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E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Obama Foundation readies for uncertainty of development near presidential center

Business / Business News /

CHICAGO — When he chose Jackson Park for the location of his landmark presidential center nearly a decade ago, former President Barack Obama said he wanted the development to become the engine for a South Side economic resurgence, spurring new residents to move to the area, more businesses to open, additional fixes to infrastructure and better...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Auto review: Turbo Alfa Tonale proves less is more with Italian flair

Business / Business News /

Unburdened of its mission as the standard-bearer of an electric Alfa Romeo brand, the subcompact Tonale SUV can finally live la dolce vita.

For 2026, Alfa’s tasty, turbocharged, gas-fired appetizer is lighter, cheaper, more fun. Less is more.

Gone is Alfa’s dream to be an Italian Tesla. Gone, too, is Tonale’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain ...Read more

Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

How Florida property insurers keep secrets from policy holders -- with the state's help

Business / Business News /

Florida property insurers are keeping secrets.

Empowered by industry-friendly state statutes and court rulings, they’re blocking access to information about how their firms set premiums, handle claims, and shift profits out of the reach of regulators. They insist it wouldn’t be fair for their competitors to learn these critical “trade ...Read more

ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Dealers face prospect of Chinese autos: 'Eventually you'll get them'

Business / Business News /

U.S. auto dealers are increasingly wary of a possible industry shakeup ahead: Chinese vehicles entering the American market.

They have seen the signs. Chinese automakers showed off their electric vehicles at a January tech gathering in Las Vegas, with one company saying it planned to announce a U.S. production expansion within a couple of years...Read more

Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

State Farm to issue $5 billion in auto insurance dividends -- or about $100 per car

Business / Business News /

Home insurance rates may be going through the roof, but State Farm has some good news for its auto insurance customers.

State Farm will issue $5 billion in auto insurance dividends to its customers this summer, with a one-time payment of about $100 per vehicle, the Bloomington-based insurance giant announced Thursday.

The largest dividend in...Read more

Scott Olson/Getty Images North America/TNS

New round of WGN-TV layoffs includes producer whose rough ICE detention went viral

Business / Business News /

CHICAGO — A second round of layoffs hit WGN-Ch. 9 this week, with three creative services employees getting the axe Wednesday, including Debbie Brockman, the producer whose aggressive detainment by immigration agents in October became a symbol of urban enforcement clashes.

Brockman, a 15-year employee at WGN, rose to national fame after a ...Read more

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images North America/TNS

Netflix bows out of Warner Bros. auction, Paramount to claim the prize

Business / Business News /

WASHINGTON — Netflix bowed out of the Warner Bros. Discovery sweepstakes Thursday, conceding the prize to Paramount Skydance, a dramatic capstone to one of Hollywood’s biggest auctions in years.

The reversal came after Warner Bros. Discovery switched gears, announcing that Paramount‘s revised bid had topped the one on the table from ...Read more

K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Wynn hit with more class-action lawsuits after data breach

Business / Business News /

Two more class-action lawsuits have been filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada against Wynn Resorts Ltd. in connection with a cyberattack data breach Friday alleging the casino company didn’t do enough to protect customers’ private information.

The Las Vegas-based luxury resort company on Tuesday acknowledged the attack, but a spokesman ...Read more

Tom Gralish/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Pennsylvania spent $397 million in overtime last year. Here's why government workers are logging such long hours

Business / Business News /

Pennsylvania pays out hundreds of millions in overtime pay to its employees annually. For some agencies, overtime work is in the nature of the jobs, which involve responding to emergencies. But understaffing sometimes plays a role as well.

Last year, Pennsylvania paid $397 million in overtime to roughly 56,000 employees, according to state data...Read more

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images North America/TNS

Warner Bros. Discovery shifts gears, says it now favors Paramount deal over Netflix

Business / Business News /

WASHINGTON — Warner Bros. Discovery is switching gears, announcing Thursday that Paramount Skydance’s revised bid tops the one on the table from Netflix.

The move is the latest twist in Hollywood’s biggest auction in years — and five months after Paramount Chairman David Ellison began his dogged pursuit of the larger media company. ...Read more

Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Amid the multibillion-dollar battle for Warner Bros., the company loses $252 million

Business / Business News /

As Paramount Skydance's bid for Warner Bros. Discovery stretches into the stratosphere, a painful truth emerged.

Paramount's core television business, which includes CBS, Comedy Central and MTV, is rapidly shrinking and its Melrose Avenue movie studio lost money. Paramount this week reported a $339-million operating loss in last year's fourth ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Stellantis weighs using China EV tech for affordable cars

Business / Business News /

Stellantis NV is considering tapping electric-vehicle technology from its Chinese partner Leapmotor to help lower costs across its mass-market European brands such as Fiat, Opel and Peugeot, according to people familiar with the plans.

The manufacturer is weighing an expansion of the scope of its joint venture with Leapmotor to access the ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: How can I stop neighbor from leaving dogs' waste in my yard?

Business / Business News /

Q: My neighbor down the block walks their dogs up and down the street. The dogs often relieve themselves on my lawn, and the neighbor doesn’t pick it up. It’s really getting old. What can I do about it? — Irwin

A: Dealing with neighborhood issues can be frustrating, especially when it feels like someone is not respecting your property. ...Read more

Max Ortiz/The Detroit News/TNS

Stellantis reports first annual loss after massive EV charges

Business / Business News /

Stellantis NV on Thursday reported a 2025 net loss of $26.3 billion (22.3 billion euro), the first time the automaker has reported an annual loss since its 2021 formation and just two years after posting a record $20 billion in profits.

The Jeep and Ram maker warned the disappointing results were coming earlier this month when it reported about...Read more

Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Chicago credit downgraded, which will mean higher borrowing costs

Business / Business News /

Two ratings agencies have downgraded the city of Chicago and kept their negative outlooks intact, citing the city’s back-to-back budget shortfalls since 2023, reliance on “non-structural solutions” to patch up holes, stubborn gaps in future years, and the ongoing fight between the Mayor’s Office and the City Council stymieing a long term...Read more

Brandon Bell/Getty Images North America/TNS

Instagram to alert parents if their teens search for suicide or self harm terms

Business / Business News /

Instagram, a social media platform popular among young people, said Thursday it will alert parents if their teens repeatedly search for suicide or self harm-related terms.

"Our goal is to empower parents to step in if their teen's searches suggest they may need support," the company said in a blog post.

Parents will receive a notification ...Read more

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Stellantis says no 2025 profit sharing checks for its US autoworkers. Here's why

Business / Business News /

Stellantis NV’s United Auto Workers employees will not receive a profit-sharing payout this year, a sharp turnaround from just two years ago when each worker took home nearly $14,000. The reason is simple: the company failed to generate enough profit in its North American operations to meet the target required under its labor agreement.

The ...Read more

Ludovic Marin/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Battle of the AI brands: What's behind the bad blood between OpenAI and Anthropic

Business / Business News /

As more than 100 million people watched the Super Bowl, the battle for the future of artificial intelligence spilled out into a massive public arena.

In a series of viral commercials, AI upstart Anthropic broadcast to football fans that they should avoid AI with ads. The commercial was obviously targeting OpenAI, which plans to add ads to ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Tesla pushes back against California's regulators

Business / Business News /

Tesla is pushing back against California bureaucrats, suing the state's Department of Motor Vehicles for accusing it of false advertising.

California regulators say Tesla has misled consumers about the capabilities of its "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving" modes, which cannot be used without an alert human driver. Late last year, an ...Read more

Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times/TNS

The struggles of Jack in the Box: A bad investment, the immigration crackdown and a clash for control

Business / Business News /

Jack in the Box has lost its spring.

The San Diego-based fast-food chain is losing customers, its shares have nosedived, and some investors think it needs new leadership.

The 75-year-old company is trying to find its footing while everyday consumers pull back on spending. The company reported a more than 6% decline in same-store sales last ...Read more