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Business/Economy (General/Chat)

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  • Are robots people? Europe isn't sure...

    04/14/2018 9:34:47 AM PDT · by bitt · 28 replies
    cnet.com ^ | 4/13/2018 | mark serrels
    If a Terminator pours coffee in your lap, who's to blame? The Terminator or Skynet? Who the hell knows at this point. Quick question: If a Terminator traveled back in time and accidentally spilled hot coffee on your lap, who would you sue? The Terminator or Skynet. Tricky question, and one that European lawmakers are . The issue is with a report from the European Commission, , that suggests creating a "legal status for in the long run" so they could be "responsible for making good any damage they may cause".
  • A staggering 66% of millennials have no clue their tax returns are due in just FOUR DAYS - and...

    04/13/2018 11:53:43 PM PDT · by Morgana · 24 replies
    DAILY MAIL UK ^ | April 13, 2018 | DM reporter
    FULL TITLE: Hope it's not too late! A staggering 66% of millennials have no clue their tax returns are due in just FOUR DAYS - and most are terrified that they will make mistakes when they do file More than half of millenials do not know their tax returns are due in four days—and might thus be in for a rude awakening when tax season ends on April 17. A study of 1,000 millennials sought to uncover just how much they know about filing taxes, and how they feel about the notoriously daunting process. Taxes are due on April 17...
  • Ace Hardware Resumes Laura Ingraham Advertising, Sparking Outrage

    04/13/2018 7:25:35 PM PDT · by BBell · 73 replies
    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ ^ | 4/13/18 | Jenna Amatulli
    A spokeswoman for the hardware chain told The Wrap the company had “incomplete information” when it decided to stop advertising on “The Ingraham Angle.” Ace was among numerous companies that fled Ingraham’s show after she mocked David Hogg, a survivor of the February mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead. “Advertising on any network or show, is in no way an endorsement from Ace of the content contained or spoken within that program,” the Ace spokeswoman said in a statement. “We appreciate the different points of view from our customers, and...
  • Is Heinz’s new “mayochup” just innovation gone wrong?

    04/13/2018 2:34:27 PM PDT · by Red Badger · 80 replies
    www.fastcompany.com ^ | 04/13/2018 | Staff
    [Photo: courtesy of Kraft Heinz] _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As if our nation weren’t polarized enough, a new condiment is threatening to divide us even further: On Wednesday, Heinz announced potential plans to bring “mayochup” into the world. It’s half ketchup, half mayonnaise, and if you ask some people, 100% wrong. The food-processing company announced Thursday it’s contemplating selling the new product, provided it garners enough interest. It launched a public poll on Twitter, asking Americans to make the hard decision for them: “Want #mayochup in stores? 500,000 votes for yes and we’ll release it to you saucy Americans.” The reaction is mixed....
  • Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz Calls Tennessee Governor a Racist After He Signs Bill Defunding It

    04/13/2018 9:40:55 AM PDT · by Morgana · 32 replies
    LIFE NEWS ^ | April 12, 2018 | Micaiah Bilger
    Abortion activists with Planned Parenthood complained that two new laws signed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam this week will “hurt women of color.” Implying a possible racist motivation, the abortion chain’s Tennessee branch slammed the governor Wednesday because he signed two laws to defund Planned Parenthood and other abortion groups of state taxpayer dollars. “This hurts patients. It prevents them from seeing a healthcare provider they choose. Specifically, in our area, reproductive healthcare is difficult to access for some people,” said Sarah Wallet, the medical director for Planned Parenthood of Greater Memphis. “There’s a lot of stigma surrounding reproductive healthcare....
  • Pray for an asteroid [Dave Barry column on Taxes 1999]

    04/13/2018 8:40:21 AM PDT · by Red Badger · 9 replies
    www.miamiherald.com ^ | April 4, 1999 | Dave Barry
    Perhaps you are one of the many Americans who are afraid of preparing their own income-tax returns. If so, let me offer these words of encouragement: You stupid idiot. I say this because doing your own taxes has never been easier, thanks to modern technology such as the telephone, the personal computer and the canned frozen margarita. Take me. I am not a so-called "Certified Public Accountant, " but I have been handling my own taxes for years, using a simple, three-step system: STEP ONE: One week before the April 15 tax deadline, I gather together all my financial records....
  • New Jersey Lawmakers Finally Pass Nuclear Subsidy Bill

    04/12/2018 9:38:26 PM PDT · by Olog-hai
    New York Observer ^ | 04/12/18 8:01 pm | Christian Hetrick
    After months of behind-the-scenes lobbying, multiple marathon hearings and several revisions to the legislation, New Jersey lawmakers finally approved a controversial bill on Thursday to bail out the state’s nuclear power plants. The bill (S2313/A3724) cleared the state Senate by a 29 to 7 vote and passed the Assembly 60 to 10 with one abstention. It now goes to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. The measure would effectively impose a surcharge on ratepayers to prop up nuclear power plants owned by Public Service Electric & Gas—the state’s largest energy company—if a state board determines the plants need financial assistance. A typical...
  • Japan's Future Is Looking Brighter

    04/12/2018 7:03:01 PM PDT · by Bogie · 45 replies
    Fortune ^ | April 12, 2018 | David Meyer
    Every day, we use products that are built using “rare earths”—a group of 17 elements that are, as the name suggests, very rare. They’re used to make everyday items such as rechargeable batteries, LED lights and display panels, as well as larger products such as wind turbines. Now, it turns out, Japan has an estimated 16 million tons of the stuff on its turf. And researchers claim the trove might be enough to supply the world with metals such as yttrium and europium on a “semi-infinite basis.”
  • New Jersey Bill Bans Tackle Football For Children Under Age Of 12

    04/11/2018 9:15:25 PM PDT · by Extremely Extreme Extremist · 20 replies
    CBS 2 PHILLY ^ | 10 APRIL 2018 | CBS 2 PHILLY
    PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A new bill in New Jersey would ban children under the age of 12 to play tackle football. Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle introduced the bill last week. The bill prohibits children under the age of 12 from participating in organized tackle football programs. Woman Applies For Jail Job, Arrested Instead In Theft Case “Under the bill, children under the age of 12 will not be permitted to participate in tackle football offered by a youth sports team organization,” the bill reads, adding, “The bill also provides that a school district may not permit a student under the...
  • Tractor-Trailer Falls From Overpass, Spills Beer Kegs Onto I-95

    04/10/2018 8:49:18 PM PDT · by Extremely Extreme Extremist · 33 replies
    CBS 3 PHILLY ^ | 10 APRIL 2018 | CBS 3 PHILLY
    BENSALEM, Pa, (CBS) – A tractor-tractor fell off an overpass, crashing onto I-95 in Bensalem and spilling its load of beer kegs on the highway, Tuesday morning. Pennsylvania State Police say the tractor-tractor went off the overpass after crashing with a car near the Cornwells Park and Ride, around 9 a.m. The truck then landed on the northbound lanes of I-95.
  • Billionaire Backers: Patriots, Sixers Owners Visit Rapper Meek Mill Behind Bars

    04/10/2018 8:46:18 PM PDT · by Extremely Extreme Extremist · 7 replies
    CBS 3 PHILLY ^ | 10 APRIL 2018 | CBS 3 PHILLY
    CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) — Incarcerated rapper Meek Mill is getting big-time support in his fight for justice. The hip-hop artist is receiving a high profile visit in prison as he awaits a bail ruling from Pennsylvania’s highest court. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin entered the doors at the medium-security state prison in Chester on Tuesday afternoon.
  • Moscow has No Symmetrical Answers to US Sanctions Other Than Military Aggression

    04/10/2018 5:16:48 PM PDT · by GoldenState_Rose · 22 replies
    Window on Eurasia ^ | April 10, 2018 | Petrov, Makarin
    Three Moscow analysts say that the Kremlin has no clear symmetrical answers to the imposition of new US sanctions that do not do as much harm to Russia as to the United States. A Chinese analyst argues that precisely because Vladimir Putin doesn’t have any symmetrical responses at hand, the Kremlin leader is likely to engage in aggressive actions somewhere in order to demonstrate that he has not been put into a corner by the West and deprived of his freedom of action. Makarkin says “Russia today does not have the economic levels for influencing other countries which the US...
  • Los Angeles painting city streets white in bid to combat climate change

    04/10/2018 12:45:48 PM PDT · by pabianice · 83 replies
    Fox News ^ | 4/10/18 | Fedschun
    California officials are hoping their latest attempt to stem the rising tides of climate change leads to a more socially conscious -- and cooler -- summer. Officials in Los Angeles have been painting streets white to reduce the effect of urban "heat islands" and combat the effects of climate change. The LA Street Services began rolling out the project last May, which preliminary testing shows has reduced the temperature of roadways by up to 10 degrees. The project involves applying a light gray coating of the product CoolSeal, made by the company GuardTop. "CoolSeal is applied like conventional sealcoats to...
  • Delete Facebook Day April 15th (#BurnFacebookDown)

    04/10/2018 6:54:15 AM PDT · by usconservative · 10 replies
    Self | 4/10/2018 | USConservative
    I've been thinking while I've had a few spare minutes on my mind, that it's really time Facebook faced the music for what it's really ALLOWED to happen with user data on its system. Let's make no mistake here: Facebook publishes API's that allow third-party developers to access its users data. Of that there is ZERO debate. IMO, Zuckerberg and company have DELIBERATELY opened up all the user data they have to the highest bidders. This started in 2012 with the Obama Campaign which mined the hell out of Facebook data with Zuckerberg's blessing. That practice continued unabated until Data...
  • Louisiana roofer takes back roof, gets arrested

    04/10/2018 6:10:36 AM PDT · by BBell · 19 replies
    MONROE -- A Louisiana roofer faces misdemeanor charges after repossessing a roof because he hadn't been paid. Authorities arrested 66-year-old Andrew Jackson Higdon III, of West Monroe, Tuesday on charges of simple criminal damage to property and criminal trespass. The News-Star reports Higdon was freed after posting $4,500 bond.-snip-She said when she came home on Dec. 22, 2016, the roof and roofing paper were gone.She couldn't get someone to cover the roof with tarps before it rained, so she said her ceiling and furniture were damaged.
  • DC Is Tired of Lyft and Uber Being Better Than Its Awful Metro

    04/09/2018 9:22:34 PM PDT · by BBell · 52 replies
    https://spectator.org/ ^ | 4/9/18 | ANDREW WILFORD
    A city government that would drag everyone down to its level.It’s like the old saying of city government goes: if at first you don’t succeed, tax something that is succeeding. Members of the Washington, D.C. government have suggested a way to prop up its failing Metro system while hamstringing its competitor. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently proposed a nearly 400 percent tax increase on ridesharing services, increasing the fee that users pay from 1 percent to 4.75 percent. This would increase the tax on a $10 trip from ten cents to forty-seven cents. Local officials are proposing to use this tax...
  • Every post office in France paralyzed by computer bug

    04/09/2018 8:57:01 PM PDT · by Olog-hai · 13 replies
    TheLocal.fr ^ | 9 April 2018 15:37 CEST+02:00
    Every post office in France has been hit by a computer bug that has shut down most of their services, preventing customers from receiving or posting mail and depositing or withdrawing money at counters. The bug hit the country’s 8,500 post offices on Monday morning, and by mid-afternoon was still not fixed. The firm’s tech teams were working to repair the fault, which La Poste says appears to be a technical failure and not the result of hacking. […] This was the first time that the entire network has ground to a halt, according to LCI news channel. […] Some...
  • 50 Richest Russians Lose Close to $12Bln After Latest U.S. Sanctions

    04/09/2018 5:12:07 PM PDT · by GoldenState_Rose · 7 replies
    Moscow Times ^ | April 9, 2018 | Reuters
    Russia’s 50 richest businessmen have reportedly lost close to $12 billion in the days after the United States imposed a new wave of sanctions... According to the Forbes magazine’s real-time ranking, metals tycoon Vladimir Potanin was the biggest total-value loser with $1.5 billion wiped out. Potanin, part-owner of Norilsk Nickel, was not targeted by the U.S. Treasury Department in its latest wave of sanctions. Fellow steel tycoon Oleg Deripaska, who has stakes in eight of the 15 entities hit with sanctions, followed with an estimated $1.3 billion erased from his $6.7 billion net worth. Deripaska led the list of Russians...
  • Insuring pit bulls, State Farm pays out double the norm for dog attacks

    04/09/2018 4:35:00 PM PDT · by Norski · 6 replies
    Animals 24-7 ^ | April 8, 2018 | Merritt Clifton
    Policies on other breeds subsidize pit bull owners BLOOMINGTON, Illinois––State Farm, both the leading U.S. property-and-casualty insurance company and among the few that cover pit bulls, paid out a record $132 million in 2017 to settle dog attack claims. State Farm released this information in a prepared statement recognizing Dog Bite Prevention Week 2018, April 8-14. The State Farm payout appears to have been nearly twice as much as if . . .
  • Northrop Grumman, not SpaceX, reported to be at fault for loss of top-secret Zuma satellite

    04/09/2018 1:13:36 PM PDT · by BenLurkin · 19 replies
    Two independent investigations, made up of federal and industry officials, pointed to Northrop's payload adapter as the cause of the satellite's loss, the report said, citing people familiar with the probes. The payload adapter is a key part of deploying a satellite in orbit, connecting the satellite to the upper stage of a rocket. Zuma is believed to have cost around $3.5 billion to develop, according to the report. The satellite was funded through a process that received a lesser degree of oversight from Congress compared with similar national security-related satellites, industry officials said. ... The investigations tentatively concluded that...