News

October 1, 2021 By Sarah N. Lynch and Jan Wolfe (Reuters) -President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday urged a judge to block a near-total ban on abortion imposed by Texas – the strictest such law in the nation – in a key battle in the ferocious legal war over abortion access in the United States. […]

October 1, 2021 By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) – A judge dismissed Pfizer Inc’s challenge to a U.S. anti-kickback law that the drugmaker said prevents it from helping Medicare patients afford two drugs that treat a sometimes fatal heart condition, but which cost $225,000 a year. In a Thursday night decision, U.S. District Judge […]

October 1, 2021 QUITO/GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (Reuters) – The death toll from Ecuador’s worst-ever prison riot rose to 118, authorities said, while police reinforcements maintained a presence on Friday at the Penitenciaria del Litoral detention center in the southern city of Guayaquil. The clashes on Tuesday, part of a rivalry between gangs fighting to control the […]

Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith wasted no time responding to allegations of a hostile work environment, sending an internal letter to employees Thursday encouraging staff to speak to him directly or via an in-house anonymous hotline with their concerns. Of course, it’s standard practice for companies like Blue Origin to prefer handling complaints internally rather […]

Former Vice President Al Gore has invested $600 million of equity into UK energy startup Octopus Energy Group via his Generation Investment Management vehicle, taking a stake of approximately 13% in the business. The investment means Octopus has attained a valuation of around $4.6 billion. Octopus has made a name for itself in energy circles […]

All good things must come to an end, and this proverb totally applies to our early-bird price on passes to TC Sessions: SaaS 2021. Today’s the final day you can save $100 on the price of admission, folks. Join the global SaaS community to connect, inspire, network and learn how to build a stronger startup […]

Nine months after announcing a $5 million seed round, Toronto auto repair software company AutoLeap is back with $18 million in Series A funding, this time led by Bain Capital Ventures. Joining Bain in the round is existing investor Threshold Ventures, which led the seed round, to give the company $23 million in total funding. […]

The market today has a lot of activation energy, even as the pandemic continues to play out. We’re seeing ample capital, a focus on distributed investing, more first-check investors than ever before, and, fittingly, a parade of new startups. That said, momentum has a way of overwhelming even the most ambitious. For founders at the […]

October 1, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. construction spending was unexpectedly flat in August as an increase in public sector projects was offset by weakness in the private sector. The Commerce Department said on Friday that the unchanged reading in construction spending followed a 0.3% gain in July. Construction spending increased 8.9% on a year-on-year […]

October 1, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Global technology firm Foxconn and startup Lordstown Motors Corp said Friday they plan to pursue a U.S. Energy Department loan from a program to help pay for the costs of retooling a factory to build electric trucks. Foxconn agreed in principle to buy a Lordstown Motors Corp assembly plant […]

October 1, 2021 (Reuters) -General Motors Co on Friday reported a drop in U.S. auto sales for the first time in four quarters, hit by worsening semiconductor chip shortages and low inventories. Chip shortages and supply chain disruptions have crimped production at automakers worldwide, forcing them to cut production and in some cases, to produce […]

October 1, 2021 By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) -Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard has consented to extradition to the United States, where he faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, lawyers for the prosecution and defence said at a hearing on Friday. Separately, the Toronto Police Service issued a statement saying it had an […]

October 1, 2021 (Reuters) – Premier League players who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel to countries on the UK’s red list during the international break and will be allowed to train or play when they quarantine on return, the BBC reported on Friday. Many clubs refused to release players to ‘red list’ […]

September 30, 2021 By Tina Bellon PALMER, Texas (Reuters) – Self-driving startup Aurora says it has discovered a path to turn costly self-driving vehicles into a profitable business, showcasing its technology to investors this week ahead of a public listing it hopes will provide some $2 billion in additional funding. The move comes as several […]

October 1, 2021 (Reuters) – Outflows from global equity funds ramped up in the week to Sept. 29 on expectations that major central banks would lift interest rates soon amid concerns that inflation could persist for longer. According to data from Lipper, investors sold a net $1.21 billion in global equity funds in the week, […]

October 1, 2021 PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek summoned Britain’s ambassador over accusations that sections of a soccer crowd consisting mainly of schoolchildren attending a game in Prague on Thursday abused Rangers player Glen Kamara. “Enough! Intentionally spread, disgusting insults against Czech children in the media and on the internet do not […]

October 1, 2021 By Arriana McLymore NEW YORK (Reuters) – Santa’s sleigh is coming out of its garage a little earlier this year. Target, Pottery Barn, Ulta Beauty, Gap and PacSun are among retailers promoting holiday decor and gifts as early as mid-September amid a global supply-chain logjam that threatens to limit availability of some […]

October 1, 2021 By Tom Wilson LONDON (Reuters) -The advent of digital currencies in emerging markets could spark “cryptoization” of local economies, potentially undermining exchange and capital controls and upsetting financial stability, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday. Bitcoin and its kin have in the last year soared in price and popularity, with emerging […]

October 1, 2021 (Reuters) – The general manager of the Ukraine Hockey League (UHL) said on Thursday he has been fired from his role for speaking out about racism following an incident between two players during a recent game. According to Eugene Kolychev, his voice was ignored in the decision to suspend HC Kremenchuk forward […]

The capital market for startups has perhaps never been more attractive than it is today. Not only are venture capitalists raising more capital than ever, but new methods of financing startup activity are maturing. The result is a capital market that is increasingly competitive for startup attention, and business, which may lead to better prices […]