ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., April 26, 2018 – On Friday, May 4th at 10pm ET/PT, CNBC presents “Warren Buffett: Investor. Teacher. Icon.” a one-hour documentary reported by CNBC’s Becky Quick that examines Buffett’s role as a teacher who has profoundly affected people, both by his own example and through his life lessons. The program premieres the night before the Annual Shareholders Meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the company that Buffett has led for more than 50 years and turned into a behemoth now worth almost half a trillion dollars.
More than just one of the most successful investors in history, Buffett possesses a rare blend of brilliance and common sense, which has made him a mentor and teacher to people around the world. For decades, the unassuming 87-year-old has imparted his wisdom in writings and speeches, in newspapers and on television, and notably, to the thousands of investors and devotees who make the pilgrimage to the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, each May. For the many who make the trip, and for the countless others who don’t, Buffett’s teachings are aspirational, meaningful, and even life-changing.
CNBC’s Becky Quick, who has been covering Buffett for more than a decade, meets a range of people whose lives have been influenced and changed by Buffett’s example and his teachings. Some are famous, and others unknown, everyday folks, some running small ventures, who feel a connection to one of the wealthiest people on the planet. Quick profiles an NFL superstar planning for life after football, a military veteran who did two tours in Afghanistan, and a young man who attributes his recovery from an opioid addiction in part to Buffett’s principles of ethics and integrity. Quick also visits the Hudson Booksellers at the Omaha airport, whose manager makes 20% of his annual sales during the weekend of the Shareholders Meeting by stocking up on books about, or recommended by, Buffett and his business partner, Charlie Munger.
“Warren Buffett: Investor. Teacher. Icon.” presents an intimate look at Buffett through the eyes of those who follow him closely, as well as from never-before-seen footage of Buffett visiting his old house and neighborhood in Washington, D.C., where he lived as a teenager and cultivated his entrepreneurial spirit, delivering newspapers.
Beyoncé Partners With Google.org in Announcing Four More Scholarships for Her Homecoming Scholars Award Program for 2018-2019 Following Her Second Electrifying Headlining Show at Coachella
GOOGLE.ORG MATCHES HER ORIGINAL $100,000 GRANT, BEYGOOD URGES OTHER BUSINESSES TO DO THE SAME
FOUR NEW $25,000 GRANTS TO BE AWARDED TO STUDENTS AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, FISK UNIVERSITY, GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY AND MOREHOUSE COLLEGE – ALL HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS)
Beyoncé, through her BeyGOOD initiative, announces a partnership with Google.org, the charitable arm of tech giant Google, to award four new scholarships as part of her Homecoming Scholars Award Program. The iconic performer also issues a challenge to other businesses to join Google.org in investing in excellence through education.
Google.org has matched the $100,000 grant Beyoncé announced last week, which will enable four additional HBCUs to receive $25,000 scholarships for the 2018-2019 academic year. The schools chosen are Texas Southern University, located in Beyoncé’s home city, Houston, Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, the alma mater of her father, Mathew Knowles, Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana and Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. HBCUs are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community.
“Google understands the vital role historically black colleges and universities play in delivering a high quality and culturally responsive education,” states Maab Ibrahim, a Google.org program manager. “In the last several years, Google has launched innovative programs to close the distance between Silicon Valley and HBCUs; we are proud to continue that commitment by matching Beyoncé’s generous donation.”
“Partnering with organizations like Google.org in support of HBCUs is our way of elevating cultural touchstones that paint a clear picture of excellence and opportunity through diverse education,” states Ivy McGregor, Director of Philanthropy and Corporate Relations at Parkwood Entertainment, which houses BeyGOOD. “We challenge other businesses across the country to join us in this commitment to higher education and investment in the future.”
On Saturday, April 14, Beyoncé made history at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival by becoming the first Black woman to headline in the festival’s 19-year run.
The jubilant set, housed on a pyramid stage with 150-plus cast members, dutifully in-sync, was the first time the icon returned to her home, the stage, in over one year.
The show, with its homage to excellence in education, was a celebration of the homecoming weekend experience, the highest display of college pride. The energy-filled production put the spotlight on art and culture, mixing the ancient and the modern, which resonated masterfully through the marching band, performance art, choir and dance. It was the impetus to mark her second scholarship program.
“As a Morehouse graduate myself, I can attest that HBCUs provide both an excellent educational opportunity, as well as a community of support that lasts a lifetime,” says Steve Pamon, President and COO of Parkwood Entertainment, the company serving as the umbrella for Beyoncé’s production and business ventures. “The lifeblood of that community is an annual pilgrimage to homecoming. This scholarship program can ensure that more students will enjoy the HBCU experience that continues to enrich my life.”
A total of eight schools will now receive Homecoming Scholars awards for the 2018-2019 academic year, including awards previously-announced for Xavier University of Louisiana, Wilberforce University in Ohio, Tuskegee University in Alabama and Bethune-Cookman University in Florida.
One winner from each school will receive $25K for the 2018-2019 academic year for study in various fields. This is the second year of scholars programs created by Beyoncé.
The Formation Scholars Awards Program, also a merit scholarship program, was established in April 2017 in celebration of the one-year anniversary of LEMONADE, Beyoncé’s critically-acclaimed and globally-lauded 2016 visual album. The Formation Scholars awards encouraged and supported young women who are bold, creative, conscious, confident and unafraid to think outside of the box.
The Homecoming Scholars Award Program for 2018-2019 will expand to qualifying students at the universities, regardless of gender. The disciplines will include literature, creative arts, African-American studies, science, education, business, communications, social sciences, computer science and engineering. All applicants must maintain a 3.5 GPA or above. All finalists and winners will be selected by the universities. Winners will be announced this summer.
The president insisted he didn’t spend a night in Moscow. Records show he did.
Written By | Mary Papenfuss
President Donald Trump reportedly told former FBI Director James Comey — twice — that he didn’t spend a single night in Moscow when the infamous “pee tape” was allegedly made.
But Bloomberg and Politico have obtained flight records for Trump’s jet that indicate he actually spent two nights in the Russian capital when he traveled there for the Miss Universe Pageant in 2013.
A dossier of information about Trump collected by former British agent Christopher Steele claims that Russian agents secretly filmed Trump at the Moscow Ritz-Carlton that weekend as he instructed prostitutes to urinate on a bed that then-President Barack Obama had slept in.
The New York Times reported last year that Trump traveled to Moscow on a plane owned by casino mogul Phil Ruffin. Bloomberg and Politico obtained flight records for a Bombardier Global Express jet owned by Ruffin Development Expositions that left the U.S. on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013 and landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport the following day. The jet left the city early Sunday at 3:58 a.m. after Trump attended the pageant.
Ruffin’s spokeswoman Michelle Knoll confirmed to Politico that Trump used the aircraft for his trip.
It’s not known which night the tape was allegedly recorded, but Trump’s bodyguard Keith Schiller testified last year that he turned down an offer from an unknown Russian to send five sex workers to Trump’s Moscow hotel room at some point that weekend, sources told NBC. Schiller said he kept an eye on Trump’s hotel room for a while, then went to bed himself.
Trump’s own social media accounts seem to support the argument that he was in Russia at least overnight. In one Facebook post, Trump poses in a photo outside Nobu Moscow on Friday, Nov. 8, 2013. The pageant was held on Saturday. On Sunday evening, Trump tweeted that he’d “just got back from Russia.”
After Trump became president, Comey said he warned him about Steele’s dossier, which had been turned over to the FBI. Trump denied spending a single night in Moscow. Comey told ABC this month that Trump responded by asking, “Do I look like a guy who needs hookers?” (Comey added: “I assumed he was asking that rhetorically.”)
Trump also said he’d “spoken to people who had been on … the trip … and they had reminded him that he didn’t stay over night in Russia,” Comey recalled in a memo. Trump insisted again later in the Oval Office that he “hadn’t stayed overnight in Russia during the Miss Universe trip,” Comey wrote.
In addition, Trump told his FBI director that he could never go for the “golden showers thing” because “I’m … a germaphobe,” Comey wrote in his memoir A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.
If Trump deliberately lied to Comey, it could indicate “consciousness of guilt” and could bolster a case against him by special counsel Robert Mueller, former federal prosecutor Pete Zeidenberg told Politico.
Trump’s Miss Universe pageant has posed multiple problems for the president. The New Yorker reported earlier this year that Trump has used the pageant to cultivate potential business partners, including in Russia, where he hoped to build a Trump tower. In 2013, he cemented an alliance with father and singer son Aras and Emin Agalarov, who hosted the pageant in Moscow.
In the summer of 2016, a publicist for Emin Agalarov emailed Donald Trump Jr. offering damaging information about Hillary Clinton as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” Donald Jr. replied: “I love it” — and later attended a meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, among others.
In the first few months of 2018, many large projects in Midtown have begun to wrap up. But don’t fret, development wonks of Atlanta!
As ongoing projects have delivered, a variety of newly announced ventures promises to continue the development trend.
While the huge list of pending and proposed projects in the 1.2-square-mile Midtown Improvement District has diminished slightly from nearly 50 back in 2017, there’s still plenty of momentum in Atlanta’s hotbed for construction.
Here’s the latest rundown, in map form:
1 The Peach
PROPOSED—A long-abandoned midcentury office tower, seen by hundreds-of-thousands of commuters per day, is destined to be transformed into 107 residences. Known as “The Peach” for its distinctive rooftop adornment, the building is being overhauled by local firm Smith Dalia.
2 SCAD dorm tower
UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Work has begun on a tiny sliver of land behind the SCAD facility on Peachtree Street to clear the way for an upscale new dorm. Plans call for the 14-story building to house nearly 600 students in about 100 units and be open in time for the 2020 school year.
3 Boundary
PROPOSED—Parkside Partners has unveiled plans by ASD|SKY to revamp the structures north of 17th Street, combining 1389, 1401, and 1409 Peachtree into a single office structure with street retail. The project would also create a 300-foot linear park paralleling Atlanta’s main street.
4 Ascent Midtown
UNDER CONSTRUCTION—The dual-tower project has nearly topped out, with the 14-story hotel (176 rooms) aiming to finish in summer 2018. The taller, 27-story residential tower with 328 units is expected to be complete in early 2019.
1295 Spring Street NW
PROPOSED—After years of rumors and non-starter proposals, plans were revealed earlier this year for the major redevelopment of more than eight acres near Arts Center MARTA Station. The first phase of development on the “Metlife Site” calls for more than 500,000 square feet of office space and nearly 100,000 square feet of street retail.
Interface headquarters
UNDER CONSTRUCTION—This project by Parkside Partners is transforming an existing three-story office building across the street from Arts Center MARTA Station. The building will serve as the headquarters for Interface and feature silhouetted trees on the glass facade.
Arts Center MARTA TOD
PROPOSED—Back in 2016, MARTA entered discussions to develop up to four high-rises above Arts Center Station in Midtown. Developers Cousins Properties and Integral Group have unveiled limited plans for the project, but there isn’t a timeline.
Alliance Theatre at Woodruff Arts Center
UNDER CONSTRUCTION—A major overhaul of the facility is underway, sprucing up the Alliance Theatre and providing new support spaces for the building’s 50th anniversary. Designed by Trahan Architects, the project should be complete in 2018.
Spectrum on Spring
UNDER CONSTRUCTION—Work is wrapping up on Pollack Shores’s five-story residential building next to the Connector. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent, the building will bring 256 apartments and 13,500 square feet of retail.
Hampton Inn & Suites
UNDER CONSTRUCTION—After years of proposals and speculation, construction has restarted on a 19-story hotel, designed by Lindsay Pope Brayfield Clifford & Associates. If built as previously announced, the Hampton Inn & Suites would feature 169 rooms.
ATLANTA–When the largest manufacturing and supply chain expo of 2018, MODEX 2018, opens on April 9 it will include over 850 exhibits from leading solution providers and a comprehensive Educational Conference of over 100 sessions focusing on best-in-class solutions for manufacturing and supply chain operations. MODEX 2018 exhibits will represent all segments of the material handling, logistics and transportation industry, from traditional, manual equipment to computerized, automated systems and smart, connected supply chain technologies.
#MODEXshow -The Biggest Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expo of 2018 is Coming to Atlanta April 9-12
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The MODEX Conference will include four keynotes and new theaters on smart city logistics and connected supply chain solutions and transportation and logistics solutions. The Conference also features over 100 show floor educational seminars covering leading trends, best practices and state-of-the-art equipment and technology solutions that can make manufacturing and the entire supply chain work more efficiently and profitably. The Georgia Logistics Summit (GLS) is once again collocated with MODEX in 2018. The Monday Keynote is co-presented by MODEX and GLS.
“MHI has expanded the educational and networking offerings at MODEX 2018 to provide attendees with the best possible show experience and to connect them with the information and tools they need to tackle the challenges of today’s always-on business environment,” said George Prest, CEO of MHI. “MODEX brings the industry together to showcase the latest solutions for future manufacturing and supply chain challenges.”
April 9 Keynote: Anticipating Tomorrow’s Supply Chain Challenges – Today
Juan Perez, Chief Information and Engineering Officer, UPS
April 10 Keynote: Harnessing Our Digital Future — How the Digital Revolution is Accelerating Innovation, Driving Productivity and Irreversibly Transforming Employment
Andrew McAfee, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Initiative on the Digital Economy and a Principal Research Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management
April 11 Keynote Panel: Preview of MHI 2018 Annual Industry Report
George W. Prest, CEO, MHI and Scott Sopher, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP
April 11 Keynote: Why Dirty Jobs Matter
Mike Rowe, Founder of mikeroweWORKS
April 11: MHI Industry Night with Jim Gaffigan
MODEX will feature an evening of music, food, drinks and entertainment by comedian Jim Gaffigan on Wednesday, April 11. Tickets to this event are $50 and include beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Material Handling Education Foundation, Inc. (MHEFI). The door prize for this event will be a trip of a lifetime vacation. Trip Value: $30,000. See official rules.
Women in the Supply Chain Industry Forum on April 9 at MODEX
MHI has partnered with MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association) to bring an afternoon of discussion, education and networking for women in our industry.
MODEX is the largest manufacturing and supply chain expo held in North America and South America. The event will be held April 9-12, 2018 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.
For more information on exhibiting or attending MODEX, visit MODEXShow.com.
To celebrate “Super Troopers 2,” Hooters to release exclusive chicken wing sauce that, you guessed it, tastes like snozzberries
ATLANTA–You have a right to be freaking out, man. Hooters is partnering with Fox Searchlight Pictures, in honor of its highly-anticipated, cult comedy sequel “Super Troopers 2,” to bring a limited-release Hooters Snozzberry Sauce to participating restaurant locations across the U.S. and Canada on Friday, April 20.
“We can’t give away much right meow, and while the sauce will be on short-supply, we promise it won’t be Szechaun-sauce-short-supply.”
Coinciding with the movie’s theatrical release, Super Troopers fans and chicken wing enthusiasts alike have a limited time to experience Hooters take on the legendary berry. Taking inspiration from the original movie, the sauce was also created to enhance Hooters’ latest wing innovation, Smoked Wings. It’s the perfect psychedelic storm.
“As fans of the original movie, we were lit about the chance to bring the Snozzberry flavor to life,” said Gregg Brickman, executive chef, Hooters of America. “We can’t give away much right meow, and while the sauce will be on short-supply, we promise it won’t be Szechaun-sauce-short-supply.”
The Super Troopers 2 cast will be on the lookout for fan reactions using #HootersSnozzberry. More details to come… but as for the taste? The snozzberries taste like snozzberries.
Hooters Snozzberry Sauce is available in limited quantities at participating Hooters locations across the country beginning April 20, 2018, while supplies last. For additional details, visit hooters.com/supertroopers.
About Super Troopers 2 By FOX Searchlight Pictures
Everyone’s favorite law enforcement team is back by popular demand with the long anticipated follow up to the cult comedy classic…SUPER TROOPERS. When an international border dispute arises between the U.S. and Canada, the Super Troopers – Mac, Thorny, Foster, Rabbit and Farva – are called in to set up a new Highway Patrol station in the disputed area. Unconventional police work follows, and the result is…SUPER TROOPERS 2.
TOKYO–Nobuaki Kurumatani today took office as the first Chairman and CEO of Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) to be appointed from outside the company in over 50 years.
Commenting on his appointment as Representative Executive Officer and Chairman and CEO, Mr. Kurumatani said, “I am honored to be appointed CEO, and very much aware of the responsibilities I take on. Toshiba is not just any company. Its corporate DNA has realized countless Japan- and world-first technologies and products, made Toshiba a source of pride in Japan for nearly 145 years, and also made us a global leader.
“I believe that helping Toshiba back on its feet is my true calling. I am here at Toshiba to support change and transformation, and I see my role as to build on the company’s resilience and to lead its recovery. To secure growth, we must radically improve our earning power and reinforce our finances. We must move out of our comfort zone and promote fundamental reforms.”
Mr. Kurumatani most recently served as President of CVC Asia Pacific Japan (CVC). Before joining CVC in May 2017, he was Deputy President and a Director of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, one of the largest financial institutions in Japan, where his career was devoted to corporate planning, public relations and internal auditing. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo, where he studied Economics.
Satoshi Tsunakawa has taken on a new role in Toshiba as Representative Executive Officer and President, and Chief Operations Officer (COO). From today on, Mr. Kurumatani and Mr. Tsunakawa will together execute the management of Toshiba Group.
President Donald Trump on Sunday declared “NO MORE” to a deal to help “Dreamer” immigrants and threatened to pull out of a free trade agreement with Mexico unless it does more to stop people from crossing into the U.S. He claimed they’re coming to take advantage of protections granted certain immigrants.
“NO MORE DACA DEAL!” Trump tweeted one hour after he began the day by wishing his followers a “HAPPY EASTER!”
He said Mexico must “stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!” The U.S., Canada and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement at Trump’s insistence. Trump says NAFTA is bad for the U.S.
“Mexico has got to help us at the border,” Trump, holding his wife’s hand, told reporters before the couple attended Easter services at an Episcopal church near his Palm Beach home. “If they’re not going to help us at the border, it’s a very sad thing between our two countries.”
“A lot of people are coming in because they want to take advantage of DACA,” he added.
Former President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to provide temporary protection and work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who are living in the U.S. illegally after being brought here as children. Trump ended the program last year, but gave Congress six months to pass legislation enshrining it. A deal has so far proved elusive and Trump has blamed Democrats.
It was not immediately clear what Trump was referring to when he said people are coming to take advantage of the program.
The Department of Homeland Security is not issuing new permits, though existing ones can be renewed. The Obama administration allowed signups during a set period of time, and the program is closed to new entrants.
Proposed DACA deals crafted by lawmakers and rejected by Trump also were not open to new participants.
Trump did not explain what he meant when questioned by reporters as he entered the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with the first lady and his daughter Tiffany. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.
Trump, when addressing reporters briefly before entering the church, again blamed Democrats for failing to protect the “Dreamers.”
“They had a great chance. The Democrats blew it. They had a great, great chance, but we’ll have to take a look because Mexico has got to help us at the border. They flow right through Mexico. They send them into the United States. It can’t happen that way anymore.”
Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a Southern border wall to stop illegal immigration and drugs from Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by not moving as quickly as he wants to provide money for construction.
The president also complained on Twitter that border patrol agents can’t do their jobs properly because of “ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws” that allow people caught for being in the country illegally to be released while they await a hearing before a federal immigration judge.
Trump tweeted that the situation is “Getting more dangerous” and “Caravans” are coming. He did not offer details to back his comment.
The president’s tweets came after Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” reported early Sunday on what it said is a group of 1,200 immigrants, mostly from Honduras, headed to the U.S. The segment was a follow-up to a report by Buzzfeed News on hundreds of Central Americans making their way through Mexico in hopes that American authorities will grant them asylum or be absent when they attempt to cross the border.
The Fox headline was “Caravan of illegal immigrants headed to U.S.” The president is known to watch the cable TV program in the morning.
Brandon Judd, leader of the union representing border patrol agents, predicted on “Fox & Friends” that those in the caravan would create havoc and chaos in the U.S. as they wait for what he described as immigration reform. Judd also said Congress needs to pass tougher laws, an idea Trump appeared to echo, and create more bed space for immigration authorities to house people.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, chided Trump over the tone of the tweets.
“A true leader preserves & offers hope, doesn’t take hope from innocent children who call America home. Remember, today is Easter Sunday,” tweeted Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Trump critic who challenged him for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, another Trump foe, urged Congress to take up the fight for Dreamers.
“There are plenty of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who stand ready to work with the administration on legislation to protect DACA kids who call America home,” he tweeted. “Let’s do it.”
Sunday’s church visit was Trump’s first public appearance with his wife since CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired an interview the previous Sunday with Stormy Daniels, the adult-film star who says she had sex with Trump in 2006, early in his marriage and a few months after Mrs. Trump gave birth to their son. The White House says Trump denies the affair. Mrs. Trump spent most of the past week in Palm Beach with her son.
Shortly after rapper Ace Hood signed his first major record deal at age 17, financial planning wasn’t exactly at the front of his mind. He leased a new Cadillac Escalade and decked it out with 26-inch rims. He rented a three-bedroom condo in South Florida for $3,000 per month. And then there were the shopping trips.
“It was $1,500-$2,000 every time I hit the Gucci store,” he says, lounging poolside at the Dream Hotel in Manhattan. “I splurged and lived life how I wanted to live it. But anytime you don’t have a record out there that’s bubbling and you’re not doing much of anything, money runs low.”
Sure enough, the rapper’s free-wheeling ways only lasted so long. When his second album didn’t live up to its lofty sales expectations in 2009, he found himself spending much more than he was bringing in. He quickly lost his car, his apartment, some of his friends and nearly his career.
Today, though, things are looking up for Ace Hood. His latest album, Blood, Sweat & Tears, debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard charts; his lead single, “Hustle Hard,” is on the verge of going gold. But he’s still spending less than he did when his first album came out. The reason: a handful of valuable financial lessons he learned at the beginning of his career.
“Now, if I make $100,000 per month, I save at least $60,000,” he explains. “You definitely have to save for rainy days. You never know. It could rain, but then again it might storm. Hail might come. Maybe a tornado.”
Saving a big chunk of your take home pay, ideally at least one-third, is a rule of thumb championed by many financial advisers. To make room for those savings, it’s important to cut down on major expenditures, including fancy clothes and other luxury goods. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your wealth; it’s merely a call for moderation.
In Ace Hood’s case, responsible spending meant replacing a gas-guzzling SUV—which he couldn’t afford when his lease ran out—with a zippy Chevrolet Camaro. He enjoys both vehicles, but the Camaro gets 29 miles per gallon on the highway, compared to the Escalade’s 18. The new ride makes cruising a lot more economical.
“I used to ride around for no reason,” he says. “I had a big truck, I didn’t care and I had money. I could ride all the way to South Beach come back and just chill.”
Better yet, he owns the Camaro. So there’s no danger of losing his primary means of transportation at the end of a lease, and therefore no risk of being unable to get to work in public transit-starved South Florida (the coupe, however, is a bit less convenient for transporting his two infant daughters and their accoutrements).
Another lesson: Don’t be afraid to ask advice. Ace Hood listens carefully to fellow Miami-based hip-hop veterans DJ Khaled and Rick Ross. Though Ross, a frequent member of FORBES’s Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, has been know to brag about “blowin’ money fast,” he and Khaled have told Ace Hood simply, “Make sure to save.”
Ace Hood also says he learned not to overspend on significant others. In 2008, he’d give his then-girlfriend as much as $800 every few days to fund extravagant shopping trips. No more.
“I did endure a lot of financial ups and downs,” he says. “And I thank God I was able to endure what I did when I was young, as opposed to me being much older. I was able to make it through.”
Restaurant to Create 150 New Jobs, Offer Gathering Space for Downtown Guests
NEW YORK (March 27, 2018) – This week, the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Lower Manhattan will open in the heart of the Financial District. The franchisee-owned restaurant, located at 144 Fulton Street next to Fulton Center Station, was designed to serve the downtown community and a variety of guests’ needs. With five levels, innovative ordering technology, seating for 140 guests and an open-air rooftop dining experience, the restaurant was built to serve guests stopping in for a quick meal, those looking for a place to sit and work, parents and caretakers dining with children, and guests hoping to enjoy a leisurely lunch outside.
The restaurant will be locally owned and operated by downtown resident Luke Cook and will employ more than 150 team members. Chick-fil-A Fulton Street will officially open on Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 a.m.
Locally Owned and Operated
Born and raised in Hammond, La., Cook has been with Chick-fil-A for more than ten years. He started as an hourly Chick-fil-A team member at a restaurant in Atlanta before working his way to becoming a local franchise owner of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Pennsylvania and later in his hometown in Louisiana. Cook and his family relocated to Lower Manhattan in 2017 to open Chick-fil-A Fulton Street.
“My family and I are honored to be opening a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Lower Manhattan, a part of the city we’ve always loved,” Cook said. “We’re so happy to be living, working and raising our children in the most vibrant city and neighborhood in the world. We want this restaurant to be a gathering place for everyone in the community.”
Community Citizen
Chick-fil-A is an active contributor to the community and is committed to giving back in New York City. Like the other NYC Chick-fil-A locations, Chick-fil-A Fulton Street will partner with New York Common Pantry to provide meals to those in-need. To date, the Chick-fil-A restaurants in New York have donated more than 17,000 pounds of food to the organization, which serves the city’s homeless population. The restaurant will also partner with Feeding Children Everywhere, a social charity that mobilizes groups to assemble healthy meals for children in need. Participants of the grand opening “First 100” celebration will have the opportunity to help assemble 10,000 meals to be distributed locally.
One-of-a-Kind Design Elements
Chick-fil-A Fulton Street was built to accommodate groups of all sizes. At more than 12,000 square feet, Chick-fil-A Fulton Street will span five levels with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing for natural light throughout the entire space. The restaurant features two kitchens, including a basement-level kitchen for cold food prep, three levels of dining for 140 guests, a semi-private group meeting and dining space, and a rooftop terrace. To connect each level, a staircase will extend from the fourth level to the ground floor, accentuated by a skylight.
The restaurant will also offer mobile and in-store technology designed to serve customers quickly and efficiently. Utilizing the company’s proprietary “upstream ordering” technology, team members will take orders on tablets as soon as guests walk through the doors, ensuring a shorter queue time. Guests can also order and pay in advance (while also skipping the line) using the Chick-fil-A One™ mobile app. The restaurant will also offer group catering deliveries and off-site pop-ups.
150 New Jobs for New Yorkers
Chick-fil-A is known for hiring, developing and retaining top talent, and providing a great work environment for team members. Each NYC Chick-fil-A restaurant offers flexible hours, competitive pay and benefits, opportunities for leadership growth, college scholarships, and hands-on training and mentoring by the restaurant owner. Chick-fil-A Fulton Street will employ more than 150 team members, with wages starting above New York City’s minimum wage. Whether candidates are seeking their first job or are seasoned industry professionals, all interested are invited to apply at CFAFultonStreet.com.
Premium Ingredients and Fresh, Handmade Food
Nearly everything on the Chick-fil-A menu is made from scratch daily, including hand-rolled biscuits, salads made from fresh vegetables and fruit that is hand-chopped throughout the day. The lemonade is fresh-squeezed and is made from three simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar and water. Like all Chick-fil-A restaurants, the chicken served in this restaurant will be 100 percent whole breast meat, without any fillers, hormones or additives. Each chicken breast is hand-breaded to order and pressure cooked in 100 percent refined peanut oil, which is naturally trans-fat- and cholesterol-free. By the end of 2019, every Chick-fil-A restaurant will serve chicken raised without antibiotics.
The Chick-fil-A First 100 Celebration
Chick-fil-A Fulton Street will officially open for business at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 29 following a scavenger hunt and celebration for its First 100 guests on Wednesday, March 28. The scavenger hunt will consist of activities at various locations in Lower Manhattan, awarding a one-year supply for free Chick-fil-A meals (52 meals total) to all successful participants. The scavenger hunt kicks off at 10 a.m., and participants must visit each specified location, complete each activity and return to the restaurant by 2 p.m. To be eligible, participants must be 18 years or older, U.S. residents with a valid government-issued photo ID, and reside in select zip codes. Registration will begin at 6 a.m. at the restaurant and will continue until 100 eligible participants are registered or until 9:30 a.m., whichever comes first. If more than 100 people are on-site when the event officially opens at 6 a.m., a drawing will be held to select the First 100. Those chosen will be required to stay for the duration of the event in order to receive the prize. There will be no First 100 overnight campout at this location.
This event is open to guests residing in specific zip codes surrounding the restaurant, inclusive of all zip codes in the five boroughs of NYC. A complete listing of eligible zip codes, Official Rules and other important details can be found at www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/Openings in the Fulton Street section.
Commitment to Customer Service
With a longstanding tradition in the restaurant industry for setting the highest standards in customer service, Chick-fil-A recently earned a top spot in the 2017 Technomic Consumer Choice Awards for the third year in a row. The company has also earned recognition as one of America’s top companies in the 2018 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient study, “Most Inspiring Companies” by Forbes Magazine, and “Top Fast Food Chicken Chain” by Consumer Reports, among other honors.
Chick-fil-A Fulton Street is located at 144 Fulton Street and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, beginning March 29. For more information about Chick-fil-A and stories about the company’s food, people and customers across the country, visit chick-fil-a.com. For the latest news and updates at Chick-fil-A, visit the Chick-fil-A Fulton Street Facebook page.
