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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Snapchat reports 4 billion video views per day, rivaling Facebook

From Wire Reports

In just three months, Snapchat has doubled the number of video views it gets per day to 4 billion, a spokeswoman for the social media app said.

That puts Snapchat on equal footing with social media giant Facebook, which announced it hit 4 billion daily video views in the first quarter of this year.

Snapchat’s newest numbers, which were first reported by the International Business Times, are being driven by the popularity of its “Live Stories” feature, which curates clips from around the world.

The numbers will boost Snapchat’s bottom line as advertisers gravitate toward the app’s millennial audience.

Snapchat has raised over $1 billion, implying a valuation of about $16 billion.

Macy’s to redo building in downtown Seattle

SEATTLE – Macy’s is in the process of shrinking its retail space in its landmark building in downtown Seattle to make way for more office space in the top floors.

The Landmarks Preservation Board on Wednesday approved a proposal to renovate and improve some of the upper floors to convert them to “outside tenant office space.”

Little is known about what would go into the upper floors of Macy’s, which company spokesman Jim Sluzewski said are underutilized.

The company has been working over the past couple of years to find a productive use for the floors, he said, but is not prepared to talk about what’s next.

The only tenant on the seventh floor, Seattle Talent owner Hank Ritter, said he was told in late November that the top four floors of the eight-story building are being sold. The Macy’s building at 300 Pine Street, originally the Bon Marché, was built in 1929 and declared a city landmark in 1989, which means the project needs a certificate of approval from the preservation board for any exterior changes, in addition to city permits.

Students file claims seeking to erase debt

WASHINGTON – Almost 12,000 students are asking the federal government to forgive their college loan debt, asserting their school either closed or lied to them about job prospects.

The figure represents an unprecedented spike in what’s called a “borrower’s defense” claim following the collapse of the Corinthian Colleges for-profit college chain. Under higher education law, students who believe they are victims of fraud can apply to have their loans discharged.

Officials say they know of five or so such cases in the past 20 years; some 4,140 have been filed since the Education Department’s June announcement it would make the debt-relief process easier.

Kraft Heinz broadens Kraft Singles recall

NEW YORK – Kraft Heinz is expanding a recall of Kraft Singles products, saying a problem with the packaging film affects 10 times as many cases as it first thought.

The company recalled 335,000 cases Thursday because a thin strip of packaging film may stick to the slice after the wrapper has been taken off, creating a choking hazard. Kraft Heinz recalled 36,000 cases July 31 for the same reason.

The company said it’s received two new reports of customers choking.

The recall covers 1-, 3- and 4-pound Kraft Singles American and White American cheese product with “Best When Used by Dates” ranging from Dec. 12 to March 2. The products were sold in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and 10 other countries and territories.

Kraft Heinz Co. said consumers should return the product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.