Unemployment is at its lowest rate in roughly a decade. For lots of businesses, that means summer help is going to be harder to find — and more expensive. That’s especially true for smaller resort businesses that rely on temporary foreign workers to staff their hotels and restaurants. Those workers typically come on what’s known […]

In the words of the president, the so-called “war on coal” is over. One could get that impression on news that coal production ticked up the first quarter, thanks to a cold winter boosting business for all energy. But long-term rival fuels like natural gas and renewables are pushing coal out of the market. And […]

In addition to everything else Amazon can do for you — recommend books, stream movies, let you shop for appliances and clothes and gourmet food, and get it all by overnight delivery — the company also wants to put a video-equipped digital assistant in your house. This is the latest iteration of Amazon’s Echo speaker […]

Just a year after it went off the air at Fox, “American Idol” is coming back. The iconic singing competition show is returning on rival network ABC. The show’s ratings had slumped on Fox to 11.5 million viewers during its 15th season from a high of 30 million at its peak. So why does ABC […]

Emmanuel Macron won handily in France’s presidential election at the weekend, securing two-thirds of the vote. Next month, he faces an even more daunting election challenge — winning a majority in the parliamentary elections. Without control of Parliament, he will struggle to deliver the wide-ranging economic reforms he’s promised. It won’t just be the French […]

Luxury goods maker Coach announced today it’s splurging. It has agreed to buy rival company Kate Spade for $2.4 billion. Coach has already acquired high-end shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, and with the Kate Spade purchase, it seems it’s on a mission to create a stable of luxury brands. Click the audio player above to hear […]