Vlad Novakovski co-founded Lunchclub in 2017 as a way to improve professional networking. In 2020, the company made a large push toward videos (thanks, COVID) and eventually saw enough traction to raise a $24.2 million Series A at a valuation above $100 million. Nicole Quinn from Lightspeed Ventures lead the raise. We’re thrilled to have […]
First drive of the Lucid Air reveals power and panache
While cruising along Interstate 8 in the Lucid Air, it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to spider graphs. Spider graphs offer a quick glimpse of how various factors like power, performance, weight and aerodynamics interact with one another. For the engineer sitting in the passenger seat, spider graphs are top of mind. […]
Mexico’s central bank hikes rates to 4.75% on inflation concerns
September 30, 2021 By Anthony Esposito and Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The Bank of Mexico raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.75% on Thursday, as expected, in a four-to-one vote by its governing board, as the central bank expressed concern about above-target inflation. All 22 analysts surveyed in a […]
Tom Brady on Patriots: ‘I want to kick their butt’
September 30, 2021 As he prepares for his return to New England as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first time, Tom Brady reflected on his career Thursday. But he isn’t letting nostalgia dampen his competitiveness. “I still have a lot of great friends there, but they know I want to kick […]
Wells Fargo must face shareholder lawsuit over compliance with consent orders
September 30, 2021 NEW YORK (Reuters) – A federal judge on Thursday rejected Wells Fargo & Co’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the fourth-largest U.S. bank of defrauding shareholders about its compliance with a series of consent orders from U.S. regulators, including a cap on its assets. U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods in Manhattan […]
Neiman Marcus says notified 4.6 million customers about data breach
September 30, 2021 (Reuters) -Retailer Neiman Marcus Group said on Thursday it had notified about 4.6 million online customers that their personal information including names, contact information and credit card numbers may have been accessed in a data hack. The high-end department store chain said it had notified law enforcement authorities about the breach, which […]
Merck to buy Acceleron for about $11.5 billion in rare disease drug push
September 30, 2021 By Mrinalika Roy (Reuters) -Merck & Co said on Thursday it would buy Acceleron Pharma Inc for about $11.5 billion, broadening its portfolio beyond aging cancer drug Keytruda with potential treatments that could bring in fresh revenue. The deal gives Merck access to Acceleron’s rare disease drug candidate, sotatercept, which the company […]
Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen to step down
September 30, 2021 (Reuters) -Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc said on Thursday its Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen is expected to step down in the summer of 2022, and the company will begin the search for its new finance chief soon. Jorgensen, who has been the CFO of Electronic Arts for over a decade, […]
Fed’s Powell pledges diversity focus in filling reserve bank openings
September 30, 2021 By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday promised to redouble efforts to find “diverse candidates” to replace two high-profile officials who resigned this week after criticism of their securities trading, as the central bank tried to regroup from a blow to its typically staid, technocratic image. […]
Cruise, Waymo get OK to launch robotaxi service in San Francisco
The California Department of Motor Vehicles gave General Motors-backed Cruise and Alphabet-owned Waymo the green light to start charging for autonomous services offered to the public. On Thursday, Cruise received a “driverless deployment permit,” which means it can receive compensation for services provided without a safety operator in the front seat. Waymo’s “drivered deployment permit” […]
White house said top aide planned to discuss oil prices with Saudi Arabia
September 30, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – National security adviser Jake Sullivan planned on discussing high oil prices with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a meeting earlier this week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday. Psaki did not provide details of the conversation. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; editing by Jonathan Oatis) […]
Factbox-Ready to taper or waiting for more data? Recent Fed officials’ comments
September 30, 2021 (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve has said it will start to reduce its bond purchases as soon as November if the economy continues on its current track. Some officials will watch the September jobs report, due Oct. 8, for a final bit of evidence that the labor market has achieved “substantial further […]
U.S. dollar slips from 1-year high on weak data, consolidation
September 30, 2021 By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) -The dollar edged lower from a one-year high on Thursday in choppy trading, pressured a little bit by a rise in U.S. weekly jobless claims, with investors also consolidating gains after a steep rise the last few sessions. The greenback overall has been supported by the […]
Foreign automakers ask U.S. House Democrats to reject union EV tax credit
September 30, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group of 12 major foreign automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp, Volkswagen AG, Hyundai Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co, urged U.S. House of Representatives Democrats to reject a proposed $4,500 tax incentive for U.S-made electric vehicles by union workers. A House panel this month approved legislation to boost […]
Stocks continue decline as inflation fears persist
September 30, 2021 By Matt Scuffham NEW YORK (Reuters) – Global stock markets continued to fall Thursday as inflation fears persisted and expectations grew that the U.S. Federal Reserve will tighten policy in the coming months. Earlier in the week, global stock markets suffered their worst rout since January. A heavy sell-off in tech stocks […]
Growth marketing is not a magic trick, says Ellen Jantsch of Tuff
If you are looking for a growth marketing playbook, stop reading now, because you won’t get one from Tuff. The agency’s founder Ellen Jantsch makes it clear: There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to growth. The team at Tuff knows their stuff — and it’s precisely why they are not selling “magic” or any kind […]
Who needs a BaaS partner, anyway?
Over the last several years, a series of startups have emerged to cut through the complexity of launching financial services by offering technology that sits on top of partner banks’ infrastructure and enables developers to spin up bank accounts, payments and card capabilities through APIs. These banking-as-a-service (BaaS) startups promise to offer fintech capabilities to […]
Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey to step down as CEO next year
September 30, 2021 (Reuters) – Whole Foods Chief Executive Officer John Mackey will retire next September from his role at the Amazon.com Inc-owned company which he co-founded 43 years ago. In a letter to Whole Foods employees on Thursday, Mackey said the company’s chief operating officer, Jason Buechel, will take over as head of the […]
GM, Ford extend some production cuts due to chip shortage
September 30, 2021 By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co said Thursday they will cut additional production because of the nagging semiconductor shortage that has hit global auto production. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, said it will extend by two weeks a halt to Chevrolet Blazer sport utility vehicle production […]
Singer Gloria Estefan reveals sexual abuse at age 9
September 30, 2021 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Latin singer Gloria Estefan has revealed that she was sexually abused at the age of 9 by a music teacher who was part of her family. The “Turn the Beat Around” singer spoke for the first time about the abuse on an episode of “Red Table Talk: The […]
