Weekend Digest: The investing in Cuba, going bananas, (not) trusting Trump and adult beverage Disney Club edition

TV PREVIEW
On this week’s TV edition of Talk Business & Politics, which airs Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on KATV Channel 7 in Central Arkansas and now in Northeast Arkansas on KAIT-NBC, Sundays at 10 a.m.:

• Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
She will weigh in on the U.S. Supreme Court nomination controversy. Plus, a federal regulation is put on hold that could affect the state’s power plants. And, the debate over dark money in political advertising. Rutledge shares her thoughts.

• CEO Roundtable
Claiborne Deming, Ray Dillon and Hugh McDonald – three CEO’s (or former CEO’s) – with thoughts on leadership and hope for south Arkansas. TB&P’s Roby Brock steered a discussion with these three corporate power brokers at a recent event in El Dorado. We’ll play a portion of the discussion.

• Tourism Takes Off
The Arkansas industry is red-hot. Fresh off the annual Governor’s conference on tourism, what do the numbers tell us is happening in this growing economy?

Tune in to Talk Business & Politics in Central Arkansas on KATV Channel 7, Sundays at 9:30 a.m., and now in Northeast Arkansas on KAIT-NBC, Sundays at 10 a.m.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF INVESTING IN CUBA
Harvard Business Review posts, “When President Obama visits Cuba on March 21, it will have been a little more than 57 years since the end of the Cuban revolution and slightly less than 55 years since the initial implementation of the U.S. embargo.”

Amid this historic trip and the flood of regulatory and diplomatic changes (including a new decision to ease some additional travel rules) that have occurred since President Obama’s first meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro last fall, it is important for American business leaders considering investing in Cuba to understand the current status of its economy, as well as the key factors that will influence its future.

What is that status and what are those key factors? Click on this link for answers.

A HUGE CHANGE AT GM
“Since 1908, General Motors, one of the original big three Detroit auto manufacturers, has been known for one thing: its cars,” reports Entrepreneur.

It’s somewhat ironic, then, that the company is now aggressively working to build an economy that allows individuals to get around without buying a car.

“People want to talk to us about the big trends in the automotive industry, but I want to talk about the people,” Julia Steyn, the vice president of urban mobility at GM, told Entrepreneur. “We are really not in the car business only. We are in the people business.”

Got your attention? Read more here.

GO BANANAS!
Entrepreneur Davonte Wilson from Frisco, Texas did. To the tune of more than $100,00 a year. And it all started by just doodling around.

He was sitting in class eight hours a day, training to be a cardiac software technician.

“It was very intense,” he recalls. “The material was very difficult. Going through the day, you would get very mentally fatigued, and I brought a couple of bananas each day as a snack. I’d draw heart rhythms and other doodling on the bananas to break up the monotony.”

Peel back the rest of this story by following this link.

AMONG THE TOP 10 GLOBAL RISKS
What is? A Trump presidency, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit says BBC News.

“The research firm warns he could disrupt the global economy and heighten political and security risks in the US.”

He is rated as riskier than Britain leaving the European Union or an armed clash in the South China Sea.

But why does the EIU think this risk won’t happen? Find out at this link.

THE CONSTITUTION AND A SUPREME COURT NOMINATION
“The upcoming battle over President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia has both parties digging in their heels, with Republicans citing a vague precedent that nominations are not considered in an election year and Democrats claiming that Republicans have a “constitutional responsibility” to at least hold hearings and a vote on a nominee,” reports The Washington Post.

We’ve previously looked at how, depending on the circumstances, Democrats and Republicans have flip-flopped on the question of nominations in an election year. We also examined the often-ignored case of William Brennan’s 1956 elevation during the court in an election year. So let’s tackle this issue. Is there a precedent for the current Republican refusal to consider Obama’s nominee?

Read about “The Facts” and “The Pinocchio Test,” at this link.

THE THWARTING OF TRUMP
The Washington Post says, “A secretive group of Republican operatives and conservative leaders convened Thursday morning for more than three hours to discuss ways to unite the right against Donald Trump, with a presentation about the feasibility of mounting a third-party challenge as well as extensive deliberations about whether a coalition of anti-Trump forces could prevent the billionaire mogul from securing the party’s presidential nomination at the July convention in Cleveland.”

“It’s certainly not too late,” Rep. Trent Franks, (R-Ariz.) said as he left the session. “You could get another party on the ballot. A candidate could be picked as late as August. … It would have to be a movement conservative.”

“I was there to listen,” Franks, a supporter of Trump rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), added. “I am worried about the kind of damage that Trump could cause to our party. … As a conservative, I can’t trust Donald Trump to do the right thing. However, I can trust Mrs. Clinton to do the exact wrong thing. Therefore, if it comes down to a one-on-one contest, I would vote for Trump.”

So who was floated as a potential third-party candidate and did the attendees agree if it would be financially feasible to field a candidate at this late date? More on this story at this link.

EX-BENGHAZI INVESTIGATOR DROPS CLINTON BIAS CLAIM
POLITICO posts, “Last October, an ex-GOP Benghazi Committee staffer filed a lawsuit against the panel, claiming he was wrongly fired for refusing to center his investigation on Hillary Clinton – an accusation Clinton’s defenders held up as proof that the panel had devolved into a political witch hunt.

But five months later, Bradley Podliska’s lawsuit has quietly dropped all mention of Clinton.”

Attorneys for the Air Force Reserve major filed an amendment to his original claim in late February, striking the legal clauses that included his accusation that the panel’s investigation was increasingly focused on Clinton – and that he was dismissed for refusing to go along. It’s a significant change from his original assertion.

What happened and will this change in Podliska’s original claim “undo the reputational damage the panel suffered during the monsoon of criticism last October”? Click here for the full story.

IS SHE TOUGH ENOUGH?
To face Putin or ISIS that is?

We’re talking about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and guess who thinks not.

“Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump is targeting Hillary Clinton  in a new ad, portraying the Democratic presidential candidate as not tough enough to handle major foreign policy issues.”

A 15-second video posted to Trump’s Instagram account shows Russian President Vladimir Putin showing off his martial arts skills and a masked militant pointing a gun at the camera.

“When it comes to facing our toughest opponents, the Democrats have the perfect answer,” the video says, cutting to a clip of Clinton barking like a dog last month when she taunted Republicans.

For more on this story including a reaction from Clinton, and a look at the ad, go to this link from The Hill.

THE PROPHET OF BASKETBALL
There are good reads and then there are really good reads. This is a really good one posted from the opinion pages of The New York Times regarding the wizard and current face of the NBA, Stephen Curry, formerly from Davidson College.

Without giving too much away, it takes you to the “Church of Curry” in a delightful post. Here’s an example:

My team, Davidson College – usually referred to by broadcasters as “tiny Davidson College” – had not competed seriously in the N.C.A.A. tournament in nearly 40 years. But this time, things were different. These were the days of miracle and wonder, thanks to a skinny sophomore guard named Stephen Curry.

Davidson was founded by Presbyterians, and for many years, we liked our basketball the way we liked our sermons: defensive, careful, fundamentally unassailable and executed with a grim fatalism. Of course we worshiped the game, like every other soul who drew breath in North Carolina, but nobody ever said a worship service was supposed to be fun.

Read and enjoy, at this link.

INSIDE DISNEY’S SECRET $40,000-PER-PERSON CLUB
It’s called Club 33.

“Club 33 is a private club tucked away inside Disneyland’s New Orleans Square where memberships cost around $40,000 a year. The exclusive club is the only place inside the park where guests can get an alcoholic beverage. It went through a major renovation in 2014, after which it banned taking video.”

But Business Insider has a look at this secret club at this link.

HOW THE WORLD’S CURRENCIES GOT THEIR NAMES
Whether it’s a dollar, a pound or a frank how did international currency get its unique names?

From country to country, monetary units vary nearly as much as the cultures and languages that use them. But have you ever wondered why a dollar is called a “dollar”?

“A recent post on the Oxford Dictionary’s OxfordWords blog explained the origins of the names of the world’s most common currencies.”

“Cash-in” by clicking here for the Business Insider article.