News From the Control Tower - 2/11/2021

News from the Control Tower: Our weekly curated list of news stories affecting you and your finances.

This week’s reads include:

1. Thieves Nationwide Are Slithering Under Cars, Swiping Catalytic Converters

The pollution-control gadgets are full of precious metals like palladium, and prices are soaring as regulators try to tame emissions. Crooks with hacksaws have noticed.

2. It’s Not Every Day We Get a New Blue

In 2009, a professor discovered a novel hue by accident in his university lab. Now, you can paint with it.

3. How the Covid-19 pandemic broke Nextdoor

Amid the pandemic, lots of people are turning to Nextdoor for help. That’s not always what they find.

4. Cuba Is Opening Up Its Economy. But Don't Call It a Shift to Capitalism Just Yet

Cuba scrapped a ban on most private businesses on Saturday, the latest in a flurry of long-awaited reforms to its Communist system triggered by the government in recent weeks, and a sign that the state’s grip on the economy is loosening.

5. Jeff Immelt Oversaw the Downfall of G.E. Now He’d Like You to Read His Book.

The C.E.O. who followed Jack Welch tried, and failed, to revive the company’s stock price. He’s owning up to some of his mistakes now — and assigning some blame.

Bonus:  The missing continent it took 375 years to find

It took scientists 375 years to discover the eighth continent of the world, which has been hiding in plain sight all along. But mysteries still remain.