LOS ANGELES — Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said Thursday he was the target of "extortion and blackmail" by the publisher of the National Enquirer, which he said threatened to publish revealing personal photos of him unless he stopped investigating how the tabloid obtained his private exchanges with his mistress. Bezos,...
Super Bowl Ad Winners: Bud Light, Amazon
NEW YORK — This year some of the Super Bowl ads that grabbed the greatest buzz were surprises, like Bud Light's "Game of Thrones" teaser. Other crowd-pleasers focused on humor, like Amazon's take on celebrity product testers. While the New England Patriots bested the L.A. Rams on Sunday in Atlanta...
Battered Wall Street Rebounds With Best Day in 10 Years
Stocks rocketed on Wednesday in Wall Street's best day in 10 years, snapping a stomach-churning, four-day losing streak and giving some post-Christmas cheer to a market that has been battered this December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up more than 1,000 points — its biggest single-day point gain ever...
What Should Fresno Be Thankful For? Let’s Start With 5.3% Unemployment.
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is that it prompts us to look to the bright side and count our blessings. Aside from my familial blessings, the thing I'm most thankful for is the turnaround in Fresno's economic trajectory. The city's unemployment rate in October was 5.3%. Ten years ago,...
Amazon Splits HQ Between New York and Northern Virginia
NEW YORK — Amazon, which has grown too big for its Seattle hometown, said it will split its much-anticipated second headquarters between New York and northern Virginia. Each will get 25,000 jobs. In addition, the online retailer said it will open an operations hub in Nashville, creating 5,000 jobs. Its...
Who's a Bully? Who's Owned by Special Interests? Council Hopefuls Debate.
Four of the six Fresno City Council candidates met at GV Wire’s forum Tuesday (Oct. 16) night, answering questions about the future of Fresno. While they appeared in lockstep on some issues, such as support for Measure P, things at times got heated on stage in the Fresno City College...
Is Amazon's Size and Influence a Good Thing? Economists Debate.
What is a monopsony? Economists describe the concept as "the outsize power of a few consolidated employers," the New York Times reports. They are also exploring the "Amazon Effect." Just this week, the online behemoth announced a $15 an hour minimum wage for all employees. Read the Times story about...
Amazon's Jeff Bezos to Start $2 Billion Charitable Fund
SEATTLE — Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said Thursday that he is giving $2 billion to start a fund that will open preschools in low-income neighborhoods and give money to nonprofits that helps homeless families. Bezos, whose stake in Amazon is worth about $160 billion, says that he'll call...
Arias and Hill Share District 3's Values. Who Will Voters Pick?
Tate Hill and Miguel Arias, the two men running for Fresno City Council District 3, have much in common. Both are 40-years old, Democrats, and share a similar vision for Fresno. Both served on many boards and are active in the politics of west Fresno. And both share common experiences...
Beneath the Surface Risks Lurk for US: Zakaria
It's easy to get mesmerized by the daily news cycle focused on President Trump's unpredictable behavior, says Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria. The twin dramas of journalist Bob Woodward's explosive new book and the anonymously authored New York Times op-ed that created media frenzies last week are but the latest...