Harvey.
Hurricane Harvey battered the Gulf Coast over the weekend, landing in Rockport, TX on Friday as a Category 4 storm before turning northeast towards Houston (see photos). Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm - After making landfall with 130 mph winds - but still caused severe flooding with five reported deaths and at least 30 people missing. The storm - the first major hurricane to make landfall in the US since 2005 (see full list) - left over 200,000 without power and dropped up to 40 inches of rain in some places. With flooding expected to extend for several days, new FEMA director Brock Long sent almost a thousand search-and-rescue personnel to Texas, saying Harvey may be the "worst [natural] disaster" in state history. Hurricane season lasts through November - learn how hurricanes form here and stay on top of developing storms with the National Hurricane Center's real-time map.
Amazon/Whole Foods.
Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods gets finalized today, and the online giant is wasting no time in putting its mark on the chain's 470 stores. Right off the bat shoppers will see prices drop on grocery staples - bananas, eggs, milk, fish - as Amazon looks to expand the reach of both companies to middle-income consumers. Additionally - and possibly the real reason CEO Jeff Bezos moved into food retail - Amazon Prime will be tightly integrated into Whole Foods' point of sale system, meaning Prime members will see extra savings and customers will be able to pick-up and return Amazon packages at many locations. On the internet side, Whole Foods brand goods will be available through Amazon's grocery delivery service, AmazonFresh. No more "Whole Paycheck".
Uber.
Uber's board of directors voted Sunday to name former Expedia head Dara Khosrowshahi as CEO, replacing founder and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick who was ousted in June after revelations about Uber's culture of sexual harassment surfaced. In Khosrowshahi, Uber found an executive who led Expedia to consistent profits i n the face of industry disruptors like AirBNB. The move is notable as Khosrowshahi will not only guide the global ride hailing company - whose second quarter revenue increased by 17% over the previous quarter to $1.75 billion - but will attempt to rehab the image of the poster child for systemic sexual harassment in Silicon Valley firms.
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