CNN BUSINESS | Analysis: Bezos leaves behind a company that’s created value but has also triggered a national reckoning

(CNN Business) – In 1997, the year Amazon (AMZN) became a publicly traded company, CEO Jeff Bezos promised investors they would be in for a journey. Amazon would not chase short-term profits, he warned in a letter to shareholders. It would focus “relentlessly” on customers. It would act with urgency but prioritize long-term investments. And it would run a lean culture that minimized costs and cut waste.

A quarter-century later, Bezos’s approach has made Amazon a global behemoth that employs more than a million people and touches almost every aspect of modern life, a fact that’s become even more apparent during the pandemic.

Bezos, the world’s richest person until recently, has gone from selling books out of his garage to running a company that makes consumer electronics, produces award-winning films and TV shows, offers organic groceries and hosts some of the world’s biggest websites. His company’s ambitions include delivering packages to households using flying drones and spreading facial recognition technology to virtually every consumer’s front doorstep.  —read more— 

CNN BUSINESS | The Reddit forum that’s freaking out Wall Street briefly went dark, sparking yet another frenzy

(CNN Business) – The Reddit message board that’s breaking the internet by sending Wall Street into a frenzy was briefly taken private by its moderators on Wednesday, adding further confusion to a wild day.  —read more—  

CNN BUSINESS | You should update your iPhone right now
(CNN Business) – Apple is urging iPhone and iPad users to promptly update their operating systems to fix security bugs that may have already been exploited by hackers.  —read more—

CNN underscored | Build your programming skills with these e-courses, from Python to SwiftUI

(CNN) —  If you’ve ever considered programming as a skill beyond your reach, think again. Every software and website developer started somewhere — and there are plenty of ways to break into the language of your choice and build your skills.

The CNN Store hosts a wide range of courses with such goals in mind. From Python to JavaScript to SwiftUI, you can learn to code on your own time and develop apps, create websites and even hone your data-analysis savvy. These courses are packed with lessons, some of which focus on specific projects, while others teach the basics, but most mix in both approaches.

We tried out a number of courses for ourselves, and we’re sharing our hands-on experience below.

How these courses work

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CNN underscored | How to get a personal loan, and what to watch out for when you’re applying

(CNN) —  Even though 2021 may eventually see the end of the coronavirus pandemic thanks to vaccines, right now it continues to wreak havoc on the world and the US economy. And if you’re recently lost your income and are strapped for cash, or if you’re having trouble getting a handle on your debt, you might consider applying for a personal loan.

But what exactly is a personal loan? How does it differ from a mortgage or a credit card? Is now a good time to get a personal loan, and what’s the best way to go about it? CNN Underscored has the answers to all your questions about personal loans to help you decide if getting one is right for you.

What is a personal loan?

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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—