Internet Business News

Reuters The Trump administration is looking into a proposal that would lower taxes by the same amount it has taken in from tariffs, according to a congressional aide.  The proposal came as the US trade war with China threatens to put pressure on American businesses and consumers. The White House falsely claimed for much of the past year that tariffs are paid by foreign exporters, particularly in the case of China. Visit Markets Insider for more stories . The Trump administration is looking into a proposal that would lower taxes by the same amount it has taken in from tariffs as its trade war with China threatens to put pressure on American businesses and consumers.  Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida first introduced the tax cuts, which would be equal to the revenue the Treasury Department received from tariffs on thousands of Chinese products over the past year. The plan was first reported by the Washington Post. See the rest of the story at Business Insider NO...

Someone has to win the lottery, it might as well be you. Buying a lottery ticket is economically irrational and emotionally rewarding for some. Because while someone has to win, it’s probably not going to be you. There are examples of lottery logic in our daily work as well. It’s clear that someone is going to be the next Taylor Swift, the next George Clooney or the next Will Smith. But it’s probably not going to be you. Someone is going to raise a $40 million seed round, or get picked to be the next big thing. But it’s probably not going to be you. It’s tempting to decide to follow the path that leads to mass-market stardom, the top of the charts, the fame and fortune that comes to the person who wins a media lottery. It’s tempting to build a mass-market podcast or a general-audience news site. It’s tempting to be the sort of vanilla-but-attractive actor who can play just about any role… But it’s far more productive to focus on ...

“It’s just politics.” No one ever says, “it’s just governance.” Politics is organized sparring about power, without much regard for efficacy or right or wrong. Governance is the serious business of taking responsibility for leadership. Over the last twenty years, the mass media has shifted, from “here’s the news,” to, “hey, it’s just media.” As a result, a system has been built in which situations, emergencies and bad news have been packaged and promoted twenty-four hours a day. In the face of that maelstrom of noise, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that the world is more dangerous and unstable than it has ever been. When we have a chance to speak up for governance, we can strike a blow against politics. Because even though it doesn’t make compelling TV, the long-term challenges ahead of us aren’t going to respond to politics. Dedication, resilience and concerted effort have saved us be...

Uli Kirchler is a woodworker who creates telescopic wooden castles. Each piece is carved into a burl, which is a deformed part of a tree trunk. The trick to getting the pieces to expand and collapse is to carve the wood at an angle. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.   Following is a transcript of the video.  Narrator: This isn't computer animation or a trick of the light. A wood-carved city actually just popped out of that chunk of a tree, and it can pop right back in! So what's going on? Artist Uli Kirchler works with a totally unexpected form of art that requires a tough-to-navigate canvas. He uses burls, these bulbous and kind of gross growths found on the side of trees. Look inside them and you'll see amazing swirling patterns. But when Uli looks inside, he sees an opportunity to create a pop-up city that could take him hours to meticulously carve but that he can play with for a lifetime. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also: Wh...

Associated Press Hong Kong policemen drew their guns and fired a warning shot amid violent protests in Tsuen Wan on Sunday, reported the AP . Earlier that day, police used water cannons for the first time to clear out protestors after a peaceful march turned chaotic. It was a violent weekend overall in Hong Kong — on Saturday, a protest over surveillance concerns resulted in police deploying tear gas, breaking a 10-day peace streak. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . Violence in Hong Kong continues to escalate after a weekend of chaotic clashes between protestors and police. Hong Kong police officers drew their guns and reportedly fired a warning shot after being attacked by protestors with sticks and rods on Sunday night, reported the Associated Press .  See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: Most hurricanes that hit the US come from the same exact spot in the world See Also: A look at the life and fortune of John McCain, who had...

Short-term thinking repeated again and again doesn’t lead to long-term thinking. Rand Fishkin shares a thoughtful analysis about a trend that now affects just about everyone: Google is hoarding more and more traffic. When I worked at Yahoo, there were 183 links on our home page. The stated strategy of the company was to build more and more internal content and services (Yahoo mail, Yahooligans, Yahoo Finance) to keep as many surfers on their site for as long as they could. The math was simple: if you’re getting paid by the impression, having someone stay for twenty or thirty clicks is way more profitable than encouraging them to leave and go to another site. Google blew this status quo wide open. Their model was very different: “come here on your way to somewhere else.”  There were only two links on their home page, because the only place they wanted to encourage you to go was wherever a good search led you. If you were a company or an individual with someth...

Together, the companies claim to have sold $500 million in robotic toys. Kid-friendly robotics giant Sphero has acquired DIY programming-kit company littleBits . The two toy-based teaching companies expect to build on each other’s strengths to become an even more massive player in the education space. Neither company has revealed the financial terms of the deal, but Sphero now claims to have the largest reach in the educational market with more than $500 million in product sold when combined with littleBits, according to data first reported by EdSurge . Read Full Story

Oka-B Oka-B has created the perfect shoe for rainy days — a water-resistant ballet flat.   There are 10 different styles in various colors, but each one is water-resistant, flexible, easy to clean, non-slip, made with recycled materials, and have arch support.  I have the Georgia Matte Ballet Flat ($44), which comes in six different colors.  I've worn them during light drizzles, heavy downpours, and even on sunny days, and find that they're comfortable and cute enough to wear all day long.  When it rains during the summer, there aren't a lot of options when it comes to appropriate women's footwear. Sure, there are short rain boots, but at the end of the day, they're still boots and not something you want to wear when it's 90 degrees outside but also pouring.  See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: Octopuses are officially the weirdest animals on Earth See Also: This sustainable body-care brand makes really great sulfate-fr...

Patrick Byrne told multiple publications that he had a romantic relationship with Maria Butina, who pleaded guilty to being an unregistered agent for Russia. Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne has resigned after  comments  he made about the “deep state” and Russian meddling, including claims that he had a romantic relationship with Maria Butina, the Russian woman who pleaded guilty to being an unauthorized foreign agent. Read Full Story

Forget Silicon Valley. A growing number of entrepreneurs are returning to their roots to build a business.

Looking for a new way to make money from home? Here are 20 businesses that you can start with very little money.