What You Need to Know Today: July 15

Good afternoon, Early Risers!

Here’s what you need to know

TECH

The thirst is real for Twitter shareholders. Twitter’s got 140 characters-worth of problems with no solutions to show. On Tuesday, a fake Bloomberg report claimed the site was in talks to be acquired for $31 billion. The rumor caused the stock price to shoot up 8% peaking at $38.82. There’s no surprise Twitter is struggling, here’s what’s really going on.

Hip Hop’s global movement. Spotify released an interactive map to show what people are listening to around the world. One surprising finding: rap tracks appeared on cities’s unique music playlists more than any other genre. Mic’s got the full story.

Facebook’s controversial VA. Rumor has it Facebook is planning to add a virtual assistant to Messenger. Cool, right? Apparently not…at least not with the name Facebook is choosing. The project’s codename is “Moneypenney,” in reference to 007’s secretary. Some critics believe Facebook should reconsider naming the VA, especially following recent reports that two thirds of Facebook’s employees are male. What do you think? Are critics being too politically correct?… Maybe we should Ask Jeeves

CAREER

Rise of the millennial apprentice. Instead of accumulating tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, Apprentice School students are paid an annual salary of $54,000 by the final year of the four-year program, and upon graduation are guaranteed a job with Huntington Ingalls Industries, the military contractor that owns Newport News Shipbuilding.“There’s a hunger among young people for good, well-paying jobs that don’t require an expensive four-year degree,” said Sarah Steinberg, vice president for global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. “The Apprentice School is the gold standard of what a high-quality apprenticeship program can be.” Keep reading…(NYTimes)

Negotiation Tip: Bring pastries and coffee. Here’s a negotiation tactic you’ve probably never heard before: bring pastries and coffee. Why? There’s 4 reasons. The first, when you mimic people’s nonverbal behavior, you build greater rapport. Mimicry can also explain another finding: negotiators gain better outcomes when they eat together. “When individuals eat together they enact the same movements. This unconscious mimicking of each other may induce positive feelings towards the other party and the matter under discussion.” By bringing pastries and coffee, you’ll gain benefits of both eating and mimicking. But that’s not all…there’s 3 more reasons why this tactic is so powerful.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Were you one of the lucky ones? “When the opportunity arose to have my name permanently included on the trip to Pluto and beyond, there was absolutely no hesitation,” 28-year-old Christian Ponte, whose name also flew by Pluto on Tuesday. Meet the people whose names flew by Pluto.

+ More research reveals writing notes longhand helps you remember more than typing.

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