Business

The Treasury Department says tax season is open and its Working Families Tax Cuts will raise average refunds by about $1,000 per household for more than 100 million households; filing began Jan. 26 and federal returns are due April 15.

The article traces Nvidia from its 1993 founding through milestones such as the 1999 GeForce 256 and the later adoption of GPUs for AI research.

A concise list of the Denver Broncos' main 2026 offseason dates, including the franchise/transition designation window (Feb 17–Mar 3) and the new league year start (March 11 at 2:00pm MT).

The S&P Global UK manufacturing PMI rose to 51.8 in January from 50.6 in December, and new export orders increased for the first time in four years amid higher sales to the US, China and other markets.

Laura DiBella was appointed last week to lead the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission and says she will refocus the agency on geopolitical risks to importers and exporters, from maritime chokepoints to shadow fleets of tankers.

At the NBA's Pioneers Classic in Boston, Jaylen Brown said he wants to be remembered both for winning and for his community work; he also scored 30 points and 13 rebounds in the Celtics' win over the Bucks.

At the 2026 Grammys, several winners including Bad Bunny, Olivia Dean and Billie Eilish used acceptance speeches and pins to express support for immigrants. The Recording Academy's CEO and other performers also spoke about music's role during difficult times.

The Walt Disney Co. board is aligning on promoting theme-park chairman Josh D'Amaro to chief executive and will vote on the appointment in the coming week, the article reports.

A Georgia police officer was killed and a second officer was critically injured after officers responded to a fraud-related call at a Stone Mountain hotel; the suspect was injured and hospitalized, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission awarded $21.2 million in grants to 50 community parks across Texas, funding projects from trails and kayak launches to piers and playgrounds; grants are reimbursed on a 50/50 match basis.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a U.S. attack could trigger a regional war; a U.S. carrier group is reported nearby and Iran has scheduled live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz for Sunday and Monday.

Out of the Closet opened a new thrift store at 1709 E. 53rd St. in Hyde Park; 99 cents of every dollar earned goes to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the shop offers free confidential HIV testing.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said a U.S. attack on Iran would trigger a "regional war," comments made as a U.S. aircraft carrier group operates nearby; Iran has announced live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz.

Local programs from Code Girls United to Flathead Valley Community College are teaching students how to use AI tools and to discuss ethical questions around those tools; educators are emphasizing critical thinking and flexible classroom policies. Some groups are developing peer-led materials and pursuing expansion while colleges weigh program-specific approaches.

Several companies, including UPS, Amazon and Nordstrom Card Services, have announced layoffs scheduled for early 2026; UPS said it will cut about 30,000 operational jobs and Amazon announced roughly 16,000 reductions.

Chinese shoppers are returning to luxury stores but are spending less and visiting in smaller numbers; some brands report stabilization while a broad industry rebound remains uncertain.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the next trilateral U.S.-Ukraine-Russia talks will be held in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 4–5, and U.S. and Russian envoys described recent meetings in Florida as constructive.

Laws easing local limits on housing have spread across states, but researchers and advocates say increased supply alone has not solved affordability and call for stronger government approaches.

The Modi government presented the 2026-27 budget, prioritizing higher capital spending on infrastructure and domestic manufacturing while aiming to lower the fiscal deficit to 4.3% of GDP. The finance ministry's economic survey projects growth of 6.8%–7.2% next year.

Governors from seven Colorado River Basin states met in Washington to discuss plans and a shared commitment to avoid litigation; a Feb. 14 deadline remains for a new agreement.

O&S Doors near Benburb is installing a biomass-fuelled combined heat and power system to burn MDF dust and generate electricity for its factory, supported by a £2.4m grant from the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Scheme. The company says the system could produce about 6.3 million units of energy and begin generating by early 2027.

At a Prince William County town hall, residents questioned rapid data center growth and rising electric bills; officials said nearly half of Virginia's data centers are located in the county.

Independent rankings and owner reports indicate Kia has improved reliability and now ranks near the top among mainstream brands, though it still trails Toyota and Honda.

A US delegation that included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held meetings with Russia's special envoy that an American negotiator described as productive, and those talks came ahead of planned indirect three-way negotiations in Abu Dhabi. Separately, global precious metals markets saw a sharp selloff that sent gold and silver down steeply after a dollar rebound tied to reports about a likely Federal Reserve nomination.

Reuters reported Eli Lilly plans six new U.S. manufacturing plants as part of a previously announced at least $27 billion investment, and the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to its ovarian cancer drug sofetabart mipitecan after positive early trial results.

The IRS is awarding $53 million in grants to support the VITA and TCE no‑cost tax-preparation programs for 2026, selecting 48 TCE and 315 VITA applicants from 479 applications.

The city announced a settlement requiring Uber Eats, Fantuan and HungryPanda to pay a combined $5.195 million to more than 49,000 delivery workers for minimum-pay violations tied to canceled trips, and Uber Eats agreed to reinstate some deactivated accounts.

Negotiations between the WNBA and the players' union have been at a standstill since a Jan. 9 lapse of the extension, and the two sides are scheduled to meet Monday in New York to continue talks.

Link has recommended a community banking hub for Whitehaven after Santander confirmed its branch will close by the end of January 2027, and the local MP has launched a petition calling for a hub.

American Airlines said it plans to reinstate daily nonstop flights between the U.S. and Venezuela once it receives government approvals and completes security assessments. The announcement follows U.S. moves to reopen Venezuela's commercial airspace.