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Uber CEO says Musk wants to go alone on Tesla robotaxi rollout

Business / Business News /

Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said Elon Musk was not open to making Tesla Inc.’s planned robotaxis available on the ride-sharing platform, making Uber a future competitor.

“I’ve had conversations with him at this point,” Khosrowshahi said Friday in an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Manus Cranny at the...Read more

Carlos Gonzalez/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

DOJ investigating Medicare Advantage billing practices at UnitedHealth Group: Report

Business / Business News /

The Wall Street Journal says the U.S. Justice Department in recent months has launched an investigation into UnitedHealth Group’s billing practices to see if the company fraudulently used diagnosis data to trigger extra Medicare Advantage payments.

A series of articles in the Wall Street Journal last year alleged Medicare paid UnitedHealth ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Colorado issues first psilocybin-related licenses, kicking off psychedelic industry rollout

Business / Business News /

Colorado regulators have issued the first licenses to individuals seeking to open psilocybin-related businesses.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Department of Revenue’s Natural Medicine Division had approved seven license applications for prospective business owners, including one who wants to open a psilocybin mushroom cultivation and another ...Read more

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump's tariff wars leave US small business with nowhere to hide

Business / Business News /

American companies of all sizes are on edge over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but it’s arguably small business that is most exposed.

Many smaller firms say they’re having to hike prices, freeze expansion plans or absorb a hit to already-thin profit margins as import bills climb. Such businesses employ half the U.S. workforce, so how ...Read more

Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

'You can't beat the future': Electric vehicles on the rise in Central Florida

Business / Business News /

Orlando resident Tyriq Green bought an electric vehicle to bypass the gas pump and likes that he’s on transportation’s cutting edge.

“I think everybody should start getting electric cars because, 20 to 25 years from now, there might not be as many gas cars,” said Green, who drives a Tesla Model 3 Performance. “You can’t beat the ...Read more

UnitedHealth falls on DOJ probe into Medicare billing

Business / Business News /

The US Justice Department has been investigating UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s Medicare billing practices, a person familiar with the matter said. The company’s stock fell sharply.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the civil fraud investigation into whether the insurance giant’s practices related to patient diagnoses force higher ...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

Auto review: 2025 Mini Countryman offers fun for everyone

Business / Business News /

While Mini’s parent company, BMW, has had no problems rolling out new and updated models recently, Mini has had to overcome some hurdles, with sales flattening. But in Grasso’s Garage this week, Mini is back.

Powering the 2025 Mini Countryman ALL4 is the popular 2.0-liter Mini TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder engine with 312 horsepower and 295 ...Read more

Hyundai/Hyundai/TNS

Auto review: 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 gets a refresh and an off-road model

Business / Business News /

Electrification has been the key to Hyundai’s 33% retail growth over the past five years, according to Ricky Lao, director of product planning Hyundai Motor America. In fact, sales were up 31% in 2024 compared to the year before. And key to Hyundai’s success is the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Three years after it first hit the U.S. market, the battery...Read more

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As alleged CEO killer heads to court, UnitedHealth spars with surgeon, investor in coverage dispute

Business / Business News /

Dr. Elisabeth Potter posted an online video in early January out of frustration with UnitedHealthcare, describing how she scrubbed out of surgery that day to phone the insurer, worrying she had to make sure coverage wasn’t denied for a patient in the midst of an operation.

“It’s 2025, and insurance just keeps getting worse,” the Texas ...Read more

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Casey Williams: As EV hype fades, automakers refocus on hybrids

Business / Business News /

Our path to automotive electrification may be less of a drive across Montana and more of a swoop down The Tail of the Dragon in the Smokey Mountains. Automakers like Cadillac, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz that planned to be virtually all-electric by 2030 are slowing their roll. We’ll eventually get there, but it’s going to be a scenic drive.

“...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Auto review: Last dance with the tiny, affordable Mitsubishi Mirage

Business / Business News /

NAPLES, Florida — In the Dollar Store corner of the auto shopping mall is the wee Mitsubishi Mirage. At $17,965, it is the most affordable new car in the U.S. market.

But you had better act fast; the Mirage is about to disappear.

The 2024 model year is the last for the subcompact, leaving only one car available under $20,000 (destination ...Read more

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Econometer: Should California back off on 2026 zero-emission car mandates?

Business / Business News /

The first iteration of zero-emission vehicle sales mandates in California goes into effect next year. But doubts have been raised about whether the targets can be met.

Starting next year, at least 35% of manufacturers’ new passenger car and truck sales must be electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids or hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles, known as ZEVs (...Read more

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Rivian sees jump in revenue amid questions over $6.6B federal loan

Business / Business News /

Rivian ended last year by sharply increasing its revenue and posting a gross profit for the first time in the company’s history, although the electric vehicle startup still has a long journey before potentially becoming profitable on a net income basis.

The California-based company reported Thursday a gross profit of $170 million in the ...Read more

Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Trader Joe's organic acai bowl recalled over contamination fears

Business / Business News /

Trader Joe's has recalled a popular frozen dish over possible plastic contamination, the grocery chain said.

The organic acai bowl, which sells for $3.99, may contain plastic material, the retailer announced last week. The company encouraged customers who had purchased the bowls, which include berries, bananas, granola and dried coconut, to ...Read more

Ken Wolter/Dreamstime/TNS

Herbalife names new CEO to lead the nutrition company as it works to move past controversies

Business / Business News /

Herbalife has named a new chief executive, marking a new chapter for the Los Angeles nutrition products company as it continues to rebuild after a string of controversies over the last decade.

Stephan Gratziani, who started as an independent distributor at Herbalife nearly 34 years ago, will take over the top job May 1. He has been the direct-...Read more

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Stellantis pauses work on next-gen Jeep Compass at Canadian plant

Business / Business News /

Stellantis NV said Thursday it has paused work at its Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario as the automaker reevaluates plans for its next-generation electrified Jeep Compass SUV that was scheduled to start production there early next year.

The carmaker said all work on the future compact crossover, which has included retooling and other ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Can my neighbor cut down avocado tree I planted?

Business / Business News /

Q: I live in a small condominium community. About five years ago, I planted an avocado pit in a common area landscape island in the parking lot, which has since grown to be a lovely tree. I came home yesterday and noticed one of the residents decided to cut it down on his own. Our condo docs are silent on this issue. Do I or the Association have...Read more

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Stellantis develops in-house automated driving technology

Business / Business News /

Stellantis NV says it has developed an in-house automated driving system that aims to help make commuting in dense urban areas easier, with drivers able to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road.

The maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles said in a Thursday announcement that the new STLA AutoDrive 1.0 technology can handle stop-and-go ...Read more

Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times/TNS

Starbucks, K&L Gates and Amazon ditch diversity mentions amid Trump threats

Business / Business News /

President Donald Trump’s crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion has reached beyond the federal government and into corporate board rooms, as his administration threatens legal action against businesses that don’t dismantle their DEI programs.

Some prominent Seattle employers — including Amazon, Starbucks and the law firm K&L ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Could this Irvine neighborhood be the blueprint for a more fire-resistant LA?

Business / Business News /

IRVINE, California — Four years before the Palisades and Eaton fires ravaged Los Angeles, Irvine braced for a blaze of its own.

A bone-dry summer left the landscape parched and primed to ignite as Santa Ana winds roared through the region at 80 mph. On the morning of Oct. 26, 2020, the Silverado fire erupted.

Firefighters deployed. The city ...Read more