Business

The Daily Beast reports: Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, has been walking a tightrope in the weeks since his colleague, Brian Thompson, was executed on a New York City street earlier this month. On one hand, Witty’s had to fight to raise flagging morale in the company’s ranks—but on the other, he’s quietly been boasting that 2024 has …

Gothamist reports: The start of a new year often brings a surge of optimism — and gym memberships. But for many, the excitement fades as unused memberships become an expensive burden. Starting in 2025, a new state law will make canceling these contracts less of a headache. Under the new law, health clubs must process gym membership cancellations within 10 …

The automotive site Electrek reports: Tesla has replaced some of its US employees who were let go as part of a big wave of layoffs earlier this year with foreign workers using H-1B visas, which CEO Elon Musk is now campaigning to increase. Over the last week, Elon Musk has been promoting the increase of H-1B visas. Qualified foreign workers …

ABC News reports: The discount chain Big Lots, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, has reached a deal that will keep hundreds of its stores and distribution centers open. Big Lots said Friday it will be sold to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a firm that specializes in distressed companies. Gordon Brothers will then transfer Big Lots’ stores, distribution centers …

Newsweek reports: The Costco Board pushed back against its anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) shareholders, who had suggested the wholesale corporation re-evaluate its “illegal discrimination” program. The Costco board responded to a group of shareholders, unanimously recommending a vote against the proposal to “report on the risks of maintaining DEI efforts.” The shareholders had suggested Costco employees would potentially become …

SF Gate reports: After a deep investment in electric vehicles — Hertz purchased 100,000 Teslas three years ago — the country’s second-largest rental car company is starting to scale back on its Tesla stock by selling off its electrified fleet at eye-raising prices. A Hertz customer posted a screenshot on Reddit last week with a deal to purchase a 2023 …

Bloomberg News reports: A mystery seller is asking $200 million for an empty waterfront lot next door to the properties Jeff Bezos bought in South Florida. The roughly 1.84 acre lot (0.74 hectare) is located at Indian Creek, a man-made barrier island that’s been dubbed “Billionaire Bunker.” Ilya Reznik, who’s brokering the transaction, declined to identify the seller but said …

Orlando’s CBS affiliate reports: Members of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District board of supervisors broke no criminal laws prior to Gov. Ron DeSantis appointing a new board to oversee Walt Disney World’s special taxing district, newly-released government records reveal. At the time, DeSantis expressed concern about a last-minute development agreement and restrictive covenants between Disney and the former RCID …

The Guardian reports: Toyota is donating $1m to Donald Trump’s inauguration. The report, per Reuters citing a company spokesperson, comes one day after Ford and General Motors said they would donate $1m each to the president-elect’s inaugural fund. The two US automakers will also provide vehicles to the 20 January event, the outlet reported. Trump’s proposed tariffs on goods from …

The Associated Press reports: Defense lawyers say the former longtime CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch may have dementia, and a competency hearing is necessary to determine if he can face sex charges. Lawyers for Michael Jeffries said in court papers unsealed Monday in federal court in Central Islip on Long Island that a neuropsychologist who examined Jeffries in October concluded …

USA Today reports: The Food and Drug Administration has classified a recall of eggs sold at Costco caused by potential salmonella contamination as the highest risk level for infection. The voluntary recall last month was of 108,000 cartons of Handsome Brook Farms eggs sold under the Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised label. The FDA defines a Class I recall as …

USA Today reports: Another American-based big-leaguer is kicking in cash to incoming President-elect Donald Trump’s January inaugural fund. Ford Motor Company, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., will donate $1 million as well as a fleet of vehicles for the festivities, a spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY Monday. Earlier this month, Ford CEO Jim Farley told reporters his leadership team is carefully …

The Associated Press reports: The Container Store has filed for bankruptcy protection as the storage and organizational goods retailer with roots dating back to the 1970s grapples with mounting losses and cash flow shortages. The Texas company has faced increasing competition from retailers like Target and Walmart at the same time that demand for its goods is under strain in …

Reuters reports: Starbucks workers have expanded their strike to four more U.S. cities, including New York, the union representing over 10,000 baristas said. The five-day strike, which began on Friday and initially closed Starbucks cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, has added locations in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis, Workers United said in a statement. The …

Reuters reports: Honda and Nissan are in talks to merge by 2026, they said on Monday, a historic pivot for Japan’s auto industry that underlines the threat Chinese EV makers now pose to the world’s long-dominant legacy car makers. The tie-up would create the world’s third-largest auto group by vehicle sales after Toyota and Volkswagen. It would also give the …

The Daily Mail reports: Three sources told DailyMail.com they had been made aware of the Bezos wedding taking place on December 28. One well-connected member of the Aspen community said that the Amazon founder arrived with his entourage on a private jet into the city’s airport on Saturday. The rumor in town – as yet unconfirmed – is that Bezos …

The New York Times reports: In recent weeks, the bird flu outbreak has wiped out flocks of egg-laying hens, causing wholesale prices to surge just as many Americans are planning holiday recipes that call for more eggs, like cookies, eggnog and latkes. As of Thursday, the average wholesale price for a dozen eggs in the United States was up more …

CNBC reports: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday said he told the European Union it must reduce its trade gap with the U.S. through oil and gas purchases or face tariffs. “I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it …

Bloomberg News reports: Less than two months ago, shares of Tesla Inc. were on their way to just the third losing year in the electric-vehicle maker’s decade-and-a-half as a public company. But after a furious rally in the last seven weeks, the stock is suddenly among the S&P 500 Index’s best performers for 2024. Prior to the US presidential election …

Via press release from the Teamsters: At midnight last night, Amazon Teamsters at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island joined the historic strike against the corporate giant. They join thousands of Teamsters striking at DBK4 in New York City; DGT8 in Atlanta; DFX4, DAX5, and DAX8 in Southern California; DCK6 in San Francisco; and DIL7 in Skokie, Ill.; as well …