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Katy Kildee/The Detroit News/TNS

Downtown Detroit sees wave of new retail

Business / Business News /

DETROIT — Downtown bustled this week with shoppers like Bill Atwood, 55, who stopped by GW Home to buy his wife a lamp for Christmas. The Detroiter has lived in Brush Park for 26 years and remembers the scarce retail offerings back then.

“I always dreamed of being able to Christmas shop here,” he said. “Back in 1999 there was almost ...Read more

Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/TNS

They lost their homes in the LA wildfires. Now they can't get the mortgage relief the state promised

Business / Business News /

After business consultant Len Kendall lost his Pacific Palisades home in the January firestorms, he sought to put a temporary stop on his mortgage payments but set aside the effort after realizing the paperwork involved.

So he was pleased to learn in September about a new state law that required mortgage servicers to offer up to 12 months of ...Read more

Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

C.H. Robinson, a logistics stalwart, disrupting industry with AI

Business / Business News /

C.H. Robinson, one of the world’s largest logistics providers, has gone from disrupted to disruptor.

Five to 10 years ago, the Eden Prairie-based company was facing an existential threat from digital startups in the logistics space.

Firms like Uber Freight and Conroy Logistics believed they could digitize the processes of connecting shippers...Read more

MONICA HERNDON/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

What a professional home appraiser wants you to know

Business / Business News /

If you’re buying a home, refinancing your mortgage, or just want to know how much your home is worth, you’re probably going to need a property appraisal.

At its most basic, “an appraisal is an opinion of value for a home,” said Matthew Sestito, a Philadelphia-based appraiser who works throughout the five-county area for the national ...Read more

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa application fee upheld by judge

Business / Business News /

A federal judge said the Trump administration can move ahead with a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, providing a setback for U.S. technology companies that rely on hiring skilled foreign workers.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said in a ruling Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s move to radically increase the cost of the ...Read more

Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Waymo to update software across fleet after major power failure

Business / Business News /

Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo said it would strengthen its automated software to better handle power outages after its self-driving taxis froze and caused traffic jams during a major electricity failure last weekend in San Francisco.

The Waymo Driver system is programmed to handle dark traffic signals in the same manner as four-way stops, but a car ...Read more

Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times/TNS

Majority of Starbucks' striking baristas are returning to work

Business / Business News /

Nearly six weeks after thousands of Starbucks union workers began to strike over contract negotiations, the standoff with the Seattle-based coffee giant hasn't budged.

Now, the majority of striking baristas are set to return to work, according to the company and Starbucks Workers United, the union representing thousands of baristas.

Sara Kelly...Read more

Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post/TNS

'South Park' creators clash with performers at their Colorado restaurant

Business / Business News /

"South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who this summer landed one of the richest TV deals ever, are being called Scrooges by performers at their Casa Bonita restaurant near Denver.

In late October, the performers, including the famed cliff divers, went on a three-day strike, citing unsafe working conditions and stalled negotiations ...Read more

Jim Rossman/TNS/TNS

Tech review: Anker dock makes quick work of connecting your peripherals

Business / Business News /

My first computer was a Macintosh Plus, which was an all-in-one computer with a built-in black and white monitor.

Then I moved up to an actual desktop PC, with a separate color monitor.

Back then, laptops were expensive and not very small, and they used slower components and were not very expandable.

In the last decade, laptops pulled even ...Read more

Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Feds claim U.S. Steel mistreated pregnant employee at Iron Range mine

Business / Business News /

U.S. Steel failed to provide necessary accommodations to a heavy equipment operator with a high-risk pregnancy working at an Iron Range mine, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The commission filed a lawsuit against U.S. Steel on Dec. 19, saying the company put her in roles inconsistent with her medical restrictions. The ...Read more

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS

The battle for control of Warner Bros.: A timeline of key developments

Business / Business News /

Netflix and Paramount are locked in an epic tug-of-war for HBO and Warner Bros. — the historic film factory behind Batman, Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, "Casablanca" and "The Matrix."

Warner Bros. Discovery awarded the prize to Netflix, prompting Paramount to mount a hostile takeover bid valued at $108 billion for all of the Warner assets, which...Read more

Mark  Ralston/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Apple, Google and others tell some foreign employees to avoid traveling out of the country

Business / Business News /

Big Tech companies, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and ServiceNow, have warned employees on visas to avoid leaving the country amid uncertainty about changing immigration policy and procedures.

Following an attack on National Guard members in Washington, the Trump administration expanded travel bans earlier this month, and beefed up ...Read more

As Orlando woos overseas visitors, Trump's social media plan for tourists sparks concerns

Business / Business News /

A Walt Disney World vacation could soon come with a new U.S. government mandate for the theme park-loving British and tourists from dozens of other countries: Hand over five years of social media history.

For President Donald Trump, the proposed policy is about protecting America’s borders and enhancing security. But the travel industry ...Read more

Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

How Philly-area grocery workers handle the holiday stress -- and find joy along the way

Business / Business News /

PHILADELPHIA — Crowds of last-minute shoppers, customers looking for seasonal ingredients, sappy hands from tying Christmas trees to cars, and of course, hours and hours of cheery holiday music playing on a loop.

Such is the life of a grocery worker during the holidays.

"Everyone wants to get, like, the biggest tree on, like, the smallest ...Read more

Business Wire/TNS/TNS

How Agility Robotics uses artificial intelligence, from their humanoid 'Digit' to everyday workflow

Business / Business News /

Digit the humanoid robot is 5 feet 9 inches tall and lives in warehouses, helping its human coworkers move and stack boxes up to 35 pounds. It also "smiles" and waves.

Robots like Digit are a growing pursuit among robotics companies that are trying to bring humanoids into everyday life, and specifically into the home as helpers. A crucial part ...Read more

Katy Kildee, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

Michigan marijuana businesses, customers see hazy future with new tax

Business / Business News /

BERKLEY, Mich. — Metro Detroit cannabis dispensaries say sales have ticked up in recent weeks as customers stock up ahead of a new 24% tax set to take effect Jan. 1.

The increase in sales reflects a combination of the pending tax, holiday gift-giving and higher consumption around the end of the year, retailers say.

“We see people coming in...Read more

Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Vince Zampella, 'Call of Duty' co-creator, dies after crash on Angeles Crest Highway

Business / Business News /

Vince Zampella, the video game developer who helped launch the wildly lucrative and enduring "Call of Duty" franchise and "Apex Legends" studio Respawn Entertainment, has died.

A representative for Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn, confirmed Zampella's death Monday in a statement shared with The Times. He was 55.

"This is an unimaginable ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Fight between Waymo and Santa Monica goes to court

Business / Business News /

Waymo is taking the city of Santa Monica to court after the city ordered the company to cease charging its autonomous vehicles at two facilities overnight, claiming the lights and beeping at the lots were a nuisance to residents.

The two charging stations at the intersection of Euclid Street and Broadway have been a sour point for neighbors ...Read more

Designer491/Dreamstime/TNS

The best places to keep your emergency fund

Business / Business News /

Unexpected events, such as an emergency room visit or a broken-down car, can result in major financial problems when you don’t have an emergency fund in place.

It’s not just about having some cash — ideally enough to cover at least six months of your expenses — set aside for those worst-case scenarios, though. Where you keep that money...Read more

Scott Olson/Getty Images North America/TNS

US suspends offshore wind leases in new setback for industry

Business / Business News /

The U.S. is suspending leases for all five wind farms under construction off the East Coast in the latest blow to a sector that’s been targeted repeatedly by the Trump administration as part of its attack on clean energy.

The U.S. Interior Department announced the move Monday, citing national security concerns and saying the massive turbines ...Read more