Business

Productivity growth has been weak since 2005, averaging 1.4% per year, compared to the post-World War II average of 2.2%. That’s a problem. Increasing productivity—economic output per unit of input—maintains America’s competitiveness and improves our quality of life. It is also important to manage challenges such as inflation, debt burdens, entitlements and the energy transition. Regaining historical productivity growth rates…

Former Kroger employees who have left the company have received some surprising texts and emails. The supermarket operator – the country’s top-selling store – wants them back and isn’t afraid to reach out and tell them so. Of course, things don’t generally work that way. Once you leave a company, there is little chance that they will contact you later…

Critics have accused the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book of censorship after removing colorful language from works like ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘Matilda’ to make them more acceptable to modern readers. A review of new editions of Dahl’s books now available in bookstores shows that some passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race…

When Joan Van is sick, she doesn’t get paid. The waitress at an East St. Louis restaurant and single mother of three said she works double-duty to make up for lost money if she or one of her children falls ill. “You can’t let your kids see you breaking down because you’re tired and exhausted because you have to keep…

The number of people passing through Hong Kong airport skyrocketed over the past month as travel restrictions were eased and China reopened borders for the first time since the pandemic began. Hong Kong International Airport handled 2.1 million passengers in January, nearly 2,900% growth over the same period last year. According to a press release from the airport authorities, traffic…

But perhaps those builders and brokers shouldn’t get too excited: Mortgage rates are already rising again. On Friday, the average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose again to 6.8%. Rates have risen steadily in recent weeks as financial markets, having seen stronger than expected economic and inflation data, are pricing in a higher chance of the Fed keeping interest…

Walt Disney Co Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania generated $104 million in ticket sales in the first three days of its opening weekend, making it the first major film release of the year. The superhero film from the company’s Marvel unit beat projections, which Disney had estimated at $95 million at the start of the weekend. BoxofficePro valued the opening…

Mark Zuckerberg said this weekend that Meta is rolling out paid verification for Facebook and Instagram. In posts on each platform Sunday, Meta’s CEO explained that Meta Verified’s subscription service will have a monthly fee of $11.99 on web or $14.99 per month on mobile. The service is primarily aimed at content creators, who will gain greater reach and visibility…

Few people think more about artificial intelligence and its ultimate impact on humanity than Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI. So if Altman worries about “how the people of the future will view us,” it’s worth paying attention. In a series of tweets this weekend, Altman shared his thoughts on the dangers posed by current AI technology — and…

Financing deals in the Adani Group conglomerate have brought a new chill to ESG markets as investors face a new risk. Norway’s largest pension fund, KLP, recently divested its entire stake in Adani Green Energy Ltd, the renewable energy empire’s arm, amid fears it may have inadvertently helped fuel some of the world’s most polluting activities via the stake finance.…