Sports

PGA Tour credits Trump with moving LIV Golf deal closer during president's big sports week

Feb. 06, 2025

The PGA Tour put out a statement Thursday thanking President Donald Trump for intervening in the tour's effort to broker a business agreement with LIV Golf and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). "We asked the president to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country and for all the countries involved," a statement from PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Tiger Woods said. "We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men's professional golf."

Business

Amazon set to pass Walmart in revenue for first time

Feb. 06, 2025

Amazon long ago passed Walmart in terms of market cap, but the e-commerce giant is finally poised to leapfrog its brick-and-mortar rival by another key metric: revenue. For the past dozen years, Walmart held the distinction of being the top revenue generator each quarter. In 2012, it overtook oil giant Exxon Mobil, according to LSEG senior research analyst Tajinder Dhillon. Walmart remained in the lead after oil prices tumbled in subsequent years from their previously lofty levels of more than $100 per barrel. In its earnings release after the close of trading Thursday, Amazon is expected to report revenue of $187 billion, according to analysts surveyed by LSEG. Walmart reports on Feb. 20, and is projected to announce sales of $180 billion.

Business

All Quiksilver, Billabong and Volcom stores to close in U.S.

Feb. 06, 2025

All Quiksilver, Billabong and Volcom stores in the United States will close after their operator filed for bankruptcy protection. Altogether over 100 stores for the brands, that sell apparel for skaters, surfers and snowboarders, will close their doors. Liberated Brands filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. “The Liberated team has worked tirelessly over the last year to propel these iconic brands forward, but a volatile global economy, consumer spending changes amid a rising cost of living, and inflationary pressures have all taken a heavy toll,” Liberated Brands in a statement, according to Financier Worldwide. “Despite this difficult change, we are encouraged that many of our talented associates have found new opportunities with other license holders that will carry these great brands into the future.”

Business

Cracker Barrel eggs on Waffle House over surcharge: 'Nothing hospitable about that'

Feb. 06, 2025

Cracker Barrel isn’t scrambling to catch up with soaring egg prices. On the contrary, the restaurant chain is trying to poach customers with a rewards program after Waffle House announced a 50-cent egg surcharge this week. Waffle House's surcharge went into effect Monday, and Cracker Barrel wasted no time whisking away concerns that it would follow suit. "A surcharge on eggs? Well, there’s nothing hospitable about that," Cracker Barrel said Wednesday in a release. "At Cracker Barrel, country hospitality is as important to us as a hearty breakfast — and that means not charging extra for eggs."

Business

OpenAI considering 16 states for data center campuses as part of Trump's Stargate project

Feb. 06, 2025

OpenAI said on Thursday that the company is considering building data center campuses in 16 states that have indicated “real interest” in the project, which is linked to President Donald Trump’s Stargate plans. On a call with reporters, OpenAI executives said it sent out a request for proposals (RFP) to states less than a week ago. “A project of this size represents an opportunity to both re-industrialize parts of the country, but also to help revitalize where the American Dream is going to go in this intelligence age,” Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s vice president of global policy, said on the call.

Business

Trump detests the U.S. trade deficit. Here's what it means.

Feb. 06, 2025

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the nation’s trade deficit, which the Commerce Department reported Wednesday reached a new record high. But the same Commerce report showed the value of American exports had also hit a new record, indicating there’s still strong demand for U.S. goods and services abroad. A trade deficit simply means a country is importing more than it is exporting. As the Congressional Research Service reported in 2018, Trump’s fixation on reversing the deficit “contrasts with the views of most economists.”

Business

U.S. lawmakers move to ban China's DeepSeek from government devices

Feb. 06, 2025

A bipartisan congressional bill is being introduced to ban China's DeepSeek artificial intelligence software from government devices. U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., are introducing the legislation on national security grounds, saying the company's technology presents an espionage risk. “The technology race with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is not one the United States can afford to lose,” LaHood said in a statement. “The national security threat that DeepSeek — a CCP-affiliated company — poses to the United States is alarming.” He said DeepSeek’s generative AI program can acquire the data of U.S. users and store the information for unidentified use by Chinese authorities.

International News

Trump defends Gaza proposal, says territory would be 'turned over' to U.S. by Israel

Feb. 06, 2025

President Donald Trump doubled down on controversial plans for the Gaza Strip on Thursday, saying the Palestinian enclave would be "turned over to the United States by Israel" once the war there ends. The comments in a string of posts on Truth Social followed his proposal for the U.S. to "take over" and "develop" Gaza, which were derided by rivals and even questioned by close allies earlier this week. Israeli officials did not immediately comment on Trump's latest comments, though in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's initial proposal.

International News

Israel orders its military to prepare plan for Palestinians to voluntarily leave Gaza

Feb. 06, 2025

It comes after President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. may "take over" the enclave and "develop" it, sparking outrage among Palestinians and across the Middle East.

International News

Trump's plans for a 'Riviera of the Middle East' in Gaza condemned

Feb. 06, 2025

LONDON — President Donald Trump’s unprecedented announcement that he was planning to seize control of the Gaza Strip and oust 2.2 million Palestinians, temporarily at least, has provoked shock and disbelief around the world, with some officials and analysts saying it would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Many wonder whether it’s even practically possible, instead suggesting it might be more a diplomatic gambit or a distraction technique rather than an actual policy plan.