Recent stock market activity and drops in interest rates have many economists discussing the possibility of a recession in the US economy and its impact on employment. Mark Zandi of Moody's says unemployment would nudge up 2-3 percentage points, with jobs in manufacturing, media, finance and construction among the most affected.
⋅ Forbes
Billionaires such as Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian, former ICAP CEO Michael Spencer, Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Amazon's Jeff Bezos are investing millions in startups that are researching treatments and therapies to extend human longevity. Juvenescence is one of the life science companies on the receiving end, and Chairman Jim Mellon says as longevity research becomes mainstream, the company expects more investor interest and anticipates an initial public offering.
A two-year study at Indiana University shows offering students videoconferencing options can reduce class absenteeism without adversely affecting grades. Students who used the remote access option reported positive feelings and believed it should be offered more widely.
President Donald Trump says he is reviewing "various tax reductions," including cutting the payroll tax and indexing the capital gains tax to inflation. He has rejected the idea that the US is headed into a recession, touting the low unemployment rate and the amount the stock market has risen since he took office.
Sprouts Farmers Market pays special attention to its produce section and places it front-and-center in its stores, says Chief Merchandising Officer Dave McGlinchey. The retailer also trains employees to educate shoppers and has established a digital team to spread produce awareness on social media.
Health care enterprises are increasingly offering de-identified patient medical data to researchers and innovators, a practice that could ultimately benefit consumers but comes with regulatory challenges and disclosure requirements, writes Paddy Padmanabhan.
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is sponsoring the Sun Bowl, which will be titled Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas, and televised by CBS. The sponsorship deal includes a logo featuring Tony the Tiger, in-stadium brand exposure, on-site activations and product sampling, and digital and social media content.
Nestle's move to streamline operations by ending store deliveries and solely delivering goods to warehouses for store pickup is starting to reverberate throughout the company. It recently laid off 360 sales and supply chain staff and plans to lay off a total of about 4,000 employees in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kansas and Washington state.
The long-anticipated Apple Card, launched on Tuesday, gives users cash back rather than rewards points, with higher cash-back percentages when consumers choose Apple Pay, buy Apple products or use the card to pay for Uber or Uber Eats services. Goldman Sachs and Mastercard are partners for the offering.
Moderna announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track status to its investigational Zika virus vaccine mRNA-1893. The vaccine is being tested in an early-stage study focused on preventing mother-to-child transmission of the disease.
The Federal Communications Commission will vote on a draft order aimed at curbing abuses in the Lifeline subsidy program for broadband and voice services. The order, which was circulated by Ajit Pai, the agency's chairman, does not currently impose a cap on Lifeline subsidies.
Under a law taking effect next month in Texas, roofing contractors are forbidden from waiving insurance deductibles for customers, a practice used in scams by unethical contractors. The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas supported the measure.
Walmart has sued Tesla, saying rooftop fires at seven of its stores stemmed from Tesla's solar panels. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.
⋅ Space
After more than 560 days in space, the red Tesla Roadster launched by SpaceX has made a complete orbit around the sun. The car was launched last year with David Bowie's "Life on Mars?" blaring and could stay in orbit for millions of years.
While many birders will go anywhere to spot a species they haven't seen before, typical trips take place in Asia, Africa and South America. Aside from the not-so-inexpensive small group tours, birders will be seeking lodgings that are flexible on check-in time, have a 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. breakfast and feature mostly quiet surroundings and guests so they can sleep well.