MINNEAPOLIS -- Like many blind or visually impaired people, Steve Decker does a lot of online shopping with the help of tools that read text out loud to him.

But like many shoppers, regardless of ability, he still likes to come to stores in person to gauge the freshness of produce or to feel the texture of a sweater. To do so, he often has to ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Uber's stock market value fell by as much as $1.5 billion Friday as investors turned against the ride-hailing giant after it said more than 3,000 sexual assaults took place during its rides in 2018.

At one point Friday, Uber's shares had fallen by almost 3%, to $27.81, to give the company a market capitalization of $47.4 ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- The 2010s are ending with unexpected strength in the U.S. job market, but there's reason to doubt there will be another roaring '20s.

November's 266,000 payroll gain, the biggest since January, exceeded forecasts and job growth in the prior two months was revised higher -- calming concern about a slowdown in the economy or even ...Read more

Stop, take a deep breath and wait for a warning from the Internal Revenue Service before you pull out that plastic to jump on yet another holiday deal on a TV, toys or a smartphone.

Will you really have all the money you need by January or February to cover all those holiday bills? Not necessarily, if you're banking on a big income tax refund ...Read more

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Transit Authority is asking a Chinese manufacturer for more details about its supply chain after a news report that children are being used to mine materials in Africa that might be used in "L" car production.

The report said that children as young as 4 from poor families in Madagascar are mining for mica, which is a type...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For Jeff Jones, the idea started at home.

As he's watched his teenage daughters grow up in a world ruled by devices and apps, he's worried about the lasting social toll of technology.

"The problem is a really big problem in society today about social isolation," he said. "The more that we're connected to one another ...Read more

Bernard Schweitzer recently received a package of four health-related books from "University of California Berkeley White Papers," along with a bill for $99.60.

There were just a few things wrong.

Schweitzer, 86, a West Los Angeles resident, says he never intentionally ordered any such materials.

He has no ties to UC Berkeley. Schweitzer went...Read more

Gym class can be the most traumatizing experience for those who don't like participatory sports. Inevitably, if you're not a particularly gifted athlete, you will be taunted or, even worse, chosen last for the junior high dodgeball team, a truly nasty game.

If this has happened to you, then you can sympathize with Fiat.

The Italian automaker ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- E.T., the iconic movie alien, has traveled millions of light-years back to Earth for the first time in almost four decades.

The mission? Help Comcast sell high-speed internet.

The Philadelphia company has released a four-minute commercial that's a sort-of sequel to the sci-fi film, reuniting the gentle alien with Henry Thomas, ...Read more

A week ago while winding down from Thanksgiving weekend, I turned to my husband shortly after seeing what's now turned into a firestorm of a TV commercial and quietly said: "Don't get me a Peloton."

His quick response: "Here is the good news: It never crossed my mind."

The exchange between us seemed so funny that I immediately tweeted it out ...Read more

DETROIT -- They knew the truth and kept quiet.

Their secret wasn't a secret at all in engineering, product development, research, design or manufacturing within Ford Motor Co., say seven current and former employees who worked to develop and launch the Fiesta and Focus cars that would become known for defective automatic transmissions.

"My ...Read more

DETROIT -- Nearly 12 weeks after the previous contracts expired between the UAW and the Detroit Three, including a 40-day nationwide strike against General Motors, work on a new deal is near the end.

But experts say it's just the beginning because the automakers face a difficult future that the new four-year union contracts fail to safeguard ...Read more

In a world where the rich always seem to get richer whatever the game, Social Security always seemed to be one program that was truly "progressive" -- it benefited the working class more than the moneyed class. Right?

Sadly, no.

In reality, despite painstaking efforts to ensure that Social Security benefits are distributed fairly, the wealthy ...Read more

The first thing investors should know about the Federal Reserve's last interest rate setting meeting of 2019 in the week ahead is that nothing will change.

The second thing investors should know is how little change is expected from the Fed in 2020.

Finally, what investors know for certain is to plan on the unpredictable.

The stock market ...Read more

DETROIT -- What premium-vehicle buyers want is changing, and that's a big deal not just for luxury brands like Mercedes and Lexus, but Detroit 3 brands including Ford, Chevrolet and Jeep.

Premium vehicles -- including models like the Ford F-150 Platinum, GMC Yukon Denali and Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland -- account for just 13% of global sales, ...Read more

After getting an all-new hatchback version for 2019, the Toyota Corolla debuts a redesigned sedan lineup for 2020, including the brand's first hybrid model.

The 12th-generation Corolla sedan carries forward much of the new exterior styling that made its debut earlier on the hatchback version.

For the new sedan, prices start at $19,600 (plus $...Read more