my weekend morning train WFH wrote:

• Apple’s change is tormenting Internet companies, especially Meta Shares of Meta plummeted after the company reported that Apple’s privacy features will cost billions of dollars this year. It’s not the only tech giant to take a hit. (New York Times) see also Facebook and Google’s ad addiction won’t last forever For a business that relies almost entirely on advertising, Facebook’s first drop in users is an ominous sign. Google’s ad revenue fell to 81% of the company’s total revenue — up about 97% a decade ago, just like Facebook is today. (Bloomberg)

• The Rise of the $2.5 Billion Ugly Shoe Empire: From shearling Uggs to Hoka dad sneakers and rainbow Tevas, Deckers Outdoor Corp. keeps selling us the ugliest ugly shoes. (Work Week)

• California has answers to fast food worker abuse questions The so-called Fast Food Responsibility and Standards Restoration Act would create a fast food industry committee with the power to set statewide standards for wages, hours, sick leave, training and working conditions for the state’s more than 550,000 fast food workers , the largest such workforce in the country. (los angeles times)

• Reasons to ditch Spotify that has nothing to do with Joe Rogan The Swedish streaming service has fostered a music distribution model that is extremely detrimental to the interests of working musicians. On average, each stream is estimated at four tenths of a cent, which means a net benefit of about $4 for a thousand streams. This arrangement generates huge profits for major labels and superstars, while reducing music revenues on a smaller scale—a perfect example of a winner-take-all neoliberal economy that has yet to be designed. (New Yorker)

• Big plans to build New York City: The idea promoted by the Tri-State Regional Planning Association, which turns 100 this year, reads like an anthology of the right and wrong of American urban planning (Bloomberg)

• What happened to the drone war? The Biden administration says it’s fighting terrorism with less “down to earth”; why is it also using fewer drones in the air? (grid)

• Inside Russia’s notorious ransomware gang Trickbot: Insider tips give new clues to operators of one of the world’s largest botnets. (wired)

• American democracy is under threat. But what exactly is the threat? Is it election theft, minority rule, voter suppression, or all of the above? (sound)

• Polar bears move into abandoned Arctic weather station – photo essay During a trip to Wrangel Island, photographer Dmitry Kokh spotted the polar bears living in an abandoned Kolyuchin in the Chukchi Autonomous Region of the Russian Federation. Weather station, the island is a UNESCO-recognized nature reserve that acts as a sanctuary for animals. (protector)

• Four Charts That Reveal Tom Brady’s Greatness Tom Brady is retiring after 22 years of continued success and unparalleled achievement. But his status as the NFL’s greatest quarterback is probably best understood by seeing his accomplishments stack up with more than 300 other NFL quarterbacks in four cumulative statistical metrics: playoff wins, career passing Arrays, Pro Passing Yards and Pro Bowl Picks. (result)

Be sure to check out our Master of Business interview This weekend, she met with Rebecca Patterson, director of investment research at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, who also sits on the firm’s investment committee. Previously, she was chief investment officer at Bessemer Trust, managing $85 billion in client assets.

Record 50% of U.S. small businesses raise wages in January to attract workers

source: Bloomberg

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