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Waymo announced Friday that it is expanding its autonomous ride-hailing business across Northern and Southern California, including into two new major markets.The Alphabet-owned company said it plans to scale up its existing services across the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles while bringing its robotaxi service to Sacramento and San Diego.The announcement comes after the California Department of Motor Vehicles authorized Waymo to operate in the additional areas last year. On Friday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the company's application to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service."Big news for the Golden State — we have received the CPUC's approval to expand our autonomous ride-hailing service across the SF Bay Area and LA, and bring our service to Sacramento and San Diego," Waymo said in a post on X.WAYMO RECALLS MASSIVE AUTONOMOUS FLEET AFTER INCIDENT FLAGS MAJOR SAFETY ISSUEThe company did not provide a timeline for launching service in the new areas but said the expansion would be "gradual and guided by our safety framework."Waymo called the regulatory approval an important step in its California expansion."This is an important milestone that will allow Waymo to bring the safety and mobility benefits millions of Californians already enjoy to more communities across the state," the company said in a press release.The company currently operates thousands of autonomous vehicles across the U.S., including in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin.ZOOX CEO SAYS AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES NEED REGULATION MONTHS AFTER ROBOTAXI DROVE INTO LAS VEGAS FIRE SCENEIn February, Waymo announced plans to expand into Chicago as it seeks to establish a foothold in the Midwest.The company said it had begun "laying the early groundwork" for operations in Chicago, starting with mapping and manual vehicle testing.Waymo has also faced several recalls this year. Most recently, the company recalled nearly 4,000 robotaxis in June after more than a dozen incidents in which autonomous vehicles entered closed freeway construction zones, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERENHTSA said a software issue could allow affected vehicles to enter closed freeway construction zones and continue traveling at posted speeds. Regulators said the vehicles could fail to recognize or properly respond to certain construction-zone closures.FOX Business has reached out to Waymo for additional information, including when the expanded California services are expected to launch.FOX Business' Bradford Betz and Brittany Miller contributed to this report. [TheTopNews] Read More.

Harvard University’s investment arm disclosed a $2.2 billion stake in SpaceX, revealing a massive payoff from an early investment in Elon Musk’s rocket company following its blockbuster public debut.Harvard Management Company reported the position in a regulatory filing Friday, making SpaceX the largest individual stock holding disclosed in its $4.3 billion portfolio of U.S. equities.The investment highlights how SpaceX’s record-setting June initial public offering delivered significant gains for university endowments that gained exposure to the company through venture capital investments, in some cases more than a decade ago.SPACEX AND TESLA CHOOSE TEXAS FOR AI CHIP MANUFACTURING PLANT THAT WILL BE WORLD'S LARGEST BUILDINGHarvard Management oversaw about $57 billion as of June 2025, according to the latest publicly available figure.Harvard is not the only university investor benefiting from SpaceX’s move into the public markets.The University of California’s investment arm disclosed a position worth roughly $1 billion in a filing this week, while the University of North Carolina and Washington University in St. Louis also held investments in the company.Harvard’s position could include both shares owned directly and stock distributed to the university through private investment funds. Harvard Management Company and SpaceX did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ requests for comment.CATHIE WOOD SAYS BATTERED SPACEX COULD BECOME 'MOST IMPORTANT COMPANY IN GLOBAL HISTORY'SpaceX currently carries a valuation of more than $1.8 trillion. The gains arrive as university finances face pressure from uncertainty over federal research funding, demographic changes that are reducing the pool of college-age students and weaker returns from private equity.Large university endowments have nevertheless delivered strong recent performance. Endowment funds managing more than $500 million returned a median 18.9% before fees in the year ended in June, according to the Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service.SpaceX shares have fluctuated since the company debuted at $135 per share. The stock fell 0.9% Friday to close at $140.CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GOInvestment managers overseeing more than $100 million in U.S. equities generally must submit Form 13F within 45 days after the end of each quarter, providing a snapshot of their holdings in securities traded on U.S. exchanges. [TheTopNews] Read More.

Kettle Cuisine LLC is recalling more than 3,000 Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kits sold exclusively at select Walmart stores because of possible Listeria contamination, according to a company announcement posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The recall covers 3,240 14-ounce Marketside Tomato Bisque Soup Kits with UPC 194346474004 and a use-by date of Aug. 22, 2026. The products were distributed from June 30 through July 7, to select Walmart stores across 29 states.Kettle Cuisine initiated the recall after routine company testing produced a presumptive positive result for Listeria monocytogenes, according to the announcement. The company said it is continuing to investigate in coordination with the FDA.No illnesses associated with the recalled soup have been confirmed, the company said.250,000 MINIFRIDGES SOLD ON AMAZON RECALLED FOLLOWING REPORTS OF FIRESFOX Business reached out to Kettle Cuisine for additional information about the testing, whether the presumptive positive result has been confirmed and whether additional products or lots are being tested.FOX Business also reached out to Walmart for comment, including whether all affected products have been removed from store shelves and how the retailer is notifying customers who may have purchased the recalled soup.The affected products were distributed to select Walmart stores in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.Consumers should not eat, serve, sell or distribute the recalled soup, according to the announcement. They should dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.POPULAR HAIR PRODUCT RECALLED NATIONWIDE OVER POTENTIAL EXPLOSION HAZARDListeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms including fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Infection can also cause miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnant women, according to the recall notice.Consumers should not rely on the product's smell or appearance to determine whether it is safe, the announcement said. People who handle the recalled soup should wash their hands and clean and sanitize refrigerators, freezers, containers, utensils, countertops and other surfaces that may have come into contact with it.Anyone who ate the recalled product and develops symptoms of listeriosis should contact a healthcare provider, according to the announcement.CLICK HERE TO GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GOConsumers with questions… [TheTopNews] Read More.

Nearly one in four American workers with employer-sponsored health insurance say they are stuck in jobs they want to leave because they fear losing coverage.About 24% of U.S. workers with job-based insurance – roughly 23 million adults – are experiencing "job lock," up sharply from 16% in 2021, according to a report from the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America.The survey defines job lock as remaining in a job despite wanting to leave due to concerns about losing health insurance."Job lock is on the rise in America," the report noted. "Nearly a quarter of U.S. employees report staying in a job they want to leave to keep their health insurance, a powerful constraint on worker mobility, productivity, entrepreneurship and wage growth."The surge comes as soaring healthcare costs squeeze household budgets. About half of Americans said they struggle to consistently pay for needed medical care or prescriptions, while 51% are worried about affording healthcare over the next year — the highest level in five years, as noted in the report.OBAMACARE EXCHANGE FLAW EXPOSED AMERICANS TO UNEXPECTED HEALTH PLAN SWITCHES, WATCHDOG FINDSWorkers under greater financial strain were far more likely to report feeling trapped.Among those with medical debt, 44% reported job lock, more than double the 21% rate among those without medical debt.ALLERGY MEDICATION RECALLED OVER POSSIBLE DRUG MIX-UP THAT COULD TRIGGER 'LIFE-THREATENING' REACTIONSNearly half of respondents who cited healthcare costs as a "major financial burden" reported job lock. The rate rose to 53% among those experiencing "a lot of stress" over medical expenses, the report noted.Chronic health problems also made workers more likely to stay at their jobs. About 29% of those with at least one chronic condition reported job lock, compared with 17% of those without one.That rate grew to 41% among people with three or more diagnoses.TRUMP'S FIRST-TERM POLICIES HELPED LOWER SOME INSULIN COSTS: HHS REPORTWomen were also more likely than men to remain in unwanted jobs for health benefits, at 30% compared with 20%, according to the report.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREThe findings were based on a national survey of 5,660 adults conducted from Oct. 27 to Dec. 22, 2025. The analysis focused on 2,322 employed adults with employer-sponsored insurance."The effects extend beyond morale – reducing labor market efficiency, upward mobility and quality of life," as noted in the report. "With coverage tied to employment, a growing share of American workers report making career decisions… [TheTopNews] Read More.

On a quintessential Beverly Hills street in 1985, a restaurant that would help transform the pizza industry opened its doors.After years of practicing law as federal prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, co-founders Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax chose to leave the courtroom behind to pursue their dream of becoming restaurateurs."We didn't want to open just a restaurant. We decided to be bold. We said we want to open a national and international chain of restaurants," Rosenfield told Fox News Digital.With its Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and polished approach to casual dining, California Pizza Kitchen helped popularize California-style pizza among diners across the U.S. and eventually around the world. The chain became a household name while helping bring a distinctive, California-inspired approach to pizzas, pastas, salads and desserts.FUDDRUCKERS BECAME THE 'BLOCKBUSTER' OF BURGERS, AND NOW IT'S NEARLY GONECalifornia Pizza Kitchen has more than 120 restaurants in 10 countries. But at one point, CPK existed only in a single storefront on South Beverly Drive.Rosenfield recalled the restaurant's early days in Beverly Hills as "hectic," with actress Shirley MacLaine becoming its first customer on opening day."Even before we opened, we knew we had a blockbuster on our hand. We created barbecue chicken pizza. And in the early days of CPK, it was complete craziness. Everybody was coming for barbecue chicken pizza," said Rosenfield. His book, "The California Pizza Kitchen Story: How Two Federal Prosecutors Changed the Way America Eats Pizza," was released July 21.Rosenfield and Flax employed a real estate strategy that helped expand CPK's reach, opening restaurants in and around shopping malls."CPK also had a hand in changing the way America eats because we were pioneers in going into upscale shopping centers around America at a time when… there was all fast food," Rosenfield said. "We brought this polished, casual dining to the best malls in America."After Rosenfield and Flax grew CPK to more than 200 locations worldwide, the pizza giant was acquired for $470 million by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2011.'MCDONALD'S CHANGED THE COURSE OF MY LIFE': CONGRESSMAN SELLS BUSINESS HE BUILT SINCE HIS TEEN YEARSAt the time of the acquisition, the  San Francisco-based firm described itself as "one of the most active acquirers of leading brands in the restaurant and retail sector."Nine years after Golden Gate Capital acquired the chain, CPK filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 30, 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic compounded its… [TheTopNews] Read More.