Highlights of the Week (October 29, 2021)

Happy Halloween-eve. Have you got your costume sorted out? One that’s been cropping up on my feed for the early celebrations includes a clever alien kidnapping situation. Bonus points when the wearer acts out the abduction. There’s also plenty of pop-culture moments to choose from, including Bernie Sanders casually enjoying an inauguration, #FreeBritney, Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala, and of course, Squid Games: the players, the guards, and the overlords. The costume choice from the mega-successful Korean Netflix show has already drummed up a fair amount of controversy prior to the holiday, from schools banning the costume for its violent connotations to overt racism. A holiday that’s meant to spook us has always had its fair share of scary legends. One that just won’t quit is the “tainted candy” scare, now with THC! Whatever freaky plans you have for the weekend, I hope it includes sweets and a spooky film.

Here’s a tasty treat-recap of the week’s coverage on the Daily Stack:

• We looked at the controversy surrounding Facebook after Frances Haugen’s whistleblowing and years of copycat behavior of rival social media outlets. Controversy aside, the trillionaire company is moving ahead with planning its metaverse alternate reality, changing its name last night to Meta. Find out more.

• Tuesday we looked at the crypto craze becoming a funding gold rush for investors. We looked at the major players and the startups benefitting from crypto. Check it out.

• Elder Millennials are pushing 40 but still lack the same homeownership rates of previous generations. We looked at the contributing factors as well as incentives and help from government institutions and startups. Learn more.

• In a Back-to-Basics edition, we examined the end-game for startups raising VC funds: the IPO. Investors, founders, and shareholding employees get to cash out on their shares, ringing the bell at the NYSE or the NASDAQ. Read more.