Amazon-Google spat heats up, bitcoin breaks (another) record, and more trending news

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Google is pulling YouTube from Amazon hardware; Amazon responds: “Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website,” a spokesman told The Verge. The statement comes after Google decided to remove YouTube from all Fire TV products and the Echo Show — a move originally prompted by Amazon’s recent decision to delist new Nest products. Amazon has also refused to sell Google products such as Chromecast and Google Home. Fire TV owners will lose YouTube January 1. ? Share your thoughts: #GoogleAmazonFeud

With a hard deadline of midnight Friday, a bill to fund the US government has hit another snag, the Wall Street Journal reports. The dispute, among House Republican leaders and conservative reps, is over whether the stop-gap measure should cover two weeks — or three. The House Freedom Caucus is arguing for the slightly longer timespan “to separate it from negotiations over the tax bill,” while GOP leaders want to keep a Dec. 22 deadline to “put them in position to pass another short-term spending bill before Christmas that could carry other provisions still being negotiated.” #GovtShutdown

Bitcoin cracks $12,000. The cryptocurrency hit $12,198.57 Wednesday morning, according to CoinDesk. The news comes a week before before bitcoin gets its first futures exchange on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) — a move that will help usher bitcoin into the mainstream and make it easier for investors to get involved. The digital currency’s price has jumped tenfold this year. ? Share your thoughts: #Bitcoin12000

Russia has been banned from the 2018 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has suspended the Russian Olympic Committee after an investigation into doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Russian athletes with special dispensation will be permitted to compete wearing neutral uniforms at the 2018 Winter Games, competing as “Olympic Athletes from Russia.” The nation itself will automatically be recorded as having won zero medals. ? Share your thoughts: #RussiaOlympics

Tech and entertainment publisher Mashable was sold “at a firesale price” to Ziff Davis. The digital media company snapped up Mashable for less than $50 million, despite its $250 million valuation during a funding round last year. Founder Pete Cashmore will stay on, but Recode reports that Mashable will double down on tech and tech-lifestyle content — a shift that will see 50 employees laid off and others moved to different Ziff Davis publications. ? Share your thoughts: #MashableSold

In other media sale reports: Daily news digest TheSkimm has received interest from an would-be buyer, according to The Wall Street Journal. The popular morning newsletter has 6 million subscribers. ? Share your thoughts: #theSkimmSale

Idea of the Day: Getting feedback isn’t easy — especially for managers. “Many people are simply afraid to take a risk in the workplace if they don't believe their boss is ready to hear that feedback,” says PNLDecide CFO Rudolph Rosenberg. Before asking for feedback, leaders must work to build the right atmosphere for their teams.

“You have to develop an environment where there is enough trust that people can be transparent with you while feeling they are in a safe place.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Katie Carroll / Share this using #DailyRundown