PYMNTS

If there’s a common theme emerging among eCommerce platforms this earnings season, it’s that the last moments of a transaction are continually being refined and streamlined. PayPal reported earnings Tuesday (July 30), Amazon did so Thursday (Aug. 1), and Shopify will report this week. Checkout exists as what...

Branded, Faster Checkout Options Gain Momentum as PayPal, Shopify Report Earnings

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s firm has reportedly cut its stake in Apple by half. As the Financial Times (FT) reported Saturday (Aug. 3), this reduction came as Buffett sold off $76 billion in stocks. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, reduced its Apple holdings by more than $50 billion to $84.2 billion during the second quarter, the report said.

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Cuts Stake in Apple by Half

Earnings drove the CE 100 Index lower this past week — and almost all segments were under water, so to speak, as markets swooned amid the specter of a slowing economy. Only one pillar of the CE 100 Index posted a positive return, as the Eat segment gathered 6.3%. Within that group, DoorDash shares gained 11.9%.

CE 100 Index Loses 4.1%, Led by Snap’s Post-Earnings Plummet

Software-as-a-Service platform Wix has begun offering its customers access to Google’s Gemini for Workspace artificial intelligence (AI) tool. “Over the last decade, Wix augmented their website building solution with the best online tools from Google — search, advertising, maps and productivity,” Yuval Dvir, senior director of online channels and partnerships at Google, said in a Monday (Aug. 5) news release.

Wix Becomes First Google Partner Offering Gemini for Workspace

Kentucky State

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Northern Kentucky Tribune

Kentucky’s Community Actions Partnerships have announced the starts date for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Summer Subsidy, aimed at helping Kentucky households offset summer cooling costs.

LIHEAP Summer Subsidy program to help with summer cooling costs to begin enrollment July 16

Colorado State

David Heitz

A bill quietly introduced this spring in the Colorado legislature to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia obtained by harm reductionists has become law. As low-key as the legislation was introduced, the bill was signed into law without fanfare June 6. It garnered little to no media attention.

Colorado legalizes needles, pipes for meth and crack if obtained by harm reduction group

Pompano Beach, FL

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Akeena

In a shocking revelation, Kings Mart, a grocery store in Pompano Beach, has been slapped with a series of severe health violations by the Florida Department of Agriculture. The inspection, carried out by Francis Odio, uncovered a disturbing range of problems that have led to the immediate closure of several sections of the store.

An inspection found bugs in the food and rodent poop on the shelves at a Florida grocery store

Newark, NJ

Morristown Minute

NEWARK, N.J. – Nygee Johnson, also known as “Gito,” a 25-year-old member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, has admitted his role in a racketeering conspiracy. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. Johnson pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court on July 17, 2024, to a superseding indictment charging him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy.

Rollin' 60s Crips Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering

Chicago, IL

Foodie in Chicago

Shortly before 3 AM, people in the Chicago area may have felt their houses shake as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred about 60 miles west of the city. (CHICAGO) The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.4-magnitude earthquake around Somonauk, IL. Somonauk is in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties, 64 miles west of Chicago.

Did You Feel the Earthquake?

Jersey City, NJ

Essex County, NJ

NEWARK, N.J. – Efrin Wade, a former correctional officer at Essex County Correctional Facility (ECCF), has admitted to accepting $14,000 in bribes to smuggle contraband, including tobacco and a cell phone, into the facility for inmates. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Correctional Officer Guilty of Smuggling Contraband: $14K in Bribes Accepted

Amid revenue declines, ThredUp is not anticipating the financial pressure that consumers are feeling let up any time soon. The online consignment and thrift store shared in its second-quarter 2024 earnings results Monday (Aug. 5) that it saw a 4% decline in total revenue year over year, with U.S. revenue remaining flat and European revenue plummeting by 18%.

ThredUp CEO: It Will Be a While Before Shoppers Splurge Again

Denver, CO

More dangerous substances are entering the Denver drug supply, Harm Reduction Action Center warned in a newsletter this week. “The Iron Law of Prohibition posits that as law enforcement becomes more intense, the potency of prohibited substances increases,” HRAC Executive Director Lisa Raville wrote in the newsletter. That is exactly what is happening, she said.

Dangerous substances entering Denver drug supply

New Jersey State

Collingswood, NJ

CAMDEN, N.J. – Ralston Boswell, 34, of Collingswood, New Jersey, has admitted to participating in schemes to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and unemployment insurance benefits. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Plea: Man's PPP & Unemployment Fraud - $209K Scam

South Carolina State

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Explore Beaufort SC

The mantis shrimp is one tough customer. Beautiful and deadly are two words you don’t typically use to describe shrimp, but the mantis shrimp is definitely in a class of its own; earning a reputation as the ‘savage boxer of the sea’ and one of the most fearsome creatures in the ocean. And, they're right at home here in South Carolina.

Savage Boxer of the Sea: The Deadly Beauty of Mantis Shrimp

Florida State

Uncovering Florida

Most people are guilty of doing it at least once in their lives, many people do it by accident, some do it because they find it fun, and others do it for reasons like honoring loved ones. Regardless of the situation, just about everyone has released a balloon. The difference is that intentionally releasing balloons is now illegal by House Bill 321’s standards.

Law Signed By DeSantis Makes It Illegal To Release Balloons In Florida

Illinois State

MOD Pizza has over 500 locations across the country with 22 restaurants in Illinois. The Washington-based chain offers fast-casual fare known for its customized, artisan-style pizzas. Customers can choose from over 40 toppings and 8 sauces to create their own masterpiece.

Bankruptcy Looms for Major Pizza Chain With Chicago Suburban Locations

Bucks County Beacon

Conservatives have done the United States a huge favor by explaining in detail what they’ll try to do if Donald Trump is reelected. Project 2025 , a “presidential transition project” of the Heritage Foundation, helpfully lays out how a group of former Trump officials would like to transform the country into a right-wing dystopia where the rich thrive and the rest of us die aspiring to be rich.

Project 2025’s Plan to Gut Medicare and Medicaid

Two immigrants from south of the border told the City Council Monday they were harassed when using hotel vouchers for shelter in Denver. Speaking through an interpreter, Leivy Ortega and Henry Aguilar said they received vouchers for hotel stays from an unnamed non-profit. But they had problems using the vouchers, they said. Ortega said she came to Denver from Connecticut and lived in her car for 15 days. She received a three-day hotel voucher, she said, but hotel staff initially would not honor it. She did not name the hotel. She said staff finally looked at her paperwork and gave her a room, but they wanted to charge her. for it. She said they initially weren’t going to allow her to stay because she has a service animal.

Immigrants allege Denver hotel staff mistreated them

While there are signs in the broader economy that a consumer-led recession could be on the way, real estate investment trust Simon Property Group remains optimistic about its shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations. The firm has been telling analysts for well over a year that lower-income consumers have been...

Simon Property Group Remains Optimistic About Consumer Spending in Retail

With hurricane season posing a consistent threat six months out of the year, who would not like a little help getting their home ready for the harsh weather to come? Senate Bill 7028: My Safe Florida Home Program, approved by Governor DeSantis on April 24, 2024, and effective as of July 1, appropriates a one-time total of $200 million from 2024 to 2025 for the purpose of funding hurricane mitigation grants and inspections, as well as outreach and administration costs, to support homeowners in Florida.

DeSantis Signs New Bill Giving $200 Million To Homeowners

NewsBreak

Apple’s Services Segment Grows, But AI Still Remains a ‘Show Me’ Story

Apple’s latest quarter showed some resilience in services growth – and management noted the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to help transform the company’s efforts to...

Apple’s Services Segment Grows, But AI Still Remains a ‘Show Me’ Story

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