SAN JOSE, California — Robin McCarthy watches the images appear on her screen.

Inside her San Jose architecture studio, she types a short prompt into an artificial intelligence program. Within seconds, it produces polished design concepts and photo-realistic renderings.

“It’s exciting and scary at the same time, because you’re trying ...Read more

The turmoil unfolding in the Middle East is sparking the biggest disruption to oil and natural gas markets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Qatar shut down the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export facility, Saudi Arabia suspended operations at its biggest oil refinery and tanker traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz...Read more

Tax refunds are the biggest windfall of the year for many American households. And ‘tis the season: Through the week ending Feb. 13, nearly 13 million people had received 2025 federal tax refunds averaging $2,476, according to the IRS.

That average refund amount is up 14% from the same time period last year, and it’s expected to grow in the...Read more

SAN JOSE — eBay has slashed 271 jobs in the Bay Area, primarily at the tech titan’s San Jose headquarters complex, the company reported.

The eBay job cuts arrive on the heels of the net loss of 27,300 tech jobs in the Bay Area during 2025, according to Beacon Economics industry estimates that were derived from the state Employment ...Read more

Redfin visitors will soon be able to see for-sale homes that haven’t been widely advertised — but Washington properties may not be included, as the practice remains restricted in the state.

Rocket Companies, owner of Seattle-based Redfin, announced on Thursday a three-year syndication agreement with real estate brokerage Compass to showcase...Read more

Immigrant-run businesses are making some hard decisions to claw out of the financial hole caused by the three-month immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Workers and customers are returning, allowing some places to reopen. But growing piles of bills have made it harder to resume business the way it was before Operation Metro Surge.

Value Foods ...Read more

The rolling robots that deliver groceries and hot meals across Los Angeles are getting an upgrade.

Coco Robotics, a UCLA-born startup that's deployed more than 1,000 bots across the country, unveiled its next-generation machines on Thursday.

The new robots are bigger, tougher and better equipped for autonomy than their predecessors. The ...Read more

For the trendiest tenants in Hollywood office buildings, it's the latest fad that goes way beyond designer furniture and art: mini studios

To capitalize on the never-ending flow of stars and influencers who come through Los Angeles, a growing number of companies are building bright little corners for content creators to try products and shoot ...Read more

A Cape Cod business leader says it’s no surprise that the Blizzard of ’26 left the region without power for days because of trees and a lack of economic support from the state, and he called for parts of the electrical grid to be buried underground.

Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Paul Neidzwiecki is sounding off on how last Monday’s ...Read more

As the media industry took stock of Paramount Skydance's startling acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, one question lingered on the minds of many in the news business and beyond: What will this mean for CNN?

The iconic 24-hour cable news network is among the various Warner Bros. assets that would be scooped up by Paramount in a deal ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The morning after Netflix clinched its deal to buy Warner Bros., Paramount Skydance Chairman David Ellison assembled a war room of trusted advisers, including his billionaire father, Larry Ellison.

Furious at Warner Bros. Discovery Chief David Zaslav for ending the auction, the Ellisons and their team began plotting their ...Read more

Target will stop selling cereals containing certified synthetic colors by the end of May, a move that reflects growing consumer demand for cleaner ingredients and broader industry trends away from artificial additives.

The Minneapolis-based retailer said Friday that 85% of the cereals it sells are already free of synthetic dyes. The full shift ...Read more

The Federal Aviation Administration says flight reductions are necessary at O’Hare International Airport this summer, citing planned increases in flights that “will exceed the airport’s capacity.”

The plan to reduce flights comes in the midst of an arms race between the airport’s two largest airlines, United and American, which have ...Read more

Few travelers discover West Point, Georgia, by leafing through a glossy brochure waiting in a hotel lobby. It sits quietly along the slow-moving Chattahoochee River, some 80 miles southwest of Atlanta, a town that has been minding its own business since 1831.

Nevertheless, history brushed past here with some force. The Battle of West Point, one...Read more

If you're a stock market investor, you might be feeling pretty good about how your portfolio of U.S. equities fared in the first year of President Trump's term.

All the major market indices seemed to be firing on all cylinders, with the Standard & Poor's 500 index gaining 17.9% through the full year.

But if you're the type of investor who ...Read more

When it comes to big SUVs, the market is flooded with options, from the Chevrolet Tahoe to Ford Expedition and even the Toyota Sequoia.

Plus, who could forget the Lexus LX, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade and Jeep Wagoneer?

Within this flooded category, manufacturers offer a lot, including size, space, storage and comfort.

In Grasso’s Garage ...Read more

Fintech company Block said Thursday that it's cutting more than 4,000 workers or nearly half of its workforce as artificial intelligence disrupts the way people work.

The Oakland parent company of payment services Square and Cash App saw its stock surge by more than 23% in after-hours trading after making the layoff announcement.

Jack Dorsey, ...Read more

Food companies continue to struggle at the grocery store, where U.S. consumers are balking at high prices amid inflation.

Hormel Foods has a workaround, though: Spam.

Popularity of the iconic canned meat overseas is helping to lift Hormel’s international profit, which is driving growth for the company in an otherwise middling first quarter. ...Read more

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