>> Meta Releases AI Technology Rivaling ChatGPT
(Menlo Park, CA) -- Meta is unveiling AI technology to rival ChatGPT. The tech giant's large language model will be available for free use, just like OpenAI's counterpart. The program "Llama 2" is a joint effort with Microsoft. A blog post from the Facebook and Instagram parent company says making it openly available benefits all.
>>Biden Creates New Anti-Competition Role On National Economic Council
(Washington, DC) -- President Biden is creating a new anti-competitive business practices role for the National Economic Council. The White House announced on Tuesday that the new focus is part of an executive order Biden issued two years ago to crack down on anti-competitive practices. The focus will be on economic sectors from agriculture to drugs and labor with an emphasis on finding ways to lower prices for consumers. Biden named NEC member Hannah Garden-Monheit as Director of Competition Council Policy.
>>Taco John's Abandons "Taco Tuesday" Trademark
(Cheyenne, WY) -- Taco John's is abandoning its "Taco Tuesday" trademark. The decision comes after rival Taco Bell filed a petition in May with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to end the trademark after being owned by Taco John's for more than three decades. The CEO of Taco John's said the company is dropping the fight to defend the trademark because it doesn't want to pay the legal fees. Taco John's owned the trademark in every state except New Jersey, where it's owned by Gregory's Restaurant & Bar in Somers Point. A separate challenge from Taco Bell over that trademark ownership is still pending.
>>Dollars Spent On Back To School Shopping To Break Records This Year
(New York, NY) -- Back-to-school spending is expected to reach a staggering 41.5-billion dollars this year. According to the National Retail Federation, dollars spent on back-to-school shopping will break records, up from 36.9-billion spent last year. Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of 890 dollars on back-to-school items, while college students and their families are expected to spend over 13-hundred dollars per person. This increase in spending is primarily driven by more demand for electronics. Sixty-nine percent of back-to-school shoppers expect to buy electronics or other computer-related accessories this year. That's up from 65-percent last year and the highest in the survey's history.
>>Mega Millions Jackpot Jumps, $1B Up For Grabs In Powerball
(Undated) -- There was no grand prize winner in Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing, pushing the jackpot up to an estimated 720-million dollars. No one has won the jackpot in the multi-state lottery since April. Meanwhile, players around the country have a chance to win a one-billion-dollar jackpot in Wednesday night's Powerball drawing.
