Snap Inc. will dole out $150,000 investments to various media start-ups this fall as part of an accelerator program it announced Wednesday called Yellow.

For the first cohort of the program, which starts in September and goes for three months, the company is seeking start-ups that "have a vision for what mobile storytelling can be."

In ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Beekeepers in the U.S. reported an increase in honeybee deaths over the last year, possibly the result of erratic weather patterns brought on by a changing climate, according to the scientist leading an annual survey on the insects.

U.S. beekeepers said 40 percent of their hives, also called colonies, died unexpectedly during the ...Read more

Starbucks has confirmed a rumor that has been spreading faster than offers on its app.

The chain is discontinuing its Breakfast Blend coffee. Baristas at South Florida Starbucks outlets and nationwide have been quietly telling customers for a month that Breakfast Blend was soon to be discontinued.

A representative from the corporate office in ...Read more

LAS VEGAS -- A labor union representing thousands of culinary workers in Las Vegas has voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike next month if casinos don't agree to a proposed five-year contract.

The vote among the 25,000-member Culinary Union was 99 percent in favor of allowing a strike the day after the current contract expires on May 31, ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO -- Salesforce Chief Executive Marc Benioff, a billionaire who started his cloud-based business-software company in a San Francisco apartment nearly 20 years ago, used Tuesday's grand opening of the new 1,070-foot-tall Salesforce Tower as a clarion call for the city to recommit itself to ending family homelessness on San Francisco's...Read more

Just who is buying the much ballyhooed Tesla Model 3 sedan?

According the California New Car Dealers Association, 3,723 people in the state during the first quarter of the year, that's who.

The CNCDA, which released its latest data on new car registrations late Tuesday, said those Model 3 numbers were enough to put the car on top of the "Near ...Read more

Earlier this year, I brought home something both completely life-changing and terrifying. Sure, I could be talking about Makena, my now 3-month old baby girl. But really I'm referring to Snoo, the smart bassinet that my husband and I purchased after a month or so of sleep deprivation.

The invention of Dr. Harvey Karp, the pediatrician and ...Read more

CHICAGO -- As the summer travel season kicks off, passengers could end up paying more to fly because airlines are paying more for fuel, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz told shareholders Wednesday at the company's annual meeting.

Asked about the impact of higher jet fuel prices, Munoz said they were already putting pressure on fares.

Chicago-...Read more

Walt Disney Co. is getting some serious competition in its effort to acquire 21st Century Fox's movie and television assets: Comcast Corp.

Comcast said Wednesday that it is in the advanced stages of preparing an all-cash counteroffer that will top Disney's $52.4-billion stock bid.

"While no final decision has been made, at this point the work ...Read more

Q: I have an old iPhone 3GS that I use only for playing music obtained from a variety of sources. But the songs aren't backed up anywhere (when my new iPhone was synced with the PC, the PC's songs were accidentally erased). Now I'm worried that the 3GS battery is wearing out; it won't hold a full charge. Is there a safe way to move the songs ...Read more

Every three years or so I upgrade my computers. At least one of my kids is usually in dire need of a PC, so off the PCs go to new homes, where they serve honorably and trouble-free for years to come. I buy Apple and Dell computers. They've proved to be reliable, with the latest technology, which gives me bragging rights, as in "My new Dell has ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Fifth Third Bank's proposed acquisition of Chicago-based MB Financial could mean 20 percent of the combined company's local branches close by the end of next year.

A cost-saving move aimed at eliminating "branch overlap" resulting from the $4.7 billion merger, the proposed closures would accelerate a broader trend: Banks nationwide ...Read more