Business

/

ArcaMax

Maciek905/Dreamstime/TNS

Chinese hackers breached eight US telecom providers, White House says

Business / Business News /

Chinese hackers compromised eight American telecommunications companies as part of a wide-ranging espionage effort to gather intelligence about prominent U.S. citizens, Biden administration officials said Wednesday.

Anne Neuberger, deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, said ...Read more

Nicholas Kamm/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Amazon sued for slowing deliveries to 2 Black zip codes in D.C.

Business / Business News /

Amazon is accused of slowing deliveries to two predominantly Black zip codes in Washington, D.C., while still charging for memberships that promise fast-delivery benefits, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The complaint, filed in District of Columbia Superior Court, claims Amazon secretly stopped offering Prime delivery services (same-day...Read more

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Electric school bus maker Lion Electric suspends operations at Illinois plant

Business / Business News /

When electric school bus manufacturer Lion Electric opened its sprawling 900,000 square-foot factory in Joliet last year, Gov. JB Pritzker and both Illinois senators attended the ceremony.

The facility — the first new vehicle assembly plant to open in metropolitan Chicago since 1965 — was hailed as a source of good jobs and a step forward ...Read more

Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/TNS

LA County supervisors seek aid for hundreds of workers affected by Phillips 66 refinery closure

Business / Business News /

With a major oil refinery in Wilmington and Carson scheduled to close next year, Los Angeles County officials are looking to shore up resources for hundreds of workers who will be left without jobs.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion Tuesday asking county staff to work with local partners such as the city of...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

JPMorgan, AT&T pull Twitch ads following antisemitism claims

Business / Business News /

Three major brands have halted their advertising on Amazon.com Inc.’s Twitch online service, according to people with knowledge of the matter, after a controversial group of livestreamers alleged that the company is promoting antisemitic content.

AT&T Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Dunkin’ Brands have all pulled spots from the gamer-...Read more

Glen Stubbe/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Hormel's sales dropped, but the maker of Spam still managed to increase profits 13%

Business / Business News /

Hormel Foods notched an early victory one year into the company’s three-year transformation plan, overcoming sales declines with a 13% profit boost to end 2024.

“Year one of ‘Transform and Modernize’ was a success, delivering $75 million in benefits,” Chief Financial Officer Jacinth Smiley said on a call with analysts Wednesday. “...Read more

Max Ortiz/The Detroit News/TNS

Stellantis financial chief explains Tavares departure, talks Trump tariffs

Business / Business News /

A senior Stellantis NV executive said Wednesday that CEO Carlos Tavares' recent departure from the automaker could be attributed to his disagreements with the company's board about short-term business tactics, as well as conflict over how to interact with outside stakeholders such as dealers, suppliers, unions and governments.

The business ...Read more

Ford/TNS/TNS

Ford posts strong November sales, hits monthly EV sales record

Business / Business News /

Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it had its best November for U.S. sales since before the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving a 14% increase year-over-year and an all-time monthly electric vehicle sales record.

The Dearborn automaker sold 166,373 vehicles last month. That included 10,821 all-electric vehicles, representing 6.5% of sales that were up 21% ...Read more

File photo/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

FAQ: Everything you need to know about Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare

Business / Business News /

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot Wednesday morning in Midtown Manhattan as a company shareholder meeting was getting underway. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Thompson and UnitedHealthcare.

What is UnitedHealth Group?

Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a diversified traded...Read more

John T. Greilick/The Detroit News/TNS

GM to take $5 billion in charges for changes to China business

Business / Business News /

General Motors Co. will incur two noncash charges of more than $5 billion for recognizing the change in value of its joint-venture business in China and restructuring costs there, according to a Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

GM expects a $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion write-down, or reduction in value on its ...Read more

New York Police Department/TNS/TNS

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson killed in 'brazen, targeted attack' in NYC; manhunt underway

Business / Business News /

Brian Thompson, the chief executive of Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare, has been shot and killed in Manhattan in what police officials called a brazen attack that apparently targeted the executive.

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown where video evidence indicates the gunman was “lying in wait” ...Read more

Tablo/TNS/TNS

Tech review: Gift options for the cord cutter

Business / Business News /

Cord cutting used to refer to abandoning pay TV and putting up an antenna to watch free over-the-air TV. Then cord cutting expanded to include streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and individual streaming sources.

Now we also include streaming bundles, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live or DirecTV Stream. These bundled services mimic cable and ...Read more

Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Inside the procedure at the heart of a multibillion-dollar race to a safer AFib treatment

Business / Business News /

Under a canopy of eight heart-monitoring screens in a cardiac catheterization lab on a recent Monday, Mayo Clinic doctors briefly paused a procedure treating atrial fibrillation to inspect a new tool: a long tube with what looked like flower petals made out of wire at its end.

That wiry flower is the focus of a multibillion-dollar innovation ...Read more

L.E. Baskow @Left_Eye_Images/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

How the Sphere plans to boost profits -- and how much you'll pay

Business / Business News /

LAS VEGAS — Operators of the Sphere believe they’re getting the hang of boosting profitability for the giant performance venue now that it has been open for more than a year.

Sphere Entertainment Co. has said the public can expect more events there — possibly multiple shows each day — and that one of the goals is to have something going...Read more

Alan Berner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Once a must for wealthy Seattle liberals, Teslas feel an Elon backlash

Business / Business News /

For Tesla drivers in and around Seattle, the mood these days can feel a little charged.

In a metro area famous for its Democratic majorities, driving an electric vehicle whose maker, Elon Musk, just helped reelect Republican Donald Trump can earn its own special version of the Seattle freeze.

Parked Teslas have been spray-painted and smashed. ...Read more

Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/TNS

California settles with big-box retailers and Dodgers over alleged hiring violations

Business / Business News /

California's Civil Rights Department announced settlements Tuesday with Amazon, Ikea and Kohl's over allegations that the big-box retailers illegally denied jobs to people based on their criminal histories.

Amazon allegedly denied a Bay Area applicant work as a delivery driver because of a conviction that was more than seven years old, while ...Read more

TOM GRALISH/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

ATMs on Pa. Turnpike were shut down over the weekend. Here's why they still aren't working

Business / Business News /

The shutdown of automatic teller machines at all 17 Pennsylvania Turnpike rest areas since last Wednesday, leaving travelers without access to cash on the long Thanksgiving weekend, has shed light on a financial struggle between the machines’ manager, Paramount Asset Group, and its creditors.

“Without any prior notification,” Paramount ...Read more

Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News/TNS

Frontier to roll out first-class seating, a big change for the no-frills airline

Business / Business News /

Starting in 2025, Frontier Airlines will roll out first-class seating as part of a trend of low-fare carriers offering more options to lure travelers who are willing to pay for premium accommodations.

The Denver-based airline announced the change Tuesday, calling it the company’s “next evolution.” Other features include free seat upgrades...Read more

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Former Apple employees charged with defrauding charity program

Business / Business News /

CUPERTINO, California — Six former Apple employees face fraud-related charges in the South Bay after allegedly exploiting a charity-matching program by making bogus donations to nonprofits controlled by one of the defendants, then pocketing the company’s matching funds and claiming false tax write-offs.

The underlying investigation has been...Read more

Colorado regulators consider another utility's rate hike request in affordability test case

Business / Business News /

A request by Black Hills Energy to raise its residential electric rates in Colorado by nearly 14% could prove to be a test case of the state’s efforts to focus on affordability in the face of growing complaints about utility bills.

The South Dakota-based company is seeking its first rate increase in eight years. Black Hills recently cut its ...Read more