Tag Archives: Amazon

Politico reports: Amazon Web Services is giving the Trump administration a $1 billion coupon to use their services for the federal government’s digital transformation and artificial intelligence capacity. The deal, set to run through 2028, is being framed by administration officials as a cornerstone of both the administration’s AI strategy and its broader effort to modernize government IT systems. Federal …

TechCrunch reports: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sees an opportunity to deliver ads to users during their conversations with the company’s AI-powered digital assistant, Alexa+, he said during Amazon’s second-quarter earnings call Thursday. “People are excited about the devices that they can buy from us that has Alexa+ enabled in it. People do a lot of shopping [with Alexa+]; it’s a …

The Daily Beast reports: Jeff Bezos saw a vacuum—and rocketed in. The billionaire founder of the Blue Origin space company has worked to charm Donald Trump in recent months, and even invited the president to his lavish, star-studded wedding in Venice, White House officials told The Wall Street Journal. The president apparently isn’t planning to attend, due to scheduling conflicts. …

Nexstar reports: About 100,000 Crayan brand mattresses, which were sold exclusively on Amazon, are being recalled over concerns they don’t meet federal safety flammability requirements and could catch fire. The recalled mattresses were sold online at Amazon.com from July 2022 to June 2024, for $100-$220. Consumers should stop using the mattresses immediately, says the retailer, Foshanshi Liyue Jiaju Youxian Gongsi, …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Some of the biggest merchants are exploring how to issue or use stablecoins, potentially shifting the high volumes of cash and card transactions that they handle outside the traditional financial system and saving them billions of dollars in fees. Walmart, Amazon, and other multinational giants have recently explored whether to issue their own stablecoins in …

From the Wall Street Journal editorial board: President Trump says his tariffs may raise enough revenue to replace the income tax, so why is he afraid to let Americans see what they’re paying? Instead of owning its policy, the White House has bullied Amazon to keep quiet about what it will cost. The spat started Tuesday morning when Punchbowl News …

CNN reports: The White House took aggressive aim at Amazon, with President Donald Trump putting in a call to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos Tuesday morning, after the company considered displaying the added cost of tariffs on certain items. Trump called Bezos to complain about reports that Amazon was considering displaying the cost of US tariffs next to prices for certain …

The New York Times reports: Displaying the import fees would have made clear to American consumers that they are shouldering the cost of President Trump’s tariff policies rather than China, as he and his top officials have often claimed would be the case. An Amazon spokesman said the company had considered a similar idea on part of its site, Amazon …

CNBC reports: The White House on Tuesday slammed Amazon for reportedly planning to display the cost of President Donald Trump’s tariffs next to the total price of products on its site. “This is hostile and political act by Amazon,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked …

Reuters reports: Amazon’s Prime Day is losing its luster among a critical group: sellers. Some third-party merchants who previously sold China-made goods during Amazon’s premier July shopping event are sitting it out this year or reducing the amount of discounted merchandise they offer. The planned pullback, which hasn’t been previously reported, is a way for sellers to protect profit margins …

CNBC reports:  Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said Thursday the company is still digesting the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, but that its vast network of third-party sellers may “pass that cost on” to consumers. “I understand why, I mean, depending on which country you’re in, you don’t have 50% extra margin that you can play with,” Jassy said …

Reuters reports: Chinese companies that sell products on Amazon are preparing to hike prices for the U.S. or quit that market due to the “unprecedented blow” from President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes, the head of China’s largest e-commerce association said. Trump said on Wednesday he would raise tariffs on Chinese imports to 125 per cent from the 104 per cent …

“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days. “We hope to continue working in Good Faith with …

First, this from the New York Post: Ready or not, here they come, you can’t hide. Tariffs are back, and this time, your wallet is the target. On April 2, the U.S. announced a sweeping expansion of sector-specific tariffs, a move that could send the cost of everyday goods soaring just as American consumers are beginning to breathe a little …

The New York Times reports: Amazon has put in a last-minute bid to acquire all of TikTok, the popular video app, as it approaches an April deadline to be separated from its Chinese owner or face a ban in the United States, according to three people familiar with the bid. The bid came via an offer letter addressed to Vice …

The Washington Post reports: Amazon’s new AI-enabled assistant Alexa+ is launching Monday but not all of the features the company showcased at a splashy event last month are ready, and not every Alexa owner will get access to them right away. The delayed features that documents say don’t yet meet Amazon’s standards for public release include the ability to order …

Ars Technica reports: Since Amazon announced plans for a generative AI version of Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, we’re getting a clearer view at the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased …

CNBC reports: The Federal Trade Commission asked a judge in Seattle to delay the start of its trial accusing Amazon of duping consumers into signing up for its Prime program, citing resource constraints. Attorneys for the FTC made the request during a status hearing on Wednesday before Judge John Chun in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of …

NBC News reports: Amazon has announced it will begin streaming “The Apprentice” — the reality TV show famous for boosting Donald Trump’s profile — on its Prime Video service on Monday. It’s the first time the show will be available on a streaming service, and the move highlights the close link between Trump’s time as a reality TV personality and …

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 …