
Lyft has sued San Francisco, accusing it of overcharging $100 million in taxes
Lyft has sued San Francisco city for unfairly calculating its income taxes. Lyft has accused the city of San Francisco in a lawsuit of overcharging it $100 million in taxes over five years, arguing that the city used a calculation that doesn’t reflect the ride-hailing firm’s business model. The lawsuit, filed at the California Superior…

Bank CEO brings back employee 2-week ‘recharge period’ at the end of December
Robin Vince says BNY Mellon employees will circle back to bureaucracy in 2025. The CEO of Bank of New York Mellon Corp. says it’s OK to be more laid back at work during the last weeks of the year. Robin Vince, who also serves as president of BNY, announced Monday that the bank is bringing…

Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO likely has dementia, his lawyers say, amid sex trafficking lawsuit
Mike Jeffries’ lawyers say he likely has dementia. Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries likely has dementia and possible Alzheimer’s disease, casting doubt on his ability to stand trial in a sex-trafficking case, his lawyers have said. According to court papers filed Monday and seen by B-17, a neuropsychologist has assessed that “the combination of…

20 hotels in the US that go all out with their Christmas decorations
The Peninsula in Chicago is one of the many hotels in the US that undergo a festive transformation every December. Every December, hotels across the US undergo a festive transformation. Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, for example, begins prep six weeks in advance to create its massive ice-themed attraction, while The Plaza…

Here are the 16 best Netflix original series of 2024, according to critics
Stars from Netflix’s best shows: Nicola Coughlan in “Bridgerton,” Calvin Demba in “Supacell” and Jessica Gunning in “Baby Reindeer.” Some of Netflix’s best shows of 2024 are fresh offerings from the streamer. Over the years, Netflix has created several award-winning hit series, from “Stranger Things” and “The Crown” to “Emily in Paris.” “Bridgerton” is another…

Meet the real people living in famous houses from movies and TV shows, from ‘Home Alone’ to ‘Breaking Bad’
Herb and Joanie White live across from the “Home Alone” house in a village outside Chicago. Celebrity homes regularly make splashy headlines for their private beaches, basement bowling alleys, and dedicated trophy rooms. But when the house itself is a celebrity, it can be a blessing or a curse. In a new documentary, “The House…

Netflix won the streaming battle in 2024: Here’s how it grew into a Hollywood disruptor with 280 million subscribers.
Netflix cracked down on password-sharing in 2024, helping to boost its fortunes. 1997: Netflix is founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. Reed Hastings attends the Netflix & Mediaset Partnership Announcement, Rome, 8th October 2019 1998: Netflix launches a DVD-by-mail rental service. That same year, Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos offers to buy…

4 telltale signs of a fake Van Cleef & Arpels piece, according to a secondhand luxury retailer
A Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet with its signature clovers. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ng Yong Shen, the vice president of Re-Loved Luxury, a Dubai-based secondhand luxury retailer. It has been edited for length and clarity. I got into the business of authenticating luxury goods during the pandemic when I…

Christmas Eve jackpot hits $1 billion in largest ever December Mega Millions prize
One lucky lotto player could wake up to a billion-dollar Christmas morning this year. The Mega Millions jackpot hit an estimated $1 billion on Tuesday ahead of the Christmas Eve drawing, according to the Mega Millions website. If someone does score a six-number winning ticket on Tuesday, the jackpot would be the largest prize ever…