LONDON (AP) — Google pledged to crack down on fake online reviews with tougher punishments for rogue reviewers and businesses that try to profit from them, British regulators said following an investigation. The Competition and Markets Authority said that Google has committed to “rigorous steps” to detect and remove sham reviews, so it can quickly [...]
Central Ohio home sales and prices increased last year, according to new data from Columbus Realtors. Home sales in the Columbus region rose 4.2 percent in 2024 compared to 2023 and the average price of a home sold last year increased 5.1 percent to $365,257. There were 28,754 homes sold last year compared to 27,592 [...]
A Franklin County appeals panel denied a woman’s complaint against the Industrial Commission of Ohio, which found she had engaged in fraud by working at a California addiction and recovery facility while being paid temporary total disability compensation. The three-judge panel of the Tenth District Court of Appeals affirmed a magistrate’s ruling to deny the [...]
Members of the family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, and the company itself, have agreed to pay up to $7.4 billion in a new settlement to lawsuits over the toll of the prescription painkiller, the attorneys general from several states announced last week. The deal, agreed to by Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family members [...]
A Fifth District Court of Appeals panel affirmed a Licking County Municipal Court judgment against a Utica man arrested during an early-morning encounter with the village police chief. The 2-1 panel upheld Police Chief Cameron Dailey’s arrest of 44-year-old Ryan McKenzie, who was walking behind a closed business while carrying a shovel across his back [...]
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific reported 7 percent more fourth-quarter profit compared to a year ago as it managed to deliver more shipments with fewer employees and continued to make the railroad company more efficient. The Omaha, Neb.-based railroad firm last week reported $1.76 billion in profit, or $2.91 per share, to top Wall [...]
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Samsung is injecting another dose of artificial intelligence into its next lineup of Galaxy smartphones, escalating the company’s effort to simplify people’s lives while deepening their dependence on a device that accompanies them almost everywhere. The three Galaxy S25 models unveiled last week in San Jose, Calif., are the second [...]
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom policies that has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to use the loo and when. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. New York requires restroom access for customers [...]
Emergency and specialty veterinary health-care practice MedVet has completed construction of new hospitals in Hilliard and Canal Winchester. Both locations — MedVet Hilliard, located at 4050 Britton Parkway, and MedVet Diley Hill, located at 9695 Basil Western Road — provide 24-hour emergency and specialty care for pets, a news release stated. “We are thrilled to [...]
As promised, President Donald Trump began reversing the country’s energy policies during his first day in office with a spate of orders largely favoring oil, gas and coal. Yet there is one renewable energy that did find favor: geothermal. Energy analysts say that makes sense — geothermal energy makes electricity 24/7. Many people working in [...]