CNN BUSINESS | Mercedes’ new touchscreen system takes up the whole dashboard

(CNN) – Automakers have, for years, been offering larger and larger touchscreens in vehicle dashboards. Ram trucks, for instance, come with 12-inch screens, measured diagonally, while the new Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV has a screen that measures an impressive 15.5-inches.

Mercedes, however, has taken the trend to a whole new level.

Its new MBUX Hyperscreen covers almost the entire dashboard in front of the driver and passenger. It can’t even be measured diagonally because it isn’t a rectangle. It’s curved. Holes allow air vents to pass through. MBUX, which stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience, is Mercedes’ name for the touchscreen software in its cars.  —read more—

CNN BUSINESS | Amazon to invest $2 billion to build affordable housing in these three cities

(CNN) – Amazon is pledging to invest more than $2 billion over the next five years toward affordable housing in three cities where it has major operations.

The tech giant’s new Housing Equity Fund will invest in moderate- to low-income housing around Seattle, Nashville and Arlington, Virginia, where the company ultimately expects to have at least 5,000 employees each.

“This new $2 billion Housing Equity Fund will create or preserve 20,000 affordable homes in all three of our headquarters regions — Arlington, Puget Sound, and Nashville,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and CEO, in a statement. “It will also help local families achieve long-term stability while building strong, inclusive communities.”  —read more—

CNN BUSINESS | Democracy is under attack. And Wall Street is sounding the alarm

New York (CNN Business) – Business leaders, investors and economists are sounding the alarm about the state of democracy in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

The fear is that President Donald Trump’s efforts to sow doubt about the political system will harm the fragile recovery by causing social unrest, amplifying political division and paralyzing Washington when it needs to focus on rebuilding the economy from the worst pandemic in a century.

Longer term, the attacks on democracy could backfire by eroding confidence in the rule of law and cherished institutions that have made the United States the world’s strongest economy.  —read more—

CNN politics | Black Georgia voters’ high turnout helped solidify a historic win, organizers say

(CNN) – Black Georgia voters showed up in droves for the state’s pair of US Senate runoffs and voting rights groups say the high turnout plus aggressive organizing efforts helped solidify a historic win.

Rev. Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, was elected on Tuesday to be the first Black senator from Georgia, CNN projected early Wednesday morning. The control of the US Senate now comes down to Republican David Perdue, who is running to keep his seat against Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Warnock’s win is a repudiation of Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her adherence to President Donald Trump, who voting rights activists say has attempted to suppress Black voters by accusing majority-Black cities such as Atlanta of fraud in the general election after he lost to Biden.  —read more—

CNN | FDA issues pet food alert after 28 dogs are reported dead from toxin

(CNN) – The Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners about high levels of aflatoxin in some pet foods after 28 dogs reportedly died and eight others were sickened.

The food containing the toxin has been identified as certain Sportmix products manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods. The products were voluntarily recalled by the company on Wednesday.

The FDA and the Missouri Department of Agriculture are working with the manufacturer to determine whether more products contain high levels of the toxin. The FDA said the investigation is ongoing and the “scope of the recall may expand as new information becomes available.”  —read more—

CNN travel | What happened when two virtual strangers booked an Airbnb together

(CNN) — The prospect of finding true love during a global pandemic seems almost impossible, especially if you’re stuck in lockdown and hate dating apps.

But that didn’t stop life coach Kayla MacArthur from taking a chance and booking an Airbnb apartment in Tulum, Mexico with a virtual stranger.

The 31-year-old from Massachusetts had been feeling disillusioned about the prospect of meeting someone while many Americans were under instructions to stay at home, when a friend decided to step in and play matchmaker.

“I was ready for love but loathed the idea of swiping left and right on dating apps,” MacArthur tells CNN.

“I prefer to sense a person’s energy, but with all the restrictions due to Covid-19, part of me accepted that it was highly unlikely I’d meet the man of my dreams in 2020.”  —read more—