A little over a week ago, Disney became the first major media company to strike a content licensing deal with Sora, OpenAI's short-form video platform. This means that people on Sora can start making videos with Disney characters. Today,…
GLP-1 weight-loss drug injections have slimmed many waistlines and wallets. U.S. regulators have now approved a much less expensive alternative; Novo Nordisk has gotten the green light for an oral version of Wegovy. Pills are cheaper to…
From the BBC World Service: Tech giant Amazon says it's blocked more than 1,800 North Koreans from trying to join the company in the past two years. Amazon's chief security officer said North Koreans often try to get hired, then send wages…
A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule designed to give consumers greater control over their financial data is now in limbo under the second Trump administration. The rule has to do with how apps like Venmo and Zelle get access to…
The holiday travel period is upon us. AAA expects 122 million people will drive or fly somewhere to celebrate. Now, we have some good news and some bad news: For drivers, lower gas prices mean a cheaper holiday season. But other travel…
From the BBC World Service: One of the most famous names in American whiskey, Jim Beam, says it will halt production at its main facility in Kentucky for all of next year. Like many distillers in the U.S., it's facing pressure from…
It's a major Hollywood drama: Despite striking a deal with Netflix, the high-stakes bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery shows no sign of cooling off. The company turned down a renewed offer from Paramount of $30 a share, signaling a…
Electricity prices are up 6.9% year over year — much higher than overall inflation — and costs are expected to go up even more in the future. So, how are energy-hungry data centers, used to power AI, crypto, and more, impacting electric…
From the BBC World Service: The Chinese owners of TikTok have signed a deal to sell the company's U.S. assets to a joint venture led by American investors. This morning, we'll parse the details of the agreement. Then, Ukraine will receive…
In his 19-minute address to the nation last night, President Donald Trump argued that he inherited a mess from former President Biden; the president claimed he'd made historic improvements to the lives of Americans over the past 11 months.…
As the year draws to a close, it's clear that the post-COVID hiring bonanza has ended, and job-hunting has gotten trickier. Experts are predicting next year to be marked by more of the same: a low-hire, low-fire labor market. Plus, the…
From the BBC World Service: The European Union says it's close to agreeing a trade deal with the South American economic bloc Mercosur, which represents Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The agreement covers all aspects of trade,…
We get a firehose of economic data this week. As these numbers come in, one thing is becoming clearer: Wage gains are stalling, and inflation has been heating up. What's that mean for affordability and consumers? Then, we check on oil…
It's an annual tradition in New York City: Each December, pedestrians fight for walking room on sidewalks populated by lush firs and frasers. Staffed by seasonal workers, these Christmas tree lots are often open 24 hours a day. We visited…
From the BBC World Service: FIFA has said it will release $60 seats for next year's World Cup, following complaints from fans over high prices. After all, average ticket prices are about seven times what World Cup tickets cost when the…
The cost of health insurance is becoming increasingly unaffordable. With many Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies set to expire, coverage is about to get even more pricier for more than 20 million people next year. These growing…
How many jobs did the U.S. economy gain or lose last month? We'll find out later this morning. The numbers are about a week late, as the folks at the Bureau of Labor Statistics needed a minute to catch up after the government shutdown.…
From the BBC World Service: Volkswagen has been making cars in Germany for 88 years. In all that time, it's never closed a manufacturing plant in its home country until now. On Tuesday, the last vehicle will roll off the assembly line at…
There’s more evidence that China’s economy is stalling. Beijing released a batch of government data today that was not encouraging. Chinese consumers have slammed their wallets shut, and data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China…
This week, the Senate is set to take up the $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act. The House passed it last week. It is more than 3,000 pages of defense policy planning that the Senate will be digging through; the actual funding…
From the BBC World Service: "It's like I'm standing inside a cloud of dust and smoke," says BBC correspondent Devina Gupta of air quality in India's capital. Residents there have been urged to stay indoors, and new restrictions are…
The Trump administration is reconfiguring a government watchdog that grew out of the Great Recession. The Financial Stability Oversight Council watches out for risks to the financial system to prevent the future need for government…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — and with that, the obligatory office holiday party. Thing is, some choices around holiday parties can tell a story of how a company is doing. Who's there? Who's chatting together or sticking to a…
From the BBC World Service: Reddit has filed a lawsuit calling for Australia's social media ban for children under 16 to be declared invalid. The text-based forum is one of 10 online platforms covered by the ban, which came into force this…
The Federal Reserve decided to cut interest rates again at its meeting this week, partly because Fed officials think the labor market is weaker than it appears. This morning, we'll hear why Fed Chair Jerome Powell says estimating job…
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the economic circumstances of many, creating demand for direct aid, interrupting consumer spending, and altering the nature of work. Today, there are people across the country in lockdown again — mixed-status…
From the BBC World Service: Mexico’s parliament has voted in favor of a bill imposing tariffs of between 5% and 50% on more than 1,400 products from Asian nations, including China. Mexico states that the aim is to boost jobs and domestic…
Dynamic pricing is here. Several consumer groups designed a shopping experiment with hundreds of volunteers who shopped on Instacart for the same products at the same time from the same stores. The conclusion? 75% of products were offered…
Today, the Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates by a quarter point. While there's no guarantee of it, the move could translate to lower mortgage rates, too. This presents an opportunity for bad actors to pitch homeowners…
From the BBC World Service: Amazon has announced plans to double its investment in India by 2030 — to the tune of around $35 billion — with a focus on artificial intelligence and e-commerce. It comes after Microsoft and Google also laid…