TikTok CEO’s testimony went viral

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And here’s what’s on today’s agenda:

• The internet is loving TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s Congressional testimony.
• First-time real-estate investors turn to “house hacking.”
• Amazon’s HR chief rejected a petition against the new return-to-office policy.

— Shona Ghosh

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TikTok in Congress

Chew testified in front of Congress on Thursday, as calls for a forced sale of its US business or a nationwide ban gain momentum.

The hearing quickly devolved into a bloodbath of “yes or no” questions from politicians on both sides of the aisle, several of whom appeared uninterested in hearing full responses from the executive.

An analyst with Wedbush wrote that the testimony was a “disaster” moment for TikTok. But snippets from the testimony went viral, with people mocking the proceedings and saying that lawmakers don’t know the app well enough to litigate it. And soon, Chew had the internet eating out of his hand.

‘House hacking,’ Amazon leak, & more

• Some real-estate investors use a technique called “house hacking.” Insider’s Kathleen Elkins talked to dozens of real-estate investors about how they financed their first deals — and found that many rented out a portion of their home to cover their housing costs. More on the “hack” here.
• Amazon’s HR chief flatly rejected a petition against a new return-to-office policy. The HR executive told roughly 30,000 employees who signed the petition that most corporate workers will need to come into the office three times a week. Read the leaked message here.
• Starbucks’ new CEO says that he’ll work a half-day behind a store counter each month. Laxman Narasimhan said he’s trained as a barista to immerse himself in the brand. Read his letter to staff.
• “I added the ‘scary hour’ hack to my mornings.” Vip Sitaraman, a consultant and entrepreneur, uses a productivity technique to help him block off one hour to tackle the most daunting but impactful task on his plate. Here’s how it transformed his focus.
• The latest late-night email from Elon Musk to Twitter staff: He reportedly told them in an email sent at 2:30 a.m. that the “office is not optional,” according to Platformer’s Zoë Schiffer. More here.
• Ukraine’s older US Abrams tanks might still prove too much for Russia’s Soviet-era tanks in battle. Washington is fast-tracking Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine. Despite being an older model, the tanks have a track record of defeating Soviet-era tanks. Read more.
• A couple is accusing JPMorgan of selling $10 million of their jewelry. The couple from the Philippines says that the bank drilled open four safe deposit boxes after it did not receive rent for them and sold $8 to $10 million worth of their valuables. The full story.

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