U.S. stocks surged Wednesday as Democrats’ sweeping victory in midterm elections fueled optimism the Iran War could end soon, sending oil prices lower. Tech megacaps also jumped as investors bet a Democratic-controlled Congress will force companies to carry out AI spending cuts that they’ve been calling for.

“The election is over and ...Read more

A San Diego-based franchisee of Outback Steakhouse filed for bankruptcy on Monday, citing expensive food and labor costs and declining customer traffic.

Cerca Trova Restaurant Group, which operates 61 Outback Steakhouse locations mostly in California, said it has been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic. The company filed for Chapter 11 ...Read more

3M has agreed to make payments worth $7.35 billion across nine years to settle more than 100,000 personal injury claims over the use of its PFAS-based fire-fighting foam.

It’s the second major 3M settlement in lawsuits involving firefighting foams known as aqueous film-forming foam. The foam contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl ...Read more

Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. sales were down 0.8% year-over-year in October, driven by the end of production of the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair, but for its remaining lineup, combined deliveries were up 6.9%, the automaker said on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Dealer services provider Cox Automotive Inc. had forecasted overall U.S. sales would increase 7.2% ...Read more

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Washington — Vi Tran and most others in her neighborhood agree that nobody should be shooting off fireworks after the Fourth of July. But one household doesn’t see it that way.

Hearing bangs and whistles in August, Tran called the county’s nonemergency line for the fifth time in a month.

Not a single ring was heard, ...Read more

United Wholesale Mortgage reported net income of $212.6 million in the third quarter of 2026, compared with net income of $12.1 million in the same quarter last year, the Pontiac, Michigan-based company reported Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The results are a turnaround from the second quarter, when UWM reported a net loss of $451.9 million.

The company ...Read more

In local elections across the country, Americans voted overwhelmingly to restrict the buildout of data centers in their communities.

Late Tuesday evening, 33 ballot measures to restrict data centers were passed by voters or were leading in ongoing vote counts, according to the tracking website Data Centers on the Ballot. Roughly a dozen similar...Read more

Northfield, Illinois-based medical supply company Medline is laying off 304 workers, according to a notice filed with the state — a reduction that comes almost a year after it became a publicly traded company.

The workers are mainly corporate employees, though some facility jobs also are affected, a Medline spokesperson said in a statement ...Read more

Data center developers seeking to build dozens of sprawling artificial intelligence campuses across Texas were already dealing with a suspension of approvals under Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Under Gina Hinojosa, elected on Tuesday as the first Democratic governor of the Lone Star State in more than three decades, they’re facing their...Read more

CVS Health Corp. plans to spin off its retail pharmacy business in one of the biggest-ever breakups in the healthcare industry.

The drugstore business will be separated into a new company called CVS Pharmacy in the first half of 2028, split from the Aetna insurance unit and Caremark prescription benefits division. The company holding those ...Read more

Walt Disney Co. is experimenting with using artificial intelligence to test out different concepts for music videos showcasing the lyrics to its songs, starting with “Go the Distance” from its 1997 animated movie, “Hercules.”

The effort is part of a deal with Bay Area AI startup OpenArt, which makes AI generated videos. Disney can input...Read more

SEATTLE — Kate Neville is dreading the new year.

As a freelance grant writer, Neville has to buy her own health insurance, and for years her premiums have been climbing.

Her Kaiser Permanente plan cost around $350 per month just three years ago. Today, she pays $633 per month for the same plan — a nearly 80% increase. As open enrollment ...Read more

These new glasses can help you hear.

You read that right. Former Qualcomm engineers have invented smart glasses that can amplify the sounds you want to hear while reducing the background noise around you. Now the startup is recruiting San Diego-area participants to test its latest prototypes.

The San Diego company behind the glasses is Aynak, ...Read more

A magnetic gray box, no larger than a Post-it note, rests on the refrigerator in Sammy Mousa’s apartment, holding up a maroon University of Chicago Law School flag. The word “Brick” is imprinted on the square’s surface.

On his way to class in the morning, Mousa, 26, taps his phone on the device, in the same way he would tap to pay at a ...Read more

The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states have filed a federal lawsuit alleging deceptive pricing practices against a convenience store chain that serves rural and impoverished pockets of America.

The 29-count civil lawsuit was filed Oct. 26 in the U.S. Middle District Court of Tennessee, claiming that Dollar General had engaged in a practice ...Read more

The Baltimore County Council on Monday unanimously approved a 30-year property tax credit that aims to incentivize the development of Anduril Industries’ proposed submarine manufacturing shipyard in Sparrows Point.

But while county officials say the project could bring more than 3,100 permanent jobs to the region, the legislation does not ...Read more

Burbank-based post-production studio Roundabout Entertainment plans to lay off 81 employees, the latest sign of contraction in L.A.'s struggling film and TV industry.

The job cuts are set to take effect Dec. 29, according to a filing with the state's Employment Development Department.

The reductions are part of a restructuring plan initiated ...Read more

Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy has a new CEO leading it through the crucial holiday season.

But Jason Bonfig, who took over the helm on Sunday, will have more than the holiday shopping season to contend with as Best Buy’s sixth CEO. He will have to fend off competing electronics retailers, adapt the business model to boost alternative...Read more

Tired of stale cereal? General Mills is trying to zip up the issue.

The Golden Valley, Minnesota-based company launched boxes of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios on Walmart.com equipped with bags featuring Ziploc seals.

As of Oct. 30, the 14.4-ounce resealable Honey Nut product costs the same as an 18.8-ounce box with a traditional bag. The new...Read more

Sahara hotel-casino has begun accepting cryptocurrency to fund gaming transactions, becoming the first Strip property to announce the option, according to payment provider BurraPay.

The platform allows customers to deposit Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin at the casino cage in exchange for chips, tickets and other gaming funds. The cryptocurrency...Read more