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Whether you’re just coming back from a summer vacation, in the midst of one or not taking any time off, you’ve probably been too busy marveling at Megan Rapinoe to stay on top of business and tech news this week. Don’t worry — we’re here to catch you up.
What’s Up? (July 7-13)
The Robots Haven’t Won …
At least, not yet. While Amazon increasingly relies on machines to pluck products from shelves, box them up and ship them to your doorstep, that doesn’t mean the humans who now do those things are out of a job. The company announced an ambitious, $700 million retraining program for a third of its employees in the United States (about 100,000 people), all in the name of adapting to the changing role of workers as automated technology continues to do more of the heavy lifting. In related news, Prime Day — Amazon’s annual sale for Prime members — will span 48 hours this year, from Monday to Tuesday, and has spawned competing discounts at stores like Target and Walmart.
… But Internet Trolls Might
President Trump gathered his loudest online supporters for a social media summit at the White House on Thursday. Not on the guest list: leaders from the social media platforms themselves, like Twitter and Facebook, which Mr. Trump and many right-wing internet personalities have accused of having an anti-conservative bias. Several political extremists were barred from Facebook, Instagram and YouTube this year for promoting hateful ideologies, and Twitter rolled out new rules against “dehumanizing speech” on Tuesday. Mr. Trump recently said Twitter “should be sued because of what’s happening with the bias.” In May, his administration released a tool called “share your story,” which collects anecdotes from people who believe their social media accounts have been unfairly banned.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/13/business/amazon-robots-interest-rates-technology-tax.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
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