Author: News Room

Rich Harrington had always wanted to visit Europe, but planning a trip with others felt daunting. “It’s hard enough coordinating dinner out with friends,” he said.Then Mr. Harrington, a 41-year-old animator from Middletown, Conn., discovered group trips that cater to solo travelers, and in 2023, he traveled with the tour operator Exoticca to Italy, where he said he appreciated being able to focus on the experiences and to share them with others in the group.Finding a companion whose budget, time off and interests overlap with yours enough to plan a vacation together can be tough. Tour operators are responding with…

President Trump’s return to the Oval Office came with emergency declarations for the country’s energy sector and the southern border, unleashing broad powers for situations that — in these cases — are hardly in crisis.On his first day in office, Mr. Trump declared the country’s first ever national energy emergency, arguing that “The United States’ insufficient energy production, transportation, refining, and generation constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to our nation’s economy, national security, and foreign policy.”But by any economic measure, the United States is not facing an energy emergency, experts said. America is the world’s largest producer of oil…

Many Reddit users are boycotting the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, after Elon Musk twice made a gesture during President Trump’s inaugural celebration that drew comparisons to the Nazi salute.Mr. Musk, the billionaire owner of the social media platform, was speaking at a celebratory rally after Mr. Trump’s installment as the 47th president on Monday when he grunted, placed his hand over his heart and lifted his arm with the palm facing down in a hail to the audience.Although Mr. Musk played down the criticism, speculation about the gesture’s meaning broke out online, including on Reddit, where…

A major power provider in South Carolina started accepting bids from buyers on Wednesday to finish two nuclear reactors, hoping to take advantage of the recent interest in the energy source from technology companies.The utility, Santee Cooper, wants to sell the reactors that were mothballed in 2017 before they were half complete. Its decision comes as the tech industry, which is rapidly building power-hungry data centers, has begun looking to nuclear plants for their ability to provide lots of electricity around the clock without releasing emissions responsible for climate change.But delays and cost overruns have dogged nuclear power in recent…

As corporate diversity and inclusion programs come under attack, not all companies have scaled back.At Costco’s annual meeting on Thursday, shareholders will vote on a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, that would require the company to report on any potential risks diversity programs could pose to profits.Ahead of the vote, Costco’s board delivered a full-throated defense of D.E.I., arguing that such initiatives reward shareholders and “enhance our capacity to attract and retain employees who will help our business succeed.”Unlike Costco, some of the biggest companies in the country have rolled back efforts…

Divvy Homes, a Silicon Valley-backed company that promised an alternative path to homeownership for consumers of modest means, is in talks to be sold to an operator of single-family home rentals, in part because high mortgage rates has made home buying difficult, according to people briefed on the matter.The company told employees of an impending sale, the people said, and several workers were laid off in the past few weeks ahead of an announcement.Several officials with Divvy, a so-called rent-to-own company based in San Francisco, did not respond to requests for comment. Fast Company, which first reported the prospective sale,…

Stellantis, the company that owns Chrysler and Jeep, said on Wednesday it planned to reopen a factory in Illinois and increase production elsewhere in the United States, a move that is likely to resolve several simmering disputes with the United Automobile Workers union.The reopening is also likely to help the company in its relations with the Trump administration, and is among the first big changes made by an interim management team that has been running the company since its chief executive, Carlos Tavares, resigned in December.“These actions are part of our commitment to invest in our U.S. operations to grow…

In 2025, air passengers will see lounge openings and changes in frequent flier programs, and the number of premium and elite offerings will continue at a steady ascent.For some travelers, reaching elite frequent flier status will be more costly and challenging. United Airlines has plans to raise its status thresholds, requiring travelers to spend and fly more to get perks like free checked bags and upgrades. British Airways, too, has major changes underway for its loyalty program, moving from a system based on distance traveled and cabin class to a revenue-based system hinging on how much travelers spend. Overall, it…

This year, travelers of means will be checking into remote new lodges and upscale all-inclusive resorts, and demanding reasonable prices, relatively speaking.“The high-end market is responding to three plagues in travel: overpriced, overcrowded and overheated, as in global warming,” said Jack Ezon, who runs the bespoke travel agency Embark Beyond, based in New York.Still, big spenders aren’t flinching at high-season rates topping $1,000 a night at cosseting new resorts that prioritize privacy, including Our Habitas Alula, set amid sandstone canyons in Saudi Arabia, and Gundari Resort, with suites built into cliffs on the Greek island of Folegandros in the Cyclades…

When President Trump refrained from immediately imposing new tariffs on his first day in office, as he had previously threatened, business executives and others who support international trade breathed a sigh of relief.That relief has been short-lived. On Monday night, just hours after his inauguration speech, Mr. Trump said he planned to put a 25 percent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico by Feb. 1, claiming the countries were allowing “mass numbers of people and fentanyl” to come to the United States.On Tuesday evening, Mr. Trump expanded the threat and said he also intends to put an additional 10…