Business

/

ArcaMax

Robin Buckson, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

Why automakers seek partnerships to reduce costs, advance tech faster

Business / Business News /

In the increasingly competitive automotive market, General Motors Co. and rival automakers have realized pairing up is not only beneficial but necessary for cost reduction and quicker technological advancement.

GM has long understood the benefits of partnerships. The Detroit automaker, for example, has a longstanding partnership with Japanese ...Read more

Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Airlines are going premium. Prices are rising. Will cheap tickets be harder to find?

Business / Business News /

In the midst of holiday shopping and travel, Colorado resident Tom Pipes didn't want to spend extra money on a plane ticket. He flew from Colorado to Los Angeles on Southwest, the grandfather of budget-friendly airlines.

"If there was a first-class option, I wouldn't use it," Pipes said this week after arriving at Los Angeles International ...Read more

Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

'Politics is bad for business.' Why Disney's Bob Iger is trying to avoid hot buttons

Business / Business News /

Bob Iger wants out of the culture wars.

Walt Disney Co. and its chief executive have made a sharp pivot since doubling down on diversity and inclusion efforts in the wake of George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis four and a half years ago. At the time, Disney's top executives, including then-Chairman Iger, vowed in a message to employees: "We ...Read more

Erika Schultz/The Seattle Times/TNS

Danny Westneat: Seattle, the remote work capital of the US, is in denial about its effects

Business / Business News /

The struggles of Seattle's downtown to recover after the pandemic have rightly been blamed on some key factors, such as the inability of the city to get control of public safety there.

But new data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows just how much the change in how we work has affected Seattle — more so than any other city in America.

Seattle ...Read more

RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post/TNS

King Soopers, Safeway in contract talks with Colorado workers as parent companies bicker over failed merger

Business / Business News /

Fresh from the breakup of the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger, company executives and union leaders are negotiating new contracts for the supermarket chains’ Colorado employees.

The bargaining is taking place as Kroger and Albertsons are locked in a bitter back-and-forth following two separate court decisions against the $24.6 billion ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America sued over alleged unchecked fraud on Zelle app

Business / Business News /

Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America are being sued by the embattled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over alleged unchecked fraud on the Zelle payment app — setting up a legal showdown that the incoming Trump administration could quash as soon as next month.

The three financial institutions, which co-own the app along with ...Read more

Jakkar Aimery/The Detroit News/TNS

Ford to give $1 million for Trump inauguration

Business / Business News /

WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. will contribute $1 million and a fleet of vehicles for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January, a company spokesperson told The Detroit News.

The company did not reveal what kinds of vehicles it would provide, but the Dearborn automaker joins a growing list of major businesses pitching in for Trump's...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Google proposes altering contracts to correct illegal search monopoly

Business / Business News /

After the government pushed for the breakup of Google, accusing it of business practices that violate antitrust laws, the Mountain View, California, tech giant proposed its own solutions on Friday — to restructure its business contracts instead.

“Regulating a fast-changing industry like search with an invasive decree like the one proposed ...Read more

Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Animation Guild ratifies contract with Hollywood studios despite AI concerns

Business / Business News /

The union that represents Hollywood animators ratified its new contract with the studios, despite concerns among some prominent members over the deal's protections against the use of artificial intelligence.

The Animation Guild on Monday said its members had approved the tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television ...Read more

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America/TNS

CFPB sues Walmart, fintech partner for illegally opening accounts

Business / Business News /

Walmart Inc. and one of its financial technology partners allegedly opened expensive bank accounts for delivery drivers of the world’s largest retailer without their consent, a U.S. consumer protection agency said on Monday.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Walmart and Branch Messenger Inc., claiming they required those in the ...Read more

Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America/TNS

We asked financial professionals what the biggest investing regrets are. Here are 5 things they said

Business / Business News /

When it comes to investing, many people look back and wish they would have done something differently, like not pulling their money out of the stock market when things got dicey or saving more for retirement. But sometimes taking a look at the mistakes of others can help you make more informed financial decisions.

We asked certified financial ...Read more

Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

As porch pirates swipe holiday gifts, some Philadelphians say 'FedEx could do better'

Business / Business News /

PHILADELPHIA — More than 10 packages have been stolen off Katie Byrne's stoop in the Fishtown neighborhood over the past three years.

And in every instance, she said, the items were delivered by the same carrier: FedEx.

Byrne has even taped a laminated sign to her front door. It has a large arrow pointing to the left, directing delivery ...Read more

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Free tax filing with IRS Direct File: What you need to know

Business / Business News /

The IRS Direct File program, which lets taxpayers file their federal income tax return directly with the IRS for free, is doubling its reach to 24 states for the 2025 tax season, up from 12 states in 2024, the program’s pilot year.

The Direct File program will also accept more types of tax situations for the 2025 tax season. While taxpayers ...Read more

Yuri Arcurs/Dreamstime/TNS

7 tips to prepare for next year's taxes now

Business / Business News /

As the end of the year approaches, now’s the time to start preparing for filing your 2024 tax return in 2025.

When it comes to tax strategies, generally Dec. 31 is the deadline to make changes that might lower your tax bill. One major exception is the deadline for contributing to a Roth or traditional IRA: You have until April 15, 2025, to ...Read more

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Egg shortage due to avian flu expected to ease by 2025, says USDA

Business / Business News /

As avian flu scrambles the nationwide egg supply, Bay Area consumers face limited availability of the breakfast staple, with shortages expected to persist until mid-2025, according to U.S. agriculture officials.

Some supermarkets in the region report empty shelves, while others are rationing purchases to ensure eggs remain available to all ...Read more

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America/TNS

CFPB sues Walmart, fintech partner for illegal account openings

Business / Business News /

Walmart Inc. and one of its financial technology partners allegedly opened expensive bank accounts for delivery drivers without their consent, a U.S. consumer protection agency said on Monday.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau claimed that Walmart and Branch Messenger Inc. required the delivery drivers to be paid through costly accounts....Read more

Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times/TNS

Nordstrom family to take chain private in $6.25 billion deal

Business / Business News /

The Nordstrom family is joining forces with a Mexican retailer to take its namesake department store private in an all-cash transaction valued at about $6.25 billion, including debt.

The founding family is betting that the century-old retail chain will be more successful without the scrutiny and demands of the public market after shares in ...Read more

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Motormouth: EV battery life

Business / Business News /

Q: What happens to an electric motor power source battery in an EV, plug-in hybrid or hybrid if it is not used for 6 months or more at a time? I am familiar with putting a gasoline engine battery on a maintainer. Related question, what happens to an electric motor battery, in each type of electric vehicle, if it loses all charge in normal use?

...Read more

Ivy Ceballo/The Seattle Times/TNS

Starbucks baristas from 3 more US cities to join strike

Business / Business News /

A Starbucks Corp. strike of unionized baristas has spread to three more cities in the US, disrupting service during the final days of the crucial holiday season.

Baristas from Denver, Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio, will join strikes that began on Friday in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle, according to a union statement.

Starbucks employees ...Read more

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Starbucks baristas go on strike in several Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles stores

Business / Business News /

Starbucks baristas went on strike at several stores in Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles on Friday, with their union warning the walkouts could spread to hundreds of cafes by Christmas Eve if the coffee giant does not meet workers’ demands at the bargaining table.

In Chicago, baristas at the company’s store at 5964 N. Ridge Ave. in Edgewater...Read more