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Google unveils major Android redesign ahead of iPhone overhaul

Business / Business News /

Google unveiled the biggest update to its Android mobile operating system in years, weeks before its biggest competitor in the space, Apple Inc., is expected to give a preview of its overhauled iPhone software.

The Alphabet Inc. unit is rolling out a new, bolder design language — called Material 3 Expressive — that spans the entire Android ...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Ford cuts 5% of connected-vehicle software team

Business / Business News /

Ford Motor Co. is cutting about 350 connected-vehicle software jobs in the United States and Canada to align worker skillsets with the goals of the company, according to two sources familiar with the decision.

The reductions amount to about 5% of the connected-vehicle software team, the people who weren't permitted to speak publicly on the ...Read more

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IG Metall says it'll strike Ford in Germany

Business / Business News /

Workers at Ford Motor Co.'s electric vehicle plants in Cologne, Germany, are expected to launch a 24-hour strike Wednesday as the Dearborn, Michigan, automaker has promised to cut thousands of jobs in Europe.

Ford in November said it plans to eliminate 4,000 jobs by the end of 2027, mostly in the United Kingdom and Germany. Underperforming EV ...Read more

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Microsoft layoffs may hit 3% of global workforce

Business / Business News /

Microsoft confirmed Tuesday that it’s laying off thousands of employees across the company.

The Redmond, Washington-based tech giant didn’t disclose how many employees it plans to lay off, but a spokesperson said up to 3% of Microsoft’s workforce could be affected. Microsoft has 228,000 employees worldwide, meaning more than 6,800 people ...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Insurers seek to surcharge California homeowners for LA County fire costs

Business / Business News /

Insurers are seeking to charge homeowners across California for some of the costs of the catastrophic Los Angeles County fires the companies were burdened with when the state's insurer of last resort needed a bailout.

The California FAIR Plan Association, with the approval of state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, assessed its member ...Read more

Daniel Gaines/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Judge backs State Farm's 17% emergency rate hike for homeowners

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An administrative law judge endorsed a request by State Farm General to increase its homeowner rates by 17%, at least partially due to losses it suffered in the Jan. 7 fires in Los Angeles County.

Administrative Law Judge Karl Frederic Seligman, who oversaw an unusual three-day hearing on the matter last month, said that California's largest ...Read more

Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images North America/TNS

Michael Hiltzik: Trump's UK, China 'deals' leave tariff policy more confused than ever

Business / Business News /

Are you confused about Donald Trump's tariff policy, including why he instigated a global trade war, what its effect impact will be on the U.S. economy and how hard it will hit your pocketbook?

Join the club. So too are economists, trade experts, political prognosticators and Trump himself. Their bewilderment has only intensified with the White...Read more

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UnitedHealth Group stock drops as CEO Witty abruptly resigns and company suspends financial outlook

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Andrew Witty is stepping down as CEO of health care giant UnitedHealth Group in a surprise transition that follows a period of unprecedented turbulence, including the public killing of a company executive and financial woes that in recent weeks have only intensified.

UnitedHealth suspended its financial guidance for the year, and its stock ...Read more

Andy Morrison/The Detroit News/TNS

Will Canadians vacation in Michigan this summer? Tourist towns brace for change

Business / Business News /

As Michigan prepares for another warm-weather travel season, one thing is increasingly clear: President Donald Trump's tariffs are sparking backlash that could reduce international visits to the United States — and deepening concerns that the levies may cause domestic travelers to adjust their plans.

The impact of tariffs amid a trade war is ...Read more

Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

How online auction startup Unicorn is turning whiskey bottles into windfalls

Business / Business News /

When it comes to liquid assets, a Chicago startup is finding that stocks and bonds may have nothing on bourbon.

Unicorn, a five-year-old online auction platform for wines and spirits, has quickly established itself as the eBay of imbibing, authenticating, digitizing, storing and auctioning more than $125 million worth of prized booze since ...Read more

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images North America/TNS

Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone and entertainment groups lobby Trump for tax provisions

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So-called Hollywood ambassadors Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone joined with a coalition of entertainment industry groups for a letter delivered this week to President Trump urging him to support tax measures and a federal tax incentive that would help bring film and TV production back to the U.S.

The letter is signed by Voight, Stallone, all ...Read more

UnitedHealth Group CEO Witty abruptly resigns, former leader Hemsley returns

Business / Business News /

Former CEO and longtime company leader Stephen Hemsley is resuming duties as chief executive at health care giant UnitedHealth Group in a surprise transition as the company’s recent financial woes have intensified.

Andrew Witty is stepping down as CEO for personal reasons, the company said, and will remain as a senior adviser to Hemsley, who ...Read more

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Motormouth: Your car can 'read'

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Q: Thanks for your column! It’s always full of practical advice and info. In a recent column, the reader asked how cars know what the speed limit is. My experience is that they can also use the front camera to “read” speed limit signs, and quite accurately. I know that my 2021 Ford Explorer does this because someone spray painted the sign...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Google to pay $50 million to settle lawsuit claiming it paid Black workers less

Business / Business News /

Google will pay $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing it of paying Black workers less.

April Curley, a Black woman who worked at the Mountain View, California, digital-advertising giant from 2014 to 2022, claimed in her 2022 lawsuit that she was hired to recruit more Black workers but fired for pushing back against the firm’s ...Read more

Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Fraudster Elizabeth Holmes' partner launches startup in same field where she failed: 'not Theranos 2.0'

Business / Business News /

Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes‘ partner Billy Evans has launched a startup in the same field — blood testing — where Holmes failed and ended up in prison.

The company is called Haemanthus, the name of a plant called a blood lily, and on Sunday, it denied that Holmes was involved.

“Yes, our CEO, Billy Evans, is Elizabeth Holmes’ ...Read more

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Nasdaq 100 enters bull market after US-China truce: Markets wrap

Business / Business News /

Wall Street’s bets that the US-China trade truce marked the end to an all-out tariff war drove the S&P 500 up over 3%, while sinking defensive corners of the market from bonds to gold and haven currencies. The dollar climbed the most since its November post-election rally.

The rebound in risk appetite and diminished expectations of a ...Read more

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Trump talks with Apple's Cook as iPhone price hikes loom

Business / Business News /

U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke with Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook earlier on Monday, just as the iPhone maker was reported to be considering price increases later this year.

Apple is weighing whether to raise prices for an iPhone lineup coming in the fall, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with ...Read more

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Boulder's landmark climate lawsuit against Suncor and Exxon can continue, Colorado Supreme Court rules

Business / Business News /

DENVER — The Colorado Supreme Court will allow a Boulder government lawsuit seeking to hold two of the state’s largest oil and gas companies responsible for climate-change harms to move forward, according to a ruling Monday.

The city of Boulder and Boulder County filed the lawsuit seven years ago, seeking to hold Suncor Energy and ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

How 'unretiring' to go back to work can affect your Social Security benefits

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Retirement is a goal that most Americans strive for, but sometimes the reality doesn’t match what you’d imagined. You may find that you miss work and the sense of purpose it gave you, or your financial situation may change and you need to earn additional money to support your lifestyle. Returning to the workforce after retiring may make ...Read more

Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images North America/TNS

Stocks power global risk rally on US-China truce: Markets wrap

Business / Business News /

Investors betting the U.S.-China trade reprieve marks the end to an all-out tariff war that had threatened to tip the world into a recession sent stocks rallying, while spurring a slide in defensive corners of the market from bonds to gold and haven currencies.

The sharp rebound in risk-appetite drove the S&P 500 up about 2.5% and above Donald ...Read more