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The Bloc is back on the market as downtown LA's office market shows signs of bottoming out
The Bloc, a massive mixed-use complex in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, is on the block for sale as the commercial property market shows signs it is bottoming out with buildings changing hands at big discounts.
The complex fills a city block in the financial district with an office skyscraper, the high-rise Sheraton Grand hotel and a ...Read more
US apartment sizes are growing. Not in San Diego
Average U.S. apartment sizes have risen but not in San Diego where space is at a premium.
San Diego’s average new apartment size was 827 square feet in 2025, said a new study from rental website RentCafe, less than the national average of 910 square feet. San Diego’s apartment size was unchanged from the previous year, whereas the national ...Read more
Microsoft pushes back on Vance's H-1B visa claims
After the Trump administration’s latest attack on tech companies over their use of the H-1B visa program, Microsoft is disputing a claim by Vice President JD Vance that last year it hired thousands of workers from other countries.
Microsoft said in a statement Thursday that the workers “are not new arrivals to our country.”
Vance ...Read more
Michael Hiltzik: Trump rolls back fuel economy standards with another swipe at California's stringent anti-pollution rules
Subject to debate: What's the dumbest idea to emerge from the Department of Transportation under its boss, former reality TV contestant Sean Duffy?
Some might vote for Duffy's attack on bike lanes — excuse me, "DEI bike lanes" as he calls them — based on a claim that bike lanes cause traffic congestion. (They don't.)
Or his suggestion ...Read more
US jobless claims eased last week to lowest level since July
Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to the lowest level since July, showing layoffs remain limited across the job market.
Initial claims eased 2,000 to 197,000 in the week ended Oct 3., according to Labor Department data released Thursday. It marked the fourth straight week that applications have been below 200,...Read more
Delivery robots on San Jose streets can be fined under city's new regulations
For months, delivery robots have rolled across San Jose’s sidewalks without any rules.
Now, the city is finally reining them in — establishing a 5 mph sidewalk speed limit, granting transportation officials broad oversight over their operation, and instituting fines ranging from $100 to $500 for devices that block curbs and crosswalks under...Read more
New Gehry concert hall takes shape in downtown Los Angeles
A pet project of architect Frank Gehry, a smaller concert hall to complement his legendary Walt Disney Concert Hall, is taking shape in downtown Los Angeles for an opening next September.
Elements Gehry devised to set it apart are already visible, as construction on the $337 million addition to the Colburn School of Performing Arts reveals ...Read more
UnitedHealth mistakenly declared eight doctors dead
Eight U.S. doctors, including two Minnesota physicians, were mistakenly identified as dead in letters sent to patients last month by health insurer UnitedHealthcare.
A UHC spokesman confirmed the total this week after the Minnesota Star Tribune received a copy of a letter that incorrectly notified some patients of the death of Dr. Geoffrey ...Read more
Duke Energy, data center giants agree on new rules for large power users in NC
After weeks of negotiations, Duke Energy and several other groups have agreed on a new large load tariff — a set of standard contract terms that big energy users, including data centers, will have to follow.
As data centers begin using massive amounts of energy from local electric grids, large load tariffs are seen as a way to make sure that ...Read more
Ram is recalling more than 265,000 vehicles over a steering defect
More than 265,000 Ram cargo vans have been recalled over a defect with the vehicles' steering system.
At issue are the electric power steering systems in ProMaster vans from model years 2022-26. Federal regulators say water can seep into the steering systems, damaging the vehicles' electrical wiring and potentially causing permanent loss of ...Read more
Terry Savage: Thinking about retirement beyond money
When it comes to retirement planning, the first and most obvious questions revolve around money. Will there be enough to carry you through retirement? How much regular income can you generate from a combination of Social Security, retirement plan withdrawals, and even part-time work?
Retirement planning also requires thinking about ongoing ...Read more
The 'complicated' legacy of Jim Bakker's grand plans for Heritage USA
When Jim Bakker resigned from his PTL Ministries amid mounting scandals in March 1987, there was still hope in York County, South Carolina, that whatever came next for Heritage USA wouldn’t derail the economic engine that had fueled phenomenal growth and development across the region.
At the time, PTL’s plans included $2 billion in ...Read more
Oprah-backed True Food Kitchen files for bankruptcy, closes 3 California restaurants
LOS ANGELES — The health-focused restaurant chain True Food Kitchen has shut down three locations in Southern California after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy over the weekend.
The closures are among nine others across the country that served customers for the last time on Sunday.
Backed by Oprah Winfrey, True Food Kitchen says it serves ...Read more
Trump administration investigating Wells Fargo over minority homeownership efforts
Housing officials from President Donald Trump’s administration are launching an investigation into Wells Fargo over efforts to improve Black homeownership, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development sent a letter to the bank’s chief executive, Charlie Scharf, saying it is going to ...Read more
Gold surged to a record, then fell hard. What happened?
Gold has been on a wild ride this year.
The precious metal soared to a record of nearly $5,600 an ounce before tumbling to roughly $4,000. It has since clawed its way back to about $4,200, leaving investors wondering whether gold’s spectacular run has more room to go — or whether the metal’s best days are behind it.
Daniel Eye, senior ...Read more
Ford changes PTO policy to stay 'competitive'
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday notified salaried employees of changes to its paid-time off policy starting in 2027, including the elimination of a program to purchase vacation time and changes to vacation milestones that the automaker said would increase paid days off for some employees.
The changes are a part of human resources-related updates the...Read more
Walmart drone deliveries coming to Seattle and Denver. Is Amazon next?
A massive retailer plans to bring aerial drone delivery to the Seattle area next year and no, it's not Amazon.
Walmart announced Monday that it will expand its drone delivery service to two new metro areas in 2027: Seattle and Denver. The company is aiming to offer drone delivery from more than 270 stores across the country, though it did not ...Read more
Pace of Bay Area tech layoffs slows, but Workday reveals new job cuts
PLEASANTON, California — The overall pace of Bay Area tech industry layoffs has slowed in recent months, even though software company Workday has just revealed a fresh round of local job cuts.
Workday intends to eliminate 142 jobs at its corporate headquarters in Pleasanton, the cloud-based software services company reported to the state ...Read more
Diesel prices surge just as farmers need fuel the most
On a sprawling property near the Murray River in Australia’s southeast, Andrew Russell is gearing up to harvest one of his best grain crops in years after plentiful rain. But two wars half a world away are souring what should be a celebrated season for the nation’s farmers.
Diesel prices have soared globally as supplies tighten due to ...Read more
Heating oil prices have risen 86% over last year. What CT officials fear as consumers ask 'Do I buy groceries'
With home heating oil prices skyrocketing, officials are urging Connecticut residents to reach out for assistance before the freezing weather whips across the state this winter.
The current price of $5.91 per gallon is 86% above the average at this time last year and up 50% from June, officials said. The ongoing war in Iran has put a strain on ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Ford changes PTO policy to stay 'competitive'
- Gold surged to a record, then fell hard. What happened?
- Trump administration investigating Wells Fargo over minority homeownership efforts
- Oprah-backed True Food Kitchen files for bankruptcy, closes 3 California restaurants
- Heating oil prices have risen 86% over last year. What CT officials fear as consumers ask 'Do I buy groceries'









