What we’re reading (7/21)
“Dow Edges Higher, Its 10th Gain In A Row” (Wall Street Journal). “The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out its tenth-straight daily gain Friday, overcoming an earnings-day selloff in American Express shares with gains from a range of blue-chips, including Intel, Procter & Gamble, Nike and Chevron.”
“UPS Strike Would Trigger Pandemic-Era Supply Chain Issues, Expert Says” (The Hill). “As talks between UPS and the union that represents more than 300,000 delivery drivers break down, a strike this summer is looking more likely. That could impact 25 to 30 percent of parcels and packages shipped in the U.S. The Teamsters represent 340,000 UPS workers. If a strike does happen, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers crippled the company a quarter century ago.”
“Q&A: How This Stanford Freshman Brought Down The President Of The University” (Los Angeles Times). “Rumors of altered images in some of the research papers published by Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne had circulated since 2015. But the allegations involving the neuroscientist got little attention beyond the niche scientific forum where they first appeared — until Stanford freshman Theo Baker decided to take a closer look.”
“This Summer’s Biggest Hit? The Barbie Marketing Team.” (Vox). “A kind of mob hysteria has taken hold of us in the past few months: the people are demanding cinematic Barbie — the version artfully masterminded by an esteemed auteur director, starring two beautiful and seriously regarded actors. But of course, Barbie fever is in many ways manufactured mania, with the backing of a Hollywood blockbuster marketing budget. Barbie’s total marketing spend hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s not uncommon for big studios to fork over $100 million or more on major releases (according to Deadline, global marketing for The Little Mermaid cost around $140 million.)”
“The Quickest Path To Becoming A Billionaire” (RealClear Markets). “Regarding the evidence part, or the assertion that entrepreneurs lack tangible evidence supporting their vision, it’s a truism that’s not stated enough. If there were evidence backing the passion of entrepreneurs, they wouldn’t be entrepreneurs. That’s the case because existing, well-capitalized businesses would already be in the process of expanding with the tangible evidence top of mind.”
