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One Giant Leap for Womankind |
Albert's Leap, as we all know, is a major cheese manufacturer in Canada, which produces eight cheeses, from a brie to a bleu. A "giant leap," meanwhile, is what Neil Armstrong famously said he had made when he hopped across Stanley Kubrick's soundstage the moon's surface back in 1969. In all seriousness, claims that the moon landings are fake are misinformation and have been debunked. Misinformation is more dangerous than ever and just because you can't believe what's in the news, sometimes, doesn't mean it isn't important to remember that there are, in fact, facts, and that they have weight and value. Thanks for reading the cheddlines and keeping up with the news! Also, Katy Perry and Gayle King are literally going to Christopher Nolan's soundstage space. I can hardly believe it either. |
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Not my Skype! |
—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor |
P.S. Watch that heated White House exchange on our 'gram! |
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Quote of the Day |
| ❝ | | | We were really looking to create a culture club where there would be visual art represented, spoken word stuff, that the music would be really far reaching and really omnivorous. | | | | — David Handler |
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Should You Check Your 401(k) Today? |
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Don't worry, this isn't a story about Elon Musk shipping his least favorite celebrities to a new life in the off-world colonies. Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, has declared its next crew bound for the stars, and it's making history with an all-female crew and passengers, including pop icon Katy Perry and esteemed journalist Gayle King! |
Scheduled for this spring, the 11-minute suborbital journey marks Blue Origin's 11th manned flight but the first to carry a crew composed entirely of women since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo mission in 1963. Lauren Sánchez, a journalist and, coincidentally, Bezos's's's fiancéeée, played a pivotal role in selecting the crew, which she'll also be joining. Alongside Perry and King, it includes scientist Amanda Nguyen, entrepreneur Aisha Bowe, and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn. |
Just weeks before the announcement, Blue Origin laid off 10% of its workforce. CEO Dave Limp cited the need for restructuring due to unsustainably rapid growth. This flight, then, might serve as a critical moment for Blue Origin to showcase not only its capabilities but also its resilience and continued commitment to space exploration. |
William Shatner flew into space on the same Blue Origin rocket back in 2021. I feel like this is pertinent in so many ways, I just can't quite figure out what they are. Still, I'm going to leave it in here because the journey filled William Shatner with what he called "overwhelming sadness." |
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Trump admin drops lawsuits against banks |
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The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau last week dismissed a series of enforcement lawsuits against several major companies, including Capital One, Rocket Homes, and Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, shortly after the bureau fell under new leadership amid a flurry of controversy and directives from the Trump administration. |
The lawsuits, initially filed under the tenure of the previous CFPB director, Rohit Chopra, targeted allegations ranging from misleading practices in high-interest savings accounts by Capital One to accusations of kickback schemes by Rocket Homes and predatory loan practices by Vanderbilt Mortgage. These actions represented a significant part of the CFPB's effort to clamp down on what it viewed as "unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices harming consumers." |
However, with the firing of Chopra and the White House ordering a near-complete halt to the CFPB's activities—coupled with a physical closure of the agency's headquarters and a mass firing of its staff—the future of consumer protection efforts by the bureau has been cast into, let's say, uncertain territory. |
The legal dismissals include a notable declaration that the actions are dismissed "with prejudice," meaning they cannot be brought again. This finality in the dismissals could signal an intention to not only step away from these particular cases but perhaps to also deter future regulatory actions against large financial and housing market players. |
Responding to the dismissal, Rocket Homes expressed relief and criticized the original suit as an "empty claim" motivated more by the previous director's desire for publicity than by substance. Similarly, Capital One welcomed the decision, having "strongly disputed" the CFPB's actions from the start. |
The bureau has been a pillar in the post-2008 financial crisis landscape, securing nearly $20 billion in financial relief for consumers. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has also shown signs of easing up on certain legal actions, particularly regarding cryptocurrency platforms. |
In related news, it's a great time to be a bank. |
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From @cheddar |
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Microsoft has announced the forthcoming shutdown of Skype, the iconic video-calling service it acquired in 2011 for a whopping $8.5 billion. This decision signals a significant shift in Microsoft's strategy, redirecting users and features to its universally loathed video-conferencing platform, Microsoft Teams. I use Skype to call my parents every Sunday and love it. I would rather cut off both of my arms than use Microsoft Teams to do it, and as a result, Microsoft is going to lose out on about $300 a year in revenue from Matt Davis. I am sure they are regretting the decision already. |
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Founded in 2003 by a group of engineers in Tallinn, Estonia, Skype revolutionized the way we connect. It became one of the first platforms to enable voice and video calls over the internet, moving beyond traditional landline-based communication. eBay's acquisition of the service in 2005 added video calls to its roster, broadening Skype's appeal and functionality. By the time Microsoft purchased Skype in 2011, it boasted around 170 million users worldwide. Steve Ballmer, then Microsoft's CEO, highlighted the platform's impact, noting, "The Skype brand has become a verb, nearly synonymous with video and voice communications." |
Skype's user-friendliness and innovative approach even caught the eye of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump's administration, which utilized the platform in 2017 to involve journalists located far from the White House in press briefings. Perhaps why Microsoft is getting rid of it now, since Trump is exerting more control over the things, and a Teams Meeting might be a better setting for that to happen? |
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This indie music venue is thriving against corporate giants |
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Here's a place where I guarantee they do their meetings on Zoom. In the vibrant heart of New York's Greenwich Village, where I happen to live, and where musical legends once graced historic stages, stands Le Poisson Rouge. |
The independent music venue has been a cornerstone of NYC's diverse musical landscape for over 15 years, hosting a spectrum of artists from Lady Gaga to Thom Yorke and fostering the careers of rising stars. In an era dominated by entertainment industry giants, LPR's ability to thrive as an independent venue shows its unique vision and unwavering commitment to musical diversity.
At the helm of LPR is co-founder David Handler, a classically trained musician whose vision for the venue stemmed from a desire to create a more inclusive and collaborative musical community. "In many ways, LPR is an expression of what I found missing in my education," Handler explains. He sought to bridge the gaps between different musical disciplines and foster an environment of creativity over competition.
Handler's journey to creating LPR was driven by a passion for music and a desire to offer a space where artistic expression could flourish. "I knew that I wanted a space that was large enough where we could host nationally and internationally touring artists, but not one that was so big where we couldn't take chances," he said. Serendipitously, he discovered the former home of the legendary Village Gate, a venue that held personal significance for him. "I was raised on the Nina Simone recording live at the Village Gate to find out that this was that location, which I didn't realize until I actually showed up that morning," he said.
"We were really looking to create a culture club where there would be visual art represented, spoken word stuff, that the music would be really far reaching and really omnivorous," Handler said. It means LPR isn't defined by a single genre. LPR's reputation has grown over the years, attracting both established and emerging artists.
Handler's message to New Yorkers and music lovers everywhere is a call to appreciate and support independent venues. "It's really easy to take for granted the experiences that make it worth living in New York," he said. |
Although not with the rent I'm paying, to be honest. I treasure every minute! |
Hey, here's a picture I took down the street on Wednesday night: |
 | Nobody's taking this kind of thing for granted, are they? |
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A woman is suspected in a string of vandalisms against a Colorado Tesla dealership that included Molotov cocktails thrown at vehicles, the words "Nazi cars" spray painted on the building, and a message that appeared to be directed against Tesla founder Elon Musk, according to court documents. |
Lucy Grace Nelson was arrested Monday in Loveland after police said she returned to the dealership there with "additional incendiary devices" and materials used in vandalism. Police are still investigating her alleged motive, department spokesperson Chris Padgett said. |
In related news, Tesla CEO Elon Musk performed what has been described as a "Nazi Salute" at President Trump's inauguration: |
 | René #FreePalestine 🟥🚩🇵🇸 @rcmoya84 |  |
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Elon Musk just did a Nazi salute at the Capitol One Arena in Washington | |  | | | 7:58 PM • Jan 20, 2025 | | | | | | 5.38K Likes 876 Retweets | 846 Replies |
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The company's stock has fallen by 26% since then, and the activist group "Everyone Hates Elon" has gone viral with a fake advertisement for a new Tesla "Swasticar" in East London, with the witty strapline "goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds." |
The Colorado case comes amid rising concerns voiced by Democrats and some Republicans about Musk's influence over the administration of President Donald Trump and follows recent protests at Tesla storerooms elsewhere in the U.S. |
I cannot condone violence. But I can always condone wit. The question is, what if the violence is in some way witty? Nope. Can't condone it. |
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