Insider Finance - Business - What’s on Musk’s 'bedside table'

Nicholas Carlson, November 29, 2022

Hello, Insiders. Can we talk about Elon Musk’s nightstand? He posted a bizarre photo of what he said was his “bedside table" yesterday. It featured what appeared to be two replica guns, four caffeine-free Diet Coke cans, and a picture of George Washington. See for yourself here.

When I saw this, the first thing I thought was: Someone get this poor man a La Croix! If you're looking for a sugar-free, caffeine-free fizzy drink … isn't seltzer the ticket? As for the guns, both seem to be fake: One might be a replica of a revolver from a video game, while the other may be a replica of Washington's pistol. But he's now calling himself "Elon Musket," so there's that.

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The latest

• Chinese police are conducting random stop-and-search checks for banned foreign apps like Instagram and Twitter amid sweeping anti-COVID protests, per reports. Here’s what to know.

• Kanye West said that he owes $50 million in taxes, and that the IRS put a $75 million hold on four of his accounts. More on what he said about his finances. 

• The defense rested in the Trump Org. tax fraud trial — but not before getting a tongue-lashing from the judge. Get the details.

The big story

Anna Kim/Insider

Streetlights in a bunch of major cities are turning purple. Is it just a fluke — or a warning of the chaos to come?

Reports of the “Great Purpling” go back to 2020. From California to Wisconsin to Florida — and even as far away Ireland — lights spontaneously changed to a purple hue, illuminating the streets like they were a TV tuned to a Prince concert. Residents were spooked.

But as senior correspondent Adam Rogers reports, the change isn’t ghost- or football-related. And it isn't some grand conspiracy, though lots of people claimed the synthetic twilight was caused by the effects of 5G radiation or a government surveillance tool, a sign of the times.

Instead, the mystery of the purple lights appears to be both more mundane and more worrisome than anyone has realized. It's a visual cue that we might need to rethink how we build the future.

Dig into the mystery of the purple lights here.

Top reads

Tyler Le/Insider

• Medly set out to disrupt the pharmacy industry. Instead, it burned through money. According to company insiders and documents, the pharmacy startup — which took off in the pandemic — grew faster than it could handle. It laid off over half its staff in August as its business crumbled, leaving patients in the dark. Read the report here.

• A 10-month-old baby nearly died after eating a water bead. Doctors found the bead blocking part of her bowel, and even after five surgeries, she is still in the hospital. Retail giant Target has now stopped selling the water beads that almost caused her death. Read the full story.

• Introducing our list of real estate’s rising stars. For the third year in a row, Insider has compiled a list of 30 people — each no older than 35 — to watch in the sector. From innovators at firms like Blackstone to startup founders with inspiring goals, meet the next generation of real estate professionals. 

• There’s another debate happening over airplane etiquette. A child’s parents are being slammed over a now-viral clip of the toddler jumping on a tray table, apparently disturbing other passengers during an eight-hour flight. See what all the fuss is about.

• These are the cities where buyers have the best shot at scoring a home. The US's pandemic-fueled housing boom is coming to an end, and some towns have seen home prices rapidly cool in recent months. Check out the nine cities where home prices are falling.

Today’s sound bite

"Big banks may be changing their tune on protecting people scammed via Zelle. The big seven will agree to make the scammer’s bank refund the money."

 Hear more headlines on today’s episode of The Refresh from Insider.

Watch this

Footage shows the scale of anti-COVID protests taking place across China. Tensions erupted after a fire broke out at an apartment building in the western Xinjiang region, leaving 10 people dead. Locals allege that strict COVID measures delayed efforts to extinguish the fire. Watch footage of the protests here. 

Today's team

This edition was curated by Nicholas Carlson, and edited by Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan, Jordan Parker Erb, and Shona Ghosh. Get in touch: insidertoday@insider.com.

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