Donald Trump Criticized for Attacking Nordstrom In Ivanka Row

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President Donald Trump has come under Democrats’ fire after attacking Nordstrom for dropping a fashion line owned by his daughter, Ivanka. Donald Trump tweeted that “Ivanka has been treated so unfairly” by the clothing retailer. A Democratic senator called the post “inappropriate” and an ex-White House ethics tsar dubbed it “outrageous”. Earlier this month Nordstrom… Continue reading Donald Trump Criticized for Attacking Nordstrom In Ivanka Row

You, in the Back: Will the Real Shy Employees Please Speak Up?

Any well-rounded workplace needs a healthy mix of personality types. From people who thrust their hands up during meetings to share the idea that just popped into their head to others who hang back and prefer to ruminate before saying anything, workplaces contain a spectrum of different personalities and communication styles. An effective leadership team… Continue reading You, in the Back: Will the Real Shy Employees Please Speak Up?

Elizabeth Warren Silenced by Senate Republicans After Reading Letter Written by Martin Luther King Jr’s Widow

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Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced by Senate Republicans on February 7 after reading a letter written by the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. The 30-year-old letter criticized Jeff Sessions, President Donald Trump’s nomination for attorney general. Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell said Elizabeth Warren had broken senate rules by impugning the conduct… Continue reading Elizabeth Warren Silenced by Senate Republicans After Reading Letter Written by Martin Luther King Jr’s Widow

Immigration Amicus Brief: 30 More Tech Companies Sign Against Trump Travel Ban

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Thirty more tech companies have signed a brief opposing President Donald Trump’s travel ban, bringing the total number involved to 127. Tesla, Adobe, HP and Evernote are among the new signatories. They join 97 other companies which have filed a legal document stating the ban “inflicts significant harm” on their businesses and is unconstitutional. The… Continue reading Immigration Amicus Brief: 30 More Tech Companies Sign Against Trump Travel Ban

Senate Confirms Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary

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President Donald Trump’s controversial nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has been confirmed by the Senate by slenderest possible margin. Vice-President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to secure her cabinet role, splitting the chamber 50-50. It was the first time ever that a vice-president has interceded in such a way for a cabinet secretary.… Continue reading Senate Confirms Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary

GM Hourly Workers to Receive $12,000 Bonus After Huge Profit in North America

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General Motors hourly workers will receive bonuses of $12,000 after the company made a profit of $12 billion in North America. The United Automobile Workers union negotiated a profit sharing deal in 2011. The deal is worth up to $1,000 per $1 billion of profit the company makes in the continent. However, net profit for… Continue reading GM Hourly Workers to Receive $12,000 Bonus After Huge Profit in North America

BP Profits Double in Q4 2016

BP is set to receive a record fine of between $3 billion and $5 billion to settle criminal charges related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster

BP’s profits double in Q4 of 2016 on the back of slightly higher oil prices and more cost-cutting. Underlying replacement cost profit – BP’s preferred measure – was $400 million, up from $196 million a year earlier. The oil giant took another charge of $799 million for the Deepwater Horizon disaster, bringing total charges to… Continue reading BP Profits Double in Q4 2016

DoJ Defends Donald Trump’s Travel Ban

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The DoJ has defended President Donald Trump’s immigration ban and urged an appeals court to reinstate it in the interests of national security. In a 15-page brief it argued it was a “lawful exercise of the president’s authority” and not a ban on Muslims. President Trump’s executive order temporarily banned entry for all refugees and… Continue reading DoJ Defends Donald Trump’s Travel Ban

VW Faces First Legal Action from A Big Corporate Client

Car giant Volkswagen faces its first legal action in Germany from a big corporate client over the dieselgate scandal. Deutsche See, which leases 500 vehicles from the German automaker, said it had been unable to reach an out-of-court settlement, Reuters reported. VW is involved in numerous lawsuits from individual owners, regulators, states and dealers, many… Continue reading VW Faces First Legal Action from A Big Corporate Client

Donald Trump Appeals Against Travel Ban Suspension

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The DoJ has filed a court motion against the suspension of President Donald Trump’s travel ban on people from seven mainly Muslim nations. The move seeks to reverse February 3 ruling by a federal judge in Washington. Visa holders from the affected nations have been scrambling to get flights to the United States, fearing they… Continue reading Donald Trump Appeals Against Travel Ban Suspension

Donald Trump Signs Executive Order to Review Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations

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Donald Trump has taken his first step to try to scale back financial services regulations. The president signed an executive order to review the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulations, which some people on Wall Street say are overly-restrictive. The law was brought in after the 2008-2009 financial crisis with the aim of avoiding another financial meltdown.… Continue reading Donald Trump Signs Executive Order to Review Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations

Donald Trump’s Travel Ban Reversed After Judge James Robart’s Ruling

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Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban on people from seven mainly Muslim countries has been rolled back after a judge suspended it. The state department said it was reversing the cancelation of visas, 60,000 of which were revoked after the executive order. Judge James Robart ruled there were legal grounds to challenge the ban. President Trump… Continue reading Donald Trump’s Travel Ban Reversed After Judge James Robart’s Ruling

Former Brazil First Lady Marisa Leticia da Silva Dies Aged 66

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Former Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has confirmed former first lady Marisa Leticia da Silva, who had been earlier pronounced brain-dead, died at the age of 66. The funeral service will be held in Sao Paulo on February 4 and her body will then be cremated. Marisa Leticia da Silva was taken to… Continue reading Former Brazil First Lady Marisa Leticia da Silva Dies Aged 66

US Economy Added 227,000 Jobs in January 2017

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US economy added 227,000 jobs in January 2017, which is way above economists’ forecasts of about 175,000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the figure compares with December’s rise of 157,000, revised up slightly from last month’s first estimate. However, average pay barely rose, and the number of people working part-time but looking for… Continue reading US Economy Added 227,000 Jobs in January 2017

Ivanka Trump’s Clothing Line Dropped by Nordstrom

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Ivanka Trump’s clothing line was dropped by Nordstrom after poor sales, the retailer said The move comes after campaigners called for a boycott on stores doing business with the president’s family. However, Nordstrom blames the move on poor sales. The company says it makes “buying decisions based on performance” and that cutting brands “is part… Continue reading Ivanka Trump’s Clothing Line Dropped by Nordstrom

Ralph Lauren CEO Stefan Larsson to Resign After Less than Two Years

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Ralph Lauren CEO Stefan Larsson is to step down after less than two years in the post. Stefan Larsson, a former head of Gap’s Old Navy division, was appointed chief executive of the luxury fashion company in late 2015. He will leave on May 1st with a $10 million pay settlement after disagreements with founder… Continue reading Ralph Lauren CEO Stefan Larsson to Resign After Less than Two Years

Federal Reserve Remains Positive on Economy and Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged

The Federal Reserve remained positive on the economy, as it kept interest rates on hold in its first meeting since President Donald Trump took office. The central bank ruled unanimously to keep its benchmark interest rate in a range of 0.5% to 0.75%. It said the jobs market and economic activity had continued to strengthen.… Continue reading Federal Reserve Remains Positive on Economy and Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged

VW Proposes $1.2BN Deal to Settle Emissions Scandal

German car giant Volkswagen has agreed to pay at least $1.2 billion to fix or buy back 78,000 diesel cars in the United States to settle more emissions-cheating claims. Without regulatory approval, VW could be forced to buy back all of the cars, costing it about $4 billion. The deal, another in its long-running emissions… Continue reading VW Proposes $1.2BN Deal to Settle Emissions Scandal

Defense Secretary James Mattis Visits South Korea

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Defense secretary James Mattis is visiting South Korea on the first foreign trip by a senior official in the Trump administration. James Mattis is expected to use the visit to reassure Seoul of continuing US commitment to security deals in the face of threats from North Korea. While campaigning, Donald Trump accused South Korea and… Continue reading Defense Secretary James Mattis Visits South Korea

Rex Tillerson Confirmed as Donald Trump’s Secretary of State

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Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson has been confirmed by the Senate to become President Donald Trump’s secretary of state. Rex Tillerson, 64, was cleared for full Senate approval in a 56-43 vote. The vote came after Senate Republicans changed the rules in order to approve President Trump’s nominees for health and treasury, despite a… Continue reading Rex Tillerson Confirmed as Donald Trump’s Secretary of State

Donald Trump Calls on Pharmaceutical Companies to Lower Drug Prices

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President Donald Trump has called on pharmaceutical companies to lower huge drug prices. During a White House meeting with senior pharmaceutical executives President Trump told the companies to manufacture more of their drugs in the US. However, the president also vowed to help the companies by speeding the approval of new medicines and by cutting… Continue reading Donald Trump Calls on Pharmaceutical Companies to Lower Drug Prices

Marine Le Pen Refuses to Repay Misspent EU Funds

France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen missed a European Parliament deadline to return more than 300,000 euros ($321,000) it says she has misspent. Marine Le Pen had until midnight to repay the money, but said she had no intention of doing so. According to the European Parliament, the French presidential candidate wrongly used the funds… Continue reading Marine Le Pen Refuses to Repay Misspent EU Funds

Donald Trump Nominates Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court

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Colorado federal appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch is President Donald Trump’s nomination for the Supreme Court. If confirmed by the Senate, Neil Gorsuch, 49, would restore the court’s conservative majority, lost with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The Senate Democratic leader has said he has “very serious doubts” about Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination. The… Continue reading Donald Trump Nominates Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court

Democrats Boycott Steven Mnuchin and Tom Price’s Hearing

Democrats have boycotted a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee in which Steven Mnuchin, Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, and Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), President Trump’s nominee for health and human services secretary, would have likely been approved for consideration by the full Senate. They said they wanted more information about the financial activities… Continue reading Democrats Boycott Steven Mnuchin and Tom Price’s Hearing

5 Ways the Internet of Things can Inspire Start-ups

Technology, at its best, enables us to live more efficient, creative, and innovative lives. The next wave of technology is the Internet of Things. It’s often described as a futuristic concept, but in practice, it’s already here. The IoT will be a particular boon to small business owners and start-up entrepreneurs. It allows business owners… Continue reading 5 Ways the Internet of Things can Inspire Start-ups