Jenny Lennick, an artist from San Francisco, turned her small business into a success by switching from food-themed clothes to hair clips shaped like food items. Her plant-based, colorful hair clips sell well online and in stores, helping her company make $2 million in revenue last year.
Key Facts
Jenny Lemons is a San Francisco brand making food-themed hair claw clips.
The clips are made from a plant-based alternative to regular plastic.
Jenny started with food-themed clothing but switched to hair clips in 2022.
The business closed its physical store in 2023 due to high costs and low visitors.
Hair clip sales quickly became more successful than her clothing line.
The company sells clips online and to about 1,500 stores in the US and worldwide.
Annual revenue grew from $1.7 million to $2 million, and the business is profitable.
Most customers are aged 25 to 45, including many teachers and healthcare workers.
Clips cost around $24 each and are popular as fun, affordable fashion accessories.
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The article discusses how people are facing higher expectations to tip more money, a trend called "tipflation." Wendy de la Rosa, a marketing and behavior expert, explains how tipping habits are changing.
Key Facts
"Tipflation" means the rising amount people are expected to tip for services.
Tipping expectations have been increasing over time.
Wendy de la Rosa is a professor and expert in marketing and behavioral science.
She co-hosts a show called “Your Money and Your Mind” on TED.
Changes in tipping habits affect both customers and service workers.
The article is part of a broader discussion on money and social behavior.
This trend reflects shifts in social and economic norms about tipping.
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City firms and the UK government have launched a £50 million advertising campaign featuring a character called "Savvy the Squirrel" to encourage British savers to invest their money instead of keeping it in cash. The campaign aims to promote investing across the UK to help grow the economy and address concerns that too many people avoid financial risks.
Key Facts
The campaign will cost about £8m to £10m yearly, lasting 3-5 years, funded by 20 City firms like Barclays, Aviva, and JP Morgan.
"Savvy the Squirrel," a British red squirrel character, leads the adverts on TV, online, and billboards starting Thursday.
The campaign does not promote any specific financial product or local UK investments.
It targets UK adults, including 7 million who hold more than £10,000 in cash savings.
Keeping money in cash has reduced its value because inflation outpaces interest rates, according to the Investment Association.
Investing £10,000 in a global equity fund 10 years ago would now be worth about £19,700, compared to £8,400 if kept in cash.
Some investment platforms withdrew from the campaign due to concerns over costs and advertising designs.
The campaign is part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plan to encourage financial risk-taking and help revive the UK stock market, which has been losing listings to foreign exchanges.
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Nearly £100,000 of public money meant to help veterans with activities to reduce loneliness was instead spent on renovating a building used by a Royal British Legion (RBL) branch in Tandragee. An internal investigation found only about £41,000 of the £140,000 grant went to the approved projects, leading to the branch's closure.
Key Facts
The Royal British Legion Tandragee branch received £140,000 in grants from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCF) in 2020.
The money was intended for three projects supporting veterans: craft and drama workshops and a food delivery service to tackle loneliness.
Documents show that large parts of the funds were used to refurbish a building shared with the Tandragee Veterans Support Centre.
£31,000 of the £35,000 for the embroidery project went to building work instead of training 40 veterans. Only 10 veterans were trained.
Almost all of the £35,000 for the drama project was spent on building refurbishment, with little spent on the actual project.
About £34,000 of the £70,000 for the loneliness project was spent on refurbishing the property, though some funding did support activities like a hot food service.
The AFCF said mismanagement was due to poor financial skills, not intentional fraud.
After an internal RBL investigation, the Tandragee branch was formally closed.
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Tesla's revenue and profit grew in the first quarter, but expenses related to artificial intelligence (AI) projects also increased significantly. CEO Elon Musk said the company plans to spend more on new technologies like robots and self-driving cars to boost future revenue.
Key Facts
Tesla's Q1 revenue was $22.4 billion, up 16% from last year.
Net income rose 17% to $477 million.
Operating expenses increased 37% to $3.78 billion.
Tesla’s operating margin fell to 4.2%, declining for the second quarter in a row.
Tesla stopped producing the Model S and Model X to focus on building the Optimus robot at its Fremont factory.
Tesla plans to start pilot production of the Optimus robot in 2026 and expects it to be useful outside Tesla by next year.
Model Y sales grew 6% to 358,023 deliveries, below analyst expectations.
Tesla aims to begin high-volume production of the Cybercab and electric Semi truck in 2026 and is working with SpaceX to build a large chip factory for future demand.
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The Trump administration is talking with Spirit Airlines about possibly giving financial help to keep the company running. Spirit Airlines has been having money problems because fuel costs are up, labor costs are rising, and it is facing operational challenges.
Key Facts
The Trump administration is in advanced talks to possibly bail out Spirit Airlines.
Spirit Airlines is a budget carrier, meaning it offers lower-cost flights.
Costs for jet fuel have increased, making it more expensive to operate flights.
Labor costs at Spirit Airlines are growing, adding to financial strain.
The airline is also facing issues with its operations that hurt its business.
The bailout talks are aimed at helping Spirit avoid financial failure.
CBS News reported these developments with input from their transportation correspondent.
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Jodi Kantor, a reporter for The New York Times, has written a new book called "How to Start." The book offers advice and tips to help young people begin their careers with confidence.
Key Facts
Jodi Kantor works as a reporter for The New York Times.
She has written a book titled "How to Start."
The book focuses on helping young people start their careers.
It addresses concerns and fears about entering the workforce.
Kantor shares practical advice and wisdom for new workers.
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Tesla reported its first-quarter 2026 financial results, showing a profit of $477 million and revenue of $22.4 billion. Sales grew by 6 percent compared to the same period last year, with automotive and service revenues increasing, while the energy storage division saw a decline.
Key Facts
Tesla's net income for Q1 2026 was $477 million.
Total revenue rose 16 percent year over year to $22.4 billion.
Automotive revenue was $16.2 billion, up 16 percent from last year.
Service and other revenues, such as Supercharger fees, increased by 42 percent.
Revenues from the energy storage business dropped 12 percent to $2.4 billion.
Operating margin was 4.2 percent, better than the previous year but lower than earlier high margins.
Tesla earned less from regulatory credits ($380 million) and leasing compared to Q1 2025.
CEO Elon Musk’s compensation partly depends on full self-driving subscriptions, which grew to 1.3 million, a 51 percent increase.
Tesla plans to build humanoid Optimus robots, starting production capacity expansion in Fremont in Q2 2026.
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Kalshi, a US-regulated prediction market platform, fined three political candidates for betting on the outcomes of their own elections, which violates its rules. The platform banned them from trading for five years and imposed fines, with one candidate refusing to settle and receiving a higher penalty.
Key Facts
Kalshi is a prediction market where people can bet on future events, including elections.
Three candidates traded on their own election outcomes, which Kalshi’s rules forbid.
Mark Moran, a Virginia candidate and former reality TV contestant, placed multiple bets and was fined $6,229.30 with a five-year ban.
Matt Klein, a Minnesota state senator running in a congressional primary, bet $50 on himself, paid a $539.85 fine, and accepted a five-year suspension.
Ezekiel “Zeke” Enriquez, a Texas congressional candidate, also admitted trading on his own race, paid a $784.20 fine, and was banned for five years.
Kalshi did not refer any of these cases to government regulators for further investigation.
Kalshi updated its rules to ban political candidates from betting on their own races to prevent insider trading.
Klein described his case as a mistake and urged clearer rules for prediction markets.
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Lufthansa, a German airline, will cancel 20,000 flights in the next few months. The airline is doing this to save money because jet fuel costs are going up due to the ongoing war with Iran.
Key Facts
Lufthansa plans to cut 20,000 flights soon.
These cuts will mainly affect short flights within Europe.
The changes will last through the end of October.
The airline made this decision because jet fuel prices are rising.
The increase in fuel costs is linked to the war involving Iran.
Lufthansa said they will focus on cutting flights that lose money.
This information came from a statement by Lufthansa Group.
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Kalshi, a prediction market platform, suspended three political candidates for placing bets on their own election races. Two candidates paid small fines to settle the issue, while one candidate chose not to settle.
Key Facts
Kalshi is a prediction market platform where people can bet on future events.
Three political candidates were suspended for betting on their own election outcomes.
Matt Klein, a Minnesota state senator and congressional candidate (Democrat), settled and paid a small fine.
Ezekiel Enriquez, a former Texas congressional candidate (Republican), also settled and paid a small fine.
Mark Moran, an independent candidate for Virginia Senate, did not agree to settle with Kalshi.
The suspensions were announced by Kalshi on a Wednesday.
Betting on one’s own race raises concerns about fairness and conflict of interest.
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Rent prices in the U.S. are rising more slowly than in recent years. In March, the typical rent was $1,910 per month, increasing 1.8% from a year earlier, the slowest growth rate since December 2020.
Key Facts
The typical monthly rent in March was $1,910, up 1.8% from the previous year.
This is the slowest rate of rent growth since December 2020.
Single-family home rents rose 2.5% annually, the slowest since Zillow began tracking in 2015.
Multifamily home rents were $1,757 in March, up 1.3% from a year ago.
Rent prices fell in some large cities, including Austin (-2.3%), Tampa (-1.6%), and San Antonio (-1.6%).
The median household spent 26.5% of income on rent last month.
To afford the typical rent comfortably, a household needs an income of at least $76,400 per year, 35% higher than before the pandemic.
Since early 2020, single-family rents increased nearly 45%, and multifamily rents rose 28%.
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Meta, the company that owns Facebook, has informed its employees that it will begin monitoring their keystrokes and mouse movements. This data will be used to help train Meta’s artificial intelligence systems.
Key Facts
Meta is starting to track how employees use their computers, including keystrokes and mouse actions.
The purpose of tracking is to improve the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
This information was shared in an email sent to all Meta employees.
Business Insider obtained and reported on the email details.
The AI training aims to make Meta’s systems smarter and more efficient.
The tracking covers employee interactions specifically for AI development.
Meta is the parent company of Facebook.
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Rental vacancies in most large Australian cities are at record low levels, causing rents to rise. Homes priced below government-set limits for low-deposit loans are increasing in value faster than more expensive properties.
Key Facts
The national rental vacancy rate in Australia is at a record low of 0.7%.
Cities like Sydney, Perth, Darwin, and Hobart have vacancy rates below 0.6%, with Melbourne at 1%.
Median weekly rents have risen to $680 for houses and $675 for units in capital cities.
The federal government’s 5% deposit guarantee scheme helps first-time home buyers by lowering deposit requirements.
Since expanding the scheme and raising price caps in October, properties under the cap have increased in value by 6.7%.
Properties above the scheme’s price caps have risen by 3.6% in value over the same period.
The low-deposit scheme may eventually become less effective as more homes exceed the price caps and financing challenges grow.
High demand and limited supply are causing rental prices to rise, but many renters can no longer afford higher rent increases.
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Target is giving away free packs of diapers this weekend during an in-store event where parents answer baby-related trivia questions. Additionally, Target is offering free baby sample boxes on Sunday from select brands, with supplies limited and varying by store.
Key Facts
The diaper giveaway is on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at most Target stores.
Parents must answer trivia questions about babies to get a free pack of Pampers diapers or wipes.
There is a limit of one free pack per guest and supplies are limited.
Not all Target stores are participating; parents should check a store list before going.
On Sunday, selected stores will give away baby sample boxes featuring products from Little Spoon, Enfamil, Happy Baby, and Pampers.
Baby boxes are free with no action required but only available while supplies last and at fewer stores than the diaper giveaway.
Target accepts returns of unopened diapers without a receipt for an exchange gift card, with some limits and ID scanning.
Babies generally use about a dozen diapers a day, totaling over 300 in the first month, and size 1 diapers fit babies up to 14 pounds, usually around 3-4 months old.
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The European Union announced a plan to protect households and businesses from rising energy costs caused by the war with Iran. The EU has spent an extra €24 billion on energy imports due to higher prices and urges more investment in renewable energy sources.
Key Facts
The EU faces an energy crisis linked to the war with Iran.
Energy prices have increased, costing the EU an additional €24 billion for imports.
The EU plans to support both households and businesses during this crisis.
The EU encourages more investment in renewable energy to reduce dependence on imports.
French President Emmanuel Macron opened a new lithium mine to help reduce reliance on imported minerals.
The conflict affects not only energy but also critical materials needed for technology and industry.
The EU is balancing energy needs while responding to economic challenges caused by the war in the Middle East.
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Two gamers sued Nintendo of America, claiming the company plans to keep government tariff refunds instead of giving money back to consumers who paid higher prices due to tariffs. The lawsuit is a class action representing all U.S. buyers of Nintendo products from February 2025 to February 2026.
Key Facts
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
It alleges Nintendo charged consumers higher prices to cover tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
A recent Supreme Court ruling found these tariffs were illegally imposed by President Trump.
The U.S. government started a refund process for importers and brokers to recover these tariff payments.
Nintendo sued the government to seek full refunds of tariffs it paid.
The plaintiffs say Nintendo has no legal promise to pass those refunds on to customers who actually paid more.
The lawsuit accuses Nintendo of unjustly keeping profits made from tariff-related price increases.
Similar lawsuits have been filed against other companies like Costco, which plans to use refunds to lower future prices.
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Meghan Markle is selling a new Mother's Day collection on her As Ever online shop that includes candles inspired by her children’s birth dates. Some people criticized the idea, saying it feels wrong to use her children to promote products, while others see it as a meaningful tribute.
Key Facts
Meghan Markle introduced two candles named “Candle No. 506” and “Candle No. 604” referencing Prince Archie’s and Princess Lilibet’s birthdays.
The candles went on sale on April 22, ahead of Mother’s Day on May 10.
The candles’ scents include ingredients like ginger, neroli, amber, and water lily.
Critics say using her children to sell products feels narcissistic and “merching off” them.
Meghan and Prince Harry do not show their children’s faces online to protect their privacy.
The Mother’s Day collection also includes a $58 box of chocolates with ten pieces.
Some experts think the chocolate pricing and product design do not connect well with customers.
Supporters argue the candles do not use the children’s real names, making the tribute less direct.
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Rising corn prices in the United States are causing overall food costs to increase. Higher fertilizer and fuel costs, partly due to the war in Iran disrupting key trade routes, are making it more expensive for farmers to grow crops, which leads to higher prices at grocery stores and restaurants.
Key Facts
The conflict in Iran has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for oil and fertilizer shipments.
Fertilizer prices, especially nitrogen-based types like urea, have increased sharply, affecting farmers’ expenses.
Farmers must decide whether to pay more for fertilizer, reduce usage and risk lower crop yields, or switch to crops needing less fertilizer.
Corn is a crucial crop in the U.S. food system, heavily affected by rising fertilizer costs.
The USDA predicts overall food inflation will rise by 3.6% in 2026, with grocery prices up 3.1% and restaurant meals up 3.9%.
Higher corn prices increase costs for meat, dairy, and eggs because corn is the main feed for livestock.
Beef and veal prices are already up 14.4% from last year, with more increases expected.
Feed costs remain high even as some farm-level milk prices fall, adding pressure on dairy production costs.
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Warner Bros Discovery shareholders will vote on a merger with Paramount Skydance that could change the U.S. media landscape by uniting CBS News and CNN. The merger faces regulatory reviews in the U.S. and UK, amid concerns about editorial independence and foreign investments.
Key Facts
Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Skydance plan to merge into one company.
This would bring CBS News and CNN together under the same owner.
The merger needs approval from U.S. federal regulators and the UK Competition and Markets Authority.
Paramount Skydance is led by David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who supports President Donald Trump.
Changes under Ellison’s leadership include hiring conservative staff and delaying stories critical of the Trump administration.
Some reporters at CBS have left, citing dissatisfaction with the company’s direction.
There are worries about CNN’s future independence and potential influence from Trump and Ellison.
Senator Cory Booker raised concerns about foreign investments from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and China in the merger.
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