Business

Disney Expands “Retribution” Lawsuit Against DeSantis

CNBC reports: Disney on Monday expanded its federal lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, accusing the Republican leader of doubling down on his “retribution campaign” against the company by signing legislation to void Disney’s development deals in Orlando. Disney’s amended lawsuit also noted that Florida’s Republican-led legislature passed legislation last week targeting Walt Disney World’s monorail system. “Governor DeSantis and …

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Six Hurt In Ductwork Collapse Into Denver Hotel Pool

The Associated Press reports: Six people were hurt — two critically — when part of a heating and ventilation system collapsed at a resort pool in Colorado on Saturday, fire officials said. There were 50 to 100 guests in the pool when the collapse occurred about 9:50 a.m. at the Gaylord Rockies resort near Denver International Airport, Aurora Fire Rescue …

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Twitter Restores Free API Access For Govt Accounts

Fortune reports: In an about-face, Twitter says it has restored free access to a key tool for verified government and “publicly owned” services so they can tweet weather, transit and other alerts after New York City’s transit agency said earlier this week it would no longer use the platform for its service advisories. Last month, the company announced a new …

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FL Passes Bill To Retroactively Undo Disney Board Deal

Florida Politics reports: The Legislature has passed a bill seeking to retroactively invalidate Disney’s agreement with its outgoing board — a contract now at the center of an ongoing civil lawsuit. Senators approved SB 1604 with a 27-13 vote Thursday evening. The bill is seeking to roll back an agreement Disney made with its old Reedy Creek Improvement Board in …

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Google’s Gmail Offers Free Blue Checks To Companies

Engadget reports: Google is rolling out a Gmail feature that aims to help you figure out whether a sender is genuine or if they may be a scammer. When you receive an email from a company that has verified its identity, you’ll see a blue check next to their name in your inbox. When you hover over the blue check …

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Kentucky McDonald’s Outlets Employed 300+ Children

NBC News reports: More than 300 children, including two 10-year-olds, were found working at McDonald’s restaurants across Kentucky and several other states in violation of federal labor laws, the Labor Department said Tuesday. In one case, investigators found two 10-year-olds were working unpaid and until as late as 2 a.m. at one McDonald’s restaurant in Louisville operated by Bauer Food …

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Musk To NPR: Start Tweeting Or I’ll Give Handle Away

NPR reports: Elon Musk has threatened to reassign NPR’s Twitter account to “another company.” In a series of emails sent to this reporter, Musk said he would transfer the network’s main account on Twitter, under the @NPR handle, to another organization or person. The idea shocked even longtime observers of Musk’s spur-of-the-moment and erratic leadership style. Handing over established accounts …

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FL Senate OKs State Inspections Of Disney Monorails

Florida Politics reports: The state has moved a step closer to opening up the Disney World monorail to state inspectors for the first time despite Democrats’ objections that the move targets Disney, which has a strong safety record. “Do we want Disney to shut down? Do we want Disney to leave our state? Do you want Disney to come on …

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9M Watched Pirated “Super Mario” Movie On Twitter

Forbes reports: If you were wondering what getting rid of the vast majority of Twitter staff, including moderators, might do to the site, here’s one bit of anarchy for you. After attempting something similar a few days ago, the account “vids that go hard” with 1.1 million followers has posted the entirety of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, yes the …

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Pornhub Blocks Access In Utah Over Age Verification

Axios reports: The adult content website Pornhub blocked access in Utah on Monday due to new state laws requiring websites with adult content to verify users’ ages before allowing them to access the platforms. Pornhub.com now opens on devices in Utah with a message that states the company has “made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website …

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DeSantis Appointees Vote To Counter-Sue Disney

The Insider reports: A district board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis passed a motion Monday during an emergency meeting to counter-sue Disney. The lawsuit will be filed in central Florida, Martin Garcia, chairman of the board for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, said. It was not immediately clear from Monday’s meeting what the basis of the lawsuit would …

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JPMorgan Chase Acquires Failed First Republic Bank

The Associated Press reports: Regulators seized troubled First Republic Bank early Monday and sold all of its deposits and most of its assets to JPMorgan Chase Bank in a bid to head off further banking turmoil in the U.S. San Francisco-based First Republic is the third midsize bank to fail in two months. It is the second-biggest bank failure in …

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Latest Twitter Rival Has Waiting List Of 1.2 Million

The Insider reports: A new invite-only Twitter alternative just lured in Twitter celebs Dril and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — and people are scrambling to follow them. The Jack Dorsey [photo] backed platform, Bluesky, is a Twitter clone with a very similar format to its established rival. Bluesky has been available on Apple’s app store since February but recently added an Android …

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Federal Judge In Disney/DeSantis Suit Recuses Himself

Deadline reports: The federal judge presiding over Disney’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has recused himself, citing a conflict of interest. The lawsuit, filed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. on Wednesday, accuses DeSantis of a “targeted campaign of government retaliation.” That would violate the company’s First Amendment rights, the suit contends. Friday’s order by U.S. Magistrate …

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Tesla Claims Musk’s Self-Driving Claim Is “Deep Fake”

The Guardian reports: A California judge has tentatively ordered Elon Musk to be interviewed under oath about whether he made certain statements regarding the capabilities of Tesla’s Autopilot features after the company questioned the authenticity of the remarks, claiming Musk is a “target for deep fakes”. The ruling came in a lawsuit against Tesla, filed by the family of Walter …

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Bed Bath & Beyond’s Famous Coupons Have Expired

Axios reports: Bed Bath & Beyond coupons that never expire finally expired. Tuesday was the last day to use the iconic blue coupons — which households across the country have stowed away for years — before they are worthless. The company’s gift cards won’t have value for much longer, either. But consumers may still be able to snag deals during …

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Disney Sues DeSantis For “Targeted Govt Retaliation”

The New York Times reports: The fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Walt Disney Company is headed to court. On Wednesday, a board appointed by Mr. DeSantis to oversee government services at Disney World voted to nullify two agreements that gave Disney vast control over expansion at the 25,000-acre resort complex. Within minutes, Disney sued Mr. DeSantis, …

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FDA: Dogs Okay At Restaurants In Outdoor Seating

CBS News reports: Do you like taking your dog to restaurants? Go ahead, it’s fine, according to the Food and Drug Administration which now says it’s safe to bring dogs to restaurants with outdoor seating. The new guidance came in an update to the 2022 FDA food code. The FDA stated that its health rules “allow for pet dogs in …

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Cashless Retailers Increasingly Turn To “Reverse ATMs”

Axios reports: As stores and restaurants attempt to go cashless, they’re installing “reverse ATMs” that dispense stored-value cards in exchange for greenbacks. More businesses are eschewing cash — a trend accelerated by the pandemic — but states and cities are passing laws banning them from doing so, in deference to people who don’t have bank accounts or credit cards. Reverse …

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Bud Light Parent Puts Two Marketing Execs On Leave

The Wall Street Journal reports: Anheuser-Busch InBev said it had placed on leave two executives who oversaw a Bud Light collaboration with a transgender activist. Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, had come under fire from some customers and media outlets over the company’s decision to send a personalized Bud Light can to transgender activist and influencer Dylan …

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