Business

Trump touts potential 20% tax refunds from ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

President Donald Trump said tax refunds this year will be substantially larger than ever before because of his signature “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which was passed last year. Trump took to Truth Social to promote the expected refunds ahead of the 2026 filing season, arguing that some taxpayers could see…

Judge dismisses lawsuit over Buffalo Wild Wings’ ‘boneless wings’

Buffalo Wild Wings can keep calling its menu item “boneless wings,” a federal judge ruled Tuesday, dismissing a lawsuit that claimed the name amounted to false advertising. U.S. District Judge John Tharp in Illinois issued a 10-page ruling allowing the sports bar chain to continue calling its menu item “boneless…

Texas capital’s household growth surges, far outpacing national rate

The Austin, Texas, region has seen its population grow rapidly over the last decade, with new data showing it added households at about four-times the pace of the nation as a whole. Data from the National Association of Realtors showed that the metropolitan area encompassing Austin, Round Rock and San Marcos…

Major Texas university adds Shein to list of banned Chinese companies

Major fast-fashion retailer Shein has been officially banned from the University of Texas at Austin, one of the nation’s largest college campuses. The move follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s January expansion of a 2022 directive, which now prohibits roughly 50 Chinese-affiliated companies, including Alibaba and Temu, from state devices due to…

Costco issues recall for certain gift cards

Warehouse club Costco is issuing a recall for certain gift cards sold at its locations nationwide. The retailer said in a letter to members that customers who purchased Synergy restaurant gift cards between Oct. 27, 2025, and Jan. 26, 2026, are eligible for a refund for the remaining card balance.The…

Hyatt Hotels Executive Chairman Thomas Pritzker resigns over Epstein ties: ‘I deeply regret… my association’

Hyatt Hotels Executive Chairman Thomas Pritzker announced Monday that he is stepping down effective immediately after documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.   The executive, 75, told the company’s board that he will not seek re-election at Hyatt’s stockholder meeting…

Social Security’s main trust fund faces depletion in 2032, triggering benefit cuts

A critical trust fund that helps finance Social Security benefits is on track to reach insolvency in 2032, when automatic benefit cuts would occur without action from Congress, a new report finds. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its 10-year budget and economic outlook which projected that Social Security’s Old-Age…