Meet Howie Buffett; Successor To Warren Buffett’s $1-Trillion-Business

Business News

New Delhi: Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor and co-founder of Berkshire Hathaway, has chosen Howard “Howie” Buffett, his middle child, to succeed him in the $1 trillion business.The 70-year-old Howie would be the non-executive chairman of the multibillion-dollar conglomerate. Warren’s long-term strategy to ensure Berkshire Hathaway’s seamless transition has come to a head with the announcement.

The 94-year-old Warren Buffett chose Howie as his successor because he is his son. Buffett admitted that he has always enjoyed having his kids to rely on. He said he trusts each of his children completely, as per a media report. 

Who is Howard “Howie” Buffett?

Although Howie was up in the shadow of his father’s enormous success, his career path has been anything but conventional.

On Warren Buffett’s advice, Howie gained real-world business experience by working at Berkshire Hathaway’s See’s Candies in Los Angeles. After establishing his own excavation business, he switched to farming. A WSJ report stated that Howie paid his father rent to run the farm that Warren Buffett purchased for him. After some time, Howie developed a strong support for no-till farming, emphasizing sustainable methods and soil conservation.

After joining the county board of commissioners in 1989, Howie went on to join the Nebraska Ethanol Board and eventually became its chairman. He was an auxiliary deputy before becoming the sheriff of Macon County, Illinois, from 2017 to 2018.

Howie has been on the boards of numerous well-known businesses since 1993, including Berkshire Hathaway, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Sloan Implement, Lindsay Corporation, ConAgra Foods, and agricultural equipment maker GSI Group.

Howie founded the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to philanthropic endeavors and conservation. In addition, he has written eight books about wildlife, conservation, and related subjects.

East Moline Library, MercyOne Genesis launch “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten”

Arts & Culture, Books

The East Moline Public Library is partnering with the MercyOne Genesis Birth Center in Silvis for the nationwide early literacy initiative “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.” 

From left to right: Marcia Lintz, president of the Friends of the East Moline Public Library; Tabitha Collins, MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center RN and Bianca Sierra, director of the East Moline Public Library showcase “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” materials, January 2025. 

CONTRIBUTED

All babies born at the Silvis MercyOne Genesis in 2025 will receive a “baby-sized” tote bag and a new book, sponsored by the Friends of East Moline Public Library, as part of the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program. 

A promotional graphic for the East Moline Public Library’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program. 

CONTRIBUTED

The bag and book will include instructions on how to sign up for the program, which has been tailored and adopted at libraries nationwide. Parents and caregivers can keep track of the books their children read though the Beanstack app or the East Moline Public Library’s website. Upon reaching each literacy milestone, participants can collect “reading rewards” at the library. 

People are also reading…

Children who successfully finish the program will receive a 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten t-shirt. 
It’s no surprise that young children are constantly asking the question “why?”. Research has now shown that children prefer to read books that explain how and why things happen.

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. 

Olivia Allen

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.

Olivia Allen

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.

Olivia Allen

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.

Olivia Allen

A sign, along with some stuffed friends, encourages students to “read” at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.

Olivia Allen

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. There were upgrades to libraries across the district. 

Olivia Allen

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. The furniture is all moveable and easy to clean.

Olivia Allen

A look at library renovations at Hillcrest Elementary School in East Moline on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. Students were excited by the changes as they started school on Wednesday. 

Olivia Allen

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Are you a reader who likes meeting new people? Try Milwaukee’s Silent Book Club!

Arts & Culture, Books

Silent book clubs are popping up worldwide — including right here in Milwaukee. But what are they? WUWM’s Xcaret Nuñez and Maayan Silver stopped by a silent book club in Bay View’s Component Brewing Company to find out.  Upon walking into the brewery, we find bartenders slinging snifters filled with IPAs and lagers to people sitting and talking on tall, orange barstools. Garage punk music lilts in the background.But taking a closer look, we see a smattering of others silently reading, spaced around the room. Some have their eyes buried in e-books, while others are reading paperbacks and hardcovers.Many of them are strangers, and like Tim Sentz and Jacob Anderson, they’re each reading something different.“I’m reading Moby Dick,” says Sentz, while Anderson points out he’s reading Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler.They’re sitting at the same long wooden table and trying to figure out whether they’ve met before.“Were you reading The Silmarillion last time?” Anderson asks.“Yeah, I was,” Sentz says.“All right, I thought so,” Anderson says.“So yeah, we did meet the first time I came,” Sentz says.

Xcaret Nuñez

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WUWMSilent Book Club readers get together at Bay View’s Component Brewing Company.

A silent book club gives readers a chance to be social, but it unfolds a bit differently than in a traditional book club.First of all, you don’t have to read the same book. Silent book clubs also happen in a public place, instead of someone’s home — think coffee shop or bar.The first hour usually involves solo reading of a book of your choosing. The second part of the night is when you vibe with other readers.“We generally — and this isn’t really structured, it’s just kind of how it happens — just ask each other, ‘What are you reading?’” says Sentz. “And we present a book, and generally, people kind of chime in if they’ve heard of it or if they’ve read it.”The whole meeting usually lasts about two hours and takes place once a month, usually on Tuesdays, at various locations. And you can join in on any part or all of it, says Meredith Klusman, the curator of Milwaukee’s Silent Book Club chapter.“This takes that pressure away — it allows people the freedom to come and read the whole time, and nobody’s gonna bat an eye at you,” explains Klusman. “You can come and read for five minutes and then be like, ‘I’m not feeling it today. I just want to hang out and talk.’ And people will absolutely jive into that, too. Because the core for me, at least, is to create those connections, especially as a transplant to Milwaukee. That’s really what drove me to want to do it in the first place.”

Xcaret Nuñez

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WUWMSilent Book Club readers Meredith Klusman (left) and Jacob Anderson (right) discuss the books their reading.

Klusman’s Milwaukee chapter isn’t alone. Silent book clubs are popping up everywhere. According to the Silent Book Club website, there are over 1,400 chapters in 54 countries. Klusman says she got the idea from TikTok and started Milwaukee’s first chapter in the summer of 2023.Even though Klusman’s Facebook group has over 900 members, she says she doesn’t promote the club at all online beyond the page.“I made the page and sent it to my five cousins that live in Milwaukee, and was like, ‘All right,’ and I’m assuming that other people saw the social media posts that I saw on TikTok or whatever, and were like, ‘Hey, let’s check it out.’”Anderson, one of the readers who showed up tonight, says he appreciates turning reading from something you do by yourself to something social. “So people who are willing to go and read a book in public silently are usually like-minded people.”He says he also just likes to experience new things. “Sometimes days can blend together. They don’t when I do a Silent Book Club day.”As the first hour of reading winds down, more people join Anderson, Sentz and Klusman at the table to discuss their books. One person is reading Sherlock Holmes, which sparks some conversation.Klusman, the organizer, says the community aspect of the club is important to her, especially during the times we’re living in. “I feel like the world can be a very divisive place, especially within the last couple of years. I feel like as much as we try to move with empathy and embrace uniqueness and diversity, that’s very clearly not the MO of everybody in the world. So it’s really important to me to foster an environment that’s inclusive of everyone.”

Xcaret Nuñez

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WUWMMeredith Klusman (pictured above) is the organizer of Milwaukee’s Silent Book Club. She started the Facebook group in the summer of 2023.

Thankfully, to no one’s surprise, readers make wonderful customers, according to Component Brewing bartender Casey Sams. He’s all for normalizing reading at a bar—or in any public place, really. And he has something to say to anyone who thinks it may be “weird” to do so.“Well, first of all, book readers are not weirdos. Let’s make sure we let everyone know that.” But he adds that he’s especially supportive of the segment of the night where people get together to discuss what they’re reading. “Because how I might interpret what I’m reading could be totally different than what you’re interpreting. And we are able to get some good conversations, maybe you learn something new.”As the vibe at Component Brewing Company shifts from punk rock silent reading to its themed trivia night, Klusman starts thinking about the next Silent Book Club meeting. She says anyone is welcome to come turn the page with them, or with the second chapter of the club that recently opened up in the Milwaukee area. It’s a moment to drink, read and be social.You can visit the Milwaukee Silent Book Club’s Facebook page to learn more about this chapter.

Elizabeth Elrod highlights the key mistakes business owners make

Business News

On this episode of The Roadmap, Ted Jenkins is joined by Elizabeth Elrod, CEO of Decimal Bookkeeping, to explore the world of business accounting and bookkeeping. From her unique start in the industry to her insights on setting up proper financial systems for small businesses, Elrod breaks down the key strategies every business owner needs to know. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your financial processes, her expertise offers invaluable guidance.
Elrod’s journey started with a childhood inspiration that eventually led her to establish her own bookkeeping business. She first became interested in accounting after being impressed by a cousin’s friend who worked in the field. She then switched her college major and pursued a business degree with a focus on accounting, eventually working in public accounting for 15 years.
After experiencing the grueling tax season, Elrod decided to transition into bookkeeping, where she could leverage her expertise while maintaining a better work-life balance. She now helps small business owners ensure their financial records are clean and organized, preventing costly mistakes down the road.
Elrod explains the differences between bookkeeping and tax preparation, noting that while tax returns are important, many business owners often fail to keep accurate books. She emphasizes the importance of having organized financial records, even for small businesses and sole proprietors, who may initially use simple forms like the Schedule C for taxes.
In discussing the right time to start bookkeeping, Elrod advises business owners to set up proper financial systems early, rather than relying on disorganized methods like using a shoebox for receipts. She also highlights how poor bookkeeping practices can harm a business when it comes time to sell, as potential buyers will scrutinize the general ledger for accuracy.
Nevertheless, Elrod highlighted a few common mistakes small business owners make, like misclassifying distributions as deductions, and shares her advice on payroll systems. To combat these mistakes, she recommends outsourcing payroll to services like ADP or Paychex to avoid potential IRS penalties and interest. Despite the proliferation of cheaper, lesser-known payroll options, she believes that the cost of reliable payroll services is a worthwhile investment. 

“Business owners often think that if they move money from their business account to their personal account, that’s a distribution and they can deduct it from their P&L statement, which is a big mistake. Distributions are not deductions.” – Elizabeth Elrod

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The exciting original films of 2025: Soderbergh, Coogler, and Paul Thomas Anderson return

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Forget the sequels and adaptations; 2025 will see a heaping helping of new ideas, stories, and characters coming to a theater near you. With new films by Hollywood heavyweights like Paul Thomas Anderson, Kogonada, and Ryan Coogler, blockbusters from Pixar, and Brad Pitt driving an F1 racecar, 2025 is promising some cracks in the fortress of intellectual property that the film industry has built around itself. Here are the original films coming out in 2025 to keep an eye on.
Presence (January 24)


Most Popular

The first of two 2025 movies from director Steven Soderbergh and writer David Koepp, Presence is a haunted house story that, similar to last year’s In A Violent Nature, is shot from the ghost’s point of view. This spectral perspective plays to Soderbergh’s iPhone surveillance aesthetic and harkens back to his last attempt at horror, the underseen and underrated Unsane. The formal gambit might risk alienating the audience, but it might also be the best way to inject some life into a well-worn afterlife tale.

Love Hurts (February 7)


Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan takes his spot in the Hollywood upper echelon as the star of his very own against-type John Wick-style action-comedy. This one sees Quan as a Midwest realtor who gets sucked back into the life of hitmen and assassins when an old partner (Ariana DuBose) shoots her way back into his life. Love Hurts looks very much to have been crafted in the David Leitch action cinema mold, with colorful and kinetic action cinematography á la The Fall Guy, Nobody, and Bullet Train—it is the directorial debut of longtime Wick fight coordinator Jonathan Eusebio, after all.

The Legend Of Ochi (February 28)

A24’s biggest swing yet at blockbuster family entertainment, The Legend Of Ochi aims for the Amblin-loving, Baby Yoda pleasure centers deep inside the brains of American audiences. The feature debut of music video director Isaiah Saxon, Ochi follows a young girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel) as she helps an adorable little creature, known as an “ochi,” get back to its family. Saxon created the ochi through a mix of practical and digital effects, which should please everyone tired of CGI sidekicks taking all the good puppet roles. While The Legend Of Ochi isn’t A24’s first fantastical quest, this film aims for an even broader family audience than the studio’s Oscar-winning crowdpleaser Everything Everywhere All At Once.
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (March 5)


Despite the Missy Elliot-inspired inflatable drip and sequin headgear that Shula (Susan Chardy) sports in the trailer’s opening shots, On Becoming A Guinea Fowl is a darkly surreal film about child sexual abuse in Zambia. One night, while driving on a dark stretch of highway, Shula finds the dead body of her uncle, who has been sexually abusing her and her relatives for decades. In her second feature, writer-director Rungano Nyoni follows Shula through a complicated and hallucinatory journey as she and her family plan a funeral for a monster whose crimes no one wants to discuss.
Black Bag (March 14)

The second film from the Soderbergh-Koepp team is much more in Soderbergh’s wheelhouse. Who does a heist better than him? In Black Bag, Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett play Mr. And Mrs. Smith-coded secret agents that end up in a game of Spy Vs. Spy when she goes rogue. Sleek, sexy spy games with Fassbender doing what he does best (graceful murder) and Blanchett being the coolest one in the room? Who are we to resist?

Alto Knights (March 21)
For his first theatrical release since Bill Murray-led calamity, Rock The Kasbah, Barry Levinson is bringing in Robert De Niro to play Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two of the few real-life mob bosses that The Irishman star has yet to play. The film centers on Frank retiring from the mob after being injured in an assassination attempt orchestrated by Vito. Debra Messing, Katherine Narducci, and Shōgun breakout Cosmo Jarvis also star, presumably in one role apiece.
Sinners (April 18)

Finally reuniting after an iffy second trip to Wakanda, director Ryan Coogler and muse Michael B. Jordan are breaking free of IP and working off an original story by Coogler about some sort of scary monster town filled with religious zealots. Coogler and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw reportedly shot Sinners on IMAX cameras to take full advantage of the extra big frame, not unlike Oppenheimer, opening up their early-20th century landscapes. Coogler always brings out the best in the actor and vice versa, so seeing Jordan in a dual-role horror movie is an exciting prospect.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (May 9)
Reteaming with After Yang director Kogonada, Colin Farrell stars as David, a man on the way to a wedding. Following a magic GPS, he goes on a surreal journey through space and time, where he meets Margot Robbie, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Hamish Linklater. Even with this scant information, this fantastical romance sounds like a good vehicle for wistful Farrell.
Elio (June 13)

Pixar’s Elio can’t help but feel like a breath of fresh air after a sequel-heavy 2024 from Disney. Thankfully, Elio also has a cute setup: A little boy, Elio (Yonas Kibreab), is mistakenly abducted by aliens as the planet’s ambassador ahead of a trial regarding Earth’s crimes. While we don’t look forward to what the cottage industry of Disney outrage bait will make of the film’s alien setting, the “Communiverse,” we’re open to hearing Brad Garrett play a turbine-blade-wielding monster. Oh, who are we kidding? It’s just nice to see a new character lead a Disney movie for a change.
F1 (June 13)


Why shouldn’t Brad Pitt get his own Top Gun? Joseph Kosinski’s spiritual follow-up to Top Gun: Maverick that Spiderhead (now on Netflix) could never be, F1 also stars a “Last Movie Star” type doing his own death-defying stunts. Here, Pitt stars as a 60-year-old racecar driver with a need for speed and stick-and-poke tattoos. Kosinski and Pitt are committed to authenticity, with Pitt trying to out-Cruise Tom by getting behind the wheel of an actual Formula One racecar and driving the actual Grand Prix. 
The Battle Of Baktan Cross (August 8)
The five words every cinephile wants to hear: “New Paul Thomas Anderson movie.” Unsurprisingly, details about this one are slim. We don’t even know if Baktan Cross will end up as the final title. Here’s what we do know: the movie stars Regina Hall and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jonny Greenwood composed the score. It was supposedly very expensive—Anderson’s most costly—and has some car chases. DiCaprio has funny facial hair and sports boxy wrap-around shades in set photos. The film will also, reportedly, be released in IMAX—an exciting first for PTA regardless of what this thing is about.
Marty Supreme (December 25)
The second solo narrative film from Josh Safdie sees Timothée Chalamet playing a champion table tennis player with a very memorable look. Just as memorable are his co-stars: Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary, Fran Drescher, Tyler, the Creator, and Abel Ferrera, to name just a few. It’s also noteworthy that Josh and his brother Benny are both making sports dramas for their 2025 solo projects (Benny is directing The Rock-led MMA biopic The Smashing Machine). We don’t know much about either, really, but we’ll be damned if Marty Supreme isn’t an incredible title.

Eddington (TBD)
We might be one the few movie preview writers excited for another collaboration between Ari Aster and Joaquin Phoenix. Since their last collaboration, the largely disliked (except by those who are correct) boondoggle Beau Is Afraid, Phoenix’s stock has somehow fallen even further. Well, not somehow; his abrupt exit from Todd Haynes’ latest, followed by Joker: Folie Á Deux, didn’t do the actor any favors. It’s hard to imagine how an Aster-directed black comedy neo-Western with a confusing title will bring Phoenix back into our good graces, but, as always, we remain optimistic.

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The United States and Armenia Establish Principles of Strategic Partnership: From Economy to Regional Security

Technology

The Charter of Strategic Partnership signed between the United States and Armenia outlines the fundamental principles of bilateral cooperation, covering a broad range of areas—from economic collaboration to regional security matters.The preamble of the document emphasizes that the partnership between the two democratic nations is founded on shared values and mutual interests, including the promotion of democracy and economic freedom, the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the strengthening of the rule of law, and the safeguarding of fundamental human rights.Special attention is given to regional security. The United States reaffirms its support for the peaceful resolution of conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the border delimitation process based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. Washington also advocates for the unblocking of regional transportation links in the South Caucasus, ensuring respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of all countries involved.In the economic section of the Charter, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation to stimulate job creation and economic growth, support market reforms, and promote economic liberalization. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of the energy sector, including civilian nuclear energy in compliance with safety and non-proliferation standards, as well as increasing the share of renewable energy sources.Recognizing Armenia’s landlocked status, the United States aims to deepen cooperation to integrate Armenia into broader regional transportation networks, specifically by supporting Armenia’s “Crossroads of the World” project. Additionally, the Charter includes plans to establish a working group to strengthen export controls on dual-use goods and to expand access for Armenian companies to U.S.-regulated technologies.