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People's Big Five personality traits changed in just 2 years at a level that usually happens over the course of 10 years.
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Insider's Adam Rogers talked with The Refresh about why this crisis was different than others, and what it could mean for our future.
We took a closer look at Hobby Lobby's biggest controversies over its nearly 50-year history.
The arts-and-crafts store — led by the conservative Christian founder and CEO David Green and his family — has a long history of scandals.
Most recently, this included the DOJ confiscating an ancient tablet from Hobby Lobby that had been smuggled into the US.
David Green is comparing himself to Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, claiming he also decided to "give away" his company — not in the name of climate change efforts, but rather to God.
While the Hobby Lobby CEO and founder does not appear to actually be relinquishing ownership of his craft store company, Green wrote in an op-ed on Fox News on Friday that his efforts to "honor God" in operating the chain are similar to those of Chouinard, who recently announced Patagonia will now be owned by a trust and nonprofit fighting the climate crisis.
"From the very beginning our purpose was to honor God in all that we did," he wrote. "We worked hard and God gave the results. As we were blessed by God, we saw it as a great privilege to give back. We've been able to provide hope through supporting ministries and planting churches all over the world."
He continued: "Best of all, when I made the decision to give away my ownership, similar to Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard, it allowed us to sustain our mission and purpose. It gives me a bigger purpose than just making money. Like Chouinard said, "Instead of 'going public,' you could say we're 'going purpose.'"
Since Green first founded Hobby Lobby in Oklahoma in 1972, the billionaire businessman has drawn ire for imbuing his religious beliefs into the company and its 900 stores. Unlike most retail executives, who have a separation of church and state, Green regularly references God in company memos. Hobby Lobby has made a public commitment on its website to "honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles."
Over the years, Green and his evangelical leanings served as the catalyst for a number of disputes, including claims of anti-Semitism, homophobia, and evangelizing in public schools. In its most prominent incident, Hobby Lobby faced scrutiny for its battle against paying for insurance coverage of contraceptives for employees, culminating in a high-profile and divisive Supreme Court case.
We took a closer look at Hobby Lobby's scandals over the years, including accusations of discrimination, illegally smuggling artifacts, and endangering employees during the coronavirus pandemic.
May 2011: Feed the Children owners sue the Green family for ousting the non-profit leaders in a "hostile takeover"
Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green, his wife Deborah Green, and members of the Green family.
AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
In 2011, the founders of Feed the Children, a non-profit organization in Oklahoma, accused the Green family of pushing them out of their own charity, "alleging interference, defamation and civil conspiracy," according to The Oklahoman.
In a lawsuit filed against the Greens, Larry and Frances Jones said the family staged a "hostile takeover" of the organization, and was behind the termination of Larry, who was fired for hiding microphones in the offices of three executives.
While the Green family attorney told The Oklahoman the suit was "financially motivated and an attempt to tarnish the family's reputation," the Jones family attorney said the Hobby Lobby family had aspirations of taking control of what was then the sixth largest charity in the world.
September 2012: Hobby Lobby files lawsuit against the US government for the right to deny contraceptive coverage to employees
A protester participates in a rally against Hobby Lobby.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Green was a staunch opponent of the Obamacare mandate that employers provide health insurance that includes birth control and reproductive care. In September 2012, the company filed a lawsuit against the government, claiming the requirement violated its religious rights and beliefs.
"These abortion-causing drugs go against our faith, and our family is now being forced to choose between following the laws of the land that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business successful and have supported our family and thousands of our employees and their families," Green wrote in a statement at the time. "We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate.
October 2013: Hobby Lobby is slammed with anti-Semitism claims after an employee tells a Jewish customer the store "doesn't cater to your people."
Yelp/Adrienne D.
In 2013, Hobby Lobby found itself in hot water after news broke of anti-Semitic remarks made by a store employee in New Jersey. According to reports, when a customer inquired if the store sold decor for Jewish holidays, an employee allegedly responded that Hobby Lobby "does not cater to your people."
In response, founder and CEO David Green issued a formal apology to the Anti-Defamation League, that the company was "investigating this matter and absolutely [does] not tolerate discrimination."
"We sincerely apologize for any employee comments that may have offended anyone, especially our Jewish customers and friends. Comments like these do not reflect the feelings of our family or Hobby Lobby," Green wrote in the apology.
April 2014: Hobby Lobby President Steve Green comes under fire for evangelizing in Oklahoma public schools
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
As the Supreme Court case was proceeding, outcry arose over a new elective high school course in Mustang, Oklahoma, that used a textbook created by the Museum of the Bible and endorsed by the Hobby Lobby president, Steve Green.
Green had intended for the course to be a way to "expose more children to the Bible by using it to teach archaeology, history, and the arts," The Associated Press reported. However, questions and concerns arose over possible intentions to proselytize students.
The Associated Press later obtained emails that found the school board met privately with Green to discuss the addition of the course, in an effort "to get around an Oklahoma law that requires government bodies to be open to the public." The school superintendent said the clandestine meeting — which was held on the same day the board approved the course for the fall — was held "at the direction of Green and his public relations representatives."
June 2014: In 5-4 ruling, Supreme Court rules in favor of Hobby Lobby's right to withhold insurance coverage of contraception from employees
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby's right to withhold reproductive benefits, determining that private companies were allowed to be exempt from the law on the basis of religious preferences. The ruling led to widespread protests and rallies around the country.
July 2014: On the heels of the Hobby Lobby ruling, faith leaders send a letter to the White House urging to be exempt from laws prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination
LGBT rights activists gather to try to march for a pride parade, which was banned by the governorship, in central Istanbul
Reuters
Shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, religious group leaders banded together to send a letter to the White House calling for an exemption from Obama Administration policies that prevented discrimination on the basis of sexuality. Using the decision and the precedent from the Hobby Lobby case as its catalyst, the group urged autonomy in hiring and operation decisions.
"While the nation has undergone incredible social and legal change over the last decade, we still live in a nation with different beliefs about sexuality. We must find a way to respect diversity of opinion," said the letter.
July 2017: Federal prosecutors find Hobby Lobby guilty of smuggling 5,500 biblical artifacts from Iraq
John Russell, an expert on Iraqi antiquities, looks at cuneiform tablets smuggled into the US by the Green family.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
In 2017, federal prosecutors found that Hobby Lobby illegally smuggled rare and stolen artifacts to the US by shipping the items to its Oklahoma City headquarters in boxes labeled as ceramic tile samples. The Green family first started collecting the biblical antiques in 2009, despite warnings from a property law expert contracted by Hobby Lobby at the time.
According to The New York Times, the expert "warned company executives that the artifacts might have been looted from historical sites in Iraq, and that failing to determine their heritage could break the law."
Still, the Greens persisted, and at one point, Hobby Lobby president Steve Green traveled to the United Arab Emirates to examine rare Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets. In December 2010, the Greens purchased the 5,500 artifacts for $1.6 billion, the New York Times reported.
The court ultimately demanded that Hobby Lobby return the artifacts and pay a fine of $3 million.
November 2017: The Green family opens the Museum of the Bible, which "skeptics call a Christian ministry disguised as a museum"
The Museum of the Bible faced criticism for pro-slavery imagery in exhibits about the Bible's role in the Civil War.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Despite the smuggling controversy just a few months prior, the Greens still managed to open the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., seven years after the family had established it as a non-profit organization. Located near the Capitol Building, the 430,000-square-foot building cost $500 million to build and was designed to display the family's extensive collection of biblical artifacts.
According to The Associated Press, Steve Green said at the time the museum is "meant to educate, not evangelize," however critics expressed concern that the building was a vehicle for promoting the family's religious beliefs.
"There's a public face to this Bible engagement rhetoric and then there's a private aspect of what it really means," John Fea, a historian at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, told The Associated Press. "It debunks the whole notion that this is just a history museum."
October 2018: Museum of the Bible confirms some of its Dead Sea Scroll fragments are fake
Hobby Lobby President Steve Green outside the Museum of the Bible.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Shortly after the it opened, the Museum of the Bible admitted that third-party tests had confirmed its Dead Sea Scroll artifacts were in fact forgeries. The items were subsequently removed from the museum.
March 2020: A follow-up report finds that the entirety of the Dead Sea Scroll collection at the Museum of the Bible was actually forged
A Museum of the Bible visitor views what is now known to be a forged fragment of a Dead Sea Scroll.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Less than two years after the Museum of the Bible removed fragments it had falsely claimed to be Dead Sea Scrolls, researchers subsequently found that all 16 pieces — including those that remained on display — were modern forgeries.
As first reported by National Geographic, David Green purchased the 16 fragments between 2009 and 2014, 7 of which were purchased from a Bethlehem antiquities dealer, while the rest hailed from a handful of different sellers.
"Green and museum officials have long maintained that they received poor advice at the time of the purchases and that they assembled their collection in good faith," wrote National Geographic's Michael Greshko.
March 2020: The Green family announces it will return another 11,500 antiquities to Iraq
Win McNamee/Getty Images
That same month — and three years after its first brush with authorities regarding the illegal collection of biblical artifacts — Steve Green announced the Museum of the Bible was repatriating an additional 11,500 pieces to Iraq and Egypt.
"One area where I fell short was not appreciating the importance of the provenance of the items I purchased. "I knew little about the world of collecting," Green told the Wall Street Journal, referring to his initial foray in antique collection in 2009.
March 2020: Hobby Lobby leaves its doors open during the coronavirus outbreak, claiming it was destined to do so based on a message from God
Courtesy of Hobby Lobby employee
As a vast majority of American retailers temporarily closed their doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in March 2020, Hobby Lobby drew ire for its decision to stay open using the argument that it was an essential retailer. At the time, David Green reportedly told employees that he had decided to leave the stores open based on a message from God bestowed upon his wife, Deborah Green.
Later, leaked memos obtained by Business Insider revealed that the company refused to pay for coronavirus sick leave, and told managers to "make every effort to continue working the employees," despite growing concerns from fearful staffers.
April 2020: Hobby Lobby defies state mandates and illegally reopens stores that were forced to close by state officials
Courtesy of Hobby Lobby employee
Though Hobby Lobby eventually had to acquiesce to state orders and temporarily close stores in select regions, that didn't stop it from quietly and illegally re-opening several locations, prompting frightened employees to speak out against the company.
"This has all been so stressful and exhausting," a Hobby Lobby employee told Business Insider at the time. "I don't want to stay home because I'm too lazy to work. I want to stay home to do my part to stop the spread of the virus."
April 2020: Hobby Lobby announces it closing all stores and furloughing employees
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
On the heels of mounting criticism regarding putting employees in danger during the pandemic, Hobby Lobby officially announced that it would temporarily close all its stores and furlough employees. Still, for some employees it was too little, too late.
"The line our manager gave us [from corporate] was, 'The employees got what the employees wanted; the stores were closed,'" a Hobby Lobby employee said in an interview with Business Insider after he learned of the furloughs.
"My question was, 'Did God tell them they needed to close the stores and not pay us?'"
September 2020: Customers call for boycott over a store display urging customers to 'Vote Trump'
On September 7, consumers called for a boycott of Hobby Lobby in response to a viral photo depicting a display of decorative letters at a Hobby Lobby arranged to read "USA Vote Trump."
Kari Brekke, the author of the tweet, told Business Insider that she took the image from a public post shared in a national Facebook group, and did not have further information on who arranged the display and where the photo was taken. Some Twitter users noted that the letters could have been moved by a customer rather than employee.
Still, the photo moved many to denounce the company publicly. "I'm not a fan of Hobby Lobby. I would never shop there," Brekke told Business Insider. "I'm a Democrat. I hate the company."
July 2020: DOJ seizes an ancient artifact from Hobby Lobby
The Museum of the Bible opened on Monday as part of Washington D.C.s phase two reopening from the COVID-19 shutdown on Monday, June 22, 2020.
The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, which is one of the oldest works of literature, was smuggled into the US and sold to Hobby Lobby by an antiquities dealer. The tablet is 6 inches by 5 inches and is written in Akkadian, an ancient Mesopotamian language.
Hobby Lobby consented to the forfeiture of the ancient tablet because it was illegally imported into the US.
"This forfeiture represents an important milestone on the path to returning this rare and ancient masterpiece of world literature to its country of origin," Acting US Attorney Kasulis said in a statement. "This Office is committed to combating the black-market sale of cultural property and the smuggling of looted artifacts."
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Stocks likely reached a bottom on the day of the S&P 500's big swing sparked by the September inflation report, said Carson Group.
"The action last Thursday had some of the hallmarks of a capitulation low," chief market strategist Ryan Detrick said.
The S&P 500 has been recovering after hitting a 52-week low during the wild October 13 session.
October may still prove to be a bear-market killer as stocks likely reached a bottom on the day of the S&P 500's big swing following the latest US inflation report, according to one market strategist.
"The action last Thursday had some of the hallmarks of a capitulation low," Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, wrote in a note this week.
He drew readers back to the wild session on October 13, when the S&P 500 logged an intraday swing of more than 5%, after erasing steep early losses to finish up by 2.6% at 3,669.91.
The S&P 500 hit a 52-week low of 3,491.58, and sessions such as that have marked "major turning points" for stocks, he said. The most recent example was in March 2020 when the S&P 500 began recovering from a 9.5% one-day plunge spurred by panic over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Thursday's slide was sparked by the shock September inflation report as the core CPI reading came in at 6.6%, hotter than the 6.5% Bloomberg consensus estimate. The odds of a 75-basis-point rate hike at the Federal Reserve's December meeting nearly doubled after the CPI report.
"In the history of bear markets, it is safe to say stocks haven't ever bottomed on good news, the news is always horrible. Last Thursday morning felt like that," said Detrick.
In tracing back bear and near-bear markets to World War II, Detrick noted that six of the last 17 ended in October, with an average decline of 29.6% and lasting about a year.
"The current bear of 25.4% and 9.3 months is in range for what history tells us is normal," he said.
S&P 500 retracement chart
Carson Group
He also pointed out that the S&P 500's retracement of 50% of the previous bull market near 3,500 is a common level where investors have stepped in to bargain hunt. "Multiple times going back the past decade this trendline was support," he said.
Meanwhile, fewer stocks last week made 52-week lows than when the S&P 500 reached a low in mid-June.
"Simply put, if not as many stocks are going down, it is hard for the index to continue to go lower," Detrick said. "The stage could be set for a well-deserved fourth-quarter rally."
On Friday, the S&P 500 was higher at 3,677 as trading got underway after futures suggested a decline for the broad-equity index.
XBB is a descendant of two different BA.2 variants, and it is more immune-evasive than other versions of Omicron we've seen before.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
XBB is a new version of Omicron that is evading existing treatments and immunity.
It is spreading quickly in Singapore, and virus-watchers are worried it could spread in the US.
BQ.1.1 is also emerging. Experts say: prepare for more COVID infections this winter.
As Halloween approaches, murmurs of another "nightmare" COVID variant on the way are spooking reporters and Wall Street analysts alike.
The new variant is called XBB, and it's already triggering a new wave of infections and hospitalizations in some south Asian countries, including India and Singapore.
XBB is just one of "multiple more-immune evasive Omicron subvariants on the rise around the world," infectious disease expert Dr. Celine Gounder, a Senior Fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told Insider.
But "among the new variants, XBB has the most significant immune evasion properties," market forecasters at Morgan Stanley said Thursday in a memo.
Given that we've now seen nearly three full years of COVID variants — and nearly a year of different Omicrons before XBB emerged from them — how worried, really, should we be about this new version of the virus?
Experts say we should expect many more infections this fall and winter, including infections in vaccinated, boosted Americans. But there are some simple things you can do to prepare to battle XBB and other evasive COVID variants on the horizon.
What is XBB?
XBB is a recombinant variant – meaning that it's a combination of two other BA.2 Omicron subvariants (specifically, BA.2.10.1 + BA.2.75).
Like other Omicrons we've seen before, XBB is "finding ways to evade the way we get immunity from vaccines and previous infection, with changes on the spike protein," UC Berkeley infectious disease expert John Swartzberg told the San Francisco Chronicle.
It remains to be seen whether XBB will actually dominate the landscape of US COVID infections this winter, or whether it'll just be one option among the wide buffet of Omicron subvariants.
So far, it's not even making a dent on the radar of US virus watchers, compared to other Omicrons. It's possible that the BA.5 subvariant, BQ.1.1., which is already on the rise in Europe, may turn out to be more of a concern for Americans than XBB ever will.
Professor Moritz Gerstung, a computational biologist in Germany, said recently on Twitter that we might be in for a "tight race" between BQ.1.1 and XBB for the next few months. Both have a slight growth advantage over BA.5, which is the dominant version of COVID right now in the US.
Why is everyone freaking out about XBB?
Our World In Data/Johns Hopkins University CSSE COVID-19 Data
In Singapore, reinfections and hospitalizations are both up, driven by XBB — though local trends suggest that this version of the virus may also be somewhat milder than BA.5, with a 30% lower risk of hospitalization.
Both XBB and BQ.1.1 are also showing resistance to monoclonal antibodies, a treatment used for COVID patients.
That is why Gounder insists that, whatever happens next, "it's really important for those at the highest risk, including people 50 and over, and people who are immunocompromised, to get boosted right away if they haven't already been this fall."
The new bivalent booster shots should hold up against XBB
Remember: this is still Omicron, and the new boosts from Pfizer and Moderna target BA.4 and BA.5, which are related to XBB.
That means existing vaccines should still "protect against severe disease, hospitalization, and death," Gounder said. "But I expect a lot of breakthrough infections despite vaccination" in the coming winter months, she added, whether that's with XBB, or some other evasive new variant.
According to CDC data, fewer than 15 million Americans have gotten an updated booster so far this fall – that's less than 5% of the country, so there is room for improvement both with:
More bivalentboosters in arms (they are free for everyone in the US)
Gounder said she knows Americans are tired of mitigation measures, but says "high-quality masks will be important for reducing transmission, especially in indoor public spaces" this winter.
Toyota sold 10.5 million vehicles, which include Prius, in 2021.
MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images / Contributor / Getty
Toyota said it will make fewer cars than the 9.7 million it had expected to make this year.
Semiconductor shortages mean its suspended some production lines at eight of its Japanese plants.
The company did not say how far short it will be of its original forecast.
The world's largest automaker by sales says it will produce fewer cars this financial year than it originally expected as parts shortages continue to hamper its manufacturing efforts.
Toyota Motor Corporation, said Friday that it is suspending production on 11 manufacturing lines at eight of its Japanese plants this November due to the impact of semiconductor shortages.
Toyota previously said it expected to make 9.7 million cars during the 2023 financial year, however as a result of the plan it now expected output to be lower. The company did not say how far short it expects production to be.
"Toyota would like to again apologize for the repeated adjustments to our production plan due to the parts shortage resulting from the spread of COVID-19, and for causing considerable inconvenience to our customers, who have been waiting for the delivery of vehicles, suppliers, and other parties concerned," the company said in a statement.
October's statement is the second in as many months in which Toyota has revised its production outlook. In late September, the company said that similar parts shortages would shave 50,000 vehicles from its schedule in October.
The company said then that it expected to produce an average of 900,000 a month between September and November.
Toyota said Friday that it now expects to make approximately 800,000 units in November — 250,000 will be made in Japan, with the remaining 550,000 made overseas.
Toyota — which produces globally recognizable models like the Prius — sold 10.5 million vehicles in 2021, 1.6 million ahead of next-placed Volkswagen, per Reuters.
An unfinished superyacht abandoned just before the Great Recession will be up for auction starting at $1.5 million.
The 168-foot motoryacht could cost between $16 million to $25 million to complete.
Take a look at the nearly half-finished motoryacht that'll be auctioned by Boathouse Auctions in November.
A 168-foot superyacht will be up for auction in November starting at only $1.5 million, an absolute steal for a floating home of this size.
Boathouse Auctions
The catch? It's only about 40% finished and the winning bidder will be responsible for bringing the 168-foot Trinity Tri-Deck yacht to life.
Boathouse Auctions
Yacht and boat sales have continued to skyrocket throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with some ultra-luxury yachts selling for millions of dollars above their initial asking price.
So if you're one of the affluent consumers who's still on the hunt for a boat of your own ...
Boathouse Auctions
... but high inflation is keeping you from splurging, why not bid on the half-complete yacht with Boathouse Auctions instead.
Boathouse Auctions
It may not be turnkey, but at least your new superyacht will be semi-customizable.
Boathouse Auctions
The current owner of the 168-foot Trinity was previously the owner of the now-defunct luxury yacht-building company Trinity Yachts.
Boathouse Auctions
In the face of the Great Recession, the project was abandoned in 2007 when it was only 40% complete.
Boathouse Auctions
Since then, the half-finished semi-displacement yacht been stuck in storage where it has been regularly checked.
Boathouse Auctions
And now, it's entering the third stage of its life with Boathouse Auctions where bidding will start at a cool $1.5 million …
Boathouse Auctions
… a bargain compared to other — albeit complete — superyachts.
Boathouse Auctions
For now, the motoryacht is just a nearly completed shell of its potential (the aluminum hull and superstructure are about 95% done).
Boathouse Auctions
But picture its potential as a six-stateroom, four-deck yacht with luxurious amenities like an elevator.
Boathouse Auctions
Of the six staterooms, four for guests and two for the crew.
Boathouse Auctions
The customizable yacht can also accommodate spaces like a galley, formal dining area, owner's lounge …
Boathouse Auctions
… deck with a 12-person dining table …
Boathouse Auctions
… several salons, and an outdoor lounge on the sun deck.
Boathouse Auctions
It obviously wouldn't be a luxury superyacht without a large sun deck.
Boathouse Auctions
The future owner can build out this lounge by adding a bar, dinette, outdoor galley, and more lounge seats to create the perfect space to bask under the afternoon sun.
Boathouse Auctions
And when it's time to cool off in the water, the owners can head to the garage for access to toys like jet skis and a jet tender.
Boathouse Auctions
Along with the half-complete motoryacht, the highest bidder will also receive several parts like engines and a watertight door …
Boathouse Auctions
… as well as some help from the original Trinity Yacht's design and engineering team.
Boathouse Auctions
When it's finally complete, the home at sea will be able to hit up to 23 knots with a less than eight-foot draft.
Boathouse Auctions
But to finish the project, its future owner will have to cough up at least $16 million for lower-end finishes, according to estimates from shipyards in Greece and Turkey, Jack Mahoney, a director at Boathouse Auctions, told Insider in an email.
Boathouse Auctions
If they want top-of-the line amenities, the project could cost upwards of $25 million.
Boathouse Auctions
To compare, buying a new yacht of this similar size could cost over $35 million, according to the 168-foot Trinity 2007's listing page.