Sales growth at retailers and restaurants during July suggests US consumers remain confident about the economy. Sales increased 0.7%, after climbing 0.3% in June, according to the Commerce Department.
UPS has invested an undisclosed sum of money to take a minority stake in the autonomous truck startup TuSimple. UPS' freight business is providing cargo for haul between Phoenix and Tucson on trucks guided by TuSimple's autonomous system.
A new bill sponsored by Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., would require that student loan borrowers receive monthly updates about their loans including information about projected payments and other fees. Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, said approval of the measure would be "an important step forward in addressing the student debt crisis."
Marketing automation is the leading front-office technology for financial advisers for many reasons, writes marketing expert Bob Hanson. It assists with marketing list segmentation, it allows advisers to run successful digital campaigns, and it tracks results to increase return on investment, he explains.
The CDC released updated guidelines in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report recommending young adults up to age 26 receive catch-up human papillomavirus vaccination if they were not fully vaccinated as adolescents in accordance with existing guidelines, while those ages 27 to 45 should only be vaccinated if they are at risk for HPV. The guidance reaffirmed previous pediatric HPV immunization recommendations advising that children receive initial vaccination at ages 11 or 12 and one follow-up dose after six months to one year.
Facebook has made changes to its marketing application programming interface to appease organizations calling on the platform to reduce discriminatory practices of advertisers targeting individuals based on ZIP code, age and gender for credit, housing and employment. Advertisers must now select a particular ad category in Facebook's Ads Manager when running these ads, which will limit targeting capabilities.
Luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co. is introducing its first full line designed for men in a push to boost sales and court younger consumers. The retailer's 300 stores will feature a separate space for the 100-design line, which will also include non-jewelry items like beer mugs and ice tongs.
⋅ CNET
Katie Conner offers five ways to use Amazon Echo to fight boredom, from playing trivia games to listening to a mysterious story. Even telling Alexa you are bored can elicit a fun fact that could spark research on the subject.
⋅ The Hill
CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the Trump administration will push ahead with a proposal to align Medicare drug prices with those paid in other countries despite resistance from many Republicans, who warn the plan involves a form of price controls. Verma said the proposal is a "top priority" for the administration, but she declined to reveal any timetable for when the plan might move forward.
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved legislation aimed at making broadband maps more accurate by setting up parameters for the Federal Communications Commission to act and for groups to challenge the FCC's maps. "This is a big win for the cause of rural broadband and for good public policy," USTelecom President Jonathan Spalter said of the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act.
Bosch is developing a 3D display for in-car digital technology that won't require glasses to see the effects. Bosch says 3D instrument panels and infotainment will help highlight alerts, improve the accuracy of parking cameras and help during navigation.
⋅ Inverse
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, said that using nuclear thermal rockets for inter-space travel should be an area of research for NASA. "To be clear: good for in-space transit, but not recommended for Earth to orbit!," Musk Tweeted.
⋅ CNN
An El Al flight attendant who was infected with measles around the time she flew from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Israel's Ben Gurion Airport has died. Rotem Amitai developed a fever in March, slipped into a coma a week later and died on Tuesday.
⋅ Forbes
Airbnb and Homeaway aren't the only companies nipping at the heels of major hotel players -- Loge Camps, Caravan Outpost and others are shaking up the industry in different ways, and the hotel sector's fixed investment makes nimble changes difficult. However, established brands must find a way to "adapt their existing infrastructure to what consumers want," Richard Kestenbaum writes, pointing to shuttered retail locations as a glimpse of the potential future.