Author: GT

NEW YORK (AP) — Six months ago, Jennifer Rubin had no idea whether she’d make it in a new media world. She just knew it was time to leave The Washington Post, where she’d been a political columnist for 15 years.The Contrarian, the democracy-focused website that Rubin founded with partner Norm Eisen in January, now has 10 employees and contributors like humorist Andy Borowitz and White House reporter April Ryan. Its 558,000 subscribers also get recipes and culture dispatches.In the blink of an eye, Rubin became a independent news entrepreneur. “I think we hit a moment, just after inauguration, when…

Oil prices fell sharply Tuesday after President Donald Trump said China can keep buying oil from Iran, a sign that the U.S. is easing its maximum pressure campaign on the Islamic Republic in the wake of a ceasefire with Israel.Global benchmark Brent fell $3.33, or 4.66%, to $68.15 per barrel by 10:18 a.m. ET. U.S. crude oil was last down $3.18, or 4.64%, to $65.33 a barrel. Prices closed 7% lower on Monday as the oil market bet that the conflict in the Middle East was winding down.”China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran,” Trump said in a…

A worker unloads boxes from an Amazon delivery van in San Francisco on Oct. 24, 2024.David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAmazon is expanding its rapid delivery machine to more rural corners of the U.S.The company said Tuesday it plans to bring same- or next-day delivery to more than 4,000 smaller cities, towns and rural communities across the country “for the first time” by the end of this year.The move is part of a previously announced small-town expansion that will see Amazon spend roughly $4 billion by the end of 2026 to triple the size of its rural delivery…

Amazon announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its Same-Day and Next-Day delivery services to over 4,000 small cities and towns across rural U.S. This expansion will bring its fast Prime delivery service to millions of customers in places such as Asbury, Iowa; Fort Seneca, Ohio; Lewes, Delaware; North Padre Island, Texas; and Sharptown, Maryland. The e-commerce giant plans to invest more than $4 billion to triple the size of its delivery network by 2026. Amazon has recognized a growing demand for faster delivery from rural customers, who often have limited options when shopping online. By increasing its investment in…

TWINSBURG, Ohio (AP) — When Judy Sautner recently walked into Power Appliance, a store in a southeastern suburb of Cleveland, she had one goal in mind: replace her daughter’s broken dryer with something that worked and didn’t break the bank.“I wasn’t really worried about all the bells and whistles,” said Sautner.Jay Buchanan, the store’s owner, said many customers are like Sautner, and what they are looking for frequently ends up being an appliance with the Energy Star symbol.The U.S.-based program claims that its blue seal of approval on efficient appliances saves households an average of $450 on their bills per…

My top 10 things to watch Tuesday, June 24 1. Is there an Israel-Iran ceasefire or not? President Donald Trump announced an agreement to end the conflict, but hours later, Israel accused Tehran of violating it. Trump said Israel will not go through with a retaliatory strike on Iran, and that the truce is still in effect. 2. Oil prices were down more than 3%, extending yesterday’s steep slide, despite all the ceasefire confusion. U.S. oil benchmark WTI was still up over 7% for the month. Oil has been a barometer for measuring the risk of the Israel-Iran conflict. 3.…

Google could face changes to its online search services in the U.K. after regulators raised concerns over the tech giant’s dominance.The Competition and Markets Authority on Tuesday said it is consulting on a proposal to give Google “strategic market status,” a designation under new competition rules for tech firms that hold entrenched power in a certain market.The watchdog was granted expanded competition and merger control powers this year as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act came into force.Similar to a European Union law known as the Digital Markets Act, the legislation gives the CMA the ability to directly enforce…

Waymo robotaxis can now be hailed in Atlanta via Uber. The two companies, which already offer the “Waymo on Uber” service in Austin, said on Tuesday the commercial service will initially cover about 65 square miles in Atlanta. The launch, if successful, is poised to propel the businesses of both companies. Uber, which has locked in partnerships with 18 autonomous vehicles companies, said it has an annual run-rate of 1.5 million mobility and delivery AV trips on its network. Meanwhile, Waymo said it provides 250,000 paid robotaxi rides every week across Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. The addition…

Waymo’s robotaxis will begin carrying passengers through parts of Atlanta on Tuesday in an expansion of a partnership with Uber that began earlier this year in Austin.Waymo’s driverless march into Atlanta comes just days after Tesla finally launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin, more than five years after CEO Elon Musk brashly promised the electric automaker would quickly overtake Waymo as the leader in autonomous driving technology. Unlike Waymo’s robotaxis, Tesla is initially placing a human in the passenger seat of its rival service to take over the vehicle if something goes wrong. While Tesla is starting with about…

Parade goers hold Pride flags during the annual Pride Parade in San Francisco on Sunday, June 29, 2024. Minh Connors | San Francisco Chronicle | Hearst Newspapers | Getty ImagesMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is staying mum these days when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community. It wasn’t always that way. San Francisco Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford told CNBC she remembers when Zuckerberg personally called the nonprofit to ensure that the company then known as Facebook had a spot at the annual event. As the world’s largest LGBTQ+ parade, the SF Pride event has become a symbol representing advocacy and social…