Month: February 2021

Amazon announced Tuesday that founder Jeff Bezos will step down from his position as CEO. The 57-year-old Bezos will transition to the role of executive chair in the third quarter of 2021; Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services, will be the company’s new chief executive, the company said.

Bezos said in a letter to Amazon employees,, “In the exec chair role, I intend to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives. Andy is well known inside the company and has been at Amazon almost as long as I have. He will be an outstanding leader and he has my full confidence.”

Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, expanding into a massive online retail platform worth $1 trillion by 2018. Tuesday’s announcement came as the Federal Trade Commission voted to approve an agreement in which Amazon would pay $61.7 million to settle allegations it failed to pay Flex delivery drivers their full tips.

Jeff Bezos steps down as Amazon CEO

Via www.nbcnews.com

Andy Jassy, the chief executive of Amazon Web Services, will take over as CEO of Amazon.

02/02/2021 5:27 PM

 

Editorial credit: Christos S / Shutterstock.com

A major storm hit the mid-Atlantic coast and northeast with a snow accumulation of more than a foot in some areas on Monday, and is expected to intensify Tuesday overnight. The National Weather Service said that areas from the northern Mid-Atlantic to southern New England experienced heavy snow and increasingly strong winds together with increasing waves along the coast that were predicted to cause coastal flooding overnight during high tides. 

The NWS also said in a Monday afternoon briefing that more than 2 feet of snow could cover the region from Pennsylvania to Maine, including the metro areas of Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Unnecessary travel was discouraged by local emergency departments. On the coast, the NWS warned of flooding between 2 and 3 feet above ground level at high tide in and around Long Island. Strong winds gusting between 35 to 55 mph were predicted, causing near blizzard conditions. Courts and schools were closed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

New York City and New Jersey issued states of emergency and New York City put travel restrictions in place to keep nonessential personnel off the roads. Boston and area municipalities imposed parking bans, and most flights in and out of New York City and Boston airports Monday were canceled due to the heavy snow.

Major storm hits millions in Northeast, bringing travel, schools and vaccine centers to a halt

Via www.nbcnews.com

The National Weather Service warned that travel conditions will be “difficult to…

02/01/2021 7:13 PM

 

On Monday, SpaceX announced plans for the first all-civilian mission to space in late 2021.  The mission will be a days long orbit of the Earth, to be led by finance company executive and pilot Jared Isaacman. Isaacman has purchased a four-person mission in the SpaceX Dragon capsule Resilience to launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. He expects a mission duration ranging from two to four days. Isaacman pledged to donate $100 million to Memphis-based St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in connection with the space flight. Isaacman also promised to hold a raffle for one of the four seats on the Dragon mission — to prompt efforts to raise $200 million for the hospital.

Elon Musk said during a news conference Monday evening that the mission is “an important milestone toward enabling access to space for everyone because at first things are very expensive, and as only through missions like this that we’re able to bring the cost down over time and make space accessible.”

SpaceX to launch all-civilian crew to space, and 1 seat is up for grabs

Via abcnews.go.com

SpaceX announced Monday it will launch the first mission to space with an all-civilian crew.

02/01/2021 6:08 PM

 

Editorial credit: L Galbraith / Shutterstock.com

Just one day after CNN first reported that five members of former President Trump’s defense team had departed, his office announced that David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor, Jr. will now head the legal team for his second impeachment trial. 

Trump faces an article of impeachment charging incitement of insurrection, and the trial is slated to begin next month after Senate leaders agreed to wait until Feb. 9 to give the former president enough time to form a defense.

Schoen, a federal criminal defense lawyer, called it “an honor” to represent Trump “and the United States Constitution” in a press release. Castor, the former acting attorney general in Pennsylvania, similarly labeled his joining the team “a privilege.” “The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history,” Castor said. “It is strong and resilient. A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always.”

The new legal team members were announced following reports that Butch Bowers, the former lead attorney expected to defend Trump, left the defense team. Four other members also departed the team, including Deborah Barbier, Josh Howard, Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris.

Trump announces legal team for Senate impeachment trial

Via www.nbcnews.com

He says lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will lead his defense and came after a…

01/31/2021 6:43 PM

 

Editorial credit: Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com

A major nor’easter traveling toward the East Coast is expected to affect approximately 110 million people on the East Coast with blizzard-like conditions including heavy snow, rain and high winds.

The storm, which forecasters predicted will last until at least Tuesday, had already dumped a half-foot of snow in the Midwest by Sunday into parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as the system travels east.

Forecasters predicted that New York City should expect snow all day Monday. New Jersey declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted that much of the region will get 18 to 24 inches of snow. The Poconos, the lower Hudson Valley, eastern Pennsylvania and parts of Long Island and western Connecticut should also expect around up to 2 feet of snow.

By Tuesday, the snow is expected to move north affecting more of New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Major winter storm moves from Midwest to East Coast to start week

Via abcnews.go.com

Over 100 million Americans are under winter weather alerts this morning from Minnesota to Maine…

01/31/2021 4:33 PM