DeSantis vs. Disney: Governor proposes Florida control Reedy Creek

Disney has had a sweet deal in Florida for decades. It might not last much longer.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, widely expected to run for president next year, intensified his feud with Disney on Friday with a plan to take control of the governing board for the company’s sprawling Florida property—and make the entertainment giant assume $700 million in outstanding debt.

Walt Disney World has enjoyed the privileges of a special governing district, called Reedy Creek, since 1967.

“The corporate kingdom has come to an end,” said Taryn Fenske, communications director for the governor, in a statement. “Under the proposed legislation, Disney will no longer control its own government, will live under the same laws as everyone else, will be responsible for their outstanding debts, and will pay their fair share of taxes.”

A notice posted to the Osceola County website suggested the proposed legislation would leave almost no aspect

Morphe makeup is closing nearly 20 stores in the U.S.

Morphe makeup, which rode the power of social media stars to rapid growth and a $2 billion valuation, said it’s planning to close all its US stores. 

On Thursday, the company listed about twenty locations on its website. Forma Brands, Morphe’s parent, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Morphe also sells through its e-commerce site and Ulta Beauty.

Partnerships with powerhouse internet celebs such as Jeffree Star and James Charles helped revenue top $400 million in 2019, according to a company presentation from December 2021 reviewed by Bloomberg. But Morphe severed ties with them after Star was accused of using racist language in 2020 and allegations of sexual misconduct plagued Charles in 2021.

Results at Forma, which generates about 80% of its sales from Morphe, have since suffered. Revenue missed internal planning by about 20% in 2021, according to the document. In the first 10 months of that year,

If you had invested $1,000 in Tesla 5 years ago, you’d have $4,973 today, a gain of 397%

Tesla stocks have continued to fall, declining 13% on Tuesday, a day after the electric auto maker reported vehicle production and delivery numbers for the fourth-quarter of 2022.

The company sold just 405,000 cars during the final three months of 2022, falling short of Wall Street analysts’ estimate of 420,000. 

Still, even with such significant losses, Tesla has seen tremendous growth since its inception. 

The company first went public in 2010 at $17 per share and hit just over $400 per share at its all-time high in November, 2021. Worth well over $300 billion, Tesla is recognized as one of the most valuable car companies in the world. 

How much you’d have if you’d invested $1,000 five years ago

For shareholders who got in on Tesla stock early, these short-term declines don’t erase their long-term gains. 

On January 2, 2018, one share of Tesla was trading at $21.37. As of

House Republicans adjourn for the day in chaos after failing to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker in a historic defeat

Unable to elect Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as the new House speaker Tuesday, the Republicans adjourned for the day in disarray as the party tries to regroup from his a historic defeat after a long, messy start for the new Congress.

The surprise move end to Day One shows there is no easy way out for McCarthy whose effort to claim the gavel collapsed to opposition from conservatives. Needing 218 votes in the full House, McCarthy got just 203 in two rounds — less even than Democrat Hakeem Jeffries in the GOP-controlled chamber. A third ballot was even worse, with McCarthy losing 20 votes as night fell on the new House GOP majority, tensions rising as all other business came to a halt.

The House agreed to return at noon Wednesday.

McCarthy had pledged a “battle on the floor” for as long as it took to overcome right-flank fellow Republicans

What to do if your home insurance gets canceled

Homeowners insurance is an essential tool to protect one of your most valuable assets: your home. These policies are designed to cover you financially in the event of theft, fire, and other costly events. 

But with many regions of the country being impacted by the worsening fallout from climate change, non-renewal of homeowners insurance policies is becoming more commonplace. And there are other reasons your home insurance could unexpectedly be canceled as well—including lapses in payment or even misrepresentation of information. 

When this happens, it can (understandably) cause panic. But this dilemma can be solved if you know the critical next steps to take.

Different types of terminations

There are many different reasons why an insurer might terminate your policy or decline renewal. The good news is that in some cases you may be able to rectify the issue and resume coverage. However, that’s not always a possibility, and you

China reversing zero COVID prompts plunge in economic activity

China’s abrupt reversal of its Covid Zero policy pushed economic activity — its service sector in particular — to the slowest pace since February 2020, as the virus swept through major cities and prompted people to stay home and businesses to shut.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers index fell to 47 this month from November’s 48, the National Bureau of Statistics said Saturday. That was worse than an estimate of 47.8 in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

The non-manufacturing index, which measures activity in the construction and services sectors, declined to 41.6 from 46.7 in November, lower than the consensus estimate of 45. A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while anything above suggests expansion. Both readings were the lowest level since February 2020. 

The services PMI, a sub-index of the non-manufacturing gauge, fell to 39.4 from 45.1 in November. That’s the lowest reading since February 2020 and the fourth consecutive

Video of Southwest passengers threatened with arrest tops 900K views

Southwest Airlines was already having a terrible year’s end after a massive winter storm forced it to make flight cancellations that far outpaced those of industry rivals. Then, somehow, the PR nightmare got even worse. 

At Nashville International Airport on Christmas night, a police officer threatened to arrest stranded Southwest passengers if they didn’t leave a secured area of the airport. A video of the incident went viral across social media after being posted by a passenger to TikTok.

In the video, which has been viewed over 900,000 times since being posted two days ago, the officer warned passengers they must leave the area or they’d be “arrested for trespassing.” 

“Right now,” he continued. “Everybody to the unsecured side. The ticket counter will help you with any questions you have.”

Shelley Morrison, who was among the passengers with her three daughters, had been in line at a

Warren Buffett opposes Omaha streetcar project, lobbies for bus instead

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett broke with his practice of staying out of local politics to urge his hometown of Omaha to abandon its planned streetcar project because he says it’s too expensive and not as flexible as buses.

Buffett wrote a letter to the editor of the Omaha World-Herald and met with the mayor this week to lobby against the $306 million project and urge the city to let residents vote on it.

But city officials are moving forward with the streetcar because they believe it will spur development, including Mutual of Omaha’s planned $600 million headquarters tower downtown.

Buffett said in his letter that he decided to make an exception to his policy of staying out of local issues even though “it can be off-putting to many to have a wealthy 92-year-old tell them what is good for their future.” He said he wanted to weigh in on the

Loop Capital analyst says this holiday season was Bed Bath & Beyond’s ‘Custer’s last stand’

In June 1867, over 700 U.S. troops led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer were soundly defeated by the Lakota Sioux and allied Native American tribes in the legendary Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand. It’s rare to hear Wall Street analysts reference 19th-century history, but Loop Capital managing director Anthony Chukumba believes that is something like what we’re seeing with Bed Bath & Beyond this holiday season.

“This really was Custer’s Last Stand, and it’s going to pretty much end the same way that it did for Custer,” he told Yahoo Finance on Wednesday. “We will not be having this same conversation a year from now about Bed Bath & Beyond. Bed Bath & Beyond will be gone.” Of course, Custer did not survive Little Bighorn, as depicted in countless books and adaptations, such as Son of the Morning Star.

If Bed Bath

Your tax to-dos before the end of the year

Many people avoid thinking about taxes until the April deadline rolls around each year. But by then it may be too late to take advantage of the top strategies to cut down your tax bill—or get a bigger refund.

Take some time before January 1 to check off these tasks while they still count.

6 tax to-do’s before 2022 ends 

Federal tax returns and payments are due on April 18, 2023 (state deadlines vary, but many match the federal deadline). While W-2 income statements won’t be sent out until late January, you can use an online calculator now to estimate what you might owe. All you need are your pay stubs for the year, showing how much you earned and how much you paid in income taxes. 

If you’re hoping to shrink your tax bill, or possibly boost your refund, here are some strategies to try—plus one time-saving tool that’ll