Jordan Valinsky, CNN

Dick’s Sporting Goods is buying Foot Locker for $2.4 billion

Dick’s Sporting Goods is buying rival Foot Locker in a $2.4 billion deal, marking another major deal that tariff-prone apparel companies are making to future-proof themselves.

UnitedHealth CEO steps down for ‘personal reasons’

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty is stepping down immediately from his role for “personal reasons,” the company announced Tuesday.

Subway keeps shrinking

Subway’s footprint in the United States has shrunk again, falling below 20,000 for the first time in two decades.

McDonald’s just had its worst quarter since Covid. It said customers are getting nervous

McDonald’s sales dropped in the beginning of the year, marking the second consecutive quarter of declines as customers pull back their spending amid economic uncertainty.

Kohl’s just fired its brand new CEO for unethical behavior

Kohl’s has fired its newly installed CEO, who has spent less than five months in the position, after the retailer found that Ashley Buchanan engaged in unethical behavior.

Amazon says it considered breaking out a tariff charge. The White House called it a ‘hostile’ act

The White House took aggressive aim at Amazon, which confirmed Tuesday it was considering displaying the added cost of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on certain items.

Jack in the Box to Close Dozens of Locations Amid Financial Struggles

Jack in the Box plans to close approximately 10% of its locations and is exploring a sale of its Del Taco brand amid a broader overhaul of the fast food chain that is struggling as customers cut back on spending.

McDonald’s introduces its first new permanent addition to its menu in four years

Chicken has quickly become the fast-food menu item of choice for American consumers, putting McDonald’s in a tough spot.

US spirits exports hit a record high in 2024. Tariffs could destroy that

Exports of American-made spirits hit a record high last year. However, a hangover is about to hit the industry as tariffs threaten to stunt growth, a leading industry group warned.

For the first time in about 50 years, Jersey Mike’s has a new CEO

Peter Cancro, the founder and CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs, is stepping back from the leadership position following an $8 billion sale that made him a multibillionaire.

American Airlines, last of the major carriers, is adding free Wi-Fi

American Airlines will soon offer free Wi-Fi on most of its flights, becoming the latest major carrier to add the perk.

Chili’s trolls McDonald’s with its new quarter pounder burger

Chili’s is ratcheting up its fight against fast food rivals with a new cheeseburger that might make McDonald’s call their lawyers.

Starbucks is updating its dress code for baristas

Starbucks is updating its uniform policy, emphasizing the appearance of its recognizable “green aprons” as part of CEO Brian Niccol’s broader plans to revive the slumping brand.

Cinnabon Turns 40: Teams with Carvel to Survive Mall Decline and Woo Gen Z

Cinnabon is facing an existential threat as it turns 40: How does a chain that’s become synonymous with the food court evolve when fewer malls are being built?

Mega Millions is changing everything about itself. Here’s what to know

Mega Millions is getting a makeover — including more than doubling the price of a ticket — as the multi-state lottery game aims to improve players’ odds and dish out bigger jackpots.

Subway hopes new $5 footlong nachos will attract budget-conscious customers

Subway is adding nachos to its menu, but with an unusual twist. The chain is partnering with Doritos to sell footlong nachos for $5, marking Subway’s latest addition to its popular Sidekicks menu that aims to attract budget-conscious customers.

Hyundai announces a $20 billion investment in the United States

South Korea-based Hyundai and President Donald Trump announced a $20 billion investment in US on-shoring on Monday, which includes a $5 billion steel plant in Louisiana, at the White House Monday.

Tariffs got you down? How to substitute American alternatives for European wines

Gin and vodka aren’t the only alcohols that will feel the pain of a 200% tariff on European-made products — so will your favorite bottles of Bordeaux and Chianti.

Southwest is getting rid of its most recognizable perk

Months after ditching its open seating policy, Southwest Airlines is ending its most recognizable perks: Free checked baggage.

Sam Bankman-Fried describes his relationship with Diddy in jail

Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted crypto fraudster who is serving 25 years in prison, is breaking his silence about his life behind bars in a new interview with Tucker Carlson.

Skype is shutting down after two decades

Microsoft is shutting down Skype, the internet-based phone and video service that was once the dominant way of staying connected in the mid 2000s.

McDonald’s was having a rough 2024. An E. coli outbreak made it worse

Visits to McDonald’s plunged because of an E. coli outbreak last fall — and so did its profits.

Fox is streaming the Super Bowl for free

The Super Bowl has always been free to watch with an antenna, but for the first time, it’s streaming for free too.

Capital One accused of ‘cheating millions of customers’ out of interest rate payments

Capital One is being sued by the US government’s consumer watchdog agency for “cheating millions of consumers” and not paying more than $2 billion in interest to holders of its high-interest savings accounts.

Starbucks ends its ‘open-door’ policies

Starbucks doesn’t want to be America’s public bathroom anymore. Starbucks is scrapping a policy that had let anyone hang out at its cafes or use the restrooms without making a purchase. The new rules are part of a larger effort to improve Starbucks’ cafe experience and deter homeless people and non-paying customers who have come to use Starbucks solely for shelter and bathroom access – but they reverse a policy that was put in place after one of the company’s biggest-ever PR disasters.

Kohl’s is closing 27 locations. See if your store is on the list

Kohl’s is closing 27 stores across more than a dozen states as the struggling retailer looks to improve profitability.

Walmart’s logo got its first facelift in nearly 20 years

Walmart is giving its logo the first facelift in nearly two decades, rolling out a new identity that is a subtle nod to its past.

Big Lots will soon start ‘going out of business’ sales at its remaining locations

Big Lots is preparing to close its remaining 963 locations after a sale to save the bankrupt retailer fell through.

Party City is going out of business

Party City is closing down all of its stores, ending nearly 40 years in business, CNN has learned.

Taco Bell is adding something unusual to its menu

Taco Bell is veering away – slightly – from its Mexican-inspired cuisine, going all-American for its newest offering.

More bad news for Bud Light

It’s the end of an era for Bud Light: The beleaguered brand is no longer the most popular beer on tap at bars. Another Anheuser-Busch InBev beer, Michelob Ultra, has surpassed Bud Light in its share of US draft lines, marking an end to several decades of dominance. That’s according to data from Draftlines Technologies, a company that monitors more than 1 million tap lines.

Krispy Kreme is struggling to fulfill online orders after it was hit with a cyberattack

A cybersecurity attack is hampering some customers from getting their doughnuts at Krispy Kreme, the company revealed Wednesday.

Chili’s and Applebee’s are fighting about their value meals

There’s beef cooking between two of the biggest restaurant chains over their respective meal deals.

1-star McDonald’s reviews and sympathetic merch: Companies try to stop online support for CEO killer suspect

After police found the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” printed on shell casings near the site where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down, merchandise bearing those words started to appear online.

Walgreens stock surges on report that it could be taken private

Walgreens is reportedly looking to take itself private in a deal with Sycamore Partners, sending the stock nearly 20% higher Tuesday.

Coca-Cola is dramatically scaling back its plastic promises

Coca-Cola is scaling back its packaging sustainability goals, igniting outrage from environmental activists.

Disney agrees to pay $43 million to settle lawsuit alleging it paid men more than women

Disney has agreed to pay $43 million to settle a lawsuit that it paid female employees less than their male counterparts in similar roles for nearly a decade.

Macy’s found a single employee hid up to $154 million worth of expenses

Macy’s announced Monday that a single employee was responsible for so many accounting irregularities that the company was forced to delay its quarterly earnings report, which the retailer had planned to release Tuesday.

Shake Shack cheeseburgers to be served in first class on Delta flights

Delta Air Lines’ newest dining option for first class passengers isn’t anything fancy. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, because it’s fast food.

Red Lobster is bringing back a beloved menu item after emerging from bankruptcy

Hush puppies, once a staple on Red Lobster’s menu, are coming back.

The first combined IHOP-Applebee’s restaurant in the US will soon open in Texas

Craving a stack of IHOP pancakes with a side of Applebee’s riblets? That will soon become a reality in Texas with a new restaurant that unites the two chains under the same roof.

The world’s 10 richest people got a record $64 billion richer from Trump’s reelection

Wednesday wasn’t just a good day for Donald Trump. The wealth of the world’s 10 richest people also soared by a record amount, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.

Mega Millions lottery is more than doubling the price of a ticket to $5

The cost of a Mega Millions ticket is more than doubling, but the multi-state lottery game is promising that the bigger price comes with better odds.

Couple in a severe Uber crash can’t sue because of an Uber Eats order

A married New Jersey couple that was in a severe accident during an Uber ride can’t sue the company because they and their daughter agreed to arbitration when they accepted the terms of service for a separate Uber Eats order, a court has ruled.

Wendy’s takes aim at McDonald’s broken McFlurry machines with a $1 Frosty

McDonald’s has become notorious for its broken ice cream machines — there’s even an independent website that monitors broken McFlurry machines. So Wendy’s is taking advantage.

Coca-Cola is pulling its newest ‘permanent’ flavor from store shelves

Coca-Cola is discontinuing the production of its new Spiced flavor just six months after the soda hit shelves, marking the end of a disappointing attempt to attract younger drinkers.

Major movie theater chains unveil a $2.2 billion makeover plan

With movies hitting streaming services faster than ever and consumers cutting back on spending, moviegoers might feel a bit less enthused to head to their multiplex these days. That’s why the biggest theater chains in the United States and Canada have a $2.2 billion plan to bring them back.

Jordan Valinsky, CNN

Stories by Jordan