MoneyWatch

Much of the U.S. Northeast was smothered last summer by dense smoke from Canadian wildfires, leading to New York City’sworst air quality since the 1960s. Such episodes, once mostly isolated incidents, are increasingly common due to the impact of climate change, new research shows. About 83 million Americans, or 1 in 4, are already exposed each year to air quality …

As the Kansas City Chiefs took on the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowlthriller, some of the world’s top brands also sought to score points with viewers. Here are the best and worst commercials that aired in the 2024 game, according to experts. The best-ranked ads included spots from Google, Dove and CeraVe, according to Northwestern University’s Kellogg School …

Thousands of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers turned off their apps Wednesday in a Valentine’s Day demonstration to demand better pay and working conditions, organizers of the protest said. “We are turning our apps off to get their attention, they are going to have to give up some of that piece they are taking,” Carlos Pelayo, 69, a substitute high …

Gold has long been considered a smart investment for many, regardless of age or investor profile. But interest in investing in the precious metal has surged in recent months and years, hitting an 11-year high last fall. And it’s easy to understand why: An ability to hedge against inflation and diversify portfolios has made gold especially attractive in today’s inflationary …

WhenUshertook the stage for the halftime show ofSuper Bowl 2024, he had one of the world’sbiggest audiences— but the eight-time Grammy winner won’t be taking home one of the world’s biggest paychecks. In fact, he’ll follow other major performers in earning less than the price of admission— if anything at all. How much do Super Bowl halftime show performers get …

It’s well known that the National Football League’s star athletes make tens of millions of dollars a year. NFL referee salaries, on the other hand, are more elusive. Certainly, they earn considerably less than the players, despite the tremendous amount of pressure they’re under to make game-deciding calls that could influence the outcome of the 2024 Super Bowl. Referee pay …

The Super Bowl marks the year’s biggest day for advertising, with top brands paying millions to get their messages in front of a television audience that reliably attracts more than 100 million viewers. Over the years, the cost of a 30-second advertisement has soared, making the Super Bowl the costliest advertising venue on TV. Because the Super Bowl is one …

When it comes to building a solid savings plan, one vital component is finding the right way to maximize the returns on your money. After all, it’s easier to meet your financial goals or cover costly emergencies if you’re regularly depositing money into your savings while earning interest at a high rate. But if you want to get the most …

Finland-based airline Finnair is asking customers for a sensitive piece of personal information before they board flights: their body weight. The airline said it’s collecting the data anonymously from volunteers, and passengers are not required to step on scales to fly with the airline. Those who do will not have their weights shown publicly; only the customer service agent can …

Microsoft on Sunday is returning to the Super Bowl with a commercial for its AI-powered chatbot — a sign of the company’s determination to shed its image as a stodgy software maker and reorient its products around the promise of artificial intelligence. The minute-longcommercial, posted to YouTube on Thursday, depicts people using their mobile phones to access Copilot, the AI …