Author: Editor

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is seen taking the witness stand to testify at the Sandy Hook defamation damages trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn., Sept. 22, 2022. Tyler Sizemore/Pool Hearst Connecticut Media/AP hide caption toggle caption Tyler Sizemore/Pool Hearst Connecticut Media/AP WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and left in place the $1.4 billion judgment against him over his description of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as a hoax staged by crisis actors. The Infowars host had argued that a judge was wrong to find him liable…

Howard Schultz said he’s — capital W — Worried about AI.Speaking in an interview with LinkedIn’s editor in chief, Daniel Roth, the former Starbucks CEO brought up the topic of AI, saying it was something he wanted to talk about.He drew parallels between the speed at which social media progressed, how regulation around social media lagged behind, and warned that AI is on the same trajectory.”If we look back on the last 10, 15 years on social media, I think we’d be hard pressed to say that the velocity and the impact and the adverse effect of social media is…

As the peak holiday shopping season approaches, most U.S. consumers have a downbeat outlook on the economy, according to an annual Deloitte survey published on Wednesday.Most consumers surveyed — 57% — said they expect the economy to weaken in the year ahead, the consulting firm found in a poll of roughly 4,000 respondents. That compares to 30% who expected a weaker economy ahead of the year-ago holiday season and 54% in 2008, one of the years of the Great Recession.It marks the most negative economic outlook since Deloitte began tracking that in 1997.Seventy-seven percent of people surveyed said they expect…

As South Korea’s beauty giant Olive Young gears up to land on US shores, American retailers are jostling for a share of the K-beauty pie.US beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta Beauty are snapping up South Korean beauty brands and inking exclusive sales partnerships to capitalize on the K-beauty trend.Skincare brand Hanyul announced in May that it was exclusively launching in the US via Sephora. Aestura, a sensitive skincare brand, said the same in February.And Ulta Beauty is the only major US retailer selling products from Medicube, a beauty tech company whose skincare devices have been touted by celebrities like…

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nian Yang-yi, 34, a barista turned quality control specialist at a coffee trading firm in Taiwan. The following has been translated and edited for length and clarity.I chose to study computer science and information engineering in college because I didn’t like interacting with people.Programming seemed perfect: I could spend all day on a computer, coding and debugging. At the time, I was happy with this choice and imagined my future would follow that path.But life is unexpected. In my third year of college, I had a sports accident that caused a…

Some UPS customers say the shipping service is applying the wrong tariff to US-bound shipments.In some cases, the customers said UPS sent them bills that tariff their shipments at up to 200% — the US duty rate for aluminum from Russia, and one of the highest tariffs that American customs officials can charge. The problem: The customers said their shipments don’t contain that metal, and getting a hold of someone at UPS to contest the charge is laborious, if possible at all.Business Insider spoke to four UPS customers who are dealing with tariff bills that are higher than they were…

Roger VerAnthony Kwan/Photographer: Anthony Kwan/Bloom Roger Ver, the cryptocurrency advocate known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” has paid nearly $50 million to resolve a U.S. tax evasion indictment without having to admit he committed a crime. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the indictment against Ver, who admitted in a deferred-prosecution agreement that he failed to pay all the taxes that he owed to the Internal Revenue Service on the sale of Bitcoin after he renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014, the Justice Department said Tuesday.”I am very grateful this case has been dismissed and appreciate the Trump administration’s leadership and professionalism in working towards…

AI shopping may be going mainstream.On Tuesday, Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, announced a partnership with OpenAI to shake up the e-commerce experience. Shoppers can now make direct Walmart purchases through the ChatGPT app and plan their purchases around their individual meals and needs.”For many years now, eCommerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses,” Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart Inc., said in a statement. “That is about to change.”The move marks an expansion of Walmart’s partnership with OpenAI, which has so far been focused on more internal use of the AI…

GM’s Detroit headquartersJeff Kowalsky/Photographer: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloo General Motors Co. is incurring $1.6 billion in charges tied to its pullback from electric vehicles, a stark indication of the damage that U.S. policy changes will inflict on plug-in cars.Realigning EV capacity to consumer demand will lead to non-cash impairment and other charges of $1.2 billion, GM said Tuesday in a regulatory filing. The rest of the costs relate to canceling contracts and settling commercial arrangements linked to EV investments and will have a cash impact.The automaker will recognize the special items in third-quarter results slated for Oct. 21. GM warned that a review…

FBI Director James Comey was arraigned at a federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. He pleaded not guilty to charges of making a false statement and obstruction stemming from his 2020 congressional testimony. Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images At President Trump’s public urging, the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against some of his perceived political enemies. NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson explains that for those targeted, a prosecution can mean steep financial and emotional costs, even if they ultimately win in court.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This,…