Top Stories

If you no longer wish to receive the latest, no-spin news updates from Centrist Chronicle, click here to unsubscribe

Google to pay $700 million and make tiny app store changes to settle with 50 states

Google has agreed to a $700 million settlement to resolve a 2021 lawsuit. This legal challenge was initiated by a group of state attorneys general, along with a multitude of consumers, who accused Google's app store of breaching antitrust regulations. This agreement is significant, as it is anticipated that over 70 million consumers will be eligible for direct compensation, subject to the final approval of the court. Notably, this settlement amount represents 7% of the original $10.5 billion demand made by the involved states.

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, is recognized for managing the most widely used search engine globally and for possessing the most profitable advertising platform. Additionally, Alphabet owns Android, the operating system found in more than 70% of the approximately 7 billion smartphones worldwide. Critics of Google have argued that the company's dominance in the smartphone market enables it to unfairly suppress rival payment systems and app stores on its devices. This practice, they claim, diminishes market competition and leads to increased expenses for both consumers and app developers. Google is also involved in a separate antitrust lawsuit, focused on internet search practices, which is expected to reach its conclusion in May.

This development follows closely on the heels of another antitrust victory, where Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, successfully won a lawsuit against Google. This win for Epic Games came after their previous defeat in a similar lawsuit against Apple's app store.

Read More

Blue Origin launches New Shepard rocket, aces landing in 1st return to flight since 2022 failure

Blue Origin has recommenced its launch operations following a 15-month pause. On Tuesday (Dec. 19), Blue Origin marked its return to spaceflight after a hiatus exceeding a year, successfully executing a mission. This endeavor, which did not have any crew on board, was primarily dedicated to carrying NASA's scientific experiments into space.

The launch of Blue Origin's New Shepard, a suborbital spacecraft, occurred at the company's facility in West Texas. The event took place around 11:44 a.m. EST (1644 GMT) on Tuesday, following a few minor delays on the day of the launch. There was an earlier attempt to launch on Monday (Dec. 18), but it was postponed due to an issue with the ground system at the Launch Site One pad.

Following its ascent, the rocket's first stage executed a successful landing close to its launch location, aligning with the mission's plan. Meanwhile, the spacecraft returned to Earth, its descent aided by parachutes, an event that was broadcast live by Blue Origin. Designed to accommodate both tourists and cargo, New Shepard's upcoming missions are yet to be scheduled for carrying passengers.

Read More

Home building surged in November as mortgage rates came down

In the latest month, the rate of new home constructions experienced a significant boost, propelled by the ongoing scarcity of housing supply and a decrease in mortgage rates.

Data from the Census Bureau, released on Tuesday, revealed that housing starts experienced a substantial 14.8% increase in November compared to October, marking the third consecutive month of growth. This surge brought the rate of new housing starts to a level not seen since May.

The data indicated that housing starts reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.56 million units in November, surpassing the previous month's rate of 1.372 million and exceeding analysts' projections of a 1.36 million unit pace.

Read More