Business
/ArcaMax
US payrolls rise a below-forecast 50,000, unemployment lower
US employers added fewer jobs than expected in December, capping a yearlong slowdown in the labor market defined by cautious hiring and limited layoffs.
Nonfarm payrolls increased 50,000 last month after downward revisions to the prior two months, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.4%,...Read more
Auto review: Jeep Grand Cherokee serves all types of consumers
As Jeep enters Grasso’s Garage, it is always a mystery what parent company Stellantis is cooking up in the background. This week, it is the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep’s five-passenger, well-known SUV. Fit for many and designed to accommodate all types of consumers, the Grand Cherokee is ready to hit the pavement with a fresh look.
Packed ...Read more
Auto review: At light speed in the Lucid Gravity -- call it CyberVan
TROY, Michigan — Mrs. Payne and I recently enjoyed “Tron: Ares,” an action-packed sci-fi movie featuring lightning-quick light bikes and glowing digital displays.
Then we climbed into our own Tron-mobile.
As I approached the 2025 Lucid Gravity SUV tester with key in pocket, the electric SUV awoke. Door handles popped out to meet us and ...Read more
Auto review: 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack: Two fewer cylinders, but same bad attitude
The Dodge Charger has always been an argument on wheels, preferably shouting, occasionally sideways, and often accompanied by tire smoke and poor judgment. Since 2006, when the nameplate was reintroduced after a two-decade hiatus, Dodge’s side of the argument has been simple: V-8 beats everything, and if you disagree, you’re probably French...Read more
Washington's tribes boost state economic activity with casinos, businesses
The scope of Washington's tribal economies is expanding its reach — and the tribes' reasoning is that's to the aid of all.
Tribes contributed $1 out of every $100 in the state's economy, according to a 2025 report on the economic and community benefits of tribes in Washington.
The report found that they generated at least $1.5 billion in ...Read more
'We've lost our bravery': Gaming entrepreneur calls on Vegas casinos to stop nickel-and-diming
A Las Vegas gaming entrepreneur has a simple message to casino companies to jump-start profitability — quit nickel-and-diming your gambling customers and come up with incentives for them to spend more when they visit.
Acres Technology founder and CEO John Acres, who has made a career of developing technological systems to encourage increased ...Read more
North Carolina promised a 'battery belt.' Where are the factories entering 2026?
Between 2021 and 2024, North Carolina welcomed a parade of lithium-ion battery factory projects promising to hire hundreds, if not thousands.
They were from companies you know, like Toyota, and ones you might not, like Forge Nano, Green New Energy Materials, Dai Nippon Printing and Epsilon Advanced Materials. Each was to be their manufacturer�...Read more
Musk's xAI reports wider quarterly loss, plans to power Optimus
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI is burning cash quickly, with losses mounting as it spends to build data centers, recruit talent and develop software that will eventually power humanoid robots, according to internal documents.
XAI reported a net loss of $1.46 billion for the September quarter, up from $1 billion in the first ...Read more
Paramount stands by bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount is staying the course on its $30-a-share bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, again appealing directly to shareholders.
The move comes after Warner Bros. Discovery's board voted unanimously this week to reject Paramount's revised bid, in which billionaire Larry Ellison agreed to personally guarantee the equity portion of his son's firm's ...Read more
Trump tells Fannie, Freddie to buy $200 billion of mortgage debt
President Donald Trump is directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds, a move he cast as his latest effort to bring down housing costs ahead of the November midterm election.
Trump announced the move on Thursday in a social media post, saying “This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and...Read more
As Arizona groundwater disappears, an agricultural giant agrees to use less
One of the largest farming businesses in Arizona has agreed to use less water and pay $11 million in a deal that state officials say will help preserve disappearing groundwater and provide financial help for residents whose wells have run dry.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the binding legal agreement with Minnesota-based dairy ...Read more
HBO Max announces bundle subscription with German streamer RTL+
HBO Max is taking steps to expand its reach into Germany, the latest move by a U.S. streaming platform to build out international programming.
As part of the launch, Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max has signed a bundling deal with leading local streamer RTL+.
Debuting on Jan. 13, the companies plan to share content under a joint subscription, ...Read more
GM reports $6 billion hit from now-unused EV investments
General Motors Co. on Thursday disclosed another $6 billion hit from unprofitable electric vehicle investments.
GM reported the loss to the Securities and Exchange Commission as what's known as an impairment charge. Impairment charges reflect assets that are not expected to bring in profits as initially expected.
Along with other EV makers, GM...Read more
Telluride ski patrol strike ends, resort to begin reopening this weekend
After 13 days on strike, the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association has accepted a new contract offer from Telluride Ski & Golf to end the work stoppage that has created economic trouble in the town and pitted residents against one another.
Graham Hoffman, president of the ski patrollers’ union, confirmed that the 70-member ...Read more
Trump directs $200 billion mortgage bond buy in housing push
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was directing the purchase of $200 billion in mortgage bonds, which he cast as his latest effort to bring down housing costs ahead of the November midterm election.
Trump announced the move on Thursday in a social media post. The director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, said soon after ...Read more
Alaska Airlines still 'proudly Boeing,' now with Airbus in its fleet
Alaska Airlines ordered more than 100 Boeing planes Wednesday, the largest order in the airline’s history and a commitment to the Seattle-based manufacturer even as Alaska moves away from being “proudly all Boeing.”
Alaska had for years operated an entirely Boeing fleet, until last year when it acquired Hawaiian Airlines and, with it, a ...Read more
GM's online used-vehicle marketplace lengthens warranties
General Motors Co.'s online marketplace CarBravo is extending warranties on certified pre-owned models as it seeks to meet demand for used vehicles and online car shopping.
GM now will provide 12-month or 12,000-mile warranties on used vehicles under 10 years old and with less than 100,000 miles that are listed through CarBravo, program leader ...Read more
California's exodus isn't just billionaires -- it's regular people renting U-Hauls, too
It isn't just billionaires leaving California.
Anecdotal data suggest there is also an exodus of regular people who load their belongings into rental trucks and lug them to another state.
U-Haul's survey of the more than 2.5 million one-way trips using its vehicles in the U.S. last year showed that the gap between the number of people leaving ...Read more
Google and Character.AI to settle lawsuits alleging chatbots harmed teens
Google and Character.AI, a California startup, have agreed to settle several lawsuits that allege artificial intelligence-powered chatbots harmed the mental health of teenagers.
Court documents filed this week show that the companies are finalizing settlements in lawsuits in which families accused them of not putting in enough safeguards before...Read more
Ford introduces new electronic system to support eyes-free driving
Ford Motor Co. says eyes-off and hands-off autonomous driving will be road-ready in 2028, and it'll introduce new artificial intelligence-powered features to its current customers starting this year.
The Dearborn, Michigan automaker on Wednesday introduced the Ford AI assistant and its new vehicle compute center at the massive CES consumer ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Elon Musk company bot apologizes for sharing sexualized images of children
- California's exodus isn't just billionaires -- it's regular people renting U-Hauls, too
- Musk's xAI reports wider quarterly loss, plans to power Optimus
- Microsoft layoff rumors '100 percent made up,' exec says
- Complaints over insurers' handling of LA wildfire claims prompt a flurry of bills









