Business
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Microsoft buys North Carolina megasite near the Research Triangle, but won't say why
One of the world’s most valuable companies took a North Carolina megasite off the market this week as Microsoft notified local officials on Thursday it had completed a $27 million purchase of the Person County Mega Park.
The 1,350-acre site sits below the Virginia border, about an hour’s drive north of Durham. Person officials said they ...Read more
Jury sides with Abbott Laboratories in ongoing fight over preterm infant formulas
A St. Louis jury handed Abbott Laboratories a win Thursday, deciding that Abbott, another company and a hospital were not liable after a boy consumed the companies’ cow’s milk-based products for premature infants and became severely ill.
The decision marked the first victory for north suburban-based Abbott Laboratories and Indiana-based ...Read more
Michael Hiltzik: These Apple researchers just showed that AI bots can't think, and possibly never will
See if you can solve this arithmetic problem:
Oliver picks 44 kiwis on Friday. Then he picks 58 kiwis on Saturday. On Sunday, he picks double the number of kiwis he did on Friday, but five of them were a bit smaller than average. How many kiwis does Oliver have?
If you answered "190," congratulations: You did as well as the average grade ...Read more
At a Chicago Trader Joe's, a union remains in limbo as the grocery chain challenges the validity of just one vote
Six months ago, grocery staff at a North Center Trader Joe’s filed for a union election. The move came amid a swell of union organizing that swept the service industry over the last several years, hitting big names such as Starbucks and Apple and REI. At Trader Joe’s, grocery staff said they saw a union as a way to secure better pay, ...Read more
US payrolls increase by just 12,000, hit by storms and strikes
U.S. hiring advanced at the slowest pace since 2020 while the unemployment rate remained low in October, a month distorted by severe hurricanes and a major strike at Boeing Co.
Nonfarm payrolls increased 12,000 last month, and hiring over the previous two months was weaker than previously thought, suggesting the underlying labor market ...Read more
Potato-packing workers trafficked from Mexico to Colorado in forced-labor scheme, lawsuit alleges
At least three potato-packing workers in Colorado’s San Luis Valley were trafficked from Mexico into a forced-labor scheme, compelled to work for less than minimum wage, given little food and water, and housed in substandard conditions, the laborers allege in a federal lawsuit filed this month.
Armando Rubio Flores, Alfonso Angeles Hernandez ...Read more
A-B InBev revenue finally stabilizing 19 months after Bud Light controversy
Anheuser-Busch InBev may have turned a corner more than a year after its sales tanked from a boycott sparked by the brewer tapping transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a Bud Light marketing campaign in spring 2023.
The Belgium-based brewer on Thursday posted revenues of $15.57 billion, up from $15.04 billion in the same quarter last year ...Read more
Boeing Machinists to vote on new contract offer meant to end strike
The Boeing Machinists union leadership has received another contract offer in a bid to end the ongoing strike, which enters its eighth week Friday.
The union announced the proposal Thursday afternoon and recommended members approve the deal. The 33,000 striking Machinists union members will vote on the proposal Monday.
“It is time for our ...Read more
Inside a flawed immigration system: Millions of undocumented workers and a verification program that few use
WASHINGTON — For all of Donald Trump’s railing against immigrants and Democrats’ insistence on creating a better pathway to citizenship, one thing almost no one ever talks about is a computer-based federal program that makes it easy for prospective employers to spot and reject unauthorized immigrants seeking jobs.
The program, known as E...Read more
Los Angeles waited so long it seemed like a fantasy. But it's actually coming: A rail connection to LAX
Gerardo Ramirez flew into Los Angeles from Mexico City on Thursday and was surprised to learn that he couldn’t easily access a rail line from the main airport of a major city — something he’s come to expect in his travels.
“I’ve been in many cities around the world, where public transportation is well connected,” said Ramirez, 24. �...Read more
Auto review: With RHO, Ram unleashes a rhino to take on the F-150 Raptor
HOLLY OAKS, Michigan — Raptor, meet Rhino.
The 2025 Ram 1500 RHO supertruck is here and it’s a worthy competitor to segment pioneer Ford F-150 Raptor. RHO is short for Ram High Output, and the acronym’s similarity to rhinoceros is no accident. This is a full-grown, armor-plated, earth-pawing, terrain-chewing, bone-crunching beast.
Better...Read more
Auto review: 2025 Nissan Kicks is competitive, but no standout
It’s been six years since Japanese authorities arrested Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn over allegations of false accounting. It marked the end of a tenure that had started strong, with Nissan fielding impressively rejuvenated products. But Ghosn’s vision ultimately faltered as he became consumed by increasing market share at the expense of all else...Read more
Auto review: Mercedes GLC43 AMG is one speedy SUV
As Mercedes has been pressed for years to deliver outstanding luxury vehicles, they have also instilled a great amount of sportiness to their fleet. When sports and luxury come together, it’s easy for consumers to demand more and more. With Mercedes historically leading the way in the German market, the GLC43 AMG is here and wow is an ...Read more
GM Fort Wayne workers OK strike authorization
United Auto Workers-represented workers at General Motors Co.'s Fort Wayne Assembly truck plant overwhelmingly approved a strike authorization vote over local issues at the plant, according to results Wednesday from Local 2209 representing workers there.
More than 70% of the voting workers approved a strike if it becomes necessary.
The vote ...Read more
Boeing is looking to jettison the space business. Why it might hold on to its California satellite operation
With its manufacturing practices under scrutiny, its machinists on strike and losses piling up, Boeing is said to be considering selling parts of its fabled space business. But few industry analysts think Boeing will put its extensive El Segundo, California, satellite operations on the table.
New Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said during...Read more
Real estate Q&A: How do I convince HOA to enforce 'quiet time' rules?
Q: My downstairs neighbor often hangs out on his porch, which is directly under ours, and due to his drinking and smoking pot, we hear loud, explicit conversations into the early morning hours at least twice a month. Our bylaws state that “quiet time” is between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., but the HOA says they can only send him a reminder letter. I...Read more
Looking for new activities? Google wants you to turn to its navigation app
Search giant Google wants people to use its navigation app for more than just finding directions and avoiding traffic.
The tech giant is adding generative AI features to Google Maps so people can easily get recommendations for places to go and activities to do.
With 2 billion people using Google Maps every month, the company envisions people ...Read more
Spurred by the 'oat mafia,' the familiar grain makes a comeback in Minnesota
ZUMBRO RIVER VALLEY, Minnesota — From his combine on an October afternoon, harvesting dried-out soybeans the color of dust, Martin Larsen points to a hillside where his ancestors from Scandinavia homesteaded.
History might be happening again on the Larsen farm.
Last year, on this plot of land along the Zumbro River, the 43-year-old farmer ...Read more
Mattel is revamping its work spaces as employees return to the office
Mattel, the toy maker behind major brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels, is upgrading its real estate holdings, moving its studio operations and design center into new homes.
The company, headquartered in El Segundo, California, is planning to move its studio operations to a recently renovated 60,000-square-foot building by 2025. Mattel signed ...Read more
San Diego's life science office buildings are sitting vacant. 'We just oversubscribed on space'
A couple of years ago, life science companies were fighting for office leases and developers couldn’t meet the demand fast enough. But now, that hunger for square footage has diminished, and the region’s available office and lab buildings have swelled to an all-time high.
The county’s total vacancy rate climbed to 20.4%, according to a ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Seattle ranks high on AI hiring, but the job hunt isn't always easy
- Microsoft buys North Carolina megasite near the Research Triangle, but won't say why
- Michael Hiltzik: These Apple researchers just showed that AI bots can't think, and possibly never will
- Spurred by the 'oat mafia,' the familiar grain makes a comeback in Minnesota
- Jury sides with Abbott Laboratories in ongoing fight over preterm infant formulas