Outback Steakhouse closes restaurants suspends dividend

 

Outback Steakhouse abruptly closed 21 restaurants in October and will let 22 more leases lapse over four years as parent Bloomin’ Brands launches a turnaround. The company will take a $33 million impairment and suspend its shareholder dividend while investing $75 million in menu upgrades, value offers, and service tweaks,...

ESPN names DraftKings official sportsbook and odds provider

 

ESPN has named DraftKings its Official Sportsbook and Odds Provider, effective Dec. 1, with integrations rolling into ESPN platforms and the betting tab in the ESPN App starting in December. At launch, users can access sportsbook, daily fantasy and Pick6, with a full rollout of integrations expected in 2026. ESPN...

Turkey prices soar as flu squeezes supply

 

Turkey prices are spiking ahead of Thanksgiving as bird flu shrinks the U.S. flock to a near 40-year low and strains the supply chain. Wholesale costs are up 75% from October 2024, and Purdue University expects retail prices to average about $2.05 per pound in November, roughly 25% higher than...

CarMax shares slide as CEO exits amid downgrade

 

CarMax shares fell 10% in premarket trading Thursday after the used car retailer issued a weak preliminary outlook and said CEO Bill Nash will step down. The company expects third-quarter comparable used unit sales to drop 8% to 12% and earnings per share of 18 to 36 cents, including 9...

ESPN strikes DraftKings deal as Penn deal ends

 

ESPN unveiled a new online-gambling partnership with DraftKings that an insider says will be more lucrative than its expiring pact with Penn Entertainment. Effective Dec. 1, 2025, with a broader rollout in 2026, DraftKings will power a betting tab in the new ESPN app. Penn’s ESPN Bet app will be...

ESPN and Penn to end betting partnership

 

Penn Entertainment and ESPN will end their ESPN Bet partnership early, with the U.S. sportsbook set to be rebranded theScore Bet by Dec. 1, 2025. The 10-year deal, signed in August 2023, paid ESPN $150 million annually plus stock warrants for name, trademark, and marketing, but the companies agreed to...

Immigration crackdown rattles US construction sites

 

Across U.S. building sites, intensified immigration enforcement under President Trump is deepening an already severe labor shortage. Contractors describe crews too scared to show up after ICE checkpoints and raids, slowing work and inflating costs. In Washington, D.C., bridge contractor Rurick Palomino says documented employees were detained for hours, pushing...

Bose QuietComfort headphones drop to 199

 

Bose is clearing out QuietComfort headphones, cutting the price from $349 to $199, a 43% discount that undercuts rival flagships. The over-ear cans pair proprietary active noise cancellation with plush cushions and a padded headband for long-haul comfort, plus Quiet and Aware modes. Battery life hits 24 hours, and a...

Dimon opens dialogue with mayor elect Mamdani

 

Jamie Dimon said he called Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, signaling a thaw after sharp criticism from New York business leaders. In a CNN interview, the JPMorgan Chase chief said he’ll keep talking if it proves productive, even as he questioned Mamdani’s inexperience and urged New York to stay competitive....

Profits Soar as Layoffs Signal Jobless Boom

 

Corporate profits are surging and stocks are setting records, even as companies have axed nearly 1 million jobs this year, a split Chen Zhao of Alpine Macro calls a 'jobless boom.' He points to fast-spreading AI that lifts productivity while damping labor demand. With the Labor Department’s reports delayed by...