SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- In California, attorney-client privilege ensures that communication between an individual and their lawyer remains confidential. California labor groups are hoping 2026 will be the year that a similar, albeit lesser, privilege is extended to union representatives and their members.

A bill authored by Assemblymember Patrick...Read more

The world economy’s first signs of a synchronized shock emerged in business surveys revealing how the Iran war’s fallout is crippling growth momentum and stoking prices.

Multiple purchasing manager indexes compiled by S&P Global for March showed declines. Among the releases on Tuesday, composite measures for the U.S. and the euro zone were ...Read more

Jeff Bezos is trying to leapfrog into the artificial intelligence race with a $100 billion fund to acquire manufacturers and bring more AI superpowers to factory floors.

The Amazon founder has reportedly traveled to the Middle East and elsewhere to meet with potential investors for the massive fund. If he succeeds, it would be one of the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Bay Area-based robotaxi company Zoox is trying to get ahead of the competition with a significant expansion in San Francisco and Las Vegas and plans to launch in Austin, Texas, and Miami.

Zoox will quadruple its service area in San Francisco starting this spring, expanding rides to the eastern half of the city, including the...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Are you waiting longer for the rideshare driver to show up? Or for that burger and fries to be delivered to your door? Does it all cost more?

Here’s part of the reason: stricter immigration enforcement. And not just the arrest and deportation of workers who lack official permission to be in the country, but the fear that ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The health care industry accounted for more than 70% of new jobs in the Philadelphia area over the past decade, nearly double the growth rate for health care nationally, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The region added approximately 184,000 jobs since 2015. More than 132,000 were in health care, with home ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- So Good So You, the fast-growing Minnesota company that makes wellness shots available nationwide, announced Tuesday that it sold to a private equity firm.

So Good So You didn’t disclose the terms of the Bansk Group’s majority-stake acquisition. But the leader of a local food startup incubator characterized it as likely one ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The developers of One Beverly Hills have secured $4.3 billion in financing to complete the project, another milestone for one of the largest real estate projects underway in the country.

Work on the high-end residential and hotel complex, which will include the tallest buildings in Beverly Hills, began in 2024 and went vertical ...Read more

Artificial intelligence isn’t just being blamed for killing jobs; it’s exposing the fundamental flaw in one of hiring’s oldest tools: the résumé.

Thanks to AI, any applicant can churn out a polished, professional-looking version with a few basic prompts — regardless of their qualifications. Frustrated companies have responded in kind ...Read more

The ongoing legal standoff between the Trump administration and Federal Reserve is increasing the likelihood that the next Fed chief won’t be confirmed by the Senate before Chair Jerome Powell’s term ends in May.

Powell last week addressed speculation about what will happen in that instance: He declared he intends to remain in charge, ...Read more

IMPERIAL, Calif. — Whenever the weather changes suddenly, or the skyline becomes shrouded in a windy haze, Fernanda Camarillo braces herself for an asthma attack.

Her condition has become more manageable, but the 27-year-old said it's still scary when her chest tightens and she starts to wheeze. It was one of her first thoughts when she ...Read more

As models are refreshed across fleets nationwide, Lexus sticks to their guns and continues to do what they do best, ensuring the RX is a fan-favorite.

Our weeklong tester was wrapped in Incognito – “army grey,” as I like to call it – and really showed out nicely. Its $56K base price was a solid base for the upscale luxury vehicle brand,...Read more

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Toyota Motor Corp. is investing $1 billion between its Kentucky and Indiana plants as part of a broader $10 billion multiyear commitment to manufacturing in the United States, the company said Monday.

The move comes amid a push from President Donald Trump to both entice and coerce more companies to make their products within...Read more

DETROIT — General Motors Co. on Monday began testing its new, mostly self-driving technology on Michigan and California highways.

Trained drivers are behind the wheels of 200 test vehicles to take over if necessary, according to the Detroit automaker. GM said it's been collecting data from test vehicles driven in 34 states over the last six ...Read more

Just moments after Donald Trump backed down from his threat to bomb Iran’s energy infrastructure in a Truth Social post at 7:05 a.m., oil prices plunged over 13%, Treasury yields tumbled and traders signaled that U.S. stocks would surge at the opening bell.

It almost didn’t matter that less than an hour later Iran contradicted Trump’s ...Read more

Like many Americans born in the 20th century, I measure each day by my productivity. My children laugh and call me a “try-hard.” But you should try hard, I say. They laugh again. They might be smarter than me.

If you’re not sure what “productivity” means, your boss certainly does. In economic terms, productivity measures how ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based Anagram International pulled nearly $3 million of business from work programs at Minnesota prisons, leaving hundreds of inmates without a source of income or the opportunity for more time outside of their cells.

The company employed more than 700 people to package balloons through Minncor Industries...Read more

The earnings gap between men and women slightly widened last year, according to a new analysis published Thursday.

The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute calculated women last year earned 18.6% less than men per hour on average. That’s up slightly from 2024, when the wage gap narrowed slightly to 18%.

The wage analysis, which examines ...Read more

There are at least two conflicting narratives about Gen Z and young millennials. One is that they are extremely risk averse — afraid even to go out of the house, much less on a date. Another is that they are extremely risk inclined — always betting on sports or speculating on exotic assets.

Both of these theories can be true. In fact, they ...Read more