Iran hacked an American casino, U.S. says

For the first time, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the Iranian government was behind a damaging cyberattack on the Sands Las Vegas Corporation (LVS) in 2014. He mentioned it while testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.

Sands owns several well-known properties, including The Venetian and Palazzo in Las Vegas and two other resorts in Macao and Singapore.

The attack made headlines, because Las Vegas Sands is a large publicly-traded company. In February 2014, it said unidentified hackers broke into its computer network and stole customer data: credit card data, Social Security numbers and driver's licenses numbers.

The U.S. government accuses Iran of hacking the Las Vegas Sands Casino Corporation, which owns The Palazzo and several other resort-hotel-casinos around the world.

At the time, it sounded like just another digital break-in. But the nation's leading intelligence official says it was much worse than that.

On Thursday, Clapper described it as a "destructive cyberattack" on par with North Korea's hack of Sony. In that case, hackers wiped computers, destroyed data and froze the company to a halt.

It's unknown what damage Iranian hackers did to the casino company. Las Vegas Sands declined to comment for this story.

However, the company thinks hackers broke into its casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and "certain company data may have been destroyed," according to documents it filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Of all targets, why Adelson's company? The businessman is a major donor to Republican politicians. He's staunchly pro-Israel, the ultimate foe of the current Iranian regime. And in the past, Adelson has casually suggested that the U.S. drop nuclear bombs on Iran.

If Clapper's assertion is true, this is the latest example of a frightening trend: governments are hacking private companies.

Chinese hacker spies have stolen business plans from U.S. power plants. Russian hackers have broken into American and European oil and gas companies. And most recently, leaked documents show American and British spies hacked a phone SIM card maker in the Netherlands.

Computer security experts widely agree that companies aren't prepared to handle this threat. It comes down to resources. A government is a predator with billions of dollars at its disposal to amass a formidable cyber army. Its prey is a lean, for-profit company with a small security team.

Clapper told senators that hackers in Iran and North Korea pose less of a threat than China and Russia. But they're still a serious foe.

"These destructive attacks demonstrate that Iran and North Korea are motivated and unpredictable cyber actors," Clapper told senators on Thursday.

Related: Anthem probe looking at China as possible source of hack

Related: NSA tied to super-sneaky malware found in companies worldwide

Related: The NSA failed to hack your phone

CNNMoney (New York) February 27, 2015: 5:54 PM ET

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'House of Cards' fans that already finished season 3

That's 13 episodes. Each episode is about 50 minutes long.

@TanjaBumbar said on twitter (TWTR, Tech30) it was a "Really good season, it was amazing having all 13 episode [sic] available at the same time."

@MurphyOReilly thought it was a great season too. "Fantastic end to an enthralling season," he tweeted.

Sebastian, or @challi1337, said he has "extremely mixed feelings about the ending and a few other scenes."

None gave away any secrets, respectfully. Well, except for this mysterious comment from @TanjaBumbar: "Mrs Underwood you finally made the right decision."

All four Twitter users appear to live in Europe. This makes sense considering Netflix unloaded all the new episodes at 12.pm. PT/3 a.m. ET Friday morning, making it hard for US fans to complete the task. One woman, Olivia Armstrong, however did. Armstrong says she lives in Brooklyn and finished the show in 13 hours and 15 minutes. She even live-blogged her experience. Her latest tweet? "Sleeping forever byeeeee."

It was 8 a.m. in the U.K. when @MurphyOReilly says he started. He didn't go outside ("fresh air is so overrated!") and bought American snacks to keep him in the mood.

He survived on Mike and Ike's, Oreo's and Doritos during his "12 hour 5 mins" binge session.

"House of Cards" is one of Netflix's original shows. The streaming media company has been heavily investing in the production of its own content over the past few years. The shows are also getting praise from critics. Kevin Spacey just won the best actor Golden Globe for his role as Frank Underwood on "House of Cards."

Netflix is also planning to release movies starring Adam Sandler and the sequel for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" later this year.

Netflix has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Related: Nothing stops Frank Underwood...or Netflix

CNNMoney (New York) February 27, 2015: 5:46 PM ET

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Kelly Osbourne quits E!'s 'Fashion Police'

Kelly Osbourne (center) has quit E!'s 'Fashion Police.'

E! announced on Friday that Kelly Osbourne will be departing the network's style and red carpet show to "pursue other opportunities."

"We would like to thank her for her many contributions to the series over the past five years during which time the show became a hit with viewers," the network said in a statement.

The departure comes as "Fashion Police" is facing scrutiny over one of its hosts comments.

On Monday's telecast, co-host Giuliana Rancic made a comment about the dreadlocks of actress-singer Zendaya Coleman, saying the hair probably smelled like "weed" or "patchouli oil." Some felt the comment was racially insensitive.

The backlash from Rancic's comment fell onto Osbourne who took to Twitter to convey her displeasure over the situation.

"I DID NOT MAKE THE WEED COMENT [sic]", Osborne tweeted on Tuesday." I DOT NOT CONDONE RACISM SO AS A RSULT [sic] OF THIS IM SEREIOUSLY [sic] QUESTIONONIG [sic] STAYING ON THE SHOW!"

Giuliana Rancic has since apologized for her comments.

E! said that the show would return as scheduled on Friday, March 30 and that no decisions have yet been made on Osbourne's replacement.

The woman who broke into the BBQ 'boys club'

BuzzFeed's newest traffic driver: debate about the color of a dress

'House of Cards' fans that already finished season 3

CNNMoney (New York) February 27, 2015: 7:32 PM ET

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Stocks: 5 things to know before the open

Click chart for in-depth premarket data.

As we approach the final trading day of the month, here are the five things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Fabulous February: The Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 both hit record highs after rising about 6% this month. The Nasdaq rallied by 7.6% in February and is now within spitting distance of 5,000, a number it hasn't reached since March 2000.

U.S. stock futures are looking soft early Friday, while European markets are mixed. Most Asian markets ended the week with gains.

Looking to commodities, oil prices are rising by about 2% to trade just above $49 per barrel.

Gold prices are edging down a touch to trade at $1,205 per ounce.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

2. Keep an eye on U.S. data: At 8:30 a.m. ET, the Bureau of Economic Analysis will release its second estimate for U.S. GDP in the fourth quarter of 2014.

"U.S. GDP is expected to be revised lower in Q4, but not in a way that should worry the rest of the world," said Paul Donovan, a global economist at UBS. "Domestic demand is expected to stay strong -- the U.S. consumer is resolute in their intention to visit the mall."

At 10 a.m. ET, the University Michigan will post a final reading of its monthly consumer sentiment index for February.

Related: CNNMoney's Tech30

3. Market mover -- International Airlines Group: Shares in International Airlines Group are rising by over 4% in London after investors cheered the company's full year results. The firm, which owns British Airways, is benefiting from lower fuel costs.

4. Netflix in the spotlight: Netflix (NFLX, Tech30) released the latest season of its popular show House of Cards Friday. Many viewers are expected to spend the weekend watching the series, while investors will be watching the company's stock market moves.

Netflix shares are up about 40% this year and are approaching a record high.

The company scored a victory Thursday after the Federal Communications Commission passed a historic measure to regulate the Internet more strictly, ensuring that Netflix shows streaming online don't get slowed down by broadband providers.

5. Germany approves Greek bailout: German lawmakers approved Europe's four-month debt extension for Greece on Friday.

Greece needs financing from its European partners to ensure it can pay its bills and debts. Germany has contributed most to the bailout.

CNNMoney (London) February 27, 2015: 5:29 AM ET

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BuzzFeed's newest traffic driver: debate about the color of a dress

Some people say this dress is black and blue; others see white and gold.

If you were online on Thursday night, you know what happened: social media services were overrun with comments about the colors of a woman's dress. Some people saw black and blue; others saw white and gold.

It was a debate tailor-made for BuzzFeed -- and in some ways made by BuzzFeed. By midnight Eastern time, the web site said the dress story was a record-breaker: "it drew more visitors to our site at one time than ever before."

The picture of the dress originated from a Tumblr post by a user named Swiked, who asked Tumblr users for help in figuring out the dress's true colors. Once BuzzFeed spotted the story on Tumblr, there was no stopping it.

Cates Holderness, a community growth manager at BuzzFeed, wrote this post, published at 6:14 p.m.: "What Colors Are This Dress?"

Two hours later, she rhetorically asked on Twitter, "what have I done."

The Twitter hashtag #TheDress was still the No. 1 trending topic in the United States after midnight. By then, BuzzFeed had registered 16 million views for Holderness's story, and it was still growing. The next-biggest BuzzFeed story this week has garnered about 6 million views.

BuzzFeed's traffic levels -- and purposefully silly, over-the-top coverage -- had some of the hallmarks of cable news breaking news coverage.

According to BuzzFeed, the story helped bring more than 670,000 people to the site simultaneously as it peaked during prime time.    

Of that number, 500,000 of the people were visiting on mobile devices, and half of those visitors were reading the post about the dress.

There was a poll, of course, and there were a series of followup posts. Dozens of other news and entertainment web sites weighed in (this one included).

The debate was so fervently viral that BuzzFeed apparently became overwhelmed with traffic for a brief period.

"Great work everyone, we broke BuzzFeed," tweeted BuzzFeedBiz editor Tom Gara.

Gara's tweet came along with a screen grab of an email from BuzzFeed's senior project manager Amy Filmore asking the site's editorial staff to hold off on publishing posts due to a "very high traffic load."

The debate engaged fashionistas, color scientists, and A-list celebrities. "I don't understand this odd dress debate and I feel like it's a trick somehow," pop star Taylor Swift wrote on Twitter. "PS it's OBVIOUSLY BLUE AND BLACK."

Kim Kardashian West tweeted, "What color is that dress? I see white & gold. Kanye sees black & blue, who is color blind?"

Holderness tweeted, "I have never been more proud of starting literally millions of arguments."

Strangely, or maybe not, the hotly contested social media debate came just hours after web sites and cable news channels were captivated by escaped llamas running loose in Arizona.

The two stories helped to make February 26, 2015 one of the most viral days in social media history.

"This was the best day of Twitter yet and it was a privilege to share it with you all," tweeted Matt Ford, the national editor for The Atlantic.

CNNMoney (New York) February 27, 2015: 1:01 AM ET

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India looks for economic magic in new budget

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to reveal its second budget, an event so highly anticipated that TV news channels have doubled their advertising rates around Saturday's presentation.

The budget launch itself will not be scintillating television -- there are no flashy special effects. What you get instead is India's finance minister presenting a long list of fiscal plans and announcements. And yet, Indians have always paid close attention on budget day.

This year, with a reform-minded, single-party government in place, expectations are even higher. The country's stock markets will even hold a special Saturday trading session.

Modi has made ambitious promises: to make India an easier place to do business (the World Bank ranks India 142nd globally), to kick-start a new era of fast growth and to bring the trappings of the developed world to India's towns and cities.

Should the prime minister succeed, India will be in a position to capitalize on its tremendous growth potential. The country is primed for an economic boom, in part because it is starting from such a low base, but also because it has vibrant demographics: two-thirds of Indians are under the age of 30, with their best working years ahead of them.

Can Modi deliver? After failing to impress with last year's document, investors expect the prime minister to deliver a much more ambitious document.

The ghost of 1991

In the Indian media, comparisons are being made with 1991, the year India launched a series of economic reforms that opened up its economy and reversed a dangerous balance of payments crisis.

But if 1991 is the bar, the world may end up being disappointed -- these reforms still have to make it through parliament.

The Modi government may have a majority in the lower house, but it will take immense political will to push serious reforms through the opposition-controlled upper house of parliament.

The reforms

All the talk has been of big reforms. So, what are they?

First of all, there's the Goods and Services Tax. As CNN found out this week, crossing state borders on a goods truck entails reams of paperwork and extreme patience. A uniform tax system would do wonders for efficiency and business. It would also kill state protectionism and unleash national competition.

India needs major investments in infrastructure, health care and education. But to do that, the government needs to figure out a way to boost revenue. India's tax system needs an overhaul. Only around 35 million Indians pay income taxes; China can count on about 300 million taxpayers. Cutting subsidies on fuels like kerosene in favor of cash transfers would help make sure India's poor get the help they need.

Byzantine labor laws in India are a major deterrent to large companies. Most Indian workers continue to work in what is known as the "informal" sector, without legal papers and any form of social security or health care. It may sound counterintuitive, but making it easier to hire and fire workers would make companies more confident to scale up, and give workers the paperwork and job security they need.

And then there's divestment. India's government still controls some of the country's biggest energy providers, which prevents competition and enshrines an inefficient system.

The big changes are always difficult to achieve. India's Finance Ministry is peppered with top academics and economists from around the world. They know what to do. The question is whether politics will get in the way and prevent India from taking off.

Modi -- despite suffering a bloody nose in Delhi's state elections last month -- still has considerable national goodwill and hope riding on his shoulders. Saturday will go some way towards revealing whether he is going to deliver.

Related: India has more billionaires than Russia

Related: India's growth numbers are a total mystery

CNNMoney (New Delhi) February 27, 2015: 6:27 AM ET

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Stocks: 5 things to know before the open

Click chart for in-depth premarket data.

U.S. stock futures are edging up, though the gains are small.

Here are the five things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Watch the banks -- Morgan Stanley, Standard Chartered, RBS: Shares in Morgan Stanley (MS) could be on the move Thursday after it agreed to pay $2.6 billion to settle a case over mortgage-backed securities. The bank said the settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice -- reportedly its biggest legal bill from the financial crisis -- will hit earnings for 2014.

Shares in Standard Chartered (SCBFF) were rising in London after the bank, which focuses on emerging markets, said former JPMorgan investment banker Bill Winters will take over as CEO. Meanwhile, shares in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) are dipping after the firm reported another annual loss in 2014.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

2. Earnings and economics: Kohl's (KSS), Taser (TASR) and SeaWorld (SEAS) are among the companies reporting earnings before the opening bell.

J.C. Penney (JCP), Gap (GPS) and Herbalife (HLF) will report after the close.

On the economic side, the U.S. government will report on weekly jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET. It will also update the Consumer Price Index at the same time.

Related: CNNMoney's Tech30

3. U.S. officials vote on Internet regulations: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to approve new rules Thursday that -- depending on which side you believe -- either ensure a fair Internet or smother it with unnecessary regulation. The decision could have a wide reaching impact on companies ranging from Netflix (NFLX, Tech30) to Comcast (CCV).

The FCC will decide on the rules in secret. Commissioners will make statements, but they probably won't publish the actual rules for weeks.

4. International markets overview: European markets are inching higher in early trading, while Asian markets mostly closed the day with small gains.

5. Wednesday market recap: The Dow Jones industrial average gained 15 points to hit a new closing record. The S&P 500 slid 0.1% and the Nasdaq was essentially unchanged.

CNNMoney (London) February 26, 2015: 7:02 AM ET

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America: The new destination for rich Chinese shoppers

These high-spending travelers make most of their trips in Asia, but the U.S. is gaining popularity fast.

HSBC expects Chinese tourists will drive sales of luxury goods in the coming years, and describes America as their "new Eldorado," or golden city.

Visitor numbers are climbing after the U.S. relaxed visa requirements for China last year, making permits valid for a decade, rather than one year. About two million Chinese tourists visit the U.S. each year, and the U.S. government forecasts annual growth of about 20%.

The economic potential is big: Chinese tourists spend more than any other foreigners at an average of $7,200 per visit.

The U.S. is particularly appealing for a number of reasons, including prestige. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, director of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, said wealthy Chinese view a trip to America as a social necessity.

"It is part of the confirmation of their status and lifestyle to have visited at least San Francisco, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and New York," he said.

Related: Why Chinese moms want American babies

There's also more choice of products for Chinese shoppers. And they avoid the risk of counterfeit goods prevalent in China. But the main lure is price.

Renee Hartmann, of China Luxury Advisors, said luxury merchandise in the U.S. tends to be around 35% cheaper than in China. The company advises Bergdorf Goodman, as well as brands like Prada (PRDSY) and Tom Ford on how to reach the Chinese consumer.

Still, getting a Chinese tourist in the door won't guarantee sales. Experts say retailers need to pay attention to their product lines and customer service. For clothing, that means making sure it reflects Asian sizes and tastes.

Stores may also need to hire Chinese-speaking staff and train workers to respect the high expectations Chinese shoppers have in terms of welcome, service and interaction, said Nathalie Remy, a partner at McKinsey.

Related: Where the super rich are buying homes

"They like to take their time," Remy said. "Shopping is entertainment. It's not so much about the efficiency of quick checkout, they expect to be entertained."

Right now only a tiny fraction of China's population -- around 4% -- has a passport. As the middle class expands, so too will the number -- and type -- of tourist.

Once confined to group tours, Chinese tourists are getting the taste for independent travel. And as the profile of the Chinese tourist changes, retailers risk losing out if they adopt a one-size fits all approach.

"We're seeing lots of different types of travelers," said China Luxury Advisor's Hartmann. Retailers need to do more direct consumer marketing, rather than just working with tour operators. "It's hard to take on a strategy and apply that to every Chinese tourist," she said.

CNNMoney (London) February 25, 2015: 8:31 PM ET

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Morgan Stanley agrees $2.6 billion settlement

Morgan Stanley agreed to pay $2.6 billion to settle with the Department of Justice.

The U.S. Department of Justice claimed the investment bank was packaging bad loans into mortgage-backed securities, misrepresenting their quality.

In a regulatory filing, Morgan Stanley (AACXX) said the settlement would cut its 2014 profit in half, slashing earnings from continuing operations by $1.35 per share. It had reported EPS of $2.75 in January.

Related: Morgan Stanley insider exposes clients' info

The settlement -- reportedly the biggest Morgan Stanley has made in connection with the financial crisis -- represents an agreement in principle. Final documentation still needs to be agreed.

The preliminary deal follows similar cases brought against other big banks by the Department of Justice. Citigroup (C) agreed to pay $7 billion and Bank of America (BAC) settled for $17 billion. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) paid $13 billion.

Goldman Sachs, is still negotiating its own settlement with the Department of Justice.

Related: Citi inks $7 billion mortgage settlement

CNNMoney (London) February 26, 2015: 6:12 AM ET

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Reddit's stand against revenge porn

The change, which will go into effect March 10, is a departure for the sprawling online community, which has avoided policing non-consensual explicit content.

It's only a first step, but for activists who have been pushing to get the issue of revenge porn taken seriously by tech companies and lawmakers, it's an important victory.

Limits of the law

If you find a nude photo of yourself online, say one taken of you without your knowledge, stolen from your smartphone or texted to an ex in private, your options are limited.

Only a few states have passed revenge porn laws, and they're often largely ineffective against a site like Reddit, which is protected by section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act. The act gives platforms such as Facebook (FB, Tech30), Twitter (TWTR, Tech30) and Reddit immunity when third parties post anything that doesn't violate federal law.

California 'revenge porn' law may miss some victims

That's why activists have been pushing for a federal revenge porn law. California Rep. Jackie Speier is leading efforts to craft such legislation. And even if legislation isn't the best solution, the threat of federal interference could motivate more sites to crack down on the content.

"If tech platforms wanted to step up and tackle this issue, they could do so much more than laws to eradicate this issue over time," said Mary Anne Franks, a law professor at Miami Law School and vice president of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, an anti revenge porn advocacy group.

Tech companies have more resources and expertise than the government to come up with innovative solutions. They could work together on fixes, like they have for suicide prevention and child exploitation. For example, a shared database of flagged images could prevent the same photo from reappearing on other sites.

How Reddit's plan works

Reddit's enforcement plan is low tech.

The policy update says members cannot post or link to unauthorized images and videos of people who are nude or engaged in a sexual act.

If a woman finds a nude image of herself, she must email Reddit and ask that it be taken down. The policy puts the burden of proof on the victim, and the same image could still pop up again elsewhere on the site or the Internet.

"We can't ask that every post prove consent as it would not be sustainable or even very effective," explained Jessica Moreno, Reddit's head of community.

However, moderators are getting additional training on how to handle requests, though Moreno says many are already actively removing unauthorized images upon request, or when something is "obviously posted without consent."

"It does put the burden on the victim but honestly, compared to how things were before, this is still really good," said Franks.

Changing the tech industry

Further industry-wide change will require a shift in how companies think about nude and sexual images.

Most have policies about removing private data such as social security numbers and addresses, but they don't always apply the same strict standards to photos.

Feds take down revenge porn king

Last year's major hack of celebrity photos was a turning point. Scores of stolen images were posted on Reddit, and the company was criticized for being slow to remove them. Even after one of the communities was shut down, the CEO of Reddit at the time -- Yishan Wong -- said there was no plan to change policy.

"We will try not to interfere - not because we don't care, but because we care that you make your choices between right and wrong," Wong said in a blog post.

Then Wong resigned abruptly, Ellen Pao was brought on board as interim CEO, and Reddit had a change of heart. In a blog post announcing the update, Reddit said, "Last year, we missed a chance to be a leader in social media."

"This was something we decided on as a team, because we know how important user privacy has always been to the Reddit userbase," said Moreno.

Whether it's a heartfelt change in culture, fear of being criminally liable in the future, or a savvy business move to help it grow beyond its current 9,000 communities, Reddit's small privacy update is a big deal.

Now the spotlight is on other tech companies to take a similar stand.

CNNMoney (San Francisco) February 25, 2015: 5:43 AM ET

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Is this the worst CFO ever?

SuperGroup is probably feeling SuperSilly after announcing its now-former CFO went bankrupt this month.

The publicly-traded British retailer SuperGroup announced Wednesday it booted out its chief financial officer after discovering the executive recently went bankrupt.

The company, which operates over 135 Superdry clothing stores across the U.K. and Europe, said the board only became aware of the bankruptcy two weeks after the fact. The exec was kicked out within 24 hours of the discovery.

Shaun Wills was appointed to the CFO position in April 2012. He was previously the chief operating officer at furniture retailer Habitat.

Wills did not return a request for comment from CNNMoney.

Shares in SuperGroup dropped by 3% in London, though the firm was quick to point out that its finances are in order.

"This is a personal matter ... and is wholly unrelated to the financial position of the company," the company said in a statement.

Superdry sells a wide range of casual clothes, including shirts, jackets and knitwear. Japanese imagery and lettering are frequently incorporated into Superdry designs, so the British firm is often incorrectly perceived to be a Japanese company.

CNNMoney (London) February 25, 2015: 6:35 AM ET

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Stocks: 5 things to know before the open

Here are the five things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Stocks sitting at record levels: U.S. stock futures are kicking around the record levels set Tuesday. European markets are mixed in early trading, while Asian markets saw few major moves.

The main index in Shanghai slipped 0.6%, despite a slightly better than expected early reading of Chinese manufacturing activity. Investors continue to worry about prospects for the world's second largest economy.

"Despite today's better-than-expected [manufacturing] reading, economic momentum remains subdued," explained Julian Evans-Pritchard, a China economist at Capital Economics.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 92 points to hit a record close at 18,209.19. The S&P 500 crept up 0.3% to 2,115.48, another all-time closing high. The main market indexes in the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden also joined the record-setting party.

Gold prices are edging up by 1% to roughly $1,210 per ounce. Oil is down a touch.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

2. HP plunges: Shares in HP (HPQ, Tech30) are falling by about 8% premarket after the tech company reported a slide in quarterly revenue and profit. CEO Meg Whitman noted that the company is struggling with the impact of a stronger U.S. dollar on sales overseas.

Related: CNNMoney's Tech30

3. Keeping an eye on the Fed: Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen will continue to testify before Congress. This time she's speaking in front of the House. She gave a mostly upbeat report about the economy to the Senate on Tuesday, which gave markets a boost.

4. HSBC in the spotlight: Watch trading in HSBC (HSBC) as the banking giant's chairman and CEO are both expected to speak before members of the U.K. parliament about the company's latest Swiss tax scandal.

A report was published this month saying the bank concealed $100 billion in Swiss accounts and helped clients avoid paying taxes.

Swiss authorities responded by launching a criminal investigation into alleged "aggravated money laundering" at the bank.

Related: Have an investing question? Ask CNNMoney!

5. Earnings and economics: Campbell Soup (CPB), SodaStream (SODA), and Target (TGT) are among the companies reporting earnings before the opening bell.

Salesforce.com (CRM, Tech30) and L Brands (LB), which owns Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works, will report after the close.

On the economic front, the U.S. Census Bureau will report data on January sales of new homes at 10 a.m. ET.

CNNMoney (London) February 25, 2015: 7:23 AM ET

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Vine is hiring an office dog

Video app Vine is expanding its team by hiring an office dog.

The video app is "seeking a dog to join our growing team of humans" in its New York office.

Applicants must have a "computer science degree from an Ivy League school...[with] boundless enthusiasm for staring into the distance at absolutely nothing whatsoever," according to a listing posted on Vine's website.

Job responsibilities include welcoming employees when they arrive, keep staffers from working too hard, and train other dogs in the area. Plus he or she must "smell OK." Desired traits include a dog that doesn't chew on cables or pee on rugs, and looks into the camera on command. After all, the final dog hired must be "Vineable," or cute enough for video clips.

Although the listing doesn't specify a salary, Vine spokesperson Carolyn Penner said that to find an "awesome dog that fulfills the responsibilities, qualifications and desired traits listed in the job posting, we are willing to pay up to six treats per day, with an annual bonus of one rawhide bone."

Vine is a video app platform that allows users to share and post 6-second video clips, and is owned by Twitter (TWTR, Tech30).

Read next: China spends $1.5 billion pampering pets

CNNMoney (Hong Kong) February 24, 2015: 4:31 AM ET

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Bill O'Reilly tries to end Falklands controversy: 'I want to stop this now'

O'Reilly's latest rebuttal to a report published by Mother Jones focused on a protest he covered in Buenos Aires for CBS News at the conclusion of the 1982 conflict between Argentina and Britain.

At issue: O'Reilly has made several references over the years to being in a "war zone" and a "combat situation." Since he and most reporters covered the war from Buenos Aires, the question was whether a protest there fit those descriptions.

In previous accounts, O'Reilly has also said "many were killed" in the protest and that he was forced to rescue his photographer, who had been "run down" and bloodied in the mayhem.

Following the Mother Jones report, several former colleagues also in Argentina at the time disputed those claims.

On his Fox News show on Monday, O'Reilly mocked the "far-left zealots" who he said had described the protest as a "day in the park." That was a reference to former CBS News correspondent Eric Engberg, who backed the Mother Jones report and said the Buenos Aires riot was "relatively tame."

O'Reilly showed CBS News footage from the protest, including a report that had been filed by Engberg. CBS News posted the footage on its website earlier on Monday.

Engberg's report, which originally aired in June of 1982, described police officers firing tear gas and plastic bullets at protesters.

"It is not known how many were hurt, but witnesses reported at least some serious injuries," Engberg reported at the time. The report also mentioned arrests and beatings.

Dan Rather introduced the broadcast by noting that "some television crew members were knocked to the ground."

O'Reilly said Monday he stands by his claim that people were killed in the riots. "I saw people hit the ground hard. I saw them hauled off, put into ambulances and police vehicles," O'Reilly said. "And the local reportage was that there were fatalities. We have not been able to say how many, alright? But I believe there were."

After showing the footage, O'Reilly spoke to former NBC News Miami bureau chief Don Browne, who backed O'Reilly's characterization of Buenos Aires. "It was a country at war," Browne said.

On his show, O'Reilly made it clear that he intends to put the whole matter to rest. "I want to stop this now," he said. "I hope we can stop it. I really do."

CNNMoney (New York) February 23, 2015: 11:40 PM ET

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Stocks: 6 things to know before the open

Markets are looking timid, oil prices are dipping and investors seem uncertain whether to push stocks to more record highs.

Here are the six things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. It's all about the Fed: Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen will give her semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress this week. She will first testify before the Senate on Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET. Then she'll appear before the House on Wednesday at the same time.

Markets will be watching Yellen's comments closely.

The stakes are incredibly high as the Fed debates when to raise interest rates off their historic lows near zero. If the Fed times the increase correctly, the U.S. economy will continue to lift off. If the Fed gets the timing wrong, America could end up in another recession.

Related: The Federal Reserve's 'Game of Thrones'

2. Slippery oil politics: There's been talk that OPEC could hold an emergency meeting to discuss the recent sharp drop in oil prices.

Nigeria's oil minister, who also acts as president of OPEC, told the Financial Times Monday that the crash in crude oil prices could cause the cartel to reconvene.

In theory, this meeting could open the door for a cut in production to push prices higher. But Saudi Arabia -- OPEC's most powerful member -- has been vocal about its opposition to cutting output.

And markets seem to be playing down the chances of a change in OPEC policy. Crude futures are slipping by about 1% Tuesday to trade at $49 per barrel.

3. Greece still in focus: The Greek government has submitted a list of planned economic reforms to its international creditors, which is the latest move required to ensure that Greece continues to get financing to pay its bills and debts.

Now the list will have to be approved by various creditors, including its eurozone partners, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. Officials will review the proposals later Tuesday.

The Greek government is looking for ways to revive its economy and satisfy voter demands, while also dealing with an enormous debt burden.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

4. Market moves: There's not a lot of movement in the stock market right now.

U.S. stock futures are flat, European markets are slipping in early trading and most Asian markets closed the day with gains.

In London, shares in BHP Billiton (BBL) are surging by 3.5% after the oil and mining group posted a shallower fall in profits than expected.

5. Earnings and economics: Comcast (CCV), Domino's Pizza (DPUKY), Home Depot (HD), Office Depot (ODP) and Macy's (M) are reporting earnings before the opening bell.

First Solar (FSLR), DreamWorks Animation (DWA) and HP (HPQ, Tech30) will report after the close.

On the economic side, the latest S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index will come out at 9 a.m. ET.

The Conference Board's monthly consumer confidence index will be posted at 10 a.m. ET.

Related: CNNMoney's Tech30

6. Monday market recap: The Dow Jones industrial average lost 24 points, while the S&P 500 was flat.

The Nasdaq rose 0.1%, marking it's 9th straight day of gains. This is its longest winning streak since September 2010.

CNNMoney (London) February 24, 2015: 7:23 AM ET

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Facebook's bus drivers set for raises after union vote

Anti-gentrification protesters block a bus of tech workers in December 2013.

Most of the 90 drivers who ferry workers to and from the Facebook (FB, Tech30) campus in Silicon Valley voted Saturday in favor of a contract that would boost their wages and address a major scheduling issue, according to the Teamsters.

Some would get an increase of as much as $9 per hour, though the average increase would be about $5 an hour, according to Rome Aloise, a union official who negotiated the contract with Loop Transportation, which was hired by Facebook.

The agreement must still be approved by Facebook, Aloise said.

In San Francisco, the buses used by Facebook -- and similar services used by other Silicon Valley companies -- are seen as an icon of income inequality: Well-paid tech workers boarding coaches in neighborhoods where the less well-off are struggling to keep up with skyrocketing rents.

Related: Tech workers squeezing out renters in San Francisco

The drivers, said Aloise, are currently paid on average of $17.93 an hour. Loop Transportation has previously said its typical wage is between $18 and $20.

Neither Loop Transportation nor Facebook responded to requests for comment on Sunday.

Under the new contract, base wages would increase to between $21 and $25, according to Aloise. In three years, wages would fall between $22.50 and $28.50.

The contract also addresses a scheduling concern of the drivers: split shifts.

Drivers said they work several hours for the morning commute, then return to the bus depot and sit unpaid for several hours before returning to their route for the evening commute. Some have said their schedules meant 12- or 16-hour days, though many hours were unpaid and unproductive.

In the future, drivers who work both the morning and evening commute would receive 10% shift differential pay, and those who work only mornings or evenings would be paid for at least six hours of work per day.

Related: Sex, drugs and Silicon Valley

The contract also includes health benefits, a retirement plan and workplace policies, like a grievance procedure, Aloise said.

And Facebook's drivers may not be the only ones to be covered by a union contract.

The Teamsters said drivers for Compass Transportation -- which has contracts for Apple (AAPL, Tech30), eBay (EBAY, Tech30), Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30) and games maker Zynga (ZNGA) -- will vote Friday on unionizing, the first step toward similar contract negotiations.

Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city?

CNNMoney (New York) February 22, 2015: 3:49 PM ET

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Stocks: 4 things to know before the open

Here are the four things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Ready for more records? Most major European markets are jumping in early trading as investors welcome a new conditional deal that should see Greece stay in the eurozone, at least for the next four months. Germany's DAX hit a new record high.

Both the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 closed at all-time highs on Friday as details of the Greek debt deal came out.

But Greece must present a list of economic reforms by the end of the day Monday for the deal to work. The list will need to be fleshed out and agreed with various institutions and creditors by April.

The euro was weaker against the dollar, and U.S. stock futures were looking soft.

2. Market movers -- HSBC, Honda: Shares in HSBC (HSBC) are dropping by about 5% in London, keeping the FTSE 100 in the red, as investors react to a sharp drop in annual profits at the global bank.

HSBC is currently under investigation by Swiss authorities as part of a new criminal inquiry into allegations of money laundering.

Watch shares in Honda (HMC) today after the Japanese automaker said its long-time CEO is being replaced in June. Shares dipped by 1% in Tokyo ahead of the announcement.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

3. Earnings and economics: Dish Network (DISH) will report earnings before the opening bell.

The National Association of Realtors will report January sales and prices of existing homes at 10 a.m. ET.

Related: America Inc warns of turbulence ahead

4. Friday market recap: The Dow Jones industrial average gained 155 points to hit a record Friday. The S&P 500 also reached a record after rising by 0.6%. The Nasdaq jumped by 0.6%.

CNNMoney (London) February 23, 2015: 7:30 AM ET

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Honda CEO steps down

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito will resign from his post as of June.

Ito will be succeeded by Takahiro Hachigo, currently Honda's managing officer, the company said in a statement.

Honda (HMC) didn't say whether Ito's resignation had anything to do with the company's recent struggles -- a massive recall over faulty airbags, poor sales, and regulatory fines.

But the surprise announcement comes after Honda recalled millions of vehicles due to faulty airbags produced by another Japanese company, Takata. Other auto manufacturers, including Toyota (TM), have also had to recall vehicles due to the airbags.

Honda issued a profit warning in January, lowering its own annual net profit forecast by 5%. It was also hit last month with a $70 million fine for failing to report all the accident information required under U.S. regulatory rules.

"Going forward, changes will be coming up more and more rapidly, competition will be more severe, so I think now is a good time to change the management to a younger generation so as to revamp our whole operations," Ito said at a news conference.

Outgoing CEO Ito joined Honda in 1978, and climbed the ranks to become head of the company in June 2009. He oversaw changes to Honda's manufacturing structure around the globe, establishing new plants in developing countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and China.

Hachigo is a longtime Honda employee, first joining in 1982, as an engineer. Over the years, he has overseen Honda operations in the U.S., Europe and China.

The management changes are still subject to shareholder approval, but are expected to be effective in June after the company's annual shareholder meeting.

Honda announced Ito's resignation after markets closed in Tokyo on Monday. The shares traded down nearly 1%. The company is also listed in New York.

Related: 2014: Year of recalls

CNNMoney (Hong Kong) February 23, 2015: 6:48 AM ET

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No dogs allowed: San Francisco's pet housing crisis

According to San Francisco animal welfare nonprofit SF SPCA, there's been a surge in owners abandoning their pets due to an inability to find pet-friendly housing.

Over the last year, one in four people who left pets with the organization cited problems finding pet-friendly housing. The organization started tracking the numbers this year after staff noticed that housing issues were becoming an increasingly common problem, according to spokesperson Krista Maloney.

An influx of highly-paid tech workers in recent years have pushed out many low- and middle-income renters and driven rents higher. With limited space to build on and tight regulations, the short supply of housing in the city has only made matters worse.

Competition for each apartment is so fierce that landlords can afford to be more selective about tenants, said Mark Campana, president of Anchor Realty, which does not allow pets in any of its roughly 1,000 units.

Related: 10 least affordable rental markets

"Now with the market moving with great speed and with vacant units in high demand, an owner doesn't have the incentive to be pet-friendly," said Campana.

Michael Harrington, president of Pacific Union Property Management, said that while some landlords may be flexible about allowing small dogs, they know they can always find another tenant without an animal.

"We're definitely in what I would call a landlord's market," said Harrington.

Sam the chihuahua was left at the SPCA by an owner who couldn't find pet-friendly housing.

Just because a unit is advertised as pet-friendly doesn't mean it will go to a pet owner, said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of research and development at ASPCA.

That might explain why data from online rental listing company, Lovely, showed that the percentage of listings that said they allowed "some pets" actually grew from 34% to 39% between 2012 and 2014.

Pet-friendly options also tend to be more out of reach for low-income renters, said Weiss. According to a recent analysis of listings by HotPads, pet-friendly units in San Francisco cost an average of 12% more than those that don't allow pets. That's compared to a national average of 3.5% in major metro areas, the company found. And that doesn't include pet deposits or additional "pet rent," which may be required on top of normal rent.

San Francisco even lags behind New York City, where the share of dog-friendly apartments is almost three times higher and just over half of all landlords allow "some pets," according to Lovely. Yet, pet ownership in the city has long faced the same challenges that the SPCA is seeing in San Francisco, said Sandra DeFeo, executive director of the Humane Society of New York.

"People with more means tend to find places that will accept them with pets," she said.

Jackie Tom, president of leasing company RentalsinSF, said it was hard enough finding an apartment that would accept her Great Dane 15 years ago. Today, the market is even more stressful and more expensive for pet owners, she said.

"There are a lot of wonderful pet owners and not enough affordable housing for them," said Tom, who manages 35 pet-friendly units in the city. "They can keep their pets, but there is a price."

Related: 'Why I have a roommate at my age'

Eric Andresen, president of the San Francisco Apartment Association and Viking Services Corp., which manages about 2,300 housing units in the area, said he would be surprised if the housing crunch really made the city less pet-friendly overall.

He notes that many residents have learned to skirt landlords' pet restrictions by claiming their pets as assistance animals, abusing laws meant to help people with disabilities. The problem has become so widespread in recent years that Andresen recommends landlords simply allow pets so they have some control over the animals in their buildings.

"Then at least you can protect yourself with a pet deposit," said Andresen. "And it certainly puts your relationship with your tenant in a more cooperative place."

CNNMoney (New York) February 20, 2015: 7:54 PM ET

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What Bill O'Reilly has said about his time during the Falklands War

That's the central question raised by Mother Jones in a report published Thursday, and the answer appears to be both yes and no.

The Fox News host insists he never said he was in the Falkland Islands during the conflict. As a reporter for CBS News at the time, O'Reilly and his colleagues were based in Buenos Aires, far from the war zone in and around the islands.

Some of O'Reilly's accounts stem from a protest that occurred in Buenos Aires at the time, though that wouldn't qualify as a war zone.

As longtime CBS News correspondent Bob Schieffer told Mother Jones, "Nobody from CBS got to the Falklands... For us, you were a thousand miles from where the fighting was."

Here is the public record of what O'Reilly has said:

2001: O'Reilly wrote in his book, "The No Spin Zone: Confrontations With the Powerful and Famous in America," that his time covering war made him ready for anything. "You know that I am not easily shocked," he wrote. "I've reported on the ground in active war zones from El Salvador to the Falkland Islands, and in chaotic situations like the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles."

2004: In his syndicated column, O'Reilly recalled how he had "survived a combat situation in Argentina during the Falklands War." He was presumably referring to a protest he covered in Buenos Aires, but his reference to a "combat situation" could reasonably be interpreted as a "war zone."

2008: Seven years ago on the "O'Reilly Factor," the host invoked his experience "in the war zones" to taunt Bill Moyers, the veteran journalist with whom he's feuded for years. "By the way, I missed Moyers in the war zones of the Falkland conflict in Argentina, the Middle East and Northern Ireland," O'Reilly said. "I looked for Bill, but I didn't see him."

2013: During an interview on his Fox News show, O'Reilly once again described the protest but said it took place "in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands."

"Because I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete," O'Reilly told his guest.

The Falklands War 1982: Very few journalists made it inside the war zone to cover the conflict.

Some of O'Reilly's statements seem much less questionable.

2009: During an on-air segment with Bernard Goldberg, himself a former CBS News journalist, O'Reilly said that the network "sent me to El Salvador and to cover the Falkland Islands war in Argentina.

2011: After reading an email from a viewer who was honeymooning down in Argentina, O'Reilly noted his history with the region.

"Tell everybody down there I covered the Falklands War," he told the viewer. "They'll remember."

2012: O'Reilly read an email from a viewer based in the Falkland Islands and said he had "a little soft spot" for the region, given that he "covered the Falklands War."

2015: After Mother Jones dogged him all day Thursday for a response, O'Reilly casually -- and carefully -- invoked his assignment in Argentina.

"When I was at the network news, when there was a conflict, a war, any kind of really violent crime spree, whatever, they're all over it," O'Reilly told Goldberg. "I mean, even minor wars, like the Falklands War -- you know, I was down there in Argentina and Uruguay. The Salvadoran War, I was there. When Grenada hit, there was big coverage of Grenada. All of that."

A little later in the segment, perhaps anticipating the Mother Jones report, O'Reilly clarified his earlier comments.

"I didn't go to Grenada. I want to make that clear to everybody," O'Reilly said, while laughing. "I don't want to get in trouble. But I was in Salvador and Argentina."

Related: Bill O'Reilly rips Mother Jones again: 'Bottom rung of journalism'

Related: Mother Jones demands apology

CNNMoney (New York) February 20, 2015: 6:46 PM ET

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MSNBC says 'prime time lineup is solid'

Maybe, but the channel is pushing back against a report that Rachel Maddow is about to replace one of her proteges, Chris Hayes.

However, change is definitely afoot at the network, as demonstrated by Thursday's twin cancellations of "Ronan Farrow Daily" and "The Reid Report."

MSNBC is searching for solutions to a ratings deficit that seems to worsen with each passing month. Lately the channel has been averaging just 60,000 to 80,000 viewers ages 25 to 54 on weekdays. CNN, the parent of this web site, usually averages more than twice as many viewers in that demographic; Fox News often times averages four times as many.

So what's MSNBC going to do? Among staffers, there is rampant uncertainty.

On Friday, representatives for the channel reiterated that it will continue to "Lean Forward" -- its slogan that sums up its progressive point of view -- while trying to broaden its coverage beyond politics.

An MSNBC spokesperson refuted that the goal is to "move away from left-wing TV," a claim made by an "MSNBC source" to The Daily Beast.

That Daily Beast report also said "two well-placed sources" predicted that Maddow would take Hayes' slot, and that a search is underway for a new 9 p.m. host.

The report sent a shiver through some corners of MSNBC on Thursday night, given how close Hayes and Maddow are. The two hosts share an agent -- and a cerebral liberal sensibility.

"Contrary to the rumors from unnamed sources, we have no plans to take Chris Hayes' show off the air, or move Rachel Maddow's show," an MSNBC spokesperson said Friday. "Our prime time lineup is solid."

Staffers at the 8 p.m. show do not feel they're on solid ground, however. It is possible the show will be shifted to some other time slot.

Hayes' show, "All In," is the most recent addition to MSNBC's prime time lineup -- it was launched in the spring of 2013 after Hayes had a successful run on weekend mornings.

In the press, "All In" has been portrayed as faltering, and several staffers involved with the show, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they've felt unfairly targeted, considering the channel's across-the-board ratings struggles.

On Thursday, for instance, Chris Matthews drew 104,000 viewers ages 25 to 54 at 7 p.m., Hayes had 109,000 at 8 p.m., Maddow had 116,000 at 9 p.m., and Lawrence O'Donnell had 90,000 at 10 p.m.

Some nights are worse for Hayes; he generally loses a bit of the prior hour's audience. Then again, he's been in the job for about two years, while Matthews has been a fixture on MSNBC for well over a decade.

One MSNBC staffer who has worked with Hayes bemoaned "the 8 o'clock time slot problem -- nobody's ever been able to draw the ratings that I think [MSNBC president] Phil Griffin wants to see."

The ultimate calculation, about Hayes and about every other cable news host, is this: Does management think another host could reliably attract a bigger audience?

No more talent changes are believed to be imminent, but there will be more. Ronan Farrow and Joy Reid, two of the channel's lowest-rated hosts, will be replaced by news anchor Thomas Roberts next month, the channel confirmed on Thursday.

The replacement of two strong progressive voices for Roberts was interpreted by some as a step away from liberal politics, at least during the workday.

On the other hand, this week's appointment of Bravo TV star Tom Colicchio as MSNBC's "food correspondent" might be a signal of what's to come. The channel called it part of a "larger strategy to cover a broader set of stories that move and inspire Americans through its progressive lens."

Ultimately, MSNBC may be trying to pull off something quite tricky -- encouraging its loyal and mostly liberal fans to stick around while welcoming new viewers who aren't as fervent about politics, policy or President Obama.

Griffin said in an end-of-2014 memo that in 2015, "we're going to get on the road -- and outside of Washington -- a lot more."

"We're going to keep opening up our aperture, while investing in original reporting on the broad range of stories that move and inspire Americans," he wrote. "And we're going to use new technologies, events and creative tools to engage and mobilize our passionate audience."

MSNBC executives portrayed the Colicchio announcement as the first of several such announcements to come.

Hayes, who has declined to comment on the speculation about the fate of his show, did tweet a nod to The Daily Beast report. On Friday afternoon he wrote: "Tonight we'll probably talk about why going to war in Iraq again is a bad idea," and he added the hashtag "#leftwingTV."

More Media: Bill O'Reilly rips Mother Jones again: 'Bottom rung of journalism'

CNNMoney (New York) February 21, 2015: 3:59 PM ET

04.32 | 0 komentar | Read More

MSNBC says 'prime time lineup is solid'

Maybe, but the channel is pushing back against a report that Rachel Maddow is about to replace one of her proteges, Chris Hayes.

However, change is definitely afoot at the network, as demonstrated by Thursday's twin cancellations of "Ronan Farrow Daily" and "The Reid Report."

MSNBC is searching for solutions to a ratings deficit that seems to worsen with each passing month. Lately the channel has been averaging just 60,000 to 80,000 viewers ages 25 to 54 on weekdays. CNN, the parent of this web site, usually averages more than twice as many viewers in that demographic; Fox News often times averages four times as many.

So what's MSNBC going to do? Among staffers, there is rampant uncertainty.

On Friday, representatives for the channel reiterated that it will continue to "Lean Forward" -- its slogan that sums up its progressive point of view -- while trying to broaden its coverage beyond politics.

An MSNBC spokesperson refuted that the goal is to "move away from left-wing TV," a claim made by an "MSNBC source" to The Daily Beast.

That Daily Beast report also said "two well-placed sources" predicted that Maddow would take Hayes' slot, and that a search is underway for a new 9 p.m. host.

The report sent a shiver through MSNBC on Thursday night, given how close Hayes and Maddow are. The two hosts share an agent -- and a cerebral liberal sensibility.

"Contrary to the rumors from unnamed sources, we have no plans to take Chris Hayes' show off the air, or move Rachel Maddow's show," an MSNBC spokesperson said Friday. "Our prime time lineup is solid."

Staffers at the 8 p.m. show do not feel they're on solid ground, however. It is possible the show will be shifted to some other time slot.

Hayes' show, "All In," is the most recent addition to MSNBC's prime time lineup -- it was launched in the spring of 2013 after Hayes had a successful run on weekend mornings.

In the press, "All In" has been portrayed as faltering, and several staffers involved with the show, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they've felt unfairly targeted, considering the channel's across-the-board ratings struggles.

On Thursday, for instance, Chris Matthews drew 104,000 viewers ages 25 to 54 at 7 p.m., Hayes had 109,000 at 8 p.m., Maddow had 116,000 at 9 p.m., and Lawrence O'Donnell had 90,000 at 10 p.m.

Some nights are worse for Hayes; he generally loses a bit of the prior hour's audience. Then again, he's been in the job for about two years, while Matthews has been a fixture on MSNBC for well over a decade.

One MSNBC staffer who has worked with Hayes bemoaned "the 8 o'clock time slot problem -- nobody's ever been able to draw the ratings that I think [MSNBC president] Phil Griffin wants to see."

The ultimate calculation, about Hayes and about every other cable news host, is this: Does management think another host could reliably attract a bigger audience?

No more talent changes are believed to be imminent, but there will be more. Ronan Farrow and Joy Reid, two of the channel's lowest-rated hosts, will be replaced by news anchor Thomas Roberts next month, the channel confirmed on Thursday.

The replacement of two strong progressive voices for Roberts was interpreted by some as a step away from liberal politics, at least during the workday.

On the other hand, this week's appointment of Bravo TV star Tom Colicchio as MSNBC's "food correspondent" might be a signal of what's to come. The channel called it part of a "larger strategy to cover a broader set of stories that move and inspire Americans through its progressive lens."

Ultimately, MSNBC may be trying to pull off something quite tricky -- encouraging its loyal and mostly liberal fans to stick around while welcoming new viewers who aren't as fervent about politics, policy or President Obama.

Hayes, who has declined to comment on the speculation about the fate of his show, did tweet a nod to The Daily Beast report on Friday afternoon. He wrote: "Tonight we'll probably talk about why going to war in Iraq again is a bad idea," and he added the hashtag "#leftwingTV."

More Media: Bill O'Reilly rips Mother Jones again: 'Bottom rung of journalism'

CNNMoney (New York) February 20, 2015: 7:16 PM ET

04.32 | 0 komentar | Read More

What Bill O'Reilly has said about his time during the Falklands War

That's the central question raised by Mother Jones in a report published Thursday, and the answer appears to be both yes and no.

The Fox News host insists he never said he was in the Falkland Islands during the conflict. As a reporter for CBS News at the time, O'Reilly and his colleagues were based in Buenos Aires, far from the war zone in and around the islands.

Some of O'Reilly's accounts stem from a protest that occurred in Buenos Aires at the time, though that wouldn't qualify as a war zone.

As longtime CBS News correspondent Bob Schieffer told Mother Jones, "Nobody from CBS got to the Falklands... For us, you were a thousand miles from where the fighting was."

Here is the public record of what O'Reilly has said:

2001: O'Reilly wrote in his book, "The No Spin Zone: Confrontations With the Powerful and Famous in America," that his time covering war made him ready for anything. "You know that I am not easily shocked," he wrote. "I've reported on the ground in active war zones from El Salvador to the Falkland Islands, and in chaotic situations like the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles."

2004: In his syndicated column, O'Reilly recalled how he had "survived a combat situation in Argentina during the Falklands War." He was presumably referring to a protest he covered in Buenos Aires, but his reference to a "combat situation" could reasonably be interpreted as a "war zone."

2008: Seven years ago on the "O'Reilly Factor," the host invoked his experience "in the war zones" to taunt Bill Moyers, the veteran journalist with whom he's feuded for years. "By the way, I missed Moyers in the war zones of the Falkland conflict in Argentina, the Middle East and Northern Ireland," O'Reilly said. "I looked for Bill, but I didn't see him."

2013: During an interview on his Fox News show, O'Reilly once again described the protest but said it took place "in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands."

"Because I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete," O'Reilly told his guest.

The Falklands War 1982: Very few journalists made it inside the war zone to cover the conflict.

Some of O'Reilly's statements seem much less questionable.

2009: During an on-air segment with Bernard Goldberg, himself a former CBS News journalist, O'Reilly said that the network "sent me to El Salvador and to cover the Falkland Islands war in Argentina.

2011: After reading an email from a viewer who was honeymooning down in Argentina, O'Reilly noted his history with the region.

"Tell everybody down there I covered the Falklands War," he told the viewer. "They'll remember."

2012: O'Reilly read an email from a viewer based in the Falkland Islands and said he had "a little soft spot" for the region, given that he "covered the Falklands War."

2015: After Mother Jones dogged him all day Thursday for a response, O'Reilly casually -- and carefully -- invoked his assignment in Argentina.

"When I was at the network news, when there was a conflict, a war, any kind of really violent crime spree, whatever, they're all over it," O'Reilly told Goldberg. "I mean, even minor wars, like the Falklands War -- you know, I was down there in Argentina and Uruguay. The Salvadoran War, I was there. When Grenada hit, there was big coverage of Grenada. All of that."

A little later in the segment, perhaps anticipating the Mother Jones report, O'Reilly clarified his earlier comments.

"I didn't go to Grenada. I want to make that clear to everybody," O'Reilly said, while laughing. "I don't want to get in trouble. But I was in Salvador and Argentina."

Related: Bill O'Reilly rips Mother Jones again: 'Bottom rung of journalism'

Related: Mother Jones demands apology

CNNMoney (New York) February 20, 2015: 6:46 PM ET

04.32 | 0 komentar | Read More

No dogs allowed: San Francisco's pet housing crisis

According to San Francisco animal welfare nonprofit SF SPCA, there's been a surge in owners abandoning their pets due to an inability to find pet-friendly housing.

Over the last year, one in four people who left pets with the organization cited problems finding pet-friendly housing. The organization started tracking the numbers this year after staff noticed that housing issues were becoming an increasingly common problem, according to spokesperson Krista Maloney.

An influx of highly-paid tech workers in recent years have pushed out many low- and middle-income renters and driven rents higher. With limited space to build on and tight regulations, the short supply of housing in the city has only made matters worse.

Competition for each apartment is so fierce that landlords can afford to be more selective about tenants, said Mark Campana, president of Anchor Realty, which does not allow pets in any of its roughly 1,000 units.

Related: 10 least affordable rental markets

"Now with the market moving with great speed and with vacant units in high demand, an owner doesn't have the incentive to be pet-friendly," said Campana.

Michael Harrington, president of Pacific Union Property Management, said that while some landlords may be flexible about allowing small dogs, they know they can always find another tenant without an animal.

"We're definitely in what I would call a landlord's market," said Harrington.

Sam the chihuahua was left at the SPCA by an owner who couldn't find pet-friendly housing.

Just because a unit is advertised as pet-friendly doesn't mean it will go to a pet owner, said Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of research and development at ASPCA.

That might explain why data from online rental listing company, Lovely, showed that the percentage of listings that said they allowed "some pets" actually grew from 34% to 39% between 2012 and 2014.

Pet-friendly options also tend to be more out of reach for low-income renters, said Weiss. According to a recent analysis of listings by HotPads, pet-friendly units in San Francisco cost an average of 12% more than those that don't allow pets. That's compared to a national average of 3.5% in major metro areas, the company found. And that doesn't include pet deposits or additional "pet rent," which may be required on top of normal rent.

San Francisco even lags behind New York City, where the share of dog-friendly apartments is almost three times higher and just over half of all landlords allow "some pets," according to Lovely. Yet, pet ownership in the city has long faced the same challenges that the SPCA is seeing in San Francisco, said Sandra DeFeo, executive director of the Humane Society of New York.

"People with more means tend to find places that will accept them with pets," she said.

Jackie Tom, president of leasing company RentalsinSF, said it was hard enough finding an apartment that would accept her Great Dane 15 years ago. Today, the market is even more stressful and more expensive for pet owners, she said.

"There are a lot of wonderful pet owners and not enough affordable housing for them," said Tom, who manages 35 pet-friendly units in the city. "They can keep their pets, but there is a price."

Related: 'Why I have a roommate at my age'

Eric Andresen, president of the San Francisco Apartment Association and Viking Services Corp., which manages about 2,300 housing units in the area, said he would be surprised if the housing crunch really made the city less pet-friendly overall.

He notes that many residents have learned to skirt landlords' pet restrictions by claiming their pets as assistance animals, abusing laws meant to help people with disabilities. The problem has become so widespread in recent years that Andresen recommends landlords simply allow pets so they have some control over the animals in their buildings.

"Then at least you can protect yourself with a pet deposit," said Andresen. "And it certainly puts your relationship with your tenant in a more cooperative place."

CNNMoney (New York) February 20, 2015: 7:54 PM ET

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How I fought Olive Garden (and won)

For nine months the activist investor tried and failed to convince the management of Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants (DRI) to dismantle its restaurant empire.

Mitarotonda, who heads the hedge fund Barington Capital, prefers to work with companies, not against them. But that didn't seem to be working this time.

That's why the activist investor decided to demand that Darden find a replacement for longtime CEO Clarence Otis. Within months, the leader of the largest publicly-traded restaurant group in the world was looking for a new job. Under pressure from Mitarotonda and another activist investor, the company's board of directors was ousted as well.

"Our objective is to have the company embrace our plan and work with us, but if they don't we're not going to sell our stock and go away," Mitarotonda told CNNMoney.

Activist investing -- when an individual or firm takes a stake in an underperforming company with the aim of forcing change -- is playing a bigger and bigger role in Corporate America.

Just over the past few years activist investors have successfully pushed eBay (EBAY, Tech30) to spin off PayPal, Sotheby's (BID) to find a new leader and Apple (AAPL, Tech30) to buy back hundreds of billions of dollars of stock. Others are pushing for a marriage between Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30) and AOL (AOL, Tech30) and for DuPont (DD) to break up its chemical empire.

Related: Do high calories = high stock prices?

Drama at Olive Garden: In the Darden battle, Mitarotonda's hedge fund teamed up with Starboard Value to argue Darden should split its fast-growing restaurants from its more mature brands. Instead of listening to the activists, Otis drew their ire by selling off only one struggling brand -- Red Lobster -- for $2.1 billion.

Starboard took Darden to task over its food, going so far as to complain that Olive Garden fails to salt the water used to cook pasta.

Mitarotonda said he prefers not to get so specific with his critiques of management that ingredients are being argued over. "I'm Italian, so I know there should be salt in the water," he said.

In charge of hedge fund Barington Capital, James Mitarotonda helped oust the board of directors of Olive Garden parent Darden Restaurants.

Related: Olive Garden food flunks CNNMoney taste taste

Darden directors ousted: The activists ultimately prevailed in their battle.

They persuaded shareholders to oust the company's board of directors last October. Since then, Darden's shares have soared nearly 30% to all-time highs and Olive Garden sales have gained momentum. Darden's new board is also actively considering a spinoff of the company's real-estate assets.

"Frankly, if he had embraced our plan, not only would he still be employed and have created significant value for shareholders, but in his next job he'd likely be running a Fortune 100 company," Mitarotonda said.

While corporate governance has clearly improved in recent decades, Mitarotonda said there's definitely still room for improvement.

That's why he's been busy investing in other underperforming companies, including chemicals maker Omnova Solutions (OMN), software maker Ebix (EBIX) and The Eastern Co (EML)., a 156-year-old manufacturing company.

Related: Shake Shack workers get in on IPO riches

What can average investors do? Of course, retail investors don't have the wherewithal to acquire enough of a public company to hold directors' feet to the fire.

But Mitarotonda said mom-and-pop investors do have the option to invest in mutual funds that take a hands-on approach with corporate boards. For example, he singled out Mario Gabelli, the billionaire investor who in 2007 blocked a $10.6 billion deal to take Cablevision (CVC) private.

There's also the 13D Activist Fund (DDDAX), a mutual fund that invests in companies that major activists acquire stakes in. Another alternative for retail investors could be the Direxion iBillionaire ETF (IBLN), which buys the same stocks as billionaire like Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn and George Soros, three investors who don't shy away from picking fights with underperforming boards.

"There's been a much deeper appreciation for and much more embracing of activist investors -- and rightfully so," said Mitarotonda.

CNNMoney (New York) February 20, 2015: 7:10 AM ET

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SIM cards hacked by U.S. and U.K. spies - report

American and British spies can reportedly monitor global cellphone communications after hacking a major SIM card manufacturer.

A report by The Intercept claims spy agencies from the U.S. and U.K. jointly hacked into the world's largest manufacturer of SIM cards in order to monitor mobile phones around the world.

The Intercept was co-founded by Glenn Greenwald, the former Guardian journalist who worked with Edward Snowden to reveal the National Security Agency's huge spying program.

Citing documents provided by Snowden, it claimed the NSA and its U.K. equivalent hacked into Gemalto to get hold of the encryption keys that allow access to SIM cards across the globe.

Based in the Netherlands, Gemalto reportedly makes two billion SIM cards per year. Clients include AT&T (T, Tech30), T-Mobile (TMUS), Verizon (VZ, Tech30), Sprint (S) and about 450 other global telecom firms, according to the report. It also makes chips for credit cards and works with over 3,000 financial institutions.

The company, which prides itself on its top-notch digital security, said it was not aware of the hacking, which ran from 2010 to 2011. It is investigating the report.

"We cannot at this early stage verify the findings of the publication and had no prior knowledge that these agencies were conducting this operation," the firm said in a statement.

Shares in the company dropped 7.5% in morning trading in Europe.

Snowden, a former contractor at the NSA, leaked classified documents containing information about the agency's widespread spying operations in 2013.

U.S. federal prosecutors subsequently charged Snowden with espionage and theft of government property.

The whistleblower has been living in Russia under asylum since 2013. In August 2014, his attorney said he was granted an extension to stay in Russia for three more years.

Gemalto, which is based in Amsterdam, uses the slogan: "Security to be free."

CNNMoney (London) February 20, 2015: 7:27 AM ET

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Why flying stinks, and you're still paying more

There's very little legroom, and a meal is seldom included. There are bag fees, change fees, fees to watch a movie -- not to mention the unpleasantness of going through security.

Yet even as services seem to decline, it costs more money to fly. From 2005 to 2013, ticket prices rose nearly 15% faster the rate of inflation, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"We're paying more and getting less," said Charlie Leocha, head of the passenger advocacy group Travelers United. "Consumers are clearly getting the short end of the stick."

Much of the blame is placed on the wave of consolidations in the industry over the last decade. Twelve years ago, there were 10 major U.S. airlines. Now there are just four.

"Four carriers control 87% of the domestic market," said William Swelbar, a researcher with MIT's International Center for Air Transportation. "That has given the airlines pricing traction, without question."

Even in the face of falling oil prices, airlines haven't cut fares.

Related: Legroom -- how the airlines compare

Yet while this all seems like a raw deal for the average flier, the airlines say it's generally for the better.

For starters, the old model of cutthroat pricing and endless perks was unsustainable.

All the consolidations were largely the result of airlines going bankrupt -- and wiping out huge amounts of shareholder value and jobs. Between 2000 and 2009 U.S. airlines lost a combined $60 billion, said Swelbar. Over 160,000 people were laid off.

"Value destruction was the theme of the decade," he said.

What emerged is a more stable industry that's been better able to consolidate routes. While that might mean fewer daily flights out of smaller airports, regional hubs are now better connected to more cities -- both domestic and international -- than ever before.

"The payoff is global access," said Michael Boyd, a Denver-based aviation consultant.

Related: The runway to the final four airlines

The airline industry said the return to profitability has led to investment in new equipment that's actually improved services for fliers: New planes, new terminals, new runways, better software that doesn't lose your luggage as much.

"The U.S. carriers were notably behind the rest of the world in modernizing their fleets," said John Heimlich, chief economist at Airlines for America, the industry trade group. A new plane has better lighting, bigger overhead bins, more oxygen, and is more environmentally friendly.

And charging for all the things that used to be part of a standard ticket -- a pricing model the industry calls 'a la carte' -- means the person who just wants the cheapest fare doesn't have to pay for someone else's meal.

So keep that in mind the next time you're crammed in on a $500 commuter flight with no food.

CNNMoney (New York) February 20, 2015: 7:27 AM ET

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Stocks: 5 things to know before the open

Click chart for in-depth premarket data.

Here are the five things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Stocks slip, oil slides: U.S. stock futures are taking a small step back and European markets are mixed in early trading.

Oil futures are down by about 4%, with crude trading around $50 per barrel.

StockViews chief executive Tom Beevers said a report from the American Petroleum Institute showing a jump in crude supplies was "spooking the market."

This comes ahead of the closely-watched U.S. Energy Information Administration report due out 11 a.m. ET, which is also expected to show oil inventories have risen.

Over the past few months, moves in oil prices have influenced stock markets, though the recent correlation between equities and oil is considered abnormal.

2. Latest Greek moves: Greece has asked its group of European creditors to give it a six-month loan extension, according to a tweet by the head of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem.

Greece's current bailout program expires on February 28 and markets have been concerned that the country is going to run out of money and could exit the eurozone.

No word yet on how creditors will respond.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

3. Central bank insights: The European Central Bank is set to publish minutes from its January meeting, giving investors insight into the historic decision to launch a large scale, money-printing program. Markets will be curious to see how united the central bankers were during their discussions.

This comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve released its latest set of meeting minutes Wednesday. Investors generally focused on a line indicating the Fed would keep interest rates at record-low levels for "a longer time".

The Fed had been indicating it may raise rates this year as the economy picked up.

4. Earnings and economics: Walmart (WMT), DirecTV (DTV) and Priceline (PCLN, Tech30) are reporting earnings before the opening bell.

Intuit (INTU) and Nordstrom (JWN) will report after the close.

Shares in Air France-KLM (AFLYY) were declining by about 5% in Europe after the company reported full-year results. The company struggled last year as pilots went on strike for an extended period.

"Strike action by Air France pilots did not help, but we believe there was underlying weakness too," said Liberum analyst Gerald Khoo. "We remain concerned about the outlook."

On the economic front, the U.S. government will post weekly jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET.

5. Wednesday market recap: Over the previous trading session, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 18 points, the S&P 500 was flat, and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%.

CNNMoney (London) February 19, 2015: 5:27 AM ET

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Brian Williams' daughter: "I can't wait until he's back on TV"

Appearing alongside NBC talk show host Seth Meyers on Wednesday at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, Williams said the past two weeks of professional turmoil have been "tough, obviously toughest on my dad," but she assured the audience, "I know you can trust him."

"One thing this experience has not done is shake my trust and belief in him as a man," Allison said about her father.

"He's a really good man," she said. "He's an honest man. He's a truthful man. He has so much integrity. He cares so much about journalism. And yes, he's a really good dad, but I know you can trust him because, as any good daughter does, I have tested him on that."

The nearly full crowd laughed at that point.

Williams, one of the stars of HBO's "Girls," spoke about the controversy at the very start of the long-scheduled event. Meyers set her up by saying he assumed that it's been a "difficult time" for the Williams family.

"Yeah, this has been a really hard time," she said. "We have also been very, very lucky, counting our blessings. We have our health, we have each other."

Williams' mother was in the audience for Wednesday's event.

"My dad has always been there for us 100% of the time, even sometimes before we knew we needed him," Williams added. "And so this, to be here for him, is the least we can do."

Allison Williams' remarks are probably as close as we'll come to hearing from Brian Williams for a while.

NBC News has barred the anchor from speaking to the press without permission, and he hasn't addressed the matter since he apologized on February 4 for telling an exaggerated story about a helicopter mission in Iraq.

The controversy has only metastasized since then, with mounting questions about other possible exaggerations. NBC's internal investigation into those disputed accounts appears to be far from complete.

Following her general comments about trust, Williams specifically invoked Iraq. She was in ninth grade when the war started and her father traveled to the Middle East for NBC.

"There was a father-daughter dance at the end of that year," she said. "Before he left, he was assuming he'd be back in time for the dance. And then, as the date was coming, it didn't seem like he was going to make it."

"But he had promised," she recalled, "and so a couple days before I was so upset. And I got a surprise call from Iraq from my dad and he was asking if I had a date to the dance."

"So that's the kind of man he is," she said, "and I can't wait until he's back on TV. And I know that many of you guys feel that way."

On that note, the audience applauded.

After the initial remarks about her father's character, most of the discussion dealt with Williams' time at Yale, her role on "Girls," and NBC's live production of "Peter Pan."

Williams appeared earlier in the evening at a Michael Kors store in Manhattan to mark the launch of an eyewear line. A publicist for that event reportedly asked journalists in attendance to steer clear of questions about Williams' "personal life."

Those questions never used to be off-limits. When she appeared on "The Daily Show" last month, Williams joined Jon Stewart in taking some playful shots at her father.

And last year, she appeared on NBC's "Late Night" shortly after Meyers took over as host. Her appearance came one night after Brian Williams sat down with Meyers.

"This is -- you know, again, we're only seven shows in -- first father-daughter, back-to-back," Meyers joked at the time.

Allison Williams' appearance on Wednesday came exactly two weeks after her father's on-air apology, which was widely deemed insufficient.

In the wake of his six-month suspension, some NBC News staffers have expressed doubts that he'll ever return to the anchor chair, but public opinion thus far has been mixed.

Magid Associates, one of the leading media consulting firms, found that nearly half of network news viewers think Williams can restore his credibility.

And a CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday morning showed that 52% believe Williams should be allowed back on "NBC Nightly News," while 40% said he should not.

Related: What else has NBC News dug up on Brian Williams?

Related: Some viewers think Brian Williams deserves a shot at redemption

CNNMoney (New York) February 18, 2015: 10:44 PM ET

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Greece asks Europe for a loan extension

Greece's current bailout program expires on February 28 and markets have been concerned that the country is going to run out of money and could exit the eurozone.

The country is shouldering a massive debt load after receiving around 240 billion euros ($273 billion) in aid since 2010. The Greek government has been trying to negotiate better debt terms but its requests have been broadly turned down.

No word yet on how creditors will respond to this latest request.

CNNMoney (London) February 19, 2015: 6:53 AM ET

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Whites have 12 times the wealth of blacks

The typical white family had accumulated more than $134,200 in wealth in 2013, while black families scraped together a little more than $11,000 and Hispanic families $13,700, according to a new Urban Institute report.

It's yet another example of how financial inequality is pervading this country and it's is only getting worse. Whites now have 12 times the wealth of blacks and nearly 10 times more than Hispanics. But in 1995, the spread was only 7 times for blacks and 6 times for Hispanics.

"The American Dream remains out of reach for many African-American and Hispanic families," said Signe-Mary McKernan, co-director of the Opportunity and Ownership Initiative at the Urban Institute. "Families of color, who will be the future majority population of this country, are not on a firm wealth-building path."

Related: Wealth gap between middle class and rich widest ever

There are three main reasons for the widening gap, according to McKernan. Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to be homeowners or participate in retirement accounts, which build wealth.

Federal government programs aimed at helping Americans buy homes and save for retirement rely on tax breaks and aren't as available to blacks and Hispanics, who typically have lower incomes. The bottom 20% of taxpayers, in terms of income, received less than 1% of federal subsidies for homeownership or retirement.

And the earnings gap between the races makes it harder for blacks and Hispanics to save.

The wealth gap, in dollar terms, only increases over time because of all these factors. The typical white family in their 60s has $285,000 more in wealth than their black counterpart. (The Hispanic sample size was too small.)

That means whites are better able to enjoy a comfortable retirement and pass along wealth to the next generation to help children buy homes or grandchildren go to college. Whites are 5 times more likely to receive large gifts or inheritances, said McKernan.

Blacks and Hispanics have also socked away a lot less for retirement in 401(k)s and IRAs. And as these voluntary retirement plans replace pensions, black and Hispanic families are left on shakier ground in what should be their Golden Years.

Access is an issue. Some 47% of whites are covered by an employer retirement plan, while only 40% of blacks and 28% of Hispanics are. The latter two are also likely to contribute less when they do have access.

When it comes to building wealth, debt levels also matter.

In recent years, blacks have taken on more student loan debt than whites. Some 42% of blacks age 25 to 55 have college loans, compared to 28% of whites. This may be because black families have less wealth so they have to borrow to go to college.

But blacks also have lower graduation rates, which leaves them saddled with the loans but without the benefits of a college degree. This hurts their climb up the economic ladder, McKernan said.

Related: 5 disturbing stats on black-white inequality

Related: Hispanics' massive wealth gap

CNNMoney (New York) February 18, 2015: 3:57 AM ET

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