
Richmond mayor slashes city credit card use after scandals
Mayor Avula announced Wednesday that he's cracking down on how government employees use city-issued credit cards following some questionable purchases.
Why it matters: Avula has previously acknowledged wanting to rebuild the fractured public trust in City Hall, which has stemmed partly from how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Driving the news: In a release, Avula said the number of city-issued credit cards (known as p-cards) will drop from 320 to about 60 by next Friday.
The only allowable purchases, per Avula, are those needed for public health and safety reasons.
That means no food, Amazon or travel-related purchases while the city figures out how to "reset" the p-card program.
Flashback: A city watchdog report last fall found Richmond's elections office wasted nearly $500,000 in taxpayer money through p-card purchases that included remodeling the office, buying lingerie and helping pay for two workers' college tuition.
And just this week, the RTD reported that a former employee is under investigation for allegations that he racked up nearly $40,000 on his p-card for his own company.
What's next: Avula says the city plans to redesign the program over the next two to three months "in an effective way that really serves Richmonders" before relaunching it.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Digital Trends
25 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
The latest Amazon Echo Buds 2 with ANC are a huge 61% off right now
Despite their best efforts with Fire TV devices, Kindles, and the surprisingly good Amazon Basics line, it is somewhat difficult to remember that Amazon is more than a retailer — that they're also a producer of products themself. This deal — which takes the $140 Amazon Echo Buds 2, drops the price by 61% (a discount of $85), and sells them for just $55 — really reminds you that Amazon is alive and well as a producer. Tap the button below to check out this neat headphones deal yourself or keep reading to see our take. Why you should buy the Amazon Echo Buds 2 The Amazon Echo Buds 2 are an affordable pair of earbuds that are comfortable to wear, have 15 hours of total battery life, and are IPX4 water resistant. They also feature ANC, something you've classically not seen below $60. And while you shouldn't expect the kind of silence you'll get from Sony's new WH-1000XM6, they'll take the edge off. Our Amazon Echo Buds 2 review mentions that where these buds really shine, instead, is their transparency mode, which is adjustable and can even make external sounds louder when dialed up to the max. As an Amazon product, you'll also enjoy how they can connect with your Alexa app's location services, helping you find your buds whenever they get lost. As an interesting quirk, the inner accelerometer of the Echo Buds 2 works as a basic step counter, making these a great Fitbit alternative if steps is the main stat you're looking to track. Classically, at their full price, there was the question of who these buds were really for. They have a special feature that lets you talk directly to Alexa hands free (i.e. there's no need for an initial button press) directly from your earbuds, so they were always handy for the Alexa-obsessed. At just $55, however, the range of interested parties goes up immensely. If you compare these buds at $55 to some of the offerings in our list of the best budget headphones and earbuds and best wireless earbuds, you're really only going to come up with two alternatives anywhere close to this price and quality — the EarFun Air Pro 4 (marked down to $63) or the Soundcore Space A40 (marked down to $59). Getting Amazon's newest buds for just $55, however, still feels like a steal, especially since that is a price that's $85 off their usual $140.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SmartRecruiters Launches Agentic AI Hiring Platform
Built-In Intelligence that Cuts Admin, Accelerates Hiring, and Orchestrates the Entire Hiring Journey Trusted by Global Leaders including Amazon, Domino's, H&M, Frasers Group, Avery Dennison, and Qantas SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmartRecruiters, the Recruiting AI Company, today launched its next-generation hiring platform, designed to simplify and speed up how businesses hire. At the center is Winston, an agentic AI recruiting companion embedded across the hiring journey. Winston anticipates recruiter and hiring manager needs, automates repetitive tasks, and delivers real-time, intelligent guidance – turning hours of manual work into minutes of impact. Initial results reported by users include: 95% reduction in time spent scheduling interviews 75% decrease in recruiter effort on screening tasks 60% faster time-to-hire with automated coordination 2X higher candidate conversion with Winston Chat 300+ estimated hours saved per recruiter per year through Winston Companion Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters, said: 'Hiring hasn't just been due for improvement – it's been overdue for reinvention. With Winston and SmartOS, we're replacing outdated systems with something fundamentally new: intelligence that's built in, not bolted on. This is more than a platform – it's the beginning of a new era in talent acquisition, one that's faster, simpler, and ready for the AI era.' Why it Matters Hiring today is under pressure like never before. Business leaders say hiring is their #1 barrier to growth – yet most believe their current tech can't keep up. In addition: 70% of business leaders say hiring is the top obstacle to growth 1 in 3 roles go unfilled past their intended start date Recruiters manage 4x more applications than pre-pandemic – often with no increase in candidate quality Companies are losing up to $3,000 per hire due to inefficiencies, delays, and disconnected tools The problem isn't just broken workflows – It's broken systems. Winston handles the high-effort, low-impact tasks that slow teams down – from screening and scheduling to follow-up and coordination. As your embedded AI companion, Winston works across the hiring journey to keep recruiters and hiring managers focused on what matters most: connecting with candidates and making great hires. Seamlessly integrated with SmartOS, Winston brings built-in intelligence to every workflow, reducing admin, accelerating time-to-hire, and delivering clarity at scale. Additional key features: SmartOS is our reimagined talent operating system at the core of the platform. It unifies workflows, roles, and systems across every step of the hiring journey – with native integrations, enterprise-grade orchestration, and built-in support for global compliance, localization, and scale. No custom builds. No manual workarounds. Just seamless execution across the enterprise. Modular Packaging gives customers the flexibility to buy what they need, when they need it. Pre-configured bundles align to real-world hiring models – from high-volume to corporate – making it easy to scale, expand, or evolve without complexity. Outcome-Aligned Pricing introduces a bold, consumption-based model where companies pay based on actual usage and hiring volume. With reduced upfront costs, faster budget approval, and clearer ROI, this model removes the guesswork and makes procurement refreshingly simple. Recognized by Industry Leaders and Trusted by Global Brands From Amazon to IKEA, leading enterprises around the world are already powering hiring with SmartRecruiters. The platform is winning trust – and awards – across the industry: Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Talent Acquisition Suites Leader in the 2025 IDC MarketScape™ for Worldwide Talent Acquisition Platforms Winner of the 2025 HR Tech Award for Best Practical Application of AICyberVadis Gold Certified for security and trust excellence (927/1000 maturity score) Recognized as a Strategic Leader on the 2025 Fosway 9-Grid™ To learn more, tune into our live broadcast: EMEA YouTubeLinkedInFacebook APAC YouTubeLinkedInFacebook Or to request a demo, visit About SmartRecruiters SmartRecruiters is the Recruiting AI Company that transforms hiring for the world's leading enterprises. Built for global scale, SmartRecruiters delivers an AI-powered hiring platform that automates and optimizes the entire talent acquisition process, ensuring faster and smarter hiring decisions. More than 4,000 companies, including Amazon, Visa, and McDonald's, rely on SmartRecruiters to build winning teams. Media Contactpress@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Associated Press
35 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Ahead of UN climate talks, Brazil fast-tracks oil and highway projects that threaten the Amazon
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — Months before hosting the U.N.'s first climate talks held in the Amazon, Brazil is fast-tracking a series of controversial decisions that undercut President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's lofty environmental rhetoric and show widening divisions within his cabinet. The country's federal environmental agency approved plans for offshore drilling near the mouth of the Amazon and rock blasting along another river in the rainforest, while Congress is moving to make it harder to recognize Indigenous land and easier to build infrastructure in the rainforest. These efforts would be controversial in normal times. But on the eve of the COP30 climate summit, environmental advocates say they're undermining Lula's claims to be an environmental defender whose administration has made headway in slowing deforestation in the Amazon. 'What will Brazil show up with at COP30 in November?' asked Cleberson Zavaski, president of the National Association of Environmental Public Servants. 'Will it be, once again, a list of commitments that contradict what the country itself is putting on the table today — such as expanding the highway network and oil exploitation?' Lula pushed controversial drilling project Protecting the environment was a central part of Lula's presidential campaign in 2022, when he ran against President Jair Bolsonaro, who presided over increasing deforestation and illegal activities in the Amazon, such as gold mining and land-grabbing. But when Brazil's environmental protection agency rejected the state-run oil company's bid to conduct exploratory drilling in an about 160 kilometers (99 miles) off Brazil's Amazonian coast, Lula supported the company's appeal and in February criticized the agency for taking too long, saying it 'seems like it's working against the government.' On May 19, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources or IBAMA, approved an emergency plan to allow the drilling. A week later, IBAMA approved a rock-blasting operation along 40 km (25 miles) of the Tocantins River to enable year-round navigation, despite criticism from local grassroots organizations. The river, which cuts through the Amazon rainforest, is set to become a critical waterway to ship soybeans, mainly to China. The Federal Prosecutor's Office said the authorization was illegal because it failed to address issues highlighted during the environmental study, and filed a lawsuit seeking to have it overturned. Since taking office in 2023, Lula has argued that Brazil can both further its development while protecting the environment. 'France, the U.K., Norway and the U.S. also produce oil. And Brazil has the cleanest energy mix in the world: 90% of our electricity comes from renewables,' Lula said in an interview to French newspaper Le Monde published last week. Brazil gets most of its own electricity from hydropower and other green energies, while its oil exports, a major source of income for the country, are on the rise. Emails to the president's chief of staff seeking comment were not answered. Congress weakens environmental protections On May 21, the Senate approved sweeping legislation that weakens federal agencies' environmental licensing powers. Among other measures, the bill streamlines review for projects deemed priorities by the federal government, reducing the approval process from three bureaucratic steps to one and imposing a one-year deadline for review. It also elimates reviews for upgrades to existing highways, which could clear the way for to pave the whole of BR-319, a highway that runs about 900 kilometers (560 miles) through the western part of the Amazon. Environmentalists argue that the paving will lead to mass clearing of a pristine area of rainforest. The bill is opposed by Lula's Workers' Party, but it's expected to pass the lower chamber of Congress. Lula could veto all or parts of the bill, but according to press reports he is expected to support of the bulk of the changes with only minor adjustments. Lula has said he has no position on the environmental bill. Meanwhile, Congress has also approved rules that make it harder demarcate Indigenous lands and is moving forward with legislation to weaken licensing rules that, among other impacts. The bill is opposed by Lula's Workers' Party, but according to several press reports Lula will support of the bulk of the changes and will only negotiate minor adjustments. 'It's the perfect combo to wipe out environmental protections and Indigenous land demarcations in the country, accelerate the tipping point of the world's largest tropical forest and set off a carbon bomb against the global climate,' Climate Observatory, a network of 133 environmental, civil society and academic groups, said in a statement. Former U.S. Interior Interior Bruce Babbitt, who sits on the board of the nonprofit Amazon Conservation, said in a statement that the bill 'will lead to massive destruction of the Amazon rainforest. It should be opposed by all Brazilians and friends of Brazil in the international community.' Divisions over the bill appear to sideline Environment Minister The licensing bill has also deepened internal divisions within Brazil's government. Environment Minister Marina Silva said the law will end one of Brazil's crucial mechanisms of environmental protection, but she appears increasingly sidelined in the administration. Local media have reported that Lula's Chief of Staff Rui Costa promised the bill's sponsor that Lula would not oppose changes to licensing rules, and Minister of Transportation Renan Filho said in a social media post that the bill is 'excellent' news that will get the highway project moving. At a press conference last week, Lula praised Silva, calling her 'loyal' and adding that it's normal to have friction between the environmental and other ministries of government. But many see echoes of Lula's previous administration, during which Silva resigned from the same post after being marginalized by the rising influence of agribusiness. João Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of the environment ministry, reiterated her criticism of the bill in a speech last week, calling it a 'real risk of setback.' He added that Silva is working with Lula's cabinet toward 'a point of convergence between those who seek efficiency — and deserve a response — and the need to preserve the system without dismantling environmental licensing.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at