Before he appeared on “Shark Tank” three years ago, Al “Bubba” Baker was doing $154,000 in sales with his barbecue business, Bubba’s Q. Now, Bubba’s Q is doing $16 million in sales. On the show, Baker made a deal with Shark Tank investor Daymond John, the founder of hip-hop clothing brand FUBU.

Hundreds of protesters streamed onto the Capitol lawn Saturday carrying signs demanding that President Trump release his tax returns in one of more than 150 Tax Day rallies and marches planned nationwide. Most carried signs and some wore the signature pink hats from the Jan. 21 Women’s March that drew millions and helped spawn the Tax Day protest. “Knock off the secrecy, Mr. President, and publicly release your own tax returns,” Wyden said. In a Facebook page for the Tax Day marches, organizers

Billionaire Chris Sacca absolutely shredded the pitch of an entrepreneur duo on “Shark Tank” Friday. Savannah Cowley and Samuel Agboola went on the reality television show seeking $375,000, in exchange for a 5 percent investment in their photo printing service, Flag. Customers would be able to order up to 20 free prints per month with no shipping charge and no subscription fee. A customer would not need to enter credit card information to receive free prints with the app, they said. To pay for t

“If you tell them that, sometimes children won’t listen, but through comedy and action, then they will start to follow.” And with the launch of this new cartoon, Chan and his business partners have plans for an endless array of even more, including theme parks, books, toys, apparel, video games and stage plays. Building up China’s entertainment industry can also support other sectors, from retail to advertising, which is a crucial move as the government works to maneuver an economic growth trans

Before last year’s presidential election, Trump said he was happy to see WikiLeaks publish private, politically damaging emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta. The White House defended the president, saying there was a big difference between WikiLeaks publishing stolen, personal emails of a political figure and publishing files about national security tools used by the CIA. Pompeo said there was no “quick fix” for solving the threat posed by Assange and others determined t

President Donald Trump has warned against further provocations, sending an aircraft carrier group to the region as a show of force. His officials have been assessing tougher economic sanctions as well as military options to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. Pence plans to celebrate Easter with U.S. and Korean troops on Sunday before talks on Monday with acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn. “We’re going to consult with the Republic of Korea on North Korea’s efforts to advance its ballistic missile

“Black Day” in South Korea is a day for singles, marked by eating “jajangmyeon,” a noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of black beans. “Outside South Korea, some people are worried, but we don’t feel like that in our daily lives,” said Choi Na-young, an office worker in central Seoul. “So no matter what the outside world thinks, I came here to enjoy Black Day”. In 1994, when North Korea’s founding president Kim Il Sung died, there was panic in South Korea that conflict could be just aroun

Some call it “private equity inflation.” Such a move causes the valuations of acquisitions to go higher, which allows private equity firms to sell or take their portfolio companies public at steeper prices. During the first quarter, private equity firms paid a median enterprise value multiple of 10.8 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, according to a report this week from database firm PitchBook. Despite the large amount of cash on hand, private equity saw fewer

U.S. retail sales fell for a second straight month in March amid softening demand for automobiles, suggesting economic growth slowed abruptly in the first quarter. The Commerce Department said on Friday retail sales dropped 0.2 percent last month. February’s retail sales were revised down to show a 0.3 percent decrease instead of the previously reported 0.1 percent gain. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales slipping 0.1 percent last month. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, build

Some people need convincing, or incentives, to help push them to go that extra mile. Knowing she would make some extra money, the woman volunteered herself. This goes both ways; help your employees know what you’re about outside the office, too. Recognize team playersPeriodically send out emails recognizing an employee or colleague, and make sure the CEO and top managers are included. Make sure those who work for you know they can be honest with youYour employees should feel comfortable telling

Consumer prices fell in March by the largest amount in more than two years, pushed lower by another sharp decline in the price of gasoline and other energy products. The Labor Department says the U.S. Consumer Price Index dropped 0.3 percent in March following a tiny 0.1 percent rise in February. It was the first monthly decline in 13 months and the biggest drop since prices fell 0.6 percent in January 2015. In addition to a big 6.2 percent fall in gasoline prices, the cost of cellphone plans, n

WHAT’S HAPPENING: France is electing a new presidentWHY IT MATTERS: Your trip to Europe may be getting cheaperThe French Presidential election is less than 10 days away. After Brexit and Trump’s election, populism seems to be at a fever pitch worldwide, but that trend will be tested by this election. All eyes are on right-wing populist Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National party, who is enjoying a strong showing in the polls. Should Le Pen win, the ensuing political uncertainty could, acco

South Korea’s military believes missiles displayed on Saturday in a North Korean military parade on the anniversary of its state founder Kim Il Sung included new types of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), Yonhap news agency reported. The North’s leader, Kim Jong Un, attended the parade in the capital, Pyongyang, as a series of missiles, multiple launch rocket systems and rockets were on display, amid questions about U.S. plans for the country and concerns about a possible sixth nuclear

North Korea’s military said on Friday it would “ruthlessly ravage” the United States if Washington chose to attack, as a U.S. aircraft carrier group headed for the region amid fears the North may conduct a sixth nuclear weapons test. “Our toughest counteraction against the U.S. and its vassal forces will be taken in such a merciless manner as not to allow the aggressors to survive,” North Korea’s official KCNA news agency quoted its military as saying in a statement. Follow CNBC International on

A Boston jury on Friday found former New England Patriots football star Aaron Hernandez not guilty on of murdering two men outside a Boston nightclub in 2012, following what prosecutors described as a dispute that began over a spilled drink. He is currently serving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for that killing. Except for a weapons possession count, Hernandez was found not guilty of all charges associated with the double murder, including witness intimidation. H

index, analogous to the Consumer Price Index, to track the pace and spread of artificial intelligence technology. That technical assessment, they said, could then be combined with detailed data on skills and tasks involved in various occupations to guide education and job-training programs. A public-private collaboration, they added, is necessary to create such tools because information from many sources will be the essential ingredient. That prompted the panelists to suggest the new data-monito

Foreign exchange experts told Reuters last week that a manipulator label was unlikely for Beijing. Trump, who on the campaign trail blamed China for “stealing” U.S. jobs and prosperity by cheapening its currency, repeatedly promised to label the country as a currency manipulator on “day one” of a Trump administration – a move that would require special negotiations and could lead to punitive duties and other action. The report shows the Trump administration is taking an approach to foreign excha

A new name just showed up on California’s growing list of companies allowed to test autonomous vehicles in the state: Apple. To date, the tech giant has been infuriatingly secretive about it’s efforts to build a self-driving car, code named Project Titan. Lately, California is crawling with self-driving cars. Everyone from Uber to Waymo (a spinoff of Google) to General Motors has been testing their autonomous cars in the Golden State. California requires companies that want to test autonomous ve

The administration of President Donald Trump is ending his predecessor’s policy of disclosing the names of most people who visit the White House complex, a senior administration official confirmed to NBC News Friday. The official acknowledged that the administration will likely face criticism for a lack of transparency, but argued the White House believes it will get policy input more freely from individuals if their names aren’t made public. The Washington Post first reported Friday that the Wh

Uber Technologies revealed a glimpse at its finances for the first time Friday, saying that its revenue growth is outpacing losses, according to a report from Bloomberg. The ride-hailing company said that its gross bookings reached $20 billion last year, more than double the figure from the year prior. Net revenue came in at $6.5 billion in 2016, while its net loss was $2.8 billion, excluding its former China business, Bloomberg said. The privately held company is not required to reveal its fina