Court orders property developer China Evergrande Group to liquidate after it was unable to reach a deal with creditors

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, thousands of people filed into a dated convention center near O’Hare Airport to participate in the very American pastime of buying and selling sports trading cards. The Chicago Sports Spectacular, one of the country’s biggest and oldest card shows, is like a rummage sale from the days before eBay, but…

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines said Friday they will appeal a federal judge’s ruling that blocked the air carriers’ planned tie-up because the proposed merger would violate US antitrust law. The appeal came after US District Judge William Young in Boston on Tuesday sided with the Department of Justice in holding that JetBlue’s planned $3.8 billion acquisition of ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit was anti-competitive…

WASHINGTON — The nation’s economy grew at an unexpectedly brisk 3.3% annual pace from October through December as Americans showed a continued willingness to spend freely despite high interest rates and price levels that have frustrated many households. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of…

A Palestinian restaurant chain owner who took flak for his inflammatory “river to the sea” menu header is hosting a free sabbath dinner on Friday in part to thank his Jewish customers for their support and to foster community. Restaurateur Abdul Elenani, 31, owns Ayat, a chain of popular Palestinian eateries named after his wife, a…

FTC launches inquiry into how big tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google are holding sway over AI startups

MIAMI — The world’s largest cruise ship is set to begin its maiden voyage Saturday as it gets underway from the Port of Miami. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, which runs nearly 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern, is leaving South Florida for its first seven-day island-hopping voyage through the tropics. The…