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☆ Amazon: it’s just like them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Jan 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) can’t always dominate everything – and that might be a strength. Boss Andy Jassy wrote in a memo Wednesday about plans to hand out pink slips mostly in the Amazon Stores and People, Experience, and Technology groups. Like other digital behemoths, Amazon has been hit by a slowing economy and investors’ souring view on tech. The irony is that showing weakness could actually benefit Amazon. With a market capitalization of more than two Walmarts (WMT.N) and revenue of five Targets (TGT.N), it’s hardly small.

☆ Here are 22 of the top LGBTQ news stories of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Here are 22 of our top LGBTQ news stories of the year. Ron DeSantis signed the controversial Parental Rights in Education law — or what critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — on March 28. 'It’s already having an impact': LGBTQ people fear abortion rights reversalA supporter of gay marriage waves a flag in front of the Supreme Court on June 25, 2015. Nicola Goode / Prime VideoAmazon’s “A League of Their Own” series, which debuted Aug. 12 and was inspired by the 1992 cult classic by director Penny Marshall, brought much-needed representation to the screen for lesbians and other queer women, who celebrated how “gay, gay, gay” it was. Biden signs same-sex marriage bill at White House ceremonyPresident Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act on the South Lawn of the White House on Dec. 13.

☆ The year that brought high-flying Silicon Valley back down to earth
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The tech industry, already dominant, only seemed destined to grow even bigger at the start of this year. The spread of the Omicron variant suggested a continued pandemic-fueled demand for digital goods and services, which had buoyed many tech companies. The result was a bloodbath unlike anything the tech industry has seen in the past decade. For years, Silicon Valley has held up its founders as visionaries who can see far into the future. “I do not think venture is cratering, or the tech industry is cratering as an industry.”But for now, at least, there appears to be no end in sight to the pain for Silicon Valley and those who work in it.

The free parking subsidy — the valuable real estate along the curb that cities reserve for cars — is estimated to cost $100 billion to $300 billion, greatly exceeding the sums cities would need to spend to make transit free. It is therefore encouraging to see that a growing number of cities across the country are offering free bus service to riders. Though most cities to experiment with free transit in America have been midsize, several of the country’s major cities are now in various stages of trying out free buses. Unfortunately, a handful of smaller cities that have tried out free transit have backtracked — mostly for financial reasons. Thus far, experience suggests that free transit is a lot more practical than adding lanes to urban grids as a solution to this inevitable urban dilemma.

☆ ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ actor Tyler Sanders' death due to 'fentanyl effects,' according to autopsy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Teen actor Tyler Sanders, best known for his starring role on “Just Add Magic: Mystery City” and guest appearances on “9-1-1: Lone Star” and “Fear the Walking Dead,” died in June from “fentanyl effects,” according to his autopsy. The report said 911 was called and paramedics responded to the apartment where Sanders was pronounced dead. “Drug paraphernalia was identified on scene.”Toxicology tests later determined Sanders had the potent drug in his system, the autopsy said. Sanders’ death was determined to be an accident, according to the autopsy. Sanders’ agent, Pedro Tapia, confirmed the actor’s death in June in a statement: “Tyler was a talented actor with a bright future.

☆ Unionization Stalls at Amazon as Turnover, Company Efforts Stymie Activism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Sebastian Herrera | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Amazon’s warehouse in Moreno Valley, Calif., where employees withdrew a petition for a unionization election after failing to achieve sufficient proof of support. When thousands of workers at an Amazon .com Inc. warehouse in New York voted to unionize earlier this year, Nannette Plascencia thought her facility east of Los Angeles could be among those to vote next. She spent months organizing with other employees, holding meetings and passing out fliers outside her warehouse in Moreno Valley, Calif. In October, shortly after filing to hold a union election, Ms. Plascencia and other supporters learned they didn’t have enough proof of support for federal officials to call an election.

☆ Beware the ‘pig butchering’ crypto scam sweeping across America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The FBI says America has a “pig butchering” problem. “We’re talking about a cryptocurrency investment scam that is sweeping the country.”The term pig butchering refers to an unsuspecting victim — the “pig” — being tricked by scammers into forking over money for a promised high rate of return. Once criminals “fatten up” their victims’ digital wallets, they steal the money, Rosen says. “Online criminals’ scams are only limited by their imagination, and they have an impeccable sense of timing,” says Fisher. “They will not make you pay in advance to collect your money.”There were approximately 60 fake sweepstakes victims in New Mexico alone last year whose collective losses totaled $1 million, he says.

☆ 'It’s corn!,' 'Dark Brandon' and 'girl explaining': A look at the most notable memes of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Here's NBC News' roundup of the 10 most notable memes of 2022. 'Dark Brandon'The meme, which started on Twitter in early 2022, depicts President Joe Biden as a laser-eyed edge-lord. 'Girl explaining'The "girl explaining" meme actually began going viral in 2019 in Spanish-speaking circles, according to Know Your Meme. Whether it's explaining what the Inflation Reduction Act is or why the Brooklyn Library is "fine free," the most shouty memes of 2022 were conveyed through the "girl explaining." That's because the corn kid, a 7-year-old named Tariq, became one of the year's most viral memes.

☆ The tech we couldn’t live without in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Bone conduction headphones, TV streaming devices and Bluetooth speakers are among the tech gadgets topping holiday wish lists this year. Other notable products – ahem, the new 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max – are near impossible to find. Since my move to New York, I’ve had to find all new favorite spots for good food and drinks. – Victor Blackwell, co-anchor of CNN NewsroomHBO MaxNow that I commute home at the ungodly hour of 1 a.m., I lean heavily on my HBO Max app (starts at $9.99 a month). – Samantha Kelly, CNN senior tech writerRev.comI remember being an intern over a decade ago logging half hour long interviews for producers.

Amazon is extending its program that allows customers to send their delivery drivers a $5 tip, following unprecedented demand in the program's initial rollout. The program allows Amazon customers to use Alexa-enabled devices like Echo or Echo Show, and Amazon’s mobile app, to tip their most recent delivery driver. When a customer says, “Alexa, Thank My Driver” into the device, the driver will receive the $5. "After extraordinary participation by the community, starting December 21, we are extending the 'Alexa, Thank My Driver' $5 appreciation program by an additional one million 'thank yous'!" An Amazon spokesperson said in an email that there was no connection between the thank-a-driver program and the suit.

YouTube TV will pay roughly $2 billion a year for the rights of the Sunday Ticket package, according to people familiar with the matter. Amazon secured the rights to “Thursday Night Football,” making it the first streaming-only platform to air NFL games, paying about $1 billion per year. YouTube TV is an internet bundle of broadcast and cable networks that mirrors a traditional linear pay-TV operator. The company has been expanding its sports footprint for its Apple TV+ streaming service. DirecTV is interested in delivering Sunday Ticket games in a similar capacity, people familiar with the matter have said.

☆ Amazon to make big business changes in E.U. settlement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon will make major changes to its business practices to end competition probes in Europe by giving customers more visible choices when buying products and, for Prime members, more delivery options, European Union regulators said Tuesday. The E.U.’s executive Commission said it accepted the legally binding commitments from Amazon to resolve two antitrust investigations. “As Amazon cannot populate both Buy Boxes with its own retail offers, this will give more visibility to independent sellers,” Vestager said. It will stop discriminating against Prime sellers that don’t use its own logistics and delivery services and will let Prime members freely choose any delivery service. The settlement comes amid a wider crackdown by regulators in Europe and elsewhere on Big Tech companies.

☆ Who's afraid of Wells Fargo?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Wells Fargo reached a $3.7 billion deal with regulators over the bank’s “widespread mismanagement” that allegedly hit more than 16 million consumer accounts. KEY CONTEXTSadly, all of this echoes earlier reports about Wells Fargo’s practices that have emerged since 2016, when its fake-accounts scandal made national headlines, my colleague Matt Egan writes. Wells Fargo workers ended up creating millions of bank accounts for customers without their knowledge. Chopra described Wells Fargo as a “repeat offender” and a “corporate recidivist,” adding that Tuesday’s fine is just an initial step toward holding the bank accountable. The web of scandals at Wells Fargo is massive, and after six years of fallout, a lot of folks aren’t convinced the bank can save itself.

☆ Jeremy Clarkson: UK lawmakers call on Sun newspaper to sanction columnist over 'violent misogynistic' language
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Jeremy Clarkson tweeted that he was 'horrified' at the hurt his article caused. “This sort of language has no place in our country, and it is unacceptable that it was allowed to be published in a mainstream newspaper,” it reads. This was the highest circulation of any UK national newspaper at the time. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads. Meghan recalled how she was stressed by UK newspaper the Mail on Sunday publishing a private letter she had written to her father, Thomas Markle.

☆ EU accepts Amazon commitments in antitrust agreement affecting data and sellers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The agreement includes several multi-year concessions offered by Amazon, including a commitment not to use third-party sellers’ data to benefit Amazon’s own marketplace listings, a practice that policymakers around the world have claimed is anticompetitive. As part of the deal, Amazon said it will treat all sellers on its platform equally when determining which seller to give top placement on Amazon product listings, and also agreed to several commitments linked to sellers’ terms under Amazon Prime. Those commitments will last for seven years, while the restrictions on Amazon’s use of seller data will last for five years. “Today’s decision sets new rules for how Amazon operates its business in Europe,” said EU Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager in a release. They cover the use of data, the selection of sellers in the Buy Box and the conditions of access to the Amazon Prime Program.

☆ 22 Unique Valentine’s Gifts for Men Who Have Everything
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +12 min

From the cocktail gadget that will level-up his drinks to the ultimate undershirts, these are presents you can purchase with confidence—no gift receipt required. This edition has a wood cabinet with metal plaques, die-cast metal houses and hotels, gold-foil stamping and money-holding drawers. Buy Side’s favorite automatic cocktail maker works with pre-measured pods and his favorite spirits to dispense cocktails at the push of a button. For more great gadget ideas, check out our roundup of the top gifts for your favorite techie. Even better, the jean material “came ready-to-wear with no awkward break-in period, plus a custom liner.”—Additional reporting by Leslie Yazel

☆ Labor Department Issues Citations Against Amazon Over Warehouse Injuries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Sebastian Herrera | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Amazon has faced inquiries in recent years over workplace protocols and safety at its facilities. Federal authorities have issued citations against Amazon.com Inc. at six of the company’s warehouses for failing to adequately report injuries. The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, issued citations on Thursday after conducting workplace safety inspections at Amazon facilities outside of New York City: Albany, N.Y.; Denver; Boise, Idaho; Chicago and Orlando, Fla., according to a spokesman from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. OSHA investigated after it received referrals for potential workplace hazards that included Amazon’s required pace of work for employees.

☆ Amazon warehouse workers in UK vote to go on strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Amazon warehouse workers at a facility in the United Kingdom plan to go on strike, their union confirmed to CNN on Friday, in a move that’s being billed as a first for the company’s workers in the country. The GMB union, which represents workers in a range of industries in the UK, said that hundreds of Amazon workers at a warehouse in Coventry overwhelmingly voted for the strike, which is expected to take place in the new year. “On top of this, we’re pleased to have announced that full-time, part-time and seasonal frontline employees will receive an additional one-time special payment of up to £500 as an extra thank you.”The move from Amazon workers in the UK also comes as Amazon workers in the United States continue to organize and push for collective bargaining rights. Amazon workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, made history earlier this year when they voted to form the first-ever labor union at one of the company’s US facilities. Despite the landmark victory for the worker group, known as the Amazon Labor Union, the company has yet to formally recognize the union or come to the bargaining table.

☆ TikTok might be too big to ban, no matter what lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“I would lose most of my sales.”For much of the past two years, talk of an outright TikTok ban seemed to recede. But suddenly, the future of TikTok in the United States appears more uncertain than at any point since July 2020. Two years later, she said a TikTok ban would cause her to "lose most of my sales." The tremendous reach of TikTok may only make it harder to ban the service outright, some national security experts say. Hootie Hurley, 23, a Los Angeles-based full-time creator with more than 1.3 million followers on TikTok, told CNN that he now makes most of his income through his TikTok following.

☆ Amazon Sued by Supplier Alleging Breach of Agreement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Gilimex claims Amazon pulled back its forecast for the year sharply in May, to far lower levels than projected and refused to compensate the supplier. The containers are designed specifically for Amazon and cannot be sold to other customers, the supplier said. The supplier says Amazon asked Gilimex to sign an agreement formalizing their relationship in January 2021 after Gilimex had begun making big investments to increase manufacturing capacity. The agreement allows Amazon to terminate the relationship without cause with 30 days of notice and requires Amazon to provide Gilimex with rolling six-month forecasts for planning purposes, according to the lawsuit. The suit, which alleges breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair trade practices and negligent misrepresentation, was filed in New York State Supreme Court.

☆ Andrew Flintoff hospitalized after accident during 'Top Gear' filming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —Former England cricket captain Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has been hospitalized after an accident during filming of the popular motoring show “Top Gear.”The incident occurred at the Dunsfold Aerodrome track in Surrey, southern England, which features regularly in the BBC show. “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track yesterday morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately,” a BBC spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday. Flintoff is not the first “Top Gear” host to be injured during filming. In 2006, Richard Hammond nearly died after losing control of a Vampire dragster that he had been driving at speeds of up to 288 miles per hour. In 2017, he was hospitalized after the electric supercar he was driving crashed and burst into flames.

☆ Amazon’s Security Chief Keeps Focus on Recruiting and Retaining Talent
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The cybersecurity talent gap grew by 26.2% over the past year to around 3.4 million unfilled jobs worldwide, according to professional group (ISC)2. Amazon recently announced a companywide hiring pause and expects to lay off up to 10,000 workers, but Mr. Schmidt said he plans to boost Amazon’s security team. He oversees information security, personnel security and physical security, and was previously chief information security officer of Amazon’s cloud unit Amazon Web Services. Amazon’s customer-service department serves as a “great feeder” for cybersecurity talent, Mr. Schmidt said, because those individuals have an existing focus on solving customer needs. He declined to name the size of Amazon’s security team, but estimated 25% of its staff are internal hires it has trained.

This week, we’ve got an Amazon Alexa device for your car, a stand mixer from Instant, new cast iron cookware from Made In and more. Made In expanded its Enameled Cast Iron Collection with its new 11-inch round Enameled Cast Iron Skillet. The skillet’s cast iron cooking surface retains heat well and distributes it evenly, making it particularly helpful for searing, sautéing and making stir-fry, Made In says. Stitch Fix is calling the program Travel Style Insurance. Those interested in the program can contact Stitch Fix via email (Travel-Style-Insurance@stitchfix.com) and provide proof of their lost luggage from a flight taken between Dec. 5 and Jan. 5.

☆ Consumer Reports: Best Wireless Multiroom Speakers of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Allen St. John | Consumer Reports | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

You can buy a wireless multiroom speaker system with great performance and unprecedented flexibility for surprisingly little money. Our top-rated multiroom speakers offer not only solid sound but also impressive flexibility. The following are some of the top multiroom speakers in CR’s ratings. The Studio can be integrated into a multiroom system with other Amazon Echo speakers. The Sonos One can also integrate with the company’s wireless models, adding smart speaker functionality to an existing Sonos system.

☆ "Emancipation" review: Will Smith casts an Oscar-shaped shadow over Antoine Fuqua's earnest movie
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Any discussion of “Emancipation” will inevitably be clouded by the Will Smith of it all, and Apple’s decision to release the movie into the teeth of awards season. Taken to work laying railroad track, Peter overhears word of Lincoln’s pronouncement and realizes his best chance at freedom involves reaching the Union Army in Baton Rouge. Effectively adopting a Haitian accent, Smith captures the physicality of the role, and Peter’s defiance toward his captors without uttering a word. “Emancipation” premieres December 2 in US theaters and December 9 on Apple TV+. It’s rated R. (Disclosure: The writer’s spouse works for a unit of Apple.)

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