CNN – Business/Consumer

By Marshall Cohen, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Justice Department on Thursday filed foreign bribery charges against Smartmatic, the voting technology company that is suing Fox News and other prominent pro-Trump figures for defamation over their promotion of 2020 election lies. The bribery and money laundering charges against Smartmatic arose from an existing case filed

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN New York (CNN) — OpenAI announced that it has “paused” users’ ability to generate videos of Martin Luther King Jr. on its artificial intelligence video tool Sora, following backlash over “disrespectful depictions.” “While there are strong free speech interests in depicting historical figures, OpenAI believes public figures and their families should

By Lisa Eadicicco, CNN (CNN) — Lindsey Martin’s electricity bill reached $314 in July, the highest bill she had received this year until that point, she said on TikTok. In the video’s more than 4,000 comments, many users reported similar power-bill spikes. Martin’s bill jumped even higher in August to $372, a notable leap from

By Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN (CNN) — Several financial groups are wrestling with bad loans, raising worries on Wall Street of more to come. For weeks, investors have focused on Jefferies Financial Group, an investment bank that has at least $45 million worth of exposure to First Brands, an auto-parts supplier that filed for bankruptcy last

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN (CNN) — Most people go to work for the paycheck and benefits. What they typically don’t expect is to have to return some of the money when they leave. But with some benefits — such as signing or retention bonuses, tuition reimbursement and some forms of training — workers may have

By John Towfighi, CNN New York (CNN) — US stocks closed lower Thursday as jitters spread on Wall Street about credit market turmoil and regional banks’ exposures to bad loans. The Dow fell 301 points, or 0.65%. The broader S&P 500 dropped by 0.63%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite moved 0.47% lower. Volatility has returned

By Ana Nicolaci da Costa, CNN London (CNN) — Nestlé will cut around 16,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years as it works to slash costs, including through automation, the world’s largest food company said Thursday. Most of the layoffs – about 12,000 – will affect white-collar professionals as Nestlé targets “operational efficiency,” including

By Clare Duffy, CNN New York (CNN) — “Good morning, my fellow federal furloughed employees!” That’s the start of one of scores of TikTok videos that have been posted by federal workers in the two weeks since the government shutdown began. A growing number of affected employees — both furloughed workers and essential staffers who

By Elisabeth Buchwald, Matt Egan, CNN (CNN) — Many Americans shrugged off the implosion of a pair of overleveraged Bear Stearns hedge funds in 2007. Stocks were at record highs, after all. But later it became apparent that those bankruptcies were among the first shoes to drop in an epic financial meltdown that would impact

By Brian Stelter, CNN (CNN) — A flyer with the words “journalism is not a crime” appeared Tuesday on the wall outside the “Correspondents’ Corridor” where journalists operate at the Pentagon. It was a silent protest of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new policy that severely restricts press access. The policy criminalizes routine reporting, according to

By Jack Guy, CNN (CNN) — An upcoming version of popular chatbot ChatGPT will relax existing restrictions to allow more content, including erotica, for verified adult users, according to OpenAI chief Sam Altman. Altman said in a post on X published Tuesday that the move is part of a drive to “treat adult users like

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN (CNN) — Federal workers’ experiences this year with layoffs and furloughs may seem extreme. But to anyone who works for a living, they’re a reminder that when you see signs that your job may be at risk, it helps to create a financial plan. US government workers were laid off in

By John Towfighi, CNN New York (CNN) — After months of steadily climbing higher, stocks are bouncing around as investors process renewed US-China trade tensions. Stocks were mixed on Tuesday in volatile trading: The Dow gained 203 points, or 0.44%, after falling as much as 615 points earlier. The S&P 500 fell 0.16%. The tech-heavy

By John Liu, CNN (CNN) — The Dutch government has taken control of a Chinese-owned chip company based in the Netherlands following pressure from Washington, in a move that spotlights how countries are caught in the middle of the US-China battle for tech dominance. Headquartered in the city of Nijmegen, Nexperia produces lower-end chips for

By Ramishah Maruf, CNN New York (CNN) — New car buyers can expect to shell out an average of more than $50,000 for the first time, according to a report from Kelley Blue Book. The average price customers paid for a new vehicle in the US was $50,080 in September, a reflection in part of

By Bryan Mena, CNN Washington (CNN) — The Federal Reserve is doing a difficult balancing act, trying to tamp down inflation while lifting up the job market, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday. “There is no risk-free path for policy as we navigate the tension between our employment and inflation goals,” Powell said in prepared remarks

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN New York (CNN) — Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to let users browse and make purchases directly through its popular chatbot ChatGPT, as the world’s largest retailer looks to use AI to leapfrog rival Amazon in online shopping. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in an announcement Tuesday that the retailer’s current

By Ana Nicolaci da Costa, CNN London (CNN) — Higher US tariffs have so far had a smaller impact globally than expected, but it would be “premature and incorrect” to conclude they have had no effect on economic growth, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. The IMF slightly upgraded its expectations for global and US

By Clare Duffy, CNN New York (CNN) — Instagram is further cracking down on what millions of young people can see on the platform, aligning its “Teen Accounts” safety settings with the guidelines for PG-13 movies. The Meta-owned platform launched teen accounts last year, its most dramatic effort yet to protect young people following years

By Gordon Ebanks, CNN (CNN) — Scouting America, the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts, is giving scouts the chance to earn two merit badges that engage new technology: one in artificial intelligence, and another in cybersecurity. The organization, which counts about a million scouts in its ranks, offers hundreds of merit badges spanning