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LAS VEGAS (AP) — The longest strike in decades by Las Vegas hotel workers ended Wednesday with a tentative contract between the union and a casino where hundreds of employees had walked off the job in November.

Online retailer Amazon said Wednesday that it’s closing all seven of its warehouses in the Canadian province of Quebec in the next two months.

By MATT O’BRIEN

Elon Musk is clashing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure project touted by President Donald Trump, the latest in a feud between the two tech billionaires that started on OpenAI’s board and is now testing Musk’s influence with the new president.

Trump on Tuesday had talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion through a new partnership formed by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alongside Oracle and SoftBank.

The new entity, Stargate, is already starting to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of fast-evolving AI technology.

Trump declared it “a resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential” under his new administration, with an initial private investment of $100 billion that could reach five times that sum.

But Musk, a close Trump adviser who helped bankroll his campaign and now leads a government cost-cutting initiative, questioned the value of the investment hours later. read more

By ALAN SUDERMAN, AP Business Writer

President Donald Trump’s goodwill in the cryptocurrency industry has taken a hit after he and his wife launched meme coins — a move critics say looks like an unseemly cash grab that undermines an effort to legitimize digital assets.

The industry, which felt unfairly targeted by the Biden administration and spent heavily to help Trump win, is eager for the new president’s help to make crypto a bigger part of mainstream financial systems. Trump has promised a lighter regulatory touch and picked pro-crypto officials for key government positions.

The price of bitcoin and other digital assets has soared since Trump won. A lavish “Crypto Ball” Friday ahead of Trump’s inauguration sold tickets for thousands of dollars and featured a performance by the rapper Snoop Dogg.

But as that party was ongoing, Trump announced on social media he was offering his very own cryptocurrency in the form of a meme coin. The move dampened the mood for many in the crypto community. read more

By Sam Taube, NerdWallet

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

January is a great time to start working toward your financial goals. If you’re looking to start investing, the first step is to open an investment account. But which kind of account is right for you?

Roth IRAs have tax advantages that make them useful for long-term savings goals such as retirement or, in certain cases, first-time home purchases. Brokerage accounts have fewer rules and more flexibility around when and why you can withdraw profits from them.

Here’s a breakdown of the differences between the two.

Roth IRAs vs. brokerage accounts: the major differences

There are big differences between Roth IRAs and brokerage accounts in terms of eligibility, investment selection and the tax treatment of earnings withdrawals.

• Income requirements. Brokerage accounts are generally available to any adult with a Social Security number or taxpayer identification number, regardless of income. To contribute to a Roth IRA, on the other hand, your income must be greater than zero but less than certain Roth IRA income limits, which depend on your tax status.
• Contribution limits. There’s no limit on how much money you can put into a taxable brokerage account, but Roth IRAs have maximum annual contributions. For 2025, the maximum contribution you can make to a Roth IRA is $7,000 for those under age 50, and $8,000 for those 50 or over. Above a certain income level, the Roth IRA contribution limit is reduced, and Roth IRA contributions are disallowed entirely for single filers with a modified adjusted gross income of $165,000 or more, or joint filers with MAGI of $246,000 or more.
• Alternative investment selection. Investment choices vary from provider to provider for both brokerage accounts and Roth IRAs. However, certain types of alternative assets, such as collectibles (e.g., artwork, stamps or antiques) and life insurance, are not allowed in a Roth IRA. Brokerage accounts are more likely to offer these assets, although many still don’t.
• Earnings withdrawal rules. You can only withdraw investment earnings from a Roth IRA if you are over age 59 ½, a first-time homebuyer, disabled, or the beneficiary of a deceased person’s Roth IRA. Withdrawals that meet one of these conditions are tax-free, as long as the account has been open and funded for at least five years. Unqualified earnings withdrawals are subject to income tax rates plus a 10% penalty. You can withdraw any funds, including earnings, from a brokerage account at any time, although selling investments in order to withdraw money may generate a capital gains tax liability.

What Roth IRAs have in common with brokerage accounts

The two account types do share a few features: read more