Business and Economic News

10 downtown St. Paul buildings ID’d as promising residential conversions
A recent study commissioned by the St. Paul Downtown Alliance identifies 10 buildings in the downtown area that could be converted from office space to residential units.
What makes a job worth doing?
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a business ethicist who says instead of asking, “What is the meaning of life?” we should ask, “What is the meaning of work?”
Target struggles in the third quarter and offers tempered outlook for the holidays
Target etched out a slim sales increase in the third quarter but profits slumped as inflation-weary customers pulled back on spending and costs related to a dockworker strike in October dragged on results.
Traffic on Bluesky, an X competitor, is up 500% since the election. How will it handle the surge?
Unlike other social media sites, Bluesky allows users to create their own algorithm. The site does not have ads, nor harvest data for artificial intelligence training. But it is still very small, and it does not make money.
First phase of massive Sherco Solar project now generating electricity
The first phase of the $1.1 billion Sherco Solar project was connected to the electrical grid in late October. When the next two phases are completed over the next two years, the project will produce enough energy to power about 150,000 homes.
How UnitedHealth’s playbook for limiting mental health coverage puts countless Americans’ treatment at risk
United used an algorithm system to identify patients who it determined were getting too much therapy and then limited coverage. It was deemed illegal in three states, but similar practices persist due to a patchwork of regulation.
Record number of people expected to travel for Thanksgiving
Nearly 80 million people are expected to travel by car, plane and train for Thanksgiving, according to AAA, thanks to lower gas prices and demand for other modes of travel like cruises.
Local news is in crisis. This paper has a $150 million plan
Nearly two years ago, the owners of Atlanta's leading newspaper hired former CNN executive Andrew Morse to reverse its steep decline. He's laid out a grand vision.