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Tim Shaffer/Reuters A shortage of truck drivers in the US has increased their wages, on average. Unlike many other industries, trucking companies have been able to pass on these higher costs to their clients through higher prices.  But in most other industries, including those getting crushed by higher freight costs, it's not as easy to raise prices.  There aren't enough truck drivers in the US to meet the demand for freighting services.  One outcome of this is that truck drivers, on average, are getting paid more. The median salary for a truckload driver working a national, irregular route has risen by 15% since 2013, a survey from the American Trucking Association, a trade group, showed.  See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: The surprising reason why NASA hasn't sent humans to Mars yet See Also: Evidence is mounting that Amazon's HQ2 will land in 'the bull's-eye of America's internet' Flight attendants share 15 of th...

Spencer Platt/Getty Images Equity research firms have seen revenue slashed in 2018, with some experiencing drops of as much as 60%. The catalyst for the decline is sweeping European financial reform that went into effect January 3. Though the rules originated in Europe, they're having a global impact. For global banks, where research isn't a profit center, falling revenue isn't a giant concern — at least not yet. For struggling specialist and domestic firms without diversified revenue streams, the decline poses a more existential threat. Some boutiques have capitalized on the new environment and have outperformed top-tier banks. Some of the top equity-research shops in the world have seen revenue decline by 10% to 30% this year — and those are the lucky ones. Others are staring at declines of as much as 60%, according to figures from the consulting firm Oliver Wyman. See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: How one CEO went from rejecting an off...

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Obamacare premiums increased between 2017 and 2018, according to a new study. The average cost of the cheapest silver-tier plan increased 32% across the US. Gold-tier plans saw a 19.1% increase. There were a variety of reasons for the increases, from Trump administration changes to marketplace fundamentals. Check out the increases for silver and gold plans by state in maps below. Affordable Care Act premiums are headed in the same direction as last year: higher. According to a new study from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, premiums in the Obamacare exchanges — which provide insurance for people who do not get coverage through work or a government program like Medicaid — jumped 32% nationally for the lowest-cost silver-tier plan, as well as 19.1% for gold-tier plans. See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: This transgender activist and former Obama White House intern isn't backing down against Trum...

Getty/Jack Taylor Target stands out as a likely winner, as many of its stores are in close proximity to Toys R Us stores. Don't count out Walmart, for the same reason. And never count out Amazon. Toys R Us is going out of business, liquidating its inventory, and planning to sell its 800 storefronts in the U.S. and U.K. In a fiercely competitive retail industry with one-stop shops like   Walmart   ( NYSE:WMT ) ,   Target   ( NYSE:TGT ) , and   Amazon   ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) , Toys R Us couldn't keep up. In fact, it says those three are to blame for its decision earlier this month to completely shut down the business, after the bigger retailers ruthlessly slashed toy prices at their stores during the holiday season. Of course, that was a strategic move by those three, as each stands to gain when one of the largest toy stores in the country shuts down and abandons its storefronts. See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: I quit cable for D...

WayUp Female-founded companies are on the rise. From talks with investors and leaders in venture capital, we've rounded up a list of 10 female-founded companies that you should be paying attention to in 2018. These leading founders have set their sights on disrupting major markets like fashion, cosmetics, feminine products, online networking, and grocery delivery.  Check out the companies you should be paying attention to this year:  Maven is a telemedicine company that provides digital solutions for women's health. Maven Founder: Katherine Ryder Funding: $15.3 million  What it does: Maven's app connects women to healthcare practitioners through video and private messaging and provides a community centered on women's health. Why it's taking off:  The company has partnered with several high-profile companies (including Snapchat's parent company, Snap, and a number of Fortune 500 companies) that now offer Maven's maternity services to their employ...

Today was the official deadline for the now-defunct Google Lunar X Prize competition — an international contest to send the first private spacecraft to the Moon. There is no winner ; no one got to the Moon in time. But many of the teams that competed in the Google Lunar X Prize say they are still forging ahead, even without the promise of millions of dollars in prize money. The rules of the competition were relatively straightforward: build a robotic lander, using mostly private money, that can touch down gently on the Moon. Once there, the spacecraft had to explore the lunar surface — and then send back video and pictures to Earth. The winner was promised $20 million and the second-place team would have won $5 million. Other teams could... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2GZvt0d via IFTTT

Joana Lopes/Shutterstock I regularly spend $800 per week on food and drink, about half my income. Living in Seattle gives me access to great markets and restaurants; food is my greatest passion. I'm remaining anonymous for privacy reasons. I know, I know. I spend way too much on food and going out. The thing is, I love food, live alone, and work from home, so I need few excuses to entertain or go out. This social being needs human interaction — preferably over food and drink. I live in Seattle and make $1,640 weekly, pretax. I freelance on the side, but that income varies greatly. The rent for my one-bedroom apartment is $1,425 a month, plus utilities. Other monthly expenses include my dog ($100), Pilates ($160), cellphone ($80), internet ($80), and occasional travel. I steer clear of caffeine, so I don’t have a daily Starbucks fix. Water is my beverage of choice, sometimes carbonated courtesy of my SodaStream. Booze is my runner-up, and I admittedly spend big money to dr...

Shutterstock On March 31, much of the world will get to see the second blue moon of the year, making this a rare double-blue moon year. That's according to a newer definition of the term "blue moon" — it would be impossible under an older definition. But both definitions allow for "blue moons" every two to three years. There's another rarer kind of blue moon, however — but that one has to do with volcanoes and fires. On March 31, much of the world will get to see a rare event: A second blue moon in one year. It'll be the second blue moon of 2018 — at least, according to one definition of the term. Despite the name, as many of us have learned at some point (often in a disappointing fashion, if we learned this as a kid) a blue moon doesn't mean the moon turns blue. The term refers to frequency, not color. See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: What living on Earth would be like without the moon See Also: What living on E...