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Economy


The Great White-Collar Shakeout: AI Is Coming for the Office
For generations, Americans worried that automation would replace factory workers. Robots assembled cars, machines replaced warehouse labor and computers eliminated entire categories of clerical work. Now automation has walked through the office door. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming capable of performing work once reserved for college-educated professionals: drafting contracts, writing computer code, analyzing financial information, creating advertisements, answeri

Bill Stortz


The Rooming House Boom: Why Renting by the Room Is Becoming Big Business
TAMPA — For decades, the American rental market revolved around a simple formula: one household, one apartment or one house. But soaring housing costs and changing lifestyles are helping revive an old concept with a modern business model—renting individual bedrooms instead of entire homes. Rooming houses, sometimes marketed today as co-living, shared housing or rent-by-the-room properties, are attracting both tenants looking for affordable housing and investors searching for

Lafonda Smith


The Death of the Shopping Mall: WestShore Plaza Tells Us About Tampa's Future
For generations of Tampa residents, WestShore Plaza represented the future. When the mall opened in 1967, suburban America was booming. Families were moving away from traditional downtowns, automobiles were reshaping cities and enclosed shopping malls were becoming the new centers of American consumer life. Nearly 60 years later, WestShore Plaza may once again offer a glimpse of the future. Only this time, the future involves tearing much of the old model down. Third Lake Par

Chelcie Lynn Simon


How a 25-Year-Old Can Become a Millionaire by 55 — Without Getting Lucky
For many 25-year-olds, becoming a millionaire sounds like something reserved for entrepreneurs, professional athletes, celebrities or people fortunate enough to invest in the next great technology company. But becoming a millionaire by age 55 may require something far less exciting: consistent investing, an average 8 percent annual return and 30 years of patience. The most valuable financial asset a 25-year-old possesses isn't money. It's time. Consider someone who begins at

Helen Diaz


The Rays Are Moving Toward Tampa — and the Impact Could Reshape Both Sides of the Bay
After nearly two decades of failed stadium proposals, political battles and questions about whether Major League Baseball could survive long-term in Tampa Bay, the Tampa Bay Rays finally appear to have found their future home. And it is in Tampa. The Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 Friday to approve its portion of a proposed $2.36 billion stadium project on Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus. The vote came one day after the Tampa City Council narrowly approved

Marcus Howard


Trump Renames Lake Ontario “Lake America” as Feud With Canada Escalates
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has officially renamed Lake Ontario “Lake America” for U.S. federal purposes, turning one of North America’s most recognizable geographic landmarks into the latest symbol of his increasingly contentious relationship with Canada. Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 27 directing the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change the federal designation of Lake Ontario to Lake America. Federal maps, documents a

Uri Israel


Tesla, Starlink and the Robotaxi Revolution: How the Cybercab Could Reshape the Economy
AUSTIN, Texas — For most of its history, Tesla has been described as an electric-car company. That description is becoming increasingly incomplete. Tesla's next major bet is not simply another automobile. It is an attempt to transform transportation into an automated service—combining electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and, increasingly, SpaceX's Starlink satellite network. At the center of that strategy is the Cybercab, Tesla's purpose-built robot

Bill Stortz


Tampa Bay Wave's National Ranking Signals a Changing Economy
TAMPA, Fla. — For decades, Tampa Bay's economy has been associated with tourism, real estate, health care, finance and the steady stream of new residents arriving in Florida. But a new national ranking suggests another industry is becoming increasingly important to the region: technology. Tampa-based nonprofit Tampa Bay Wave has been ranked the No. 3 startup accelerator in the United States in TIME's inaugural 2026 ranking of America's best startup incubators and accelerators

Uri Israel


Tariffs Are Becoming a Permanent Cost of Doing Business in America
Once treated largely as a negotiating weapon, tariffs are increasingly becoming a routine expense for American companies — and ultimately, their customers. WASHINGTON — For American businesses, tariffs are beginning to look less like a temporary disruption and more like another line on the cost of doing business. After a dramatic expansion of U.S. tariffs beginning in 2025, companies have spent much of the past year adjusting supply chains, renegotiating contracts and decidin

Daniel Wise


The Rise of the Creator Economy: How Ordinary People Are Building Million-Dollar Businesses
Not long ago, building a media company required millions of dollars, a television network, or the backing of a major publishing house. Today, all it takes is a smartphone, an internet connection, and the ability to create content that people want to watch. This shift has given rise to what economists call the creator economy—a rapidly expanding industry that has transformed ordinary individuals into entrepreneurs, entertainers, and business owners. The creator economy include

Marcus Howard


The U.S. Economy Continues to Demonstrate Resilience
Despite concerns over inflation, interest rates, and global uncertainty, the U.S. economy has continued to show remarkable resilience. While economists have repeatedly warned of a possible recession over the past several years, the nation's economy has remained one of the strongest among advanced economies, supported by steady consumer spending, business investment, and a healthy labor market. One of the biggest drivers of economic strength remains employment. The United Stat

Marcus Howard


The Economy in 2026: Strong Numbers, Lingering Concerns
At first glance, the American economy appears to be in solid shape. Unemployment remains relatively low, consumer spending continues to drive growth, and the stock market has recovered much of the ground lost during recent periods of uncertainty. Yet beneath the headline numbers, many Americans say the economy feels far less healthy than government statistics suggest. The biggest challenge remains affordability. While inflation has slowed considerably from the record highs se

Daniel Wise
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