Grow Smart Income - week 23, 2024

What happened this week?

Good day valued readers,

We hope this week's carefully curated selection of news finds you well. In this edition, we cover the latest developments across investing, finance, crypto, AI, and other topics to help you stay informed.

As always, our goal is to provide you with a professional, unbiased roundup of noteworthy news to augment your understanding of what's happening in the world. We take pride in hand-selecting articles from trustworthy sources across a diverse range of industries.

Please enjoy this week's newsletter. We're grateful for the opportunity to share these insights with you and look forward to continuing to be a valuable resource.

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Investing and Finance

A key inflation report suggests the U.S. economy could experience a cooler summer, providing some relief. Analysts highlighted top stocks to keep an eye on in June as potential investment opportunities. In a notable "great cash-out", billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Leon Black, and the Walton family cashed out a combined $11 billion in company stock this month. The inspiring story of a 10-year-old running a before-school side hustle earning thousands while working around an 8pm bedtime.

A survey found U.S. workers are less satisfied across nearly all aspects of their jobs compared to a year ago. A look at the top 10 fastest-growing industries projected for 2024 based on economic trends and data. For those seeking remote work, research identified the 10 best entry-level remote job opportunities to explore in 2024. Previewing the upcoming monthly U.S. jobs report and what economists expect the employment figures to show.

Stericycle's stock jumped after the waste management firm agreed to a $7.2 billion acquisition by Waste Management. Nvidia and partner companies' shares climbed on the debut of a new AI platform, with analysts suggesting AI growth may not have peaked yet. The overview covers economic forecasts, stock tips, insider selling patterns, youth entrepreneurship, employee satisfaction issues, fast-growing industries, remote work prospects, jobs data previews, M&A deals, and the continued AI tech rally.

  1. It Could Be a Cool Summer For The US Economy, Inflation Report Suggests - Read more

  2. Top Stocks To Watch in June - Read more

  3. The Great Cash-Out: Jeff Bezos, Leon Black, Jamie Dimon, and the Walton family have now sold a combined $11 billion in company stock this month - some for the first time ever - Read more

  4. 10-year-old’s before-school side hustle brings in thousands of dollars: How he works around his 8 p.m. bedtime - Read more

  5. U.S. workers are less satisfied with nearly every aspect of their jobs than they were a year ago, survey finds - Read more

  6. The Top 10 Fastest Growing Industries in 2024 - Read more

  7. 10 Best Entry-Level Remote Jobs In 2024, From Research - Read more

  8. What To Expect From Friday’s Jobs Report - Read more

  9. Stericycle Stock Jumps on $7.2B Sale To Waste Management - Read more

  10. Nvidia, Partner Stocks Climb on New AI Platform as Analysts Say AI Peak Is Yet To Come - Read more

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."

Pele

Crypto News

Tether acquired a $100 million stake in the U.S.-listed bitcoin mining firm Bitdeer as it expands into the mining industry. The U.S. Navy launched its blockchain security system called "PARANOID" to the private sector after developing it internally. Just four months after launch, the supply of Ethena's synthetic "USDe" stablecoin crossed $3 billion, showcasing rapid adoption. Uniswap postponed a key protocol upgrade vote, causing the UNI token to tumble around 9% on the delay.

Australia got its first spot Bitcoin ETF that directly holds and transfers the underlying BTC, unlike futures-based products. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao began serving a 4-month prison sentence in California related to past charges. Coinbase's CEO revealed the company donated $25 million to political campaigns aiming to vote out anti-crypto legislators. Bitcoin and Ethereum investment funds attracted another $185 million in inflows amid heightened interest from the Ethereum ETF launches.

New evidence emerged suggesting the infamous "Cryptoqueen" Ruja Ignatova was murdered by a drug kingpin, according to the BBC. Nearly half a million new tokens launched on the Solana blockchain last month, highlighting its popularity for token issuances. The overview covers Tether's mining investment, U.S. Navy blockchain tech, a rapidly growing synthetic stablecoin, postponed DeFi upgrades, Australia's spot BTC ETF, crypto executive sentencing, political lobbying spending, investment fund flows, a suspected Cryptoqueen murder, and the Solana token ecosystem boom.

  1. Tether Acquires $100 Million Stake in US-Listed Bitcoin Miner Bitdeer - Read more

  2. US Navy launches ‘PARANOID’ blockchain security tech to private sector - Read more

  3. Ethena's 'synthetic dollar' USDe crosses $3 billion supply just four months after launch - Read more

  4. Uniswap Postpones Protocol Upgrade Vote; UNI Tumbles 9% - Read more

  5. Australia gets first spot ETF that holds Bitcoin directly - Read more

  6. Former Binance CEO CZ Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence in California - Read more

  7. Coinbase CEO says company has donated $25M to vote anti-crypto politicians out of Congress - Read more

  8. Bitcoin, Ethereum Funds Attract Another $185 Million Amid ETH ETF Hype - Read more

  9. There's More Evidence 'Cryptoqueen' Was Murdered by Drug Kingpin: BBC - Read more

  10. Solana saw nearly half a million tokens launched last month - Read more

"I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near."

Margaret Thatcher

Artificial Intelligence

Sony's CEO stated the company will leverage AI to reduce film production costs through automation and efficiencies. In a first, OpenAI removed influence operations tied to Russia, China, and Israel from its training data to combat misinformation. Robots took to the soccer field at an AI showcase in Geneva, demonstrating advanced robotics capabilities. Amazon introduced an AI-powered universal search experience for its Fire TV devices to improve content discovery.

Scientists unveiled the world's first bioprocessor powered by 16 human brain organoids, consuming far less energy than digital chips. A secretive, high-stakes meeting kicked off in Madrid with the CEOs of Google DeepMind, Anthropic, Microsoft and other AI leaders in attendance. OpenAI's Sam Altman admitted the company doesn't fully understand how its powerful AI models accomplish their remarkable feats.

The U.S. delayed exports of AI chips from Nvidia and AMD to the Middle East over concerns the tech could be accessed by China via regional data centers. Microsoft announced plans to invest $3.2 billion in Swedish AI companies - its largest Nordic infrastructure commitment to date. Amazon deployed an "AI private investigator" system to flag damaged products, enhancing customer experience and reducing waste. Zoom's CEO expressed his desire to integrate AI clones or digital avatars into virtual meeting platforms like Zoom.

The overview spans AI's commercial deployment for cost savings, misinformation safeguards, robotic showcases, consumer product enhancements, brain-inspired computing, high-level AI strategy meetings, transparency about AI's "black boxes", chip export controls, big AI infrastructure investments, retail automation, and virtual meeting innovations.

  1. Sony Will Use AI to Cut Film Costs, Says CEO Tony Vinciquerra - Read more

  2. In a first, OpenAI removes influence operations tied to Russia, China and Israel - Read more

  3. Robots play soccer at Geneva AI showcase - Read more

  4. Amazon introduces AI-powered search for Fire TV devices. - Read more

  5. World's first bioprocessor uses 16 human brain organoids for ‘a million times less power’ consumption than a digital chip - Read more

  6. A top secret meeting is kicking off in Madrid with the CEOs of Google DeepMind, Anthropic and Microsoft AI in attendance - Read more

  7. Sam Altman Admits That OpenAI Doesn't Actually Understand How Its AI Works - Read more

  8. US delays AI chip exports to Middle East by Nvidia, AMD over concern that China can access the tech via data centres - Read more

  9. Microsoft announces plans to invest $3.2 billion in Swedish AI - its largest-ever infrastructure bet in the Nordic country - Read more

  10. Amazon's AI 'Private Investigator' flags damaged products, improving the customer experience and preventing waste - Read more

  11. The CEO of Zoom wants AI clones in meetings - Read more

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work."

Stephen King

Top Article Picks this week

A candid personal reflection on how the past five years of one's career were focused on maximizing credit card rewards and points. An analysis examining whether going to great lengths to earn credit card rewards and frequent flyer miles is truly worth the effort and opportunity costs. A look at the importance of considering long-term correlations when evaluating economic data and making investment decisions over decades.

The controversial legacy of a doctor who pioneered calorie counting a century ago is explored, exposing its continued influence on dieting culture today. A cost comparison reveals how getting lunch from Chipotle has become a better value proposition than visiting McDonald's as food prices shift. The generational divide is highlighted as a survey finds grandparents widely perceive kids today as ruder than previous generations.

Data shows making a sustainable living solely from book sales has become as rare and improbable as becoming a billionaire in today's publishing landscape. The overview touches on personal finance strategies, credit card rewards programs, long-term economic analysis, diet culture origins, fast food value dynamics, generational perception gaps, and the stark realities facing authors - providing insightful commentaries across an eclectic mix of topics.

  1. My Last Five Years of Work (Reading time: 22 min) - Read here

  2. Is Maximizing Credit Card Rewards Worth It? (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

  3. Correlations for the long run (Reading time: 10 min) - Read here

  4. This Doctor Pioneered Counting Calories a Century Ago, and We’re Still Dealing With the Consequences (Reading time: 25 min) - Read here

  5. How Lunch at Chipotle Became a Better Deal Than McDonald’s (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

  6. Grandparents Think Kids Are Ruder These Days. Are They? (Reading time: 5 min) - Read here

  7. Making a living as a book author is as rare as being a billionaire (Reading time: 12 min) - Read here

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“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

Albert Einstein

Book of the week

Fahrenheit 451 is a classic dystopian novel that serves as a brilliant commentary on censorship, conformity, and the dangers of sacrificing intellectual freedom. Set in a futuristic American society, the story follows Guy Montag, a "fireman" whose job is to burn books, which are outlawed. Bradbury's writing is both haunting and poetic, vividly depicting a world where critical thinking is suppressed and mindless entertainment reigns supreme. The novel explores thought-provoking themes such as the role of technology in society, the power of knowledge, and the consequences of complacency. Montag's journey of self-discovery and his awakening to the value of literature is deeply moving and resonates with readers.

The characters, though simple on the surface, are rich with symbolism and depth, representing different facets of human nature. Bradbury's imagination and creativity shine through in his vivid descriptions and metaphors, making the fictional world feel alarmingly real. Despite being written decades ago, the book's messages remain strikingly relevant in today's world of information overload and censorship debates. The pacing is excellent, with a building sense of tension and suspense that keeps readers engaged until the very end.

Fahrenheit 451 is a must-read for anyone interested in the power of literature, the dangers of oppressive societies, and the importance of independent thought. Bradbury's writing style is both accessible and profound, making the book enjoyable for readers of all ages and backgrounds. The novel's enduring popularity and its status as a classic is a testament to its timeless themes and Bradbury's masterful storytelling.

While the dystopian setting is bleak, the book ultimately offers a message of hope and resistance against conformity and oppression. Fahrenheit 451 is a thought-provoking and unforgettable read that will leave a lasting impact on readers. Bradbury's seminal work is a powerful reminder of the value of books, knowledge, and the freedom to think critically.

“He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”

Chinese Proverb

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