Aaron Schrank

Toymaker Mattel wants to get kids’ attention, and it’s going online to do it. The company announced this week it will spend at least $10 million on advertising this year on Google’s YouTube Kids platform. It’s the company’s biggest ad buy online to date. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

Some good news for avocado fans: After hitting record highs this year, the price of the creamy superfruit is beginning to stabilize. The news comes as U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visits with his counterpart today in Mexico, where most of the avocados consumed in the U.S. are grown. We explore avocado’s recent ups and […]

After decades of losing ground to overseas manufacturers using cheap labor, the U.S. textile industry is showing signs of revival. The resurgence is fueled in part by increased R&D into advanced fabrics — like fire-retardant material and smart garments filled with high-tech sensors. It’s meant a growing number of textile industry jobs — but jobs […]

Jimmy Choo has been among the biggest names in high-end shoes for decades, but the company put itself up for sale in April. Today, fashion house Michael Kors announced it’ll buy the British footwear brand for $1.2 billion. Kors has been struggling recently and announced in May it’s closing more than 100 stores. Can this […]

Telecom giant AT&T will report its second quarter earnings after the market closes today. The company’s shares are down 15 percent this year amid increased competition among wireless providers and more cord cutting in the cable space. Now AT&T is going for a big deal to help it stay ahead of the curve. Click the […]

Amazon just keeps growing. So does its spending on lobbying in support of policies it thinks will aid that growth. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show the company is on track to spend $12 million lobbying this year, $1 million more than it spent in 2016. What’s on Amazon’s wish list? Click the […]

House lawmakers yesterday announced bipartisan agreement on legislation to boost college aid for veterans. If passed, it would be the largest expansion of the GI Bill in nearly a decade.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

Your favorite websites and apps may be plastered with some unfamiliar banner ads today. Thousands of internet companies — including big names like Google, Snapchat and Amazon — are participating in a “day of action” to protest federal regulators’ plans to roll back net neutrality rules. Click the audio player above to hear the full […]

PepsiCo reports second quarter earnings today. The snack and beverage conglomerate has consistently beaten estimates in recent quarters — even as Americans drink less soda than they have in three decades. Can PepsiCo keep the streak going?  Click the audio player above to hear the full story.