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US companies announce fewest job cuts for a September since 2022

Business / Business News /

U.S. companies announced the fewest number of job cuts for any September since 2022, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

Employers last month announced 43,281 job cuts, a near 20% decrease from a year earlier. So far this year, planned staffing reductions are down almost 40% from the same nine months in ...Read more

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GM loses ground to Toyota as high prices reshape US car market

Business / Business News /

Toyota Motor Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. are pulling closer to Detroit’s marquee automakers in the U.S. auto market, boosted by demand for gas-electric hybrids and affordable vehicles as average car payments rise well above $800 a month.

Toyota’s sales rose slightly to more than 633,000 vehicle in the third quarter, including its Lexus ...Read more

A record not worth cheering? California gas prices near all-time high

Business / Business News /

SAN JOSE, California — A march to an all-time record is on again, and the path to it is likely to unite Californians — in their anger at gas prices, boiling as drivers watch their totals reach higher and higher.

“It’s nothing but a financial burden, man,” 31-year-old Saleh Abdullah said as he pumped gas at the Costco station on ...Read more

Katy Kildee/The Detroit News/TNS

Bill Ford knocks 'technology for technology's sake'

Business / Business News /

DETROIT — Martha Firestone Ford, 101, isn't looking for much more than an AM radio in her vehicle, her son Bill Ford said during a panel Tuesday with executives from Google, Time magazine and United Airlines.

"I don't have a lot of 101-year-old customers," said Ford Motor Co.'s executive chair, joking during the panel at Michigan Central in ...Read more

Breana Noble/The Detroit News/TNS

Ford sounds alarm on skilled trades shortage at Accelerate forum

Business / Business News /

For the second year in a row, Ford Motor Co. is sounding the alarm on a growing shortage of skilled trades workers in the United States.

"Here's the reality: We need to fill 1.7 million job openings in the trades every year over the next 10 years. Every year, 1.7 million," Ford CEO Jim Farley said on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the company's ...Read more

Clarence Tabb Jr./The Detroit News/TNS

Stellantis CEO eyes small pickups, cheaper models for US turnaround

Business / Business News /

Stellantis NV CEO Antonio Filosa on Wednesday, Sept. 30 said the maker of Jeep and Ram sees an opportunity to cash in with its new compact pickup, extended-range powertrains and vehicles priced at under $40,000 in the U.S. market.

During an auto industry conference in Detroit, Filosa cited the segments as North American growth opportunities for...Read more

When it comes to AI, business is not as usual

Business / Business News /

It’s a question many businesses and their employees have had in mind, ever since the global boom of artificial intelligence tools that promise to shift nearly every aspect of work and life: What if the robot replaces me?

For the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, the AI revolution is particularly pertinent. Founded in 2004, PALCS is a ...Read more

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Hormel makes $1 billion bet on chicken

Business / Business News /

Hormel Foods is branching into a new — and wildly popular — meat category with a deal to acquire a chicken company for more than $1 billion.

The Austin, Minnesota-based meatpacker is buying Brakebush Brothers, whose portfolio includes pre-prepared breaded tenderloins, chicken breasts and nuggets.

Hormel already sells protein staples such ...Read more

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Fed's watchdog finds no criminal violations in renovations

Business / Business News /

The Federal Reserve’s internal watchdog found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters, a $2.4 billion project that became a flashpoint between the Fed and the Trump administration as the president pushed for lower interest rates last year.

The findings came in a report released ...Read more

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Anthropic says its AI models could manipulate, blackmail and harm humans

Business / Business News /

Anthropic disclosed that its advanced artificial intelligence technology poses "existential risks to humanity" in an initial public offering document.

As the company prepares for the largest listing in history at $2 trillion, its IPO prospectus has been circulated among investors and viewed by Reuters and other news outlets.

This comes after ...Read more

Terry Savage: Help navigating Medicare open enrollment

Business / Business News /

Every senior MUST review Medicare coverage during open enrollment, which runs from October 15 and December 7. There are no exceptions — even if you were perfectly happy with your coverage in 2026. For sure there will be changes for 2027.

In a recent column, I explained that not only are traditional Medicare Part B premiums rising, but costs ...Read more

Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Federal judge allows Paramount-Warner merger to move forward

Business / Business News /

A federal judge in Oakland has approved a settlement that allows Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison to finalize his $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Ellison is aiming to finalize the merger by next week, capping his meteoric rise into one of Hollywood’s most influential figures. The Ellison family claimed ...Read more

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Sen. Tim Scott touts federal film tax credit as a blue-collar jobs bill

Business / Business News /

Touting his love for movies, Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, said he decided to co-sponsor legislation to create a federal film and television tax credit because it would help boost U.S. blue-collar jobs and provide more diversity in how America is portrayed on screen.

Scott is leading the legislative effort in the U.S. Senate alongside Sen. ...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Millions of trucks to be reclassified as cars after Trump overhaul

Business / Business News /

WASHINGTON — Millions of light-duty trucks spanning more than 100 nameplates will soon be recognized as passenger cars thanks to a regulatory overhaul by the Trump administration.

The planned shift for model year 2030, according to regulators, could push automakers to offer fewer unnecessary features and improve fuel economy for wallet-...Read more

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Fed's watchdog finds no evidence of criminality in renovations

Business / Business News /

The Federal Reserve’s internal watchdog found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters, a $2.4 billion project that became a flashpoint between the Fed and the Trump administration as the president pushed for lower interest rates last year.

The findings came in a report released ...Read more

Justin Ng/Avalon via ZUMA Press/TNS

Mattel gets new chief executive as it struggles to turn more of its toys into stars

Business / Business News /

Mattel is getting a new chief executive, as the company behind Barbie has struggled to turn its toy business into a movie business.

The El Segundo company is set to be led by Roger Lynch, who is stepping down from his role as chief executive at the publisher Condé Nast after more than 7 years with the company. Lynch has served as a Mattel ...Read more

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US gasoline supplies hit 12-year low as fuels crisis rages on

Business / Business News /

U.S. gasoline supplies fell to the lowest level in 12 years, flashing a warning sign for higher pump prices as a global refining crisis pushes up fuel bills.

Stockpiles of gasoline dropped to 204 million barrels last week, according to U.S. Department of Energy data released Wednesday. That’s the lowest since November 2014. In the Midwest, ...Read more

Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

In the age of AI, analog is having a renaissance

Business / Business News /

Technology keeps promising to do more. A growing number of consumers want it to do less. Even as artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and pervasive, Google search data show a 5,000% increase year over year in queries for “analog hobbies” — like knitting, water coloring or playing an instrument — and an 850% increase in searches ...Read more

Luke Johnson/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

Will an early switch to winter-blend gasoline give California drivers a price break?

Business / Business News /

In an effort to stem the unrelenting surge in gasoline prices, Gov. Gavin Newsom has instructed state officials to switch to the lower-priced winter blend of fuel one month earlier than normal.

Fuel analysts say the winter blend is generally about 30 cents a gallon cheaper than the summer mixture.

Although it takes weeks for major price ...Read more

Candice Williams/The Detroit News/TNS

Policy adjustments likely needed to lower inflation, Fed governor says

Business / Business News /

DETROIT — The U.S. economy is facing persistent inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and a surge in investment tied to artificial intelligence, Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said Tuesday.

Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club at The Masonic, Barr said the U.S. economy has shown resilience through a series of disruptions, with real ...Read more