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Mastercard is bringing bitcoin to the checkout counter. The company announced late Wednesday that it will support “select cryptocurrencies” directly on its network at some point later this year. “Our philosophy on cryptocurrencies is straightforward: It’s about choice,” Raj Dhamodharan, an executive vice president at Mastercard, wrote in a post late Wednesday. “Mastercard isn’t here

Whitney Wolfe Herd isn’t based in Silicon Valley. She doesn’t have a STEM degree and she didn’t raise billions in venture capital. But Wolfe Herd’s company, Bumble, is set to have one of the most high-profile technology IPOs of the year so far, in what will be a milestone moment not just for her business

America’s unemployment crisis shows no signs of letting up. Another 793,000 American workers filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Department of Labor. Jobless claims continue to be stubbornly high: It was a small decrease from the previous week’s claims, which were revised higher. But it was

Royal Dutch Shell said its oil production and carbon emissions have peaked as it detailed plans to gradually wean itself off fossil fuels. Climate activists said it hadn’t gone far enough. The Anglo-Dutch company said in a statement on Thursday that it expects its oil production to decline by between 1% and 2% each year

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN Business’ Nightcap newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free, here. Tonight: Kap joins the SPAC craze; Uber’s staggering loss is still actually pretty good news; and don’t forget your spare quarters — Aldi’s going all in on America. Let’s get into

New variants of Covid-19 sweeping the world aren’t just throwing a wrench in government vaccination plans and efforts to stay ahead of the pandemic. They’re also complicating the economic recovery, as leaders acknowledge they can’t commit to easing restrictions later this year without a clearer picture of where infections are headed. What’s happening: German Chancellor

Larry Flynt, the “Hustler” magazine founder and outspoken First Amendment activist who built an adult entertainment empire, died Wednesday at his Hollywood Hills home, his nephew, Jimmy Flynt Jr., tells CNN. He was 78. His exact cause of death was not disclosed, but Flynt Jr. said his uncle had been in frail health for much

The New York Times is familiar with breaking some of the biggest stories related to culture, race, and gender. But events over the past several weeks reveal that the nation’s paper of record is largely divided when it discovers such issues sitting in its own backyard. The announcement Friday of the departure of two high-profile

Uber lost a staggering $6.8 billion last year — and that’s actually good news. The full-year loss, which Uber reported along with its fourth quarter results on Wednesday, represented a significant drop from the $8.5 billion it lost in 2019. During the year, Uber sold off costly ventures, cut staff and focused on what its

Target is offering an incentive beyond cash to encourage its workers to get a Covid-19 vaccine: a free ride. The chain on Wednesday said it will give its more than 350,000 hourly employees up to four hours of pay — two hours for each dose they receive– and free Lyft rides of up to $15

India’s efforts to crack down on dissent have left Twitter with an impossible balancing act: protecting free speech, or risking its employees and business in one of the company’s most vital markets. The company said in a blog post Wednesday that it was “served with several separate blocking orders” by the Indian government against hundreds

Have you ever been stared down by a group of 6-year olds, all waiting for you to tell them what they should be doing? I have and it’s terrifying. This is the confession of a youth soccer (assistant) coach. I never played soccer as a kid or a young adult. Didn’t watch it much either.

Heineken is cutting 8,000 jobs and trying to “move beyond beer” after the pandemic hammered sales. The brewer of Moretti and Amstel said in an earnings statement on Wednesday that it will slash almost 10% of its global workforce and seek savings of €2 billion ($2.4 billion) over two years as part of an overhaul

McDonald’s has heard the complaints and is bringing back the fan-favorite Hi-C Orange drink after a nearly four-year absence from soda fountains. The orange-colored beverage will begin reappearing in select US restaurants this month and will be available nationwide by June. McDonald’s said in a release that its return was prompted by boisterous fans on