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Reactions to Rush Limbaugh’s death immediately devolved into arguments on social media on Wednesday — reflecting the fact that Limbaugh was always an American symbol of division. Right-wing media outlets and personalities extolled Limbaugh as a trailblazer — but the trail he blazed was exactly why critics derided him. The New York Times podcast host

A Black McDonald’s franchise operator has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that it steered him toward less profitable restaurants in lower-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods because of his race. Retired Major League Baseball player Herbert Washington, who currently operates 14 McDonald’s restaurants, filed the civil suit in Ohio on Tuesday. Washington’s allegations are similar

Europe is now trading more goods with China than the United States, a sign of how the pandemic is transforming the global economy. Data released this week by the European Union’s statistics service attributed the shift to a 5.6% increase in imports from China in 2020 and a 2.2% increase in exports. Meanwhile, there was

Google Maps can already tell you which train to take or map out an optimal driving route. Now, it’s simplifying travel even more by letting users pay for parking or public transportation right from their phones. As of Wednesday, users can connect their Google Maps accounts with their Google Pay wallets and make transportation-related payments

Rush Limbaugh, the conservative media icon who for decades used his perch as the king of talk-radio to shape the politics of both the Republican Party and nation, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. Limbaugh’s wife Kathryn made the announcement on his radio show Wednesday. “As so many of

Applebee’s is launching a new online-only brand. The main menu item? Cheeto-flavored wings. Customers can start ordering from Cosmic Wings, which is available through Uber Eats, on Wednesday. On the menu: wings with two exclusive Cheetos sauces, original and Flamin’ Hot, plus cheese bites, chicken tender dippers, waffle fries and onion rings. The brand will

Amazon announced three new Alexa-enabled products on Wednesday: a smart sticky note printer, nutrition scale and cuckoo clock. But there’s a catch — the tech giant will only ship these items if enough people pre-order them. It’s like Kickstarter for Alexa. Artists, startups and organizations typically turn to Kickstarter to pitch new products and hit

Hedge fund Alden Global Capital will acquire the rest of what it does not already own of Tribune Publishing, owner of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News and other local newspapers, in a deal valued at $630 million. The Chicago Tribune was first to report the news of the merger agreement. The acquisition

McLaren unveiled the Artura on Tuesday, a new hybrid supercar that is, relatively speaking, much more affordable than the British company’s previous hybrid models. McLaren’s other hybrid cars have been limited production hypercars, like the $2 million Speedtail and the $1 million P1. With a price tag of $225,000 in the US, the Artura is

The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City has been demolished, ending a nearly 40-year run at the New Jersey shore. Trump Plaza opened in 1984 and was once a key aspect of former President Donald Trump’s sprawling real estate portfolio. The casino was shuttered in 2014, and the building has since fallen into

A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. You can sign up for free right here. “Gut punch.” That’s what Daniela Altimari wrote in reaction to Tuesday’s news that Alden Global Capital, a widely feared hedge fund, is buying the rest of Tribune Publishing and taking the newspaper owner private. Altimari

Investors have been dumping shares in Chinese drone maker EHang, after a short-seller accused the US-listed company of fraud. Shares of the Nasdaq-listed firm plummeted nearly 63% in New York on Tuesday after Wolfpack Research released a scathing, detailed report questioning EHang’s business. The stock trimmed its losses Wednesday, bouncing 35% higher to about $62

On Thursday, the US House Financial Services Committee will grill the chief executives of Robinhood and other companies involved in last month’s GameStop stock rally. The hearing is being driven by concerns in Washington about the fundamental fairness of the modern market. The trading frenzy shined a bright light on the free trading boom set

New York is taking Amazon to court over claims that the company has failed to provide sufficient protections for its workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the complaint filed in state court Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James argued that Amazon violated labor law with its “deficient” response to the pandemic. The lawsuit claims

The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City has been demolished, ending a nearly 40-year run at the New Jersey shore. Trump Plaza opened in 1984 and was once a key aspect of former President Donald Trump’s sprawling real estate portfolio. The casino was shuttered in 2014, and the building has since fallen into

Wendy’s is heating up the fried chicken sandwich wars — quite literally this time. The newest entrant into the poultry clash is a Jalapeño Popper Sandwich, a spicy spin on the classic. The $5.99 sandwich, which was released Wednesday, is covered in jalapeños including in a flavored cream cheese spread plus six slices of the

Investors are dumping shares in Chinese drone maker EHang, after a short-seller accused the US-listed company of fraud. Shares of the Nasdaq-listed firm plummeted nearly 63% in New York on Tuesday after Wolfpack Research released a scathing, detailed report questioning EHang’s business. EHang has slammed the report as “deceptive.” In a statement Tuesday, the company

Applebee’s is launching a new online-only brand. The main menu item? Cheeto-flavored wings. Customers can start ordering from Cosmic Wings, which is available through Uber Eats, on Wednesday. On the menu: wings with two exclusive Cheetos sauces, original and Flamin’ Hot, plus cheese bites, chicken tender dippers, waffle fries and onion rings. The brand will

Americans are spending less on their credit cards since the pandemic started. But, unlike other economic data points that are inching towards recovery, such as retail sales or the unemployment rate, credit card spending remains in decline. Consumer spending is the backbone of the US economy and accounts for some two-thirds of economic activity. So

Retail sales increased sharply last month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday, beating economists’ expectations and marking their first increase since September. Sales grew 5.3% in January from the prior month on a seasonally adjusted basis. That’s the largest monthly increase since June, when the sector was rebounding from the spring’s pandemic lockdown. America’s economy runs