The Death Of The American Middle Class Has Brought Department Stores Down With It

Virtual slot machines are bringing a profitable piece of the casino industry within reach. While physical slot machines can cost $25,000 and serve only local players, Casinuu now offers virtual machines for $2,500 that reach gamblers worldwide. These virtual machines work just like their physical counterparts but pay higher returns – owners receive 30% of any profits compared to the standard 20% in traditional casinos. The machines live in Casinuu’s licensed 3D online casino, where players walk around, socialize, and choose their favorite games.

A woman in France has been duped out of €830,000 ($850,000) after falling for an AI scam where she believed she was in a relationship with Hollywood royalty Brad Pitt. It started after the 53-year-old woman, named Anne, downloaded Instagram in February 2023 and said she had been contacted by someone who claimed to be the actor’s mom. The account told Anne that her son “needed a woman just like her,” with someone claiming to be Brad Pitt then getting in touch the following day. Brad Pitt is not messaging fans for money, rep warns after French woman loses life savings in scam https://t.co/iterMAJdd7 via @EW — vision21s (@vision21siecle) January 15, 2025 While the interactions set off alarm bells for Anne, she said to French media: “but as someone who isn’t very used to social media, I didn’t really know what was happening to me.” In a YouTube video, Anne said she experienced repeated doubts. The faux-Brad Pitt said he had tried to send her luxury gifts, but was unable to pay the customs required as the bank accounts were frozen due to divorce proceedings with Angelina Jolie.

Tether, the issuer of the world’s top stablecoin, USDT, is moving to El Salvador, the world’s first country to declare Bitcoin (BTC) as its legal tender. Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino told Reuters that Tether will relocate to El Salvador after recently obtaining a license to operate as a digital asset service provider in the country.

Cameron Diaz is set to return to acting after a decadelong hiatus. Gerald Matzka/Getty Images for NetflixCameron Diaz says she spent her 10-year break from acting "trying to stay alive just like every other mother."But she's set to make a return to Hollywood in the Netflix movie "Back in Action."Diaz joins a long list of celebrities — like Tom Brady — who have unretired.

Ueslei Marcelino/BrazilChina is loading up on soybeans amid US trade war fears. China's soybean imports rose 6.5% in 2024, hedging against potential Trump trade policies. Intensifying US-China trade tensions could hit the soybean trade, impacting US farmers and rural economies. China is stockpiling more than semiconductor chips amid its trade war with the US.

LinkedIn is Microsoft's popular social-networking site for professional and career development. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesLinkedIn is a social network for professional networking and career development. Microsoft acquired LinkedIn nearly a decade ago for a whopping $26.2 billion in cash. LinkedIn is free, but a subscription version called LinkedIn Premium offers additional features.