When Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that the state will reopen some shuttered businesses as soon as Friday, his decision was quickly met with criticism and some confusion from local officials. The order allows gyms, hair and nail salons, bowling alleys, and tattoo parlors to reopen first, with dine-in restaurants and movie theaters allowed to open their doors on Monday.
Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Fitness Franchise, told Cheddar Wednesday that the company will take a close look at its approach to reopening its facilities.
“We are taking a thoughtful and careful approach to this. We want to step into this very carefully, so we’ve prepared a 30-page readiness plan for our clubs so we can make sure we are following a number of different aspects,” Midgley said.
The CEO also said workout classes have been modified to accommodate social distancing. To ensure that gym participants have an adequate amount of space, Midgley said they will have lower class sizes and will sanitize equipment between uses.
The government has been trying to provide relief for businesses through the CARES Act and through small business loans, however, Midgley noted there are limits to its effectiveness.
“There are challenges with the program in terms of the ratios that they can apply for forgiveness on the debt, an amount that has to go to payroll, an amount that can go to your lease payment, an amount to rent,” he said. "There is a tremendous amount of documentation that has to go back to the SBA until those loans are forgiven."
But despite those concerns, the CEO thinks business owners are putting their best foot forward.
“There’s certainly concern. But I think everyone is putting their best foot forward, and they’re having a very positive attitude and are trying to help out in their communities,” Midgley said.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
We sat down with Ali Furman, U.S. Consumer Markets Industry Leader at consulting firm PwC to ask what trends she garnered from the initial data this year.
