I prioritize exploring different cultures, connecting with new people , and learning more about local history. Travel is way better this way. My priorities began changing for the better as I entered my 30s In time, my idea of a bucket list stopped bein...

Bill Toulas / BleepingComputer : Microsoft details the techniques that the Russian hacking group Midnight Blizzard used to breach the email accounts of its executives and other organizations   —  Microsoft confirmed that the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service hacking group, which hacked into its executives' email accounts in November 2023 … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/Ydn5Pls

Danilo Masoni / Reuters : ASML's stock rises 10%+ to reach a $350B+ market cap on the AI boom, becoming Europe's third most valuable company; ASML is up 19%+ in 2024   —  ASML Holding (ASML.AS) shares hit a fresh record high for a second straight day on Thursday, bringing the Dutch group's market cap above $350 billion … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/7d3hDzo

The Tesla Cybertruck undergoes testing in water. Tesla Tesla's Cybertruck comes with a stainless-steel exoskeleton.  It offers a futuristic look but may have a downside in winter weather. Road salt should be washed off immediately to avoid exterior damage, according to a video displaying the owner's manual. New Tesla Cybertruck owners might want to wash winter road grime off their pickup as soon as possible. Tesla has not yet shared the Cybertruck's owner's manual publicly, but in two videos posted online, the apparent guide says that the Cybertruck's stainless-steel exterior lacks "a clear coat on the surface of the exterior body panels, meaning scratches that appear are in the stainless steel panels themselves." The guide shown in the videos also says: "To prevent damage to the exterior, immediately remove corrosive substances (such as grease, oil, bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt, industrial fallout, e...

Celine Song and Greta Gerwig's films "Past Lives" and "Barbie" were nominated for best picture, but they were both left out of the best director category at the Oscars. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Phillip Faraone/Getty Images This year, a historic three films directed by women made the cut for best picture at the Oscars. But only one of those directors, Justine Triet, will compete for best director.  Celine Song ("Past Lives") and Greta Gerwig ("Barbie") were shut out — and it's a pattern. In a historic nominations slate, three of the ten best picture nominees at the 2024 Oscars were directed by woman — an all-time high. But on a more disappointing (though not unexpected) note, only one of those women earned a nomination for best director. " Barbie ," " Anatomy of a Fall ," and " Past Lives " will all compete for best picture at the Oscars in March. But only Justine Triet, who directed "Anatomy of...

The Information : Source: Brex told employees it is cutting 282 jobs, or about 20% of its staff, saying it grew too quickly and its CTO and COO are giving up their positions   —  Brex is cutting 20% of its workforce and shaking up senior management ranks in a new effort to slash its cash burn, as the fintech firm grapples with slower revenue growth. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/1fXkOd8

An Israeli tank near Gaza City during a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas on November 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Top Israeli military officials say defeating Hamas could come at the cost of the lives of hostages. Some officials told NYT they don't think Israel's two goals are both feasible. Families of hostages say the return of their loved ones should take precedence over erasing Hamas. High-ranking Israeli military officials are increasingly concerned that if Israel has any hope of defeating Hamas, it may have to do so at the cost of the lives of remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, The New York Times reported . The Times reported that some Israeli commanders are worried the country's twin goals of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages are not both feasible. Instead, The Times reported, some Israeli military officials believe that Israel may have to use diplomatic channels — as opposed to military strategy — to recover the hostages from Ga...

Lauren Weber / Wall Street Journal : Researchers: only 18 companies of 391 analyzed seem to have followed a NYC law that went into effect six months ago and requires disclosure of hiring algorithms   —  The law requires employers to disclose how algorithms screen job candidates  —  It has been six months since New York City began enforcing … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/4ZJ8urG

A Ukrainian infantryman walks towards his trench on the front line in Donetsk Oblast on January 19, 2024. Ignacio Marin/Anadolu via Getty Images Russia is ramping up its offensive operations on the front lines in Ukraine, per the UK MoD. It's likely taking advantage of the "freezing ground conditions" to move armored vehicles. Data from the Ukrainian General Staff suggests these attacks result in huge losses. Russia is ramping up its front-line offensives against Ukraine, likely taking advantage of the "freezing ground conditions" to move armored vehicles around the country, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an update on the conflict on Sunday. In the military intelligence update, the MoD said that data from the Ukrainian General Staff pointed "toward a steady increase in the intensity of Russian offensive activity across the front over the last two weeks." But Russia's mounting attacks are leading to huge losses to its military ...

Wes Moore won the Maryland gubernatorial election in November 2022. AP Photo/Bryan Woolston This week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore hit the one-year mark of his administration's tenure. During an interview with BI, Moore touted his service-year program and public safety investments. Moore, a key Biden ally, said he was confident that voters would see the "good results" of the president's policies. Last January, Wes Moore was inaugurated as Maryland's 63rd — and first Black — governor. Shortly after Moore was sworn into office, he announced in his inaugural address that it was time for the state's policies "to be as bold as our aspirations." One year later, many of Moore's policy goals have been realized. His service-year option program , which has placed young people in community-based roles across the state, launched with an inaugural class of 280 participants. He signed into law a critical healthcare reimbursement program for Maryland...

Kia Kokalitcheva / Axios : After two failed attempts, a bipartisan effort is being made to remedy the issues caused by US tax law Section 174, which forces amortization of software labor   —  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is impacting some startups' tax bills, thanks to a provision that changes how R&D costs are deducted. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/EsxBbd6

My family went on a Disney World vacation and a Disney cruise back to back. Kari Becker My family of four recently went on a Disney World vacation and took a Disney cruise.  On the Disney cruise, we got to see different places and explore new countries. The vacations cost about the same amount of money, but the cruise was a better value. As a travel planner at Marvelous Mouse Travels , clients often ask me if I prefer Disney cruises or Disney World vacations. My family did a split trip where we spent four days at Disney World and four days on the Disney Wish, which gave me a great insight into the differences between the two options.   Here's why I think the cruise was a much better value. We started our trip at Disney World with fun in the theme parks. We visited all four theme parks on our trip to Disney World. Kari Becker While in Orlando, we stayed at our favorite resort , Yacht Club, which has easy access to both Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Thro...

Bloomberg : Sources: Sam Altman has held talks to raise billions, including $8B to $10B from Abu Dhabi-based G42, to set up a network of factories to manufacture chips   —  - Push reflects concern about potential semiconductor shortage  — Project would involve working with major chipmaking companies from Techmeme https://ift.tt/H4J7fZ2

My family loves going to Disney World, but the trip can get pricey. Matt Cabral My family of four recently spent nearly $10,000 on our eight-night trip to Disney World .  Since we spent more than a day in each of our favorite parks we didn't splurge on Genie+.  We learned dining is hard to budget for and character meals aren't totally worth it anymore. When it comes to making magical memories at Disney World, my family of four has been there, done that, and got the T-shirt … and the collectible popcorn buckets. We travel from Rhode Island to the Orlando park once — sometimes twice — a year and love it. Still, each trip teaches us something new — especially in terms of how much value we're getting for our money. Here's what we spent on our most recent eight-night trip in November: Disney resort and park tickets : $5,746 for eight nights at Disney's Port Orleans Resort, plus seven park days for a family of four Food : $2,000 for full-service restaura...

Alex Heath / The Verge : Zuckerberg says Meta wants to build AGI and open source it, brings Meta's AI group FAIR closer to generative AI team; Meta will own 340K+ H100 GPUs by 2024 end   —  And he wants Meta to open source it.  Eventually.  Maybe. … Fueling the generative AI craze is a belief that the tech industry … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/EY18rB9