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Pitchfork announced it was no longer a freestanding music site, after digital publications BuzzFeed News and Jezebel disappeared last year. Even The Washington Post, whose subscriptions boomed during the Trump administration, has seen a falloff, leading its management to acknowledge that it was too optimistic in expansion plans and needed to cut costs. THE PATH FORWARD IS JUST AS BUMPYSome of the troubled outlets also have unique issues that contributed to their problems. “We need journalists in society, and we will find a way to fill that need,” he said. But in the short run, it's going to be ugly.”___David Bauder covers media for The Associated Press.

Persons: —, tacos, Jezebel, Conde, walkouts, ”, Didier Saugy, Gray, Jeff Jarvis, ” Jarvis, “, Trump, Jeff Bezos, Patrick Soon, Jarvis, Aileen Gallagher, that's, Elon Musk's, ” Gallagher, Jim VandeHei, haven't, Tara Dublin, Steve Reilly, you've, ___ David Bauder Organizations: National Press, Los Angeles Times, Business, Time, Washington Post, Pitchfork, Washington Post , New York Daily News, Conde Nast, Press Club, Northwestern University, New York Times, Hollywood, Philanthropy, Associated Press, MacArthur Foundation, Knight Foundation, ” Tech, Syracuse University, Google, Publishers, Facebook, Twitter, Sports, Axios, Politico Locations: Washington, Washington Post , New, United States

☆ Pitchfork, the Early Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last week, Condé Nast announced that Pitchfork, the taste-making music news and criticism website it had acquired in 2015 — which had entranced and sometimes infuriated fans for more than two decades — would be brought under the editorial umbrella of GQ. The announcement felt like a death knell for a certain kind of critical posture — progressive but not inaccessible, knowledgeable but also curious — that feels increasingly remote in the current media landscape. Some version of the site will continue, but online, the news was received with dismay and frustration. Guests:Ryan Schreiber, the founder of Pitchfork and its editor in chief for approximately two decadesChris Kaskie, Pitchfork’s first employee and first CEOConnect With Popcast. Become a part of the Popcast community: Join the show’s Facebook group and Discord channel.

Persons: Condé Nast, Ryan Schreiber, Chris Kaskie, Pitchfork’s, Jon Caramanica Organizations: Pitchfork, GQ, Facebook, Twitter Locations: —

☆ Opinion: Donald Trump wins against Nikki Haley, but loses it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

The problem with this approach is that most Republican voters do not want an alternative to Trump; they overwhelmingly back him. At least that’s what the Nikki Haley campaign said after finishing second to former President Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primaries on Tuesday. Democratic nominee Bill Clinton and third-party candidate Ross Perot exploited that division in the Republican Party against Bush in the fall. The Republican Party is united behind Trump, and with optimal conditions for an opponent like Haley, Trump was still unstoppable. “Democrats deserve options, and it’s not clear at all that President Biden can beat Donald Trump.

Persons: Raul A, Reyes, Nikki Haley’s, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, bode, Reyes CNN Haley, Trump, Haley, “, CNN’s Dana Bash, That’s, it’s, Trump …, Nikki, –, She’s, Paul Begala, Donald Trump’s, Paul Begala CNN Trump, Joe Biden, Reagan, Bush, Bill Clinton’s, Clinton, Ana Marie Cox, Ana Marie Cox Faith Fonseca, ” Trump, Biden, Jamal Simmons, Biden’s, he’s, Dean Phillips, Jimmy Carter, Edward Kennedy, Kennedy, Carter, Republican Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Pat Buchanan, Bill Clinton, Ross Perot, Eugene McCarthy’s, Lyndon Johnson, Marianne Williamson, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Pramila, Kamala Harris, Daniel McCarthy, John McCain, George W, Ron DeSantis, Biden —, ”, Rizwan Virk, Williamson, Sanders, Andrew Yang, Dean Philips, Yang, ” Rizwan Virk, Patrick T, Brown, Barack Obama, Dozens, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Texas Sen, Ted Cruz, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Cruz, Sophia A, DeSantis, Nelson Stephanie Honikel, Harris, Nelson, Tuesday’s, Phillips ’, Phillips, Arick, Michael Bloomberg Organizations: CNN, GOP, South Carolina Gov, Republican, Reyes CNN, Trump, Independents, Polling, White, USA, Twitter, New, South, Biden, diehard Republicans, New Hampshire, Republican Party, Bush Republicans, NATO, Republicans, Democratic, Minnesota Rep, Hamas, Washington Rep, Former South Carolina Gov, mavericks, New Hampshire Democratic, Florida Gov, The, Syndicate, Democratic Party, Democrat, Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Wisconsin Gov, Ohio Gov, Public Policy Center, Economic, Florida’s, America, Trump Party, Congressional, UN, Tuesday’s New, Tuesday’s New Hampshire Democratic, Democratic National, Biden –, Medicare, New York Locations: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, America, Granite, Trump, Michigan, New Hampshire , Iowa, Austin, Israel, Vietnam, Granite State . South Carolina, Gaza, Yemen, Ukraine, Vermont, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Ohio, New York, Washington , DC, Virginia, Minnesota, Tuesday’s New Hampshire, Hampshire

☆ Anna Wintour kept her sunglasses on while firing Pitchfork staff, writer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAnna Wintour is famous for her intimidating black shades — and one writer says she didn't remove them while laying off workers at music site Pitchfork. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Allison Hussey, a former staff writer for Pitchfork, wrote on X that the longtime Vogue editor kept her sunglasses on in a meeting informing staff they were losing their jobs. Wintour was elevated to global chief content officer of Condé Nast and global editorial director of Vogue in 2020. Condé Nast did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: —, Anna Wintour, Allison Hussey, Wintour, Condé Nast, Anna Wintour —, Hussey, Puja Patel, Semafor, Meryl Streep's, Wears, Meryl Streep, Catherine Martin, Baz Luhrmann, Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Lauren Indvik Organizations: Service, Pitchfork, Business, Vogue, GQ, Fox, CNN, Financial, Ritz Locations: London

☆ Opinion | I Am Going to Miss Pitchfork, but That’s Only Half the Problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Ezra Klein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I’m gutted to see Condé Nast folding the online music magazine Pitchfork into GQ. I won’t try to improve on the eulogies written for the site already (Casey Newton and Eric Harvey have good ones). It’s one of the few corners of the internet I still love, no matter how often I find myself in disagreement. I’ve seen some thoughtful writing already on why Pitchfork couldn’t make it. In this case, they’re specific to Pitchfork’s editorial choices and market position.

Persons: Condé Nast, Casey Newton, Eric Harvey, HuffPost, FiveThirtyEight Organizations: Pitchfork, GQ, New York Times, Sports, BuzzFeed, Popular, U.S . News, Gawker, ABC News, Grid, ”, Vox Media, McClatchy, Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, Dallas Morning News Locations: U.S

The website, beloved for being one of modern music’s true centers of gravity and renowned for its daily record reviews scored 0.0 to 10.0, will be folded into GQ, parent company Condé Nast announced Wednesday. Schreiber sold Pitchfork to Condé Nast in 2015. Says Snapes: “Music is so much more than a ‘men’s interest’ or leisure pursuit. Pitchfork paid close, longform critical attention to so many different types of music, and so many different niches. “It’s the independent, experimental artists that are going to suffer.”___ Maria Sherman writes about music for The Associated Press.

Persons: Condé Nast, Anna Wintour, ” Wintour, Ryan Schreiber, Pitchfork, Schreiber, ”, Laura Snapes, ” Snapes, “, ” Ann Powers, ” Powers, Wintour, Melissa Consorte, Condé, P4K, Consorte, Joanna Melissakis, Gareth Paisey, Yasmin Williams, Sam Sodomsky, Williams, Paisey, “ We’ve, Taylor Swift, ” ___ Maria Sherman Organizations: ANGELES, Pitchfork, GQ, Associated Press, Napster, “, SPIN, Blender, PITCHFORK, AP, Condé Nast, The Associated Press

☆ RIP Sports Illustrated. And RIP, magazines.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewSports Illustrated used to be an American cultural touchstone. And sad for a certain kind of media person — like me — who remembers when Sports Illustrated was Really Important. AdvertisementFor people who don't remember that era: In a pre-internet world, Sports Illustrated was many things. In recent years, you were much more likely to read about a scandal or stupid controversy at Sports Illustrated than you were to actually read Sports Illustrated. So feel free to pour one out for Sports Illustrated — both the idea and the actual place where people worked.

Persons: —, John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, Don DeLillo, Gilbert Carrasquillo, who've, it's, Condé Nast, Steve Jobs, DotDash Meredith, Conde Organizations: Service, Sports Illustrated, Business, Authentic Brands, Group, Brands, Sports, Inc, Vogue, Apple, Pitchfork, Google, Facebook Locations: American

☆ Condé Nast Is Folding Pitchfork Into GQ, With Layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pitchfork, once a cultural bastion for music criticism, will be merged with the men's magazine GQ, leading to layoffs within the online publication, according to a memo from Anna Wintour, the chief content officer of Condé Nast, their parent company. “This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance, and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company,” Ms. Wintour wrote in her memo, which was issued to the staff on Wednesday. Among the casualties of the merger was Puja Patel, the site’s editor in chief since 2018, who had replaced Pitchfork’s founder, Ryan Schreiber. “Both Pitchfork and GQ have unique and valuable ways that they approach music journalism,” Ms. Wintour said, “and we are excited for the new possibilities together. With these organizational changes, some of our Pitchfork colleagues will be leaving the company today.”

Persons: Anna Wintour, Condé Nast, ” Ms, Wintour, Puja Patel, Ryan Schreiber, ” Organizations: Pitchfork, “, GQ

☆ Cassie’s Suit Against Sean Combs May Cast Her Career in a New Light
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Joe Coscarelli | More About Joe Coscarelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A second album was routinely teased in the press — with Combs touting her artistic development: “she’s really cocooned into a butterfly” — but never materialized. “I wanted to go all the way and kind of land in punk,” she said at the time. By 2012, with the release of the single “King of Hearts,” Ventura was still touting a comeback. It would be years before Ventura released music again. According to the singer’s lawsuit, on at least two occasions in 2009 and 2015, Combs beat her after seeing her speak to music managers at parties.

Persons: Combs, “ You’ve, Lil Wayne, Akon, Ventura, Cassie, “, ”, ” Ventura, “ I’m, “ It’s, Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Meek, she’s Organizations: MTV, Interscope Records, Bad, Pitchfork

☆ Trump ‘engaged in an insurrection,’ judge says, but should remain on Colorado ballot
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A Colorado judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump “engaged in an insurrection” on January 6, 2021, but rejected an attempt to remove him from the state’s 2024 primary ballot, finding that the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban” doesn’t apply to presidents. ‘Trump engaged in an insurrection’In her ruling, Wallace agreed with almost everything that the challengers argued, except on the critical question of whether a president can be disqualified by the 14th Amendment. The group said it would file an appeal “shortly” to the Colorado Supreme Court, and hailed Wallace’s finding that Trump engaged in insurrection. “We’re respectful that the judge made the right decision,” Gessler said on “The Source.” “I understand she threw a lot of shade on President Trump, and we’re not happy about that. “It says Trump engaged in insurrection but can appear on the ballot anyway.

Persons: Donald Trump “, “, Sarah Wallace, ” Wallace, “ Trump, Trump, Biden’s, Wallace, ’, ”, ‘ Trump, Joe Biden, today’s, ” Trump, Steven Cheung, Donald J, Noah Bookbinder, State Jena Griswold, CNN’s Erin Burnett, ” Griswold, Scott Gessler, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ” Gessler, we’re, Derek Muller, Muller, Sean Grimsley, ” Grimsley, didn’t, patriotically ’, Gerard Magliocca, United States … Organizations: CNN, Colorado, Trump, Republican, Capitol, Electoral, US, GOP, Colorado Supreme, Colorado Supreme Court, State, Notre Dame Law School, Capitol Police, National Guard, pitchfork, Indiana University, Union, United Locations: Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, United States, Washington, New Mexico

☆ The average price of a resale ticket for the Eras Tour was $3,801. That's up 2,321% from Taylor Swift's last tour.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The average resale ticket price for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has gone up 2,321% since her last tour. A ticket for the North American leg of the tour cost an average of $3,801 on the secondary market. The average secondary market price of a ticket to the North American leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour was $3,801 as of July 10, Pitchfork reported, using data from ticket analytics firm TicketIQ. That's a 2,321% increase from her 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour, for which the average resale price in North America was $157. A fan in California purchased a ticket for $1,400 on the secondary market, only for the ticket to not exist.

Persons: Taylor, Taylor Swift, It's, Swift, Harry Styles, Swifties, StubHub Organizations: Pitchfork, North, Service, Ticketmaster, White, Live Locations: Wall, Silicon, That's, North America, California

☆ Taylor Swift is doing 6 shows in LA for her Eras tour. Mini-residencies could be her smartest business decision yet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is set to break records, with some estimating it could gross $1.4 billion. Swift is set to take home hundreds of millions of dollars — and "mini-residencies" will help. There's no arguing that, when it comes to her Eras tour, Taylor Swift is polishing up real nice. This will likely be an immensely profitable tour for Swift no matter what, but thanks to one key business move, she's set to make even more. "The totality of Taylor Swifts' U.S. tour could generate $4.6 billion in total consumer spending, larger than the GDP of 35 countries," the Common Sense Institute estimated.

Persons: Taylor, Swift, She's, Taylor Swift, she's, Nathan Hubbard, Harry Styles, Hubbard, That's, wouldn't Organizations: Swift, Ticketmaster, Firebird, Kia Forum, Las, Federal Reserve, Pitchfork, Taylor Swifts Locations: Los Angeles, Toronto, San Diego, Ottawa, New, Covid, Las Vegas, Louis, Phoenix, Nashville, Chicago, Kansas City , Missouri, Philadelphia, U.S

☆ Mahogany L. Browne's Love Letter to Hip-Hop
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Mahogany L. Browne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Latto, “Put It on da Floor Again” (2023)The video for this song featured, among others, the L.S.U. ), Lil’ Kim shot to stardom with her debut solo single, “No Time,” which was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Benzino, “Rock The Party” ft. Mario Winans (2002)Might this be the only rap single recorded by a magazine mogul to hit the Billboard charts? The rapper Benzino, real name Raymond Leon Scott, was a co-owner of the iconic hip-hop magazine The Source. Benzino, “Rock The Party” ft. Mario Winans (2002)I’m a boss in a skirt, I’m a flirt.

Persons: Warren G, Tupac Shakur, Michael McDonald’s “, Lil Wayne, Lil Wayne’s “ Tha Carter, phenom, Rip, Angel Reese, “, ”, MC Lyte, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Missy Elliott, Slick Rick, Slick Rick’s, Eric B, Momma, Miss Ivana, Lil ’ Kim, Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Mario Winans, Benzino, Raymond Leon Scott, Anna Wintour, spinnin, I’m, York ” Organizations: New, Tigers, Party, Public, Biz, Recording Industry Association of America, Pitchfork, YG, VH1 Locations: New Orleans, Manhattan, :, York

☆ Behold, the Orb: I can't stop thinking about Sam Altman's dystopian eyeball-scanning device
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The orbs, shiny sculptural spheres that scan the eyeballs of new members, seem to have become the company's dystopian symbol. But Worldcoin's Orbs look more like inscrutable machines than something mythological. Worldcoin has said it has emphasized privacy in designing a system based on extracting eyeball scans. And the eyeball scans get erased, according to Worldcoin. Worldcoin has said that "World IDs" don't contain any eyeball scans or iris data.

Persons: Sam Altman's, Worldcoin, Sam Altman trumpeted, Alex Blania, Donald Trump, Tim Sweeney, It's Organizations: Twitter, Epic, pitchfork, MIT Technology Locations: Lisbon, Singapore, Sands, Miami, Tokyo

☆ Music for (Waiting in) Airports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Dear listeners,If you’re anything like me, you’ve already spent way too much of this summer in airports. In the mid-1970s, he got the idea for one of his most enduring works during a long, stressful flight delay at an airport in Cologne, Germany. He began experimenting with this concept, and it eventually led to the gorgeous and indefatigably useful “Music for Airports” (1978), his first declared work of what he called “ambient” music. I’m not saying your flight delay needs to be as productive as Eno’s; I won’t judge if you fail to conceive an entirely new genre of music before boarding ends. But if you still need something to listen to when it’s done, there’s always “Music for Airports.” (And Jon Pareles’s playlist of Eno’s 15 best ambient tracks.)

Persons: you’ve, Brian Eno, I’m, Liz Phair, John Denver, it’s, there’s, Jon Pareles’s Organizations: Airports ”, Pitchfork, Music, Airports Locations: Cologne, Germany

☆ Rick Froberg, Singer of Artful Intensity, Is Dead at 55
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Mike Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rick Froberg, the vocalist and guitarist best known for his work with the influential 1990s post-hardcore band Drive Like Jehu, whose urgent howl was one of rock’s most distinctive voices, died on June 30 in San Diego. Mr. Froberg, a beloved linchpin of the San Diego underground music scene that flourished in the 1980s and ’90s, sang in a raspy roar that segued smoothly between snarl and scream. Mr. Froberg particularly loved the gnarled growls of the Australian vocalists Bon Scott of AC/DC — his favorite band — and Chris Bailey of the proto-punk Saints, and he strived to follow them, Mr. Reis said. They bonded immediately and soon joined up in Pitchfork, with Mr. Froberg on vocals. The band was inspired, Mr. Reis said, by the noisy music being issued at the time on independent labels like Dischord, Touch & Go and SST.

Persons: Rick Froberg, Britton Neubacher, Froberg, ”, John Reis, Froberg’s, Bon Scott, Chris Bailey, Reis, “ Organizations: Pitchfork, DC Locations: San Diego

☆ ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ Is Updated for a New Generation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Frank Rojas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He continued, “This song was omnipresent in that era, but in a way where it crept through the cracks of pop culture. “It’s interesting to see what he referenced from the ’50s and ’60s and what he didn’t. “I think every generation gets their own ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire,’” Mr. Gerber said. I think a lot of people actually hated the song at the time. So it’s funny, because I’m also seeing a lot of people criticizing the song thinking it’s ridiculous, but it’s also just a ridiculous song to begin with.”

Persons: Wentz, Billy Joel’s, ”, ” Brady Gerber, ’, Mr, Gerber, “, I’m, it’s Organizations: Pitchfork Locations: New York

☆ Some fans have turned on Lana Del Rey. Here's a complete timeline of how the singer soured her own reputation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

May 2020: Del Rey posted an unprompted public statement about her own reputationIt all began on May 21, four months after she attended the 2020 Grammys, when Del Rey shared a lengthy open letter on Instagram. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Hardly one to stifle momentum, Del Rey also responded to the Australian blog Tone Deaf, which had published an article criticizing the defense of her album cover. —Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021Del Rey continued tweeting about her BBC interview, clarifying that she meant to criticize Trump's "significant lack of empathy" and "the issue of sociopathy and narcissism in America." Advertisement—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021—Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) January 12, 2021She also expressed disdain for negative publicity, citing her "long term relationship" with magazines like Complex and Rolling Stone, calling the former "pathetic." June 24, 2023: Del Rey arrived 30 minutes late to the stage at Glastonbury, telling the crowd, 'My hair takes so long to do'Lana Del Rey performs at Glastonbury Festival.

Persons: Lana Del Rey, Del Rey, —, Norman, Rockwell, Del Rey's, Del, she's, Ariana, Camila, Cardi, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Lizzy Grant, Fader, Helen Brown, Brown, Christine Capetola, Lana, Ashley Reese, YouTuber D'Angelo Wallace, Lana Del, that's, Karen, Wallace, Nichole Perkins, Roxane Gay, Ariana Grande, Cat, Pence, It's, Magdalene, George Floyd, Kehlani, Tinashe, Violet, Noble, lana, frick, preemptively, I'm, Annie Mac, Trump, Donald Trump, Lana stans, Mac, Biden, I've, tweeting, Trump's, Steven Hyden, Ann Powers, Powers, they'd, Judah Smith, megachurch Churchome, Smith, Jack Antonoff, God, desirs, Marie Claire, Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, Judah, Coleman Spilde, Joseph Okpako, WireImage Del, who's, Let's Organizations: Service, Pitchfork, Independent, Tulane, Trump, Twitter, Country, Billboard, Barnes, CDC, ppl, Michigan, YouTube, Capitol, NPR, Hall of Fame, BBC, Hillsong, Daily, Catholic Church, Glastonbury, Glastonbury Festival Locations: Los Angeles, America, Del Rey's, Del Rey, Churchome, y'all, WireImage Del Rey, Glastonbury

☆ Brawling with elite, Russian mercenary boss wishes politician shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"During the 1941-45 war, which is now being repeated, Stalin simply shot people like you. I think we're going to return to those times soon," he told Sverdlovsk governor Yevgeny Kuivashev, according to his press service. Earlier this week, he accused various regional governors of refusing to bury Wagner fighters with military honours, labelling them as lawless, corrupt bureaucrats. From eastern Ukraine, Prigozhin replied that he had stopped being a businessman a year ago and was now devoting his life to leading his fighters. "There is a ceiling (of growth) and mechanisms in place," said the source, who declined to provide more details.

☆ Ditching noncompete clauses would be a win for workers' rights and employees in low-wage jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Noncompetes prevent some workers in low-wage jobs from leaving for better opportunities. If the FTC succeeds in banning noncompete clauses, it can be an important win for low-wage workers and a pivotal moment in the push for workplace equity, advocates for the change say. Annabelle Chih/Getty ImagesCritics point out that many workers subject to noncompete language aren't high-profile executives who've amassed trade secrets — they're average workers. In 2015, The Verge reported on Amazon's use of noncompete agreements for warehouse workers. "Noncompete agreements help artificially stifle competition in the labor market, allowing employers to keep wages low by limiting workers' employment options," Constant wrote.

☆ Scott Galloway looked at 100 charts on US inequality for his new book. America is adrift, but here's why he's optimistic.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NYU professor Scott Galloway spoke to Paul Constant about his book "Adrift: America in 100 Charts." Galloway says we need to bring back the middle class, but there's still hope for the US. This process offered him several important new insights into the decaying of the American middle class — and a surprising sign of optimism for the future. Galloway believes America has been its own worst enemy, with outsized political division keeping us from solving the problem of inequality. "First you have to acknowledge that the middle class is an accident, and it's not self-sustaining," Galloway said.

☆ If the Biden administration doesn't step in to block the $25 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger, it will be devastating for shoppers and grocery-store workers — while the rich shareholders will get rich
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Last month, Kroger announced a $25 billion deal to merge with grocery chain Albertsons. During the pandemic last year, local city councils in Long Beach and Seattle passed "hero pay" laws requiring grocery stores to pay their public-facing workers $4 extra per hour. Last month, Kroger announced a $25 billion deal to merge with Albertsons, another major national grocery chain. In the press release announcing the merger, Kroger promised that the consolidation would result in lower prices for customers and better compensation and benefits for workers. But the larger Kroger-Albertsons merger is still on track to conclude in 2024, unless the Biden administration steps in to stop it.

☆ Google has a secretive project that could reduce the need for human engineers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today, we've got the details on Elon Musk walking back perks at Twitter, and news on a secretive project at Google. Google has a secretive new project that teaches code to write itself. In this case, the goal is to reduce the need for humans to write and update code, while maintaining code quality. It later moved into Google Labs — a transition that signaled its increased importance to leaders, with Google Labs pursuing long-term bets. Elon Musk put an end to some Twitter perks.

☆ Google has a secret new project that is teaching artificial intelligence to write and fix code. It could reduce the need for human engineers in the future.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google is working on a tool that teaches code to write and rewrite itself. The project was spun up at the company's moonshot unit X, and moved into Google Labs this year. Google is working on a secretive project that uses machine learning to train code to write, fix, and update itself. It could have profound implications for the company's future and developers who write code. Google Labs pursues long-term bets, including projects in virtual and augmented reality.

☆ Patrick Haggerty, trailblazing gay country star, dies at 78
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —When Patrick Haggerty was gearing up to record his very first country music album, he had a choice to make. He chose the latter, and 1973’s “Lavender Country,” Haggerty’s first album recorded under the same name, is now widely considered the first country album recorded by an out gay musician. He became a country music star after all. That call with Greaves was the first step to reintroducing Haggerty and Lavender Country to new listeners, many of whom had been hungry for an out gay country star. “My life changed completely and forever that day.”He became a country star his wayAs more people heard “Lavender Country” and learned Haggerty’s story, his contributions to country music were acknowledged and appreciated more widely.

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