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Coronavirus undercuts LAPD recruitment just as a decline in black officers looms

LAPD leaders are concerned about a looming decline in black officers, particularly as pandemic-related restrictions undercut recruitment efforts.




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Coronavirus case cluster tied to Pasadena party, spurring warning of Mother's Day gatherings

Pasadena is warning against Mother's Day gatherings after its public health department traced a cluster of coronavirus cases to a birthday party.




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Letters: Robust health care system needed to combat coronavirus threat

Until we have a vaccine, the road to opening is through a health care system which can handle the infection, a letter to the editor says.

       




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Briggs: Holcomb just put us in charge of fighting coronavirus. Let's hope we're up to it.

Gov. Eric Holcomb's plan to reopen Indiana puts the burden on individuals instead of government.

       




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Urban League CEO: Indiana is slowly reopening, but Hoosiers must remain diligent

The fight to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the coronavirus is on all of us.

       




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F1 plans to start season in Austria as French GP called off

Formula 1 boss Chase Carey says he plans to start the season in Austria in July, after France became the latest country to call off its race.




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New guidance - what must I do?

Step-by-step, what to do to help prevent the spread of the virus.




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Timeline: Australia

A chronology of key events




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Country profile: Australia

Key facts, figures and dates




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Locusts destroying food supplies in the Horn of Africa

Billions of locusts are destroying food supplies in the Horn of Africa during the coronavirus outbreak.




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The show must go on

By Moises Martinez | Managing Editor Denied the rights to perform Murder On The Orient...




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Timeline: Austria

A chronology of key events




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Country profile: Austria

Key facts, figures and dates




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Australians urged to sign up to tracking app

PM Scott Morrison said wide usage would be the "ticket" to normal life resuming as soon as possible.




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The patients who just can't shake off Covid-19

Most patients recover from Covid-19 quickly - but for some, symptoms linger for weeks.






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The VR experience in ‘The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners’ prevents it from being just a zombie cliche

It's difficult to count the number of video games in which someone is standing around a corner clutching a weapon and waiting for their mortal enemy to pass. But until recently it wasn't possible to physically experience that scenario.




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‘Birds of Prey’ is Harley Quinn’s party, so just revel in it (Joker not invited)

Margot Robbie's over-the-top character makes her much-anticipated return to the screen.




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Beautiful visuals and dreamy puzzles make ‘Luna The Shadow Dust’ an unusually enchanting game

The beautiful hand-drawn visuals, dreamlike puzzles, and mysterious story line of 'Luna The Shadow Dust' -- which unfolds without a word of dialogue -- will draw you in and hold your interest from start to finish.




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Virgin Atlantic puts advisers on standby as industry teeters

Virgin Atlantic Airways has put advisers on standby to handle a potential administration as it races to secure a £500m rescue that would enable Sir Richard Branson’s flagship company to survive the coronavirus pandemic.




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This seafood restaurant’s latest catch: Chinese robots that greet customers and deliver food

A newly opened Delaware seafood restaurant has a unique item on its menu: robot servers. The machines are the latest example of intelligent machines working in the restaurant industry.




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Researchers just created a robotic lens that can be controlled by the eyes

A team of researchers at the University of California at San Diego have created a soft robotic lens that responds to eye movements.




ust

This robotic hand learned to solve a Rubik’s Cube on its own — just like a human.

The goal, researchers say, was to create a robot that learns the way humans do — through trial and error. Eventually, those robots could be used to complete tasks — in a warehouse or perhaps on the surface of a new planet — with more autonomy.




ust

The future of autonomous delivery may be unfolding in an unlikely place: Suburban Houston

For months now, Nuro’s robotically piloted vehicles have been quietly delivering groceries to restaurants and homes around Houston, the vehicles’ sensors mapping the city as they go.




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Banking that electric cars can also be cool, Ford introduces an all-electric Mustang

Ford Motor has unveiled the Mustang Mach-E, an all-electric sport utility vehicle that the company claims will have a range of at least 230 miles.




ust

Walmart teams with Nuro’s robot cars to deliver groceries in Houston

Walmart, the nation's largest employer, announced a partnership with Nuro, a Silicon Valley startup called this week. The two companies will begin delivering groceries to customers in Houston this year using autonomous vehicles.




ust

Fantasy Football start/sit tips Week 14: Trust Kirk Cousins over Andrew Luck, Cam Newton

Cousins's next opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, has been kind to fantasy quarterbacks of late, surrendering at least 21 fantasy points in each of the last four contests.




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NFL Week 15 ATS picks: Don’t trust the 49ers in divisional games

The 49ers are 1-9 straight up in their last 10 divisional games.




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Fantasy Football start/sit tips Week 16: Bench Tom Brady. We know, but just do it.

The Patriots quarterback has been sensational for years, but with everything on the line for your fantasy season in Week 16, he's a liability.




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COVID-19 has ravaged ride-hailing companies, but an industry watcher says the crisis could make Uber stronger (UBER)

  • While ride-hailing has suffered from the impact of COVID-19, Uber is in a good position to survive the crisis, three analysts who cover the company told Business Insider.
  • Uber is in no danger of running of out money anytime soon, said Mark Mahaney, a managing director at RBC Capital Markets.
  • And a series of cost-cutting moves should make the company profitable by next year, said Dan Ives, a managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities.
  • Uber's food-delivery service, Uber Eats, gives the company an advantage over ride-hailing competitors, since it allows homebound consumers to keep using its app, said Tom White, a senior research analyst at DA Davidson.
  • Are you a current or former Uber employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The ride-hailing industry has taken a major hit from COVID-19 as potential customers remain confined to their homes, but Uber is in a good position to survive the crisis, three analysts who cover the company said.

"Their business model will be intact on the other side of this," said Dan Ives, a managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities.

A strong cash reserve will help. After ending the first quarter with $9 billion in cash and short-term investments, Uber has the resources to survive a scenario in which the prevalence of COVID-19 and its effect on consumer behavior last for the next two years, said Mark Mahaney, a managing director at RBC Capital Markets.

On Thursday, Uber disclosed its first-quarter financial results, reporting an adjusted loss of $2.9 billion on revenue of $3.5 billion during the first three months of this year. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on a call with analysts that the ride-hailing company would cut $1 billion in fixed costs. The company has recently removed its food-delivery service — Uber Eats — from eight unprofitable markets, folded its electric bike and scooter business into Lime (Uber recently led a $170 million investment round in the company), and announced it will lay off about 14% of its workforce.

Those moves should help Uber become profitable in 2021 (the company predicted in February that it would turn a profit by the end of this year), Ives said. Uber's management, which had struggled in the wake of the company's 2019 IPO, has performed well in the current crisis by being transparent with investors and quickly moving to reduce expenses, Ives said. Investors signaled their approval of the company's strategy by sending shares up as much as 8% in after-hours trading on Thursday.

Uber Eats was one of the highlights of the company's first-quarter results, said Tom White, a senior research analyst at DA Davidson, as gross bookings grew 52% from the first quarter of 2019 to $4.7 billion. Eats gives Uber an advantage over ride-hailing competitors that don't have a similar service, as it allows the company to keep homebound consumers using its app, White said. Even after the toll of COVID-19 begins to subside, demand for online food delivery could see continued growth, he added.

But there are still challenges ahead for Uber. The company said rides fell by as much as 80% in April, and Ives projects that 30% of the customers for gig-economy companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Lyft won't use a ride-hailing service until there's a vaccine for COVID-19. Yet the pandemic could leave Uber better off in the long run, White said.

"I saw and heard enough [during Uber's first-quarter earnings call] that makes it harder and harder for me to think that these guys don't emerge from this pandemic probably in a stronger competitive position and a healthier and leaner operating position," he said.

Are you a current or former Uber employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's theater of the absurd is a sign of the times for tech

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Pikes Peak is the most dangerous racetrack in America




ust

A blockbuster Facebook office deal is a make-or-break moment for the future of commercial real estate. 3 leasing experts lay out the stakes.

  • Facebook has been in negotiations for months to lease over 700,000 square feet at the Farley Building on Manhattan's West Side. 
  • Office leasing activity in the city has plummeted, giving the blockbuster deal even more importance as a sign of life in a suddenly lethargic market.
  • The coronavirus has spurred a deep downturn in the economy that is already being felt in the city's commercial real-estate market, prompting a big slowdown in leasing activity.  
  • The rapid expansion of tech in recent years has propelled the city's office market. Real estate execs say that Facebook's big deal is a key barometer. 
  • The crisis also raises questions whether tenants will ever occupy office space the same way as companies and their workforces around the world grow familiar with remote work. 
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Leasing activity in New York City's multi-billion-dollar commercial office market has dropped precipitously as the coronavirus has battered the market and raised questions of when — and even if — tenants can return to the workplace in a post-Covid world.

Amid the growing concerns the crisis will smother what had been robust demand for office space, eyes in the city's real estate industry have turned to a pending blockbuster deal on the West Side that could offer a signal of confidence to the market.

Facebook is in talks to take over 700,000 square feet of space in the Farley Building, a block-long property across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station.

"If that deal happens, then this market will be just fine," said Peter Riguardi, the New York area chairman and president of JLL. "If the deal happens but it's renegotiated, it will be fine, but it will be a trend that every tenant can follow. And if it doesn't happen, I would be very concerned about the market."

Read More: Inside the drama over control of the iconic Chrysler Building: A real-estate tycoon and a prestigious college are renegotiating a critical $150 million deal.

Facebook's NYC real-estate footprint

Last year, Facebook signed on for 1.5 million square feet in the Hudson Yards mega-development just west of the Farley Building, taking space in three new office towers at the project.

For months the $600 billion Silicon Valley-based social media giant has been in negotiations for even more space at the nearby Farley Building, whose interior landlord Vornado Realty Trust is redeveloping to include newly built office and retail space.

Vornado had originally expected to complete the deal with Facebook in early March, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The talks have continued on as the virus pandemic has brought commerce and social life to a virtual halt. The source expected the lease, which will commit Facebook to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in rent for the space over the life of the lease, to soon be completed.

In a conference call with investors and analysts on Tuesday to discuss Vornado's first-quarter earnings, the company's CEO Steve Roth also hinted that the Facebook deal was still on track.

"There's another large tenant that has been rumored to be that we've been in dialogue with," Roth said, not directly naming the company. "That conversation is going forward aggressively and hopefully maybe even almost complete."

Rapid growth in Big Tech leasing before coronavirus

Recent real-estate decisions by Facebook and other tech companies have worried real-estate executives that they may reconsider their footprint after years of dramatic growth. Facebook on Thursday revealed that the bulk of its over 40,000-person workforce will be asked to work remotely for the remainder of the year, a timeline that appears to show the company is using caution in returning to its footprint.

Read More: Neiman Marcus just filed for bankruptcy, and it could mark a major blow to NYC's glitzy Hudson Yards — one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history. Here's why.

Real-estate executives have expressed concern that tenants may become accustomed to offloading a portion or even the bulk of their workforce to a remote-working model, leading them to drastically reduce their office commitments.

At a minimum, the economic upheaval has appeared to spur a newfound sense of caution in tech companies that have grown rapidly in recent years. Alphabet called off negotiations to expand its San Francisco offices by over 2 million square feet in recent weeks, according to a report from The Information.  

Tech has been a big driver of demand for office space

In recent years the tech industry had become one of the most voracious takers of space in the city, helping to push up commercial rents and spur the construction of new office space.

In 2019, tech firms accounted for 24.5% of the 31.6 million square feet of leasing activity in Manhattan, eclipsing the financial industry as the city's biggest space-taking sector for the first time, according to data from the real estate services and brokerage firm CBRE.

In 2010 tech leasing comprised just 4% of the 24.2 million square feet that was leased in the Manhattan market that year, CBRE said.

"Nothing has buoyed the confidence of landlords more in recent years than tech tenants," said Sacha Zarba, a leasing executive at CBRE who specializes in working with tech firms. "It didn't matter where your building was. If it was attractive to tech, you would stand a good chance to lease your space. If that industry retrenches a bit, it removes a big driver of demand."

The Manhattan office market has slowed rapidly in recent weeks as the virus crisis has battered the economy and shut down daily life.

About 844,000 square feet of space was leased in Manhattan in April, according to CBRE, 64% lower than the five-year monthly average. In the first four months of the year, nearly seven million square feet was leased, a decline of 30% for the same period a year ago. 

So far, however, there are signs that tech continues to snap up space.

After scuttling plans to develop a 25,000 person second headquarters space in Long Island City last year, Amazon purchased 424 Fifth Avenue, a former flagship department store for Lord & Taylor, for nearly $1 billion in March. That property totals about 660,000 square feet. Late last year, before the pandemic hit U.S. shores but had flared in China, Amazon also leased 335,000 square feet at 410 Tenth Avenue.

The commitments of major tech companies absorb millions of square feet in the city, but they also help fuel a larger ecosystem of tenants that occupies an even larger footprint. That means that a decrease in the real estate of just a few big tech players could be multiplied across the market as smaller players in the sector follow suit.

"Those big tech firms do a fantastic job of training and credentialing tech talent on the city," said Matt Harrigan, a co-founder of Company, a space incubator at 335 Madison Avenue that provides offices and community for both startups and more established tech firms. "Google and Facebook spin off talent who start or join other tech ventures that take space. That's what's so important about having the large presence of those companies here."

Have a tip? Contact Daniel Geiger at dgeiger@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 352-2884, or Twitter DM at @dangeiger79. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: What to expect when you're back in the office: 7 real-estate experts break down what the transition will look like, and why the workplace may never be the same

SEE ALSO: Major tenants are delaying big leases in NYC as they re-think their office space needs for the post-coronavirus world

SEE ALSO: As WeWork and flex-space rivals stumble, 18 million square feet of space in NYC is at risk. Here's what that means for the real-estate market.

SEE ALSO: BI Prime Edit in Viking Neiman Marcus just filed for bankruptcy, and it could mark a major blow to NYC's glitzy Hudson Yards — one of the most expensive mega-malls in US history. Here's why.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button




ust

Trumps announce second state dinner, which will honor Australia

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host the event in September.




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Full transcript: The toasts of President Trump and Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the state dinner for Australia

The dinner was the second for the Trump administration.




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Jason Momoa and Jaden Smith are serious about clean water. Just ask Chris Pratt.

When it comes to getting schooled on plastic water bottles, look no further than Aquaman.




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Saga Cruises Spirit of Discovery Ship : 8 Must-Knows And A Key Watch-Out

Saga Cruises launched Spirit of Discovery in July 2019, the first of two sister cruise ships (Spirit of Adventure in 2020). These are the first new-build ships for cruising ever for Saga, why had previously bought and refurbished existing cruise ships. The Spirit of Discovery holds 999 passengers and in this I discuss the 8 things that I think are best about the ship, and show and explain why. I also talk about one major watch-out and issue that could stop you from cruising.

Note: I travelled as a guest of the cruise line on a pre-naming cruise before making this video. Saga Cruises had no input in the video and content.

** Subscribe to my channel: http://bit.ly/TFT_YouTube2
** Buy one of my unique Cruise T-shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore
** Get great cruise deals via CRUISEDIRECT.COM: http://bit.ly/TFTBookCruise

Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers aims to help you make more of your precious travel time and money on land and when cruising the oceans or rivers of the world. To help you, in every video I draw on my first-hand tips and advice from travelling every month for over 20 years and 60+ cruises.

Follow Tips For Travellers on:
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge




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Seabourn Cruises Must-Knows and Watch-Outs

What are the 4 Things You Really Need To Know Before Cruising with Seabourn Cruises? I explore the ultra-luxury Seabourn Cruise Line and discuss for essential things about them to help you decide if this is the best, or right, cruise line for your cruising vacation, including what Seabourn is, what they do better and the same as other ultra-luxury cruise lines, what your fare really gets (and does not get you) and who the line is best for.

Note: I travelled as a guest of the cruise line before making this video

** Buy my Cruise T-shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore
** USA cruisers get great cruise deals CRUISEDIRECT.COM: http://bit.ly/TFTBookCruise
** UK Cruisers get great cruise deals with CRUISE.CO.UK: http://bit.ly/BookCruiseUK

Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers aims to help you make more of your precious travel time and money on land and when cruising the oceans or rivers of the world. To help you, in every video I draw on my first-hand tips and advice from travelling every month for over 20 years and 60+ cruises.

Follow Tips For Travellers on:
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge

#




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The struggling iconic American industry you’re not thinking of

This sector has long been battered by forces beyond its control.




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We should be concerned about emails in 2020 — just not Hillary Clinton’s

Messages between a GOP strategist and a Census Bureau official make clear the politics and bias behind the proposed citizenship census question.




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For Trump and his cronies, draining the swamp means ousting experts

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The White House touts Trump’s deregulation. It’s actually been a bust.

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Democrats already have a popular, progressive agenda. They just need to amplify it.

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There’s no other way to explain Trump’s immigration policy. It’s just bigotry.

The administration has cracked down on all migrants, even those with the most to contribute.




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Trump’s Treasury secretary just admitted the tariff rationale is hogwash

Maybe it was the altitude at Davos.




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On health care, is Trump malicious or just incompetent? Yes.

New cuts are actually expansions, according to Mike Pence.




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Trump brings his industry back to the ’80s at last

Trump's own industry — leisure and hospitality — saw all its job gains since 1988 wiped out.




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oscon: Just 1 week left to take advantage of #OSCON early registration prices. Register by 6/6 to save http://t.co/E0JKpcj1Rp #opensource

oscon: Just 1 week left to take advantage of #OSCON early registration prices. Register by 6/6 to save http://t.co/E0JKpcj1Rp #opensource




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The Challenges and Opportunities for Automation in the Real Estate Industry

According to Ascend2, 71% of businesses use marketing automation. The benefits of marketing automation are significant across all industries, including real estate. Even better, marketing isn’t the only process that real estate agents can automate in their business.  Managing a real estate business can be time-consuming. Numerous, repetitive tasks can prevent agents from maximizing their […]

The post The Challenges and Opportunities for Automation in the Real Estate Industry appeared first on ReadWrite.




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How to Ensure Your Data is Providing Trustworthy Insights

For building owners and managers, data is the fuel behind their smart building operations. Leveraging the surplus of data that is readily available to them, owners and managers are making informed decisions for their facility that can create long-term performance enhancements and help them achieve goals such as improved efficiency and occupant comfort. Here is […]

The post How to Ensure Your Data is Providing Trustworthy Insights appeared first on ReadWrite.




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Why You Need to Consider IoT in Improving Customer Experience

Assuredly, IoT (Internet of Things) has the potential to improve customer experience. The rapid expansion of technology has impacted businesses in many ways. Besides, IoT enables data sharing, inventory management, security, and increased efficiency and productivity. But, what is IoT? Well, in simple words, IoT is the network of interconnected devices that embedded with sensors, software, […]

The post Why You Need to Consider IoT in Improving Customer Experience appeared first on ReadWrite.