Via The Los Angeles Times, summarizing reporting from the German newspaper Handelsblatt: “How bad is Tesla Autopilot’s safety problem? According to thousands of complaints allegedly from Tesla customers in the U.S. and around the world, pretty bad.”
LaunchPeak inflation? Why some prices are tumbling fast
“Crude oil, wheat and lumber are among commodities that have tumbled recently. Shipping rates on major trade routes are sinking from record highs. And used-car prices, which surged during the past two years, are showing early signs of tailing off,” The Globe and Mail reports.
LaunchNewly enacted Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act will subject judges and Supreme Court justices to new financial disclosure requirements
“The legislation was introduced after the Wall Street Journal reported in September that more than 130 federal judges had violated U.S. law and judicial ethics by overseeing court cases involving companies in which either they or members of their family owned stock,” Time’s Madeleine Carlisle explains.
LaunchFitch downgrades Russia’s credit rating amid Ukraine crisis, says default is ‘imminent’
“They can’t get their hands on money or securities or goods or services. They are outcast and they will over the shorter term freeze to death,” financial services veteran George Ball said in comments to The Washington Post.
Launch“Financial nuclear bomb” falling on Russia as a consequence of Putin’s aggression, ex-Russian central bank governor says
“The war came and the money ran out — the money ran out sooner than the war ended,” said Sergei Aleksashenko.
LaunchThe newest Trump social networking play is tied to a Bannon-allied Chinese billionaire
“GETTR has existed as a Chinese language social media network linked to Guo Wengui,” Politico reports. “It was unveiled as a new platform by Jason Miller on Thursday.”
LaunchWhy is Big Tech under assault? Power.
“I’m surprised that tech bosses can still appear clueless about the reasons behind the questioning of their industry,” Shira Ovide writes.
LaunchAmazon apologizes to Representative Pocan; admits recent tweet was a falsehood
Amazon has apologized to one of Congress’ most progressive leaders for a rude and false tweet that suggested reports about drivers relieving themselves in bottles were made up.
LaunchTalk radio owner orders pro-Trump hosts to temper election fraud rhetoric
“Cumulus Media, which employs some of the most popular right-leaning talk-radio hosts in the United States, has told its on-air personalities to stop suggesting that the election was stolen from President Trump — or else face termination,” The Washington Post reports.
LaunchCarnival executives knew they had a virus problem, but kept the party going
“More than 1,500 people on the company’s cruise ships have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and dozens have died,” a report from Bloomberg says. How did this happen? Austin Carr and Chris Palmeri explain.
LaunchYour pricey outdoor gear may have been made in factories where workers are abused
“Allegations of abuse have surfaced at a Bangladeshi factory whose multinational owner manufactures for some of the most popular outdoor brands we love. Here’s why that should surprise no one,” Joe Lindsey writes.
LaunchProgress *is* possible: Major cruise line to abandon plastic water bottles
Norweigan Cruise Line is phasing out plastic water bottles and switching to lower impact containers made by Just Water.
LaunchFacebook co-founder: It’s time to break up Facebook
“We are a nation with a tradition of reining in monopolies, no matter how well intentioned the leaders of these companies may be. Mark’s power is unprecedented and un-American,” Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes writes, referring to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “It is time to break up Facebook.”
LaunchPrivate equity pillage is what’s killing brick and mortar retail — not online competition
“The private equity business model is to strip assets from companies that they acquire. The latest victims: retail grocery chains.”
LaunchIndicting Amazon, Archbishop of Canterbury slams modern capitalism as ‘reincarnation of an ancient evil’
Justin Welby, the top clergyman in the Anglican Church, recently gave a fiery speech in which he criticized Amazon for its unethical, exploitative business practices and poor treatment of workers. The Washington Post has a good synopsis of the speech.
LaunchThis fourteen year old’s $2 million custom printing business is leaving competitors in the dust
Fast Magazine has just published a must-read profile of Buttonsmith, Inc., a Carnation-based union print shop and trusted NPI vendor founded by Henry Burner when he was ten years old. As author Glenn Fleishman explains, the business has grown rapidly and now does millions of dollars in business thanks to the Burner family’s technological prowess and smart business sense. Henry’s mother Darcy serves as CEO, while his father Mike Burner serves as the lead software developer.
LaunchAmazon cuts Whole Foods prices as much as 43% on first day
“At the store on East 57th Street in Manhattan, organic fuji apples were marked down to $1.99 a pound from $3.49 a pound; organic avocados went to $1.99 each from $2.79; organic rotisserie chicken fell to $9.99 each from $13.99, and the price of some bananas was slashed to 49 cents per pound from 79 cents. The marked-down items had orange signs reading ‘Whole Foods + Amazon.’ The signs listed the old price, the new price and ‘More to come…’.
LaunchRussia issues new ‘red notice’ request for arrest of British Putin critic Bill Browder
“Russia is facing a showdown with European leaders over claims it is ‘abusing’ the international “red notice” system for arresting criminals, in an attempt to silence critics of Vladimir Putin,” reports The Telegraph. Red Notice is, not coincidentally, the title of Browder’s book about his experiences in Russia.
LaunchGo ahead, CEOs. Criticize Trump. He can’t hurt you.
“The business advisory councils that Trump has put together are exercises in public relations,” writes Joe Nocera. “They allow Trump to be seen to be presiding over the kind of serious, successful executives he never was himself. The executives attending these meetings are simply lending their prestige to a president who needs their validation.”
LaunchBusinessman paints a terrifying and complex picture of Vladimir Putin’s Russia
Required reading from NPR.
LaunchThis again: Boeing plan will shift hundreds of jobs to Arizona
“The changes are coming at Boeing’s Shared Services Group (SSG), which employs about 3,000 people in the Puget Sound region and provides a wide range of support services to Boeing’s corporate and production units.”
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