Business

Amazon Delays AI Alexa Due To “Incorrect Answers”

The Washington Post reports: Amazon plans to unveil a revamped version of its Alexa virtual assistant in New York later this month — the second launch event after a series of delays since the artificial-intelligence-powered upgrade was first announced in September 2023. Amazon staff learned of the new delay, which is due in part to the new version of the …

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Trump Orders “Reciprocal” Tariffs On All Countries

The New York Times reports: President Trump signed a memorandum on Thursday ordering his advisers to calculate new tariff levels for other countries globally, an ambitious task that will shatter the rules of the global trading system and likely set off furious negotiations in the coming months. The president directed his advisers to come up with new tariff levels that take …

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Chevron Announces 20% Of Workers Will Be Laid Off

Houston’s ABC affiliate reports: Major cuts appear to be coming for a huge Houston business. Chevron announced it’s planning to cut 20% of its workforce between now and the end of next year. The energy giant, which is headquartered in Houston, employs more than 40,000 people around the world, meaning cuts would be in the thousands. It’s unclear how many, …

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AP: Average Egg Prices Hit Record High Last Month

The Associated Press reports: Egg prices hit a record high as the U.S. contends with an ongoing bird flu outbreak, but consumers didn’t need government figures released Wednesday to tell them eggs are terribly expensive and hard to find at times. The latest monthly consumer price index showed that the average price of a dozen Grade A eggs in U.S. …

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Crafts Chain Joann To Shutter 500 Locations [VIDEO]

ABC News reports: Joann, the fabrics and crafts retailer, is shutting down hundreds of its stores nationwide as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. The company filed a motion in court on Wednesday seeking approval to begin closing approximately 500 locations. In a statement to ABC News, the company’s spokesperson said the move is “part of the ongoing Chapter 11 process …

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Google May Use AI To Replace Hacked Passwords

Ars Technica reports: Google’s Chrome browser might soon get a useful security upgrade: detecting passwords used in data breaches and then generating and storing a better replacement. Google’s preliminary copy suggests it’s an “AI innovation,” though exactly how is unclear. Chrome already has a feature that warns users if the passwords they enter have been identified in a breach and …

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Bird Flu Outbreak Hits Major Indiana Egg Producer

Indiana Public Media reports: Another commercial egg producer in Indiana has been hit with the bird flu. The Indiana State Board of Animal Health announced Monday that 912,000 egg-laying hens have been affected and are under quarantine in Jay County. The farm under quarantine has not been revealed publicly. Since the start of the year, it’s the fourth flock in Jay …

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AP: Tesla Has Sued Chinese Owners For Complaining

The Associated Press reports: Zhang Yazhou was sitting in the passenger seat of her Tesla Model 3 when she said she heard her father’s panicked voice: The brakes don’t work! Approaching a red light, her father swerved around two cars before plowing into an SUV and a sedan and crashing into a large concrete barrier. Stunned, Zhang gazed at the …

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Ford CEO: Tariffs Will “Blow A Hole” In Auto Industry

Axios reports: President Trump’s early tariff moves have one thing in common: No matter the target, they all threaten to “blow a hole” in the auto industry, Ford CEO Jim Farley said Tuesday. “So far what we’re seeing is a lot of costs and a lot of chaos,” Farley said at a Wolfe Research conference on Tuesday.”Let’s be real honest …

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WSJ Board: Trump’s Steel Tariffs Repeat 2018 “Blunder”

From the Wall Street Journal editorial board: President Trump gave the economy another jolt of uncertainty on Monday when he signed executive orders imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. His advisers say these tariffs are economically “strategic” rather than a bargaining chip for some other goal. Is the strategy to harm U.S. manufacturers and workers? That’s what …

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Google Removes Pride Month From Google Calendar

CNBC reports: Google’s popular online and mobile calendars no longer include reference to the first day of Black History Month or Women’s History month, among other holidays and events. The company’s calendar previously had those days marked at the start of February and March, respectively, but they don’t appear for 2025. On Google Calendar, the company has removed other events …

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Costco And Trader Joe’s Limit Egg Purchases [VIDEO]

CNN reports: Costco and Trader Joe’s are limiting the number of eggs customers can buy because of a shortage caused by the avian flu. Videos on social media platforms like TikTok and X show people stocking up on huge amounts of eggs and showing signs at stores about limits. “Due to ongoing issues with the supply of eggs, we are …

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REPORT: Cybertrucks “Deadlier” Than Infamous Pinto

Mother Jones reports: An analysis published Thursday by the auto news website FuelArc found that, in their one year of existence, the approximately 34,000 Cybertrucks on the roads had five fire fatalities, giving them a fatality rate of 14.5 per 100,000 units. That’s 17 times the fatality rate of the Ford Pintos, whose famously flawed gas tank design on the …

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Musk: Tesla Will Launch Robotaxis In Texas By June

Reuters reports: Elon Musk told investors in late January that Tesla would roll out “autonomous ride-hailing for money” by June in Austin, Texas — a state where the company faces almost no regulation, raising questions about how much safety and legal risk Tesla is willing to take on as it deploys unproven driverless technology on public streets. Tesla has long …

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Delta Airlines: We Will Not End Our Diversity Policies

Atlanta’s Fox affiliate reports: Atlanta’s hometown airline, Delta, says it is committed to its DEI program despite it being on the chopping block at other companies and within the federal government. Delta’s commitment to DEI comes as President Trump ends programs in the federal government. Last month, Trump’s executive order said “illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the …

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FAFO Alarm: Tesla Sales Are Plummeting Across Europe

Ars Technica reports: Early car sales data for January is starting to arrive from countries across the pond, and they paint an alarming picture for Tesla. Sales are crashing in France, Germany, and the UK—all affluent countries that are key markets for Tesla’s electric vehicles. In France, sales of new Teslas fell by 63 percent, while total car sales in …

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Waffle House Adds 50-Cent Surcharge Per Egg [VIDEO]

CNN Business reports: The soaring price of eggs has forced Waffle House to add a temporary surcharge on customers’ orders. The Georgia-based chain is adding a 50-cent charge per egg because of the “nationwide rise in cost of eggs,” according to signs posted at its restaurants. An aggressive strain of avian flu is hurting supply and causing prices to rise …

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Global Stock Markets Drop Due To Trump’s Trade War

The New York Times reports: Asian and European stock markets dropped on Monday as the global fallout from President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China began. In the United States, shares were poised to open lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and South Korea’s Kospi each fell more than 2.5 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange weighted index …

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Ontario Premier Orders Stores To Yank American Booze

“Every year, LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers. Not anymore. Starting Tuesday, we’re removing American products from LCBO shelves. “As the only wholesaler of alcohol in the province, LCBO will also remove American products from its catalogue so other Ontario-based restaurants and retailers can’t order or restock U.S. products. “There’s never been a …

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Zuck Orders Staff To Embrace Trump “Partnership”

The New York Times reports: In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with Meta employees on Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s chief executive, defended recent changes he had made to loosening restrictions on online speech and ending diversity initiatives, and doubled down on embracing President Trump’s new administration. “I want to be clear, after the last several years, we now have an …

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