Apple’s new iPhones get faster chips, better cameras and new charging ports
CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple on Tuesday unveiled its next generation of iPhones — a lineup that will boast better cameras, faster processors, a new charging system and a price hike for the fanciest model.
Why the United Auto Workers union is poised to strike major US car makers this week
DETROIT — About 146,000 U.S. auto workers are set to go on strike this week if General Motors, Ford and Stellantis fail to meet their demands for big pay raises and the restoration of concessions the workers made years ago when the companies were in financial trouble.
Carmakers are failing the privacy test. Owners have little or no control over data collected
BOSTON — Most major car manufacturers admit they may be selling your personal information — though they are vague on the buyers, a new study finds, and half say they would share it with the government or law enforcement without a court order.
Food recalls are pretty common for things like rocks, insects and plastic
Rocks in Trader Joe’s cookies. Insects in its broccoli-cheese soup. Pieces of plastic in Banquet frozen chicken strips.
AI that alters voice and imagery in political ads will require disclosure on Google and YouTube
Google will soon require that political ads using artificial intelligence be accompanied by a prominent disclosure if imagery or sounds have been synthetically altered.
Victoria’s Secret overhauls its racy fashion catwalk in the company’s latest move to be inclusive
NEW YORK — For more than 20 years, Victoria’s Secret had bolstered its image built on a man’s vision of sexiness with one big annual event: its fashion catwalk extravaganza, with supermodels like Naomi Campbell sashaying down the runway in Swarovski-crystal covered wings, thongs and million-dollar fantasy bras.
UAW’s clash with Big 3 automakers shows off a more confrontational union as strike deadline looms
DETROIT — A 46% pay raise. A 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay. A restoration of traditional pensions.
For small biz reliant on summer tourism, extreme weather is the new pandemic — for better or worse
NEW YORK — For small businesses that rely on summer tourism to keep afloat, extreme weather is replacing the pandemic as the determining factor in how well a summer will go.
For travelers who want to avoid babies and kids, one airline will test an adults-only section
DALLAS — One airline plans to find out if solitude-seeking travelers will pay a hefty extra charge to avoid sitting near babies and little kids.
Food ads are in the crosshairs as Burger King, others face lawsuits for false advertising
Food ads have long made their subjects look bigger, juicier and crispier than they are in real life. But some consumers say those mouthwatering ads can cross the line into deception, and that’s leading to a growing number of lawsuits.
Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows a modest rise in latest sign of slowing price increases
WASHINGTON — An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Federal Reserve remained low in July, adding to signs of cooling price increases and raising the likelihood that the Fed will leave interest rates unchanged when it next meets in late September.
Visual artists fight back against AI companies for repurposing their work
NEW YORK — Kelly McKernan’s acrylic and watercolor paintings are bold and vibrant, often featuring feminine figures rendered in bright greens, blues, pinks and purples. The style, in the artist’s words, is “surreal, ethereal … dealing with discomfort in the human journey.”
Global inflation pressures could become harder to manage in coming years, research suggests
JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming — Rising trade barriers. Aging populations. A broad transition from carbon-spewing fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 20, whether you like it or not
The seasonal drink that made pumpkin spice a star is turning 20. And unlike the autumn days it celebrates, there seems to be no chill in customer demand.
Looking for a new car under $20,000? Good luck. Your choice has dwindled to just one vehicle
DETROIT — Just five years ago, a price-conscious auto shopper in the United States could choose from among a dozen new small cars selling for under $20,000. Now, there’s just one: The Mitsubishi Mirage. And even the Mirage appears headed for the scrap yard.
Workers exposed to extreme heat have no consistent protection in the US
RENO, Nev. — Santos Brizuela spent more than two decades laboring outdoors, persisting despite a bout of heatstroke while cutting sugarcane in Mexico and chronic laryngitis from repeated exposure to the hot sun while on various other jobs.
Digital clones and Vocaloids may be popular in Japan. Elsewhere, they could get lost in translation
TOKYO — Kazutaka Yonekura dreams of a world where everyone will have their very own digital “clone” — an online avatar that could take on some of our work and daily tasks, such as appearing in Zoom meetings in our place.
Four years into crisis, Lebanon’s leaders hope tourism boom will help bypass reforms in IMF bailout
BEIRUT — Four years into its historic economic meltdown, Lebanon’s political elites, masters at survival, are pushing for a recovery that would sidestep tough reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund.
Europe’s sweeping rules for tech giants are about to kick in. Here’s how they work
LONDON — Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe are facing one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people encounter online.
UPS workers approve 5-year contract, capping contentious negotiations that threatened deliveries
The union representing 340,000 UPS workers said Tuesday that its members voted to approve the tentative contract agreement reached last month, putting a final seal on contentious labor negotiations that threatened to disrupt package deliveries for millions of businesses and households nationwide.
