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The Disney parks are not only the happiest places in the world, they are also the company’s biggest money makers.
The entertainment giant dominated the theme park industry last year, operating eight of the world’s 10 most visited theme parks, including Orlando’s Magic Kingdom, which ranks No. 1. At No. 9 on the list, Disneyland Paris broke its visitor record with 16.1 million visitors in 2023.
Disney’s Parks are an important revenue driver for the company: The Parks and Experiences division was the best performing segment, with revenues of $32.6 billion and accounting for 70% of the conglomerate’s operating profit.
But the theme park industry is still recovering from the pandemic years, even as attendance at the world’s 25 largest parks rose to nearly 245 million last year, up 23% from 2022.
FIRST
Vice President Kamala Harris is joined by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz during a visit to a campaign office on August 18, 2024.
Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The The Democratic Party Convention begins today in Chicagoand three presidents are scheduled to deliver speeches onstage, including President Joe Biden tonight and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton later this week. Jason Carter will speak on behalf of his grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter, who reportedly said he hoped to live to be 100 so he could vote for Kamala Harris in November.
In 33 states where a surge in Covid-19 cases has led to “very high” levels of the virus in wastewater, increased travel and indoor gatherings are causing what may be the worst summer surge since 2020. Updated vaccines expected to be approved next weekafter WashingtonPostand the footage could be available to the public as early as Labor Day.
BUSINESS + FINANCE
“I heard the Lord say, ‘Symbolize the building,'” says Pastor Blake Bush. “I just thought, what? I didn’t even know what that meant.”
Photo by Colorado House of Prayer
A pastor in Northern Colorado is using blockchain technology with the help of a real estate agent as Part of his efforts to buy Fort Collins’ oldest churchThe first phase, which launched on Friday, targets accredited investors with a minimum investment capital of $50,000. The goal is to raise $2.5 million within the first year to purchase the 1,500-square-meter stone building.
Comparing job creation under President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the Biden administration appears to have a clear advantage with 15.8 million new jobs created, as opposed to a decline of 2.7 million during Trump’s term, a figure severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemicNevertheless, Trump’s time in office was marked by stronger wage growth, adjusted for inflation, and wages exceeded the cost of living even more than under Biden, highlighting the complexity of assessing their economic legacy.
TECHNOLOGY + INNOVATION
The investment firm and incubator Startup Caucus aims to be the conservative rival of Higher Ground Labs, which has invested in more than 70 campaign technology startups that support Democratic campaigns. Co-founder Eric Wilson said he and co-founder Joe Pounder were inspired to start the firm after noticing that the The GOP did not keep pace with innovation on the left. “It seemed ironic to me that the left was using capitalism to increase its advantage over the right, and that we were being beaten at our own game,” he said.
OpenAI said it had removed Iran-linked accounts that had used ChatGPT to post allegedly fake social media profiles and news articles in a Attempt to stir up political divisions In the US, it is the latest technology company to uncover an Iranian influence operation, following similar reports from Microsoft and Google this month.
MONEY + POLITICS
When former President Donald Trump took office in 2017, he refused to divest his businesses, including foreign ones. raises numerous ethical concerns. Forbes analyzed thousands of pages of tax returns, financial disclosures, regulatory filings, and Trump Organization documents to determine how much President Trump earned – and lost – from his overseas empire and found that he made surprisingly little profit.
Trends + Explanations
Illustration by Alex Castro for Forbes; Photo by iStock / Getty Images
Often referred to as “Elder Fraud”, Online scams targeting people 60 and older are on the rise, causing over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023, government data shows. The largest reported online losses for seniors last year came from investment scams, often related to cryptocurrency or real estate. Watch for warning signs of fraud, such as returns that sound too good to be true and requests to wire money or send bitcoin.
Officials in the Philippines, Pakistan and Sweden have confirmed cases of Mpox after the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency last week because of an escalating outbreak of the disease in Africa. Mpox infections are usually mild but can be fatal. Those most at risk are young children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Bavarian Nordic, maker of the two-dose vaccine preferred by health authorities, says it can supply 10 million doses by the end of 2025 to help contain the outbreak.
DAILY COVER STORY
Colleges follow anti-DEI guidelines with layoffs… and finesse
In March, the University of Florida fired its chief diversity officer and her 27 staff members to comply with a state law prohibiting DEI spending.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
TOPLINE Since 2023, when the movement to limit DEI has caught fire among Republicans, 189 college campuses in 25 states have made changes to jobs, training, offices and more, according to a tracker maintained by the Chronicle of higher education.
While some public universities have cut jobs and pocketed the savings, others have shown a more nuanced response, renaming DEI offices and moving staff to new positions and programs with more broadly defined missions.
It turns out that eliminating all the services provided by many DEI offices is not as simple as laying off employees or changing the department name on an office door. Inclusion programs were woven integrated into campus functions and many of them are required to meet federal or other external requirements.
“Throughout my career, we have had special services, but they were not specifically called the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” said Belle Wheelan, a 50-year veteran of higher education who now serves as president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Forbes.
The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May 2020 – and the racist reckoning that followed – led to a Explosion in the use of the term DEI, especially in the American economy. A December 2020 analysis by consulting firm Gartner found a sudden, almost 800 percent increase in job postings specifically for diversity recruiters.
Then came the political backlash against DEI, as well as the Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision banning race-conscious college admissions. This decision has encouraged rights activists to challenge a growing list of programs, including scholarships (both publicly and privately funded) reserved for black students or other groups.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT “Investigating DEI in Higher Education goes beyond the debate about race; It’s about equity and making sure everyone has the resources and support they need to succeed,” says Forbes’ Asia Alexander. “We need to understand how DEI impacts our daily lives to create a truly inclusive society.”
MORE The Supreme Court has also just disrupted the recruitment processes at elite companies
FACTS + COMMENTS
A new documentary series from Amazon Prime entitled The money game will focus on how athletes like Jayden Daniels, Olivia Dunne and Angel Reese have managed to Take advantage of lucrative deals and build wealth as a result of changes to the NCAA Name, Image and Likeness rules:
2021: The year the NCAA implemented a new NIL policy that allowed student-athletes to profit from the billions in revenue college sports generate each year.
Almost $2 million: This is how much basketball star Angel Reese earned in 2022 and 2023 with deals with brands like Reebok, Calvin Klein and others
The “day my life changed”: Gymnast Olivia Dunne said about the day of the NIL rule change
STRATEGY + SUCCESS
To continually improve your craft, you should adopt a lifelong learning mentality by constantly seeking out new knowledge and experiences. Whether through reading, attending workshops or applying new techniques, Every new skill or insight you gain will sharpen your skills and keep you in top shape.
VIDEO
QUIZ
On Friday, a Missouri woman was charged with attempting to defraud the family of a legendary American entertainer by falsely claiming ownership of the legacy of which cult figure?
A.Michael Jackson
B. Ray Charles
C. Whitney Houston
D. Elvis Presley
Check your answer.
Thanks for reading! This edition of Forbes Daily was edited by Sarah Whitmire and Chris Dobstaff, with editorial contributions from Tavon Thomasson.
