Business

Chief executive pay climbed by almost 6% in 2025, reaching an average of $17.7 million, as corporate boards rewarded leaders for increasing profits and delivering stronger returns to shareholders. Compensation packages were also designed to encourage executives to remain in their roles and sustain company performance in the coming years. Among the companies reviewed in the AP’s analysis, a worker earning the median salary would need 200 years to match what a CEO earned in a single year. In the

The robotics entrepreneur who helped bring the Roomba vacuum into millions of homes is now pursuing a new idea: a plush robotic companion that could one day stand in for a cherished dog or cat, trailing behind you and adjusting to your everyday routines. On Monday, Colin Angle introduced a four-legged prototype of this artificial pet, known as the Familiar. About the size of a bulldog, it features wide, gentle eyes and rounded ears and paws reminiscent of a bear cub. The creature can stretch

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a setback for the Trump administration, a federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that businesses which paid tariffs invalidated last month by the Supreme Court are entitled to refunds. Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade stated that “all importers of record” should “benefit” from the Supreme Court’s decision striking down the broad, double-digit import duties President Donald Trump imposed last year under the 1977 International Emergency Economic

NEW YORK (AP) — While death and taxes may be unavoidable parts of life, leaving your loved ones with a large financial burden doesn’t have to be. Affluent individuals have long used strategies to preserve wealth and pass it on to the next generation with minimal interference from taxes. However, the same tools and techniques can also benefit those with more modest savings who want to optimize what they leave behind. “It’s a carefully planned game, often played over many years,” explains Mark

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has dramatically shifted the United States’ approach to trade by imposing a broad set of tariffs, effectively surrounding the nation’s economy with hefty trade barriers. These import taxes, applied at double-digit rates to goods from nearly all countries, have disrupted global trade flows and brought financial pressure to both businesses and consumers worldwide. At the same time, they’ve funneled tens of billions of dollars into the U.S.

Just over a year ago, Ryan Sprankle welcomed President Donald Trump to one of the three family-owned grocery stores near Pittsburgh. At the time, Trump was campaigning and spoke with Sprankle about the rising costs of groceries, even picking up a bag of popcorn during the visit. Today, Sprankle’s message is quite different. If Trump or other lawmakers were to visit now, he’d express concern over the delayed distribution of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, which has negatively

NEW YORK (AP) — Air travelers across the United States are bracing for worsening delays and cancellations this week unless lawmakers can come to an agreement to end the ongoing federal government shutdown. On Saturday, U.S. airlines were forced to cut over 1,500 flights, and more than 2,900 were scrapped on Sunday after the Federal Aviation Administration instructed carriers to reduce traffic due to staffing shortages. The shortage is mainly a result of unpaid air traffic controllers calling

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump resumed office in January, he came back with a mission: to shift decades of U.S. trade policy by constructing a tariff shield around the American economy, historically open to foreign imports. His effort to bring this vision to life has thrown financial markets into flux and left many consumers uneasy, thanks to a rotating set of tariff announcements. The approach has often followed a now-familiar cycle: unveil new tariffs, delay their enforcement,

TOKYO (AP) — Global markets saw mixed trading on Wednesday as investors weighed the consequences of ongoing tariff decisions between the United States and China. France's CAC 40 dipped 0.3% to 7,881.94 in early session trading, while Germany’s DAX slid 0.5% to 7,881.94. In the UK, the FTSE 100 edged down 0.2% to 8,558.31. U.S. markets were also poised for a weaker open, with Dow futures declining 0.2% to 44,620.00, while S&P 500 futures lost 0.5% at 6,034.25. Earlier in Asia, Japan’s

Delivery drivers for Amazon and baristas at Starbucks have gone on strike in several U.S. cities to pressure the two corporate giants into recognizing unionization efforts or formalizing their first labor contracts. These strikes, which began on Thursday and Friday, occur amidst a broader wave of disputes between corporations and organized labor. This year, established labor unions secured notable agreements following strikes by workers in industries such as aircraft manufacturing, port

Starbucks workers are preparing for a five-day strike starting on Friday, driven by frustration over stalled contract negotiations with the coffee giant. The planned strikes will kick off in key cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle, with the possibility of spreading to hundreds of stores nationwide as Christmas Eve approaches. Starbucks Workers United, the union representing employees at 535 Starbucks-operated stores across the U.S. since 2021, alleges the company has not upheld a

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The aggressive stance against Big Tech, bolstered by U.S. antitrust enforcers during President Joe Biden’s tenure, might ease significantly if Donald Trump reclaims the Oval Office next year. Though major tech companies like Google and Facebook came under intense scrutiny even during Trump’s first term, experts suggest that a potential second Trump administration will likely dial back on strict antitrust actions, favoring more lenient handling of mergers and acquisitions