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Ticker: Shares of eBay take off on $56 billion buyout bid

Shares of eBay are soaring before the opening bell after Ryan Cohen’s GameStop announced an attempt to take over the company for about $56 billion, seeing it as a vehicle to compete with online retail giant Amazon. GameStop said that its approximately 1,600 U.S. stores could become drop-off and shipping locations. Wall Street falls from its records; oil prices jump U.S. stocks fell from their record heights, while oil prices jumped following escalations in the Middle East that may undermine the ceasefire in the war with Iran. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% Monday, coming off its latest ...

In full bloom: Mother’s Day remains a busy time for florists

Once again, flowers remain the most popular gift for Mother’s Day and that’s good news for area floral shops. According to the National Retail Federation, 75% of shoppers will buy flowers for mom, spending about $32 billion. Mother’s Day is the biggest holiday for florists, and ...

EU autos to be hit with 25% tariffs

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union next week to 25%, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment. Trump said in a social media post that the EU “is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal,” though he did not flesh out his objections in the post. Asked by reporters on Friday about the increase in import taxes as he departed the White House for Florida, Trump said the EU was not “as usual” adhering to last year’s trade framework, without detailing ...

Student loan debt can affect your mental health

NEW YORK — Between her college and master’s degrees, Justene Bologna accumulated over $200,000 in debt. It has affected not only her finances but also her mental health. “I have severe stress and anxiety,” said Bologna, 30. While student loan debt is at the root of Bologna’s worries, it’s not her only financial constraint. After she gave birth to twins a few years ago, she also accumulated medical debt. Her debt has impacted how much money she has in the day-to-day, impacting her ability to afford groceries and other basic needs. But it also is affecting her ...

Apple leads Street to more records, oil prices pull back

NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market set more records Friday after Apple, Estee Lauder and others joined the list of companies delivering fatter profits for the start of the year than analysts expected. Easing oil prices also helped steady the stock markets around the world that were still open on the May Day holiday. The S&P 500 climbed 0.3% to its latest all-time high and closed out a fifth straight winning week. That’s its longest such streak since 2024. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 152 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.9% to its own record. Apple led ...

Tax refunds and AI boom have offset some economic pain

WASHINGTON — Americans are paying for the war in Iran with every visit to the gas station, but some of the damage to the U.S. economy is being offset — for now anyway — by big tax refunds and an investment boom driven by artificial intelligence. Prices rose at the fastest pace in almost ...