All Economy
First LookUber to face new regulations as top EU court classifies it as taxi serviceThe European Court of Justice has ruled that Uber, which describes itself as an information services provider, is a taxi service and should be regulated as one. The ruling may hold wider ramifications for how app services like Uber are regulated in Europe.
Tax cut arrives, and Americans ask what鈥檚 in it for them 鈥� and for countryMost Americans can expect a modest tax cut, but changes in deductions and other measures will create new winners and losers, especially in later years.聽
First LookBricks-and-mortar grocery stores hope to edge out Amazon with curbside pickupAmazon's purchase of Whole Foods rocked the US grocery industry and traditional stores to look for new ways to keep customers shopping. Many have turned to curbside pickup that combines the ease of online shopping and skipping lines with more flexibility with fresh foods.聽
First LookDisney buys most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billionIn efforts to compete with other tech companies in the entertainment business, Disney is buying聽a large part of the Murdoch family's 21st Century Fox, including film and television studios, cable and international TV businesses.
First LookFCC poised to roll back net neutrality rulesDespite protest from consumers and corporations such as Facebook, the Federal Communications Commission is set to reverse net neutrality rules that bar internet service providers from favoring certain internet content.
As interest rates rise, will borrower prudence, too?Interest rates have stayed so low for so long, consumers and investors may have forgotten what happens when rates go up. The Federal Reserve's rate boost Wednesday and prospects for 2018 increases may change mind-sets.聽
Why today's bitcoin bubble recalls tulip mania and the dot.com crazeThe digital currency draws throngs in South Korea and Japan, and US regulators have OK'd bitcoin futures. But the bubble could end badly for investors, with uncertain ripple effects.
On Tybee Island, a glimpse of why flood insurance is a vexing US challengeCongress faces a Dec. 8 deadline to mend a federal flood insurance program that runs chronic imbalances in an era of rising flood risks and densely populated coastal areas.
Shopping becomes a hybrid experience, as stores and smartphones intersectEven in era of rising e-commerce, consumers still want the physical-store experience. And mobile phones have become the bridge between both worlds.
First LookInsurers face new challenges after long series of natural disastersFollowing a season of hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes around the world, customers and governments are facing rising insurance rates.聽 Experts suggest that insurance companies should re-evaluate their repricing strategies as disasters become more common.聽
First LookZimbabweans facing a currency shortage look to bitcoin for solutionA growing number of Zimbabweans are turning to bitcoin as a stable form of currency as their own 'zollars' hyperinflate and become increasingly worthless. But the investment still comes with high risks.
First LookCould other nations follow France's example and export their culture as a brand?The Louvre Abu Dhabi is the most recent example of France selling its food, luxury fashion, and fine art as a recognizable聽lifestyle abroad.聽
Why tax havens persist, and where a rethink could take holdWhat could be $200 billion in tax revenue instead sits in offshore centers, parked there by individuals and corporations, often legally. Some reformers would like to remedy that. One lever: new attention on the ethics and morality of the practice.
Trump's change at Fed's helm is also a vote for continuityIf confirmed by the Senate, Federal Reserve chair nominee Jerome Powell is expected to continue the current policy of gradually raising interest rates. But in a break with tradition, he's not an economist.聽
First LookUS economy rebounds after season of hurricanesDespite a loss of nearly 33,000 jobs due to fall storms, the Department of Labor reports solid growth in many sectors including construction, hotels, restaurants, and the auto industry, many of which took the brunt of the impact during hurricanes Harvey and Irma.聽
Republicans pitch broad tax cuts. Is that what economy needs?Many economists say tax changes can give a short-term boost, or sometimes longer-run gains. But the growth goals behind a new House plan run up against tricky math of rising national debt.
Bitcoin stokes fear and greed 鈥� but it鈥檚 just tip of a finance revolutionOften called a digital currency, bitcoin is now behaving more as a 鈥榮tore of value鈥� with a surging price tag. Its bubble could burst, but the technology behind it promises to transform personal and business finance.
Oklahoma cut taxes. Now a squeeze on public services forces a rethink.Oklahoma鈥檚 Republican-dominated legislature is looking at ways to close a revenue gap that鈥檚 affecting schools and health care. But one attempt just faltered.
First LookNew smart locks would allow Amazon to deliver directly into homesAmazon's plan to address theft of packages left on shoppers' doorsteps is a new smart lock system. Customers could remotely control access to their homes for deliveries and other professional services.聽
First LookAmid business departures, London mayor pushes for a Brexit transition dealMayor Sadiq Khan warns that international companies will follow through on their promises to take their business elsewhere if a Brexit transition deal is not agreed to soon.
