Bankrupt retailer Big Lots said Friday it struck an 11th-hour deal to save hundreds of its stores via a sale to Gordon Brothers and Variety Wholesalers.
Why it matters: The Columbus, Ohio-based company had about 27,700 employees and more than 1,300 stores in 48 states when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September.
Nearly 200 ski patrollers and mountain safety personnel on Friday launched a strike at Park City Mountain in Utah to protest alleged unfair labor practices.
Why it matters: The post-Christmas job action threatened to disrupt operations at the largest ski resort in the U.S. during one of the busiest weeks of the season.
Sriram Krishnan has become a MAGA lightning rod since President-elect Trump named him as a senior adviser on artificial intelligence, due to both anti-Indian racism and Krishnan's pro-immigration views.
The big picture: Krishnan is an unlikely candidate for controversy, known throughout Silicon Valley for his affability and to the broader world as co-host of a podcast with his wife, tech entrepreneur Aarthi Ramamurthy.
Inflation has driven the cost of goods and services upwards — but the highest inflation of all can be found in the rising price of a dream.
Why it matters: When the Mega Millions lottery was launched in May 2002, a ticket was one of America's real bargains. A mere $1 could buy days' worth of hopes and dreams of what you might do were you to become stupendously wealthy.
A MAGA-world civil war erupted over Christmas when a social media post on American culture turned into a pitched battle over race, immigration and billionaires versus the working class.
Why it matters: The fight exposes one of the MAGA movement's deepest contradictions: It came to prominence chiefly via the white, less-educated, working class but is now under the full control of billionaire technologists and industrialists, many of them immigrants.
Kim Kardashian no longer is helping to manage a private equity firm she co-founded in 2022, according to the firm's website and new regulatory filings.
The big picture: Kardashian's name recognition and success with clothing brand Skims never translated into fundraising achievements for SKKY Partners, which she launched with former Carlyle Group dealmaker Jay Sammons.
School voucher programs championed by President-elect Trump have faced stiff headwinds from voters but remain a priority for the incoming Republican-led Congress and the White House.
Why it matters: Republican supporters often cite "universal school choice" when backing these measures. Opponents of vouchers say they deepen inequality and siphon public schools' already scant resources.
Nippon Steel on Thursday delayed the closing date for its proposed $14.9 billion purchase of U.S. Steel, as it waits to learn if President Biden will block the deal on national security grounds.
Why it matters: The Japanese steelmaker is trying to play nice with the White House, rather than trying to force a quick decision by sticking with its original closing date of year-end 2024.
Apple is closing in on a $4 trillion stock market valuation, powered by investors cheering progress in the company's long-awaited AI enhancements to rejuvenate sluggish iPhone sales.
Why it matters: The company has pulled ahead of Nvidia and Microsoft in the race to the monumental milestone, thanks to an about 16% jump in shares since early November that has added about $500 billion to its market capitalization.
