USDA Reopens Farm Offices Amid Shutdown

 

The Agriculture Department will reopen about 2,100 Farm Service Agency offices nationwide on Thursday despite the government shutdown, enabling access to $3 billion in existing aid. Each site will have two paid staff, with funding drawn from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a White House official said. Republicans and farm groups...

Tesla Profit Falls as Credits, Tariffs Weigh

 

Tesla’s third-quarter profit fell 37% to $1.4 billion even as revenue rose 12% to $28.1 billion, squeezed by price cuts, low-interest loans and tariffs. Revenue from clean-air credits dropped 44% to $417 million. The company declined to issue a forecast, citing shifting trade and fiscal policies. Shares slipped about 1.5%...

Trump defends tariffs, considers Argentine beef imports

 

President Donald Trump rebuked U.S. cattle ranchers, saying they “don’t understand” how tariffs buoyed them and urging them to cut prices. He pointed to a 50% tariff on Brazilian beef and said his team is weighing purchases from Argentina to lower consumer costs. Beef prices have climbed over the past...

Trump Touts Tariffs, Presses Cattle Ranchers on Prices

 

President Donald Trump used his Truth Social account Wednesday to urge American cattle ranchers to lower prices, while insisting his tariffs are the reason the industry is “doing so well, for the first time in decades.” He highlighted a 50% tariff on cattle from Brazil and argued that without his...

Amazon Pushes Warehouse Robots, Eyes Big Savings

 

Amazon is accelerating warehouse automation that could replace 600,000 jobs and deliver multibillion-dollar savings, according to internal plans reported by the New York Times and an analysis by Morgan Stanley. The company aims for 75% automation and about 40 next-gen robotics sites by 2027, with retrofits already underway. Analyst Brian...

Wall Street Slips as Netflix Sags, Gold Falls

 

Wall Street eased from records Wednesday as earnings steered sharp moves. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%—still within 0.8% of its high—while the Dow lost 211 points and the Nasdaq slipped 1.2% as of 1:12 p.m. Eastern. Netflix tumbled 10.2% on a profit miss after a strong year-to-date run; AT&T and...

NHL Signs First Deals With Prediction Markets

 

The NHL struck multiyear licensing deals with prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket, the first such agreement between a major U.S. league and the sector. The companies can use league data, marks and official designations, and Kalshi quickly listed contracts on the Stanley Cup champion. The NHL, which already partners with...

Meta to cut 600 at superintelligence lab

 

Meta will cut about 600 jobs from its superintelligence lab, chief AI officer Alexandr Wang told staff in a Wednesday memo, according to Axios — a report Meta told TechCrunch was accurate. Wang said a smaller team would speed decisions and make each person more “load-bearing,” with greater scope and...

Employer Health Costs Surge, Workers Pay More

 

Family health insurance for most American workers averaged $27,000 this year, with little relief expected next year, a KFF survey found. Employers covered roughly three-quarters, while employees paid $6,850—about $600 a month—and face steeper deductibles that can mean thousands out of pocket after illness or accidents. Employer coverage costs, once...

Costly GLP-1 Coverage Squeezes Employer Health Plans

 

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are surging in popularity at large employers, but steep costs are straining budgets, KFF's Employer Health Benefits Survey finds. Coverage for obesity rose to 43% among firms with 5,000+ workers, versus 16% at mid-size companies, yet nearly 60% of large employers report higher-than-expected use and two-thirds cite...