Sales & Marketing news

• The billionaire founder of Roblox reportedly used a tax break for small businesses to avoid paying millions to the IRS

  29-12-2021 23:16 via businessinsider.com
  
  Roblox founder David Baszucki presents at a conference in 2019.Ian Tuttle/Getty Images for Roblox
  Roblox founder David Baszucki potentially avoided paying millions in taxes, according to The New York Times.
  Baszucki and his family used a small business tax exemption at least a dozen times, the paper reported.
  The video game platform is worth about $56 billion, and is a large source of Baszucki's estimated $7 billion wealth.
  The billionaire founder of Roblox used a tax break designed for small bu
  
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• Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams says CDC officials wouldn't follow the new guidance 'for their own family'

  29-12-2021 23:04 via businessinsider.com
  
  Former US Surgeon General Jerome Adams.Win McNamee/Getty Images
  Dr. Jerome Adams criticized the CDC's decision to cut the isolation time from 10 days to five days.
  The change is for people who have tested positive for the coronavirus but remain asymptomatic.
  Adams said infected people should secure an antigen test and wait for a negative result.
  Former US Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Tuesday spoke out against the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recom
  
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• The SPAC backing Better says it 'remains confident' in the company amid CEO Vishal Garg's decision to take a break to 'reflect and refocus'

  29-12-2021 22:38 via businessinsider.com
  
  Better CEO Vishal Garg.Better
  The blank-check company that previously announced it's taking Better public is standing behind the company.
  Better employees have called for CEO Vishal Garg's resignation after he laid off 900 workers in a video call.
  Aurora Acquisition Corp. said in regulatory filings that it "remains confident" in the transaction.
  At a time when Better founder and CEO Vishal Garg is facing internal and external calls for his resignation, the company officially has the support of a
  
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• How to convert HEIC files to JPG if you need to use the more standard file format

  29-12-2021 22:25 via businessinsider.com
  It's possible to convert HEIC files to JPG on an iPhone, Mac, or PC.Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
  You can convert HEIC files to the JPG format by altering the settings on your iPhone or exporting the images in Preview on a Mac. 
  In Windows, install Microsoft's HEIF Image Extension codec.
  Beginning with iOS 11, iPhones save photos in a format called HEIC which compresses photos more efficiently.
  Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.
  Beginning with iOS 11, Apple changed the
  
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• S&P 500, Dow notch new closing records in thin trading as strong finish to 2021 continues

  29-12-2021 22:05 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)Spencer Platt/Getty Images
  S&P 500 and Dow notched new closing records in thin trading ahead of the new year.
  The 10-year Treasury note yield rose to 1.55% from Tuesday's 1.480% rate.
  Bitcoin tumbled for the third straight session and is heading toward its worst monthly performance in seven months.
  Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.
  US stocks closed Wednesday higher with the benchmark index
  
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• Michigan is allowing school bus drivers and cafeteria staffers to fill in as substitute teachers, becoming the latest state to expand teaching eligibility amid a nationwide labor shortage

  29-12-2021 21:59 via businessinsider.com
  
  Learning Support teacher Sabrina Werley works with 4th grade student Jeremiah Ruiz at Cumru Elementary School in Cumru township Wednesday morning April 14, 2021.Ben Hasty/Getty Images
  A new Michigan law allows school staff like cooks and bus drivers to temporarily fill in as substitute teachers.
  The change is a stopgap measure to ensure coverage through the end of the school year amid staffing crunches.
  Several other states have also expanded substitute teacher eligibility to plug shortages.
  As
  
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• The Lord of the Skies, Afghanistan's Instagram influencers, 'Blob Girl Summer': Here are 15 of our most-read stories of 2021

  29-12-2021 21:58 via businessinsider.com
  
  Ayeda Shadab, a social media influencer in Afghanistan; Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the Lord of the Skies; Austin Smith, a lawyer who had spent years helping student loan borrowers cancel debt; Taliban fighters in 1996; an aerial view of the Astroworld venue; the Birth of Venus.Roya Heydari; Reuters; Alan Chin; Alan Chin
  One of our most-read stories of 2021 delved into the mysterious death of Mexico's "Lord of the Skies" drug lord. 
  Readers also loved our story about Afghan influencers, and a p
  
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• A US military base vendor sold foot-tall, Donald Trump-shaped bears featuring the anti-Biden insult 'Let's Go Brandon'

  29-12-2021 21:58 via businessinsider.com
  
  A protestor holds a 'Let's Go Brandon!' sign at a rally in Los Angeles in November 2021.Mario Tama/Getty Images
  A vendor at a US military base in Alaska sold foot-tall wooden bears shaped like Donald Trump.
  The bears also featured the anti-Biden phrase "Let's Go Brandon."
  The vendor closed up shop before the base could investigate, according to the Anchorage Daily News. 
  A vendor at a US military base sold foot-tall wooden bears shaped like former president Donald Trump that featured the an
  
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• US sends recon plane flying over Ukraine as Russian military activities nearby continue to cause alarm

  29-12-2021 21:53 via businessinsider.com
  
  E-8C JSTARS aircraftUS Air Force
  The US military flew an intelligence-gathering aircraft over Ukraine this week.
  It was the first time an E-8C JSTARS has flown over the country, a military official told CNN.
  The flight comes amid continued concerns about Russia's military buildup near Ukraine.
  The US sent a surveillance aircraft flying over Ukraine this week as Russia continues to maintain a large force near the Ukrainian border, perpetuating fears Russia may move to take military action against
  
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• Elon Musk guesses who bitcoin's mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, might be

  29-12-2021 21:50 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  Elon Musk.MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images
  The secretive crypto expert Nick Szabo might be Satoshi Nakamoto, according to Elon Musk.
  "He seems to be the one more responsible for the ideas behind bitcoin than anyone else," Musk said.
  Szabo has spoken publicly about the bitcoin's history but has repeatedly denied that he is Nakamoto.
  Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.
  Elon Musk seems to agree with many that the hypersecretive cryptocurrency expert Nick Szabo
  
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• 1 in 5 adults couldn't pay an energy bill last year. It's a vicious cycle of climate crisis and companies raising prices.

  29-12-2021 21:41 via businessinsider.com
  
  Hurricane Ida is now Louisiana's joint most powerful storm ever.MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images
  20.5% of US adults lived in households unable to pay all their utility bills in the last year, per the Census Bureau.
  Climate change is increasing price of raw materials.
  Additionally, energy companies have been accused of gouging prices during climate crises.
  It's getting harder for Americans to keep the lights on — literally. According to the Census Bureau, 1 in 5 US adults lived in house
  
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• Biogen soars 13% on report of potential acquisition by South Korea's Samsung Group

  29-12-2021 21:26 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  A sign marks a Biogen facility in CambridgeReutersBiogen soared as much as 13% on Wednesday following a report of potential buyout interest.The Korea Economic Daily said South Korea's Samsung Group is in negotiations to buy Biogen.A potential deal would value the drug maker at more than $40 billion, according to the report.Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.Biogen stock soared as much as 13% on Wednesday following a Korea Economic Daily report that Samsung G
  
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• An NYC taxi-medallion company plunges 59% after the SEC alleges illegal stock promotion

  29-12-2021 20:36 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  CurbA NYC-based taxi medallion company plunged as much as 59% after the SEC alleged the company engaged in illegal stock promotion.According to the SEC, Medallion Financial paid a media company to post positive investment articles about the company from 2014 through 2017.Medallion Financial stock has been hammered over the years due to ride-hailing disruption by Uber and Lyft.Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.Shares of Medallion Financial, a NYC-based taxi-
  
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• Fauci says a COVID-19 vaccine requirement on domestic flights isn't necessary right now, but thinks the US should really consider it

  29-12-2021 20:31 via businessinsider.com
  
  Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.AP Photo/Susan Walsh
  Dr. Anthony Fauci indicated that an air travel vaccine mandate is not needed yet for domestic flights.
  He said that current air filtration and masking requirements are "sufficient" to keep travelers safe.
  The US is dealing with a surge of COVID-19 cases tied to the Omicron variant amid a busy holi
  
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• I burned out working 4 jobs. This is how I rearranged my life to get away from hustle culture.

  29-12-2021 20:07 via businessinsider.com
  
  Rochi Zalani.Courtesy of Rochi Zalani
  Rochi Zalani worked three part-time jobs in addition to a full-time one after graduation.
  "Even unwinding had to be productive – not Netflix, but reading self-help books," she writes.
  She shares how she broke the spell and now works only five hours a day.
  Two years ago, I had a full-time job and was working on part-time side hustles. My obsession with being productive led me to feel burned out. I was only 20. My experience made me readjust my valu
  
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• After the Facebook whistleblower came forward, the company reportedly tried to discredit her reputation among politicians

  29-12-2021 19:51 via businessinsider.com
  
  Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.AP
  In October, a former Facebook employee leaked a trove of documents detailing potential issues at the company.
  Facebook lobbyists attempted to smear her reputation among politicians in Washington, the Wall Street Journal reports. 
  Those efforts appear to have been at least partially effective.
  In October, former Facebook employee
  
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• Kamala Harris sought advice from corporate executives on how to address poverty, climate change, and corruption in Central America: report

  29-12-2021 19:19 via businessinsider.com
  
  Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Guatemalan justice sector leaders at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on May 19, 2021.Alex Wong/Getty Images
  VP Harris has sought Wall Street and tech executives' advice on policy, according to Bloomberg.
  Those conversations have spurred over $1.2 billion in corporate investments to "address the root causes of migration."
  Experts say US meddling in Central America during the Cold War fostered many of the problems we see today.
  Vice President Kamala
  
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• Robinhood is launching a beta version of its crypto wallet in January

  29-12-2021 19:00 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  A pop-up kiosk for Robinhood along Wall Street after the company went public.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
  Robinhood Markets is launching a beta version of its crypto wallet in January.
  After months of fine-tuning the new feature during the October alpha testing, Robinhood is now ready to move to the beta phase.
  Robinhood revealed common user feedback from additional clarity around gas fees to increased user security.
  Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell
  Robinhoo
  
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• Metaverse property mogul touts 10-fold appreciation in virtual real estate portfolio: 'It's all about the location'

  29-12-2021 18:57 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  Tokens.com is a majority stakeholder in virtual-land developer Metaverse Group.Tokens.com
  The CEO of Tokens.com in a USA Today report estimated his metaverse portfolio is valued at 10 times more than his purchase price. 
  Tokens.com's Metaverse Group last month bought virtual land for a then-record $2.43 million. 
  Andrew Kiguel, Token.com's CEO, said he plans to develop the virtual area into a destination for luxury brands. 
  The head of Tokens.com foresees investment in virtual lan
  
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• I work at the Amazon warehouse trying to unionize in Staten Island. I like my job — except the unpaid time.

  29-12-2021 18:48 via businessinsider.com
  
  An Amazon distribution center in Staten Island in October.Craig Ruttle/AP Photo
  Amazon's Staten Island JFK8 warehouse is trying to unionize, but the process hasn't been easy.
  Insider spoke to one JFK8 employee about their job and the unionization efforts. 
  "I've heard that with a union, we can get higher pay and a voice for everyone," they said. "That would be nice."
  This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with an employee at Amazon's Staten Island JFK8 warehouse, which
  
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• Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde have amassed more than $100,000 in fines for defying House mask rules, report says

  29-12-2021 18:36 via businessinsider.com
  
  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.Jacquelyn Martin/AP
  Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde have accrued over $100,000 in fines for defying mask rules.
  Greene has reportedly racked up more than $80,000 in fines, while Clyde has amassed about $30,000.
  The fines are taken out of their paychecks, but a lawmaker told CNN Clyde found a way around paying.
  Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde have racked up more than $100,000 in fines for refusing to comply with the Hous
  
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• World Health Organization says 'tsunami' of Omicron cases will pressure hospital systems on the 'brink of collapse'

  29-12-2021 18:35 via businessinsider.com
  
  World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on December 20.Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images
  WHO's director-general said a wave of COVID-19 cases would strain already stressed hospital systems.
  He said he was concerned that Omicron cases were rising while the Delta variant remained prevalent.
  The World Health Organization's warning comes as the US is experiencing a surge in infections.
  The head of the World Health Organization said a "tsunami" of COVID-19 c
  
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• Elon Musk says we should completely rethink government on Mars to get rid of special interests and 'coercion of politicians'

  29-12-2021 18:35 via businessinsider.com
  
  Tesla CEO Elon Musk.Britta Pedersen / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
  Elon Musk says there should be a direct democracy without representatives on Mars.
  He told a podcast that the eventual colony should get rid of "special interests" and "coercion of politicians."
  Musk also said SpaceX's plan to land humans on Mars should happen within 10 years.
  Elon Musk says human settlement on Mars could be a second chance to build a better government.The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO told podcaster Lex Fridma
  
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• How to invest in real estate: Your complete guide to building up a portfolio of properties, according to experts

  29-12-2021 18:17 via businessinsider.com
  
  Real estate investing can be daunting but rewarding.Steven Senne/AP
  Investing in real estate can seem daunting.
  We've compiled a list of our stories with expert advice for having success in the space.
  Tips range from financing strategies to how to overcome being intimidated.
  See more stories on Insider's business page.
  Investing in real estate can be one of the most effective ways to build wealth. But it can also be a difficult thing to get started in, with often-prohibitive down payments a
  
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• How much money YouTubers with 1 million subscribers make

  29-12-2021 18:14 via businessinsider.com
  
  Nate O'Brien
  Creators who are a part of YouTube's Partner Program can monetize their videos with ads.
  YouTubers can make thousands of dollars each month from the program.
  Eight creators with 1 million subscribers or more shared how much money they make on YouTube.
  This is the latest installment of Insider's YouTube money logs, where creators break down how much they earn.Surpassing the 1 million subscriber mark on YouTube is a huge milestone, and, in practical terms, it often means a creato
  
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• NFT sales hit $319 million over the past week. These were the 5 best-selling digital collections.

  29-12-2021 17:41 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  CryptoPunksRokas TenysNFT sales have had a breakthrough year, with total sales volume surging to $14 billion in 2021.The NFT market is dominated by a handful of standout leaders due to their popularity and rarity. These are the five best-selling digital collectibles that helped drive $319 million in NFT sales over the past week. The cryptocurrency boom over the past two years has helped propel a newer market to record heights: digital collectibles known as NFTs. In fact, 2021 has
  
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• Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison now lives on Lana'i, the Hawaiian island he mostly owns. Here's how he's working to turn the island into a wellness utopia and '100% green community.'

  29-12-2021 17:37 via businessinsider.com
  
  The island of Lana'i from above.Andre Seale/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images; Noah Berger/Reuters
  Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison moved to Lana'i, Hawaii, full-time in 2020.
  Ellison purchased nearly 98% of the island, or 87,000 of the island's 90,000 acres, in 2012 for a reported $300 million.
  Here's how Lana'i came to be owned by Ellison and how he's turning it into a wellness utopia through his company, Sensei.
  In June 2012, Ellison bought Lana'i for an estimated $300 million. Pr
  
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• A Bored Ape Yacht Club spinoff is now the hottest NFT collection after 500% trading jump

  29-12-2021 17:26 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  This Bored Ape is just one of the NFTs auctioned at Sotheby's recently.Sotheby's
  The trading volume of Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs has surged by about 500% over the past seven days. 
  The average price of a Mutant Ape increased from about $32,000 to about $50,000 during that time.
  The series is a spinoff of the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs, which have garnered high-profile, celebrity backing. 
  Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.
  Non-fungible tok
  
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• Nearly a fifth of all NYC COVID-19 cases were recorded in December 2021 amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant

  29-12-2021 17:25 via businessinsider.com
  
  New York City has recorded 1.44 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
  Almost a fifth of all NYC COVID-19 cases were recorded in December 2021, CDC data shows.
  The city has recorded more than 270,000 positive cases in December.
  This comes amid a surge of the Omicron variant, which is thought to be more transmissible.
  Nearly one in five of the 1.44 million COVID-19 cases recorded in New York City since the start of the pandemic were recorded in De
  
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• Elizabeth Warren rejects the claim that crypto can address inequality, saying the top 1% still reigns supreme

  29-12-2021 17:19 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  Elizabeth WarrenLou Rocco/ABC via Getty Images
  In a tweet on Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren rejected the crypto industry's widely held claim that digital assets will foster financial inclusion.
  "We need real solutions to make the financial system work for everyone, not just the wealthy," she said in a tweet.
  The Democratic senator has been among the most outspoken critics of digital assets.
  Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell
  Senator Elizabeth Warren has rejected
  
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• Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have been friends for 30 years. Here are 6 other exec friendships that have thrived in the competitive world of Silicon Valley.

  29-12-2021 17:13 via businessinsider.com
  
  Warren Buffett, left, and Bill Gates.Reuters/Jason Lee
  Silicon Valley might be competitive, but it's also a breeding ground for friendships.
  Elon Musk is close friends with Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin; Larry Ellison gave the eulogy at Steve Jobs' funeral.
  Here's a closer look at some of the friendships that have formed among Silicon Valley CEOs. 
  Elon Musk and Jack DorseyElon Musk, left, and Jack Dorsey.Joe Skipper/Reuters; Philippe Wojazer/ReutersWhile it's not clear if Tesla and S
  
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• Insider's legal predictions for 2022: It's going to be a big year for deals, law firm talent wars, legal tech, and bankruptcy

  29-12-2021 17:12 via businessinsider.com
  
  Experts expect more innovation and deals in legal tech, hot Big Law talent wars, and trouble for some pandemic-impacted industries.Dilok Klaisataporn/Getty ImagesThe Big Law talent wars will continueBig Law associates, overworked from an avalanche of deals, have been showered with raises and special bonuses in 2021 by firms desperate to keep them.2022 is on track to be just as hot, according to recruiters. Insider spoke with four industry experts to learn what's in store for the legal
  
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• Obama shares last poignant letter to Harry Reid: 'I wouldn't have been president had it not been for your encouragement and support'

  29-12-2021 17:02 via businessinsider.com
  
  Then-President Barack Obama and then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appear at a campaign rally at Orr Middle School Park in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 22, 2010. Reid, who was seeking his fifth term that year, defeated Republican challenger Sharron Angle.Ethan Miller/Getty Images
  Former President Obama shared a personal letter than he penned to Harry Reid shortly before the senator's death.
  "I wouldn't have got most of what I got done without your skill and determination," Obama expressed.
  
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• Fauci says that the shortened COVID-19 isolation guidelines were designed to 'get people back to jobs'

  29-12-2021 16:57 via businessinsider.com
  
  Dr. Anthony Fauci.AP Photo/Susan Walsh
  Anthony Fauci said the CDC reduced its coronavirus isolation guidelines to get people back to work.
  The CDC cut the isolation period for people with asymptomatic COVID-19 cases from 10 days to five.
  He said this would let the economy run "not with a zero risk but with a markedly diminished risk."
  Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new coronavirus isolation guidelines were introduced to "get people back to jobs" beca
  
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• Bitcoin tumbles 5% to below $47,000 as it heads toward its worst monthly slump since May

  29-12-2021 16:52 via markets.businessinsider.com
  
  Ozan Kose/Getty Images
  Bitcoin struggled for a third straight session Wednesday, losing 5% to trade below $47,000
  The digital currency appears to be facing a headwind from this week's expiration of options contracts worth about $6 billion. 
  Bitcoin has lost 17% in December, its worst monthly performance since May. 
  Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.
  Bitcoin fell for a third straight session Wednesday and is heading toward its worst monthly perform
  
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• The best Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, and other sparkling wines for any budget

  29-12-2021 16:37 via businessinsider.com
  
  Prices are accurate at the time of publication.When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.Kokouu/Getty Images
  Champagne is a sparkling wine from a specific region in France that starts at around $40. 
  Sparkling wines like Cava and Prosecco tend to do the trick and cost much less than Champagne.
  There are sparkling wines to fit almost every occasion, taste, and budget.
  This content is intended for readers 21+. Please drink responsibly. If you or anyo
  
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• Top topics on WARC in 2021: TikTok

  29-12-2021 01:00
  
  TikTok continues to attract users of all ages and advertisers of all stripes, despite a number of controversies around the safety of the environment it offers. 
  
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