Top Headlines: Reddit co-founder looks to Birmingham’s future, New Alabama daycare licenses

Reddit co-founder looking forward to Birmingham’s future
He’s the co-founder of the fifth largest website in the world, the informal “Mayor of the Internet” – but Alexis Ohanian told the crowd at Sloss Tech 2019 that he’s looking forward to the future of Birmingham. Ohanian had a lot to say this afternoon as the featured speaker at the tech conference at the Lyric Theatre. In addition to his thoughts on the Magic City, Ohanian spoke not only about technology, but the importance of human factors in achievement. – AL.com

Sloss Tech panel says proper use of data can make you a master
Vinay Bhat is a chess Grandmaster, which turns out to be a pretty good training for data analytics. Bhat, who is Shipt’s head of data science, spoke today as part of a panel on data analytics at Sloss Tech 2019 at the Lyric Theatre. Bhat said collecting data and using it effectively can employ the same skills needed to excel at chess – strategic thinking, focus and concentration, as well as intuition. – AL.com

Alabama daycares get licensed under new state requirement
More than 150 previously unlicensed daycares in Alabama have gotten licensed by the state in order to continue receiving childcare subsidies. A 2018 state law required centers to get licensed by Aug. 1 to continue receiving the payments that help low and moderate-income families pay for childcare. Alabama’s Department of Human Resources said there had been 206 unlicensed daycare centers receiving the state subsidies. – AP

Boise Cascade reports Q2 net income of $27.7 million
Boise Cascade Company today reported net income of $27.7 million, or $0.71 per share, on sales of $1.2 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019, compared with net income of $41.8 million, or $1.06 per share, on sales of $1.4 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. Second quarter 2018 results included $9.0 million of net after-tax losses, or $0.23 per share, from non-cash pension settlement charges. – News release

AT&T, union agree to extend contract talks to Aug. 10
A communications workers union and AT&T agreed late Saturday to extend their contract negotiations by another week until midnight Aug. 10. Members of Communications Workers of America working at AT&T Southeast voted July 19 to authorize a strike against the utility that could have begun Sunday. Negotiations commenced June 24. The current wireline contracts cover more than 22,000 workers in Alabama and eight other states. – Winston-Salem Journal

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States in race to siphon off Georgia’s filmmaking industry
Georgia’s passage of one of the country’s strictest abortion laws has triggered a nationwide competition to lure TV and film production from the state in the event of a boycott. Production in Georgia was responsible for an estimated $9.5 billion in economic impact last year and its tax incentives and spending credits made it such a darling of Hollywood that the state surpassed California as the favorite setting for TV and film production in the U.S. But the abortion law puts it in opposition to the more liberal entertainment industry. – Bloomberg

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