Casey Saran Contributor Share on Twitter An ad tech veteran who has logged time at Google and The Rubicon Project (now Magnite), Casey Saran is co-founder and CEO of Spaceback. 2021 has been a good year to be an ad tech investor. Valuations are surging, Wall Street is happy and exits are frequent and satisfying. It’s […]
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App Annie and co-founder charged with securities fraud, will pay $10M+ settlement
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged App Annie, a leading mobile data and analytics firm, as well as its co-founder and former CEO and Chairman Bertrand Schmitt, with securities fraud. App Annie and Schmitt have agreed to pay over $10 million to settle the fraud charges which are related to “deceptive practices […]
SpaceX, Blue Origin awarded NASA contracts to develop moon lander concepts for future Artemis missions
NASA has awarded a combined $146 million in contracts to five companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics, to develop lander concepts as part of the agency’s Artemis program. The awards include $26.5 million to Blue Origin; $40.8 million to Dynetics; $35.2 million to Lockheed Martin; $34.8 million to Northrop Grumman; and $9.4 million to […]
Intuit’s $12B Mailchimp acquisition is about expanding its small business focus
At first blush, the $12 billion Intuit-Mailchimp deal might not make a heck of a lot of sense. But people tend to pigeonhole companies, and in this case they might see Intuit as purely a financial software company and Mailchimp as an email marketing firm and nothing more. If that’s as far as your perspective […]
Tennis-Fernandez caught up in Cinderella moment after U.S. Open run
September 14, 2021 MONTREAL (Reuters) – After being caught up in a showbiz whirlwind following her unexpected run to the U.S. Open final, Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez said she now feels like Cinderella. The 19-year-old, along with U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, is being hailed the world over after her electrifying run in Flushing Meadows. […]
Report: NBA won’t mandate vaccine for players
September 14, 2021 The NBA will exempt its players from getting the COVID-19 vaccine while mandating that referees and most staff get vaccinated, ESPN reported Tuesday. The NBA and NBPA continue to negotiate other COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming season, but the vaccine mandate is a non-starter with the union, per the report. However, the […]
Amazon boosts hourly pay to over $18, to hire 125,000 workers
September 14, 2021 (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc hiked its average starting wage to $18 per hour on Tuesday and said it plans to hire more than 125,000 warehouse and transportation workers in the United States. Reuters exclusively reported the news earlier on Tuesday. The world’s largest online retailer also said it would pay a sign-on […]
Canada’s Trudeau tries to link main rival to Alberta COVID-19 surge
September 14, 2021 By Nia Williams and Steve Scherer CALGARY, Alberta/Richmond, BRITISH COLUMBIA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday sought to link his main election rival to a worsening COVID-19 crisis in the western province of Alberta, where the health system is struggling to cope. With less than a week to go […]
Xbox and Special Olympics hold first ‘Gaming for Inclusion’ esports event
Gaming in general is moving towards accessibility, but that’s not as much the case in esports, which like other sports are competitive and by nature somewhat exclusive. Xbox and the Special Olympics are working together on a new event that combines competition with inclusion, and it’s going on right now. This week, Special Olympics athletes […]
U.S. Treasury suspends changes to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac share agreements
September 14, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Treasury Department on Tuesday said it had suspended changes to the government’s stake in housing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac imposed in the final days of the Trump administration. Those changes would have allowed the pair to begin to retain profits with an eye toward eventually exiting […]
Athletics-Niyonsaba smashes women’s 2,000m world record
September 14, 2021 (Reuters) – Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba capped off her season by breaking the 2,000 metres world record on Tuesday, finishing with a time of 5 minutes and 21.56 seconds at a Continental Tour event in Zagreb. The 28-year-old, who won the 5,000 metres Diamond League tile in Zurich last week, shaved nearly four […]
Mexico may consider southern states for semiconductor production
September 14, 2021 By Anthony Esposito MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – As Mexico aims to boost its manufacturing of semiconductors, it may build production facilities in its southern states, where much-needed water is available, according to Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier. At the so-called High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) between the United States and Mexico, held in Washington […]
Top Senate Democrat Schumer asks U.S. businesses to weigh in on debt default
September 14, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged the business community on Tuesday to start weighing in with Republicans on the dangers of not raising the debt ceiling to avoid a government default or partial government shutdown. “This is risky business and dangerous business” that Republicans are engaging in, Schumer, […]
Democrats’ tax plan would cut bills for most Americans -congressional estimate
September 14, 2021 By Richard Cowan and David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. tax code changes sought by Democrats in the House of Representatives to help fund $3.5 trillion in domestic investments would cut annual tax bills for Americans earning less than $200,000 a year through 2025, a congressional estimate showed on Tuesday. The bipartisan Joint […]
Thousands protest against Taliban in Kandahar over evictions
September 14, 2021 (Reuters) – Thousands of Afghans protested against the Taliban in the southern city of Kandahar on Tuesday, according to a former government official and local television footage, after residents were asked to vacate a residential army colony. Protesters gathered in front of the governor’s house in Kandahar after around 3,000 families were […]
Tunisian president rejects dialogue with ‘traitors’
September 14, 2021 TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s President Kais Saied said on Tuesday he would not do deals with those he described as “traitors”, an apparent reference to the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, the biggest in the suspended parliament. Ennahda has called for a national dialogue to find a way forward after Saied on July […]
Buffalo to require full vax for fans beginning Oct. 31
September 14, 2021 Fans will have to be fully vaccinated in order to attend games in Buffalo beginning Oct. 31. The Bills made the announcement Tuesday, in compliance with a directive given by the Erie County Department of Health. The directive applies to Buffalo Sabres games, too. Further, fans are required to have a minimum […]
ARK Invest’s Wood expects market rotation back to growth stocks
September 14, 2021 By David Randall NEW YORK (Reuters) – Star stock picker Cathie Wood of ARK Invest on Tuesday reiterated her call that slowing economic activity in the United States will bolster growth stocks. Wood cited disappointing job growth in August and weakening consumer price index figures as signs that the U.S. economy will […]
Amazon hires Twitter executive to tackle diversity challenges
September 14, 2021 By Jeffrey Dastin (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc has hired a Twitter Inc executive, Candi Castleberry Singleton, as vice president of global diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), according to a staff memo on Tuesday that it shared with Reuters. The company had upgraded the role from a director-level position. Castleberry Singleton’s job will […]
Factbox-Top announcements from Apple event
September 14, 2021 (Reuters) – Apple Inc on Tuesday launched a new series of iPhones and iPads, featuring a faster processor and better cameras. Launching the products at a virtual event, Apple priced its smartphones at between $399, for the iPhone SE, $699 for the iPhone and $999 for the Pro Max version. Here are […]