Chicago
McDonald’s sued over AI tool that recommends prices to US franchisees
McDonald’s is facing a federal lawsuit that alleges its AI-enhanced pricing tool violates antitrust laws because it shares nonpublic data with franchisees who might be competing in the same market. The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in Illinois, said McDonald’s pricing tool uses artificial intelligence to collect data that competing franchises wouldn’t normally share, like […]
Paramount and Warner Bros are now one Hollywood giant: Skydance. Here’s how we got here
CHICAGO | It’s official: Skydance-owned Paramount has closed its $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The companies completed the deal on Tuesday, ushering in a new Hollywood giant with the now shorter “Skydance” nametag. The merger brings two of America’s oldest moviemaking studios together. And HBO Max, titles ranging from “Harry Potter” to “Sinners” […]
At a talent show on Los Angeles’ Skid Row, the performers are all part of the homeless community
LOS ANGELES | Wearing shiny heels, a thrifted dress and a red rose in her hair, Deoujahne Darc belted out an original song on a small, makeshift stage in the heart of Los Angeles’ Skid Row. “I saw the Lord in the face of a homeless man,” she sang, as the crowd swayed along. The […]
US diesel prices soar past $6 a gallon, deepening strain for hauling everyday goods
CHICAGO | Diesel prices in the U.S. hit yet another record on Friday, soaring past $6 a gallon on average as Washington’s war with Iran disrupts the world’s flow of fuel. The national average of nearly $6.06 is up from $5.85 last week and almost $3.71 this time last year, according to motor club AAA. […]
Can true horror really make it on Broadway? A stage version of ‘Paranormal Activity’ hopes so
NEW YORK | Movie producer Jason Blum, who has revolutionized the modern horror genre, gets invited, as you might expect, to tons of plays billed as scary. “Everyone is always saying if you could make a play and give the audience the feeling they have in a horror movie, it would be an amazing thing,” […]
Sippin’ (and chuggin’) through the years with a party mainstay — the red Solo cup
TABOR, S.D. | It’s red. It’s soft plastic. And it probably contains your favorite beverage. The red Solo cup belongs on any list of the country’s most distinctly American objects, but it’s actually more than a single object. It is a symbol of the American psyche — a country that loves a good party, summertime […]
Meta defends its child safety efforts but critics say the social media giant falls short
CHICAGO | Meta insists it has a long history of protecting its youngest customers as it defends itself against a swath of lawsuits alleging its social media empire harms children. In the latest such instance, the social media giant is fighting allegations in a California federal court that it contributes to the youth mental health […]
Amazon set to expand drone delivery of lightweight packages to 500 US cities
Millions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Wednesday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities. Customers could receive the drone deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes, Amazon said […]
Families feel the pinch of higher children’s shoe prices as kids head back to school
NEW YORK | When Jonah Seidenberg found out about Nike Minds, a futuristic-looking sneaker that claims to improve concentration by stimulating the soles of the feet, he had to have them. On a recent Saturday, the 12-year-old from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook and his mother searched StockX, an online sneaker marketplace, and other sites […]
Biking to work: Tips to get started, stay safe and look presentable when you arrive
NEW YORK | When 72-year-old Michael Roper rides his bicycle to and from the pub he owns in Chicago, he can’t imagine a better way to commute. He’s getting exercise, drifting through fresh air and catching glimpses of neighborhood life — a recently opened coffee shop or a diving owl at night —that he’s convinced […]