Author: Winry Rockbell

Kawhi’s Olympic Dreams Dashed by Team USA, Clippers Left Displeased
3Aug Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Sports

Kawhi’s Olympic Dreams Dashed by Team USA, Clippers Left Displeased

Kawhi Leonard's hopes of competing for gold at the Paris Olympics were dashed last week, leaving the Los Angeles Clippers frustrated with Team USA's decision. Despite Leonard's desire to play and the Clippers' assurances of his health, USA Basketball decided to remove him from the roster, citing concerns about his recent knee injury. Clippers general manager Lawrence Frank expressed disappointment with the decision, revealing that Kawhi looked "really good" during early practice sessions. Leonard’s history of injuries, as he missed the final stretch of the Clippers’ season, likely played a role in USA Basketball’s decision. With the Olympics featuring a rigid 12-man roster with no mid-tournament substitutions, the risk of a re-injury may have been deemed too high. Team USA’s cautious appr...
Read More
Hailie Deegan’s NASCAR Journey Hits a Roadblock
1Aug Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Sports

Hailie Deegan’s NASCAR Journey Hits a Roadblock

Hailie Deegan's recent split with AM Racing has sent shockwaves through the NASCAR community, leaving many wondering about the young driver's future. NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick weighed in on Deegan's career trajectory during a recent podcast episode. Harvick expressed concerns about Deegan’s decision to leave Toyota’s development program, a move he believes has hindered her growth. According to Harvick, Toyota offers a superior driver development structure compared to Ford, while Chevrolet falls somewhere in the middle. He stressed the importance of sustained development and mentorship early in a NASCAR career, suggesting Deegan may have been pushed to compete at a higher level. The former Cup Series champion expressed skepticism about Deegan’s chances of finding a competitive ride in t...
Read More
Netflix Beats Expectations With 34% Growth in Ad-Supported Subscribers
30Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Business

Netflix Beats Expectations With 34% Growth in Ad-Supported Subscribers

Netflix reported its second-quarter earnings on Thursday, demonstrating its dominance in the streaming industry with a significant increase in global subscribers and significant growth in its ad-supported subscription model. The streaming giant saw a 34% increase in ad-supported subscriptions during this period compared to the same quarter last year. Advertising has become a crucial revenue stream for media companies looking to improve, or even achieve, profitability in streaming. Netflix shares have benefited recently from efforts to attract subscribers to its most affordable ad-supported tier, along with moves to limit password sharing. Here's a breakdown of Netflix's performance for the quarter ended June 30, versus Wall Street forecasts: Earning per share: $4.88 vs. $4.74 forecast by...
Read More
Cavaliers lock up rising star Mobley with huge extension
30Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Sports

Cavaliers lock up rising star Mobley with huge extension

The Cleveland Cavaliers have secured the future of their franchise by signing Evan Mobley to a lucrative five-year, $224 million contract extension. The deal, which could potentially reach $269 million, solidifies the young forward as a mainstay of the team. Mobley, a 2021-22 All-Rookie and 2022-23 All-Defensive selection, quickly established himself as a defensive force and versatile offensive contributor. Despite being limited to 50 games last season due to injuries, he averaged an impressive 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Selected third overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley joins star Donovan Mitchell, who signed a long-term extension earlier this offseason, as the cornerstone of Cleveland's core. The Cavaliers showed their potential last season, reaching the Easter...
Read More
Small-Cap Stocks Rise: Diversification Strategy or Sustainable Trend?
28Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Business

Small-Cap Stocks Rise: Diversification Strategy or Sustainable Trend?

The recent rally in small-cap stocks has sparked debate among market experts. While some see it as a simple diversification move by investors looking to spread risk across asset classes, others believe it could signal a more sustained shift in market sentiment. ETF reporter Dave Nadig suggests that the influx of money into small caps is part of a broader trend toward portfolio diversification. As investors navigate an uncertain economic and political landscape, they are increasingly looking to reduce concentration risk. The upcoming presidential election has further amplified this trend, with investors looking to protect their portfolios from potential volatility. However, Nadig cautions against prematurely declaring a sustained bull market for small caps. While the Russell 2000 has outpe...
Read More
The Memphis Grizzlies trade Ziaire Williams to the Brooklyn Nets for Mamadi Diakite
28Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies trade Ziaire Williams to the Brooklyn Nets for Mamadi Diakite

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded former lottery pick Ziaire Williams and a 2030 second-round draft pick (originally taken by the Dallas Mavericks) to the Brooklyn Nets. In exchange, the Grizzlies will receive forward Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic, the teams announced Friday. Mamadi Diakite, who stands 6 feet, 9 inches, has played for five different teams since finishing his college career at Virginia in 2020. Most notably, he was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks’ roster during their 2021 championship run. Ziaire Williams, 6-foot-4, has played 150 games for the Grizzlies over the past three seasons. Drafted 10th overall out of Stanford in the 2021 NBA Draft, Williams has averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game during his tenure in Memphis. Earli...
Read More
Powell Suggests Fed Will Cut Rates Before Inflation Hits 2%
27Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Business

Powell Suggests Fed Will Cut Rates Before Inflation Hits 2%

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced Monday that the central bank does not plan to wait for inflation to hit 2% before cutting interest rates. In a speech at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., Powell noted that central bank policies have “long and variable lags,” justifying why the Fed will not delay action until it reaches its target. “If you’re waiting for inflation to hit 2%, you’ve probably waited too long, as the current tightening could push inflation below that threshold,” Powell said. Instead, the Fed is aiming for “greater confidence” that inflation will return to 2%, he added. “The improved inflation data we’ve seen recently reinforces that confidence,” Powell said. He also said a “hard landing” for the U.S. economy is unlikely. Monday marked Powell’s first publi...
Read More
Preparing for Paris: What to Know for Your Summer Visit
27Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
World

Preparing for Paris: What to Know for Your Summer Visit

Having lived in central Paris for six years, I have learned a lot about the ups and downs of being a Parisian. I would go back in a heartbeat. But I also empathize with international visitors who arrive with a romantic vision of perfection, only to face a severe shock, known as "Paris syndrome," when reality doesn't match their expectations. Don't let this discourage you from visiting. Just make sure you know what to expect before you go. Where are the Parisians? At the end of July, many Parisians leave for their summer homes, forcing bakeries to close and restaurants to display signs reading "Fermé" (closed). However, this summer is different. With 11 million visitors expected for the 2024 Summer Olympics, many businesses and restaurants will remain open until August 11, before taking a ...
Read More
Pre-market moves: CrowdStrike, American Express, SLB, Travelers and more
26Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
Business

Pre-market moves: CrowdStrike, American Express, SLB, Travelers and more

This morning, several stocks are showing considerable movement in pre-market trading. These early changes can set the tone for the rest of the trading day, offering insights into investor sentiment and potential market trends. Crowd Strike (CRWD) CrowdStrike shares rose in pre-market trading after the release of its latest quarterly earnings report. The cybersecurity company beat Wall Street expectations for both earnings and revenue, citing strong demand for its cloud-native endpoint protection platform. Analysts are bullish on CrowdStrike’s future growth, especially as cybersecurity threats continue to grow globally. American Express (AXP) American Express also saw significant premarket activity, with shares rising after the company reported better-than-expected earnings. The f...
Read More
Global IT Outage Grounds Flights, Causes Major Delays
26Jul Avatar photoBy Winry RockbellNo Comments
World

Global IT Outage Grounds Flights, Causes Major Delays

A large crowd is seen at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 19, 2024, due to a global cyber outage triggered by issues with Microsoft and CrowdStrike. Airlines around the world faced significant disruption on Friday, as a major cyber outage caused widespread flight delays and cancellations. The outage was caused by a major technology upgrade from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which led to a cascade of issues affecting Microsoft systems, leaving numerous organizations scrambling to restore critical applications and services. Airports around the world have been displaying the infamous “blue screen of death” on flight update and check-in screens, indicating serious system errors. Social media has been flooded with images of disrupted services, including handwritten boarding...
Read More