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Meta is cutting 600 jobs in its AI division

Business / Business News /

Meta is slashing roughly 600 jobs in its artificial intelligence unit as the tech giant aims to move faster to compete with its rivals.

The company declined to comment on the job cuts, but confirmed an earlier report by Axios, which cited a Wednesday memo that Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang sent to employees.

"By reducing the size of our ...Read more

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California business leaders want voters to expedite state's environmental review process for housing, infrastructure

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LOS ANGELES — California voters could soon be asked to usher in a major overhaul of the state's landmark environmental law, a proposal aimed at expediting crucial infrastructure projects, including housing construction, by creating new deadlines for environmental oversight.

The California Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday introduced a ballot ...Read more

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Suzanne Somers' widower to release AI clone of late actress

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Two years after Suzanne Somers died following a decades-long battle with breast cancer, her widower is preparing to publicly release of a clone of the beloved “Three’s Company” star.

Alan Hamel, who married the actress in 1977, revealed that he’s forging ahead with plans to create an artificial intelligence version of his late wife.

�...Read more

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Family health insurance premiums hit another record: $26,993

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The price tag of health insurance from employers keeps getting bigger across the U.S., and the increases this year are fueling concerns over medical spending across all health insurance markets.

The average annual premium for family health insurance rose about 6% this year to nearly $27,000, according to widely watched survey results released ...Read more

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Pacific Northwest could face energy shortage during extreme conditions, report says

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Does the Pacific Northwest have the energy it needs to prevent rolling blackouts? A new report commissioned by the region’s largest utilities has raised concerns.

Starting next year, the Northwest could face a power shortage that would challenge the reliability of the grid during extreme conditions, according to the report.

The report ...Read more

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Travis Kelce joins activist investor group pushing for changes at Six Flags

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Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is running a new play, joining an activist investor to push for changes at the financially struggling Charlotte, North Carolina-based amusement park company Six Flags Entertainment Corp.

New York City-based JANA Partners and the Super Bowl champion, along with consumer executive Glenn Murphy and technology ...Read more

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California insurers set to charge homeowners for LA County fire costs

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Residential policyholders across California could be paying several hundred million dollars to help cover the costs of claims arising out of the January firestorms in Los Angeles County.

Multiple insurers, including State Farm General, the largest in California, have received approval from the Department of Insurance to charge their customers ...Read more

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Wearable tech for your dog? Life360 releases a new pet tracker

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Millions of people already use the Life360 app to track the location of their family members and loved ones.

Now the California tech company behind the popular family safety app is hoping people will use a new gadget and their location-tracking services to keep tabs on their pets.

On Wednesday, Life360 unveiled a new tracking device people can...Read more

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's pay soars to almost $100 million for 2025

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It's been a good year to be a Microsoft shareholder, and an even better year to be the company's CEO.

Microsoft's stock price has risen by more than 23% this year, a surge that's mostly responsible for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's total compensation increase from $79.1 million in 2024 to $96.5 million this year, a record amount for him.

...Read more

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Capital One layoffs hitting former Discover headquarters in Illinois

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When Capital One closed on its $35 billion acquisition of Discover Financial Services in May, it brought together two credit card giants — and thousands of employees — under one roof.

There may be a little more room at the former Discover headquarters in Chicago's northern suburbs these days, after the newly merged company laid off nearly ...Read more

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Banana-selling robots pitch customers in test run in Chicago suburbs

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From bananas to burgers, store aisles to sidewalks, an army of robots has descended upon Chicagoland with the singular mission to bring us food.

Robotic serving carts, once the stuff of foodie science fiction, are rolling among us in increasing numbers to deliver meals on wheels to customers — whether they are ready or not.

Take Servi, an ...Read more

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These Toys R Us stores are making a comeback in California

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Ahead of the holiday shopping rush, the once-dominant toy retailer Toys R Us is opening several new flagship and seasonal stores, including at least two in California.

Toys R Us plans to open eight flagship stores and 20 seasonal locations across the U.S. in the coming weeks. The company has been struggling to rebound since it filed for Chapter...Read more

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New poll reveals growing economic worry in Michigan amid Trump's trade war

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More than half of Michiganians think the state is on the right track, even as fears mount over an economic downturn that threatens to especially bruise the region's critical auto industry, according to a statewide new poll commissioned by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

The poll of 600 registered Michigan voters conducted from Sept. 10-14 ...Read more

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Driverless Waymo taxis under investigation after failing to stop for a school bus

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Around 2,000 Waymo vehicles are under investigation after reports of one of the self-driving taxis navigating around a school bus while children disembarked.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary investigation Friday to examine the performance of Waymo's autonomous technology around stopped school buses and how...Read more

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OpenAI takes on Google with AI-powered ChatGPT web browser

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OpenAI unveiled its first artificial intelligence-powered web browser, putting the ChatGPT maker in competition on a new front with Alphabet Inc.’s Google.

The browser, called ChatGPT Atlas, is designed to be a more personalized web experience and also field tasks such as booking flights and editing documents on a user’s behalf. Each time a...Read more

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Michael Hiltzik: The sudden financial collapse of this big auto parts firm points to the next market meltdown

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You may not have heard of First Brands Group, but if you own any car other than one you've just driven off a new car lot, you've probably been its customer.

That's because Cleveland-based First Brands is the maker of a raft of aftermarket auto parts — Trico windshield wipers, Fram air filters, AutoLite sparkplugs and Raybestos brake linings ...Read more

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DACA changes could leave tens of thousands of Texans ineligible to work

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An impending federal ruling is expected to strip Texas DACA recipients of their work authorizations, impacting tens of thousands of people in the state.

In 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas ruled that DACA violated the Administrative Procedure Act, but his ruling did not end the program. It only ...Read more

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Walmart pauses job offers to candidates needing H-1B visas

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Walmart Inc. has paused offers to candidates requiring H-1B visas, people familiar with the matter said, the latest example of how the Trump administration’s $100,000 visa fees are disrupting workforces.

The current guideline primarily impacts Walmart’s corporate employees, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private ...Read more

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As wildfires scorch California, should insurers divest from fossil fuels?

Business / Business News /

As catastrophic wildfires spur insurance companies to raise homeowner premiums and drop thousands of policyholders across California, the industry has blamed climate change for fueling the blazes.

Yet even as insurers sound the alarm about a warming planet, they continue to invest billions of dollars in the oil and gas sector, which scientists ...Read more

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Warner Bros. Discovery officially hangs a 'for sale' sign around company

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Warner Bros. Discovery has officially acknowledged the company is up for sale, marking the third time in the last decade the storied assets have been on the auction block.

The company's board announced Tuesday that it has initiated "a review of strategic alternatives ... in light of unsolicited interest the Company has received from multiple ...Read more