After the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s, Candace Nelson reevaluated her career. She had just been laid off from a boutique investment banking firm in San Francisco's tech startup scene, and realized she wanted a change.

From her home, she launched a custom cake service that soon morphed into an idea for a cupcake-focused bakery. ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Automaker Volkswagen AG said in a public filing last week that President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian automotive goods violate binding trade agreements he approved during his first term.

The German company made the claim in a comment submitted Wednesday to Trump's U.S. Trade Representative office, which was ...Read more

Mattel is releasing its first autistic Barbie doll.

Created in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), the toy launched Monday is meant to represent children with autism spectrum disorder and how they experience the world.

The doll joins the Barbie Fashionistas line, which features more than 175 looks across various skin ...Read more

DETROIT — General Motors Co. leveraged the automaker's more than 120-year heritage and its success during Detroit's Golden Age to design the company's new global headquarters at the Hudson's Detroit complex downtown that opened Monday.

Nods to GM's past are hidden throughout the company's roughly 200,000-square-foot space: fabric from the ...Read more

UnitedHealth Group Inc. used “aggressive strategies” to maximize diagnoses and boost payments for patients on private Medicare health plans, a new Senate report found, adding to pressure on the largest US health insurer.

The health-care conglomerate has a “robust” workforce — augmented by artificial intelligence — to capture ...Read more

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air is merging with Sun Country Airlines and will form one of the largest leisure-based commercial air carriers in the country and will be headquartered in Las Vegas.

The merger agreement, approved by the boards of directors of both companies, will need shareholder approvals and clearance from federal authorities ...Read more

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday doubled down on California’s commitment to electric vehicles with proposed rebates intended to backfill federal tax credits canceled by the Trump administration.

The plan would allocate $200 million in one-time special funds for a new point-of-sale incentive program for light-duty zero-emissions vehicles. It was ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The charred remains of the historic Pacific Palisades Business Block cast a shadow over a once-bustling shopping district along West Sunset Boulevard.

Empty lots littered with debris and ash line the street where houses and small businesses once stood. A year since the Palisades fire roared through the neighborhood, only a ...Read more

New Jersey has long coveted Petty’s Island, 300 acres in the Delaware River off Pennsauken, as a potential environmental and recreational haven with its grand views of Philadelphia.

Originally the hunting grounds of Native Americans, the island was later farmed by Quakers. Folklore claims pirate landings and an overnight stay by Ben Franklin....Read more

Minnesota businesses are facing a wave of harassment and threats following a politically charged YouTube video accusing Somali-owned day care providers of defrauding the state, fallout that advocates say has intensified amid a broader immigration crackdown.

“Places that never had any type of media attention or were never connected to any type...Read more

Elon Musk's Grok chatbot on Thursday started restricting the ability for non-paying users to create deepfake, sexualized images after global pushback from users and governments.

Late last month, some users began tagging Grok on Musk's social media platform X with prompts such as "put her in a bikini" to generate nonconsensual images of real ...Read more

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently met with executives from major homebuilding companies, according to people familiar with the matter, part of President Donald Trump’s push to bolster his standing with voters on the economy.

The administration has held meetings in recent weeks aimed at sounding out the builders on ways to improve ...Read more

Jeep and Chrysler will stop making their plug-in hybrid models as Stellantis NV turns its focus to other hybrid powertrains, the automaker confirmed Friday.

"With customer demand shifting, Stellantis will phase out plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year, and focus on more competitive electrified ...Read more

As Jeep enters Grasso’s Garage, it is always a mystery what parent company Stellantis is cooking up in the background. This week, it is the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep’s five-passenger, well-known SUV. Fit for many and designed to accommodate all types of consumers, the Grand Cherokee is ready to hit the pavement with a fresh look.

Packed ...Read more

TROY, Michigan — Mrs. Payne and I recently enjoyed “Tron: Ares,” an action-packed sci-fi movie featuring lightning-quick light bikes and glowing digital displays.

Then we climbed into our own Tron-mobile.

As I approached the 2025 Lucid Gravity SUV tester with key in pocket, the electric SUV awoke. Door handles popped out to meet us and ...Read more

The Dodge Charger has always been an argument on wheels, preferably shouting, occasionally sideways, and often accompanied by tire smoke and poor judgment. Since 2006, when the nameplate was reintroduced after a two-decade hiatus, Dodge’s side of the argument has been simple: V-8 beats everything, and if you disagree, you’re probably French...Read more

The scope of Washington's tribal economies is expanding its reach — and the tribes' reasoning is that's to the aid of all.

Tribes contributed $1 out of every $100 in the state's economy, according to a 2025 report on the economic and community benefits of tribes in Washington.

The report found that they generated at least $1.5 billion in ...Read more

A Las Vegas gaming entrepreneur has a simple message to casino companies to jump-start profitability — quit nickel-and-diming your gambling customers and come up with incentives for them to spend more when they visit.

Acres Technology founder and CEO John Acres, who has made a career of developing technological systems to encourage increased ...Read more

Between 2021 and 2024, North Carolina welcomed a parade of lithium-ion battery factory projects promising to hire hundreds, if not thousands.

They were from companies you know, like Toyota, and ones you might not, like Forge Nano, Green New Energy Materials, Dai Nippon Printing and Epsilon Advanced Materials. Each was to be their manufacturer�...Read more