October, 2017

• 1 October

  Uber ‘alibi’ ruled too confusing for Waymo

  

  Bloomberg Uber Technologies Inc. lost one of its best alibis for why its former self-driving engineer downloaded files that Waymo claims are stolen trade secrets. But the company did get a pair of earrings to use in a trial against the Alphabet Inc. unit next month. As the two companies formulate arguments for a trial starting October 10, US District ...

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• 1 October

  Amazon’s first NFL game draws 372,000

  Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc.’s first National Football League broadcast drew 372,000 viewers who watched the game an average of 55 minutes on the internet giant’s Prime Video service—a small part of the overall audience for Thursday’s game. About 1.6 million viewers at least initiated a stream of the Green Bay Packers’ 35-14 victory over the Chicago Bears, the NFL’s oldest rivalry. ...

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• 1 October

  Big Ben tower repair costs doubled to $82 mn

  

  Bloomberg The cost of repairing Big Ben, the iconic clock tower of Britain’s Parliament, doubled following a detailed analysis by surveyors. Repairs to the Elizabeth Tower, as the tower is properly known, will cost $82 million, up from an original estimate of 29 million pounds, the House of Commons said on Friday in an emailed statement. The name “Big Ben” ...

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• 1 October

  On N Korea, Trump needs to stop ranting, start dealing

  

  Top US officials have said repeatedly that America is seeking a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis with North Korea. But President Trump’s insulting comments towards North Korean leader Kim Jong un appear to have made such a negotiated settlement more difficult. In the chaotic government-by-Twitter atmosphere of the Trump administration, no senior leader has publicly questioned whether the president’s ...

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• 1 October

  Embracing populism means ignoring common good

  

  One of the unfortunate aspects of Trumpian populism is the effect it is having on our discussion of economic policy, and thereby on our understanding of the underlying goals that policies are meant to advance. This is perhaps most stark in discussions of international trade. The right used to discuss trade as a way to enrich the nation and raise ...

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• 1 October

  Longer tweets are a win for democracy (really)

  On Tuesday, Twitter announced that a select group of users would be able to send 280-character tweets—double the platform’s signature 140-character limit. It’s part of an experiment testing whether longer character limits would be better for everyone. The company explained that, in languages where a single character carries more meaning—Chinese, Japanese and Korean—they see “more people tweeting—which is awesome!” If ...

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• 1 October

  Trump’s trade-bashing is bad for US consumers

  Until now, the defining feature of the Trump administration’s trade policy has been a worrisome yet vague recklessness. The US Commerce Department’s new ruling on Boeing’s dispute with Bombardier, a Canadian aircraft maker, shows the harm that comes when the administration gets specific. The rules that regulate trade can’t work without restraint and a commitment to a liberal economic order. ...

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• 1 October

  Facebook ads aren’t a threat to democracy

  

  Political pressure is gradually forcing Facebook executives to take responsibility for the content that appears on the social network, at this point mainly for the advertising. So far, they are doing a good job of avoiding the real subject. On Wednesday, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg addressed the recent discovery that ads on Facebook could be targeted at “Jew haters”—or, ...

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• 1 October

  Inflation slowdown is no mystery to bond market

  

  The Federal Reserve and other central banks have been on a quest since 2012 to get inflation back up to levels they deem appropriate for a stable, growing economy. There have been many setbacks along the way, leaving central bankers stumped, with Fed Chair Janet Yellen saying the slowdown in inflation has been a “mystery.” But their crusade may now ...

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• 1 October

  Short-term thinking poses long-term drag on growth

  

  Eric Ries, an entrepreneur and the author of “The Lean Startup” and other business books, has started a company to create a new stock exchange. The Long-Term Stock Exchange will lock up investors’ money for a long time, forcing them to think beyond next quarter’s earnings. Obviously this lack of liquidity will cause stock sold on the new exchange to ...

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