DETROIT As Chinese carmaker BYD Auto expands its reach and product portfolio with a pickup truck, a shark is circling one of the largest profit pools for American automakers worldwide. The BYD Shark might be mistaken for an American-made product if it didn't have the vehicle's branding emblem. It resembles a smaller Ford Motor pickup in many aspects.The Chinese-built truck has striking visual similarities to a Ford Explorer combined with the well-liked F-150, which has been the Ford brand's best-selling truck model in the United States for 48 years. Global automakers are afraid that Chinese competitors, such as Warren Buffett-backed BYD, could flood their markets and undercut domestic production and vehicle prices to the detriment of their own auto industries. This is similar to BYD's Se...

These invoices are coming in after a season of record-breaking holiday spending. According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales for the most recent Christmas season, which spanned from November 1 to December 31, reached a record $994.1 billion. And borrowing accounted for a sizable portion of that expenditure.LendingTree reports that 36% of Americans accrued holiday debt in 2024, with each consumer spending an average of $1,181 during the season. That is less than the $1,549 average for 2022 but around 15% higher than the $1,028 average from the previous year. According to Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree, prices are still quite high and may be having a greater impact on people's finances, holiday shopping, and other types of spending than individuals may have an...

DORAL, Fla. — House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended President Donald Trump's string of controversial executive orders and actions Monday, saying that "everything is on the table" and that it's a new time to reassess everything the federal government does. Johnson responded, "Sometimes you need a fresh look," in response to Trump's decision over the weekend to fire 18 inspectors general at various federal agencies. When asked about Trump's forceful deportations of migrants by NBC News, Johnson responded that voters gave Trump a mandate to address the issue and that everyone should take a deep breath. Johnson, whose home state of Louisiana has a long history of hurricane damage, expressed frustration with FEMA leadership in response to Trump's recent remarks that the agency needs to b...

Jason Buechel, the CEO of Whole Foods, was appointed by Amazon on Monday to lead its extensive grocery division. In a message to staff members posted on Amazon, Doug Herrington, the company's global retail leader, stated that Buechel will continue to run Whole Foods while taking on a more expansive role as head of Worldwide Grocery Stores. In 2017, Amazon paid $13.7 billion to acquire the high-end grocery store. According to Herrington, Jason has enabled WFM to reach a record sales growth and reach over 535 locations by making premium natural and organic groceries more accessible and affordable for consumers throughout his tenure as CEO. After co-founder John Mackey departed from Whole Foods in 2022, Buechel took over as CEO. Buechel will replace Tony Hoggett, who left Amazon in October to...

Literally, certain revelations are difficult to accept. A peculiar and intriguing new piece to Denmark's natural history has been discovered: a vomit fossil that dates back 66 million years. Local fossil hunter Peter Bennicke discovered the fossil, officially known as Danekr DK-1295, at Stevns Klint in eastern Denmark. "Danekr" are Denmark's unique natural gems. According to the University of Copenhagen and National History Museum Denmark, they must first be assessed by the Natural History Museum of Denmark's national Danekr committee before being granted the designation. According to Jesper Miln, the museum curator at Geomuseum Faxe, Bennicke made the discovery in November after spotting an odd assortment of sea lily parts imbedded in chalk.According to the museum, the clump comprised rem...

A sheriff's officer shot and killed an Indiana man during a traffic check on Sunday after he was just pardoned for his involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6. According to a press release, a Jasper County Sheriff's Department deputy stopped 42-year-old Matthew Huttle about 4:15 p.m. on Sunday. During the traffic check, Huttle allegedly resisted arrest and was discovered to be carrying a handgun. "An altercation took place between the suspect and the officer, which resulted in the officer firing his weapon and fatally wounding the suspect," according to the release. Jasper County Sheriff Patrick Williamson asked the Indiana State Police to look into the matter. According to department procedure, the involved deputy was put on paid administrative leave, Williamson said. "Our condolence...

Boston According to a complaint filed by a transgender woman incarcerated in a federal prison, President Donald Trump's executive order mandating that the U.S. government acknowledge only two unchangeable sexes and forcing prisoners like her to be kept in men's prisons is against both federal law and the U.S. Constitution. The inmate, who is being represented by attorneys from rights organizations such GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston on Sunday, criticizing an order that Trump signed on his first day back in office on January 20 that targeted what he described as gender ideology extremism. The case seemed to be the first to be filed nationwide against the directive, which requires the federal government to stop supporting any gender-affirm...

Washington On Monday, the Department of Justice announced the dismissal of a number of career attorneys who were involved in the prosecution of Donald Trump. In the run-up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, DOJ staff members had participated in special counsel Jack Smith's investigation, which resulted in now-dismissed indictments against Trump for his handling of sensitive data and his attempts to reverse his 2020 election defeat. A Justice Department insider informed NBC News that Acting Attorney General James McHenry fired several DOJ staffers who were instrumental in President Trump's prosecution today. "The Acting Attorney General does not believe that these officials will faithfully support the President's agenda in light of their actions. The goal of preventing the weaponiz...

Getting a Walmart+ membership will save you time and money if you shop at Walmart frequently. Joining the loyalty club entitles you to a number of benefits, such as free limitless deliveries, mobile scan and go payment, and fuel savings at specific petrol stations. Additionally, when you use the Walmart+ travel website to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and other activities, you will receive Walmart Cash. Here is all the information you need to decide if Walmart+ is the best shopping subscription for you. GO Ahead and SkipWalmart+: What is it?What is Walmart+ Assist and how much does it cost?What advantages does Walmart+ offer?What is the difference between Amazon Prime and Walmart+?Why should we trust NBC Select? Related select We tested and ranked the top 50 leggings on...

According to a prosecutor on Monday, a former New York state trooper who claimed he was wounded by an unidentified shooter on a Long Island roadway, sparking a multistate manhunt, had shot himself and hidden the weapon at home. According to an agency representative, Thomas Mascia and his parents turned themselves in to Long Island state police on Monday. Mascia, 27, was accused of official misconduct, falsifying reports of a crime, and tampering with evidence. After a pistol was discovered in their bedroom, his parents, Dorothy Mascia, 55, and Thomas Mascia, 62, a former officer with the New York Police Department, were each charged with one count of criminal possession of a firearm. According to investigators, his father is not legally permitted to possess a firearm because he is a convic...