Business Highlights

Mega Millions jackpots and the odds of winning big will grow starting April 5, as the national lottery rolls out pricier tickets in Colorado and other participating states. Lottery players will soon pay $5 rather than $2 for a ticket — just the second price increase in the 22-year-old game’s history and the first since current rules were adopted in 2017, according to a news release from Colorado Lottery. Jackpots will start at $50 million, up from $20 million, and the odds of buying a winning ticket will increase from about one in 302 million to one in 290 million. “We are excited to bring even more chances to win to Coloradans in April,” Colorado Lottery senior director Tom Seaver said in the release.

Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesThe US economy added 256,000 jobs in December, more than the forecast of 164,000. Unemployment was expected to hold steady at 4.2% but fell to 4.1%. Economists expect 2025 to be a tough labor market for job searchers. The US labor market ended 2024 on a high note, adding 256,000 jobs in December, above the forecast of 164,000.!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;rUnemployment unexpectedly dropped from 4.2% in November to 4.1% in December.

Jean Smart won an award at the Golden Globes last week. Amy Sussman / Getty ImagesJean Smart called on TV networks to consider not broadcasting award ceremonies following the LA fires. Some entertainment journalists said outright cancellations would hurt gig workers in LA the most. A debate has erupted on whether award season should go ahead at all.

Elon Musk contributed to the Trump campaign through his super PAC, America PAC. Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesElon Musk's $1 million sweepstake ended with a Michigan man winning the final prize. The selection process faced legal scrutiny for not being random, as the winners were handpicked. The last winner was paid thousands by the Trump campaign and was pictured at campaign events.

Vail Resorts has mastered the art of getting skiers from a lower elevation to a higher one. But when it comes to doing the same for its stock investors, the chairlift is broken. The latest example is how an otherwise promising start to the ski season got derailed by a strike of ski patrol workers on Dec.

A screenshot of Tesla's refreshed Model Y that's now on sale in China. TeslaTesla has launched a refreshed Model Y in China as it fights off fierce competition from local rivals. The new Model Y is also available to order in Australia and parts of Asia, but there's no sign of a US release yet.