NewsReuters VideosWildfires in western Canada blanket sky in smoke
STORY: Aerial footage filmed by the BC Wildfire Service showed wildfires burning around 10 km (6 miles) east of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia and blanketing skies with dark smoke, with the area affected estimated to be around 9,600 hectares.The BC Wildfire Service added an increase in fire activity was expected with stronger winds forecast, which in turn would restrict firefighting efforts. Local authorities issued an evacuation order for the town of Tumbler Ridge.
BusinessReuters VideosGM to adopt Tesla charging standard
STORY: Tesla’s network of car chargers is one step closer to becoming the standard in one of the world’s biggest auto markets. On Thursday, General Motors joined Ford when it said it would partner with Tesla and adopt its charging technology. GM CEO Mary Barra and Tesla’s Elon Musk got on Twitter Spaces to announce GM will embrace the system, saying: “We have a real opportunity here to really drive this to be the unified standard for North America, which I think will even enable more mass adoption." Musk called the partnership “a fundamentally great thing for the advancement” of EVs. GM said that starting in 2025, like Ford, it will equip its electric vehicles with connectors based on Tesla’s tech. The move means three of the top EV sellers in the North American market have now agreed on a standard for charging hardware. According to U.S. Department of Energy data, Tesla Superchargers account for about 60 percent of the total fast chargers in the US and Canada. Investors applauded the deal and the prospect of Tesla's network as a standard. GM and Tesla shares went up 4 percent in after-hours trade. The alliance of the three carmakers has significant commercial and political implications. Under the Biden administration, if companies want to be eligible for billions of dollars of federal subsidies for new charging stations on the roads, they are required to adopt a rival to the Tesla system - a so-called “combined charging system” standard. The pact between Tesla, GM and Ford likely challenges that direction.
PoliticsReuters VideosTrump indicted on federal charges over classified docs
STORY: Former U.S. President Donald Trump was told to show up at federal court next Tuesday in Miami, as he faces a second indictment, this time over his handling of classified materials after he left the White House.And this marks the first time in American history a former president has been indicted on federal charges, adding to his legal troubles as he runs for president again. The indictment remains under seal. Sources say Trump faces at least seven criminal counts in the federal case. It’s illegal for the government to comment on grand jury matters that haven’t been made public. However, Trump’s legal team would have been told what those seven charges were, as part of his summons. Reuters could not immediately learn what specific charges Trump was facing, and his attorneys did not immediately respond for a comment. Trump, who leads the GOP in the polls, targeted the Biden administration in a video posted on Thursday on his social media platform. “I am an innocent man, I am an innocent person.”“Our country is going to hell. They come after Donald Trump, weaponizing the Justice Department, weaponizing the FBI….”Around 100 documents bearing “classified” markings were recovered from Trump’s Palm Beach home last August. The Justice Department was looking into whether Trump unlawfully removed them when he left office in 2021, and whether he or others tried to block the government’s investigation. On Thursday reporters challenged Joe Biden about the Justice Department’s independence in relation to the case. “I have never once, not one single time, suggested to the Justice Department what they should do, or not do in terms of bringing a charge or not bringing a charge. I'm honest. Following news of the indictment, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, other Republicans such as Ron DeSantis, and billionaire Elon Musk tweeted messages to support Trump. Hofstra University Constitutional Law professor James Sample, says it's likely federal prosecutors will bring charges that are “serious” and “easy to prove” but he also said that doesn't mean Trump’s poll numbers will suffer. “And, in fact, it was striking to witness that when he was indicted in New York on the charges arising out of the Stormy Daniels affair and the classification of those expenditures, his poll numbers actually improved. Now, is that causation or is it merely correlation? It's very, very difficult to say. But one thing that we have learned over the last couple of years in particular is that the normal rules, the normal political assumptions that apply, seemingly don't apply in the same way to Donald Trump.” Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. That’s after he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records linked to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. He also faces a much more serious criminal investigation by a county prosecutor in Georgia relating to his efforts to undo his 2020 election loss in that state.
NewsStoryfulBritish Columbia Wildfire Exhibiting 'Extreme Behavior' as Town Receives Evacuation Order
The West Kiskatinaw River wildfire continued to exhibit “extreme fire behavior” on Thursday, June 8, as it raged around 6.2 miles (10 km) east of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, local authorities said.Footage posted on Facebook by the British Columbia Wildfire Service shows an “intense and volatile” blaze moving across the landscape under low-to-moderate winds.Fire activity was expected to increase further as easterly winds increased, with easterly winds continuing to restrict ground and aerial suppression, before a shift to westerly winds on Saturday, the British Columbia Wildfire Service said.The District of Tumbler Ridge issued an evacuation order for the town of Tumbler Ridge, with impacted residents told to evacuate the area immediately. Credit: British Columbia Wildfire Service via Storyful
BusinessReuters VideosBinance.US halts dollar deposits after SEC lawsuit
STORY: The U.S. arm of the world’s largest crypto exchange Binance announced on Thursday it is suspending U.S. dollar deposits, days after U.S. regulators sued the company and its CEO.In a notice it tweeted, the platform said its banking partners are preparing to pause fiat dollar withdrawal channels as early as next Tuesday. Binance said it has become what it called a “target of aggressive tactics” by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in its pursuit of “an ideological campaign against the American digital asset industry.” The company added it is taking “proactive steps” to transition to a crypto-only exchange for the time being. Trading, staking, deposits and withdrawals in crypto would remain fully operational. On Monday, the SEC filed a lawsuit against the exchange and its founder Changpeng Zhao, accusing them of misleading investors. Just a day later, the watchdog also sued Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency platform in the U.S., alleging that it was operating as an unregistered exchange.
PoliticsReuters VideosTrump indictment is 'hugely significant': expert
STORY: Donald Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury for retaining classified government documents and obstruction of justice, according to a lawyer for the former U.S. president and another source familiar with the matter."Well, if you lied to federal prosecutors, it doesn't matter if you're the former president of the United States. And that's actually, while this is a serious and somber occasion, it's actually an example of one of the positives of America, accountability to the rule of law, even at the highest levels," said Sample, a professor of constitutional law at Hofstra University.The law professor added that Trump can still run for president."We live in a country where in the United States, rightly or wrongly, a convicted felon, even if he's convicted, can be elected president. He could even, in theory, serve as president while incarcerated."
NewsStoryful19 Teens Hospitalized After Ramp Collapses in Southern Texas Beach Town
A total of 19 teenagers aged between 14 and 18 were transported to local hospitals in Surfside Beach, southern Texas, on Thursday, June 8, after falling from a ramp that collapsed in the area, authorities said.According to Surfside Police Department, the incident occurred in the beach town, located about 60 miles south of Houston, just after 1 pm Thursday and the injured were all part of a summer camp group visiting the area.None of the teenagers sustained life-threatening injuries and the cause of the ramps collapse was under investigation, police said.Footage captured by Garrett Tarver shows the partially collapsed boardwalk on Thursday afternoon. Credit: Garrett Tarver via Storyful
NewsReuters VideosChina to establish spy facility in Cuba: WSJ
STORY: A report from the Wall Street Journal on Thursday said China has reached a secret deal with Cuba to establish a spy facility on the island nation.But the Biden Administration was quick to cast doubt on the report. Here’s Pentagon Press Secretary and Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder.“I can tell you, based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate, that we are not aware of China and Cuba developing any type of spy station. Separately, I would say that the relationship that those two countries share is something that we continuously monitor. I would say that that, as you've heard us say many times, China's activities, both in our hemisphere and around the world, any concerning activities are something that we will continue to watch closely. But in terms of that particular report, no, it's not accurate.”Cuba’s government ALSO cast doubt on the report, with vice foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio calling it a U.S. fabrication meant to justify Washington's decades-old economic embargo against the island. A spy installation in Cuba, which is roughly 100 miles from Florida, would allow China to gather electronic communications from the southeastern U.S., which houses many U.S. military bases. Beijing would also be able to monitor ship traffic, the newspaper reported, citing U.S. officials familiar with classified intelligence. That is a concern of Jaganath Sankaran an assistant professor in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas who conducts research on China’s military.“But I think the even more scary as part of the electronic intelligence aspect of how ships work, how and what frequency the ships on the ship-based carrier, based aircraft communicate on how do these work? I mean, so you're trying to get all this information in. That's very tough to get, especially if you're far away from the main operating base. So that shift, that ability to absorb over a long time and to make a map of how U.S. military assets communicate would be probably much more important if this comes into play.”According to the Journal report, citing officials, China and Cuba have reached an agreement in principle, with China to pay Cuba "several billion dollars" to allow the eavesdropping station.A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said it was not aware of the case and couldn’t give a comment right now.The Journal said U.S. officials declined to provide more details about the proposed location of the spy station or whether construction had begun. The reported deal comes as Washington and Beijing are taking tentative steps to soothe tensions that spiked after a suspected Chinese high-altitude spy balloon crossed the United States before the U.S. military shot it down off the East Coast in February. Thursday's report could also raise questions about a trip to China that U.S. officials say Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning in coming weeks. Washington's top diplomat had earlier scrapped the visit over the spy balloon incident.
NewsReuters VideosBiden, Sunak announce new economic partnership
STORY: Biden: “We don't have a closer ally than Great Britain."U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to the White House on Thursday and agreed to deepen close economic ties in what they called the "Atlantic Declaration,"pledging to accelerate the clean energy transition and strengthen critical supply chains.Sunak: “...thank you for welcoming me to the White House.”The agreement between the two countries was described as a first-of-its-kind economic partnership that mapped out future cooperation on issues such as artificial intelligence, and other economic and commercial relations.Later, the two leaders described other areas of cooperation in a joint press conference, including their continued support for Ukraine... with Sunak sending a strong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin:Sunak: "There is no point trying to wait us out, we're not going anywhere. We will be here for as long as it takes…And hopefully that will speed up the calculation in his mind that he should withdraw his forces."Biden underscored support for Ukraine's long-term security and deterring aggression after the war ends.Biden: "...and we're advancing this goal by providing them the support Ukraine needs now on the battlefield and helping them strengthen their military over the long term. The fact of the matter is that I believe we will have the funding necessary to support Ukraine as long as it takes."Biden and Sunak's meeting was the fourth in as many months for the two leaders. Thursday's discussion also focused heavily on ensuring the safety of AI and other emerging technologies… something Biden stressed needs attention.Biden: "We're going to do more on joint research and development to ensure the future we're building remains fundamentally aligned with our values set in both our countries."Biden and Sunak also agreed to launch a new civil nuclear partnership as part of their clean energy cooperation, which will include setting up new infrastructure over the long term and cutting reliance on Russian fuel.
SportReuters VideosMiami ready as Messi confirms move to MLS
STORY: Messi, who played his final game for PSG over the weekend, was also linked with a return to Barcelona, but the Spanish club have had their hands tied due to LaLiga's financial fair play rules."I made the decision that I'm going to go to Miami," Messi said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo and Sport newspapers."I still haven't closed it 100%. I'm still missing a few things, but we decided to go ahead. If Barcelona didn't work out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight and think more about my family."Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in December and has earned a record seven Ballon d'Or awards, won the Ligue 1 title in his two seasons with PSG as well as the French Super Cup in 2022.The move is also a big win for MLS, which welcomed Messi while adding that work remained to finalize the details of the formal agreement."The (goat) is coming," MLS tweeted, with a goat animal emoji standing in for the phrase "greatest of all time"."Millions of MLS fans all over the world welcome you, Leo."Messi had wanted to go to a club where he could eventually have an ownership stake, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told Reuters this week, and his contract is expected to pave the way for him to do so after he retires.He will also receive a cut of the revenue from Apple TV's MLS Season Pass, which broadcasts the league's games, and be able to maximize his existing sponsorship deal with Adidas.MLS earns a flat fee of around $250 million per year from Apple until it reaches a certain threshold of subscriptions, after which point it will earn a share of the revenue from those subscriptions.
NewsStoryfulKherson Village Submerged in Several Feet of Water After Ukraine Dam Destruction
Evacuations continued in flooded areas of Kherson, southern Ukraine, on Thursday, June 8, after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.This footage was captured by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and shows floodwaters reaching the roofs of homes and businesses in the village of Sadove.By Thursday evening, more than 2,300 residents in the region were evacuated, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Credit: RFE/RL via Storyful
NewsReuters VideosShocked residents lay white roses at Annecy playground
STORY: The children wounded in the attack were aged between 22 months and three years. Two of the wounded children and one adult were in hospital in a life-threatening condition, while the other victims were less seriously hurt.Le Paquier park where the attack took place is popular with local people and tourists who swarm to Annecy in summer to boat on the lake's turquoise waters and hike in the nearby forested mountains.At least one of the wounded children was in a stroller, eyewitnesses said. One person who saw the attack, who gave his name as Ferdinand, told BFM TV: "(He) went towards the strollers, repeatedly hitting the little ones with a knife."The suspect was a 31-year-old Syrian refugee granted asylum in Sweden 10 years ago and in France legally, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said.Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said France had rejected an asylum request made by the suspect earlier this month, and that he had been carrying "certain Christian religious insignia".The local prosecutor leading the investigation said there was no indication that terrorism was the assailant's motivation. The suspect was under investigation for attempted murder.
NewsReuters VideosThe world under El Nino
STORY: After three years dominated by the cooler La Nina weather pattern... El Nino is now underway, according to a U.S. climate monitoring agency. The last time a strong El Nino was in full swing was 2016... when the world saw its hottest year on record. And scientists say this year looks particularly worrying. [NOAA CLIMATE SCIENTIST, TOM DI LIBERTO]“El Nino could lead to 2024 being one for the record books.” El Nino is a natural climate pattern borne out of unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific... though scientists are not entirely sure what kicks off the cycle. It's likely to yield extreme weather later this year - from tropical cyclones - to heavy rainfall.Tom Di Liberto is a climate scientist with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "El Nino is not like a storm. El Nino is not going to hit you on Tuesday. El Nino is all about changing the kind of patterns that weather plays in. So, when we talk about a moderate or strong event, that's basically saying that El Nino has a stronger influence on creating the atmospheric patterns that might stay around a while for a period of time.” During an El Nino the southern U.S. sees cooler and wetter weather, while parts of the U.S. West and Canada are warmer and drier. Hurricane activity usually falters in the Atlantic... but in the Pacific, tropical cyclones get a boost. Australia usually endures extreme heat, drought and bushfires. Parts of Central and South America may experience heavy rainfall. The Horn of Africa could see a reprieve after five consecutive failed rainy seasons. Weather anomalies can be more extreme depending on where waters are warmest, making things drier or wetter in certain regions.“...the Atlantic is very, very warm. The Western Pacific is pretty warm. The Indian Ocean is really warm. So that in and of itself, even if there wasn't an El Nino, would mean that there's an increased risk for coral bleaching in tons of different places around the globe.” There's also concern that global sea surface temperatures could supercharge extreme weather.During the last El Nino, anchovy stocks off Peru’s coast crashed and nearly a third of the corals on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef died. While climate change is doubling down on the impacts from El Nino, whether climate change influences the phenomenon itself is less clear. “Most of the warmest years on record that we've seen in the past have happened due to the influence of El Nino, because it gives that little bit extra push on to the global temperatures on top of the warming that we're already causing due to human caused climate change.”
NewsStoryfulFlorida Police Officer Rescues Family of 6 From Overturned Minivan
A sergeant with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) in Florida rescued a family of 6 from a crashed minivan on Tuesday, June 6, the sheriff’s office said.When Sergeant Donnie Rizer came across the overturned vehicle, he saw a mother with four children trapped inside, according to the HCSO. Rizer found the fifth child with their fingers poking through the sunroof and quickly removed his vest and equipment to crawl inside and save them, the HCSO said. Rizer even returned to the car to retrieve one of the child’s pacifiers, officials said.This footage, from Rizer’s body-worn camera, shows the moment of the rescue.“Sergeant Donnie Rizer’s response was nothing short of extraordinary. His bravery, composure, and genuine care for all involved are commendable,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via Storyful
BusinessReuters VideosWall Street closes up as tech stocks rebound
STORY: U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday regaining some of their momentum thanks to a rebound by technology stocks.The Dow gained half a percent, the S&P 500 climbed six tenths of a percent and the Nasdaq jumped one percent.Data on Thursday showed a sharp jump in weekly jobless claims, signaling a softening labor market.“Economic data is all pointing towards recession, but stocks don't seem to care.”Ryan Belanger is Managing Principal and Founder of Claro Advisors.“They're brushing that off. They're riding the wave higher. They've got momentum behind them in certain sectors. And it's almost close to 100 stocks in the S&P 500 have made fresh 52 week highs recently. And that's really remarkable in the face of all the economic data."Investors are now waiting on inflation data and a Federal Reserve policy meeting next week.Most traders have priced in a pause in rate hikes by the central bank.Meanwhile, a rebound in technology and megacap stocks helped major indexes regain their footing amid thin volumes.Heavyweight Amazon gained two-and-a-half percent as Wells Fargo initiated coverage on the company with an "overweight" rating.Nvidia, Apple and Tesla rose between roughly one-and-a-half and four-and-a-half percent.Meme stock GameStop tanked nearly 18% as billionaire investor Ryan Cohen took over as executive chairman after the video-game retailer ousted its CEO and posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss.
NewsStoryfulSeveral Pride Flags Stolen in Utah's South Jordan, Police Say
Several Pride flags were stolen from houses in the Daybreak neighborhood of South Jordan, Utah, local police said on Thursday, June 8.This footage released by the South Jordan Police Department shows a masked individual detaching a flag from its pole in front of a home in the area before running away with it. The police said they had received multiple reports of similar incidents and asked for the public’s help in identifying the culprit(s).Some of the stolen flags belonged to local non-profit Project Rainbow, which stakes Pride flags in the area as a way to fundraise, local news reported. In 2021, reports of stolen Project Rainbow flags also made the news. Credit: South Jordan Police Department via Storyful
EntertainmentReuters VideosTribeca Film Festival kicks off under smoky skies
STORY: “Something always happens. And lo and behold… A forest fire, a forest fire in Canada that broke - and the winds were coming in our direction that we've hadn’t experienced in the city that I don't think on record we've ever had as far as I know,” said actor and festival co-founder Robert De Niro.The event, in its 22nd edition this year, took place under state and city protocols, according to its co-founder Jane Rosenthal.The two-week festival opened with the film “Kiss the Future”, a documentary co-produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck telling the story of the 1992 Siege of Saravejo.
NewsStoryfulGreater Austin Area Hit by Severe Thunderstorm
A severe thunderstorm affected the greater Austin area on Thursday, June 8.The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Texas Hill Country, alerting residents of wind gusts, hail, and lightning. The storms had eased up on Thursday afternoon, but there were chances of severe weather later in the day, the weather service said.This footage by Twitter user @JENinATX shows heavy rain falling in Pflugerville, an Austin suburb. Credit: @JENinATX via Storyful
NewsReuters VideosMillions in U.S. under harmful haze as smoke persists
STORY: The U.S. capital was shrouded in a haze of smoke on Thursday, as hundreds of Canadian wildfires continued to push clouds of harmful air across much of the eastern U.S.Health officials in more than a dozen states have warned millions of residents that spending time outdoors could cause respiratory issues due to the high levels of fine particulates in the atmosphere.''This is the worst air quality we've had, at least since the 1960s when we started monitoring."New York State Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents in affected areas - particularly the five boroughs of New York City - wear masks when outside and limit outdoor activity to protect themselves."That is why I'm announcing we are making available 1 million N95 masks that we made available at state facilities. We have over 400,000 distributed to members of the public at state parks, MTA stations, Javits Center."New York City saw pollution similar to that found in perennially smoggy cities such as Dhaka and Delhi, according to Swiss technology company IQAir.Winds are carrying the smoke south from Canada, which is experiencing its worst-ever start to the wildfire season on record.Thousands of Canadians have been forced from their homes and the country's minister for emergency preparedness said about 9.4 million acres have already burned, roughly 15 times the 10-year average.U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he'd spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the crisis, and hundreds of U.S. firefighters and equipment were assisting Canadian crews battling the blazes.Biden urged residents to heed health warnings."It's very important that affected communities to listen to the guidance of state and local officials, from this point forward."The wildfire smoke in Washington forced Biden's White House Pride Month celebration to be postponed, according to officials, moving the event from Thursday evening to Saturday.Smoky conditions are likely to persist until Sunday, when a new storm system shifts the direction of prevailing winds.
NewsStoryfulShelling Interrupts Interview With Resident in Flooded Kherson
An interview between a journalist and a resident of Ukraine’s Kherson region was interrupted by the sounds of shelling on Thursday, June 8, amid reports of Russian strikes on flooded areas along the Dnipro River.Footage released by Current Time shows one of their journalists speaking to a resident before the sound of shelling is heard nearby and they proceed to take cover.On Thursday afternoon, the interior ministry reported shelling at the evacuation sites around Korabelna Square, while Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson city military administration, posted a video from a flooded area, saying evacuations were taking place “under fire.”Earlier on Thursday, state broadcaster Suspilne reported that 1,900 people had been evacuated from the right bank of the Dnipro since the Kakhovka dam collapsed on Tuesday. Credit: Current Time via Storyful
NewsReuters VideosBrazilians 'hug' the shore for Oceans Day
STORY: "I think we are in a game-changer for the planet now," he said. "We need to think better about our habits, our consumption. We need to think better about ourselves and take care of the animals, and take care of nature. We are not alone here we are not the only individuals we are all together, we are one and this is the message for the new generations.The crowd gathered at Rio de Janeiro’s Sao Conrado beach.Volunteers also participated in cleaning brigades.
NewsStoryfulVivid Red Lava Fountains Spew From Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano began erupting in the early hours of June 7, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), spewing vivid red lava into the air.The USGS said the summit eruption began within the Halemaumau crater at 4:44 am. The lava fountain heights have decreased since the eruption onset, and as of June 8, the alert level has been downgraded from a warning to a watch as “associated hazards are confined to the closed area established by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.”The USGS said while the summit eruption is expected to continue, it should remain confined to the crater within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) said it did not, “see any indication of activity migrating elsewhere” on the volcano. Credit: EpicLava via Storyful
NewsReuters VideosThousands march in Tel Aviv’s annual Pride parade
STORY: People were waving rainbow flags and dancing through the streets in colorful outfits as police officers were deployed to ensure security.Joining the parade were anti-government protesters who have been demonstrating for more than 22 weeks against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition government.The community has reported a 400% increase in anti-LGBTQ incidents since Netanyahu's cabinet was installed in December.Israel’s LGBTQ+ rights are unusual in the deeply conservative Middle East.Secular Tel Aviv has long billed itself as a gay tourism hub, although in Jerusalem, an hour’s drive away, pious Jews, Muslims, and Christians set a more straight-laced public tone.
NewsReuters VideosBrazilian evangelicals hold 'March for Jesus'
STORY: Organizers expected 2 million people to attend, according to local media.People danced, sang, prayed and raised their hands to the sky.The March for Jesus started in Brazil in 1993. Organizers say it's the most popular Christian event in the world.
BusinessReuters VideosMeme stock 'not a thesis' for good investment -advisor
STORY: GameStop was set for its worst session in two years after the surprise exit of a CEO handpicked to lead its online expansion fanned concerns about the video game retailer's ailing business.The ousting of former Amazon.com executive Matt Furlong came alongside top shareholder Ryan Cohen's appointment as the executive chairman of a company that he turned into a favorite of meme-stock traders with promises of a digital pivot."I think it's a business that's really in trouble," Belanger said, adding that while GameStop became popular among day traders during the health crisis, "I think professional investors are excited to get back to the days when they can make investments based on actual earnings and business fundamentals...."