business
Michael Bolton Wants You to Dump Robinhood in New Ad
Though several online brokerages (including, until recently, Public.com) use PFOF, the video’s clear target is Robinhood, which received an avalanche of publicity during the recent Gamestop scandal. The well-timed ad piggybacks on recent Reddit outrage around the practice, which last week spawned a House inquiry that resulted in Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev being grilled by members of Congress. In a blog post, Public noted that it is “officially PFOF-free” as of Feb. 16. As an incentive to investors, the company is offering to cover any fees charged by an existing brokerage to transfer their portfolio to them. “I could hardly believe it, what I saw on Reddit today,” sings Bolton in the revamped lyrics, his vocals accompanied by stock images of romance gone wrong (shattering wine gla...
Strictly Discs in Wisconsin, in a Pandemic: ‘We Have Decided Not to Apply’ for Federal Assistance
Now that cases are going down, we’ve had a lot of states lifting restrictions, including in California. I’m wondering if you’ve seen any restrictions on retail establishments being lifted or relaxed at all? Nothing for retail, but there have been quite a few modifications of some of the gathering regulations, as well as some initial conversations about reopening schools. So there’s certainly some movement towards reopening, but nothing that specifically impacts us. Last time, we talked about government assistance, and you said you might qualify for something. Have you figured out what you might be eligible for at this point? We’re eligible to apply, [but] so far, we have decided not to apply because we don’t need it as much as others do. So for now, that...
Breaking Down BTS Label Big Hit’s 2020 Earnings
A new BTS album, Map of the Soul: 7, and four mini album releases by the group Seventeen from Big Hit’s investment in K-pop label Pledis in May, helped Big Hit sell 13.2 million albums. That’s up 54% from 2019, with $288.5 million of revenue — a 196% improvement. Eight tracks from Map of the Soul: 7, released last February, spent time on the Billboard Global 200 Chart in 2020, with BTS’ later singles “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” both reaching No. 1. In the U.S., Map of the Soul: 7 sold 674,000 units in 2020 while its tracks were streamed 715 million times, according to MRC Data. Normally, Big Hit’s holistic business model is well suited to the modern music business. But the pandemic killed touring, traditionally Big Hit’s largest revenue stream, and favored record companies that can...
Appeal Court strikes out Facebook’s appeal against trademark judgment
The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, Tuesday, dismissed Facebook’s appeal challenging the judgment of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which awarded N10 million against it (Facebook) in favour of a Nigerian firm, Double Paws Enterprise, as damages for unlawfully interfering with the use of the firm’s trademark. The appellate court justices that decided the matter were Justices Haruna Tsammani, Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu, and Abdullahi Bayero. Justice Bayero read the lead judgment. Facebook had appealed the lower court judgment through its counsel, Jackson Etti. However, counsel to the respondent, Double Paws Enterprise, was Mr Gideon Okebu. Facebook challenged the competence of the appeal and urged the Appeal Court to dismiss the same for being fundamentally flawed. Justice Bayero in the lea...
Sex worker detained for intent to sell own four-month-old baby
Police in Ebonyi on Tuesday detained a commercial sex worker on allegations she intended to sell her son for N40,000. The baby is four months old and breastfeeding. The mother said she needed to raise money to start a beer parlour. Briefing journalists at the command headquarters, Abakiliki, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah, said that the woman was arrested on Friday following a tip off. “So, her name is Chukwube Victoria, she actually told us that she is a commercial sex hawker and that she has this babe which she carrying. “She said that if she leaves here, she would continue to look out for prospective buyer. “But we try to talk to her and to make her see the value of been a mother but she refused. “She even told us that if we allow her to go home with the baby, she ...
Recording Academy’s Virtual ‘Women in the Mix’ Event Will Champion Female Producers & Engineers
The event will spotlight female producers and engineers in the music industry while encouraging and facilitating mentorship between established women in the industry and aspiring female music professionals. The Recording Academy has been focused on the gender gap in the recording studio for a while. This event follows follows the academy’s Women In The Mix Pledge in 2019. Grammy history bears out the need for more progress in this area. In the 47 years that the Grammys have awarded producer of the year, non-classical, female producers have been nominated in the category just eight times — and only four of the eight have been nominated on their own, not in collaboration with male producers. Those four are Paula Cole (1997), Sheryl Crow (1998), Lauryn Hill (1998), and Linda Perry...
Sheikh Gumi: Fulani herdsmen were pushed into criminality
Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has maintained his position that some Fulani herdsmen were forced into criminality because they were victims of cattle rustling. Sheikh Gumi restated his position during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. Sheikh Gumi said: “When I listened to them, I found out that it is a simple case of criminality which turned into banditry, which turned into ethnic war, and some genocide too behind the scene; people don’t know.” The cleric said that while “there is no excuse for any crime; nothing can justify crime, and they are committing crime,” the bandits were forced into criminality. “I think it is a population that is pushed by circumstances into criminality,” he said. “And this is what we should look, let’s remove the pressure, let’s...
Sheikh Gumi: Fulani herdsmen were pushed into criminality
Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has maintained his position that some Fulani herdsmen were forced into criminality because they were victims of cattle rustling. Sheikh Gumi restated his position during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. Sheikh Gumi said: “When I listened to them, I found out that it is a simple case of criminality which turned into banditry, which turned into ethnic war, and some genocide too behind the scene; people don’t know.” The cleric said that while “there is no excuse for any crime; nothing can justify crime, and they are committing crime,” the bandits were forced into criminality. “I think it is a population that is pushed by circumstances into criminality,” he said. “And this is what we should look, let’s remove the pressure, let’s...
Facebook to Lift Its Australian News Ban
Facebook blocked Australian users from accessing and sharing news last week after the House of Representatives passed the draft law late Wednesday. Initially, the Facebook news blockade cut access — at least temporarily — to government pandemic, public health and emergency services, sparking public outrage. The Senate will debate amended legislation on Tuesday. Frydenberg described the agreed upon amendments as “clarifications” of the government’s intent. He said his negotiations with Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg were “difficult.” “There is no doubt that Australia has been a proxy battle for the world,” Frydenberg said. “Facebook and Google have not hidden the fact that they know that the eyes of the world are on Australia and that is why they have sought to get a code here tha...
Mogwai, Olivia Rodrigo Lead U.K.’s Midweek Charts
Mogwai are leading a tight race for the U.K. chart crown. At the halfway stage in the chart week, the Scottish instrumental rock veterans hold the edge with As The Love Continues (Rock Action), their tenth studio album. As The Love Continues rules the Official Chart Update, though just 1,800 chart sales currently separate a Top 3 that also features Foo Fighters’ Medicine At Midnight (up 3-2 via Columbia) and British grime MC Ghetts’ Conflict of Interest (new at No. 3 via Warner Records). You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair...
Sony Music Publishing Signs The Kid Laroi to Global Deal
Born Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, the Kamilaroi musician made history in his homeland earlier this month when his mixtape F*ck Love (Savage) climbed to No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. As a result, he’s now the youngest Australian solo artist to nab top spot on the survey, aged just 17 years, 5 months and 22 days. F*ck Love bowed at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 last year, and he scored three ARIA Award nominations, for best male artist, breakthrough artist, and best hip-hop release. More recently, the mixtape hit No. 3 on the Billboard chart. In Australia, the set hasn’t left the ARIA Top 40 since the original version was released last July, and it’s amassed more than 1 billion global streams. Were it not for the domination of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,”...
Edo government warns worship, events centres against violating coronavirus protocols
The Edo State Government has warned owners of event centres, eateries, restaurants, pubs, shopping malls and other places hosting social events in the state against violating the state’s COVID-19 prevention protocols. In a statement signed on Saturday by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, the government said event centres or business premises that violate regulations on social gatherings would be shut and owners or operators would be prosecuted at designated mobile courts. Ogie noted that the state COVID-19 compliance team had been mandated to ensure strict enforcement of the directives at the weekend, starting from Friday, February 19, 2021, with instructions to ensure full compliance with the protocols. “The Edo State Government hereby warns all event centres, eaterie...
