Sunday, November 17

USA

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Google top in Lobbying, Spent USD 21.7 Million
USA

Google top in Lobbying, Spent USD 21.7 Million

Google has spent USD 21.7 million on lobbying last year to influence lawmakers, becoming the leading corporate spender among the tech companies facing increasing scrutiny from US regulators over privacy practices and market control, according to a media report. Lobbying spending by tech companies has been on a steady rise in recent years and is way up over the past decade, according to the report on CNBC. The report cited data from the Center for Responsive Politics, which is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group that tracks the effects of money and lobbying on elections and public policy. As the biggest US technology companies face increasing scrutiny from regulators related to privacy practices and market control, they are spending a lot more money to try and influence lawmak...
US Consumer borrowing up $17.5 billion in April
USA

US Consumer borrowing up $17.5 billion in April

Consumer borrowing accelerated in April to the fastest pace in five months as a rebound in credit card use offset slower demand for auto and student loans. Borrowing increased by USD 17.5 billion, the Federal Reserve said. That is up from March's USD 11 billion advances and marks the biggest jump since a USD21.7 billion increase last November. Aa per the data by CreditNinja Financing, Borrowing on credit cards increased by USD 7 billion after having fallen by USD 2 billion in March. Borrowing for auto and student loans slowed to an increase of USD10.5 billion, down from USD13 billion in March. It is the smallest advance since last June. Consumer credit is a key indicator of the willingness of households to increase borrowing to support consumer s...
US Secretary fears Huawei will pass information to Chinese govt
USA

US Secretary fears Huawei will pass information to Chinese govt

The Trump administration is opposing Huawei as it fears the State-controlled telecom giant will pass on information to the Chinese government of which it is an "instrument" and deeply connected with, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. Escalating the bruising trade war with China, the US Department of Commerce recently blacklisted Huawei over security concerns and barred American companies from installing its telecom equipment. Earlier in the week, US President Donald Trump said there was a possibility of including the Huawei issue in the ongoing trade negotiations with China. "Huawei is an instrument of the Chinese Government. They are deeply connected," Pompeo said to a Business News in an interview. Responding to a question on the US efforts to oppose Huawei globally...
Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ engaged in Florida fatal crash: Report
USA

Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ engaged in Florida fatal crash: Report

AFP- Tesla's "Autopilot" system was engaged by a driver who was killed in a March crash in Florida, according to an initial accident report released Thursday. Preliminary data showed the Tesla driver engaged "Autopilot" about 10 second before the crash and that the device was active at the time the vehicle was struck by a truck-tractor semitrailer, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The accident, the latest involving Autopilot, left the Tesla driver, a 50-year-old male dead and the combination vehicle driver uninjured. The report did not conclude who was at fault for the crash. Tesla's website describes Autopilot as an "advanced driver system" that enhances safety with external cameras, sensors and radar but demands a "fully attentive driver" at all times.The accide...
Walmart, Amazon kick off government online pilot program
USA

Walmart, Amazon kick off government online pilot program

AP, New York: Amazon and Walmart kicked off a two-year government pilot program allowing low-income shoppers on government food assistance in New York to shop and pay for their groceries online for the first time. ShopRite will join the two retailers on the program early next week, said the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The USDA has long required customers using electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, pay for their purchases at the actual time and place of sale. So the move marks the first time SNAP customers can pay for their groceries online. ShopRite and Amazon are providing the service to the New York City area, and Walmart is providing the service online in upstate New York locations. The agency said the pil...
Trump says Google CEO Sundar Pichai committed to US, not Chinese military
USA

Trump says Google CEO Sundar Pichai committed to US, not Chinese military

US President Donald Trump said that Google CEO Sundar Pichai, whom he'd previously accused of indirectly boosting China's military, has reassured him that he is "totally committed" to US security. "Just met with @sundarpichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well," Trump tweeted after a White House meeting. "He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US Military, not the Chinese Military." Earlier this month Trump complained that Google's business activities in China were "helping China and their military. "There was also criticism from General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told Congress "the work that Google is doing in China is indirectly benefiting" China's armed forces. America's top military officer has also urged US...
Important Facts of ASVAB Test from A to Z
USA

Important Facts of ASVAB Test from A to Z

ASVAB is literally the abbreviation for ‘Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery’. It is a multi-aptitude or suitability test conducted by the US Military Entrance Processing Command to admit various applicants into any of its Military branches like the Air force, the Army, and the Navy. The rest includes the Marines, the Coast guards, and the National Guard.This exam helps the military base to accurately identify which military area of focus is best suitedto the applicant. It is important to note that this is not an IQ test but it measures the individual’s ability and knowledge in ten different areas. HISTORY In 1968, the ASVAB was introduced in the United States before it was adopted by most branches of the military in 1976. In 1968, the first test was taken in order to know the...
Amazon will exit from New York, 25k promised Jobs on Hit
USA

Amazon will exit from New York, 25k promised Jobs on Hit

Amazon jilted New York City on Valentine's Day, scrapping plans to build a massive headquarters campus in Queens amid fierce opposition from politicians angry about nearly 3 billion in tax breaks and the company's anti-union stance. With millions of jobs and a bustling economy, New York can withstand the blow, but experts say the decision by the e-commerce giant to walk away and take with it 25,000 promised jobs could scare off other companies  considering moving to or expanding in the city, which wants to be seen as the Silicon Valley of the East Coast. "One of the real risks here is the message we send to companies that want to come to New York and expand to New York," said Julie Samuels, the executive director of industry group Tech NYC. "We're really playing with fire right now."...
Shutdown Effect: PayPal Will Offer up to $500 Interest Free Credit for U.S. federal Employees
USA

Shutdown Effect: PayPal Will Offer up to $500 Interest Free Credit for U.S. federal Employees

Employees who use PayPal Credit will be able to avail an advance of up to $500 each, without having to pay any interest, and the program will last until the government reopens and employees receive their first paycheck, the company said on its website. PayPal is committed to funding a total of $25 million in interest-free cash advances for this program. The partial shutdown, which hit the four-week mark on Friday, is the longest in U.S. history. The shutdown means 800,000 federal workers nationwide would continue to go unpaid and some government functions would remain impaired. The shutdown also clouds the outlook for spending, retailers and the economy at large because executives and policymakers weigh not just the direct impact of 800,000 federal workers going without pay, but ...
US Shutdown Become Longest in History, Economy Hits Low
USA

US Shutdown Become Longest in History, Economy Hits Low

The US government shutdown on Saturday became the longest in history and is taking a growing bite out of the world's largest economy with each passing day, economists say. While most of the 21 "lapses" in government spending since 1976 left barely a scratch on economic growth, the length of this shutdown makes it harder to say just how bad the impact could get. "It's not a hard stretch to say that initially it's smaller and then it expands, the pain starts to widen," Beth Ann Bovino, chief US economist at S&P Global Ratings, told AFP. "Think of it as a butterfly effect." With about a quarter of the federal workforce affected, the shutdown is currently squeezing an estimated USD 1.2 billion a week out of the economy, Bovino said, but that figure could grow if it drags on. At th...
New York Second Most Famous Skyscraper Chrysler Building is up for sale
USA

New York Second Most Famous Skyscraper Chrysler Building is up for sale

New York iconic and second most famous Skyscraper Chrysler Building that featured in movies like Spider-Man, Men In Black 3 is up for sale. The minority owner and a broker company stacom hired to sell the property informed media. The 77-story skyscraper, briefly the world’s tallest building after it was finished in 1930, is 90% owned by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, with developer Tishman Speyer owning the rest 10%. Now it is the 8th tallest building in the city at 318.9 metres. The Chrysler Building was constructed by Walter Chrysler, head of Chrysler Corporation. It was the home of the American automaker until 1953. The 1.26m sq ft building underwent a $100m renovation after Tishman acquired the property in 1997. Tishman later reduced its holding. The sovereign...
USA’s Small Business Job Growth Slows to End 2018; Hourly Earnings Growth Increases
USA

USA’s Small Business Job Growth Slows to End 2018; Hourly Earnings Growth Increases

Small Business Employment Watch closed the year with a decline in small business job growth and continued, moderate growth in hourly earnings. The Small Business Jobs Index stands at 98.88 in December, down 0.13 percent for the month and 0.82 percent for the year. At $26.95, hourly earnings in December gained 2.42 percent ($0.64) year-over-year and averaged a growth rate of 2.49 percent for 2018. The Paychex | IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch closed the year with a decline in small business job growth and continued, moderate growth in hourly earnings. "At 98.88, the Small Business Jobs Index continued its decline through the end of 2018, confirming that it's a difficult hiring environment for the country's small businesses," said James Diffley, chief regional economist at I...