🏢 JPMorgan Chase and Mitsubishi UFJ Near $22 Billion Financing Deal for Vantage’s $25B Data Center Megacampus

Denver, CO — August 20, 2025Vantage Data Centers is reportedly close to securing $22 billion in financing from JPMorgan Chase and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) to support the development of its $25 billion hyperscale data center campus in Shackelford County, Texas. The funding package, one of the largest ever arranged for a single data […]

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State Department layoffs could hurt US companies’ ability to compete globally – an economist explains why

When more than 1,300 people at the U.S. State Department lost their jobs in a mass firing this summer, most headlines focused on what it meant for American diplomacy. But the layoffs are about more than embassies and foreign policy – they could also make it harder for U.S. companies to compete in global markets. […]

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Retail Fintech Investment Shows Mixed Signals in Q2 Amid B2B Preference

New York, NY — Retail fintech investment displayed a bifurcated performance in the second quarter of the year, with venture capital (VC) funding rising modestly but still falling short of previous benchmarks. According to recent Emerging Tech Research, total VC investment in the sector reached $2.2 billion, marking a 17% increase from the previous quarter. […]

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Before celebrating big gifts, charities must watch out for fake donors

A New York philanthropist and personal assistant to billionaires, Matthew Christopher Pietras, allegedly stole millions from his employers and donated large sums to prominent charities to maintain a facade of status, wealth and generosity. Those schemes came to light when the Metropolitan Opera became aware that a US$10 million donation Pietras made in his own […]

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Trump administration has proven no friend to organized labor, from attacking federal unions to paralyzing the National Labor Relations Board | Jake Rosenfeld

During the 2024 election campaign, the Republican Party’s historically fraught relationship with organized labor appeared to be changing. Several influential Republicans reached out to unions, seeking to cement the loyalties of the growing ranks of working-class Americans who have been backing Donald Trump’s presidential runs and voting for other members of his party. During Trump’s […]

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đź’Ľ Databricks Secures New Funding Led by Thrive Capital, Eyes $100 Billion Valuation

San Francisco, CA — August 20, 2025Databricks, the data and AI software company, is set to raise a new round of funding led by Thrive Capital that could value the firm at over $100 billion, according to company statements and investor sources. The Series K round marks a significant milestone for the privately held company, […]

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Misspelled names may give brands a Lyft – if the spelling isn’t too weird

Consumers don’t mind when companies use misspelled words – think Lyft for “lift” or Froot Loops for “fruit loops” – as their brand names, as long as the alterations aren’t too extreme and the misspelling makes sense. Those are the main findings of a new peer-reviewed paper I published with fellow marketing scholar Leah Warfield […]

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Reverse discrimination? In spite of the MAGA bluster over DEI, data shows white Americans are still advantaged

Two big assumptions underlie President Donald Trump’s attack on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The first is that discrimination against people of color is a thing of the past. The second is that DEI policies and practices discriminate against white people – especially white men – in what’s sometimes called “reverse discrimination.” I’m a sociologist […]

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đź’Ľ SoftBank to Invest $2 Billion in Intel Amid Strategic Semiconductor Push

TOKYO / SANTA CLARA — August 18, 2025 — Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. announced Monday that it will make a $2 billion equity investment in Intel Corporation, marking a significant vote of confidence in the U.S. chipmaker as it seeks to regain ground in the global semiconductor race. The agreement, signed by both […]

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Data that taxpayers have paid for and rely on is disappearing – here’s how it’s happening and what you can do about it

People rely on data from federal agencies every day – often without realizing it. Rural residents use groundwater level data from the U.S. geological survey’s National Water Information System to decide where to dig wells. High school coaches turn to weather apps supported by data from the National Weather Service to decide when to move […]

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