Landlords face a reckoning

Now, here’s what’s on tap today:

• The wild traffic hack that could pave the way for self-driving cars.
• Landlords who bought thousands of apartments are facing a reckoning.
• NYC’s hottest new trend: a “game-changing” weight-loss drug.

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Twitter, ‘Doomsday Mom,’ & more

• Donald Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a ‘brilliant man’ and said there is no one in Hollywood with the good looks or brains to play him in a movie. More here.
• More companies are suing Twitter, claiming that it owes them around $230,000 in unpaid bills. Read on — and about how former top Twitter executives are also suing the company for $1 million in what they say are unpaid bills.
• Lori Vallow, the ‘Doomsday Mom,’ asked to be excused from trial for ‘mental health’ reasons, but a judge is making her stay. Read more here.

Wild traffic hack

Yes, the light is partially for drivers like you … but also for self-driving cars.

Ali Hajbabaie, a civil engineer, envisions a state of complete harmony between humans and machines — even on the road.

The big idea is that self-driving cars need smarter roads, and Hajbabaie wants to rewire the traffic infrastructure to control the flow of both people and robots.

“The end goal,” Hajbabaie told Adam Rogers, a senior tech correspondent at Insider, “is to bring connected self-driving-car technology into traffic-control systems, to make intersections safer and more environmentally friendly.”

TikTok, landlords & more

• TikTok’s power of resurrection. TikTok has the power to push decades-old songs to the top of the charts. We created a visual database of songs that have gone viral that are more than 20 years old, including “Baby Got Back,” “No Scrubs,” and “Lady Marmalade.” Check it out.
• Landlords who bought thousands of apartments are facing a reckoning. Investors showed an outsize interest in apartment buildings during the pandemic. Now distress looms as rents have stalled and expenses have grown. Read more.
• A “game-changing” weight-loss drug is NYC’s hottest new trend. An Upper East Side pharmacist says that middle-aged women are seeking out semaglutide, the weight-loss drug sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, despite shortages. More here.
• Russian paratroopers are getting a powerful new weapon in Ukraine. UK intel says Russia is supplying its airborne force with thermobaric tank-mounted “heavy flamethrowers,” an attempt to make them more deadly after a string of failures. Read on.
• More tech employees should expect to lose their jobs. Even after 330,000 roles got wiped out, there are signs that some tech firms have not gone far enough to adjust to a new economic reality. What may happen next.
• Stop making rookie mistakes when negotiating for more money. Phrases like “take it or leave it” or “this is my final offer” could cost you that pay rise. A negotiations expert revealed five mistakes that even senior leaders can make — and what you should do instead. Read more.
• The world’s most expensive license plate just sold for $15 million. The “P 7” plate was sold at a charity auction in Dubai on Saturday. Check it out.
• Elizabeth Holmes’ request to remain free on bail was denied by a US judge. The judge said  Holmes’ purchase of a one-way ticket to Mexico was a “bold move” and “ill-advised.” More here.

Planes & trains

How Crime Works

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