海角大神

鈥� Greenland status: Greenland may become independent if its people want, but it won鈥檛 become a U.S. state, Denmark鈥檚 foreign minister said after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out using force to acquire the Arctic island.
鈥� Justice Department findings: The Justice Department says it will release special counsel Jack Smith鈥檚 findings on Donald Trump鈥檚 efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election.
鈥� Sudan genocide claim: The Biden administration says it has determined Sudan鈥檚 Rapid Support Forces rebel group and proxies are committing genocide in the country鈥檚 civil war.
鈥� U.S. unemployment falls: The Labor Department says applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in nearly a year last week, pointing to a still-healthy labor market with historically low layoffs.

Read these news briefs.

Thousands have evacuated as wildfires threaten populated areas near Los Angeles. Gusty Santa Ana winds are familiar in the region, but this week鈥檚 weather comes amid a dry start to what is typically the rainy season.

Elon Musk鈥檚 efforts to influence European politics raise a host of questions about his business interests, and the degree to which he speaks for himself or President-elect Donald Trump.

Is Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine intended as a war of depopulation? Some experts say the hollowing-out of communities contributes to a national mental health crisis. Still, others look forward to a postwar process of renewal and growth.

Jimmy Carter and Demetrius Young both died Dec. 29. The two men shared a life of service, a love of Georgia, and a care for the needs of everyday people.

What鈥檚 more important, the freedom to mock, or protection of what many hold sacrosanct? After the Charlie Hebdo massacre, France firmly opted for the former. But now, 10 years later, attitudes may be shifting.

In our progress roundup, patient preparation yields success for coral raised from embryos, and terrace-grown crops in Rwanda. And in science that advances past research, a lab creates a聽powder that absorbs carbon dioxide.

Residents in Minnesota may have noticed a change on the menus in their favorite restaurants lately. That鈥檚 because on Jan. 1, the state enacted a law requiring businesses to include all mandatory fees and surcharges in the prices they display. So if a diner adds 5% to every bill for 鈥渨ages and benefits,鈥� for example, it must build that increase into the cost shown for every item it offers.

Minnesota鈥檚 Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act is the latest confirmation of a broadening trend to protect consumers by bringing sunlight to pricing. The new law addresses what is variously called drip pricing or partition pricing, a common practice across industries ranging from ticketing to travel that stacks hidden fees at the end of transactions. In December, the Federal Trade Commission finalized a similar rule. A few months earlier, so did California.

The concerns don鈥檛 stop there. In recent years, several states have sought 鈥� through legislation as well as executive orders 鈥� to crack down on a range of opaque practices, from price gouging to inconsistencies in what retailers charge for the same good online versus in person.

The new laws hold a mirror to what may matter even more to consumers than rising costs. 鈥淧ricing is one area where consumers of all types expect complete transparency,鈥� wrote Austin Mac Nab, CEO and co-founder of the Iowa-based technology company VizyPay, in an essay for Business.com last year. He cited a study by Harvard Business School showing that loyal customers spend 67% more on products and services than new customers.

鈥淏usinesses that strive to be open and honest,鈥� he noted, 鈥渟et themselves apart and generate ... long-term stability.鈥�

The Federal Trade Commission鈥檚 Junk Fees Rule, formally called the Trade Regulation on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, encourages more states to build on the laws enacted recently by Minnesota and California. Inherent in transparency, commission chair Lina Khan notes, is respect. The rule, scheduled to go into effect in April, followed two years of public hearings and reflected written input from 72,000 citizens. The commission estimates it will save people up to 53 million hours per year in time searching for the actual cost of goods or services online.

鈥淧eople deserve to know up-front what they鈥檙e being asked to pay 鈥� without worrying that they鈥檒l later be saddled with mysterious fees that they haven鈥檛 budgeted for and can鈥檛 avoid,鈥� Ms. Khan said during the rule鈥檚 announcement.

Economists have long noted that price transparency drives innovation by pushing companies to create better products to remain competitive. For diners in Minnesota, the equation is simpler. The state鈥檚 new law means that honesty is on the menu.