CNN BUSINESS | Watch out, PayPal. Square just launched its own bank

New York (CNN Business) – Square, the financial payments firm run by Jack Dorsey, launched an in-house bank that it says will allow it to “operate more nimbly” in an increasingly crowded fintech market.

The firm announced Monday that the bank has begun operations after completing the charter approval process with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions. It will operate as an independently governed subsidiary of Square Inc (SQ). Dorsey is also the CEO and co-founder of Twitter (TWTR).The Salt Lake City, Utah-based Square Financial Services will provide business loans and deposit products to sellers who use its card reader and other point-of-sale services.  —read more— 

CNN BUSINESS | Wendy’s went all in on breakfast. It’s paying off

New York (CNN Business) – People are eating at home more.  But Wendy’s (WEN) says they’re still showing up for breakfast.

The chain said Wednesday that sales at its US restaurants open at least a year grew 2% in 2020, thanks in large part to breakfast. CEO Todd Penegor said during an analyst call that in the last three months of the year the meal amounted for about 7% of the chain’s sales, and should rise to 10% by the end of 2022.

“We know that we are just scratching the surface of its potential,” he said.  –read more—

CNN | A former slave became Lt. Governor and died 4 years later

Support for freed slaves was so strong after the Civil War we saw Black Representatives and even Lieutenant Governors taking office in the 1860s.  –read more—

CNN BUSINESS | Inside the complicated business of disguising 5G equipment

A 4G and 5G capable cactus is installed in the Scottsdale, Arizona, area.

(CNN Business) – For years, artificial cacti have lined the sandy roadsides of North Scottsdale, Arizona. They look real at first glance but tucked inside are antennas and radio equipment that provide 4G LTE wireless connectivity to the area. Large concealment structures like this, which in this case are about 24 feet tall, have become so good it’s sometimes hard to tell the real cacti from the fakes.

Across the United States, clunky 4G cell towers are often “disguised” with regionally-prominent foliage. Evergreens are attached to sites in the Northeast. In the South, they’re decorated to look like palm trees. And then there’s the cacti out West. In some cases, the equipment is tucked into existing church bell towers, town square signs and on the side of historic landmarks. On farmland, 4G-enabled water towers are set up as props to give the impression they’re part of the landscape.  –read more—

CNN BUSINESS | Dollar Tree will open 600 stores this year

New York (CNN Business) – Dollar Tree said Wednesday that it will open 600 new stores this year, continuing dollar store chains’ torrid growth across the United States.

The announcement comes as the pandemic has taken a toll on many retailers and forced thousands of stores to close. But dollar stores have surged as economically-strapped customers seek out bargains on food, household essentials and other items. Dollar Tree (DLTR) said Wednesday that sales at stores open for at least one year increased 4.9% during the 13 weeks ending Jan. 30, compared with the same stretch a year ago.

The company, which also owns the Family Dollar chain, will open 400 Dollar Tree stores and 200 Family Dollar stores this year. The two chains combined have nearly 15,700 US locations and last year opened around 400 stores.  —read more—

CNN BUSINESS | ‘Biggest trial of my life’: Landlord says eviction moratorium has drained her savings

CNN’s Natasha Chen looks at how the Covid-19 eviction moratorium has affected small-scale investors and landlords who have unpaid mortgages to face as tenants are unable to pay their rent.  –watch—

CNN SPACE + SCIENCE | High-definition video offers the clearest look yet at the perspective of an astronaut outside of the space station

(CNN) – It was a nice day for a spacewalk.

Astronauts Kate Rubins and Victor Glover Jr. began their spacewalk outside of the International Space Station at 6:12 a.m. ET and ended at 1:16 p.m. on Sunday.

The spacewalk assisted with a continuation of upgrades for the space station orbiting Earth. The activity lasted for seven hours and four minutes.

High definition video streamed live from Rubins’ helmet camera for the first time, providing the clearest look yet at the perspective of an astronaut as they work outside of the space station. Previously, the helmet camera only provided standard definition video.  —read more—