MoneyWatch

WhatsApp has announced a series of new features that will change the way people interact with brands on the Meta-owned messaging platform and give companies more chances to cash in on user engagement. The changes, to be rolled out over the next few months according to Meta, expand and monetize …

Multiple Waymo cars were vandalized and set on fire in Los Angeles on Sunday, as anti-ICE protests escalated across the city. Aerial footage shows the electric, self-driving cars engulfed in flames with sparks shooting out from one vehicle. Another video shows the aftermath, with the charred metal remains of five …

The autopen — a machine first patented centuries ago — is having a moment in the political spotlight, following  allegations made by President Trump that former President Biden used one to sign pardons.  That’s prompting questions about what autopens do, how they work and why the device is now stirring …

Salt Lake City — Utah on Wednesday became the first state to pass legislation requiring app stores to verify users’ ages and get parental consent for minors to download apps to their devices. The bill headed to the desk of Gov. Spencer Cox has pitted Meta, which operates Facebook and …

Golf legend Tiger Woods said his partnership with Nike is over in a statement on social media platform X Monday.  “Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world. The days have since been filled with so many …

Social Security benefits were once tax-free. That changed in 1983, when Congress decided to tax a portion of benefits for the highest-income recipients. Back then, fewer than 10% of beneficiaries were affected. Lawmakers failed to update the law to account for inflation, however, so today most Social Security beneficiaries have …

Ford Motor has recalled about 870,000 F-150 pickup trucks because of a faulty parking brake that could turn on by itself, causing the driver to lose control.  The recall includes 2021 to 2023 models of the F-150, according to recall documents posted Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration …

In a few short years, China-based apps Shein and Temu have surged within the U.S. consumer landscape, offering a seemingly endless variety of clothes, makeup and household goods at rock-bottom prices.  Now the two are locked in a legal battle with each accusing the other of illegal conduct in their …

Medicare last week agreed to cover the new drug Leqembi, the first medication proven to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s green light of the pricey drug. The decision was cheered by the Alzheimer’s Association and others who advocate for the 6.7 million U.S. …

Receiving an acceptance letter from Harvard University is seen as the American golden ticket — official entry into a college that has produced eight U.S. presidents, more billionaires and millionaires than most any other schools, and some of the world’s most lauded thinkers. Harvard is also notoriously hard to get into, with …