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☆ Fantasy football leagues in limbo donate pots to support Damar Hamlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Some leagues have decided to forgo determining champions and instead donate their pots to Hamlin’s charity via GoFundMe. “[A] lot of fantasy football leagues are donating their prize pots to the fundraiser. “What an awesome way to handle a unique end to championships — unselfishly.”Hamlin’s two-year-old GoFundMe page topped $7.7 million in donations as of Friday morning. “The unfortunate events surrounding BUF-CIN Monday night have left many Fantasy Football leagues in a bind,” wrote Braun, himself a fantasy league commissioner, on the site. Released Wednesday, the calculator may help clear up some of the confusion fantasy leagues face as players struggle to determine winners without points from Monday night’s game.

New York CNN —New York City public schools will ban students and teachers from using ChatGPT, a powerful new AI chatbot tool, on the district’s networks and devices, an official confirmed to CNN on Thursday. “Due to concerns about negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content, access to ChatGPT is restricted on New York City Public Schools’ networks and devices,” Jenna Lyle, the deputy press secretary for the New York public schools, said in a statement. New York City appears to be the first major school district to crack down on ChatGPT, barely a month after the tool first launched. While there are genuine concerns about how ChatGPT could be used, it’s unclear how widely adopted it is among students. But many educators fear students will use the tool to cheat on assignments.

The massive audience makes it the most-watched “Monday Night Football” broadcast since the NFL moved the series to ESPN in 2006, surpassing the previous record of 21.8 million viewers for a Packers-Vikings game in 2009. Monday’s high-profile game, however, was suspended when Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter just moments after an open field tackle of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. During game play, ESPN averaged 21.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. That audience then grew to 23.9 million viewers between 9 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. when ESPN aired news coverage of Hamlin’s collapse. But I just didn’t want to be speculating.”Before Hamlin’s devastating injury, the game was expected to be among the most-viewed Monday Night Football games in ESPN’s history.

☆ A $3,300 self-driving stroller is at this year’s CES. Are parents ready?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Hang onto your baby bonnets: Self-driving technology is coming to strollers. Canadian-based baby gear startup Gluxkind was showing off its Ella AI Powered Smart Stroller at this year’s CES, the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas that offers some of the most cutting edge – and out-there – new technologies. The smart stroller offers much of the same tech seen in autonomous cars and delivery robots, including a dual-motor system for uphill walks and automatic downhill brake assist. The Ella stroller is able to drive itself for hands-free strolling – but only when a child is not inside. Deliveries of the stroller are expected to begin in April 2023, according to the company website.

In a statement provided to CNN, Microsoft said it has agreed to recognize the union. “Microsoft has lived up to its commitment to its workers and let them decide for themselves whether they want a union,” CWA president Chris Shelton said in a statement. Some companies like Amazon have so far refused to recognize workers who have voted to form a union. The union bid at the Microsoft subsidiary, however, stands out from some of the others because of Microsoft’s openness to employee organizing efforts. Microsoft last year entered into a neutrality agreement with the CWA, which is also supporting organizing efforts from workers at Activision Blizzard, the gaming giant Microsoft agreed to acquire for $68.7 billion.

☆ This tech company is clearing out recurring meetings from employee calendars
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —One tech company is trying to help its employees kick off the new year with a clean slate, or at least an emptier calendar. As part of its announcement, Shopify said it will delete nearly 10,000 events from employee calendars, thereby clearing up over 76,500 hours. Slashing meetings could help make the company more efficient while also potentially boosting morale for some workers. “No one joined Shopify to sit in meetings,” Nejatian wrote. Shopify is also pushing a “no judgment zone,” urging employees to cancel meetings as they see fit.

☆ American Airlines places price caps on some cities to help Southwest customers get home
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Many Southwest customers have been desperately trying something – anything – that will get them back home. American Airlines says it has a solution: It will place price caps on travel to and from select cities, the company told CNN in a statement. Although it didn’t specifically mention Southwest in its message, and the company didn’t name the cities, American implied the price caps were designed to help the melted-down airline’s customers get home. The price caps vary by location in areas affected by cancellations, an American Airlines spokesperson told CNN. American Airlines notified customers about the price caps in a series of tweets directed at people who posted screenshots of thousand-dollar flights.

☆ Piers Morgan’s Twitter account posts offensive tweets before disappearing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Why Tom Brady, David Ortiz, Jimmy Fallon and other celebrities are getting sued over crypto
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Tom Brady, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and baseball Hall-of-Famer David Ortiz are just some of the big names facing lawsuits from investors as the crypto world crumbles in the wake of FTX’s fall from grace. The backlash started earlier this month, when a class-action suit was filed against celebrities, including Jimmy Fallon, Justin Bieber and Serena Williams for promoting Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. None of the celebrities named in the lawsuits immediately responded to requests from CNN for comment. Investors in FTX are not expected to be able to recover their money, the company’s CEO testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday. And after the crypto market bust and a round of lawsuits, celebrities may think twice about what they endorse in the future, too.

☆ Uber launching driverless robotaxis in Las Vegas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

While the autonomous vehicles are currently only available for ride hailing in Las Vegas, there are plans to expand to Los Angeles “at a later date,” according to the release. Uber said it plans on launching a fully driverless service with Motional in 2023. U.S. ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) and driverless tech-maker Motional said on Wednesday they launched their public robotaxi service in Las Vegas. UberMotional has been offering robotaxi services in Las Vegas since 2018 through Uber rival Lyft, though rides before 2020 were offered under parent-company Aptiv. The sale came after a a five-year run of developing self-driving vehicles that was marred by litigation and a fatal crash.

☆ The clean energy company turning city blocks greener
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN Business —BlocPower, a Brooklyn-based clean energy company, is bringing eco-friendly, all-electric heating and cooling systems to older buildings in lower income communities, with the goal of reducing carbon footprints and energy bills. By replacing dated equipment like gas powered furnaces with heat pump systems, the company says it is able to dramatically change a building’s environmental footprint. Building owners that have turned to BlocPower say they see a real difference. BlocPower lowered bills, made the energy system quieter, cleaned the air and offered cooling solutions that tenants are thrilled with. “What needs to happen now is we need to shift gears and move the entire infrastructure of energy systems and buildings away from fossil fuels to clean energy,” said Baird.

☆ More than two dozen Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

More than two dozen Taylor Swift fans are suing Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. for “unlawful conduct” in the pop star’s chaotic tour sale, claiming the ticketing giant violated antitrust laws, among others. The lawsuit, filed in a California court on Friday, alleges Ticketmaster and its parent company were anti-competitive, imposing higher prices on fans in the presale, sale and resale market. The lawsuit also claimed that since Ticketmaster has agreements with the large stadiums in the tour, Swift “has no choice” but to work with Ticketmaster due to the size of her fan base. It also alleges that Ticketmaster profits off the resale of tickets in the secondary market by adding a service fee to its fan-to-fan exchange. Pre-sale tickets for “The Eras Tour” frustrated Swift fans across the country in a debacle that stayed in the headlines for weeks.

☆ Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster following fumbled presale
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Francesca Gariano | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The plaintiffs are seeking a penalty of $2,500 against Ticketmaster for every violation of Business and Professions Code, section 17200. The lawsuit specifically cited the “ticket sale disaster” that occurred on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 during the Verified Fan presale, which caused the site to crash, and the Capital One presale. “We believe that both Taylor Swift and her fans were hurt by Ticketmaster,” said Jennifer Kinder, an attorney for the plaintiffs, in a statement. “Even when a high demand on sale goes flawlessly from a tech perspective, many fans are left empty handed,” Ticketmaster said. “It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans,” Swift wrote.

☆ What's open and closed on Thanksgiving
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Many stores that were once open on Thanksgiving have changed policy since the pandemic, shuttering for the day before Black Friday sales. Here are the businesses and institutions that will be open and closed on Turkey Day. We’ll again be closed on Thanksgiving,” Walmart (WMT) US CEO John Furner said in an October interview on NBC. Costco (COST), Home Depot (HD), Nordstrom (JWN), Publix, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s and others have been closed on Thanksgiving for many years. As for retail pharmacies on Thanksgiving Day, CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid will be open with varying hours.

☆ Kevin Spacey charged with 7 new sexual assault allegations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is facing seven new sexual assault charges in the U.K., British authorities said Wednesday. The CPS said it had also authorized one charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. Spacey, 63, has already pleaded not guilty to allegations in the U.K. dating back 17 years, including four charges of sexual assault and one of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Those allegations were related to incidents alleged to have taken place in London and Gloucestershire, a county around 100 miles west of the British capital. In October, Spacey was found not liable for battery against "Star Trek: Discovery" star Anthony Rapp when Rapp was 14 in the 1980s.

☆ Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen named in lawsuit against FTX
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Genesis said it was working with advisers “to explore all possible options,” adding that it would release a plan for the lending business next week. “We’re working tirelessly to identify the best solutions for the lending business, including among other things, sourcing new liquidity,” the company said. The suspension comes as the entire crypto industry is on edge following the unraveling of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange and Alameda Research hedge fund, both of which filed for bankruptcy late last week. On Wednesday an FTX investor sued Bankman-Fried as well as several celebrities who have endorsed the platform, including Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen and Steph Curry. “The deceptive FTX platform maintained by the FTX entities was truly a house of cards,” the proposed class-action lawsuit states.

☆ Google agrees to $392 million settlement with 40 states over location tracking practices
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —Google has agreed to a record $391.5 million settlement with 40 states for allegedly misleading consumers over its location tracking practices, a coalition of attorneys general announced Monday. The attorneys general described it as the largest multi-state privacy settlement in US history. The coalition, which included attorneys general from New York, Kentucky and Oregon, claimed Google had been misleading users about locating tracking in various ways since 2014. Location data like the kind collected by Google can be used to target advertising and build profiles on internet users. Google and other large tech companies have come under renewed scrutiny for their handling of location data in the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

☆ The sudden decline of one of the largest crypto exchanges could rattle the sports industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN Business —The near collapse this week of FTX, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has sent shockwaves throughout the crypto startup and investment community. Like other crypto companies, FTX has invested heavily in sports sponsorships, including partnerships and naming rights in professional basketball, baseball and Formula One racing. In 2021, FTX inked a reported $135 million, 19-year deal with the NBA’s Miami Heat to rename the American Airlines Arena as FTX Arena. Sports partnership experts say the stadium naming rights are the biggest headache. In a hiring announcement earlier this year, Binance CEO Zhao “CZ” Changpeng said: “It was not easy saying no to Super Bowl ads, stadium naming rights, large sponsor deals a few months ago, but we did.”

In the House of Representatives, Republicans remained favored to win a majority that would allow them to halt Biden's legislative agenda. By early Wednesday, the party had flipped six Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one more than the minimum they need to take over the chamber. But Republican hopes for a "red wave" of victories faded as Democrats showed surprising resilience in several key races. The Democratic speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement, "It is clear that House Democratic members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations around the country." Voter anger over the Supreme Court's June decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion helped Democrats to curb their losses.

SummarySummary Companies Key House, Senate races still too close to callRepublican-controlled Congress would stymie Biden agendaPHOENIX, Ariz./BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Nov 8 (Reuters) - Control of Congress was up for grabs after Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections with many of the most competitive races uncalled, leaving it unclear whether Republicans would seize control from President Joe Biden's Democrats. In the House of Representatives, Republicans had been favored to win a majority that would allow them to halt Biden's legislative agenda. By early Wednesday, the party had flipped four Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one short of the number they need to take over the chamber. The Georgia Senate race could end up in a Dec. 6 runoff, possibly with Senate control at stake. Democrats currently control the 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break any ties.

Vance won Ohio's U.S. Senate race in Tuesday's midterm elections, but control of the chamber remained up for grabs with several contests too close to call. Democrats currently control the 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break any ties. In addition to every House seat, 35 Senate seats and three dozen governors' races are on the ballot. (Live election results from around the country are here.) In Pennsylvania, Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, who sought to overturn the state's election results after Trump lost, was defeated by Democrat Josh Shapiro.

[1/14] A voter waits in line to cast their ballot during the midterm elections, in McAllen, Texas, U.S., November 8, 2022. REUTERS/Callaghan O'HarePHOENIX, Ariz./BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Nov 8 (Reuters) - Republicans were favored to wrest control of the U.S. House of Representatives away from President Joe Biden's Democrats based on early returns in Tuesday's midterm elections, though the prospects of a "red wave" appeared to have dimmed. But importantly, that number can change as close to 200 of the 435 House races had yet to be called, including some with vulnerable Republican incumbents. But even a narrow Republican House majority would be able to block Biden's priorities while launching politically damaging investigations into his administration and family. (Live election results from around the country are here.)

☆ Goldman Sachs just dropped the names of its biggest partner class since David Solomon took over as CEO. See the full list here.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | Dakin Campbell | Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

David Solomon had been shrinking the size of Goldman's partner ranks to make it more exclusive. On Wednesday, the firm named 80 new partners, its largest class since Solomon became CEO in 2018. Goldman Sachs promoted 80 people to partner status on Wednesday, marking the largest class since David Solomon took over as CEO in 2018. Goldman's partner class has been steadily shrinking since David Solomon took over as CEO in 2018. Last year, Goldman gave its roughly 400 partners special one-time payments that added millions of dollars to their already generous year-end bonuses.

Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria faces off against Republican Jen Kiggans in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. Kiggans, a state senator, is running in a redrawn district that is more favorable to Republicans. VA-02VA-07 HouseDemocratic incumbent Elaine Luria is seeking her third term against Republican state Sen. Jennifer Kiggans in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. 2022 General EmbedsVirginia 2nd Congressional District candidatesLuria, a Navy veteran, is the prototype candidate Democrats ran in 2018 to harness anti-Trump outrage. Voting history for Virginia's 2nd Congressional DistrictKiggans is running in a coastal Virginia district that should favor conservatives more than in the past.

☆ Carvana stock plummets as used car prices fall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Carvana’s fall indicates a wider trend in the used car sector, as car prices that have been elevated fall due to rising interest rates and talk of recession. Trouble for the used car world started months ago, with car prices getting so high that many customers were priced out. Shares of CarMax (KMX), the nation’s largest used car dealer, are down 50% since the start of the year. The result has been that used car prices have declined 10.6% compared to a year ago, according to the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, which tracks average used car prices. Now, used car companies like Carvana are dealing with the decline.

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