Labor Department cancels full October jobs report over shutdown | Fast Company

The Labor Department said Wednesday that it will not be releasing a full jobs report for October because the 43-day federal government shutdown meant it couldn’t calculate the unemployment rate and some other key numbers.

Instead, it will release some of the October jobs data—most importantly, the number of jobs that employers created last month—along with the full November jobs report, now due a couple of weeks late on December 16.

The department’s “employment situation” report usually comes out on the first Friday of the month. But the government shutdown disrupted data collection and delayed the release of the reports. For example, the September jobs report, now coming out Thursday, was originally due October 3.

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Starbucks to sell majority stake in China business | BBC News

Starbucks says it is selling a 60% stake in its business in China as part of a $4bn (£3.04bn) deal with investment firm Boyu Capital.

Under the agreement, the world’s biggest coffee chain will have a 40% stake in the Chinese retail operation and retain ownership of the Starbucks brand there.

Starbucks entered China in 1999 and the country is now its second-largest market outside the US, but has struggled in recent years with the rise of homegrown brands like Luckin Coffee.

The business will continue to be headquartered in Shanghai and will own and operate 8,000 outlets in the Chinese market, with plans to grow to as many as 20,000 locations, the firm said on Monday.

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Trump administration will tap emergency fund to pay partial food stamp benefits | BBC News

US President Donald Trump’s administration has said it will provide reduced food aid to more than 42 million Americans, as the government shutdown this week heads towards becoming the longest ever with no resolution in sight.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a court filing that Americans who receive food assistance will get half their normal monthly allotment, after the government dipped into emergency funding.

Judges had given the Trump administration until Monday to provide a plan for how it would pay out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps.

Funding for the programme has been in limbo due to the more-than-month-long shutdown.

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YouTube announces ‘voluntary exit program’ for US staff | TechCrunch

YouTube announces ‘voluntary exit program’ for US staff

YouTube is conducting a “voluntary exit program” with severance for U.S.-based employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday. The news was first reported by Sources.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan told employees about the program via an internal memo on Wednesday.

The memo also announced that the Google-owned company was reorganizing its product teams into three separate organizations that all report directly to Mohan. The “Subscription Products” team will focus on YouTube’s subscription products across YouTube Music & Premium and OTT.

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X is retiring Twitter.com and may lock your account if you don’t act fast | Mashable

You might need to act soon to keep accessing your X account.

Elon Musk’s website, formerly known as Twitter, quietly announced it was killing off the old Twitter.com domain. That means the company is requiring users who use a hardware security key or passkey to re-enroll; otherwise, they will be locked out of their account.

X’s safety account posted a statement alerting folks to the change. It read:

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GM will introduce eyes-off driving in 2028 | CNN Business

General Motors, the 100-year-old car company that has struggled with its expensive modernization efforts, plans to offer Americans hands-free driving and the freedom to watch a movie on the go.

The company unveiled new “eyes-off” driving technology that will be available starting in 2028, part of a new technology initiative revealed by GM executives in New York on Wednesday. The automaker said the initiative includes a conversational AI technology that will be introduced into vehicles next year.

“Imagine you step into your vehicle, you push a button, and it drives you to the office. You catch up on work, send emails, or watch an episode of your favorite show,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “The car drops you off … then it goes to get your dry cleaning, take out for dinner, and it comes back in time so you can drive your kids to their soccer game.”

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Tesla posts bigger than expected drop in earnings despite record sales | CNN Business

You’d think after a tumultuous year for Elon Musk’s car company, Wall Street would be cheering Tesla’s record quarterly sales. They’re not.

That’s for two main reasons: First, Tesla’s profit fell from a year ago and missed analysts’ estimates.

Second, Tesla’s sales were largely booming last quarter because customers scrambled to nab electric cars before a US tax credit expired.

Shares of Tesla (TSLA) fell 2% in after-market trading following the report, but ahead of a call for investors scheduled for 5:30 pm ET.

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NATO Partners with Oracle to Enhance 5G Security for Cyber Defense | Small Biz Trends

The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) has recently collaborated with Oracle and Druid Software to enhance battlefield connectivity through the implementation of secure private 5G networks. While this initiative is primarily aimed at fortifying NATO’s cyber defenses, small business owners can glean important insights about the implications of advanced technology in their own operations.

Oracle’s 5G Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) will play a vital role in enabling seamless, secure communications across NATO networks. “Safeguarding mission-critical and sensitive information over communications networks is paramount to national and global security,” stated Andrew Morawski, Oracle’s executive vice president. This commitment to data security resonates with small businesses, as the need for robust cybersecurity can’t be understated in a world increasingly reliant on digital communication.

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IBM and Anthropic Team Up to Revolutionize Enterprise Software Development | Small Biz Trends

IBM’s recent partnership with Anthropic marks a significant milestone for small businesses aiming to streamline their software development processes. By integrating Anthropic’s advanced AI model, Claude, into its suite of tools, IBM aims to deliver enhanced productivity, security, and governance within enterprise environments.

This strategic alliance is particularly beneficial for small business owners looking for ways to leverage technology in their operations. With productivity gains averaging an impressive 45% reported by over 6,000 early adopters using IBM’s new AI-first integrated development environment (IDE), the potential for cost savings while maintaining high standards of code quality is a compelling reason to consider these new tools. Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President of Software at IBM, stated, “This partnership enhances our software portfolio with advanced AI capabilities while maintaining the governance, security, and reliability that our clients have come to expect.”

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I’m fed up of AI chatbots replacing customer service | Digital Trends

AI is slowly taking over the world, infiltrating every element of our day-to-day lives. There are a ton of useful purposes for AI companions, whether it be image or video generation, or helping speed up boring admin tasks like clearing up your email inbox, and I’ve slowly become obsessed.

While artificial intelligence has made a positive impact in certain areas of my life, there are also some parts of my life which I just don’t want to deal with AI.

Let me paint a picture – something I think almost everyone can relate to. I noticed my electricity bill was increasing one month, and I wasn’t entirely sure why, so I decided to call up my supplier. As the automated voice on the other end starts to speak, telling me to press different buttons to speak to different departments, I followed the instructions and was then met with hold music.

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