Business

Jul
13
2021
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By Troy Warren
U.S. watchdog hits Atlanta’s GreenSky over thousands of suspect loans

U.S. watchdog hits Atlanta’s GreenSky over thousands of suspect loans

Business, In The News, Money,
By Matt Kempner, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT CFPB consent order targets $9M in consumer loans, fines company $2.5M A federal watchdog agency has ordered an Atlanta-based financial technology company to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty and refund money to consumers after enabling contractors and other merchants to take out loans on behalf of thousands of consumers who didn’t authorize them. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a consent order requiring the company, GreenSky, to refund or cancel up to $9 million in loans for customers “harmed by its illegal conduct.” It also ordered the company to implement…
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Jul
12
2021
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By Troy Warren
‘Black Widow’ Stunner: Disney’s Streaming Revenue Reveal May Be Game-Changer

‘Black Widow’ Stunner: Disney’s Streaming Revenue Reveal May Be Game-Changer

Business, Entertainment,
BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The conglomerate says the superhero pic made more than $60 million on Disney+ Premier Access during its opening weekend — a sizable 27 percent of its global $218.8 million hybrid streaming/box office debut. Marvel Studio’s Black Widow may have just changed the rules of Hollywood’s all-consuming streaming wars race versus the box office. The Disney empire stunned rival Hollywood studios and theater owners on Sunday when including premium video on-demand numbers in its box office note for the Marvel female-led superhero pic starring Scarlett Johansson. It’s the first time any movie studio has revealed such data…
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Jul
11
2021
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By Troy Warren
Thousands of Restaurants Lose COVID-19 Relief They Were Promised as Revitalization Fund Allowed to Dry Up

Thousands of Restaurants Lose COVID-19 Relief They Were Promised as Revitalization Fund Allowed to Dry Up

Business, COVID-19, Foodie, In The News
By Kristen Hawley | FoodAndWine.Com Troy Warren for CNT Some business owners have seen their approved grants rescinded due to lawsuits and lack of additional action from Congress. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund has been depleted. As of June 30, the program had distributed all $28.6 billion to 105,000 restaurants, according to an email to business owners from the Small Business Administration (SBA). An online portal that served as an information and application hub for the program will close on July 14, leaving hundreds of thousands of restaurants out of the grant program. Thousands of others lost out on aid they were expecting thanks…
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Jul
10
2021
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By Troy Warren
Cannes Business Is Slow as Industry Ponders Future of Theatrical

Cannes Business Is Slow as Industry Ponders Future of Theatrical

Business, Entertainment
BY SCOTT ROXBOROUGH | HollywoodReporter.Com Troy Warren for CNT The slow trickle of deals out of the Cannes Film Market can't hide concerns over the future of the independent business in the wake of COVID. The Cannes weather, at least, has been something to count on. Clear blue skies and blazing sunshine have been the backdrop for the smaller contingent of cinema executives who have been sharing the Croisette with crowds of French tourists at this year’s very different Cannes Film Festival, which runs through July 17. But actual business has been slow as clouds of uncertainty — over the progress of the coronavirus pandemic, over when…
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Jul
09
2021
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By Troy Warren
Billionaire Blastoff: Rich riding own rockets into space

Billionaire Blastoff: Rich riding own rockets into space

Business, In The News, Lifestyle,
By MARCIA DUNN, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT 2 billionaires are putting everything on the line to ride own rockets into space CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Two billionaires are putting everything on the line this month to ride their own rockets into space. It’s intended to be a flashy confidence boost for customers seeking their own short joyrides. The lucrative, high-stakes chase for space tourists will unfold on the fringes of space — 55 miles to 66 miles up, pitting Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson against the world’s richest man, Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos. Branson is due to take off Sunday…
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Jul
08
2021
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By Troy Warren
Google’s ‘hypocritical’ remote work policies anger employees

Google’s ‘hypocritical’ remote work policies anger employees

Business,
Richard Nieva | CNET.Com Troy Warren for CNT Employees were already stirred up over opaque policies on remote work. Then a senior executive announced he's moving to New Zealand in what some workers consider special treatment. As Google employees around the world make plans for post-pandemic work at the tech giant, Laura de Vesine won't be among them. For months, de Vesine, a senior site reliability engineer, went back and forth with the company over a potential relocation. Fed up with Google's inflexible policies, she handed in her notice. Her last day is Friday.   For de Vesine, Google's attempt to…
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Jul
08
2021
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By Troy Warren
U.S. jobless claims tick up to 373,000 from a pandemic low

U.S. jobless claims tick up to 373,000 from a pandemic low

Business, In The News
By PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week even while the economy and the job market appear to be rebounding from the coronavirus recession with sustained energy. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims increased by 2,000 from the previous week to 373,000. Weekly applications, which generally track the pace of layoffs, have fallen steadily this year from more than 900,000 at the start of the year. The rollout of vaccinations is driving a potent economic recovery as businesses reopen, employers struggle to…
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Jul
07
2021
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By Troy Warren
Idea of 4-day workweek gains steam after ‘overwhelming success’ in Iceland

Idea of 4-day workweek gains steam after ‘overwhelming success’ in Iceland

Business, Editors Picks, In The News, Lifestyle,
By ArLuther Lee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Troy Warren for CNT Iceland tested a four-day workweek for several years that proved to be an “overwhelming success” as thousands of workers improved productivity while spending fewer hours on the job, according to results of the study published Sunday. The large-scale study, conducted between 2015 and 2019 in the Nordic island nation off the coast of Greenland in the Norwegian Sea, found “groundbreaking evidence for the efficacy of working time reduction.” About 2,500 workers were permitted to shorten their work week by a day and moved from a 40-hour week to a 35- or 36-hour week while…
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Jul
07
2021
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By Troy Warren
Kaseya says 800 to 1,500 businesses hit by cyberattack

Kaseya says 800 to 1,500 businesses hit by cyberattack

Business, In The News,
By The Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT The software company targeted by a holiday weekend ransomware attack said between 800 and 1,500 small businesses managed by its customers were compromised. Still, Kaseya says the cyberattack it experienced over the July Fourth holiday weekend was never a threat and had no impact on critical infrastructure. The Dublin-based company said Tuesday that it was alerted on July 2 to a potential attack by internal and external sources. It immediately shut down access to the software in question. The incident impacted about 50 Kaseya customers.   Many of Kaseya’s customers are managed service…
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Jul
06
2021
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By Troy Warren
New U.S. rules to protect animal farmers expected this week

New U.S. rules to protect animal farmers expected this week

Business, In The News
By JOSH FUNK, Associated Press Troy Warren for CNT OMAHA, Neb. — The Biden administration plans to issue a new rule to protect the rights of farmers who raise cows, chickens and hogs against the country’s largest meat processors as part of a plan to encourage more competition in the agriculture sector. The new rule that will make it easier for farmers to sue companies they contract with over unfair, discriminatory or deceptive practices is one of several steps that the White House plans to announce in the next few days. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also expected to tighten…
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