Business

A federal judge has mandated that the Trump administration maintain financial support for the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, thwarting its latest effort to defund the regulatory body.

The expiration of the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium subsidies is poised to significantly impact millions of Americans, who may encounter increased premiums or risk going uninsured in 2026. However, the original subsidies will continue to be accessible.

Netflix has announced an agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's film studio and HBO assets for $82.7 billion, including debt, following a competitive bidding process that saw participation from Paramount and Comcast.

Amidst a challenging economic landscape, small businesses in the United States have experienced significant job losses, shedding approximately 32,000 positions in November. This marks the largest monthly decline in employment for small establishments in two and a half years, highlighting the impact of rising costs and fluctuating consumer demand on these vulnerable enterprises.

Disney and YouTube TV have finalized a multi-year agreement to restore Disney content on the streaming platform, concluding a two-week blackout that coincided with a historic election night.

In October, layoff announcements in the United States surged by 175%, with over 153,000 job cuts reported. The report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas identifies AI adoption, declining consumer and corporate spending, and rising costs as primary contributing factors.

A recent outage of Amazon Web Services (AWS) has underscored the significant dependency of internet infrastructure on a single entity, revealing vulnerabilities that can lead to widespread disruptions across various sectors. This incident highlights the critical issue of single points of failure within the digital ecosystem, with potential cascading effects on businesses and essential services.

Federal employees are advised to develop a financial strategy to safeguard their finances amid potential layoffs. This includes assessing monthly expenditures, calculating available emergency funds, and seeking external assistance.

As federal workers and Black women navigate a challenging job market, experts caution against over-reliance on LinkedIn due to privacy risks like identity theft and employment scams. Career advisors emphasize the importance of leveraging personal networks over the platform's 'easy apply' feature for effective job searching.

OpenAI, a pivotal force in the AI revolution, is channeling billions into data center development and broadening its scope to establish itself as a comprehensive platform for digital engagement. Concurrently, it is partnering with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to innovate a new AI hardware product.