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Gates says taxing capital gains is the best way to tap big fortunes
WASHINGTON –– Bill Gates is concerned about the high budget deficits being run by the U.S., and said if taxes are ultimately increased to make up the shortfall, then it's appropriate for wealthy people to pay much higher taxes.
"We only collect about 20 percent of (gross domestic product) and we spend like 24 percent of GDP. So you can't ...Read more
NYC mayor slams Amazon's 'abuse of corporate power'
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio slammed Amazon.com's decision not to build a second headquarters in the city as "an example of an abuse of corporate power" that hurts working people.
"Amazon just took their ball and went home," de Blasio said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "What they did was confirm people's worst fears about corporate America...Read more
Airlines move toward nonbinary option for ticket-buyers
When people buy plane tickets, they have to select a "gender" option: male or female. But those two categories don't cover everyone, so some major airlines are planning to offer more choices.
Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association, two trade groups that represent major air carriers, recently approved a measure that...Read more
Glimpsing the future at gargantuan health technology showcase
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Imagine going to the doctor and finding out before you leave the exam room how much your prescribed drug will cost, avoiding sticker shock at the pharmacy.
Or what if you could wear a tiny device at the top of your back that would gently nudge you to sit up straight whenever you slump.
How about not having to sign by hand a ...Read more
Women surfers inspire lawmakers to take on equal pay issue
Inspired by big-wave women surfers securing the same prize money as men, California lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require equal purses for all athletes competing on state property used for recreation.
The bill, co-authored by San Diego assemblywomen Tasha Boerner Horvath and Lorena Gonzalez, is a continuing effort to challenge the...Read more
Trump's political success comes with a cost for his business
NEW YORK -- When President Donald Trump took office, his critics feared that he would exploit his new position for the benefit of his family business. And while some properties of the Trump Organization -- most notably its hotel in Washington -- have prospered, other enterprises have languished or failed.
On Thursday the company, announced that...Read more
Consumer Confidential: Insurer pats itself on the back for approving a medical claim it twice denied
Joseph Pero, 37, was in a bad way. He'd recently divorced from his wife. He was facing financial issues. He was, as he put it, "in a dark place."
Pero loaded his Glock 17 handgun. He aimed at his heart.
He pulled the trigger.
And missed.
The bullet punctured Pero's lungs and fractured six ribs.
Call it providence. Call it a stroke of luck. ...Read more
Trump's political success comes with a cost for his business
NEW YORK -- When President Donald Trump took office, his critics feared that he would exploit his new position for the benefit of his family business. And while some properties of the Trump Organization -- most notably its hotel in Washington -- have prospered, other enterprises have languished or failed.
On Thursday the company, announced that...Read more
Under the Hood: Getting more life out of your wiper blades
Q: My windshield wiper blades do a lot of shimmying and make a heck of a noise. This is likely because I have to park outside, and the wiper blades are exposed to the sun and elements. I do change the blades yearly, but I'd like to know what types of blades are best at maintaining their flexibility and work most quietly.
-- Mason W.
A: Wiper ...Read more
Google will expand finance team to Chicago, adding 'hundreds' of jobs
CHICAGO -- Google plans to create "hundreds" of new jobs in Chicago this year, expanding the office it already calls its Midwest headquarters.
The tech giant employs more than 1,000 people at its Chicago office, which opened as a sales outpost in 2000 and has grown to include engineers and other tech workers. The new jobs are a result of the ...Read more
Rivian, perhaps the Tesla of trucks, lands $700 million Amazon-led investment
Rivian, the electric truck startup, received a major boost Friday with the announcement of a $700 million investment round led by Amazon.
The nascent manufacturer, which debuted its prototype all-electric truck and SUV models at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, is gearing up to begin building the vehicles at the shuttered former ...Read more

A leaner Sears emerges from bankruptcy, but can it survive?
In some ways, the "new" Sears has a lot in common with the company that filed for bankruptcy protection in October.
Its largest shareholder is now its owner. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved a $5.2 billion bid by Sears Chairman Edward Lampert to buy the company through his hedge fund, ESL Investments, ...Read more
The Week Ahead: Come into the Fed's light
Watching the Federal Reserve shift it's stance on the American economy is like watching ice melt. It just happens right before your eyes.
Investors will be looking at it on Wednesday in the week ahead. That's when the central bank releases minutes from its meeting last month.
While it was a meeting at which the Fed did not make changes to its ...Read more
Amazon lets amateurs publish custom Alexa apps to reach broad audiences
Amazon is enlisting customers to create voice-controlled games, broadcast lectures and sermons, and turn blogs into audio presentations available to anyone, through its growing universe of Alexa-enabled speaker-and-microphone devices.
The move, rolled out this week, represents a potentially significant advancement for voice-first computing and ...Read more
Like the dinosaurs, super-jumbo jets were displaced by smaller and more nimble competitors
With seating for up to 800 passengers between two decks, Airbus' A380 super-jumbo jet was envisioned in 2000 as a flagship aircraft for the European company, offering a luxurious experience for long-distance flights.
But over time, smaller twin-engine planes became more fuel efficient and started handling longer, transoceanic routes.
On ...Read more

How Michael Jordan became a brand
Michael Jordan remains the OG signature shoe king 16 years after his last NBA game and 21 years after his last championship.
His Air Jordan brand, introduced by the Chicago Bulls superstar in 1984 and launched by Nike in 1985, created the basketball sneaker branding market. In fiscal 2018, Nike revenue from the Jordan Brand line hit nearly $2.9...Read more
Auto review: Mercedes A220 asks 'Who wants a $48K compact sedan?'
In a choice that oozes sincerity if not finely honed customer research, Mercedes-Benz's marketing team decided the secret to selling more small vehicles to Americans was to make them look more like traditional sedans.
That's the origin story for the 2019 Mercedes A220 4Matic sedan, which offers a more conventional, upright profile than the ...Read more
Auto review: Nissan's Armada big sport utility has room for up to eight, starts at $46,790
The Nissan Armada full-size sport utility, now in its second generation, returns for 2019 with a few updates, including new standard safety technology.
Now included on all trim levels are Rear Door Alert, Intelligent Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking and Intelligent Forward Collision Warning.
There are four trim levels for 2019: SV (...Read more
Michael Hiltzik: Amazon's pullout from New York shows that it misplayed a bad, and expensive, hand
Well, that should show them.
Stung by intensifying opposition to a $3-billion incentive handout from New York city and state, Amazon on Thursday abruptly canceled its plans to build a new half-headquarters complex in the New York City borough of Queens.
The outcome is shaping up as a disaster -- but arguably for Amazon more than New York. It ...Read more

US and Chinese officials meet in Beijing for last-ditch effort to end trade war
BEIJING -- American and Chinese officials met in Beijing on Thursday for high-level trade talks in an effort to reach a deal to end a bruising trade war, after President Trump told reporters that talks were "going along very well."
U.S. tariffs on $200 million in Chinese goods are due to rise from 10 percent to 25 percent if there is no deal by...Read more
Popular Stories
- Trump's political success comes with a cost for his business
- A leaner Sears emerges from bankruptcy, but can it survive?
- How Michael Jordan became a brand
- Consumer Confidential: Insurer pats itself on the back for approving a medical claim it twice denied
- Auto review: Mercedes A220 asks 'Who wants a $48K compact sedan?'
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