Business news summaries

February 14, 2026

Anthropic hits a $380B valuation as it heightens competition with OpenAI Artificial intelligence company Anthropic says it is now valued at $380 billion. The maker of the chatbot Claude says its valuation grew after it raised a $30 billion round of funding led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and the U.S.-based investment firm Coatue, along with dozens of other major investors. The surge of investment cements Anthropic's position alongside rival OpenAI and Elon Musk’s SpaceX in a trio of the world’s most valuable startups that investors will be watching closely this year ...

Trial starts accusing social media of addicting children

February 14, 2026

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The world’s biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements in one such trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court began on Monday. Instagram’s ...

Delta County Chamber to Celebrate Final “Love Affair” Fundraiser After 39 Years

February 7, 2026

Tonight, the Delta County Chamber of Commerce will host the final Love Affair fundraiser, now known as Dancing Through the Decades, marking the close of a tradition that has been part of the Chamber’s story for nearly four decades. Since its beginning in 1986, Love Affair has been far ...

US job openings fall to 6.5 million, fewest since 2020, as labor market remains sluggish

February 7, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings fell to the lowest level in more than five years, another sign that the American labor market remains sluggish. The Labor Department reported Thursday that vacancies fell to 6.5 million in December — from 6.9 million in November and the fewest since ...

Wall Street bounces back as tech stocks recover and bitcoin stops plunging

February 7, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is bouncing back Friday from losses taken earlier in the week, as technology stocks recover some of their drops and bitcoin halts its plunge, at least for now. The S&P 500 rose 1.2% and was heading for just its second gain in the last eight days. The Dow Jones ...

US applications for jobless benefits jump by 22,000 to 231,000 last week, the most in 2 months

February 7, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week but remains in the same historically low range of the past few years. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 31 rose by 22,000 to 231,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department ...