Business

USA Today reports: Amid a global helium shortage, Party City announced Thursday it will shutter 45 stores in 2019. The New Jersey-based party supplies company did not release a list of affected stores but said the closures will take place throughout the year. Party City said it is working to secure a new helium source and a contract, which is …

Minneapolis’ Fox affiliate reports: MyPillow is laying off about 150 workers at its Shakopee factories as the company’s CEO plans a new business venture, according to a statement from MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. Lindell says the layout of the Shakopee facilities will be changing as he prepares to launch MyStore.com, which will be an “online store for entrepreneurs and inventors …

Axios reports: 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — both self-declared Democratic-socialists — will introduce a bill on Thursday to prevent credit card interest rates from rising above 15% and capping consumer loans. Credit cards are one of the most insidious forms of indebtedness. By bundling a loan with a very convenient payments device, banks …

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes writes in a NYT op-ed: Mark’s influence is staggering, far beyond that of anyone else in the private sector or in government. He controls three core communications platforms — Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — that billions of people use every day. Facebook’s board works more like an advisory committee than an overseer, because Mark controls around …

Reuters reports: The United States announced on Wednesday it would hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10 to 25 percent effective Friday, according to a notice posted on the Federal Register. Sources with knowledge of the talks told Reuters that China has sought to alter previously agreed provisions specifying changes to Chinese laws affecting nearly every …

Variety reports: In less than two weeks, “Avengers: Endgame” has made more money than any other movie in history except one — “Avatar.” “Avengers: Endgame” surpassed $2.188 billion worldwide in just 11 days, making it the fastest film to surpass $2 billion. It took “Avatar,” the previous record-holder, 47 days to reach that benchmark. That was back in 2009, when …

Vox reports: Maine just became the first state to ban Styrofoam food containers. The bill, which was signed into law today and goes into effect in January 2021, prohibits convenience stores, restaurants, grocery stores, farm stands, and coffee shops from using containers made of polystyrene, which is more commonly referred to as Styrofoam. “Polystyrene cannot be recycled like a lot …

Buzzfeed News reports: Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said in an email to BuzzFeed News that the porn-streaming giant is extremely interested in buying Tumblr, the once uniquely horny hub for young women and queer people that banned adult content last December to the disappointment of many of its users. Price said that restoring Tumblr’s NSFW edge would be central …

The Verge reports: Verizon is seeking a buyer for Tumblr, the blogging platform it acquired along with other Yahoo assets in 2017. The Wall Street Journal reports that Verizon has approached other companies in recent weeks that could be potential new homes for Tumblr. The platform hosts 465.4 million blogs and 172 billion posts, according to its about page. The …

The BBC reports: Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary following an inquiry into the leak of information from the National Security Council. Downing Street said the PM had “lost confidence in his ability to serve” and Penny Mordaunt will take on the role. The inquiry followed reports over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build …

Forbes reports: Marc Benioff, billionaire founder of enterprise software behemoth Salesforce, and his wife Lynne are donating $30 million to the University of California, San Francisco to fund a new research initiative that will identify the root causes of, and find evidence-based solutions towards ending, homelessness. The new program, called the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, will be part of …

Reuters reports: Spotify on Monday announced that it has surpassed 100 million paid subscribers, becoming the first music streaming company to reach that mark. Spotify said it has 217 million monthly active users and 100 million who are premium subscribers. The global leader in the sector, with double the number of subscribers of nearest rival Apple Music, Spotify has launched …

The Daily Beast reports: Sweetgreen will begin accepting cash again at all 94 of its nationwide locations by September 30, Bloomberg reports. The popular fast-casual salad chain stopped accepting cash in 2016, a decision that was met with criticism. Critics argue that cashless businesses discriminate against customers who might not have access to lines of credit or mobile payment apps. …

The Tennessean reports: IKEA, Lyft, Hilton and Warby Parker and several other businesses operating in Tennessee are speaking out against legislation affecting LGBT individuals, arguing the proposed bills will make employee recruitment more difficult and harm the state’s business climate. These companies, which sent a signed letter to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Glen Casada, join a growing …

NBC News reports: A California city that last year approved the opening of a Chick-fil-A at its local airport now wants to send a message of support to LGBTQ people as the opening date for the fast-food restaurant nears. The San Jose City Council voted 11-0 on Tuesday to hang rainbow flags in support of LGBTQ people and pink, blue …

Variety reports: Bob Iger didn’t mince words while being honored Thursday by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Upon receiving the Humanitarian Award at the organization’s National Tribute Dinner from Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO delivered a scathing critique of social media and the current state of political discourse. “Hitler would have loved social media,” Iger said. “It’s …

Travel Agent Central reports: Princess Cruises is looking to change its calls to Brunei after the destination introduced a harsh penal code that includes laws that make gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death, a spokesperson for the cruise line tells Travel Agent. “Princess Cruises is aware of the news stories circulating about the country of Brunei and …

The Associated Press reports: The artist who created the first paint-by-numbers pictures and helped turn the kits into an American sensation during the 1950s has died, his family confirmed. Dan Robbins’ son says his father died Monday in Sylvania, Ohio. He was 93. Robbins came up with the idea for paint-by-numbers photos in the 1940s while working for the Palmer …

The Associated Press reports: The national chain Motel 6 has agreed to pay $12 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Washington state claiming names of hotel guests were provided to immigration officials for two years. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Thursday the company also signed an agreement to stop the practice and to provide training to employees to …

NBC News reports: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos, have finalized their divorce. The powerful business executive, whose portfolio includes The Washington Post, and his now-former wife announced the dissolution of their marriage in separate statements on Twitter. “Grateful to have finished the process of dissolving my marriage with Jeff with support from each other and everyone who reached …