Apple Claims 30% of WeChat Tips

     Apple Inc. has made a bold move against WeChat, the self proclaimed "App For Everything."  This September Apple told various Chinese social networking apps, including the extremely popular WeChat, to remove their tipping function or give 30% of these payments to them.  Apple currently takes 30% of the revenue from all other in-app purchases, so tips will simply be treated in the same manner.  China is already the biggest market for in-app purchases with a record $2 billion of earnings in the fourth quarter of 2016.  Despite this success, Apple's overall revenue and market share are falling in China.  By taking this tip money Apple hopes to improve its stability in the world's most populated nation.
      However this change is unlikely to help improve Apple's position in China.  WeChat is extremely popular in China and many citizens would rather carry a different phone then abandon the app.  Furthermore, WeChat already has a significantly larger user base then ios.  If Apple gets what they want WeChat will lose functionality; either the user cannot tip or received tips will be worth 30% less then what the user paid.  Apple's struggle with WeChat may even cause this popular app to boycott the App Store and its loyal users will be forced to switch to Android, the largest mobile operating system.  Ultimately Apple may be sacrificing the entire WeChat user base for the sake of slight increase in revenue.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-tip-for-apple-in-china-your-hunger-for-revenue-may-cost-you-1495100964

Facebook Users were targeted by a Russian Scheme

The 2016 elections were nothing short of a calamity; compromised by Russian interference, sabotage, and a lot of media drama. What took the cake though, was the Russian interference. Although consistently denied by Putin, it has been proven that there was indeed Russian interference in more than one way. Through Facebook, Hacking, and other different methods it tampered and even influenced the way voters voted.

More specifically, the Facebook ads were targeted at specific groups with divisive content and were meant to trigger these specific crowds. These crowds were typically tied down to grassroot, embedded, and systematic problems here in America. Some of these groups were African American groups against police brutality and inequality and another group that was significantly divisive, an anti immigration group. These groups, or Facebook entities, were respectively called "Blacktivist" and  "Secured Borders"

These two groups are just a couple of the hundreds of accounts on Facebook that were found to be targeting a specific group of people, usually activists and nationalists, which was really a genius move. Because both of these groups are extremely passionate and to this day have ongoing issues, they are easy targets because they cause a lot of commotion and also gain a lot of traction and publicity. With that being said, the accounts Blacktivist and Secured Borders were able to garner hundreds of thousands of followers and after they managed to capture their followers, they consistently posted election propaganda. Russians influenced American voters through Facebook; what a time to be alive.


https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-users-were-unwitting-targets-of-russia-backed-scheme-1507918659

Building up from Bankruptcy

The Caesars Entertainment Corporation has seen the expansion of the casino industry as a threat. The company had to filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and needing to pay back more than $16,000 billion dollars. The addition of Pennsylvania and Maryland as new states that have legalized casinos, has reduced the number of customers that visit Caesars in New Jersey, once dominated by the Caesars Entertainment Corporation. Even though more states have legalized the casino industry and is a threat to Caesars Entertainment Corporation, the entire industry as a whole is not doing that great. Corporations are seeing a decline in the revenue from gambling. On the other hand, companies are experiencing an increase in revenue from hotel rooms, entertainment, food, and beverages.

Instead of focusing on improving the casino industry, Caesars is looking to expand towards new areas where they can have better revenues such as finding new acquisitions and improving current facilities owned. In order for their new strategy to become a strength, the corporation has hired James Hunt, who previously worked as an executive for the Walt Disney Company to become the chairman of the board at Caesars Entertainment Corporation. It was a good decision to hire someone who has a lot of experience working  in the entertainment business  because past experiences can help to know how to bring Caesars back to a successful company.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/caesars-entertainment-unit-preparing-to-exit-bankruptcy-1507303087

Are any kinds of muscle building drugs good for you?

Zara Ahmad
Dispute Over Muscle-Building Drugs Goes to Court
https://www.wsj.com/articles/dispute-over-unregulated-muscle-building-drugs-goes-to-court-1507817295
7:00 PM

       Body builders taking substances to enhance their bodies is not a new concept to anyone. However, is one muscle building drug safer than another or are they all equally as bad? Former bankruptcy lawyer Dr. Hughes, aka Dr. Huge on Youtube, promotes Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) as safer alternatives to steroids and says he takes them in "megadoses and is huge". Dr. Hughes and other users of SARMs say that they accelerate muscle and bone growth, however do not have side effects as bad as other steroids such as acne, baldness and breast enlargement.
        Though some think these muscle building drugs are a safer option, there are others who are completely against this idea and are trying to fight it, such as the trial lawyer Robert Tauler. Robert Tauler represents a rival supplement maker and is trying to banish SARMs from the online marketplace. He accuses the vendors of falsely advertising and marketing the substance as safe when the substance is more dangerous to the liver than is being told. Tauler has been been filing lawsuits since 2015, saying he is pretty much filling a void which is left by the FDA since they are not taking much action regarding these substances. He has been very adamant about getting to the bottom of this and is so persistent that he now has a harassment suit against him.
        Looking into the background of Mr. Tauler and his actions, it seems as if he is trying to figure out this information in order to exploit the competition, instead of worrying about the consumers' health, since he does represent another supplement. If SARMs are doing better than the supplement than those he represents, he obviously would not be paid as much or might even lose a client because they would be out of business.
       

Increased Auto sales during Hurricanes

Zara Ahmad
GM, Ford, Toyota post sharply higher sales in September
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gm-ford-toyota-post-sharply-higher-sales-in-september-1507040490
6:08 PM

      For the past couple of months car sales have been at a decline more so family type cars than others. Since Hurricane Harvey hit in September, many show rooms have been backed up on their inventory with previous decline in sales and then during the time of a natural disaster many cars were ruined. The sales of many auto companies rose, however, near the end of September. There were many auto companies that had sales on their cars because of too much inventory and because of the effect of the hurricane. 

       Auto company sales were boosted because there were so many cars on sale, and many people lost their cars during the hurricane so they needed to get new ones. Many of the cars people bought were sturdy trucks or family cars which helped auto companies because they needed those cars to be sold just as much as other people needed to buy new cars. Not only were auto companies flourishing in Houston, but they were in Florida as well after the hurricane that hit there right after Harvey.

Ex-First Lady Quits Mexico’s Conservative Party, Prepares for Presidential Bid

Ex-First Lady Quits Mexico’s Conservative Party, Prepares for Presidential Bid

Oct. 6, 2017 6:01 p.m. ET

Mexico’s former first lady, Margarita Zavala, has resigned from the National Action Party (PAN) and hopes to run as an independent in the Mexico’s July 1^st Presidential Election. Analysts predict that with her great popularity, she will easily obtain the 867,000 signatures in at least 17 states that she needs to be able to run. Ms. Zavala has been part of the PAN party since 1984, worked as a local Mexico City lawmaker in 1994, and was a federal lawmaker from 2003 to 2006. In 2006, her husband, Fidel Calderon, took the presidency but she remained a discreet first lady. However, she promises to uphold her political duties. Ms. Zavala wanted to represent the PAN party, but after internal disputes, she separated and made the decision of running as independent. Many polls place her as the leading candidate, but some analysts emphasize the fact that the division in party will only benefit the less popular Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Despite the PRI’s decreasing popularity because of increasing corruption and crime under the current administration of Enrique Peña Nieto, the division could put them in the lead as anti-PRI citizens will divide their votes between the PAN and Ms. Zavala. Nonetheless, the former first lady vows to make fighting corruption and strengthening the rule of law her two main priorities.

Presidential campaigns are a form of marketing as the candidates brand and market themselves to appeal to their “customers”. Mexico has had some rough years under the power of the PRI and is hoping for better days under a better leader, so the candidates must bring their best cards to the table. The current president has brought the country a rising amount of corruption and crime. An advantage of Ms. Zavala is that she is a woman and will be seen by many as more trustworthy. She is described to be a hard-working politician, “devout Catholic and mother of three” which puts a nurturing light to her (Montes).

With the upcoming presidential election and the tension between the United States and Mexico, citizens of both countries must be aware of how relationships between the countries could change and affect them. Also, with the increasing corruption and unethical leaders rising to power worldwide, people must be alert of what is happening in the world.

Wall Street Journal

IKEA to Test Selling Products via Third-Party Websites

IKEA plans to make its products accessible through other online platforms. They haven't decided yet which online sellers they will sell through or in which markets. IKEA has a strategy for becoming the world's most successful retailer. Their forward-thinking strategy made it the top furniture seller in the world. Despite IKEA's widespread popularity in homes and offices everywhere, IKEA wants to take this step to make its furniture accessible to more people.  

IKEA already offers home delivery so that customers can order online and have products delivered. This makes it easier for customers to buy IKEA's products. But selling through third-party websites would expand IKEA’s distribution network beyond its own websites and 355 stores. 

"News of the move came as IKEA Group, Inter IKEA’s biggest franchisee, on Tuesday reported total retail sales of €34.1 billion for the year ended Aug. 31, up 3.6% from the year earlier when adjusted for currency impacts." This expansion strategy would increase their sales even more as they compete with Amazon and other retailers. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ikea-to-trial-selling-products-via-third-party-websites-1507638366