Business

Reuters reports: Meta Platforms Inc is exploring plans to launch a new social media app in its bid to displace Twitter as the world’s “digital town square”. Meta’s app will be based on a decentralized framework like Mastodon, a Twitter-like service that was launched in 2016 and now has about 2 million monthly active users. “We’re exploring a standalone decentralized …

Bloomberg News reports: California will no longer renew a $54 million contract with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. following the drugstore chain’s decision to stop dispensing abortion pills in several states, according to Governor Gavin Newsom. The action comes a day after the Democratic leader said California would stop doing business with the company. Renewal of the contract to procure specialty …

The Associated Press reports: U.S. auto safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla’s Model Y SUV after getting two complaints that the steering wheels can come off while being driven. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe covers an estimated 120,000 vehicles from the 2023 model year. The agency says in both cases the Model Ys were …

The Associated Press reports: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are getting the vegan treatment. The Hershey Co. said Tuesday that Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups, which go on sale this month, will be its first vegan chocolates sold nationally. A second plant-based offering, Hershey’s Plant Based Extra Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt, will follow in April. The chocolates are …

San Francisco’s NBC affiliate reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed Walgreens in a tweet Monday morning, saying California would no longer be doing business with the chain and linking to a CNN story about the company not distributing abortion pills to 20 states. Walgreens last week announced it won’t sell abortion pills by mail to 20 conservative-led states. The statement …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to file an antitrust lawsuit to block JetBlue Airways Corp’s $3.8 billion takeover of low-cost rival Spirit Airlines as soon as Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The Department of Transportation, which is also reviewing the deal, is expected to take parallel action to stop the planned transaction, Bloomberg said. JetBlue …

CNN reports: Twitter’s website was inaccessible for many users on Monday while others reported issues seeing photos and clicking through links in the app, marking one of the most wide-ranging service disruptions to date under new owner Elon Musk. Some users who attempted to load Twitter.com or TweetDeck, a service that allows users to organize their Twitter feed into lists, …

The BBC reports: Twitter insiders have told the BBC that the company is no longer able to protect users from trolling, state-co-ordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation, following lay-offs and changes under owner Elon Musk. Exclusive academic data plus testimony from Twitter users backs up their allegations, suggesting hate is thriving under Mr Musk’s leadership, with trolls emboldened, harassment intensifying …

Reuters reports: Twitter Inc reported a drop of about 40% year-over-year in both revenue and adjusted earnings for the month of December, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing people familiar with the matter. The report comes after several advertisers slashed their spending on the social-media platform after Elon Musk took charge of the company on Oct. 27, resulting …

Reuters reports: On at least four occasions since 2019, Elon Musk has predicted that his medical device company, Neuralink, would soon start human trials of a revolutionary brain implant to treat intractable conditions such as paralysis and blindness. Yet the company, founded in 2016, didn’t seek permission from the FDA until early 2022 – and the agency rejected the application, seven current …

The Verge reports: Twitter announced that it has “officially launched” a new Violent Speech policy that outlines its “zero-tolerance approach towards Violent Speech.” Its content is similar to Twitter’s previous violent threats policy, though it manages to be both more specific and more vague. Both policies ban you from threatening or glorifying violence in most scenarios (each version has carve-outs …

CBS News reports: Some of the biggest makers of cereals, frozen and packaged food have submitted dozens of claims to the Food and Drug Administration objecting to new rules that would exclude food with high amounts of added sugar and salt from being labeled as “healthy” on packaging. Some manufacturers have even called the regulations unconstitutional, saying they violate companies’ …

The Guardian reports: Elon Musk is facing yet another lawsuit as shareholders of Tesla accuse the chief executive and his company of overstating the effectiveness and safety of their electric vehicles’ autopilot and full self-driving technologies. Shareholders have alleged in the proposed class-action lawsuit that Tesla defrauded them over four years with false and misleading statements that concealed how its …

Reuters reports: Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has for years teased the world with his dream of an affordable electric car. This week, fans hope, he will explain what he has in mind – and perhaps how he can afford to build it. Musk said last year he shelved the plan for a $25,000 car, known as Model 2, and …

The New York Times reports: Twitter laid off at least 200 of its employees on Saturday night, three people familiar with the matter said, or about 10 percent of the roughly 2,000 who were still working for the company. Elon Musk has steadily pared back its work force from about 7,500 employees as he has sought to reduce costs. The …

The Glenwood Post reports: Cerveza, margaritas and enchiladas rancheras are coming to a downtown Rifle spot that formerly dished out burgers and fries by pistol-packing servers. Tapatios of New Castle is currently in the process of opening a new location inside the vacant downtown Rifle storefront that used to house Shooters Grill. The former Shooters was owned by Silt Republican …

Roll Call reports: Donations from corporate and trade association PACs declined in the 2022 cycle by 10 percent to Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 election for President Joe Biden, according to an analysis of campaign reports by Accountable.us. The nonpartisan group, which seeks to curb corporate influence in politics, looked at the political action committees of Fortune 500 …

The Associated Press reports: Soy, oat, almond and other drinks that bill themselves as “milk” can keep using the name, according to draft federal rules released Wednesday. Food and Drug Administration officials issued guidance that says plant-based beverages don’t pretend to be from dairy animals – and that U.S. consumers aren’t confused by the difference. Dairy producers for years have …

The Hill reports: President Biden has upheld an International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling that could result in an import ban on the Apple Watch, according to AliveCor, a medical device company that has accused Apple of patent infringement. The California startup said it was informed of Biden’s decision by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Tuesday. It’s …

NBC News reports: The Environmental Protection Agency announced a sweeping enforcement action against Norfolk Southern on Tuesday, compelling the rail company to conduct and pay for cleanup actions associated with the Feb. 3 derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio. “The Norfolk Southern train derailment has upended the lives of East Palestine families, and EPA’s order …