A report on the future of solar energy from the Department of Energy paints a sunny picture, if you will, of the next three decades, at the end of which nearly half the country’s energy will be provided by the sun. But for that to happen, big pushes need to happen along four major lines: […]
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Soccer – Southgate defends zero subs strategy after Poland draw
September 8, 2021 WARSAW (Reuters) – England manager Gareth Southgate defended his decision not to use any substitutes in the 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against Poland on Wednesday. The Poles used all five of their substitutes during the game and ended strongly, grabbing their equaliser in stoppage time. “We were playing well, we were […]
U.S. charges former Ericsson employee over bribery scheme
September 8, 2021 By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. authorities on Wednesday charged a former employee of Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson with scheming to bribe Djibouti government officials in order to win business with a state-owned telecommunications company. The U.S. Department of Justice said Afework Bereket, 53, a former employee of Ericsson […]
WestJet Airlines says unvaccinated employees to face unpaid leave or termination
September 8, 2021 (Reuters) – Canada’s WestJet Airlines said on Wednesday all employees who fail to attest their vaccination status by Sept. 24, or get fully vaccinated by Oct. 30, will face unpaid leave or termination of employment. In the face of a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, spurred by the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant, […]
ECB may dial back support but won’t take it away just yet
September 8, 2021 By Balazs Koranyi and Francesco Canepa FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Central Bank is expected to claw back stimulus on Thursday, taking a token step towards unwinding the emergency economic aid it put in place during the pandemic while still signalling copious support for years to come. The ECB pulled out all […]
Half of Morocco’s electorate voted in parliamentary elections
September 8, 2021 By Ahmed Eljechtimi RABAT (Reuters) -Morocco said turnout in Wednesday’s parliamentary election was just over 50%, higher than in 2016 after authorities combined it with local elections that traditionally draw better participation. New voting rules were expected to make it harder for bigger parties to win as many seats as before, something […]
Canada’s Conservatives pledge big spending, deficit reduction in election platform
September 8, 2021 By Steve Scherer OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada’s Conservative Party is proposing C$52 billion ($41 billion) in new spending over the next four years to boost growth and create jobs while reducing the deficit more quickly than their Liberal rivals, according to figures released on Wednesday. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole released his platform […]
Daily Crunch: Google rolls out new Workspace features for all users
To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here. Hi friends! Welcome to the Daily Crunch for Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Alex is still out, so I’ll be steering this ship for a few more days while (I hope) he stares […]
Tennis – Bencic hopes teenagers Raducanu, Fernandez are protected from hype
September 8, 2021 NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. Open semi-finalists Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez must be protected from the hype and pressure that the teenagers are likely to encounter in the coming months after their New York heroics, Olympic champion Belinda Bencic said on Wednesday. British 18-year-old Raducanu brushed aside Bencic 6-3 6-4 to […]
Mexico-U.S. talks to focus on border movement, semiconductors -foreign minister
September 8, 2021 MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Wednesday that upcoming high-level economic talks with the United States will focus on infrastructure along the border to facilitate trade and movement of people, semiconductors and cybersecurity. Mexico will use the so-called High-Level Economic Dialogue on Sept. 9 with the United […]
United employees receiving COVID-19 vaccine religious exemption face unpaid leave
September 8, 2021 By David Shepardson and Sanjana Shivdas WASHINGTON (Reuters) -United Airlines employees who receive religious exemptions from the company for COVID-19 vaccinations will be placed on temporary, unpaid personal leave from Oct. 2, the U.S. airline said in a Wednesday memo to staff. The company said the employees will be allowed to return […]
U.S. VP Harris rallies for California governor facing recall
September 8, 2021 By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) – Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned on Wednesday for embattled California Governor Gavin Newsom, part of a ramped-up effort to save his job from a Republican-led recall by bringing in some of the Democratic Party’s biggest names. Harris, a longtime ally of Newsom, appeared with the […]
Tape It launches an A.I.-powered music recording app for iPhone
Earlier this year, Apple officially discontinued Music Memos, an iPhone app that allowed musicians to quickly record audio and develop new song ideas. Now, a new startup called Tape It is stepping in to fill the void with an app that improves audio recordings by offering a variety of features, including higher-quality sound, automatic instrument […]
AI-driven voice assistant PolyAI raises $14M round led by Khosla Ventures
“Conversational AI” startup PolyAI, based out of London, has raised $14 million in a funding round led by Silicon Valley’s Khosla Ventures, with participation from existing investors (Point72 Ventures, Amadeus Capital, Sands Capital Ventures, Passion Capital and Entrepreneur First). This follows their $12m Series A, and will provide resources for further US expansion beyond its […]
Soccer – Poland level late to end England’s winning streak
September 8, 2021 WARSAW (Reuters) – Damian Szymanski headed in a stoppage time equaliser as Poland ended England’s 100% record in Group I to draw their World Cup qualifier 1-1 on Wednesday. Harry Kane had fired England ahead with a swerving strike in the 72nd minute as Gareth Southgate’s side looked set for a sixth […]
Soccer-Fornals and Torres goals give Spain victory in Kosovo
September 8, 2021 PRISTINA (Reuters) -Goals from Pablo Fornals and Ferran Torres earned Spain a 2-0 victory away to Kosovo in World Cup qualifying Group B on Wednesday and dragged them back into automatic qualification contention. Fornals produced a fine near-post finish from the angle on 32 minutes after smart build-up play from Carlos Soler […]
Central banks of Honduras, Guatemala eye digital currencies as El Salvador launches bitcoin
September 8, 2021 TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – The central banks of Honduras and Guatemala are eying digital currencies, officials said on Wednesday, following El Salvador’s adoption of bitcoin as legal currency. The central bank presidents for Honduras and Guatemala both said the banks were studying digital currencies with the aim of eventually introducing them into the […]
Fed officials say tapering could still get started this year
September 8, 2021 By Jonnelle Marte (Reuters) -Two Federal Reserve officials said on Wednesday that the U.S. central bank could start trimming its massive asset purchases this year despite the slowdown in jobs growth seen in August. “The big picture is that the taper will get going this year and will end sometime by the […]
Soccer – Italy return to winning ways as young guns demolish Lithuania
September 8, 2021 ROME (Reuters) – Italy recorded their first win since being crowned European champions in July as young strikers Moise Kean and Giacomo Raspadori inspired a 5-0 win over Lithuania to strengthen the Azzurri’s grip on first place in Group C. The two 21-year-olds lit up the first half as Kean netted twice […]
Soccer-Sane inspires Germany to big win over Iceland
September 8, 2021 REYKJAVIK (Reuters) -Winger Leroy Sane scored one goal and made another as Germany made it three wins in a row with a resounding 4-0 victory over Iceland in World Cup qualifying Group J on Wednesday. The Germans took the lead in the fifth minute when Sane played in Serge Gnabry to score, […]