Governments and traders spent Monday assessing the energy fallout from the expanding war involving Iran, as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz renewed fears over one of the world’s most important oil corridors. Since the conflict began on Feb. 28, tanker traffic through the strait has largely stalled, raising concern that a prolonged interruption could restrict supply well beyond the…
Beauty inspiration is increasingly coming from screens, not salespeople. Quinn Kelsey, a 38-year-old shopper in Denver, said she watches TikTok for ideas, then uses an AI chatbot to filter options by budget and preview shades before she buys, often through Amazon. “I use ChatGPT as my personal beauty consultant,” she said, arguing that department stores rarely match the at-home research…
Sony Group Corp. has agreed to purchase additional rights to the iconic Peanuts comic strip franchise in a move that significantly expands its control over the beloved characters created by Charles M. Schulz. The Japanese conglomerate announced a definitive agreement to acquire a 41 percent stake in Peanuts Holdings LLC from Canadian entertainment company WildBrain Ltd. for $457 million USD,…
France’s state-owned utility EDF said it will cap the cost of building six new nuclear reactors at 72.8 billion euros, a sharp rise from the 51.7 billion euros referenced when the plan was announced in 2022. The ceiling is stated in 2020 values, and EDF said it intends to improve both cost discipline and construction speed as the project moves…
U.S. employers added 64,000 jobs in November, after payrolls fell by 105,000 in October, the government reported in releases that arrived late because a 43-day federal government shutdown delayed key labor-market data. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest since 2021, up from 4.4% in September; no October unemployment rate was published because the shutdown disrupted the household survey…
The Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, California, builds its holiday business on imported ornaments, décor, and small gift items. Co-owner Emily Butler said that in 2025 some merchandise arrived later than expected or landed at higher costs after President Donald Trump imposed unusually high taxes on imported goods, forcing the shop to work harder to turn browsing into…
A Los Angeles jury has awarded $40 million to two women who said their long-term use of talc-based powders sold by Johnson & Johnson contributed to their ovarian cancer, extending a legal fight that has persisted for years across U.S. courts. The verdict, returned on Friday, December 12, 2025, reflects the jury’s acceptance of the plaintiffs’ argument that the company…
