As vast swathes of the economy continue to suffer the effects of the global pandemic, at least one corner of the retail market is winning: home improvement. Consumers, stuck at home more than ever before, are spending big on home offices, storage solutions, and décor. Both Lowes and Home Depot reported strong sales growth over […]
U.S. Appeals Preliminary Injunction Stalling WeChat Ban
The Department of Justice filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit challenging a preliminary injunction won by WeChat users, which stalls President Trump’s executive order effectively banning WeChat from U.S. app stores. Magistrate Judge Laura Beeler of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California temporarily blocked the executive order days before it […]
The One Year Standoff Between the NBA and China Over Tweet May Finally Be Over
Nearly one year later, the backlash from a tweet by the former Houston Rockets (“Rockets”) General Manager, Daryl Morey, seems to have finally subsided. In October 2019, one tweet caught Chinese and National Basketball Association (“NBA”) executives completely off-guard. At the time, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests were fueling anarchy and revolts, causing the government, backed by Beijing, to use […]
Private Sector Response to Tariffs on China
Under the Trump administration, our nation is experiencing a controversially populist policy approach towards foreign relations, inciting fear and aggression en masse with regards to the manufacturing sector abroad and international trade writ large. We have most recently seen the administration implement these outdated public policy ideologies via the, arguably illegal, imposition of tariffs on […]
‘Fortnite’ Creators Continue App Store Battle with Apple
On October 7th, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple may continue its ban on the popular battle royale game, Fortnite, from the App Store. Judge Rogers claimed that the tech giant was well within its rights to do so after the gaming […]
After a failed merger, LVMH and Tiffany will head to the courts next year
Last November, the French conglomerate LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton and dozens of other fashion and lifestyle brands, struck a deal to acquire jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion. Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, described Tiffany as an “American icon” that would “thrive for centuries to come” in the LVMH portfolio. If […]
Despite Risks, Lufax Eyes A U.S. Flotation
Lufax Holding Ltd., a leading tech-enabled retail borrowing and wealth management platform in China, filed on October 7 with the SEC to raise up to $100 million in an IPO on the NYSE, aiming to raise about $3 billion soon. This news comes in the shadow of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war and increasing hostility […]
Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Negotiations Back On
Last Tuesday, President Donald Trump seemingly ended negotiations with Democrats over a new coronavirus relief bill. Stocks fell after the President’s tweet, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending down 376 points. Facing mounting political and public pressure to strike a deal before the election, the President changed his tune hours later, suggesting he was […]
Silicon Valley’s Response to George Floyd and Racial Justice
After the murder of George Floyd, the Internet saw an upheaval on their social media timelines like never before—Black squares, hashtags demanding justice, and guides on how to support the Black community. Shortly after, we saw releases of employee memos, donation matching programs, and official statements by Big Tech about their stances on fighting racial […]
The Not So “Big Short” of Nikola
Nikola Corp., the rising green vehicle company lauded as “the next big thing” in the automotive industry, has been monopolizing headlines lately for all the wrong reasons. After a report was published by Hindenburg Research accusing the company of lying about its products and deals, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched a probe to […]