Business

Fresh data from the IRS shows that Americans' average tax refunds in the 2026 filing season have risen significantly from last year as the filing deadline approaches.IRS data through March 20 showed that the average tax refund amount has risen to $3,571 in the 2026 filing season to date, an increase of $350 or 10.9% from the $3,221 average refund at this stage of the filing season in 2025.The total amount refunded […]

Costco is set to debut its first stand-alone gas station this summer in Mission Viejo, California, marking a major expansion of its fuel operations, with a second location in Hawaii slated to open next year.The California location, located roughly 50 miles from Los Angeles, is expected to open in late June, according to local outlet KABC, citing city officials. It will become the chain’s largest gas station, featuring 40 pumps.A […]

Thousands of ready-to-eat pizza and bread products were recalled over the potential presence of metal fragments, according to the Food and Drug Administration.North Carolina-based Bakkavor voluntarily initiated the recall on Jan. 19, according to the FDA.Last week, the health agency classified the alert as a Class II recall, which means "use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the […]

Investigators reportedly found cocaine and fentanyl hidden inside Barbie doll packaging that had been sold to multiple unsuspecting customers in Missouri last weekend.The incident occurred on March 21 after discount retailer Cargo Largo reported finding a "suspicious powder substance" in the packaging of the dolls, the Independence Police Department (IPD) reported. Officials determined that five compromised units were sold but were able to recover all the affected items within hours of launching […]

At least three Chinese-linked vessels reportedly turned back abruptly after attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz last Friday, signaling an unusual move in typically friendly Tehran‑Beijing relations amid the ongoing regional crisis.Two ships owned by China’s state‑run Cosco Shipping, the CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean, as well as Hong Kong-owned Lotus Rising made sudden U‑turns near Larak Island, according to ship‑tracking service MarineTraffic and research group FDD. […]

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink recently published his annual chairman's letter and noted the significance of America's 250th anniversary this year, drawing a parallel to a similar milestone for the modern economy."In July, the United States will celebrate the country's 250th birthday. But 2026 is more than an American celebration," Fink wrote."It's a quirk of history that in 1776, as Thomas Jefferson was drafting the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Adam Smith […]

Uber is rolling out expanded fuel discounts and higher earnings incentives for U.S. drivers and couriers as rising gas prices from the Iran war continue to squeeze gig workers.The company said it will significantly increase fuel savings opportunities through May 26, 2026, while also ramping up promotions aimed at helping drivers keep pace with higher costs at the pump.DOORDASH ROLLS OUT EMERGENCY GAS RELIEF AS PRICES SQUEEZE DRIVERSAt the center […]

Every spring, Coca-Cola bottles look a little different, sporting a bright yellow cap rather than the usual red. While social media has compared the seasonal product to Mexican Coke, which uses cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, the origin of the cap change traces back to a rabbi in Atlanta, Georgia.Rabbi Tobias Geffen, who led Atlanta's Orthodox Jewish community and served as the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel, is […]

Twelve tons of KitKat chocolate bars were stolen while being transported across Europe earlier this week.KitKat, which is owned by food giant Nestlé, said Saturday that 413,793 bars went missing after leaving a factory in central Italy, where they were to be distributed throughout Europe before arriving in Poland.The vehicle and its contents have not been found, Nestlé said. It did not say where the truck was lost.MILLIONS OF GRILL […]