Technology such as Slack and Skype has opened the way for more small businesses to adopt telecommuting. Advantages are considerable, but downsides include difficulty gauging employee morale and attitude.
Education Department officials have given feedback on nine of 17 states' Every Student Succeeds Act plans. Some states, such as Tennessee and Connecticut, are sticking to original plans on some accountability measures, despite requests to make changes.
The Federal Reserve said it isn't ready to start reducing the size of its bond portfolio but the process will get underway "relatively soon" if the current rate of moderate economic growth holds up. The central bank's policymaking committee left interest rates unchanged.
Dunkin' Donuts will debut its simplified menu in the Providence, R.I., area on Aug. 7 before rolling it out to some 1,000 locations before November. "We have conducted extensive consumer research and our customers have told us that our menu was too complex and confusing," said spokeswoman Michelle King.
The Senate voted down a measure proposed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would repeal major provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including the individual mandate, Medicaid expansion, and tax credits that help people buy health insurance, while giving lawmakers two years to come up with a replacement. The measure is the second GOP health care plan rejected by the Senate this week, and sources say Republican leaders might attempt to pass a "skinny" repeal that would only eliminate a few ACA provisions, including the individual and employer mandates and the medical device tax, if more comprehensive proposals are voted down.
FCB West's new spot for Clorox features a man wiping down kitchen surfaces, interspersed with shots of the family fun that made it messy in the first place. The campaign includes similarly themed ads for bathroom and classroom cleaning.
Manufacturers are frequently perceived as more vulnerable than other industries to cyberattacks because they present multiple points of entry and may be under-prepared to protect themselves. Improving resistance to cyberattacks should begin with a multilayered "defense-in-depth" strategy along with the purchase of cyberinsurance.
The cybersecurity industry needs to focus on showing "a little more thoughtfulness, a little less showmanship," Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos said after his speech at the Black Hat conference. Stamos also called for more focus on defense and announced a $1 million investment in a contest for defensive security research.
Chipotle executives revealed in an SEC filing they were served with another federal subpoena on July 19 asking for information related to a norovirus outbreak at a Chipotle in Sterling, Va. The subpoena was a follow-up to one issued Jan. 28 asking for "the production of documents and information related to company-wide food safety matters dating back to January 1, 2013."
Turner Broadcasting has partnered with Nielsen to use the company's Out-of-Home Reporting service. CNN will be the first news network to use the service, and Turner Sports is part of the deal too.
City populations could rise to 6.5 billion people by 2050, the UN says. Cities have been adjusting, and more than $75 billion in construction projects are proposed or in the works in cities around the world, including Shanghai, Paris and New York.
Anadarko Petroleum said it would restart 3,000 vertical wells in Colorado by the end of the year after conducting inspections and pressure tests. The wells were taken offline following a fatal explosion in Firestone, Colo., caused by a natural gas leak from an Anadarko well.
The Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday that air travelers not enrolled in TSA PreCheck will be required to remove electronics from their carry-on bags for screening. "By separating personal electronic items such as laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles for screening, TSA officers can more closely focus on resolving alarms and stopping terror threats." said Huban Gowadia, the TSA's acting administrator.
If you have a business bank account in a foreign country, depending on the balance you may have to file Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, with your federal tax return, Mark Pestronk writes. You may also have to file FinCEN Form 114 with the Treasury Department.
