Small and medium-sized US companies suffered a wipeout in profits in the second quarter amid the Covid-19 crisis, Lyft reported a 61 per cent drop in revenue in the same quarter but says it is seeing signs of a recovery, and Cisco warned of an even bigger drop-off in sales than it has experienced so far during the crisis. Plus, the FT’s Gavin Jackson reports on the UK’s latest GDP data. Then, we look back at the life of media mogul Sumner Redstone.Lyft clings to signs of recovery after pandemic dents revenuehttps://www.ft.com/content/938ea146-2699-4c2d-8511-e634d2d003f8?edit=trueCisco sales warning raises spectre of broad IT spending declinehttps://www.ft.com/content/f737c60e-d632-4eda-9e41-b181c3b5ca04?Coronavirus makes for a brutal quarter for smaller US companieshttps://www.ft.com/content/83d0c41f-be54-48e3-89fe-e78cda5f319cUK economy suffers worst slump in Europe in second quarterhttps://www.ft.com/content/c8b172e2-8f70-4118-9e81-423e9a4b6839Sumner Redstone, media mogul, 1923-2020https://www.ft.com/content/2414b9e4-5ef3-4e46-a760-9592f162e914 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democrat Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate, an Eastman Kodak board member donated $116m in company shares to an Orthodox Jewish congregation just before the stock price collapsed, and McDonald’s is suing its former chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, over sexual conduct allegations. Plus, Russia has become the first country to grant regulatory approval to a vaccine against Covid-19. The FT’s Henry Foy explains what this means for the global race to treat coronavirus. Joe Biden names Kamala Harris as his running matehttps://www.ft.com/content/6b975742-3200-4a5c-902c-e6303f55da03McDonald’s gets tough with former chief over fresh sexual conduct claimshttps://www.ft.com/content/99718ee2-152f-4749-b8d7-db8065a20a39Kodak board member donated $116m in shares to charityhttps://www.ft.com/content/6e7494c4-56cd-4121-8027-ecfc9586958cRussia to start mass use of its Covid-19 vaccine in coming weekshttps://www.ft.com/content/219b973f-c50a-4071-994f-cc4592d43e1b Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A judge in California has ordered Uber and Lyft to reclassify their drivers as employees, and the Federal Reserve has turned down Goldman Sachs’ request for less onerous treatment after the results of its annual stress test. Plus, the FT’s Richard Milne explains why any labelling of Sweden’s approach to coronavirus might be an oversimplification. Uber and Lyft told to treat drivers as employees in Californiahttps://www.ft.com/content/051a319c-e599-4975-90ea-40211b6a1417Fed denies Goldman’s appeal against stress test resultshttps://www.ft.com/content/ba208f8d-a388-4fe5-a01b-2cb030bb9a03Sweden’s pandemic no longer stands outhttps://www.ft.com/content/7acfc5b8-d96f-455b-9f36-b70dc850428f? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A series of blockbuster deals has led a resurgence in M&A activity since the start of July, and international donors agreed to fund €250m in emergency aid for Beirut after a chemical explosion devastated Lebanon’s capital. Plus, the FT’s US sports business correspondent, Sara Germano, explains why a group of employees at Nike have asked management to publicly acknowledge the company’s own internal shortcomings on equality before promoting the ideal to consumers. Megadeals lead M&A revival as big companies bulk upft.com/content/59378fea-79a9-4684-ae03-a41798a6245c?Future of Lebanon and entire region at stake, warns Macronhttps://www.ft.com/content/c44ff8e3-1715-499f-8d0e-6774a3d6b8aaBlack employees at Nike object to company’s new adhttps://www.ft.com/content/e8b4a2e3-e0cf-467a-890b-b64db664778a Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A surge in Uber’s food delivery business was unable to offset a 75 per cent drop in global ride-sharing, Quicken Loans stock jumped 20 per cent in its first day of trading on Thursday, and an FT analysis of data made public by  the Trump administration makes it difficult to discern whether the US Paycheck Protection Program was effective at saving jobs. Plus, the FT’s deputy Beijing bureau chief, Yuan Yang, explains why Microsoft’s position in China might give it an advantage in its takeover talks for TikTok. Appetite for Uber Eats fails to offset ride-sharing collapsehttps://www.ft.com/content/0f0cd5f1-f88d-44e1-8b6a-7b50e48118aaQuicken Loans IPO: mortgage pioneer cashes in a big winhttps://www.ft.com/content/4f7e583a-3327-42fd-80cc-81bde2339a9bHow many jobs were saved by the US small business bailout?https://www.ft.com/content/fd288b21-3391-4881-95a3-6b860c007ec0TikTok deal tests Microsoft’s decades of China experiencehttps://www.ft.com/content/b02d5324-07e6-48ac-b658-b8c400d9b4fc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US lawmakers have launched an investigation into a $765m loan by the US government to Eastman Kodak, and two companies, Zynga and Etsy, reported strong quarterly earnings amid the pandemic. Plus, the FT’s Washington correspondent, Lauren Fedor, has some updates on how the campaign of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is doing. House Democrats probe $765m government loan to Kodakft.com/content/e4ab02ba-f8f7-4ca9-b881-9400ee612e18?Zynga earnings boosted by lockdown gaming habitshttps://www.ft.com/content/dfee19e3-1084-4d53-b522-99b6595281e7?Joe Biden aims to outspend Donald Trump on TV ads ahead of US electionhttps://www.ft.com/content/012896c0-71ee-4081-a3a5-8b1ca864b214 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dozens are dead and thousands injured after an explosion rocked Beirut, an income hit at Disney’s theme park has caused a knock on the company’s profits in the latest quarter, and an exchange traded fund holds more gold than some central banks. Plus, the FT’s Tabby Kinder explains why the UK tax authority, HM Revenue & Customs, is going after General Electric on fraud allegations.Beirut rocked by massive explosionhttps://www.ft.com/content/efb1426f-a80f-4b38-99c1-67a7a0823c4aETF becomes one of world’s biggest gold owners as investors flock inft.com/content/5316a714-6aa9-4919-ab29-96fab47cf2d4Disney plans a digital debut for ‘Mulan’https://www.ft.com/content/e39b07a9-edde-4dd3-9356-31bb11cd39e2Why the UK tax authority is accusing General Electric of a $1bn fraud https://www.ft.com/content/02a6fa1b-8b62-4e1e-9100-fe620c8ec96c Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump reversed course and dropped his opposition to Microsoft’s bid for TikTok, two leading candidates to head the World Trade Organization say US legal criticisms over dispute resolution are valid, and foreign aid groups combatting the coronavirus pandemic in North Korea have been forced to borrow money from its government. Plus, the FT's senior energy correspondent, Anjli Raval, tells us how oil companies are surviving the pandemic shock. Register for the Energy Source talk, “Profit and Power in the Energy Industry” https://live.ft.com/Events/2020/Profit-and-Power-in-the-Energy-Industry?segmentId=b52e1504-1d03-48a4-76bc-38fb50ada64b&utm_us=JJYAAPTrump drops opposition to Microsoft bid for TikTokhttp://ft.com/content/a1162b60-977d-400c-9758-edc4aa006f72?Leading WTO candidates back US bid for dispute system reforms  ft.com/content/f4830e2b-df7b-474a-8104-6336992ca193Aid groups borrow money from N. Korea in coronavirus fightft.com/content/057ec3d5-77ba-4db3-a1cc-1b2e60617094?edit=trueShell and Total escape underlying losses on strong oil tradinghttps://www.ft.com/content/5df3596c-6b42-4270-85c4-c10834e80975 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration has vowed to “take action” against Chinese software companies that it perceives as a risk to security. Plus, William Spriggs, a professor of economics at Howard University and chief economist of the AFL-CIO, explains how the pandemic is changing the US labour market. US to widen action against Chinese tech groups beyond TikTokhttps://www.ft.com/content/2eb1859f-ea08-4c7e-9bdd-a6712389a389The Rachman Review: US economist William Spriggs on scars of the pandemichttps://www.ft.com/content/f80f8629-a84f-4ed8-abc2-bcf12cc92095 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Facebook, Amazon, and Apple all reported stellar revenue increases in the latest quarter. The FT’s Richard Waters will explain what that means in the context of Wednesday’s US congressional big tech antitrust hearings. Then, FT US markets reporter Colby Smith will explain investor reaction to the worst contraction in the US economy in postwar history. Plus, corporate America is still clinging on to share buybacks despite the global recession.  Register for the Energy Source talk, “Profit and Power in the Energy Industry” https://live.ft.com/Events/2020/Profit-and-Power-in-the-Energy-Industry?segmentId=b52e1504-1d03-48a4-76bc-38fb50ada64b&utm_us=JJYAAPApple revenues defy expectations despite store closureshttps://www.ft.com/content/20d1ef26-2bf4-4900-85b2-08ef7c6d1ae1US economy suffers sharpest postwar contraction in second quarterhttps://www.ft.com/content/3ff15dc7-be90-4676-8121-5a868016c4bbUS companies cling to share buybacks despite collapse in profitsft.com/content/1c924be0-5bc0-4eba-a088-b98b13080c04? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.