Investments and Business

In the spring of 2021, Chet Hanks, son of Tom Hanks, sparked controversy by declaring that it would be a “white boy summer.” Initially ambiguous, the phrase has since been co-opted by white supremacist groups, according to a report by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. This year, the slogan has appeared in thousands of Telegram posts, used by far-right groups to recruit, organize protests, and incite violence, particularly against immigrants and LGBTQ individuals. The phrase now symbolizes an unabashed celebration of white heterosexual masculinity, often at the expense of women and people of color. Wendy Via, co-founder of…

Ann Lurie, a former pediatric nurse turned prominent Chicago philanthropist, died Monday at her home. She was 79. Northwestern University, where Lurie was a trustee and major donor, announced her death without giving a cause. Raised in Miami by a single mother, Lurie was an only child and protested the Vietnam War during her college years. She initially planned to join the Peace Corps, but instead married Robert H. Lurie. Robert Lurie built a large real estate and investment business with Sam Zell, which included holdings such as The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Cubs. He also invested in sports…

At a recent meeting with the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced a promising harvest and a new defense treaty with Russia. However, what attracted the most attention was the introduction of a new accessory: breast pins with the image of Kim Jong-un, as shown in photos by state media. The Kim family, in power in North Korea since 1948, has long been revered as a godlike figure. Portraits of Kim Jong Un's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and his father, Kim Jong Il, adorn every home and office, and citizens are required to wear pins depicting…

Orlando Cepeda, the second Puerto Rican-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, died Friday at the age of 86. The San Francisco Giants announced his death but did not disclose a location. Cepeda played 17 MLB seasons, mostly as a first baseman, hitting 379 home runs, hitting 2,351 hits and driving in 1,365 runs with a .297 batting average. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1958 and the MVP in 1967, helping the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series that year. He batted over .300 in nine seasons and appeared in…

"Inside Out 2," featuring Anxiety personified, maintained its position as the top film in North America for the third consecutive weekend. Meanwhile, "A Quiet Place: Day One," a suspenseful prequel, exceeded expectations with its strong ticket sales. However, Kevin Costner’s three-hour film “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” was largely ignored by moviegoers. Originally intended for streaming, this supposed start to an Old West series eventually made it to theaters, but failed to attract significant interest. Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” was projected to gross $57.4 million, reaching a three-week total of about $470 million in the U.S. and Canada,…

The narrow alleys of West Bank refugee camps are covered with black tarps to hide Palestinian fighters from Israeli drones. Green Hamas flags and “martyrs” banners adorn buildings damaged by Israeli raids and airstrikes aimed at curbing the growing militancy fueled by the Gaza conflict. This scene, however, does not take place in Gaza or a traditional Hamas stronghold, but in a refugee camp in Tulkarem, a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank where the moderate Palestinian faction Fatah has long held sway. Recently, I met Muhammad Jaber, a local commander, in one of these dusty, war-torn alleys. At 25,…

The journey to becoming a mother can often be filled with emotions and challenges, particularly as the years pass and our situations evolve. The people around us may start to scrutinize our choices, leading to an insistent pressure on something that is meant to be wonderful.Today, with egg donation, hope and new possibilities are offered to those who wish to become mothers at this stage of life. Egg donation not only opens the door to motherhood for women, but also fosters a deep connection to life and generational continuity for many people in the world.At the Babynova Clinic they understand…

USA Today Editor-in-Chief Terence Samuel announced Monday he is stepping down after a year in office. Samuel, a veteran journalist, had joined USA Today in July of the previous year from National Public Radio, where he had been a senior executive overseeing all news programs. Neither Samuel nor USA Today gave a reason for his departure. In an email to the newsroom, Monica Richardson, a senior vice president at USA Today, said Samuel’s resignation was “effective today.” Caren Bohan, the political editor, will temporarily take over as managing editor while the publication conducts a national search for a new chief…

Early projections indicate that the Rassemblement National party has won a landslide victory in the first round of elections for the French National Assembly, bringing the nationalist, anti-immigration party to power for the first time. Polling projections suggest the party won about 34% of the vote, far ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and its allies, who won about 21%. The scores do not reliably predict how many parliamentary seats each party will win, but National Rally is likely to be the largest force in the lower house, though not necessarily with an overall majority. A coalition of…

When I was little, my father, who rarely traveled, would tell stories about a trip to Europe he took with his parents at age 14, in 1966. He remembered how Nonie loved the pristine Swiss roads and flowerbeds; the cozy fireplace in the hillside house near Lugano, where her father was born, with its clever alcoves for drying clothes or warming bread; and the palpable poverty in the house in Pozzuoli, near Naples, where Nonie’s aunt lined the walls with newspaper for insulation. Occasionally, my father would show me his Kodachrome slides on a projector. As an adult, I often…