How chain restaurants lean into nostalgia Chain restaurants are familiar, comfortable and everywhere. The food is not out-of-this-world, so why do these restaurants stoke such big emotions in us?
FBI searches a Washington Post reporter's home as part of investigation Hannah Natanson had a phone, two laptops and a Garmin watch seized. The Justice Department says this is part of an investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of taking home classified information. The Associated Press
What Venezuela's oil could mean for the industry in Texas There's renewed focus on the oil industry since the U.S. seized Venezuela's president. The benefits for Texas, which has many oil companies and the most refining capacity in the U.S., could be mixed. Natalie Weber
How have prices changed in a year? NPR checked 114 items at Walmart We found the effects of tariffs and extreme weather, relief (finally!) in the egg cooler, plus one case of shrinkflation. Alina Selyukh
China's trade surplus surges 20% to a record $1.2 trillion, even with Trump's tariffs China's trade surplus surged to a record of almost $1.2 trillion in 2025, the government said Wednesday, as exports to other countries made up for slowing shipments to the U.S. under President Donald Trump's onslaught of higher tariffs. The Associated Press
A small town in Central Washington is Microsoft's answer to the data center backlash Quincy is a small farming town in Central Washington near the Columbia River, home to one of the world’s top french fry producers. It’s also the model for Microsoft’s nationwide data center strategy. Monica Nickelsburg
FTC accuses AI search engine of 'rampant consumer deception' Federal officials say a company that operates hundreds of landing pages for AI answers is running an operation that has duped thousands of users, who were unable to stop costly monthly charges. Bobby Allyn
California fire victims say fighting with insurance companies has delayed rebuilding Wildfires last January destroyed communities around Los Angeles. Homeowners say recovery has been slowed by fights with insurers to get their claims paid. Michael Copley
What to know about Trump's ugly feud with the Federal Reserve A Justice Department probe of the Federal Reserve marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's effort to bend the independent central bank to the president's will. Scott Horsley