Startups are eating big foods lunch. Americans are still spending on packaged snacks, but they're buying less from legacy brands like General Mills and Craft Hinds. Small startups make up less than 2% of the packaged foods market, but they drove more than a third of that whole sector's sales growth in 2024.Take the meatstick, one of the fastest growing products in food. You're probably most familiar with the traditional Slim Gym, but companies like Chomps are taking a bite out of its business. Chomps, which ...

Yeah, I'm standing in uh Hong Kong here. I'm outside Wongfuk Court. Uh that's the building behind me.Um an 8 Tower residential compound that caught fire earlier this week. Authorities have just said today that the death toll is now up to 128 people. We expect that number to keep rising.It was just 94 a few hours ago. There are still people unaccounted for, but the number has been fluctuating quite a bit. Hong Kong, for anyone who's been before, is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.And in ...

Market Position - KFC ranks fourth in US chicken restaurant sales and has experienced consecutive quarters of sales declines [1] - Bone-in fried chicken menu listings in US fast food restaurants have dropped by 72% in the past 4 years [2] - Boneless chicken items in US fast food restaurants are up by 29% in the past 4 years [2] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Raising Canes and Chick-fil-A focus on tenders and fried chicken sandwiches [2] - Fast food giants like McDonald's and Taco Bell have expanded their chicken options [3] KFC's Response - KFC is bringing back old favorites like its original honey barbecue sandwich and potato wedges [3] - KFC is testing Saucy by KFC, a new concept focused on tenders and featuring nearly a dozen sauces [3]

You can hear the shots being fired. It obviously feels very, very real. >> There's people in the window.>> We don't want to get shot. >> So, this may all be an exercise. They may not be firing live rounds, but in these guys' heads, they really are defending their city from an enemy attack.Getting ready to do that in a possible future scenario. the Russian invasion of Ukraine so close. This could be the path that Russia and its ally Barus will take if it ever invaded Lithuania.The Lithuanian Rifleman's Briga ...

Market Trends & Investment Drivers - Demand for gold is surging, recently exceeding $4,000 per troy ounce, driven by uncertainty and a desire for safe-haven assets [1][7] - Investors, particularly the wealthy, are diversifying gold storage locations, shifting away from traditional vaults in London and Geneva towards new hubs like Singapore [1] - Mistrust in governments and concerns about the US dollar's stability are driving investors to store wealth overseas [12] - Investors are choosing physical gold over funds or futures to avoid counterparty risk [13] Singapore as a Secure Storage Hub - Singapore is perceived as a secure location for long-term wealth storage due to its political stability, lack of enemies, and economic policies that discourage nationalization [2][3][4] - Singapore's wealth and reputation are built on client confidence, making nationalizing assets an unlikely and economically suicidal move [3][4] - Singapore is well-defended, making it an ideal location for intergenerational wealth storage with time frames of 20-40 years [4] Vault Security & Capacity - The Reserve's vault, completed in 2024 near Singapore's Changi Airport, includes a chamber capable of storing up to 10,000 tons of silver, worth approximately $16 billion [6] - The vault's foundation extends 32 meters into the ground, with a floor loading capacity 45 times stronger than a car park [7] - The Reserve has the capacity to store up to 500 tons of gold, worth approximately $64 billion, equivalent to roughly 40,000 good delivery bars [10] - The vault meets UL Class 2 gold vault standards, designed to delay intruders for at least one hour [9] Client Base & Motivation - The Reserve's clients traditionally come from Western, English-speaking countries, including Europe, the United States, and Australia, and are often entrepreneurs managing their own wealth [5] - Clients are seeking refuge from political turmoil, shifting economic winds, and potential developments that could impact the value of traditional currencies [11][13] Market Share & Future Growth - Singapore currently handles less than 1% of the daily global gold trading volume, which exceeds $100 billion in London [15] - Singapore, along with Hong Kong and Dubai, possesses the right elements and government support to develop into significant gold hubs [15]

Business Model & Financial Challenges - Sonder's business model, relying on long-term leases rather than owning real estate, led to costs outpacing revenue as the company expanded [5][7] - The company projected nearly $4 billion in revenue by 2025, but faced operational challenges due to leasing apartments and maintaining staff regardless of occupancy [5][7] - Sonder went public via a SPAC, a faster but riskier route, and received $400 million less than expected due to investors cashing out [8][10] - By 2025, Sonder's liabilities exceeded its assets, posting a loss of approximately $100 million in a six-month period [12] Partnership & Collapse - A licensing deal with Marriott International in 2024 aimed to integrate Sonder units into Marriott's booking system [11] - Sonder defaulted on its debts to Marriott, leading to the termination of the partnership in November 2025 [13] - Marriott covered $15 million in losses due to the Sonder partnership [15][16] - Sonder abruptly closed, leaving thousands of guests stranded and directing them to Marriott for assistance [2][14] Industry Implications - Sonder's failure highlights the importance of understanding a company's business model and its ability to achieve long-term profitability [16] - The case demonstrates the risks associated with SPACs and the challenges of maintaining profitability in the short-term rental market [8][9]

This small college in North Carolina is luring wealthy students with its high-end amenities and has more than tripled undergraduate enrollment in the process. At High Point University, students can use their meal plans to eat filet minan at an on-ampus steakhouse once a week. But that isn't just a perk.Servers coach diners on body language, professional attire, and even which fork to use and when to salt their food. That's just one of the striking amenities that the school has to [music] prepare its student ...

Market Trends & Challenges - The US housing market faces an imbalance with an oversupply of luxury apartments and a shortage of affordable units [1] - Renting a two-bedroom apartment in Atlanta costs approximately $2,000 per month, exceeding the affordability of typical renters [2] - Fraudulent rental applications are becoming increasingly common across the US, with individuals using fake financial documents to secure luxury apartments [1][2] Fraudulent Activities & Risks - Some promoters offer fraudulent rental application packages for hundreds of dollars, including fake financial documents, social security numbers, and employment letters [3] - A national landlord estimates that up to 50% of rental applications are fraudulent in some buildings [3] - Such fraud can lead to criminal or civil penalties [3] Landlord Responses & Impact - Landlords often prioritize eviction over legal action due to the difficulty of recovering damages from tenants unable to pay rent [4] - Evictions are recorded on a renter's apartment history, potentially hindering future rental approvals [4] - Apartment owners reported an average 40% increase in application and payment fraud for rentals last year (2023) compared to 2023 [4]

Job Market Outlook - The job market for the class of 2026 is expected to be the worst in 5 years [1] - More than 50% of employers surveyed rate the job market as poor or fair [1] - The current pessimistic outlook is the most significant since the beginning of the pandemic [1] Factors Contributing to the Pessimistic Outlook - A cooling job market is a primary reason for the negative forecast [1] - Companies are implementing job cuts [2] - Economic uncertainty is causing companies to be more cautious with hiring [2] - Companies are prioritizing experienced recruits over new college graduates [2] - College seniors are facing increased competition from laid-off junior workers [2]

There we go. It starts with a simple text. >> Urgent message.You have an unpaid toll. It's important that you take care of this fine over the next 12 hours or your vehicle will be impounded. This is probably very similar to a text message that you've received.Americans received an all-time high of over 330,000 toll scam messages in a single day in September. Federal investigators say that crime groups in China are behind the scam and they've made more than $1 billion over the past 3 years. And it all links ...