U.S.
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 […]
UK police arrest a 7th man in connection with a security incident at a US-run air base
LONDON | British police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old man in London on suspicion of a terror offense over a security incident at a U.S.-run military air base in England that authorities have linked to Iran. The arrest is the seventh in connection with a suspected plot against RAF Fairford, located 100 miles (160 kilometers) […]
US economy grew a solid 2.2% in the second quarter, government says, upgrading previous estimate
WASHINGTON | The U.S. economy grew at a solid 2.2% pace from April through June as consumer spending and business investment came in strong. Growth in gross domestic product — the nation’s output of a goods and services — decelerated from a 2.5% pace from January through March, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The second-quarter […]
Pope blasts assisted dying as ‘false compassion’ at French shrine known for miraculous cures
LOURDES, France | Pope Leo XIV on Sunday condemned the legalization of medically assisted death as immoral “false compassion,” reaffirming Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life during a visit to Lourdes, the French shrine associated with miraculous healings. On the third day of his visit to France, Leo again waded into the end-of-life debate […]
Mortgage rates climb for 5th straight week, pushing average rate on a 30-year home loan above 7%
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose this week above 7% for the first time since January 2025, the latest affordability setback for prospective homebuyers following a five-week run of rate increases. The weekly average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate home loan rose to 7.03% from 6.95% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. […]
Claims for unemployment benefits drop to 197,000, the lowest since mid-July as layoffs remain rare
WASHINGTON | Fewer people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, as U.S. jobless claims remain at historically low levels and most Americans enjoy job security. The Labor Department said Thursday that 197,000 applied for unemployment checks last week, the fewest since mid-July and down from a revised 198,000 the week before. The four-week average […]
Telehealth companies keep exposing their customers’ medical data. What should they do?
WASHINGTON | The appeal of telehealth is easy to explain: Instead of calling a doctor, booking an appointment and hoping to eventually get a prescription, you can log onto an app or website and get approved for a new medication within minutes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, scores of online health services have launched with the […]
A global AI safety strategy depends on US-China cooperation. They each see the other as the problem
HONG KONG | As concern rises over the risks of artificial intelligence, hopes for any kind of global approach depend on cooperation between the U.S. and China — superpowers that seem only to be more skeptical of each other’s AI strategy. AI governance is expected to be on the agenda in a meeting planned for […]
Struggling US home buyers, and market, face new hurdles as mortgage rates near 7%
Home shoppers holding out for relief from rising mortgage rates may be in for a long wait. The weekly average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate home loan has been rising for months and reached its highest level in over 14 months last week at 6.76%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. This week’s snapshot, due […]
DoorDash and Uber Eats to offer delivery from US Costco stores
Costco said Thursday it’s partnering with DoorDash to offer delivery from its U.S. warehouse stores. DoorDash already offers Costco delivery in a few markets, including Australia, Sweden and Puerto Rico. But the nationwide partnership is a first for the San Francisco-based delivery company, which said Costco was among the most-searched retailers not yet on its […]