Business

Solar Eclipse Tourism Spurs Surge In Hotel Bookings

Axios reports: A glimpse of next month’s once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse is already one of the country’s hottest attractions. Millions of people are planning to travel to areas with the best views, and businesses are cashing in on the hype by offering eclipse-themed goodies. Come April 8, as the moon’s shadow passes northeast across North America, it should completely engulf several …

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$60M Philly Bible Museum To Close After Three Years

The Christian Post reports: The American Bible Society will be closing down its Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, around three years after the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based museum, which cost around $60 million, had opened. In a press release emailed to The Christian Post on Monday morning, the ABS announced that the center was ending operations on April 1, with the last …

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Musk: “Moderation Is Propaganda Word For Censorship”

Mediaite has the transcript: Lemon: They’re not illegal, but they’re hateful. And they can, they can lead to violence. As I just read to you, the shooters, you know, in all of these mass shootings, attributed social media to radicalizing. Musk: So, Don, you love censorship, is what you’re saying? Lemon: No, I don’t love censorship. Musk: Then why, why …

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Amazon Begins Online Sales For OTC Birth Control Pills

CNN reports: The rollout is underway for Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill approved in the United States, and online sales begin Monday morning, according to drugmaker Perrigo. Consumers can start ordering Opill online Monday, and orders will be fulfilled within a day or two, Sara Young, senior vice president and chief consumer officer at Perrigo, said in an …

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Targets Takes 10-Item Self-Checkout Limit Nationwide

NBC News reports: Target is set to limit the number of items that can be purchased in its self-checkout lanes to 10 items or fewer. The retail giant said Friday that the change would take effect Sunday at most of its almost 2,000 stores nationwide. Some self-checkout lanes may also close entirely at certain hours depending on foot traffic patterns, …

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SpaceX Has $1.8 Billion Deal To Build US Spy Satellites

Reuters reports: SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s space company and national security agencies. The network is being built by SpaceX’s Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 …

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Realtors Group Slashes Commissions, Settles Lawsuits

The New York Times reports: American homeowners could see a significant drop in the cost of selling their homes after a real estate trade group agreed to a landmark deal that will eliminate a bedrock of the industry, the standard 6 percent sales commission. The National Association of Realtors, a powerful organization that has set the guidelines for home sales …

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NYC Battles Thousands Of Unlicensed Weed Shops

Gothamist reports: A new boots-on-the-ground survey from Councilmember Gale Brewer’s office found more than twice as many illicit cannabis shops operating on the Upper West Side as in late 2022, the last time her staff canvassed the area. Brewer is one of city government’s biggest crusaders against NYC’s unlicensed cannabis shops, and the informal headcount comes as city and state …

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FCC: Cable Providers Must Disclose “All In” Price In Ads

Deadline reports: The FCC passed new rules that will require cable and satellite providers to clearly disclose the “all in” price of subscriptions in promotional materials. “The advertised price for a service should be the price you pay when your bill arrives,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said. “It shouldn’t include a bunch of unexpected junk fees that are separate from …

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Musk “Could Care Less” About Hate Speech Criticisms

Mediaite has the transcript: LEMON: Hate speech on the platform is up. Do you believe that X and you have some responsibility to moderate hate speech on the platform, that you wouldn’t have to answer these questions from reporters about the great replacement theory as it relates to– MUSK: I don’t have to answer these questions. LEMON: –great replacement theory …

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Police: Suburban Housewife Masterminded $8 Million “California Girls” Shoplifting Ring From Her Mansion

The New York Post reports: A California mom of three has been accused of masterminding an organized crime ring that stole nearly $8 million worth of makeup from stores like Ulta, T.J. Maxx and Walgreens — and then resold it online to churn a profit. Michelle Mack, 53, ran the sprawling enterprise from her $2.75 million mansion in the San …

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Musk Axes Lemon’s X Show Over Drug Use Questions

Axios reports: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon said on Wednesday Elon Musk canceled his new show on X, formerly Twitter, after he interviewed the multi-billionaire last week. Lemon claimed Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech “absolutist,” was “mad” at him over the “tense” interview, which will be included in the premier episode of “The Don Lemon Show” next week. “Apparently, free …

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Family Dollar Announces Closure Of Nearly 1000 Stores

NBC News reports: The parent company of Family Dollar said it would close approximately 1,000 stores, citing market conditions, store performance and other factors. Shares of Dollar Tree fell as much as 13% in Wednesday trading as the company also posted financial results that missed analysts’ expectations, including a net loss of more than $1.7 billion for the fourth quarter. …

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Judge Disqualifies Himself In Ex-Twitter Execs Lawsuit

Bloomberg Law reports: A California federal district court judge has recused himself from hearing a lawsuit four former Twitter Inc. executives brought against Elon Musk for allegedly refusing to pay them severance. Judge Gilliam Haywood said he is “disqualified” from the case led by Parag Agrawal, who served as the chief executive officer of the social media site that Musk …

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Labor Dept: Consumer Prices Up 0.4% In February

CNBC reports: Inflation rose again in February, keeping the Federal Reserve on course to wait at least until the summer before starting to lower interest rates. The consumer price index, a broad measure of goods and services costs, increased 0.4% for the month and 3.2% from a year ago, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. The monthly …

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Airbnb Bans Hosts From Using Indoor Security Cameras

Via press release from Airbnb: Airbnb is banning the use of indoor security cameras in listings globally as part of efforts to simplify our policy on security cameras and other devices and to continue to prioritize the privacy of our community. Historically, Airbnb allowed the use of indoor security cameras in common areas of listings, such as hallways and living …

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Mandate For AM Radios In All Cars Moves Closer

Inside Radio reports: Questions remain about the legislative prospects for a bill that would require AM radio in vehicle dashboards. But if it does come to a vote in the House, the radio industry can rest assured that it will pass. After a day of Capitol Hill lobbying by broadcasters, several lawmakers joined the list of backers of the AM …

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NYT: Musk’s Charities Benefit His Own Businesses

The New York Times reports: Unlike Bill Gates, who has deployed his fortune in an effort to improve health care across Africa, or Walmart’s Walton family, which has spurred change in the American education system, Mr. Musk’s philanthropy has been haphazard and largely self-serving — making him eligible for enormous tax breaks and helping his businesses. Since 2020, he has …

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DOJ Launches Probe Into Boeing Max Door Blowout

CBS News reports: The Justice Department is investigating the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines door blowout and whether anything that led up to, or contributed to it, could affect the deferred prosecution agreement aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing entered into with the Justice Department in 2021, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed to CBS News. As part of the agreement, which …

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Musk To Launch YouTube Competitor For Smart TVs

Mint reports: Elon Musk has revealed that long-form videos will soon be accessible on smart television sets through the social network X. The announcement comes in the wake of reports by Fortune magazine stating that the platform is gearing up to launch a TV app next week for Amazon and Samsung users. Responding to a user’s inquiry on X, Musk …

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