Day: July 12, 2020

Money

The woman who wants to make kids better with money

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

The BBC’s weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world. This week we speak to Louise Hill, founder of GoHenry, a banking business that provides debit cards for children.

Standing on the touchline as her son played football, Louise Hill started moaning about how her kids’ spending habits were spiralling out of control.

At the time her son was eight and her daughter was 11. Louise was so frustrated by how much they were buying online that she would pin Apple invoices to the fridge door to help her kids understand why their £4 a week pocket money was now just 50p.

The two other parents she was chatting to back in 2009 had similar stories, so the conversation really struck a chord. And inspired the beginning of a business.

“One of the dads started talking about how his son had bought something on eBay, the

Personal

A 19-year-old went viral for redesigning Katy Perry’s new album cover and she offered to let him do the next one

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

Katy Perry performed her song "Daisies" at the "GMA" Summer Concert Series on May 22, 2020 on ABC. Perry's new album "Smile" is due out next month. — Katy Perry performed her song “Daisies” at the “GMA” Summer Concert Series on May 22, 2020 on ABC. Perry’s new album “Smile” is due out next month.

ABC News/Frame Grab via Getty Images

Peter, a 19-year-old who runs a Lady Gaga stan account known as “FAMEKILLED,” went viral for his whimsical redesign of the cover of Katy Perry’s forthcoming album, “Smile.”
His design elicited reactions from YouTube beauty guru James Charles, rapper Iggy Azalea, and Perry herself, who tweeted “calling you for next record.”
While Peter doesn’t think he’ll actually be called on to work on Perry’s next album cover, the self-taught designer said he wants to study graphic design and work with artists professionally.
“I’ve always loved making concepts and would love to become a creative director for artists,” he said, adding “because I think being a fan makes you know more of what the fans want and expect.”

Business

Dulux forced to limit paint purchases after rise in demand from lockdown renovations

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

Only tester pots can now be purchased online - Nitzan Assaf / EyeEm /Getty Images — Only tester pots can now be purchased online – Nitzan Assaf / EyeEm /Getty Images

Dulux has been forced to limit paint purchases after a surge in demand due to lockdown renovations.

The company introduced a strict limit on the number of items that can be bought after they were flooded with orders.

Only tester pots can now be purchased online – and there is even a strict limit on those.

A message on the Dulux website reads: “We are now taking new orders for testers only via this website, however to manage continued exceptional demand, we are limiting the number of orders taken each day.

“If our daily capacity has been reached you will see a message displayed when trying to add items to your shopping cart, and we ask you try again the next day.”

Last week the company had to suspend

Finance

Florida Breaks Record Daily Cases in U.S. Outbreak: Virus Update

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

(Bloomberg) —

Florida reported 15,300 new virus cases, the biggest one-day rise since the coronavirus pandemic began in the U.S. The number exceeds records from New York, California and Texas, all of which have reported daily counts at almost 12,000. Reported deaths in Florida dropped to 44, from 95 the day before.

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said “the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall,” despite rising cases around the country. Arizona reported a higher increase in fatalities, even as new cases declined.

South Africa may reintroduce tighter regulations on the movement of people and curb sales of alcohol as coronavirus infections soar, the Sunday Times reported. Hungary is also restricting travel after spikes in neighboring countries. Infections in Germany increased by 377. U.K. cases remained steady.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Cases top 12.7 million; deaths surpass 565,000Aversion to mask-wearing holds back U.S. economyU.K. set

Business

How Ocado went from understated British grocer to an $18.4 billion tech giant, as the coronavirus pandemic confirms the future of grocery shopping is online

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

"Bots" are seen on the grid (or "The Hive") of Ocado's "smart platform" in Andover, Britain, on May 1, 2018. — “Bots” are seen on the grid (or “The Hive”) of Ocado’s “smart platform” in Andover, Britain, on May 1, 2018.

REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

As grocery stores worldwide experienced stockpiling, long lines, and health worries amid the coronavirus pandemic, millions of people turned to shopping online.
It has been a goldrush for the British company Ocado, an online-only grocery marketplace that also operates technology for supermarket giants worldwide.
Ocado was the best performing stock on the FTSE 100 in the second quarter of 2020, and, in May, Ocado raised over $1 billion to grow its services.
It is now betting big on its US expansion, hoping to convert Americans to grocery shopping online.
Huge challenges remain, though. Many Americans are still reluctant to buy food they can’t see in person, and some fear the current online pandemic-driven boom could prove a one-off.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus pandemic

Finance

Florida Cases Hit Record; Push to Open Schools: Virus Update

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

(Bloomberg) —

Florida reported its highest-ever increase of Covid-19 cases, 15,300, or a 6% rise compared to a 4.8% average over the last week. Reported deaths dropped to 44, from 95 the day before.

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said “the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall,” despite rising cases around the country.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Cases top 12.7 million; deaths surpass 565,000Aversion to mask-wearing holds back U.S. economyU.K. set to tighten rules on wearing face masksWall Street forges a new relationship to data in coronavirus ageConflicting visions emerge for South Africa’s post-virus revivalAnonymity helped overcome stigma in Korean nightclub probe

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Money

Trump rips private Texas border wall built by his supporters

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

HOUSTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday criticized a privately built border wall in South Texas that’s showing signs of erosion months after going up, saying it was “only done to make me look bad,” even though the wall was built after a months-long campaign by his supporters.

The group that raised money online for the wall promoted itself as supporting Trump during a government shutdown that started in December 2018 because Congress wouldn’t fund Trump’s demands for a border wall. Called “We Build the Wall,” the group has raised more than $25 million promoting itself as supporting the president.

Former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon joined the group’s board and Trump ally Kris Kobach became its general counsel. Kobach is now seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Kansas.

The company that built the private section in January, North Dakota-based Fisher Industries, has since won a $1.3

Business

A 19-year-old aspiring astronaut is the only person who’s attended every NASA space camp. She’s already positioning herself for a mission to Mars.

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

Bert Carson

Alyssa Carson is part of a group of young people working to position themselves to be the first astronauts to go to Mars.
Carson, who is now 19, has attended every NASA space camp and was the youngest person to graduate from the Advanced Space Academy.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Alyssa Carson attended her first space camp at 5 years old. She graduated from the Advanced Space Academy program at 16, the youngest person ever to do so. Before the pandemic hit, the rising college sophomore had planned to spend her summer flying airplanes.

The eventual goal: fly to Mars.

Carson is one of a small group of young people who are already positioning themselves to be astronauts in the US’s next phase of space exploration. They are attending advanced preparation programs and building social media personas to put

Finance

Push to Reopen U.S. Schools; New York Cases Steady: Virus Update

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said “the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall,” despite rising cases around the country. New York reported 677 new cases, in line with daily rises in the last week, and five deaths.

Thailand plans to start human trials for a locally developed, potential Covid-19 vaccine as early as September, making it among the first done outside high-income countries, after encouraging results in monkeys and mice.

Personal

Virus spread, not politics should guide schools, doctors say

By Gertrude Aziz 2 months ago

As the Trump administration pushes full steam ahead to force schools to resume in-person education, public health experts warn that a one-size-fits-all reopening could drive infection and death rates even higher.

They’re urging a more cautious approach, which many local governments and school districts are already pursuing.

There are too many uncertainties and variables, they say, for back-to-school to be back-to-normal.

Where is the virus spreading rapidly? Do students live with aged grandparents? Do teachers have high-risk health conditions that would make online teaching safest? Do infected children easily spread COVID-19 to each other and to adults?

Regarding the latter, some evidence suggests they don’t, but a big government study aims to find better proof. Results won’t be available before the fall, and some schools are slated to reopen in just a few weeks.

“These are complicated issues. You can’t just charge straight ahead,” Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of