CDC to reverse indoor mask policy to recommend them for fully vaccinated people in Covid hot spots at CNBC. Read more   Amazon denies report claiming imminent acceptance of Bitcoin payments at The Verge. "The denial came after London-based financial paper City AM reported on a specific series of plans sourced from a company insider. According to City AM, Amazon is ready to accept Bitcoin as payment this year, followed by other popular cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, and even Amazon’s own “native token.” Instructions for the cryptocurrency initiative were said to be coming from Jeff Bezos himself..." Read more   [...]

  Jeff Bezos carries out inaugural space voyage at Reuters. "Bezos gave a thumbs-up sign from inside the capsule after landing on the desert floor before stepping out, wearing a cowboy hat and blue flight suit, and giving company employees high fives." Read more   US home construction jumps 6.3% in June at AP. "Home construction starts rose 12.6% in the West and 9.7% in the South, offsetting high single-digit declines in the Northeast and Midwest. Applications for building permits, which are used to forecast future activity, declined 5.1% in June to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.59 million units." [...]

  Robot collision at Ocado warehouse near London sparks fire, delaying customer orders at BBC. "The online grocer said the blaze started when three of the robots that help pick its groceries collided at the Erith site. About 800 staff had to be evacuated and firefighters worked through the night to contain the incident. It is the second fire involving robots at Ocado. Its Andover facility burned down in 2019 after an electrical fault." Read more   After concerns from Amazon, Apple removes product review analyzer Fakespot from App Store at The Verge. "Amazon also tells us that Fakespot injects [...]

  Supermarkets are stockpiling inventory as food costs rise at Fox Business. "Some supermarkets said they are buying and storing supplies to keep their shelves full amid stronger demand...The move is a reversal from last year when consumers hoarded groceries because of concerns about food availability..." Read more   Target, Walgreens close early due to thefts in California stores at Fox 5 NY. "Target stores in San Francisco are now closing early, moving from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a Financial District store closing as early as 5 p.m. on Saturday...Target spokesperson: "For more than a month, we’ve been [...]

  Walgreens Q3 US overall comp sales +6.4% / Pharmacy +8.4% / Retail +1.7% Press release   ...Walgreens raises forecast as it looks to accelerate growth under new CEO at CNBC. "The drugstore chain said it now anticipates about 10% growth in adjusted earnings per share for the year, due to its rebounding sales and the boost it has gotten from Covid-19 shots. It had previously forecast growth in the mid-to-high single digits." Read more   Tropical Storm Elsa shatters record, eyes US at AccuWeather. "AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned that Elsa could strengthen quickly into a hurricane as it approaches [...]