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Lutnick met homebuilders as Trump dials up affordability push

Business / Business News /

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently met with executives from major homebuilding companies, according to people familiar with the matter, part of President Donald Trump’s push to bolster his standing with voters on the economy.

The administration has held meetings in recent weeks aimed at sounding out the builders on ways to improve ...Read more

Henry Payne, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS

Jeep and Chrysler kill plug-in hybrid models for 2026

Business / Business News /

Jeep and Chrysler will stop making their plug-in hybrid models as Stellantis NV turns its focus to other hybrid powertrains, the automaker confirmed Friday.

"With customer demand shifting, Stellantis will phase out plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year, and focus on more competitive electrified ...Read more

US payrolls rise a below-forecast 50,000, unemployment lower

Business / Business News /

US employers added fewer jobs than expected in December, capping a yearlong slowdown in the labor market defined by cautious hiring and limited layoffs.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 50,000 last month after downward revisions to the prior two months, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.4%,...Read more

Marc Grasso/Boston Herald/TNS

Auto review: Jeep Grand Cherokee serves all types of consumers

Business / Business News /

As Jeep enters Grasso’s Garage, it is always a mystery what parent company Stellantis is cooking up in the background. This week, it is the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep’s five-passenger, well-known SUV. Fit for many and designed to accommodate all types of consumers, the Grand Cherokee is ready to hit the pavement with a fresh look.

Packed ...Read more

Henry Payne/The Detroit News/TNS

Auto review: At light speed in the Lucid Gravity -- call it CyberVan

Business / Business News /

TROY, Michigan — Mrs. Payne and I recently enjoyed “Tron: Ares,” an action-packed sci-fi movie featuring lightning-quick light bikes and glowing digital displays.

Then we climbed into our own Tron-mobile.

As I approached the 2025 Lucid Gravity SUV tester with key in pocket, the electric SUV awoke. Door handles popped out to meet us and ...Read more

Stellantis/TNS/TNS

Auto review: 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack: Two fewer cylinders, but same bad attitude

Business / Business News /

The Dodge Charger has always been an argument on wheels, preferably shouting, occasionally sideways, and often accompanied by tire smoke and poor judgment. Since 2006, when the nameplate was reintroduced after a two-decade hiatus, Dodge’s side of the argument has been simple: V-8 beats everything, and if you disagree, you’re probably French...Read more

Kevin Clark/The Seattle Times/TNS

Washington's tribes boost state economic activity with casinos, businesses

Business / Business News /

The scope of Washington's tribal economies is expanding its reach — and the tribes' reasoning is that's to the aid of all.

Tribes contributed $1 out of every $100 in the state's economy, according to a 2025 report on the economic and community benefits of tribes in Washington.

The report found that they generated at least $1.5 billion in ...Read more

Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

'We've lost our bravery': Gaming entrepreneur calls on Vegas casinos to stop nickel-and-diming

Business / Business News /

A Las Vegas gaming entrepreneur has a simple message to casino companies to jump-start profitability — quit nickel-and-diming your gambling customers and come up with incentives for them to spend more when they visit.

Acres Technology founder and CEO John Acres, who has made a career of developing technological systems to encourage increased ...Read more

Toyota/Toyota/TNS

North Carolina promised a 'battery belt.' Where are the factories entering 2026?

Business / Business News /

Between 2021 and 2024, North Carolina welcomed a parade of lithium-ion battery factory projects promising to hire hundreds, if not thousands.

They were from companies you know, like Toyota, and ones you might not, like Forge Nano, Green New Energy Materials, Dai Nippon Printing and Epsilon Advanced Materials. Each was to be their manufacturer�...Read more

Vincent Feuray/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Musk's xAI reports wider quarterly loss, plans to power Optimus

Business / Business News /

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI is burning cash quickly, with losses mounting as it spends to build data centers, recruit talent and develop software that will eventually power humanoid robots, according to internal documents.

XAI reported a net loss of $1.46 billion for the September quarter, up from $1 billion in the first ...Read more

Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Paramount stands by bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

Business / Business News /

Paramount is staying the course on its $30-a-share bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, again appealing directly to shareholders.

The move comes after Warner Bros. Discovery's board voted unanimously this week to reject Paramount's revised bid, in which billionaire Larry Ellison agreed to personally guarantee the equity portion of his son's firm's ...Read more

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Trump tells Fannie, Freddie to buy $200 billion of mortgage debt

Business / Business News /

President Donald Trump is directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage bonds, a move he cast as his latest effort to bring down housing costs ahead of the November midterm election.

Trump announced the move on Thursday in a social media post, saying “This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and...Read more

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As Arizona groundwater disappears, an agricultural giant agrees to use less

Business / Business News /

One of the largest farming businesses in Arizona has agreed to use less water and pay $11 million in a deal that state officials say will help preserve disappearing groundwater and provide financial help for residents whose wells have run dry.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the binding legal agreement with Minnesota-based dairy ...Read more

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HBO Max announces bundle subscription with German streamer RTL+

Business / Business News /

HBO Max is taking steps to expand its reach into Germany, the latest move by a U.S. streaming platform to build out international programming.

As part of the launch, Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max has signed a bundling deal with leading local streamer RTL+.

Debuting on Jan. 13, the companies plan to share content under a joint subscription, ...Read more

General Motors/TNS/TNS

GM reports $6 billion hit from now-unused EV investments

Business / Business News /

General Motors Co. on Thursday disclosed another $6 billion hit from unprofitable electric vehicle investments.

GM reported the loss to the Securities and Exchange Commission as what's known as an impairment charge. Impairment charges reflect assets that are not expected to bring in profits as initially expected.

Along with other EV makers, GM...Read more

Tiney Ricciardi/The Denver Post/TNS

Telluride ski patrol strike ends, resort to begin reopening this weekend

Business / Business News /

After 13 days on strike, the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association has accepted a new contract offer from Telluride Ski & Golf to end the work stoppage that has created economic trouble in the town and pitted residents against one another.

Graham Hoffman, president of the ski patrollers’ union, confirmed that the 70-member ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump directs $200 billion mortgage bond buy in housing push

Business / Business News /

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was directing the purchase of $200 billion in mortgage bonds, which he cast as his latest effort to bring down housing costs ahead of the November midterm election.

Trump announced the move on Thursday in a social media post. The director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, said soon after ...Read more

Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Alaska Airlines still 'proudly Boeing,' now with Airbus in its fleet

Business / Business News /

Alaska Airlines ordered more than 100 Boeing planes Wednesday, the largest order in the airline’s history and a commitment to the Seattle-based manufacturer even as Alaska moves away from being “proudly all Boeing.”

Alaska had for years operated an entirely Boeing fleet, until last year when it acquired Hawaiian Airlines and, with it, a ...Read more

Courtesy General Motors/TNS/TNS

GM's online used-vehicle marketplace lengthens warranties

Business / Business News /

General Motors Co.'s online marketplace CarBravo is extending warranties on certified pre-owned models as it seeks to meet demand for used vehicles and online car shopping.

GM now will provide 12-month or 12,000-mile warranties on used vehicles under 10 years old and with less than 100,000 miles that are listed through CarBravo, program leader ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

California's exodus isn't just billionaires -- it's regular people renting U-Hauls, too

Business / Business News /

It isn't just billionaires leaving California.

Anecdotal data suggest there is also an exodus of regular people who load their belongings into rental trucks and lug them to another state.

U-Haul's survey of the more than 2.5 million one-way trips using its vehicles in the U.S. last year showed that the gap between the number of people leaving ...Read more