More than 160,000 pounds of meat bearing false USDA inspection labels recalled

September 25, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 83 tons of meat are being recalled across the U.S. because the products were not properly inspected by federal authorities and were shipped out with falsified inspection stickers, the Department of Agriculture said. Star Meat Delivery Inc., based in Lucama, North Carolina, is recalling more than 167,000 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat nationwide. The USDA said that number could grow as it continues its investigation. Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria or other contaminants, the agency said Tuesday in ...

More tech and hand-breaded chicken coming to McDonald’s as part of $8.5B modernization push

September 24, 2026

McDonald’s said Wednesday it will spend $8.5 billion over the next decade to modernize its restaurants globally. Fast-food traffic in many markets, including the U.S., is flat, so for McDonald’s to continue to grow it has to grab share from competitors and improve restaurant productivity, McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said at a meeting with investors at the company’s Chicago headquarters. McDonald’s wants to automate more tasks, like inventory and scheduling, and improve kitchen operations. “The winners will be the companies that create more demand and ...

Heads of AI firms tell UN that it could be a risk to all humanity

September 24, 2026

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The heads of major artificial intelligence firms pleaded with the United Nations on Wednesday to save the world or at least its people — in the form of somehow regulating the burgeoning technology that they have been designing. “If managed poorly, I even believe AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole,” said Dario Amodei, chief executive officer of Anthropic. And from his competitor Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, came this assessment: “We could lose control of the future to AI.” Both said the countries of the world, through the U.N. Security Council, ...

Operator of 314 Wendy’s locations in the US files for bankruptcy protection

September 23, 2026

One of the largest U.S. franchisees for Wendy’s has filed for bankruptcy protection after the restaurant chain tried to terminate its franchise agreement. Meritage Hospitality Group, which operates 314 Wendy’s restaurants in 15 states, said in a statement last week it intends to keep operating its restaurants and paying its 9,000 employees during the bankruptcy process. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meritage filed its bankruptcy petition in federal court in western Michigan on Sept. 17. According to court documents, Wendy’s filed a notice of termination of the company’s ...

Google fined $463 million for breaching EU rule on location data

September 23, 2026

The Associated Press Google has been fined $463 million for breaching the European Union’s strict privacy rules because it mishandled users’ location data, the bloc’s data privacy watchdog said Monday. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission said its investigation found Google did not lawfully or fairly process location data in users’ Web & App Activity, a Google setting that tracks browsing and search history, and in their Location History, a service that maps places they’ve been with their mobile phones. Regulators also found the company failed to be lawful, fair and ...

Ohio’s unemployment rate falls to 3.3% in August

September 22, 2026

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.3% in August 2026, down from 3.4% in July 2026. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 2,100 over the month from a revised 5,686,600 in July to 5,688,700 in August. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services issued its findings last week. Figures have been seasonally adjusted. The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in August was 195,000, down from 200,000 in July 2026. The number of unemployed has decreased by 66,000 in the past 12 months from 261,000. The August unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 1.1 percentage points ...