Melissa Cox has found a potent marketing combination to the African-American Barbie dolls and other merchandise off the shelves of her store and into the hands of customers. She employed a Facebook Live as a high-tech marketing tool and found a receptive group of new customers from a campaign aimed at bolstering African American-owned businesses called Buy Black Phoenix. (USA TODAY)

Canopy Growth Corp. jumped to a record high, and other Canadian cannabis growers gained, after unveiling a line of marijuana products for the domestic market in a partnership with rapper Snoop Dogg. The Smiths Falls, Ontario-based company soared as much as 17 percent and was up 9.2 percent to C$5.44 at 11:12 a.m. in Toronto trading. The shares have climbed 84 percent this year, heading for a third straight annual gain. (Bloomberg Business)

Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince sent his energy minister to an OPEC meeting last month with a difficult mission: Make a deal with rival Iran but don’t compromise the kingdom’s ability to fight for oil-market share, people familiar with the matter said. The directive was a departure for Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful 31-year-old son of King Salman who is prosecuting Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen against Iran-backed rebels. (The Wall Street Journal)

The growing chorus of investors yearning for fiscal stimulus to keep financial markets afloat next year should brace for disappointment. The International Monetary Fund yesterday forecast budget balances will tighten modestly in both advanced and emerging markets next year by a sliver: a tenth of a percentage point, respectively. (Bloomberg Business)

A recent report from the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, shows that the black-white wage gap is now the widest it has been since 1979. What's more interesting, though, is how inequality has been increasing, and for whom. (The Washington Post)

When you’re not looking for a job, it can be easy to ignore your LinkedIn profile. Sure, you add people you meet at networking events as contacts and accept requests as they come in, but everything else? Eh, you’ll get to it when you need to. While we definitely don’t recommend this approach (hey, the recruiter from your dream company finding you and offering you a job? It could happen), we get that there are times you need a total LinkedIn profile overhaul. And for those times? We’ve got you covered! (The Muse)

The tech industry by its nature should be forward thinking and a pioneer in embracing change. Yet, on the issue of diversity in the workplace it lags behind many traditional industries. Even new emerging and growing areas of technology, such as FinTech, have not produced a more diverse workforce. (ITProPortal)

Women are less likely to receive the first critical promotion to manager—so far fewer end up on the path to leadership—and are less likely to be hired into more senior positions. Women also get less access to the people, input, and opportunities that accelerate careers. As a result, the higher you look in companies, the fewer women you see. (Women In the Workplace)

New research says companies with greater gender diversity produce better returns for their investors. Financial services firm Morgan Stanley looked at 1600 companies around the world to see how they ranked for factors like pay parity and having more women in senior management and board roles. (Newshub)

The British pound slumped to its lowest level in 31 years on Tuesday on fears that the U.K.'s divorce from the European Union will be bad for the economy. (CNN Money)

Shares in Deutsche Bank went on a wild ride Friday, tumbling over concerns about its financial health, but then reversing course after a news agency said U.S. regulators agreed to a much lower than expected settlement over mis-sold mortgage securities, and the company's CEO offered reassurances. (USA TODAY)

The International Monetary Fund has warned that sluggish economic growth throughout the world could bolster an anti-trade backlash that has become a feature of politics in both the United States and Europe. (The New York Times)

As Harvard Business School's HBX and Boise State University work together to bring HBX's online business fundamentals program to Idaho students, their collaboration epitomizes some of the issues universities are working through in online business education. (Campus Technology)

Join us October 11-15 in New Orleans for a week of unparalleled education, networking and career opportunities. The nation’s largest diversity career expo features 250+ employers, hiring now. Cutting edge educational sessions take your career to the next level. And you never know what career possibilities you’ll find meeting friends, colleagues and peers at our event. Visit our Conference site to find out more.

If working with the opposite sex poses a challenge for you, the "Making Better Leaders with Gender Collaboration" workshop hosted by the Boston chapter of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) offered a great opportunity to learn how to alter your approach and actions to create the most productive work environment. (Bay State Banner)

As IBM's first African American senior vice president and corporate officer, Rod Adkins was instrumental in the creation of Watson, IBM's supercomputer. (Black Enterprise)

Despite concerns that artificial intelligence and robots will one day replace workers—a Pew survey found that 65% of Americans expect most jobs will be automated by 2065—several companies are using AI like Amy to increase productivity. (Fast Company)

Google's self-driving cars have hit another milestone on the road to the automotive future, notching two million miles on the autonomous-testing odometer. (USA TODAY)

It has been six months since the Justice Department backed off on demands that Apple help the F.B.I. break the security of a locked iPhone. But the government has not given up the fight with the tech industry. Open Whisper Systems, a maker of a widely used encryption app called Signal, received a subpoena in the first half of the year for subscriber information and other details associated with two phone numbers that came up in a federal grand jury investigation in Virginia. (The New York Times)

More than other segments, African American-owned small business are experiencing a lack of access to credit. Based on the 2010 Census, small businesses have accounted for the largest driver of job growth in the United States and the largest segment in aggregate, with 99.7% of U.S. employer firms defined as small businesses. The African American segment has also contributed to the small business growth in the United States at an astonishing rate. From 2002-2007, black-owned businesses increased at triple the national rate, 60.5% versus 18%, respectively. (Black Enterprise)

Although, the auto industry has experienced record sales over the past few years, the industry’s investment in advertising and marketing with African American-owned media companies, ensuring that African American-owned dealerships, and African Americans in the corporate executive suites and board rooms all are lacking the evidence of inclusion and equality. (Black Press)

One year after the U.S. reached a milestone in its switch to credit cards that require a dip instead of a swipe, the ability to use such cards has dramatically increased. But potential headaches loom heading into the holiday season, with some shoppers complaining that checking out with a chip takes too long and stores continuing to encounter delays getting chip-reading terminals up and running. (USA TODAY)

Sears stock has plunged more than 35% this year. There are worries that Sears could file for bankruptcy in 2017 or 2018. Chapter 11 rumors have plagued Sears for some time now. But the talk has resurfaced after ratings agency Fitch named Sears as one of several retailers that could soon default on its debt in a report last week. Another credit ratings agency, Moody's, said in a report last month that it was particularly concerned about "the viability of the Kmart franchise." (CNN Money)

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is accelerating its investment in e-commerce in a bid to narrow the gap with Amazon.com Inc and to give it an even more dominant position against the rest of the field in retail. (FOX Business)

Millions of Americans who rely on prepaid cards to make purchases and pay bills are often hit with exorbitant fees and lack the basic protections offered to credit cards holders. (CNN Money)

The United Nations released its final report this week outlining a host of concerns about the treatment of African-Americans in the United States. In short, it isn’t pretty, and it’s a reflection of what many activists have been saying for a long time. The 22-page document issued by the U.N. Working Group includes 37 "manifestations of racial discrimination" in criminal justice, health care, education, and more. (The Advocate)

According to The Washington Post, Robert Smith donated $20 million to the Smithsonian’s new museum dedicated to Black history. His private gift is the second largest behind Winfrey, who gave $21 million. (Atlanta Black Star)