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DREAMSTIME/TNS

Seattle e-bike pioneer Rad Power Bikes files bankruptcy, owes $73 million

Business / Business News /

Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes, a pioneer in mass-market e-bikes, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week as it continues to look for a buyer amid falling sales and massive debt.

Court documents show the 18-year-old company owes nearly $73 million to dozens of creditors, including the federal agency that collects tariffs, but has only ...Read more

Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump Media targets nuclear fusion through merger with TAE

Business / Business News /

Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., the company behind Truth Social, is getting into nuclear fusion.

The company said Thursday it will merge with TAE Technologies Inc., a closely held fusion developer founded in 1998, in a transaction valued at more than $6 billion. Shareholders of each company will own about 50% of the combined business ...Read more

Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

San Diego rents have fallen for 6 months, longest decline in 15 years

Business / Business News /

Average rents in San Diego County have fallen for six straight months and have reached a milestone not seen since in 15 years.

Rents are down 0.3% year-over-year to an average $2,520 per month in early December, said real estate tracker CoStar. San Diego County has not seen average rent decline on an annual basis since the end of 2010.

Of ...Read more

Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS

How this Florida barrier island community pushed back against overdevelopment

Business / Business News /

Picture this: A sandy, 25-mile stretch of beach, just a three-hour drive from Miami but devoid of grocery stores or gas stations, restaurants, bars or hotels. Instead, sea turtles nest on the beach, their hatchlings’ sense of orientation protected by dark-sky rules and by long-term residents who know to handle them with care on their extensive...Read more

Embe2006/Dreamstime/TNS

US stocks drop a fourth day as exit out of AI shares continues

Business / Business News /

U.S. stocks sank for a fourth straight day as weakness in AI-related stocks outweighed investor optimism about the potential for additional interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

The S&P 500 Index dropped 1.2% Wednesday, for its longest losing streak in a month, and fell below its average over the last 50 days, a key technical level. ...Read more

Brittny Mejia/Los Angeles Times/TNS

'It penetrates your bones': Day laborers protest noise machines installed at Home Depot

Business / Business News /

A pair of blue and yellow earplugs dangle on Jose's neck while waiting for work as a day laborer out of the Home Depot in Cypress Park.

They've been a necessity for laborers in the area since late November, when Home Depot installed three machines in the parking lot that emit a high-pitched tone. The noise, typically kept on all day, is a ...Read more

Todd McInturf/The Detroit News/TNS

UWM acquires mortgage servicer in $1.3 billion all-stock deal

Business / Business News /

In a move that significantly expands its footprint in the mortgage servicing landscape, Pontiac, Michigan-based United Wholesale Mortgage Holdings Corp. said Wednesday it would acquire Two Harbors Investment Corp. in an all-stock deal valued at $1.3 billion.

The merger combines United Wholesale Mortgage with Two Harbors, a real estate ...Read more

Leon Neal/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

He helped make Delta a 'premium' airline. Now he's stepping down

Business / Business News /

The architect behind Delta Air Lines’ global network and its push to be a “premium” airline is retiring.

Delta’s president of nearly a decade, Glen Hauenstein, is stepping down Feb. 28, the company announced Wednesday.

A new president is not being named.

Instead, 35-year Delta veteran and Senior Vice President Joe Esposito will take ...Read more

Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post/TNS

How JBS used TikTok to lure Haitian refugees to work at its Colorado meat-processing plant

Business / Business News /

JBS needed workers.

It was 2023, and the meat-processing giant headquartered in Greeley had just endured a tumultuous stretch.

The plant became one of Colorado’s hotspots during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the virus responsible for the deaths of at least seven workers. Many laborers left the company as a result. The ones who stayed demanded ...Read more

AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

At a Silicon Valley summit, robots fold laundry -- and investors open their wallets

Business / Business News /

Robots from around the world converged on Silicon Valley to provide a glimpse of a potential future.

Two robots picked up T-shirts with orange-tipped claws, then neatly folded and piled them. A cute companion robot with bright eyes used its mechanical hands to make a heart. A small robot wearing a bear hat threw punches and a blue-green robot, ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Why Hormel is struggling to profit off America's protein obsession

Business / Business News /

Hormel is essentially synonymous with pork, namely sizzling breakfast meats and the infamous canned ham Spam.

The Austin, Minnesota-based Fortune 500 company has only broadened its protein offerings in recent years, adding convenient deli option Columbus Craft Meats, healthy ground turkey and snack staple Planters nuts.

In an era of protein-...Read more

BUSINESS WIRE PRESS RELEASE/TNS

Target, other retailers hit with warning letter for selling recalled formula

Business / Business News /

Major U.S. retailers, including Walmart and Minneapolis-based Target, have been hit with warning letters from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for continuing to sell baby formula that was recalled amid a widespread outbreak of infant botulism.

In one case, regulators said a Target store in Arkansas was offering a discount on ByHeart Whole ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Tesla faces California sales halt over marketing of Autopilot

Business / Business News /

Tesla Inc.’s car sales in California are poised to be suspended for 30 days over marketing practices that allegedly mislead consumers about the automated-driving capabilities of its vehicles.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said Tuesday the suspension won’t take effect for 90 days to give Tesla time to appeal or come into ...Read more

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Warner Bros. rejects Paramount's hostile bid, accuses Ellison family of failing to put money into the deal

Business / Business News /

Warner Bros. Discovery has sharply rejected Paramount’s hostile offer, alleging the $108-billion deal carries substantial risks because the Larry Ellison family has failed to put real money behind its bid for Warner’s legendary movie studio, HBO and CNN.

Paramount “has consistently misled WBD shareholders that its proposed transaction has...Read more

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

SpaceX eyes possible record IPO. What's behind the hype

Business / Business News /

SpaceX has transformed the aerospace industry with its reusable rockets — radically lowering the cost of lifting satellites into space while bringing internet service to all corners of the globe with its Starlink network.

Now, Elon Musk's privately held company is eyeing what could be the largest initial public offering ever as it faces ...Read more

The Kraft Heinz Company/TNS/TNS

Kraft Heinz names former Kellogg CEO to helm Chicago packaged food giant ahead of planned split next year

Business / Business News /

Kraft Heinz has named veteran Chicago-based executive Steve Cahillane as CEO beginning Jan. 1, taking the reins of the packaged food giant as it prepares to split into two companies.

Cahillane most recently served as chairman and CEO of Kellanova, the Chicago-based snack foods spinoff from cereal-maker Kellogg, which was acquired by Mars in a $...Read more

Chad Livengood/The Detroit News/TNS

Jeep to recalled 4xe owners: 'Please accept our sincerest apologies'

Business / Business News /

Jeep's CEO on Tuesday apologized and promised $100 gift cards in a note to owners of the brand's plug-in hybrids, who have dealt with as many as three recalls over battery fire risk in the past two years.

Bob Broderdorf said most of the brand's Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe hybrids aren't affected by the battery problems but acknowledged the ...Read more

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Spirit Airlines eyes merger with Frontier amid restructuring

Business / Business News /

Bankrupt Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc. is in discussions to merge with Frontier Group Holdings, people familiar with the matter said.

A transaction could be announced as soon as this month, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. The discussions are ongoing and could end without a deal taking place, ...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Port of Los Angeles records bustling 2025 but expects trade to fall off next year

Business / Business News /

The Port of Los Angeles expects it will move than 10 million container units for the second year in a row despite President Trump's tariffs — but that number is likely to drop off in 2026 as the fallout of the administration's trade war persists.

This year's volume will reflect a decision by importers to get ahead of the tariffs before the ...Read more

Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group/TNS

California, other states sue Trump for blocking EV charging funds

Business / Business News /

California led a coalition of 16 states Tuesday to sue the Trump administration in an effort to free up billions of dollars in federal funds intended to build and repair electric vehicle charging stations that it argues the White House has illegally blocked.

Attorney General Rob Bonta said the U.S. Department of Transportation did not have the ...Read more