Google Disney talks show momentum amid blackout

 

Nearly two weeks after ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels vanished from YouTube TV amid a Google and Disney standoff, progress is emerging. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports potential renewed momentum, with CEOs Sundar Pichai and Bob Iger stepping into talks. FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly urged the companies to...

Mercor offers lower pay after project canceled

 

Just weeks after raising $350 million at a $10 billion valuation, San Francisco AI startup Mercor abruptly shut down an AI training project known as Musen, contractors told Forbes. Thousands of workers said they were locked out of Slack and later received an email offering roles on a new project,...

Renewed push to restore ESPN on YouTube TV

 

Talks between YouTube TV and Disney have gained fresh traction toward restoring ESPN, even as pricing for Disney’s non-sports networks like FX and National Geographic remains a sticking point, sources say. ESPN, ABC and Disney channels have been dark for the service’s 10 million subscribers since Oct. 30, cutting off...

Shutdown end unlikely to normalize air travel

 

The nation’s longest shutdown may soon lift, reopening museums, monuments, and SNAP, but the skies won’t quickly clear. Unpaid for six weeks, air traffic controllers have called out, crippling half of the Core 30 airports; on Halloween, nearly 80 percent were absent at New York airspace facilities. A federal order...

Trump hosts Wall Street leaders at White House

 

President Trump will host a 7:30 p.m. private White House dinner Wednesday with a roster of Wall Street heavyweights, seeking deeper ties and fresh U.S. investment in manufacturing. Attendees include JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon, Nasdaq’s Adena Friedman, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, Morgan Stanley’s Ted Pick, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon,...

US signals tariff relief on coffee bananas

 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “substantial” tariff relief on everyday imports is coming soon, targeting items the U.S. does not grow, such as coffee, bananas and other fruit. He said the move should lower prices quickly. President Donald Trump also pledged to cut coffee duties and signaled a fast resolution...

Visa and Mastercard propose card fee settlement

 

Visa and Mastercard unveiled a proposed settlement in their nearly 20 year fight with merchants over interchange fees, reshaping the honor all cards rule. If approved, retailers could refuse higher tier rewards cards or add surcharges, while receiving a 10 basis point fee cut for five years and 1.25% processing...

Dow rises as AMD surges on AI

 

U.S. stocks were mixed midday: the S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, the Dow rose 309 points and the Nasdaq fell 0.5%. AMD jumped 9.6% on a revenue outlook tied to accelerating AI momentum, while Nvidia swung on lingering valuation worries. IBM climbed on quantum progress; On Holdings surged after a profit...

Toyota begins North Carolina battery plant production

 

Toyota has begun production at a new $13.9 billion battery plant in North Carolina and will invest up to $10 billion more in the U.S. over the next five years. CEO Tetsuo Ogawa called it a pivotal moment. First announced in 2021, the site is Toyota’s first in-house battery facility...

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic to Resign

 

Raphael W. Bostic will step down as president of the Atlanta Fed at February’s end, opening another vacancy as the central bank faces White House pressure to cut rates. His exit comes as the board prepares its five‑year reappointment vote. Bostic, the first Black and openly gay regional Fed president,...