Business

Brands unleashed a wave of April Fools’ Day pranks in 2026, blending creativity with cringe. From AI-generated socks to Snapchat’s parody of Instagram Reels, companies tested consumer patience with mixed results.

JPMorganChase unveils the $80 billion American Dream Initiative (ADI) to expand economic opportunity for 10 million small businesses and hundreds of thousands of renters. The multi-year effort targets capital access, affordable housing and financial health across six pillars.

In a dramatic reversal, Hershey announced Wednesday it will restore classic chocolate recipes to all Reese’s products by 2027 after the grandson of the brand’s founder publicly criticized the company for using cheaper ingredients. The decision follows a wave of consumer backlash and comes as food ma

Kia will introduce the US-spec EV3 compact EV later this year, following strong global sales and filling a gap left by Volvo’s canceled EX30. The boxy 169-inch EV offers up to 320 miles of range, starting around $35,500, and features advanced tech like Digital Key 2.0.

U.S. retail sales rose 0.6% in February, defying expectations after three straight monthly declines. The increase, driven by strong spending at department and clothing stores, signals resilient consumer demand despite weak job growth and geopolitical uncertainty.

Anthropic is racing to fix a critical bug in its Claude Code AI tool after users reported hitting usage limits 'way faster than expected.' The issue, first flagged on Reddit, disrupts workflows for developers relying on the platform, with some reporting tasks consuming entire daily budgets in minute

Volkswagen’s new collaboration with Chinese EV maker Xpeng underscores China’s dominance in high-value automotive software and hardware. As VW’s China profits plummet 45% and competitors scramble, the deal highlights a strategic pivot toward Chinese technology—raising questions about the future of W

Wall Street’s major indexes rebounded Wednesday with the S&P 500 up 0.72% and Nasdaq jumping 1.16% after Tuesday’s best session since May. Oil ETFs hit record trading volumes and crude prices soared as U.S.-Iran tensions escalated.

President Donald Trump suggested abandoning the US military mission in Iran, claiming the Strait of Hormuz would 'automatically open' after America exits. Energy experts warn this strategy risks leaving global oil flows at Iran’s mercy, driving prices even higher.

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale ended March 31, but dozens of deals under $25 remain live. From tech gadgets and home essentials to kitchen tools and family entertainment, these discounts offer budget-friendly upgrades still worth grabbing before they vanish.

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has ended, but select deals linger across tech, home goods, and appliances. CNET readers snapped up AirPods Pro 3, TCL QM8K TVs, and Anker chargers during the event—here’s where to grab the last of the steep discounts.

Volkswagen’s 2027 Atlas debuts a redesigned three-row SUV with 282 hp engine, premium interior upgrades, and shared styling with China’s Teramont Pro. The refresh arrives as SUVs dominate 80% of VW’s U.S. sales, but faces competition in a crowded market.

A Caltech-led study suggests fault-tolerant quantum computers may need just 10,000–20,000 qubits to break modern encryption, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, accelerating cryptography threats beyond prior estimates. The research, published Monday, highlights a new error-correction method for neutral-

Asia-Pacific markets rebounded sharply Wednesday after President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. could withdraw from Iran within weeks, easing geopolitical tensions. South Korea’s Kospi led gains with an 8.44% surge, while global oil prices plummeted over 3% on reduced supply fears.

Anthropic confirmed a leak of Claude Code’s internal source code due to human error, exposing a Tamagotchi-style AI pet and an always-on agent. The 512,000-line codebase, now forked over 50,000 times on GitHub, offers unprecedented insight into the AI tool’s development.

A hacker hijacked the npm account of the lead axios maintainer and pushed malicious versions of the 100 million weekly downloads JavaScript library. Security firms warn the supply chain attack could have compromised up to 600,000 developers.

Jim Paulsen's Walmart Recession Signal has surged to its highest point since the 2008 financial crisis, signaling rising fears of a looming economic downturn.

US job openings fell to 6.88 million in February, the lowest since 2020, as hiring plunged and consumer confidence cratered amid tariffs, Middle East wars, and AI disruption. Private payroll growth averaged just 18,000 jobs monthly.

Meta has suffered two landmark court losses in less than 48 hours, marking the first time a jury held the company legally accountable for designing addictive features that harmed teens. With 40 state attorneys general suing Meta and thousands of cases pending, the verdicts could reshape the tech ind

McCormick will buy Unilever’s foods division—home to Hellmann’s and Knorr—for $29.1 billion in cash and stock, creating a combined $20 billion global flavor empire. The deal, set to close by mid-2027, aims to expand McCormick’s global reach and leverage Unilever’s restaurant supply chains.

U.S. stock indexes surged Tuesday after an unconfirmed report suggested Iran's president is open to ending Middle East hostilities, lifting the S&P 500 2.91% to 6,528.52. The Dow jumped 1,125 points, while oil prices dipped on hopes for reduced tensions.

A massive oil futures spike coincided with President Trump’s last-minute Iran threat reversal. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman argues this resembles insider trading—and may signal deeper market manipulation tied to national security leaks.

NVIDIA and Marvell Technology announced a strategic $2B partnership to integrate Marvell's XPUs and silicon photonics into NVIDIA’s AI factory ecosystem via NVLink Fusion, enhancing scalable AI infrastructure. The deal aims to deliver faster token generation and telecom network upgrades.

Opendoor acquires Doma’s closing and escrow business to automate title searches and reduce refinance costs by up to $1,100 per loan. The move leverages a Fannie Mae pilot program that already cuts 80% of refinance transactions’ title insurance needs.