Yongtalong: January 2023

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

DeepMind AI is as fast as humans at solving previously unseen tasks - New Scientist

Artificial intelligences need specific training to excel at a task, but now a more generally intelligent one from DeepMind has performed as well as humans in a virtual world test

Technology 31 January 2023

By Alex Wilkins

DeepMind researches artificial intelligence

Vitor Miranda/Alamy Stock Photo

DeepMind has developed an artificial intelligence that can solve tasks it has never seen before as fast and as accurately as humans – a possible step towards generally intelligent AI that could master an array of jobs in the real world.

The AI, called Adaptive Agent or AdA, works in a 3D virtual world where it is asked to solve tasks that involve navigating, planning and manipulating objects.

Humans are excellent at solving new problems in very different environments, including ones they haven’t seen before. For instance, once …

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DeepMind AI is as fast as humans at solving previously unseen tasks - New Scientist
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Austin Butler Details His 'Immediate' Connection with Lisa Marie Presley: 'We Got So Close So Fast' - PEOPLE

Austin Butler is sharing some touching memories about his immediate bond with Lisa Marie Presley.

During a Monday appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Butler talked about his easy connection with the musician, who died on Jan. 12 at age 54, just days after she appeared with Butler to promote the film, Elvis.

"I first met Lisa when we screened the film at Graceland," Butler told Fallon in a somber tone, in reference to the Memphis, Tennessee estate owned by Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie's father. "I've never had an experience where I met somebody and felt an immediate depth of relationship with them."

"She's also — she's a person who didn't have anything to prove and wouldn't open up to anybody and she opened up to me," added Butler. "We got so close so fast and it's just devastating."

"It's weird in moments like this because it's so bittersweet," Butler continued about the emotional contrast of having to promote the movie — for which he recently received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor — at the same time as mourning Lisa Marie.

"I mean, so much great stuff is happening, but I'm just devastated for her family. And for her to not be here celebrating with us, you know ..." added Butler.

"I'm happy she got to see you," host Jimmy Fallon said in reply.

"Yeah, I'm happy I got to be with her at the (Golden) Globes, I'll never forget that for the rest of my life," said Butler, who won best actor in a drama for his performance in Baz Luhrmann's movie at the Jan. 10 award show.

Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images

Speaking at a Golden Globes pre-party on Elvis' actual birthday, Jan. 8., Lisa Marie said she was "overwhelmed" by the Elvis movie.

"I just want to thank you for coming," Lisa Marie said alongside Butler, daughter Riley Keogh and Luhrmann.

"I'm so overwhelmed by this film and the effect that it's had and what Baz has done, what Austin has done," Lisa Marie added. "I'm so proud. And I know that my father would also be very proud. So, I want to thank you all for being here and I — I'm so overwhelmed with gratitude, so thank you."

Variety's Marc Malkin captured the celebratory speech at the Formosa Café — one of Elvis' favorite L.A. haunts — and posted the video on Twitter the following day.

Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

Just five days after that speech, on Jan. 13, her mother Priscilla Presley confirmed Lisa Marie's death to PEOPLE in a statement.

"It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us," said Priscilla, 77.

"She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Just a little over a week later, it was announced that Butler was nominated for his Oscar, and he called into Today with Hoda and Jenna shortly after hearing the news.

"It's sort of a bittersweet moment right now because I think of how much I wish she was here right now to get to celebrate with me. It's the same thing I feel with Elvis; I wish that they could see these moments, you know? It's just sort of strange to celebrate at a time of such deep grief. But I sort of think of it as a way to honor her. This is for her."

Elvis Presley (L); Austin Butler. Getty; Theo Wargo/Getty

Later in Monday's interview, Fallon, 48, prompted Butler about a story he previously told him about Lisa Marie showing her dad's slippers at Graceland.

"I get goosebumps," Butler said. "That was after we screened the film. And the bedroom — you know, his bedroom is a place that most people never get to see, and she says, 'I wanna show you something,' so she took me up there. It was moments like that ... up there, he was not Elvis, he was just 'dad,' you know?"

"So to hear those stories, yeah, I'll treasure those forever."

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Austin Butler Details His 'Immediate' Connection with Lisa Marie Presley: 'We Got So Close So Fast' - PEOPLE
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Monday, January 30, 2023

Blame Monday's decline on the market going up too much, too fast — listen to the 'Homestretch' - CNBC

This is the transcript for the "Homestretch" for Monday:

>>> HI, ITS JIM CRAMER WITH THE

HOME STRETCH.

TODAY IS NOT A GOOD DAY.

IT'S NOT A GOOD DAY, I THINK,

BECAUSE OF PROFIT TAKING.

I THINK THERE'S AN ACCEPTANCE WE

HAVE GONE UP TOO FAR TOO FAST.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT BY THE WAY,

BUT THAT'S THE COMMON THING, AND

IT'S A MOMENT WHERE PEOPLE WANT

LESS RISK AND IT'S CERTAINLY

REASONABLE GIVEN WHAT IS AHEAD.

>> MARKETS HAD A NICE RUN TO

START THE YEAR.

WE ARE SEEING UPWARD MOVEMENT IN

SOME COMMODITIES AS WELL, AND

COPPER IS ONE EXAMPLE.

PERHAPS PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO

POSITION AHEAD OF THE FED

MEETING ON WEDNESDAY WHERE THEY

THINK POWELL WILL BE A LITTLE

MORE HAWKISH THAN EXPECTED AND

THEY ARE TRYING TO PROTECT

AGAINST THE DOWNSIDE.

THAT'S LEADING TO A LOT OF THE

DEFENSIVE SECTORS WORKING TODAY,

ESPECIALLY ONES THAT HAVE NOT

WORKED ALL YEAR, STAPLES,

UTILITIES, AND FINANCIALS ARE

HOLDING IN WEALTH, TOO, AND

ENERGY IS TO THE DOWNSIDE AND

TECH, AND --

>> NO SURPRISE WITH ENERGY.

YOU SHOULD MENTION, HALIBURTON

IS DOING WELL.

>> YEAH, IT'S THE ONLY ENERGY

STOCK IN THE S&P 500 THAT IS IN

THE GREEN TODAY.

THE REST OF THE GROUP IS DOWN

BECAUSE ENERGY IS DOWN, THE

PRICE OF OIL IS DOWN.

>> LET'S LOOK AT THAT FOR A

SECOND.

OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT

TRYING TO REOPENING, THAT SHOULD

MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

IT'S 50 DEGREES IN NEW YORK, AND

IT WILL BE 50 DEGREES AGAIN

TOMORROW.

PEOPLE ARE FEELING LIKE, WAIT A

SECOND, MAYBE THE SEASON IS

OVER, AND THERE'S NO SNOW.

WE ARE IN THE FINANCIAL

BUSINESS, SO JUST UNDERSTAND

THAT IT'S THE WARMTH.

DON'T FOOL YOURSELF.

IT'S JUST THE WARMTH AND THAT'S

WHAT IT'S GOING ON.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE

REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING.

I WANT TO MENTION NVIDIA FOR A

SECOND.

WE HAVE BEEN DOING THE CHAT.

>> CHATGPT, YEAH.

>> AND NVIDIA MAKES A LITTLE

EACH TIME.

WHAT MATTERS, THOUGH, IS WE

STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE HIGH

PERFORMANCE COMPUTING PROBLEM,

AND YOU ARE GOING TO SEE REAL

PROFITING.

I HAVE HIGHER HOPES FOR NVIDIA

THAN AMD, IN PART BECAUSE AS I

MENTIONED EARLIER, IF YOU ASK ME

WHAT I AM MOST CONCERNED ABOUT

IS AMD AND NVIDIA WHEN IT COMES

TO A SIZEABLE SECTION OF OUR

HOLDINGS, AND QUALCOMM WE KICK

AROUND EVERY DAY.

>> RIGHT.

THERE WAS THAT NOTE TODAY WHERE

THEY SAID THAT BASICALLY INTEL,

BECAUSE THEY HAD SUCH EXCESS

INVENTORY, ALL THESE OEMs, THE

PC MAKERS ARE SITTING ON PILES

OF INTEL PPC, AND THAT COULD

CAUSE THE PPC CORRECTION TO

LINGER, AND WE WILL NEED TO SEE

MORE FOR SURE.

>> THE KEY THING WHEN IT COMES

TO ALL OF THESE IS ARE PEOPLE

CUTTING BACK.

I CANNOT CONFIRM IF SAMSUNG IS

CUTTING BACK, AND IT'S THE PRICE

DISRUPTER ON EVERYTHING.

THERE WOULD BE A BELIEF THAT

SAMSUNG IS NOT GOING TO KEEP

FLOODING THINGS.

PC'S ARE DOWN 20%, AND THAT'S A

BIG PROBLEM.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE ANYTHING

FROM HP UNTIL FEBRUARY.

BE AWARE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT

AMD AND NVIDIA.

LET'S JUST GO OVER THE TOP FIVE,

AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE UMAN

STARTING TO DO BETTER?

>> YEAH, OTHER NAMES WORKING

TODAY ALSO HAVE SPECIFIC

CORPORATE -- SOME ACTIVIST OR

WHAT HAVE YOU AROUND IT.

LIKE SALESFORCE, THEY HAD THE

REFRESH BOARD, AND WE KNOW THERE

ARE SEVERAL ACTIVISTS INVOLVED

IN THE STOCK.

AT THE SAME TIME, AMAZON, THEY

HAVE ALMOST TURNED INTO ACTIVIST

SO TO SPEAK WITH NATIONAL

INSTRUMENTS, AND THE STOCK

PLUNGED ABOUT 10% OVER THE

COURSE OF A FEW DAYS WHEN THEY

WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TAKEOVER,

AND NOW THEY ARE ENGAGING IN A

MORE FRIENDLY CONVERSATION.

>> YOU KNOW I THINK THEY THOUGHT

THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT WHEN THEY

WENT HOSTILE.

>> LOOK, I REPRESENT A CLUB OF

PEOPLE THAT OWN THIS STOCK, AND

THEY SAID WHO ARE YOU TO SAY

WHAT YOU WANT?

I SAID, I AM A SHAREHOLDER, AND

THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPORTANT

WILL LEAVE WHILE YOU ARE CLOSING

THE DEAL.

THEY ASKED HOW I KNOW THAT, AND

I SAID, I HAVE BEEN AROUND A

LONG TIME.

I AM NOT TRYING TO BE A JACKASS.

>> YEAH, THIS IS A DISTRACTION

YOU DON'T WANT.

IT WENT FROM 97 ON THE NEWS TO

AROUND 88, AND THE STOCK IS

AROUND 90 TODAY, UP ON A PRETTY

DOWN DAY.

>> I LIKE THAT.

WELLS FARGO, I AM TELLING YOU,

WE WILL BE RIGHT.

IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, FIVE

YEARS AGO NEXT WEEK THAT IT GOT

HAMMERED.

THERE'S ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY

THAT ALL OF THE CONSENT PROBLEMS

ARE COVERED AND DONE AND THEY

CAN START BUYING BACK STOCK

AGGRESSIVELY.

>> YOU HAVE TO WONDER IF CHARLIE

IS IN THERE NOW.

>> LET'S GO TO THE DOWN SIDE.

AS TO J&J, J&J LOSES AT THE

THIRD CIRCUIT, OKAY.

IT'S THE COURT OF APPEALS.

YOU CAN PUT YOUR LEGAL HAT ON

HERE.

THEY ARE RIGHT NOW COMBATING --

THEY ARE DOING EVERY SINGLE

CASE, OKAY, TRYING TO EXHAUST

THE PLAINTIFFS, AND AT THE SAME

TIME THEY HAVE A SECOND TRACK

WHICH IS TO HOPE THE SUPREME

COURT PICKS THIS CASE UP,

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAVE

TO HAPPEN, AND FINALLY MAKES LAW

THAT SAYS WE ARE GOING TO END

THE CHARADE OF BANKRUPTING

COMPANIES AND HAVE A BANKRUPTCY

WAY TO DEAL WITH THINGS AND WE

ARE GOING TO USE THE J&J WAY.

J&J, I THINK, BELIEVES THE

SUPREME COURT IS CONSERVATIVE

ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY SIDE WITH

THEM.

J&J HAS NOT RETURNED MY CALL.

THAT HAD BEEN MY PREVIOUS

UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT I

WANTED TO DO.

I SAID TO JEFF, LOOK, I THINK WE

OUGHT TO BUY, BUT THEN I PULLED

BACK BECAUSE I COULDN'T BUY

WITHOUT FINDING OUT IF THE

COMPANY WANTS TO CHANGE -- THE

STATEMENT THEY PUT OUT IS VERY

VAGUE.

>> THEY SAID THEY FULLY PLEDGED

TO BACKSTOP THE FUNDING OF THE

SUBSIDIARY THEY FUNDED.

THEY ARE TRYING TO SPEED UP THE

PROCESS AND MAKE IT MORE

EFFICIENT, BECAUSE TAKING EVERY

CASE TO COURT IS A LENGTHY

PROCESS, AND WE WANT THEIR EYES

ON THE BALL AND NOT GET INVOLVED

IN THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

>> YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW STUPID

THIS IS?

THEY WILL HAVE A MASTER, A

MASTER DOCKET THAT HANDLES A LOT

OF CASES, AND IT DOESN'T WORK

LIKE THAT.

THE SYSTEM IS VERY -- IT'S A

FEDERATION OF STATES.

WE HAVE TO GET IT SO THE SUPREME

COURT HEARS THAT.

>> WHEN J&J FELL BELOW THE COST

BASIS, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD MAKE

OUR MOVE AND WE SAID THAT FROM

175 DOWN TO 170, 168, NOT

ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH.

162, I STILL THINK THAT QUARTER

THEY REPORTED LAST WEEK, THEIR

EARNINGS FOR '23 WAS ABOVE

CONSENSUS.

THEY DID NOT GET CREDIT FOR

THAT.

>> THE COMPANY, YOU CAN'T JUST

BUY THAT WITHOUT CHECKING.

I HOPE JAKE CALLS ME BACK

>> YEAH, THEY WERE FULLY BOOKED

FOR THE HOLIDAY.

I DON'T SEE ANYTHING MORE HERE

THAN PROFIT TAKING.

>> AFTER THE CLOSE, IT'S

PRINCIPALLY AUTO, AND THERE'S A

GOOD TEMPERATURE ON HOUSING.

BEFORE THE BELL TOMORROW IS

CATERPILLAR.

>> YEAH, LOOK FOR WEAKNESS

BUYING.

WHEN YOU LOOK OUT A YEAR FROM

NOW OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW,

CONSIDERING ALL THE SPENDING

MADE ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE,

IT'S A MULTI TAIL YEAR FOR THEM.

>> UPS, I THINK, IS GOING TO

MENTION LABOR ISSUES.

>> THAT'S AN INTERESTING ONE.

YEAH.

>> IT WILL HURT, AND GM -- FORD

IS TELLING ME TO STOP WORRYING

ABOUT THE PRICE CUTS, WE WILL

STILL MAKE MONEY ON THE MACH E.

UNDERSTAND I AM GOING TO FLORIDA

FOR A COLLEGE TOUR, THE

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, LEAVING

HERE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

I WILL BE IN MIAMI ON THURSDAY

DOING A SHOW ON THURSDAY, AND

JEFF WILL BE HOLDING DOWN THE

FORT ON SOME OF THIS.

>> THE GOOD THING IS THERE WILL

BE NO SHORTAGE OF NEWS, BECAUSE

THERE WILL BE TONS OF COMPANIES

REPORTING, SO THERE WILL BE

PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT.

>> AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY IF

YOU DON'T HEAR ME ON "THE HOME

STRETCH," IT'S BECAUSE I AM IN

FLIGHT OR TEACHING CLASS EVEN.

>> A LOT OF FUN STUFF.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BYE-BYE.

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Blame Monday's decline on the market going up too much, too fast — listen to the 'Homestretch' - CNBC
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Fast food earnings preview: McDonalds, Starbucks, Chipotle, Yum, and more - Yahoo Finance

Fast food giants will report their next quarterly earnings in the coming weeks. What's Wall Street looking out for? Among other things, the impact of inflation on the numbers like the cost of commodities and labor. Also of interest: Store growth and evidence that consumers are cheerier.

The good news is that labor costs and retention rates among employees are gradually improving allowing companies to return to "an increased focus on retention & training,” Lauren Silberman of Credit Suisse said in a note to investors.

Meanwhile, here’s what analysts expect from earnings announcements from five of the biggest food chains:

McDonald's (MCD) is expected to be one of the first to report earnings on Tuesday, January 31, before the market open. Per Bloomberg consensus estimates, the fast food giant is expected to report the following Q4 2022 results:

Revenue: $5.74 billion, down 4.6% year-over-year
Adjusted earnings per share: $2.44, up 6.3% year-over-year
U.S. same-store sales: up 7.62%
International operated markets same-store sales: up 7.56%

Wall Street's take: That revenue is compared to $5.87 billion, when growth was down 5.3% in Q3; that came in higher than Wall Street estimates of $5.70 billion, boosted by higher menu prices.

CITI analyst Jon Tower said the firm expects “a generally positive update” from the company with strong trends here in the U.S., easing foreign exchange headwinds, and improvement in its foreign exposure, specifically “that the European business has already seen the worst of inflation’s impact on the top & bottom-lines.” Tower’s price target is $279.00 and has a Neutral rating.

Starbucks (SBUX) will unveil its next quarterly results, first-quarter fiscal year 2023, on February 2. Analysts expect a boost in revenue:

Revenue: $8.74 billion, up 8.6% year-over-year
Adjusted earnings per share: $0.77 per share, up 2.7% year-over-year
U.S. Same Store Sales: up 9.13%
International Sales: down 3.87%
China Sales: down 13.31%

Wall Street's take: Last quarter, revenue jumped just 3.3%. Credit Suisse's Silberman said the firm still views SBUX as “one of the highest quality growth companies in restaurants,” with accelerating “same-store sales and unit growth, and margin expansion to support 15-20% EPS growth.”

(FILE) SHANGHAI, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 - A Starbucks cafe is seen in Shanghai, China, September 20, 2021. January 8, 2023 - Shanghai has become the first city in the world to have more than 1,000 Starbucks coffee shops, according to data on the number of Starbucks coffee shops in every city in China. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

That makes Starbucks an “an attractive risk/reward” stock. Silberman also expects the removal of the zero-COVID 19 policy in China to boost sales.

The U.S. is the elephant in the room: Analysts are also expecting to hear more from the company about the changes to its reward program, which has gotten some poor reviews from fans. Those are set to take effect in the next fiscal quarter on February 13. Credit Suisse has an Outperform rating on shares and a price target of $116.00.

Starbucks reported its fourth-quarter 2022 fiscal year 2022 results back in November.

Yum! Brands (YUM), which operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell ,and Habit Burger Grill, is expected to report February 8; analysts expect a big jump in earnings per share:

Revenue: $1.9 billion, up 1.7% year-over-year
Adjusted earnings per share: $1.26 per share, up 23.3% year-over-year
Same-Store Sales: up 4.40%

Wall Street's take: On Dec. 13, the fast food company hosted an Investor Day. Executives outlined system-sales growth of 10% for its Q4 2022, driven by strength in the Taco Bell U.S. business.

Andrew Charles of Cowen, who has a price target of $155.00 and Outperform rating, said there was major "upside" to Taco Bell's same-store sales, which makes up roughly 30% of the company's operating profits. Charles added that opportunities for upside include how the brand balances value and premium menu innovation, and "to a lesser degree" how the company benefits from late-night sales (8 p.m.- close). That's "where the brand is having an easier time staffing versus peers," he said. Digital is a focus, accounting for $24 billion in sales as of Q3 2022, with a 40% digital sales mix.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) is expected to report on February 7. For its fiscal fourth-quarter results, analysts expect:

Revenue: $2.23 billion, up 13.9% year-over-year
Adjusted earnings per share: $8.92 per share, up 63.1% year-over-year
Same-store sales: 7.06%

Wall Street's take: Last quarter, Chipotle brought in revenue of $2.23 billion, up 13.9% year-over-year. CITI, however, believes this quarter's expectations are “muted,” given "company guidance around negative traffic and we understand the simple bear narrative (macro/too much price = persistent traffic issue).” In particular, Chipotle was directly impacted by the rising cost of avocados. To offset higher costs of food and labor, Chipotle raised menu prices 4% in August. That was the third time in 15 months. CITI has a Buy rating and $1,986 price target.

A meal is seen in a Chipotle outlet in this photo illustration in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

This comes as Chipotle has big plans for the new year. Ahead of its busy season (March to May), it plans to hire 15,000 workers. This will help with the ultimate long-term goal to reach 7,000 locations in North America, with plans to open as many as 285 new restaurants in 2023, per Q3 results. BTIG Managing Director Peter Saleh told Yahoo Finance when it comes to growth plans, "they've been consistently stepping it up every year."

Shake Shack (SHAK) is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter results on February 16th after market close.

Revenue: $238.4 million, up 17.3% year-over-year
Adjusted earnings per share: -$0.11, down 11.1% year-over-year
Same-Store sales: 5.23%

Wall Street's take: Shake Shack gave investors a preliminary look at its fourth-quarter results and its 2023 outlook at the ICR conference, a three-day event run by ICR partners. The burger chain announced plans to open 65 to 70 domestic and international locations in 2023, 40 of which will be company operated and nearly 30 owned by franchisers. One key development in the works: more drive thru locations, which tend to boost sales.

Goldman Sachs was encouraged by the preliminary results. The firm wrote in a note, "We are excited by SHAK’s diversification of store formats and think this will be key in driving unit growth for the company." The firm has a Buy rating and $56 price target.

Peter Saleh of BTIG, who moderated the interview at the conference, maintained a Buy rating and $60 price target following the preliminary results.

In a note to investors, he said: "While management did not get into detailed discussion on commodities or labor, it does appear as if the company is seeing promise in these areas, similar to the rest of the industry. While guidance for 1Q23 and the full year is lower than anticipated, we believe that could prove conservative as margin pressures ease while pricing remains elevated."

Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) is expected to announce fourth-quarter results on Feb. 15. Analysts expect the following

Revenue: $901.87 million, up 16.1% year-over-year
Adjusted earnings per share: $0.58, up 18.9% year-over-year
Same-Store Sales:

Wall Street's take: Year-to-date shares are up more than 20%, despite two downgrades from analysts. UBS downgraded shares of from Neutral to Sell. UBS Analyst Dennis Geiger expects store sales to slow down for the fast-casual chain and for higher food and labor costs to take a toll on the company's bottom line. Whereas CITI downgraded the stock from a Buy to Neutral. CITI Analyst Jon Tower said that inflation and "no incremental plans" to tackle these higher costs makes it hard to gauge how the casual chain plans to grow its bottom line.

—

Brooke DiPalma is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.

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Fast food earnings preview: McDonalds, Starbucks, Chipotle, Yum, and more - Yahoo Finance
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Study: Gen Z does not feel prepared for success in a digital world - Fast Company

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Study: Gen Z does not feel prepared for success in a digital world Fast Company
Study: Gen Z does not feel prepared for success in a digital world - Fast Company
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Sunday, January 29, 2023

Ukraine: 'Fast-track' talks underway for missiles, planes - The Associated Press - en Español

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in “fast-track” talks on the possibility of equipping the invaded country with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide said Saturday.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine’s supporters in the West “understand how the war is developing” and the need to supply planes capable of providing cover for the armored fighting vehicles that the United States and Germany pledged at the beginning of the month.

However, in remarks to online video channel Freedom, Podolyak said that some of Ukraine’s Western partners maintain a “conservative” attitude to arms deliveries, “due to fear of changes in the international architecture.” Russia and North Korea have accused the West of prolonging and taking a direct role in the war by sending Kyiv increasingly sophisticated weapons.

“We need to work with this. We must show (our partners) the real picture of this war,” Podolyak said, without naming specific countries. “We must speak reasonably and tell them, for example, ‘This and this will reduce fatalities, this will reduce the burden on infrastructure. This will reduce security threats to the European continent, this will keep the war localized.’ And we are doing it.”

Russia-Ukraine war

The U.S. and Germany agreed Wednesday to share advanced tanks with Ukraine along with the Bradley and Marder vehicles promised earlier, a decision that led to criticism not only from the Kremlin but from the prime minister of NATO and European Union member Hungary.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asserted Friday that Western countries providing weapons and money to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia have “drifted” into becoming active participants in the conflict. Orban has refused to send weapons to neighboring Ukraine and sought to block EU funds earmarked for military aid.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it would summon Hungary’s ambassador to complain about Orban’s remarks. A ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, said Orban told reporters that Ukraine was “a no-man’s land” and compared it to Afghanistan.

“Such statements are completely unacceptable. Budapest continues on its course to deliberately destroy Ukrainian-Hungarian relations,” Nikolenko said in a Facebook post.

President Joe Biden’s announcement that the U.S. would send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine reversed months of arguments by Washington that they were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain.

The U.S. decision persuaded German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had expressed concern about a unilateral action drawing Russia’s wrath, to agree to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany’s stocks and to allow European countries with tanks to send some of theirs.

Western weapons have proven essential to Ukraine’s defense while stoking ever-higher tensions with Moscow. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that Ukrainian forces used U.S.-made HIMARS rockets to strike a hospital in the eastern Ukrainian town of Novoaidar, killing 14 people.

Novoaidar is located in Luhansk province, which is almost entirely under the control of Russian forces or Russian-backed separatists. The Russian Defense Ministry alleged the hospital was deliberately targeted. Its claim of a strike in Novoaidar could not be immediately verified.

“A deliberate missile attack on a known operating civilian medical institution is an unconditional grave war crime of the Kyiv regime,” the ministry said, according to Russian news agencies.

Amid the news of the Western pledges of heavy tanks, Russia bombarded Ukraine with missiles, exploding drones and artillery shells this week. The attacks continued Saturday, when Russian missiles struck the city of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province.

The missiles fell in a residential area, killing three civilians, wounding 14 and damaging four high-rise apartment buildings, a hotel and garages, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

“Kostyantynivka is a city relatively far from the front line, but still, it constantly suffers from enemy attacks. Everyone who remains in the city exposes themselves to mortal danger,” Kyrylenko said. “The Russians target civilians because they are not able to fight the Ukrainian army.”

In a separate Telegram post earlier Saturday, Kyrylenko reported that Russian attacks in the province killed four civilians in all and wounded seven others in 24 hours.

Russian rockets hit a residential area the Donestsk town of Chasiv Yar on Friday night, killing of two people and wounding five more, the governor said. Photos attached to Kyrylenko’s post showed a three-story school building on fire.

Donetsk province, where the territory is roughly split between Russian and Ukrainian control, has become the battle epicenter of the war as Moscow tries to jump-start a monthslong, grinding offensive to capture the city of Bakhmut.

Chasiv Yar lies on a hill strategically located for the defense of Bakhmut, and has come under intensified Russian shelling. Capturing Bakhmut would allow Russian troops to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines and potentially pave the way for them to threaten Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the largest remaining Ukrainian-held cities in the country’s east.

Russian forces continued ground attacks around Bakhmut and Avdiivka, another Donetsk city to the south, while Ukrainian troops were on the offensive in southern and northeast Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said in a Saturday morning update.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that Russian troops “are defending themselves” near Lyman in Luhansk and Kharkiv provinces north of Donetsk, as well in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces in the south.

The fighting has largely been deadlocked over the past months, with winter conditions slowing down ground operations and neither side reporting significant progress.

In the same update, the military reported that Russian forces launched 10 missile strikes, 26 air strikes and 81 shelling attacks on Ukrainian territory between Friday and Saturday mornings. The shelling killed two civilians in Kherson, another province that is partly Russian-occupied.

Podolyak, the presidential adviser, said Ukraine needs supplies of Western long-range missiles “to drastically curtail the key tool of the Russian army” by destroying the warehouses where it stores cannon artillery used on the front line.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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Ukraine: 'Fast-track' talks underway for missiles, planes - The Associated Press - en Español
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Saturday, January 28, 2023

Ukraine war: ‘Fast-track’ talks between Kyiv and the West underway for missiles, planes - Global News

Ukraine and its Western allies are engaged in “fast-track” talks on the possibility of equipping the invaded country with long-range missiles and military aircraft, a top Ukrainian presidential aide said Saturday.

“We need to work with this. We must show (our partners) the real picture of this war,” Podolyak said, without naming specific countries. “We must speak reasonably and tell them, for example, `This and this will reduce fatalities, this will reduce the burden on infrastructure. This will reduce security threats to the European continent, this will keep the war localized.’ And we are doing it.”

Click to play video: 'Russia says tank deliveries to Ukraine ‘direct involvement’ by West in conflict'

3:14 Russia says tank deliveries to Ukraine ‘direct involvement’ by West in conflict

“Such statements are completely unacceptable. Budapest continues on its course to deliberately destroy Ukrainian-Hungarian relations,” Nikolenko said in a Facebook post.

Click to play video: 'No indication that Putin intends to use nuclear weapons: Kirby'

0:26 No indication that Putin intends to use nuclear weapons: Kirby

The missiles fell in a residential area, killing three civilians, wounding 14 and damaging four high-rise apartment buildings, a hotel and garages, Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

In a separate Telegram post earlier Saturday, Kyrylenko reported that Russian attacks in the province killed four civilians in all and wounded seven others in 24 hours.

Click to play video: '‘Game changer’: Germany officially approves sending Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine'

2:38 ‘Game changer’: Germany officially approves sending Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine

The fighting has largely been deadlocked over the past months, with winter conditions slowing down ground operations and neither side reporting significant progress.

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Ukraine war: ‘Fast-track’ talks between Kyiv and the West underway for missiles, planes - Global News
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