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New England’s grid gains resilience from offshore wind
2 minutes ago•Source: AP News
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3.84 min•46 minutes ago
Inflation sticks as growth slows ahead of Iran-triggered oil shock
The Commerce Department revises Q4 2025 GDP to a 0.7% annualized gain (half the prior estimate), with real final sales to private purchasers up 1.9% in Q4. Core inflation remains stubborn, with the January core PCE at 3.1% year over year and 3.7% annualized over the last three months. Consumer spending barely grew in January (+0.1%), while the saving rate rose to 4.5%. The labor market shows resilience (January job openings up 396,000 and a 4.2% openings rate), but analysts warn the Iran conflict could push energy prices higher, slowing growth in Q2 and complicating Fed policy, even as AI investment is eyed as a potential future boost not yet evident in Q4 2025.
4.755 min•46 minutes ago
Iran conflict looms over global food prices through fertilizer disruption
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NBCUniversal shutters 'Access Hollywood' as daytime syndication fades
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Delta preps MSP flights for weekend snowstorm with proactive cancellations
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Southwest to End ORD Flights in June, Redirecting Chicagoland Travelers
Southwest Airlines will cease operating flights at Chicago O'Hare in June, with ORD service ending June 3, 2026; trips involving ORD on or after June 4 will be affected. Affected customers can rebook or standby through Chicago Midway or reroute via Milwaukee or Indianapolis, and refunds are available for unused tickets on/after June 4. The airline did not state a reason. The same changes apply to Washington Dulles, and analysts note ORD capacity concerns amid FAA considerations and competition from United and American.
War-time Powers Unleashed as Trump Orders California Offshore Drilling Restart
Trump uses the Defense Production Act to force Sable Offshore to resume operations on the Santa Ynez Unit and its pipeline along the Santa Barbara coast, arguing the move will strengthen U.S. oil supply amid the Iran war and rising gas prices; Gov. Newsom vows legal action and environmentalists warn of spill risks, while critics say the restart would have limited impact on prices.
Meta mulls sweeping layoffs to bankroll its AI ambitions
Reuters reports Meta is planning sweeping layoffs that could reach 20% of its staff to offset costly AI infrastructure bets and push for efficiency through AI-assisted work, though no date or final size has been set. Meta employed about 79,000 people as of late 2022 and has already pursued large AI-focused investments, including billions in data-center expansion planned by 2028 and acquisitions such as Moltbook and Manus, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg doubles down on AI. The moves reflect a broader tech-industry trend of cutting jobs to fund AI initiatives, following similar actions at Amazon and Block, though Meta’s AI efforts—like the Avocado model after earlier Llama 4 setbacks—have faced delays and underwhelming performance.
Arizona mandates 5-cent rounding for cash payments as pennies fade
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed HB 2938, requiring businesses to round cash totals to the nearest 5 cents when pennies aren’t available, with pennies still accepted; rounding rules are 1,2,6,7 down to the nearest 5 and 3,4,8,9 up to the next 5, while 0 and 5 remain unchanged.
White House activates emergency powers to restart California offshore oil pipeline
Energy Secretary Chris Wright used the Defense Production Act to approve restarting an offshore California oil pipeline operated by Sable Offshore, framing the move as reducing U.S. reliance on foreign oil and bolstering national security amid Iran-related supply disruptions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state regulators have criticized the action as illegal and prepared for legal challenges, highlighting a broad clash between federal authority and California’s coastal drilling oversight.
Paramount+ Expands Reach by Absorbing BET+ After Tyler Perry Buyout
Paramount+ will fold BET+ into its service in June after Paramount Skydance buys out Tyler Perry Studios’ stake, migrating about 1,000 hours of BET+ programming—including All the Queen’s Men, Zatima, The Ms. Pat Show and Diarra From Detroit—to Paramount+. Perry will continue to produce BET content under a broad content-partnership, with BET’s linear channel and digital operations remaining active as the brands consolidate to broaden reach.
Honda denies Prologue production end as EV market cools
Honda says rumors it will end Prologue production in December are unfounded and the Prologue remains in its lineup. Built on GM's Ultium platform in Mexico, the model is part of Honda's broader EV retreat as demand wanes after incentives ended, following cuts to other EV programs (including the Acura RSX and the ZDX) and ahead of a projected multibillion-dollar loss, with a shift toward hybrids.
SPR Release Would Shrink U.S. Oil Stockpile to 1982 Lows
The Trump administration plans to release 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve over 120 days, reducing the SPR to about 243 million barrels—the lowest level since 1982—while pledging to replenish roughly 200 million barrels within the next year.
Prime Video Ultra Ad-Free Plan Now $4.99/Month in U.S.
Amazon will raise the price of Prime Video’s ad-free tier in the U.S. to $4.99 per month, rebranding it as Prime Video Ultra with benefits like up to five concurrent streams, up to 100 offline downloads, and 4K/UHD streaming; this is on top of the existing Prime membership (currently $14.99/month or $139/year).
Rivian bets the R2 can push it into the mass-market EV era
Rivian unveiled the R2, a midsize SUV designed to eventually start under $50k, but initial trims run about $55k–$60k (Launch edition $59,485 and Premium $55,485) with a later $45k version planned. Rivian targets 20,000–25,000 sales this year and has claimed over 100,000 reservations since mid-2024, though no new numbers have been released. Early reviews are positive, but success hinges on ramping production and converting price-sensitive buyers amid stiff EV competition, especially Tesla’s Model Y. A strong R2 could push Rivian toward mass-market status, while a failure could threaten the company.