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Amazon dethrones Walmart as the world's biggest company by sales
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NPR Business

Amazon Overtakes Walmart as World's Biggest Retailer

Amazon has officially dethroned Walmart as the world's largest company by sales, a landmark shift driven by its dominant e-commerce and digital strategy.

  • Walmart's Empire: Built on a foundation of brick-and-mortar dominance, Walmart perfected the art of supply chain logistics and in-person shopping at a massive scale. Its identity is intrinsically linked to its physical footprint, which serves as both a shopping destination and, increasingly, a fulfillment hub for online orders.
  • Amazon's Digital Domain: Amazon pioneered the e-commerce landscape, building its empire online. While it has struggled to replicate its digital success in the physical world, even with the 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods, its primary advantage has shifted from pure retail to a diversified technology conglomerate.
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In a historic vote, Tennessee Volkswagen workers get their first union contract
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NPR Business

TN Volkswagen Workers Ratify Historic First Union Contract

Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, TN, voted to approve their first UAW union contract, securing major wage increases, better benefits, and a historic labor win

  • CHATTANOOGA, TN – In a landmark decision with significant implications for the American automotive industry and the labor movement, workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first-ever union contract. The vote, which saw 96% approval, solidifies a crucial victory for the United Auto Workers (UAW) and marks a pivotal moment in the union's decades-long effort to organize foreign-owned auto plants in the historically union-resistant South.
  • Immediate Financial Gains: All workers will receive an immediate ratification bonus of $6,550.
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Using saliva to detect disease holds promise, but it's not perfected yet
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NPR Business

Saliva Tests for Disease: Promise, Progress & Challenges

Saliva tests offer a non-invasive way to detect diseases like cancer early. Learn about the future of salivary diagnostics, its promise, and current hurdles.

  • By a Senior Financial Correspondent
  • Existing Tests: Beyond the well-known COVID-19 and HIV tests, consumers can purchase kits to assess genetic risks for conditions like breast cancer or to detect markers for oral diseases.
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The economy slowed in the last 3 months of the year — but was still solid in 2025
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NPR Business

US Economy Slows in Q4, Reports Solid 2.2% Growth for 2025

The U.S. economy grew a solid 2.2% in 2025, driven by consumer spending. Growth slowed to 1.4% in the final quarter, according to the latest GDP report.

  • **WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy demonstrated remarkable resilience in 2025, capping the year with steady growth even as momentum cooled in the final quarter. Propelled by the twin engines of robust consumer spending and a surge in business investment in artificial intelligence, the economy successfully navigated headwinds from a stalling labor market and a sluggish housing sector, according to a comprehensive report released Friday by the Commerce Department.
  • Quarterly Slowdown: The 1.4% Q4 growth rate, while positive, indicates a downshift as the year concluded. This was expected by many economists as the effects of higher interest rates and a cooling job market began to take hold.
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Business

Financial news and market updates

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7 key things to know about Trump's tariffs after the Supreme Court decision
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NPR Business

Trump Tariffs Struck Down by Supreme Court: 7 Key Things

The Supreme Court has struck down President Trump's tariffs, a check on presidential power. Learn 7 key takeaways on the impact to trade and the economy.

  • SOURCE: NPR Business
  • Massive Revenue Spike: Federal tariff collection has surged to approximately $30 billion per month under the new rates, a fourfold increase from the period before Trump returned to the White House. This has pushed tariff rates to their highest levels in nearly a century.
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Trump's tariffs were 'last straw' for this business owner's now-shuttered store
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NPR Business

Trump Tariffs: The 'Last Straw' for a Small Business

A small business owner explains how Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods were the final blow that forced her to close her 44-year-old family toy store.

  • WASHINGTON – For 44 years, Jennifer Bergman's family toy store was a community institution, a place where generations of families marked birthdays and holidays. But in July 2025, the brightly colored aisles went dark for good. The business, a mainstay of its local main street, became another casualty of a difficult retail environment.
  • The Cost of Goods: A 25% tariff on a toy that costs Bergman $10 to import from a supplier means her cost immediately rises to $12.50. Across thousands of items, this increase becomes a catastrophic financial burden.
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'Washington Post' CEO departs after going AWOL during massive job cuts
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NPR Business

Washington Post CEO Departs After Massive Job Cuts

Washington Post CEO Will Lewis has abruptly departed after his absence during massive layoffs that saw the storied newspaper's newsroom shrink by a third.

  • Layoff Scope: Over a third of the newsroom was laid off via a mandatory Zoom call, reducing the total staff to approximately 500 journalists.
  • Departmental Impact: The cuts were not evenly distributed. The entire sports desk was eliminated, the local news staff was reduced from over 40 to about a dozen, and the international desk was decimated.
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Days after mass layoffs, Washington Post CEO steps down
© NPR Business
NPR Business

Washington Post CEO Steps Down After Mass Layoffs

Washington Post CEO Will Lewis abruptly steps down days after mass layoffs. Owner Jeff Bezos appoints an interim CEO, signaling a new data-driven era.

  • **WASHINGTON — The Washington Post is navigating a profound leadership crisis following the abrupt departure of Publisher and CEO Will Lewis late Saturday. His exit comes just days after the storied newspaper executed a painful restructuring that eliminated more than 300 journalistic positions, a full third of its staff, leaving the future of the institution firmly in the hands of its billionaire owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
  • Failed Turnaround: Staffers felt that Lewis’s highly touted innovations over his two-year tenure failed to reverse the paper’s steep financial losses, which Lewis himself had previously stated ran into the tens of millions, at one point approaching a hundred million dollars annually.
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A shadowy industry is helping small businesses pay tariffs — at a high cost
© NPR Business
NPR Business

How Tariffs Push Small Businesses to High-Cost Loans

Unexpected tariffs are creating a liquidity crisis for importers, pushing them toward high-cost merchant cash advances that can quickly become a dangerous debt

  • Source: NPR Business
  • Why it matters: The imposition of global tariffs created an acute, unexpected liquidity crisis for American importers. Goods arriving at U.S. ports were suddenly subject to tens of thousands of dollars in unbudgeted duties, payable immediately. With traditional bank loans often too slow or inaccessible, many businesses turned to a faster, more hazardous alternative: the merchant cash advance (MCA).
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Politics

Political news and analysis

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Sen. Ruben Gallego talks about debate over DHS funding as deadline approaches
© NPR Politics
NPR Politics

Sen. Gallego on DHS Funding Debate & Shutdown Deadline

As a DHS shutdown looms, Sen. Ruben Gallego explains his vote against funding, citing a need for accountability in agencies like ICE and Border Patrol.

  • **WASHINGTON — A partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to begin tonight after lawmakers left the capital without a deal, injecting a fresh wave of uncertainty into federal operations and the nation's security apparatus. The impasse centers on a contentious debate over the conduct and future of U.S. immigration enforcement agencies, a flashpoint crystallized in a recent vote against a funding measure by lawmakers including Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona.
  • Immediate Impact: Gallego noted that many essential agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), remain funded for several weeks. "Nothing right now," he said when asked what happens tonight. "They'll continue doing their work."
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DHS expected to shut down as talks over immigration enforcement reform falter
© NPR Politics
NPR Politics

DHS Shutdown Looms as Immigration Reform Talks Falter

The Department of Homeland Security is set for a partial shutdown as lawmakers fail to reach a funding agreement over immigration enforcement reform.

  • Washington, D.C. — The Department of Homeland Security is poised for a partial shutdown beginning this weekend after lawmakers failed to break a high-stakes impasse over immigration enforcement reform, leaving the sprawling agency without a funding agreement just hours before its current budget expires.
  • The Impasse: Negotiations have faltered over Democratic demands for "major changes to immigration enforcement." While some proposals, such as requiring body cameras for agents, have found bipartisan traction, others have been firmly rejected by Republicans.
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Virginia court allows Democrats' redistricting vote in their plan to counter to Trump
© NPR Politics
NPR Politics

VA Court OKs Dem Redistricting Vote in Battle Over Maps

Virginia's Supreme Court allows a special election on redistricting to proceed, a key Democratic move to counter GOP gerrymandering and impact control of Congre

  • The Republican Offensive: At President Trump's urging last summer, several states moved to fortify their congressional delegations. Texas Republicans redrew their map to target an additional five seats for the GOP. Similar moves in Missouri and North Carolina aimed to pick up one seat in each state.
  • The Democratic Counter-Offensive: Democrats have not stood idle. In California, they successfully passed a ballot initiative, similar to the one proposed in Virginia, authorizing a new map that could net their party five additional House seats.
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Trump faces off with governors ahead of next week's meeting
© NPR Politics
NPR Politics

Trump vs. Governors: Feud Escalates Before NGA Meeting

A feud between President Trump and U.S. governors over federal funding and policy sets the stage for a contentious National Governors Association meeting.

  • WASHINGTON – A tense political atmosphere is descending upon the capital as President Trump escalates a public feud with a bipartisan group of the nation's governors, setting the stage for a contentious National Governors Association (NGA) meeting next week. At stake are billions of dollars in federal funding and the future of major policy initiatives, with the growing friction threatening to inject further uncertainty into the U.S. economic outlook.
  • Administration's Stance: The White House argues that federal dollars should flow to states that streamline environmental reviews and embrace public-private partnerships. Officials have signaled that "shovel-ready" does not just mean ready for construction, but also ready for regulatory relief.
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DHS says immigration agents appear to have lied about shooting in Minnesota
© NPR Politics
NPR Politics

DHS: Immigration Agents Lied About Minnesota Shooting

The DHS has admitted two ICE agents appear to have provided false sworn testimony about a January shooting in Minneapolis that injured a Venezuelan immigrant.

  • WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security has acknowledged that two of its immigration agents appear to have provided false sworn testimony regarding a January shooting in Minneapolis, a rare and startling admission that has led to the officers being placed on administrative leave and the collapse of the government's initial narrative.
  • Initial DHS Claim: The department's first public statement painted a picture of a life-threatening ambush. It claimed an officer fired his weapon to "save his life" after being "ambushed and attacked" by three immigrants wielding a snow shovel and a broom handle.
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Finance

Banking and investment news

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Man changed with 33 sexual offences in London
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BBC News

London Man Charged with 33 Sexual Offences, Including Rape

A man has been charged with 33 sexual offences in London, including multiple counts of rape, raising concerns over public safety in the financial hub.

  • Six counts of rape
  • One count of attempted rape
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Dow Jones Tops 50,000 With Apple, Boeing, These AI Stocks New Buys, But Market Still Divided
© Yahoo Finance
Yahoo Finance

Dow Jones Hits 50,000 as Apple, AI Stocks Fuel Rally

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 50,000 for the first time, driven by a rebound in Apple (AAPL), Boeing (BA), and investor fervor for AI.

  • NEW YORK – The Dow Jones Industrial Average shattered a historic psychological barrier today, closing above 50,000 for the first time as a resurgence in technology and industrial giants, coupled with a relentless fervor for artificial intelligence, propelled the blue-chip index into uncharted territory. The milestone, a landmark moment for Wall Street, was met with a mix of celebration and caution, reflecting a market that remains deeply divided on the sustainability of the current rally amid persistent economic crosscurrents.
  • Nvidia (NVDA): The undisputed leader in AI chips continued its meteoric rise. The company, now one of the most valuable in the world, is seen as the primary beneficiary of the global build-out of AI infrastructure, with its GPUs being the foundational hardware for data centers and AI models.
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When will it stop raining in the UK?
© BBC News
BBC News

When will it stop raining in the UK? Forecast & Impact

Unrelenting rain is battering the UK economy. We look at the latest meteorological forecasts for a dry spell and analyse the financial impact on key industries.

  • LONDON – An unrelenting wave of precipitation across the United Kingdom is doing more than just dampening spirits; it is actively eroding economic activity across key sectors, from agriculture to retail. As businesses grapple with the financial fallout of one of the wettest periods on record, all eyes are turning to meteorological forecasts for a desperately needed reprieve. While computer models are now signalling a potential, albeit temporary, shift to drier conditions, the economic damage already inflicted highlights a growing vulnerability for an economy heavily reliant on seasonal stability.
  • Delayed Planting: Saturated fields have made it impossible for farmers to use heavy machinery for planting spring crops like barley, wheat, and potatoes. This delay shrinks the growing season and directly threatens yield potential for the year.
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Old favorite software stocks take beating as fear of AI's impact grows
© Yahoo Finance
Yahoo Finance

Software Stocks Tumble Amid Growing Fears of AI's Impact

A major sell-off hits software stocks as investors fear generative AI will replace traditional SaaS models, sparking a rotation from tech to industrial stocks.

  • NEW YORK – A seismic shift rattled Wall Street this past week as investors, gripped by a growing fear of artificial intelligence's disruptive power, aggressively dumped the very software stocks that have defined market leadership for a decade. The brutal sell-off signals a potential changing of the guard, as capital rotates from the titans of Silicon Valley to the stalwarts of the industrial economy.
  • Key Market Action: The Nasdaq 100, a proxy for large-cap tech, was dramatically outperformed by the blue-chip Dow for seven consecutive sessions. This marks the longest such streak in nearly four years and highlights a clear rotation away from growth-oriented technology and toward value and cyclical stocks.
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How Likely Is a Stock Market Crash Under President Donald Trump? Several Century-Old Data Sets Offer an Answer.
© Yahoo Finance
Yahoo Finance

Stock Market Crash Under Trump? Historical Data Answers

With stock markets at all-time highs under President Trump, is a crash imminent? We analyze century-old data sets, like the Shiller P/E ratio, to assess the ris

  • NEW YORK – U.S. stock markets continue their impressive ascent more than a year into President Donald Trump's second term, with all three major indexes charting new all-time highs. Yet, as investor optimism buoys valuations, a collection of historical data sets spanning over a century suggests that significant headwinds are gathering, posing a potential threat to one of the most robust rallies in recent memory.
  • What It Is: The CAPE Ratio smooths out short-term profit volatility by measuring the current price of the S&P 500 against average inflation-adjusted earnings from the previous 10 years. Its data extends back to 1871.
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