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Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

LA considers expanding Airbnb-style short-term vacation rentals

Business / Business News /

Owners of second homes — and Airbnb — stand to reap a windfall under an initiative in Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' new city budget proposal.

Tucked away in the more than 500 pages of city budget expenditures, the mayor calls for creating a new revenue stream by allowing people who own a second home to rent it out on a short-term basis, ...Read more

Rob Nikolewski/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

Rivian to place more than 100 new EV chargers around Caruso properties

Business / Business News /

Real estate developer Caruso is partnering with the electric vehicle company Rivian to add more than 150 public EV chargers to Caruso's properties, including malls and apartment buildings.

Caruso owns several iconic Southern California destinations, such as the Grove and Palisades Village, which is scheduled to reopen this summer after last ...Read more

Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Less than half of Philadelphia-area full-time workers make a living wage, report says

Business / Business News /

A living wage is becoming less attainable for Philadelphia-area residents, even those who work full-time.

In 2025, 44.3% of full-time workers made a living wage in the 11-county region, which includes Wilmington and Camden, according to a new report from Dayforce, a company that provides payroll and workforce-management software.

That’s a ...Read more

Alex Wong/Getty Images North America/TNS

Bessent says Powell staying on is 'violation' of all Fed norms

Business / Business News /

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Jerome Powell for his decision to stay on the Federal Reserve Board after he steps down as the U.S. central bank’s chair, saying it amounts to a break with Fed tradition.

“It’s highly unusual for someone who says he’s an institutionalist and cares about norms at the Fed,” Bessent said on Fox...Read more

Grant Schwab/The Detroit News/TNS

Slotkin, Moreno buck Trump with bipartisan Chinese car ban proposal

Business / Business News /

WASHINGTON — Two emerging leaders on Capitol Hill are teaming up for a bipartisan push to keep Chinese cars and trucks out of the United States.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio introduced a bill Wednesday to solidify barriers to China building its U.S. automotive presence. Their ...Read more

Sihoo/TNS/TNS

Tech review: A comfortable chair that adjusts as you move

Business / Business News /

As an IT guy, my workday alternates between tasks like going out and fixing people’s computer issues or setting up new computers and sitting at my desk waiting for the next call.

I’d like my boss to think I spend 80% of my day away from my desk, but in reality I spend a lot of my time sitting at my desk working on my computer.

A lot of ...Read more

Robin Buckson/The Detroit News/TNS

Ford lifts outlook as CFO cites gains beyond tariff refunds

Business / Business News /

Ford Motor Co. raised its annual guidance by $500 million after it predicted it'll receive $1.3 billion from the U.S. federal government in tariff reimbursements, as it reported first-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations.

The Dearborn automaker reflected the refund in its $2.5 billion net income in the first three months of 2026. ...Read more

Nicholas Kamm/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Amazon tops earnings estimates with strong growth, showing AI demand

Business / Business News /

Amazon’s investment in artificial intelligence company Anthropic drove profits in the first three months of this year, even as Amazon continued to shell out billions of dollars for AI infrastructure.

Amazon’s profit grew 76% year over year, from $17.1 billion in the first three months of 2025 to $30.3 billion in the first three months of ...Read more

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS

IBM announces new innovation center at Chicago quantum park, creating 750 new tech jobs

Business / Business News /

Building on its growing Chicago quantum footprint, IBM is planning to open a FutureNow delivery center at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, with a commitment to create 750 new full-time technology jobs on the city’s South Side.

The center, one of a handful scattered across North America, will serve as an IBM innovation hub to ...Read more

Stephen Brashear/Getty Images North America/TNS

Microsoft reports AI business is strong amid record spending

Business / Business News /

Microsoft is signaling its massive investments in artificial intelligence is showing results.

The Redmond, Washington-based tech giant posted strong cloud computing growth and said its overall AI business is on track to bring in $37 billion in revenue this year, a 123% year-over-year increase. But that’s against a backdrop of $88 billion ...Read more

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Divided Fed officials hold rates; Powell to stay as governor

Business / Business News /

Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged, but revealed a deepening division over the outlook for policy amid increased uncertainty caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Four officials voted against the decision, including three who objected to language in their post-meeting statement that suggested the central bank would ...Read more

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Fed holds rates, three officials dissent against easing bias

Business / Business News /

Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged, but revealed a deepening division over the outlook for policy amid increased uncertainty caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Four officials voted against the decision, including three who objected to language in their post-meeting statement that suggested the central bank would ...Read more

Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Quixote production services vendor to wind down most of its soundstage business in LA

Business / Business News /

Production services vendor Quixote said it will wind down most of its soundstage business in Los Angeles — including its main commercial studio in West Hollywood and its North Valley studio in Pacoima — as the industry continues to grapple with the slowdown in film and television work.

The company will also close its operations in Atlanta ...Read more

Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images North America/TNS

US housing starts surge to highest level since December 2024

Business / Business News /

New residential construction in the U.S. rose in March to the highest level in more than a year as homebuilders boosted production despite ongoing affordability concerns.

Housing starts increased 10.8% to an annual pace of 1.5 million homes in March, the highest since December 2024, according to figures released Wednesday by the Census Bureau. ...Read more

Chuck Myers/TNS/TNS

America's bond-market privilege is disappearing as US debt soars

Business / Business News /

For much of the past few years, U.S. Treasuries have failed to serve their traditional role as a sure-fire refuge from global market meltdowns.

During the last three big ones — caused by the post-pandemic inflation shock, President Donald Trump’s tariff rollout and, more recently, his war on Iran — U.S. government bonds offered little ...Read more

K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

San Diego is one of the few US markets where home prices are still rising

Business / Business News /

San Diego home prices haven’t risen much in the past year, but that growth is still more than most of the U.S.

The San Diego metropolitan area’s home price increased 0.53% annually in February, said the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Indices report released Tuesday.

That ranks San Diego No.7 in the index after being first or second for much of ...Read more

Mickey Strand/ZUMA Press Wire/TNS

Workers at Wizards of the Coast, maker of Magic: The Gathering, to unionize

Business / Business News /

Game developers behind the popular trading card game Magic: The Gathering plan to unionize amid concerns over layoffs and a return-to-work mandate.

Employees with the Renton, Washington-based game studio Wizards of the Coast, which also owns tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, announced Monday they are forming a union in affiliation ...Read more

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Bay Area refinery fined $3.25 million for air quality violations

Business / Business News /

SAN FRANCISCO — The Benicia-based Valero Refining Company been fined $3.25 million after authorities said the company committed more than 100 air-quality violations spread out over “multiple incidents” and “several years.”

The Bay Area Air District announced the penalties in a statement Tuesday.

According to the air district, Valero...Read more

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

Market is 'healthier' but Las Vegas revenue flat for Caesars Entertainment

Business / Business News /

Net revenues were flat and net income declined slightly for one of the Strip’s largest casino operators in the first quarter, as strong group and convention traffic helped offset softer leisure demand, top company executives said Tuesday.

Caesars Entertainment Inc. reported $1 billion in net revenue from its Las Vegas properties during the ...Read more

Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Epic Games, creator of Fortnite, is laying off workers in San Diego and across California

Business / Business News /

Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, a popular online game, has laid off 28 workers in San Diego as part of a broader cutback of more than 1,000 jobs in the U.S. that was announced in March.

The company cut about half of its San Diego workforce, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification the company filed with the state on April...Read more