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☆ Church of England apologises to LGBTQI+ people for 'shameful' treatment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Church of England refuses to allow same-sex marriagesLeader of the church: 'It's a long journey'LGBTQ+ campaign group says church not inclusive enoughLONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Church of England bishops apologised to LGBTQI+ people on Friday for the rejection and hostility they have faced, with the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledging that the religious body was still "very divided" on the subject. The Church of England, central to one of the world's oldest Christian institutions, the Anglican communion, stood by its teaching that marriage is between "one man and one woman" in the proposals. A spokesperson for gay and transgender lobby group Stonewall said the Church of England had "once again" fallen short on being inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ Christians. The Church of England and the Anglican Communion are very divided," Welby told reporters on Friday, ahead of a meeting of the synod next month where the proposals will be deliberated further. But this is an enormously important point, not only within the Anglican Communion and the Church of England, but also across the global church," he added.

☆ Amazon's drone delivery unit hit with layoffs just as 10-year-old project finally launches
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Two employees said Carbon, who replaced Prime Air co-founder Gur Kimchi, was hired to turn Prime Air into a real business with a sensible budget. Sources with knowledge of Prime Air said cuts in the drone delivery business were expected considering the division's many struggles. Monica Williams, a College Station resident, poses with a Prime Air drone at a community event in July. College Station residents also expressed concern about the prospect of drones harming the deer, foxes and birds that are native to the area. "As we continue to expand, we will update you when drone delivery is available for your household."

☆ Tesla reports 1.31 million deliveries in 2022, growth of 40% over last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla just published its fourth-quarter vehicle production and delivery report for 2022. Total deliveries Q4 2022: 405,278Total production Q4 2022: 439,701Total annual deliveries 2022: 1.31 millionTotal annual production 2022: 1.37 millionDeliveries are the closest approximation of sales disclosed by Tesla. These numbers represented a new record for the Elon Musk-led automaker and growth of 40% in deliveries year-over-year. In its third-quarter shareholder presentation, Tesla wrote: "Over a multi-year horizon we expect to achieve 50% average annual growth in vehicle deliveries. Shares of Tesla started to rise again in the final days of December 2022, in anticipation of record fourth-quarter and full-year deliveries.

☆ SpaceX raising $750 million at a $137 billion valuation, investors include Andreessen-Horowitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk's re-usable rocket maker and satellite internet company, SpaceX, is raising $750 million in a new round of funding that values the company at $137 billion, according to correspondence obtained by CNBC. Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX was allowing insiders to sell at $77 per share, which would have put the company's valuation near $140 billion. The company raised more than $2 billion in 2022, including a $250 million round in July, and was valued at $127 billion during an equity round in May, CNBC previously reported. According to an e-mail sent to prospective SpaceX investors, Andreessen Horowitz (also known as a16z) will likely lead the new funding round. A16z also participated in Elon Musk's leveraged buyout of Twitter, a $44 billion deal that closed in late October 2022.

☆ Polish regulator accuses T-Mobile of misleading advertising
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Polish regulator UOKiK has accused the Polish unit of T-Mobile of misleading advertising relating to a free mobile data offer, with the company potentially facing a fine of 10% of annual revenue. "After reading the advertisement, the consumer should have a general, but realistic, idea of the presented offer," the head of UOKiK Tomasz Chrostny said in a statement. "The T-Mobile promotional slogan may suggest receiving a one-time data package of 1200 GB, and not a dozen or so smaller packages, provided that the fee is paid periodically." T-Mobile Polska did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment. ($1 = 4.3822 zlotys)Reporting by Alan Charlish, Marek Strzelecki; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Allegro.eu's Polish unit fined $48 mln for violation of competition rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GDANSK, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Poland's anti-monopoly office on Thursday fined the Polish unit of Luxembourg-based e-commerce group Allegro.eu (ALEP.WA) just over 210 million zlotys ($48 million), saying it had broken competition rules and violated its own terms and conditions. UOKiK also fined Allegro nearly 4 million zlotys on Thursday for terms violations. The company also said that 99% of sales on Allegro.pl were carried out by independent sellers and the remaining 1% through its own store. According to the investigation carried out by the watchdog, Allegro started favouring its own retail sales operations in May 2015. Shares in Allegro.eu retreated sharply from the day's highs following the news before climbing back to close up 2.5%.

☆ U.S. confirms fifth Takata air bag inflator death in 2022, urges owners to get repairs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A recalled Takata air bag inflator is seen just before being removed from a Jeep in Boulder, Colorado United States July 20, 2017. REUTERS/Rick WilkingWASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - U.S. auto safety regulators confirmed a fifth Takata air bag inflator crash death in 2022 and reiterated urgent calls for owners to get repairs. Chrysler-parent Stellantis (STLA.MI) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said they had confirmed a third Takata air bag inflator death. In November, Stellantis urged owners of 276,000 older U.S. vehicles to immediately stop driving after the crash death reports, but just 2,000 owners have gotten repairs since then. Also in November, NHTSA confirmed a new death due to a defective Takata air bag inflator in a 2006 Ford (F.N) Ranger pickup.

Insurers were already reluctant to underwrite asset and directors and officers (D&O) protection policies for crypto companies because of scant market regulation and the volatile prices of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Specialists in the Lloyd's of London (SOLYD.UL) and Bermuda insurance markets are requiring more transparency from crypto companies about their exposure to FTX. Exclusions may act as a failsafe for insurers, and will make it even more difficult for companies that are seeking coverage, insurers and brokers said. Crypto firms with financial exposure to FTX include Binance, a crypto exchange, and Genesis, a crypto lender, neither of which responded to e-mails seeking comment. The FTX collapse will also likely lead to a rise in insurance rates, especially in the U.S. D&O market, insurers said.

☆ German union warns Amazon of rolling pre-Christmas strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - German union Verdi on Sunday called on workers at Amazon warehouses across Germany to support rolling strikes in coming days in a protest over pay, aimed at maximising disruption to the online retailer's pre-Christmas business. Amazon, which does not recognise collective bargaining agreements in Germany, did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment. Verdi said Amazon staff in Germany earned several thousand euros a year less than their counterparts at companies with collective bargaining rights. It said alternating strikes would hinder Amazon management's attempts to prepare for stoppages. The union did not immediately respond to a question as to whether its Amazon members had been balloted over the strike action.

☆ Elon Musk sells chunk of Tesla shares worth $3.6B
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla CEO Elon Musk sold about 22 million more shares in his electric vehicle business worth around $3.6 billion, according to a financial filing out Wednesday night. After Musk’s Twitter takeover, he told employees there that he sold Tesla shares to “save” their business. Tesla shares have been declining this year and sliding even further since he took on that new responsibility. Shares of Tesla closed down 2.6% on Wednesday at $156.80, dropping the company’s market capitalization to $495 billion. Tesla shares were down 55% year-to-date as of Wednesday’s close.

☆ Volkswagen postpones decision on gigafactory in eastern Europe beyond 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PRAGUE/FRANKFURT, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) is postponing its decision on where to locate a planned gigafactory for electric car batteries in eastern Europe beyond 2022, the carmaker said on Thursday, pointing to the current economic environment. "Volkswagen AG and its battery company PowerCo are continuously evaluating suitable sites for their next gigafactory in Europe," Volkswagen said in e-mailed comments. "There is no pressure to act as we take some more time for decision making in light of current circumstances," Volkswagen said. "At present, there is no impact on planned start of construction or start of production." Volkswagen's planned battery cell plant in eastern Europe would be the fourth under its plan to build six such sites across Europe by the end of the decade.

☆ 360,000 student loan borrowers received $24 billion in forgiveness from fix to Public Service Loan Forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In October 2021, the Biden administration announced a one-year opportunity for student loan borrowers pursuing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness to get closer to being debt-free. Signed into law by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program allows certain nonprofit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 10 years, or 120 payments. More from Personal Finance:Biden's student loan forgiveness plan is on holdInflation-adjusted college costs declineThese colleges promise no student debtThe average borrower got more than $67,000 in student debt cleared. "These borrowers previously faced obstacles based on frustrating technicalities despite having worked in a qualifying public service job," Kantrowitz said. The reforms under the Biden administration included reassessing borrowers' timelines and counting some payments that were previously ineligible because of a borrower's loan type or repayment plan.

☆ Robinhood to pay a 1% 'match' on customer contributions to retail individual retirement accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The retail brokerage will pay a 1% "match" on contributions its customers make to a Robinhood individual retirement account, the firm said Tuesday. The firm is billing it as the first-ever match paid to retail IRA customers (i.e., outside of a workplace retirement plan.) A 401(k) match is a common retirement benefit offered by employers that sponsor a workplace retirement plan. How the match worksA 401(k) match is generally structured as a share of employee contributions. There aren't any contribution or account minimums to get the Robinhood match, and trades don't carry commissions.

Cyber Monday has begun, and existing Dyson customers can still save on the coveted Dyson Airwrap. Deal Dyson Dyson Airwrap Special Edition Complete Long With new barrels to curl and wave in both directions, brushes to control and shape, and the multi-functional Coanda smoothing dryer to dry, smooth, and hide flyaways. Existing Dyson customers can save 20% off using the code e-mailed to them on November 21. If the Dyson Airwrap is still out of your budget, you can find solid deals on similar two-in-one hairstyling products. It's comparable to the expensive Dyson Airwrap, but for a fraction of the cost.

☆ Frontier Airlines gets rid of telephone customer service
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Say goodbye to the airline call center −at least at Frontier Airlines . Passengers who call the customer service number Frontier lists on its website now get the message: "At Frontier, we offer the lowest fares in the industry by operating our airline as efficiently as possible. Most major carriers still offer customer service lines. But Frontier, which charges fees for everything from advanced seat assignments to carry-on luggage and snacks, is often looking for ways to cut expenses. During its investor day earlier this month, Frontier hinted that it would stop offering customer service by phone, a change that travel site Travel Noire reported earlier this week.

☆ Fact Check-New Hampshire officials say reporting error for U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan votes was due to typo
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A typo - not election fraud - caused inaccurate vote totals to be reported in Coos County in New Hampshire for U.S. The New Hampshire Department of State details election results by county and reported that Hassan received a total of 332,193 votes against Bolduc’s 275,928 votes (select excel beside “United States Senator”) (here). Maggie Hassan Wins 1,100 Votes from Town with Population Under 700” and said: “These days we elect dead people and more votes are casted than there are people! The town referenced in the article is Columbia, in Coos County, which has a population of 659 according to the 2020 U.S. Census (here). While the New Hampshire Secretary of State originally reported that Maggie Hassan received 1,106 votes in Columbia, Coos County, state and town officials told Reuters it was due to a typo and the number has since been corrected.

Below, you'll find some of our favorite rewards credit cards without foreign transaction fees, with an emphasis on travel rewards cards that offer bonus points and miles for airfare, hotels, and more. Annual travel credit can effectively shave $300 off the annual fee if you use it Check mark icon A check mark. That's $1,200 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. Read Insider's guide to points and miles valuations to find out what your credit card rewards are worth. Virtually all of the best travel rewards credit cards waive foreign transaction fees by this point, so for this guide, we focused on narrowing it down to the best options in a variety of categories.

☆ If you’re thinking about quitting Elon Musk’s Twitter, here’s how to use alternative Mastodon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It has been reported that more than 200.000 new users flocked the social media app after the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk. One of the fastest growing alternatives is Mastodon, which looks and feels a lot like Twitter. In the 12 days after Musk bought Twitter, Mastodon app downloads on Apple App Store and Google Play for Android surged more than 100 times previous rates to 322,000 installs during the period, according to analysis by Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm. That's still a lot lower than the over 245 million daily active users of Twitter that CEO Elon Musk tweeted about this week. Davide Bonaldo | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesBecause anyone can set up their own Mastodon server, there's no central place to sign up like twitter.com.

☆ Elon Musk is now working out of Twitter headquarters, thanks employees for long hours
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On Friday, Twitter 's new owner Elon Musk sent a companywide email to employees of the social media giant thanking them for working long hours since he took over on Oct. 28. Two current Twitter employees told CNBC that they were fielding calls from colleagues and clients about all the changes to the platform. Two employees told CNBC that they have not gotten formal guidance from the company's human resources department on remote work. This week, Musk told Twitter employees that he was reversing the company's previous "work from home forever" policy which had been enacted by his personal friend and collaborator, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Here's the e-mail from Elon Musk to Twitter employees on Friday, transcribed by CNBC:

☆ Chase Sapphire Reserve card review: One of the best premium travel cards now offers an 80,000-point bonus (worth at least $1,200 in travel), but it won't be around for long
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( David E. Slotnick | Senior Reporter | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +43 min

How to earn points with the Chase Sapphire ReserveThe Chase Sapphire Reserve has one of the most rewarding earning structures of any premium travel card. Chase also offers an easy option for redeeming points on the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. You get a 50% bonus in value with the Chase Sapphire Reserve — so, 1.5 cents per point — and a 25% bonus if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. This includes the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and Chase Freedom Flex℠. Also, note that you cannot open a Chase Sapphire Reserve if you currently hold any flavor of Chase Sapphire card.

In his first companywide email to Twitter employees, new owner and CEO Elon Musk said he was ending the social network's "work from home forever" policy. He also warned employees that the company might not survive the economic downturn without significant subscription revenue. From: Elon Musk [email removed] Date: Nov 9, 2022 [time stamp removed] To: Team Sorry that this is my first email to the whole company but there is no way to sugarcoat the message. We are also changing Twitter policy such that remote work is no longer allowed unless you have a specific exception. Thanks, ElonWATCH: Twitter is now Elon Musk's company — Here's how experts responded to the news

☆ Elon Musk to UK minister: 'What does a tosh look like?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Britain's Northern Ireland minister Chris Heaton-Harris had called on Musk to act on fake news after he took to Twitter to dismiss false reports that he was resigning his government post. "I hope one of @elonmusk first moves is to eliminate fake news on Twitter ... Very exciting I know, but complete and utter tosh," he added. His appeal to the world's richest person elicited a surprising response from Musk, who asked: "What does a tosh look like?" Some of the thousands who viewed the exchange suggested Musk was joking, while others were keen to provide him with an explanation.

☆ Chicago principal suspended after student in German military costume goose steps at high school Halloween contest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The principal of a prominent Chicago high school has been removed from his duties over the handling of a student's German military officer costume on Halloween. A student donned the outfit for a costume contest on Halloween at Jones College Prep high school — an act “widely recognized by many students, staff” as “antisemitic,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said in a statement Friday. “This incident caused harm to many students and staff, and it is completely inconsistent with our values as a school district. NBC News has reached out to Powers and the high school for comment. This isn’t Powers' first controversy at the elite selective enrollment high school near the city’s downtown.

For the most part, Mastodon looks like Twitter, with hashtags, political back-and-forth and tech banter jostling for space with cat pictures. People swap posts and links with others on their own server - or Mastodon "instance" - and also, almost as easily, with users on other servers across the growing network. But the jump in Mastodon users in a matter of days has still been startling. loadingBefore Musk completed the Twitter acquisition on Oct. 27, Mastodon's growth averaged 60-80 new users an hour, according to the widely-cited Mastodon Users account. Rochko started Mastodon in 2017, when rumours were spreading that PayPal founder and Musk ally Peter Thiel wanted to buy Twitter.

☆ CNBC cancels 'The News with Shepard Smith' to refocus on business news
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

NBCUniversal's CNBC has canceled "The News with Shepard Smith," its primetime general news show, to refocus on business and market coverage. The network announced the news Thursday in an e-mail to CNBC employees. CNBC will replace Smith's primetime show with markets coverage until a new live show focusing on business news launches in 2023. Smith joined CNBC two years ago from Fox News to bolster primetime TV ratings. The decision to move on from Smith is the first major decision made by Sullivan since taking over CNBC from Mark Hoffman in September.

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