A Tom Cruise & Warner Bros Partnership?!

Daily Upsider on January 15, 2024

Tom Cruise has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery to produce and develop theatrical films, as announced in a news release on Tuesday. The collaboration aims to create both original and franchise films starting this year. Warner Bros. Discovery, expressed enthusiasm about working with Cruise and stated their goal of restoring the studio’s former glory. Cruise, known for his roles in iconic Warner Bros. films, shared his excitement on Instagram.

While the announcement didn’t provide details on specific projects, Cruise has a history of collaborating with Warner Bros. on films like “Edge of Tomorrow” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” Cruise has been a vocal advocate for the theatrical experience, encouraging audiences to support theaters amid the pandemic and the popularity of at-home streaming. Notably, his involvement in “Top Gun: Maverick” was credited by director Steven Spielberg as potentially saving the entire theatrical industry. The sequel achieved significant success, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film in North American history, earning nearly $1.5 billion worldwide since its September 2022 release.

Mosquito Proof Skin

Daily Upsider on January 14, 2024

Every year, mosquitoes are responsible for about 350 million human illnesses. Furthermore, a recent study found that light pollution might be extending the mosquito blood-feeding season.

While there are plenty of mosquito repellents out their, none of them work perfectly, (and some do not seem to work at all). So new solutions are always welcome, particularly natural ones.

Luckily, new research on bite protection has utilized a readily available natural molecule, cellulose, to create a product that reduced mosquito feeding on human skin by 80 percent.

When treated with sulfuric acid, cellulose, which is inexpensive and widely available from sources such as wood industry waste and local food and paper waste, forms nanocrystals. These cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) form a strong and transparent barrier film.

When combined with water and a small amount of glycerol, these CNCs can be applied to the skin as a spray or gel to prevent mosquitoes from feeding through the skin.

Adult female mosquitoes require human or animal blood to produce eggs, so a significant reduction in this food source, particularly in densely populated areas, could positively impact mosquito population control.

CNCs and the effective barrier they create have also been developed for various “green” applications, such as soundproofing, removing dye from textiles, and manufacturing strong binders like superglue and composite materials as strong as bone.

A Landlord’s Gift

Daily Upsider on January 14, 2024

Britni Ricard, the founder of COTA Skin Care, also wears the hat of a property owner, having invested in a New Orleans apartment building with 10 units in 2019. The tenants in this building, predominantly single women with children, reminded Ricard of her own upbringing in public housing and the financial challenges her mother faced during Christmas time.

Recalling her childhood, Ricard shared, “It was tough. My mom was a single woman raising three children alone, and watching her continuously struggle as a child and wanting to figure out, ‘How can I help?'”.

In November, Ricard organized a pre-holiday meeting with her tenants. Then she surprised them with all with a gift— one month of free rent. A video capturing this generous gesture quickly gained traction on TikTok. In addition to the rent relief, Ricard extended her support by offering to organize a seminar to guide her tenants in becoming homeowners.

Kedesha Dunn, a single mother residing in one of the building’s units with her two boys, expressed gratitude for Ricard’s unexpected gift.
“Now I, you know, I don’t have to go try to take a loan out or something like ask my family for money,” Dunn said. “Like, I can do it now. Like, I can do it.”

“I’m an emotional person,” Dunn added. “I start to cry. ‘Cause I’m just like, that is so sweet. She’s uh, better than Santa Claus at this point. … Like a guardian angel” she added.

Positive Job’s Movement

Daily Upsider on January 12, 2024

While the economy continues to be tough, there are some positive movements. The nation’s employers added a strong 216,000 jobs in December, according to a recent government report. This increase exceeded the 173,000 jobs added in November, indicating the resilience of the American labor market despite higher interest rates.

The unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7%, marking the 23rd consecutive month that joblessness has stayed below 4%. However, some details of the report may not be well-received by the Federal Reserve, which is focused on fighting inflation.

Average hourly wages rose 4.1% from a year earlier, up from a 4% increase in November. This uptick in wage growth could make it more challenging for the Fed to slow inflation back to its 2% target. As a result, the central bank might be inclined to delay any cuts in its benchmark interest rate.

Some interesting details are were the jobs mostly came from. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest gains were in health care and social assistance. Which gained about 58,900 new jobs. Followed by government jobs (mostly local) which gained around 50,000 jobs. Leisure and hospitality with around 40,000. While retail trade and construction both got around 17,000 respectively.

Bitcoin ETF Approved

Daily Upsider on January 12, 2024

Bitcoin, the world’s first and most popular cryptocurrency, recently received approval for several Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This long-awaited approval has led to significant changes in how both institutions and regular people can interact with largest cryptocurrency. On January 11, 2024, the SEC approved 11 Bitcoin ETFs for trading. Within minutes of the Bitcoin ETFs going live, Bitcoin’s price rose over 8%, reaching a new 22-month high.

The trading volume for spot Bitcoin ETFs was remarkable, with the first 30 minutes of trading recording a $1.2 billion volume. Early reporting suggests that it has easily broken the previous ETF first day trading flow/volume of all time, which was $2.1 billion. The leading ETF, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), recorded an impressive trading volume of $446 million in the initial minutes. The approval of the Bitcoin ETF has made Bitcoin much more accessible to large institutions, such as hedge funds and financial institutions. These institutions can now invest in Bitcoin through a regulated and transparent platform, reducing the risk and complexity associated with direct investment in the cryptocurrency.

This increased accessibility has the potential to drive further growth in the Bitcoin market as more institutional investors enter the space. For individuals, the Bitcoin ETF has made it easier to invest in Bitcoin through traditional investment platforms. Investors can now access Bitcoin through their brokerage accounts, IRAs, and even company 401(k)s. This ease of access has the potential to attract a new wave of individual investors who may have been hesitant to invest in Bitcoin through more complex and less regulated channels.