SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is still reaping huge profits from the iPhone while mining more moneymaking opportunities from the growing popularity of its smartwatch, digital services and wireless earbuds. That combination produced a banner holiday season for a company whose fortunes appeared to be sliding just a year ago amid...
Walters: More Entitlements as Economy Slows?
Gov. Gavin Newsom is tiptoeing into a political region that predecessor Jerry Brown purposely skirted — expanding expensive services and benefits that are difficult, and perhaps impossible, to shrink if California’s economy turns sour. They are called “entitlements” and Newsom’s own proclivities and pressure from a very liberal Legislature are...
'The Lion King,' 'Toy Story 4' Help Boost Disney's Profit
NEW YORK — Walt Disney Co. on Thursday reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income that beat Wall Street's expectations thanks to strong theater revenue from films like "The Lion King" and "Toy Story 4," along with higher parks revenue. The results came as Disney readies for the debut Tuesday of its...
Florida Considers Allowing College Athletes to Earn Money
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Following California's lead, Florida lawmakers are tackling NCAA rules that prohibit college athletes from reaping financial benefits from their prowess in the arena of big-money sports. With a bounty of marquee college sports programs, Florida could help student athletes flex their muscles as they take on the...
Good News for Fulton as Downtown Street Gets Ready to Party
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand delivered good news Friday about Fulton's $20 million makeover —a day before the Fulton Street Party celebrating its 2017 reopening. According to city records, businesses along the downtown street grossed $43.6 million in revenue for fiscal year 2019. That compares to $2.9 million in 2015, which was...
Opinion: On Oct. 3, Happy Deficit Day
Imagine that the federal government received all the revenue it will receive for the year in a lump sum on Jan. 1, and then proceeded to spend that money at a constant rate. If the federal government’s budget were balanced, the money would last until the stroke of midnight on...
Walters: A Resurrection for Redevelopment?
Voters and elected officials adopt policies on assurances of beneficial impacts, but they often interact with other decrees to produce what are called “unintended consequences.” Redevelopment has been a classic example for nearly seven decades, and it may be on the verge of another twist. Redevelopment, authorized in the early...
Lyft Posts Losses Despite Revenue Growth, Improves Outlook
NEW YORK — Lyft continued to bleed money in its second quarter but says it expects to stem some of those losses, raising its outlook for 2019. The ride-hailing company on Wednesday posted revenue of $867.3 million, up 72% from the same time last year. But the San Francisco-based company...
Twitter Reports Strong User Growth
SAN FRANCISCO — Twitter reported surprisingly strong second-quarter user numbers and revenue Friday, as it works to make the platform more user friendly and eliminate robotic and fake accounts on its platform. On that front, the social media messaging service said instances of suspicious behavior and spam dropped by 18%...
US Women's Soccer Pay Gap More Complicated Than You Think
Americans should all stand and cheer for our U.S. Women’s Soccer Team, now four-time World Cup champions. After their latest championship victory, the crowd even broke out into chants of “Equal pay!” in support of the team’s wage-discrimination lawsuit against their employer, the U.S. Soccer Federation, and for their broader...