Indiana's Goebel Farms chooses Charlie Kirk image for corn maze
The visage of the slain right-wing commentator has been planted into the fields at Goebel Farms for the business' annual corn maze.
The Waco
Business
Shoppers are turning to AI for help deciding what to cook and buy
Consumers are using artificial intelligence increasingly more in day-to-day activities. According to new research, more shoppers are turning to AI for help deciding what to cook and buy. RELATED STORY | A startup in California is renting out humanoid robots to clean your home The...
44 percent of credit-challenged consumers are relying on financing for purchases
A new Snap Finance study has found 44 percent of credit-challenged consumers rely on financing to make major purchases. Snap Finance provides flexible financing solutions for consumers and businesses. Their study found that of those with credit scores below 670, nearly 4 in 10 sa...
Mindful Mending
Mission Waco's Fair Trade Market, 1404 Colcord Ave., will hold a Mindful Mending Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.
OpenAI announces new tools that connect ChatGPT with authorized patient records
OpenAI has announced new tools that will allow healthcare organizations to connect ChatGPT with authorized patient records. According to the company, the new Epic integration and Healthcare Public Data plugin help teams review authorized patient context. They added it will work w...
Fox News says Maria Bartiromo is no longer with company
Fox News Media announced Thursday that its host, Maria Bartiromo, is no longer with the company after more than 12 years. We thank Maria for her work, a statement read, and wish her all the best on her next chapter. The statement did not specify the reasons for the separation. Ba...
Nvidia to spend billions on Hugging Face, the startup that was hacked by OpenAI
Chipmaker Nvidia is buying artificial intelligence software platform Hugging Face for $13 billion. It's the latest deal by the company, whose processors are integral to the AI boom, and highlights Nvidia's push to champion increasingly popular open-source AI models. Nvidia CEO Je...
Private-sector hiring hit the brakes in August with just 38,000 jobs added
Private-sector hiring hit the brakes in August. According to the latest ADP report , businesses added just 38,000 jobs. This was the weakest monthly gain in seven months and below economists' expectations. During the month of July, the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs. June job gain...
Pizza Hut has a new owner for the first time since 1977 after Yum! Brands sells for $1.5B
Yum! Brands officially sold iconic pizza chain Pizza Hut for $1.5 billion after years of stagnant sales. The deal marks the first time Pizza Hut has had a new owner since 1977, when PepsiCo purchased the chain. In 1997, PepsiCo spun off Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC into a separat...
Waco-area news briefs: Master naturalists to talk Pushy Plants at Urban REAP workshop
Items of interest around the Waco area, in brief.
Diesel prices climb to highest average since 2022, nearing record high
The average price of a gallon of diesel hit $5.680 on Wednesday, marking the highest price since July 7, 2022, according to data from GasBuddy. That's only 13.9 cents away from an all-time high average price and the highest number it has reached this year, the company noted. This...
Chevron, Trump administration move forward on ambitious Venezuela oil plans
Oil giant Chevron confirmed that it will expand its operations in Venezuela, just days after President Donald Trump announced an ambitious deal to develop the nations oil reserves and give the Pentagon a stake in the profits. Chevron, the only U.S. oil company that has a major pr...
MapQuest becomes America’s top iPhone app after rejecting ‘Lake America’ rename
The most popular iPhone app in the US is one that few people have thought about since dial-up internet: MapQuest. The mapping service is making a comeback on US App Stores after refusing to change Lake Ontarios name, following President Donald Trumps executive order rebranding it...
Pat's Gowns up and running in Lorena after flood, plans growth to 2 locations
The shop is up and running in the former Village Lamp Lighter building in Lorena, and its flood-damaged I-35 location will reopen after repairs, each spot with its own focus....
A job in trucking helped Ryan Lowell write about a $10 million drug heist
Ryan Lowell is the author of the debut novel, “Freight,” which is set in the world of the trucking business. His fiction has appeared in “Workers Write!” and “Overtime.” He lives in South Portland with his wife and two sons.…...
Tropical Storm Edouard knocks out power across Southeast Texas counties as it continues heading inland
HOUSTON — Over 70,000 homes and businesses are without power in Texas as Tropical Storm Edouard moves inland over the Gulf Coast, according to PowerOutage.com. Nighttime flooding remains a threat as the storm moves deeper into the state....
MLB's Los Angeles Angels to be sold to Rams and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment has reached a deal to purchase controlling ownership of the Los Angeles Angels from Arte Moreno, expanding its sprawling empire of teams across every major U.S. professional sport with the addition of the beleaguered baseball club. The company led...
One Waco Company Handles Every HVAC Job From Repair to New Builds
Waco homeowners juggling a broken furnace, an aging AC unit, and a new construction project usually call three different contractors. Clark Heating and Air Conditioning LLC offers a different approach: one company that handles residential HVAC repair, system replacement, and…...
Consumers urged to toss recalled sprouts over E. coli, Salmonella concerns
Everything Sprouts, LLC expanded a voluntary recall of Robust Radish Sprout Mix due to possible contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) or Salmonella. The products were distributed between Aug. 13, 2026, and Aug. 26, 2026, to wholesalers and grocery stores in Minn...
Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, takes over from Tim Cook after 15 years
Apple's new CEO John Ternus takes the helm of the iconic tech giant on Tuesday, ending Tim Cook's 15-year tenure during which the company's value skyrocket to $4.6 trillion thanks to the iPhone's enormous popularity. The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple. ...
Mike Copeland: Restaurants deal with I-35 mess; antiques on Austin; robo-delivery; Makers Market
Downtown happenings, a new Waco Makers Market, robot food delivery, Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations comes to town, I-35 woes and more in this week's business column....
Inside Moderna and Merck's cancer vaccine breakthrough
Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, was at a Lebanese restaurant celebrating a friend's birthday late on Aug. 13 when he got the call.
Jeremy Osborne: Grimes County chose the future
SpaceX's Terafab is far more than a single industrial project. It is an opportunity to take part in one of the defining economic and technological transformations of the 21st century....
Recent study finds those shopping around with loan offers can save significantly
A recent LendingTree study has found that borrowers who compare multiple loan offers can save significantly over the life of a loan. Experts say checking rates and fees from several lenders could help you avoid paying more than necessary. RELATED STORY | Average 30-year US mortga...
Recall issued for this mango brand due to possible Salmonella contamination
A recall has been issued for more than 300 boxes of mangoes because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The product, sold by Panorama Produce at select Walmart stores in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, were recalled after the FDA found Salmonella in man...
AI Summit Coming To Central Texas In September
WACO (FOX 44) - AI has been and continues to be a game changer for business and personal use. Navigating those changes can be challenging, and there's a summit coming to Waco that can help. The You X AI Summit will be held on September 12, 2026, at the Performing Arts Community C...
Downtown mainstay ready for next act
Cornerstone Caregiving's $12 million renovation of the former Waco Drug Co. building downtown is underway, with a boost from a city and county economic development grant approved earlier this month....
Cornerstone Caregiving renovation of old Waco Drug Co. building downtown underway
Cornerstone Caregiving’s $12 million renovation of the former Waco Drug Co. building downtown is underway, with a boost from a city and county economic development grant approved earlier this month....
Iran adamant: No retreat
DUBAI — Iranian leaders are acknowledging the economic toll of war with the U.S., with the supreme leader urging the government to address the hardship and the president saying foreign trade has shrunk by a third due to the American…...
War weighs on Iran's economy as US intensifies sanctions
DUBAI — Iranian leaders are acknowledging the economic toll of war with the United States, with the supreme leader urging the government to address the hardship and the president saying foreign trade has shrunk by a third due to the…...
No Jimmys or Joes found on this team
If you're a local business owner and you'd like to purchase the naming rights to the 2026 Super Centex All-Name Team, be prepared to get creative.
Tariffs are taxes consumers are paying
Once again, farmers and ranchers find themselves squarely in the middle of President Donald Trump's trade war. For agricultural producers and Main Street businesses, tariffs raise the cost of goods, disrupt supply chains and damage export markets, often resulting in…...
Jim Jenkins: I'm a rancher and businessman. Tariffs are taxes — and Americans are paying
Nebraska rancher Jim Jenkins writes that President Donald Trump's tariffs are inflicting harm upon local small businesses.
Brice Cherry: No Jimmys and Joes on the Super Centex All-Name Team
If you’re a local business owner and you’d like to purchase the naming rights to the 2026 Super Centex All-Name Team, be prepared to get creative.
ICE awards $16.7 million contract for electric-shock gloves
Despite growing criticism, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving ahead with plans to acquire electric-shock gloves, awarding a contract worth about $16.7 million to a Kentucky-based company, according to government documents published Thursday....
What Sets Award-Winning Helberg Barbecue Apart in Texas
When a barbecue restaurant earns recognition from Texas Monthly not once but twice as a Top 50 establishment, something exceptional is happening behind the smoker. At Helberg Barbecue in Woodway, that something comes down to a combination of traditional smoking…...
Brooklyn Haitian restaurant owner says the end of TPS is 'worse than COVID' for business
At least 5,000 Haitian immigrants in New York City and roughly 300,000 across the country have lost their ability to work legally in the U.S. after the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Haiti. Businesses that depended on those workers are now struggling to...
64 percent of online shoppers are using AI to help find products, study shows
A new Ryder study has found that 64 percent of online shoppers are using AI tools to help find and compare products prior to purchase. The study looked at more than 1,100 shoppers and found consumers are putting more value on convenience, delivery speed and flexible return option...
2 workers at Germany's Frankfurt Airport die from what is known as 'airport malaria'
Two workers at Germanys Frankfurt Airport have died after contracting malaria believed to have been spread by a mosquito brought into the country via an aircraft. A total of six employees became infected with what is known as airport malaria, Fraport, the company that operates th...
Prediction market Kalshi partners with The Weather Company on climate trading
Kalshi is expanding it's reach once again. The company has announced it's joining forces with The Weather Company in an effort to expand the weather trading business. According to the announcement, they will use enterprise-grade weather data feeds to verify outcomes on climate-pr...
Fed Chair Warsh signals rate hikes may be needed with inflation still elevated
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Friday that inflation is still too high and suggested the central bank may have to raise interest rates in the coming months to bring it down, a clearer signal than he had sent previously about his economic outlook. In his first high-profile...
Analysis: After six months, the Iran war reached its endgame
As the U.S. shifts from airstrikes to economic warfare, the Iranian government still holds power and believes it has time on its side.
Bipartisan push for investigation into Flock Safety cameras grows amid misuse allegations
Flock Safety cameras are seemingly everywhere but what are these automated license plate readers actually recording, and is the technology being abused? Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri launched a congressional investigation Wednesday into Flock Safety, a company that oper...
Callaway breaks with golf media company Good Good after blowback to controversial ad
Golf equipment maker Callaway is severing ties with Good Good after the influential internet golf companys controversial advertisement that featured one of Good Goods co-founders pushing over a female member of their team. Over the last several days, we have listened and reflecte...
Overpay on rent? This settlement could mean money back in your pocket
Millions of renters across the U.S. may be eligible for part of a nearly $360 million settlement after the real estate software company RealPage was accused of helping landlords artificially increase rent prices. According to a class action lawsuit filed in Tennessee, plaintiffs ...
More than 3 million grill brushes have been recalled due to an ingestion hazard
Conair has expanded a recall of Cuisinart grill brushes due to an ingestion hazard. They say that more than 3.6 million brushes have since been recalled. This includes more than 20 different types of these brushes. The company says there has been at least 54 reports and reviews w...
OpenAI report reveals new details on hacking
WASHINGTON — AI agents spun up by OpenAI broke into its own networks during tests gone wrong, the company said in a report published Wednesday.
Painting workshop
Cultivate Waco, 924 Austin Ave., Suite 100, will hold a Community Painting Workshop at 11 a.m. Saturday.
City of Killeen providing resources during extreme heat
KILLEEN, Texas (FOX 44) - With high temperatures continuing across the region, the City of Killeen is reminding residents to take precautions against heat-related illnesses. Residents are welcome to take advantage of available resources at city facilities during normal business h...
Retailers are getting billions in tariff refunds. Will you see any of it?
The Supreme Court struck down a sweeping set of federal tariffs, triggering a massive government payout to businesses that had paid into the system but whether that money makes it back to consumers depends largely on where you shop. The government collected an estimated $166 bill...
Fewer Space Coast launches in store as SpaceX pulls back on Falcon 9
ORLANDO, Fla. — SpaceX drove the Space Coast’s record 109 launches last year with a frenetic pace of missions dedicated to its Starlink internet constellation....
Six Flags moving headquarters back to Arlington
The company named for the flags that have flown over Texas is coming back to Texas.
General Mills removes artificial dyes from all US cereals, including Trix
General Mills has announced that all of it's cereals in the U.S. are now made without artificial colors. This includes popular labels like Lucky Charms and Trix. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | New research uncovers increase in unhealthy ingredients in kids' cereals The company's plan to...
SpaceX expected to launch Louisiana coast spaceport project for Starship
Louisiana state leaders are expected to announce that the Elon Musk-led company is planning a multibillion-dollar spaceport for Starship rockets on coastline about 45 miles fromsouthwest of Lafayette....
Canada imposes counter-tariffs
OTTAWA — Canada hit back Tuesday with retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. annual imports and rolled out aid for businesses and workers, matching Washington's latest duties dollar-for-dollar....
Alternative milk: Why are we still paying extra for it?
By Taylor Zeulner | Social Media Intern Most coffee shops charge customers when they change drink orders to alternative milk. Though a slight upcharge may seem like a small change, these costs add up for those who regularly buy drinks from local businesses. The beverage market ha...
Major air separation plant coming to Bryan
Bryan, Tx (FOX44) - The City of Bryan is celebrating another major economic development milestone with the announcement of a major air separation unit coming to the city. Messer, the world’s largest privately held industrial gases company, announced plans to make the major invest...
Canadian children's media company WildBrain purchases generative AI startup
The Canadian children's media company who owns the rights to shows like Yo Gabba Gabba! and "Teletubbies" has purchased Personality AI, a child-focused generative AI startup. The deal between WildBrain and Personality AI is worth up to $69 million. Personality AI has promoted the...
US set for largest mass visa revocation in history targeting up to 200,000 foreigners, officials say
The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. histor...
Mike Copeland: Sprouts opens; ProCare Injury; Webster Market addition; Gas prices; Quantum computing talk
Sprouts is open in the former Joann spot at Central Texas Marketplace. The U.S. appears headed for its first Labor Day with gas averaging $4, and more Waco-area business news....