President Trump lashed out at the news media this morning on Twitter, calling "so much of our news" in the United States "just made up-FAKE!" But here are 3 stories that prove real news still matters:
The New York Times in a bombshell report exposed decades of sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein, one of Hollywood's most powerful producers. Eight women spoke on the record , including actress Ashley Judd. Weinstein issued an apology to the Times, promising "to do right by all of [the women he's hurt]" before later promising to sue the paper.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazettepublished text messages between Rep. Tim Murphy and his mistress, in which he pushed her to have an abortion during a pregnancy scare despite his public pro-life stance. Murphy announced yesterday that he wouldn't be seeking reelection in 2018 before changing his mind today and abruptly resigning, effective later this month.
Politico tracked the taxpayer-funded private jet travel of HHS Secretary Tom Price, forcing his resignation. Yesterday, the two reporters behind the Price stories published details of the airport stakeouts and meticulous reporting that underpinned their stories.
Netflix is raising the price on its most popular video plan from $10 a month to $11 a month, a change which could affect most of Netflix's 53 million U.S. subscribers. The plan in question allows users to stream simultaneously from multiple devices. Netflix is also charging more on its ultra-high definition video streaming, which is going up from $12 a month to $14 a month.
Why it's happening: Netflix is trying to foot the bill to subsidize increased programming costs, in part due to original programming in the pipeline (its first original programming only just kicked off in 2013 with "House of Cards"). It's expected to spend nearly $7 billion on programming this year alone to meet consumer demands, and costs may rise more for Netflix to stay competitive with other on-demand video platforms.
The growing popularity of online shopping has hit traditional retailers hard, culminating in a spate of retail bankruptcies and store closures in recent years. But according to a new analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the retail apocalypse has actually created nearly as many jobs as it has killed.
MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle said Thursday that she stands by the NBC News report that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called President Trump a "moron" and almost resigned. Addressing Trump directly — who tweeted earlier that the story is "Fake News" and sought "No verification from me" — Ruhle hit back on her show:
Sir, we didn't need to verify that he called you a moron, he did it behind your back.— Stephanie Ruhle, MSNBC.
WeWork may have recently sold its investors on a $20 billion valuation thanks in part to "energy and spirituality," but it's also developing actual tech that could enhance its office rental business. As part of a recent partnership with Mastercard, the company is testing payment technology that could make it easier for workers to pay for desks or conferences rooms by the minute, or for the snacks they purchase at the office.
Desk appeal: WeWork wants to use technology to make office life easier and more efficient. That's also why it's helping customers design their own offices, testing technology to track office traffic patterns, and developing office management tools.
"Amazon.com is flooding the zone at business-school recruiting events — drawing overflow crowds and irking other recruiters," writes Wall Street Journal's Kelsey Gee.
The takeaway: "Many big banks and consulting firms now want to know when Amazon is coming to campus so they can schedule their visits for a different day and avoid going head-to-head for an audience."
A growing number of consumers are embracing apps that mine their online saving and spending habits, and then recommend better financial decisions. Mint, Expensify, and Venmo are helping millions of users move money, invest, and plan their future.
But the picture is much bigger: The firms making these apps, part of the world known collectively as "fintech," collect, store and then sell their users' anonymized data, an industry previously controlled solely by traditional banks. Now, fintech firms and banks are locked in the opening salvos of a war for control of the consumer financial data, and the billions of dollars in fees that they earn.
President Trump has called on NBC News to "issue an apology to AMERICA," claiming that its report that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Trump a "moron" and considered resigning over the summer was "totally refuted":
Trump's claim: "The @NBCNews story has just been totally refuted by Sec. Tillerson and @VPPence. It is #FakeNews. They should issue an apology to AMERICA!"
