Business
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US hiring picks up in December; wildfires add to cloudy jobs outlook for California
WASHINGTON — The American economy created a burst of new jobs in December, capping a solid year of employment growth marked by big gains in healthcare and government payrolls, according to new figures released Friday.
The 256,000 jobs added last month were the most since March and far exceeded analysts’ expectations. The nation’s jobless...Read more
Disney Cruise Line's future class of ships to get smaller
Disney Cruise Line announced Friday that three of its future ships in its expansion to a fleet of 13 in the next seven years will be smaller than all but its two original vessels.
DCL just welcomed its newest ship, Disney Treasure, sailing out of Port Canaveral as the sixth in the fleet with a sister ship in the Wish class, Disney Destiny, ...Read more
H-1B: Silicon Valley's favorite foreign-worker visa under attack, while Trump, Musk offer support
The H-1B visa is having a celebrity moment, and it may never be the same.
Created in 1990 and intended for skilled foreign workers, the visa had until recently remained little known outside Silicon Valley, where technology companies use it to employ tens of thousands.
Then late last month, Florida conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, a high-...Read more
Amazon is halting some of its diversity and inclusion programs
Amazon.com Inc. is halting some of its diversity and inclusion programs, a move that coincides with activist pressure on U.S. companies to abandon efforts to build a more diverse workforce.
In a memo to employees, Candi Castleberry, a senior human resources executive, said last month that Amazon was “winding down outdated programs and ...Read more
Downtown Los Angeles Macy's is among 150 locations to close
LOS ANGELES -- The downtown Los Angeles Macy's department store, situated on 7th Street and a cornerstone of retail in the area, will shut down as the company prepares to close 150 underperforming locations in an effort to revamp and modernize its business.
The iconic retail center announced this week the first 66 closures, including nine in ...Read more
Zuckerberg says 'neutered' companies need more masculine energy
Mark Zuckerberg lamented the rise of “culturally neutered” companies that have sought to distance themselves from “masculine energy,” adding that it’s good if a culture “celebrates the aggression a bit more.”
“Masculine energy I think is good, and obviously society has plenty of that, but I think that corporate culture was ...Read more
Here are the winners: 2025 North American Car, Truck, Utility of the Year
DETROIT – The envelope, please . . .
Winners of the 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year are the Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Ranger and Volkswagen ID.Buzz. The prestigious NACTOY awards kicked off the Detroit Auto Show Media Day on Friday morning as the event returned to its traditional January slot as the first auto ...Read more
Oshkosh ready for possible USPS shift to gas trucks from EVs
Oshkosh Corp. is prepared to provide the U. .Postal Service more gas-powered mail trucks if the agency cuts back orders for electric vehicles, which benefit from funding President-elect Donald Trump has criticized.
“We’ll do what they want us to do — supplying either gas or electric,” John Pfeifer, the company’s chief executive ...Read more
Hiring picks up steam as employers add a quarter-million new jobs to close out the year
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy created a burst of new jobs in December, capping a solid year of employment growth marked by big gains in health care and government payrolls, according to new figures released Friday.
The 256,000 jobs added last month was the most since March and far exceeded analysts’ expectations. The nation’s jobless ...Read more
What the Los Angeles fires might mean for the Bay Area home insurance market
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The devastating wildfires burning through Los Angeles County this week are stoking concerns that California’s already faltering home insurance market could be thrown into deeper turmoil.
The fires engulfing thousands of homes come on the heels of reforms meant to stop insurers from fleeing the state following almost a ...Read more
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to debut new rocket in SpaceX challenge
After more than a decade of development, hype and pent-up demand, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace venture Blue Origin will at long last attempt to put a rocket into orbit.
New Glenn, originally intended to launch as early as 2020, is slated to fly on Sunday out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, during a nearly four-hour launch window that begins at 1 a.m. ...Read more
Michael Hiltzik: California employers wrap themselves in the 1st Amendment to kill a pro-worker law
It's always heartening to see the business establishment stand up for constitutional principles.
Well, almost always. Among the exceptions is when business leaders wrap themselves in the Constitution to secure their own privileges at the expense of the public interest.
That's the case with a curious little lawsuit the California Chamber of ...Read more
Planes flying like geese: Inside Delta's sustainability strategy
LAS VEGAS — Planes mimicking migrating geese to save energy. Aviation fuel made of cooking oil or downed timber waste. Aircraft wings that can change shape during flight to maximize efficiency.
These are some of the ideas Delta Air Lines thinks could help it reach its 2050 net zero emissions goal, outlined during the Atlanta company’s ...Read more
Auto review: 2025 Acura ZDX EV is a great Acura that's not really an Acura
We live in an automotive age when we have access to more horsepower than ever before. Yet given the clogged arteries that plague America’s metro areas, it’s unusable and therefore pointless. What good is a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds if it only gets you to the next traffic jam a few seconds sooner? Fast cars don’t do you any good crawling...Read more
Auto review: Lyriq EV woos new-gen buyers with old-school Caddy elegance
STERLING HEIGHTS, Michigan — While my Cadillac Lyriq tester drove itself in Super Cruise at 75 mph on I-696 eastbound, I swiped through the gorgeous, curved 33-inch dash screen to show my friend, Peter, our Zmash Padel destination north of General Motors Co.’s engineering campus on Mound Road.
As we bore down on traffic, the Caddy ...Read more
It's a sad day to be the 2024 BMW X1
Just as recent as last year, we tested the outstanding BMW X1, and its redesigned release to the consumer market. It boasted decent power, great fuel economy, superb comfort and good looks — just what most consumers are requiring in today’s inflated and car market.
In 2024, we test the BMW X1 M35i, an even better looking subcompact luxury ...Read more
For Hollywood workers, LA fires are the latest setback as productions halt
As the market for documentaries and other content slowed and work dried up in Hollywood, producer Kourtney Gleason was already worried about making the mortgage payments on the home she bought last year with her boyfriend.
Now, as raging fires have halted film and TV production in Southern California and many in the industry have lost homes, ...Read more
What to know about temporary housing, rents, price gouging during fire storm
The Palisades and Eaton fires have burned thousands of homes in Los Angeles County, in the process creating refugees in a region with a persistent housing shortage.
For now, many of the displaced are staying in hotels, shelters or with friends and family. Others may be searching for a more permanent home in a rental. Many more will join them ...Read more
Nonalcoholic beer boom: Actor Tom Holland's new beverage debuts at Target
Target is debuting Hollywood star Tom Holland’s new nonalcoholic beer as shoppers double down on alcohol-free options during Dry January and beyond.
Holland, known for his role as Marvel’s Spider-Man, launched the beer online last year, sharing stories from his own journey with sobriety on late-night talk shows and podcasts.
“I tried to ...Read more
How the devastating Los Angeles fires could deepen California's home insurance crisis
When raging wildfires tore through Pacific Palisades and other local communities this week, they not only left a path of destruction reminiscent of a World War II bombing campaign, but threatened to deepen a crisis that has already left hundreds of thousands of Californians struggling to find and keep affordable homeowners insurance.
The ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Hiring picks up steam as employers add a quarter-million new jobs to close out the year
- 'Quit messing with the fries.' Chick-fil-A menu changes draw ire online
- What the Los Angeles fires might mean for the Bay Area home insurance market
- Here are the winners: 2025 North American Car, Truck, Utility of the Year
- Oshkosh ready for possible USPS shift to gas trucks from EVs