For Friday, March 13th, 2026
>>Stocks Lower On Wall Street
(New York, NY) -- Wall Street closed Thursday with stocks sharply lower. It comes as the ongoing conflict in Iran takes its toll on oil prices. The U.S. plans to release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to ease costs. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones lost 739 points to 46-677. The S&P 500 fell 103 points to 66-72. The Nasdaq lost 404 points to 22-311.
>>States Consider Lifting gas Tax
(Undated) -- Several states are considering suspending their gas taxes in response spiking prices at the pump due to Iran war. Lawmakers in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, New York and California are debating the temporary relief. The national average for a gallon of regular jumped overnight to three-59 a gallon, according to Triple-A. A week ago, the national average was at three-25.
>>Trump Administration Sues California Over Vehicle Emission Rules
(Washington, DC) -- The Trump administration is suing California over the state's greenhouse gas emission rules. The administration announced Thursday that a suit filed by the departments of Justice and Transportation argues that California's zero-emission rules are superseded by federal law, and claims, "Federal law prohibits individual states from adopting regulations related to fuel economy." States are prohibited from adopting fuel economy regulations under the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, but California was granted waivers by the EPA under the Biden administration to enforce its vehicle emission rules.
>>Live Nation Employees Under Fire For Bragging About Price-Gouging Customers
(Undated) -- Live Nation employees are under fire for bragging about price-gouging customers. This comes after the company reached its tentative settlement with the DOJ on Monday in a case that had threatened to separate the company from its subsidiary Ticketmaster. A 2022 conversation between regional directors of ticketing Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold was revealed in newly released court documents during the case. Baker wrote that "these people are so stupid" for paying high fees, with Weinhold "I almost feel bad taking advantage of them." Live Nation previously wanted to exclude the exchanges from the antitrust trial, while an attorney for the DOJ argued that it gave a real look into how they view prices.
>>Stryker Corporation Says All Products Are Safe To Use After Cyberattack
(Portage, MI) -- Medical equipment company Stryker Corporation says all of its products used at hospitals around the world remain safe to use after the company was hit by a cyberattack. The Iranian-based hacker group Handala has claimed responsibility, and Stryker says their "internal Microsoft environment" was hit. They stress their Mako system, used for hip, knee, and shoulder procedures, was not impacted and is not connected. Stryker says they are still investigating the attack's impact.
>>Google Redesign Overhaul With More AI Features
(Mountain View, CA) -- Google will undergo a major redesign overhaul focusing more heavily on artificial intelligence. According to reports from ABC News, the overhaul will help users determine where they want to go and the best route to take with the introduction of two AI features. The 'Ask Maps' feature will expand conversational abilities to give suggestions for users looking for specific things such as locations to charge devices or stops on a road trip. The 'Immersive Navigation' feature will present a three-dimensional perspective designed to give a better view of where they are in the moment. The new AI-powered navigation redesign will be available through Google Maps' mobile app, as well as in vehicles equipped with the options to activate CarPlay and Android Auto.
>>TikTok Partners With iHeartMedia For New Radio Features
(Undated) -- TikTok is partnering with iHeartMedia. The companies are launching TikTok Radio from iHeart, a live audio channel that will blend content from creators with music on the free iHeartRadio app and on 28 broadcast stations across the U.S. TikTok Radio will feature segments including "Behind-the-Charts," "Hot Takes," "New Music Fridays," "On The Verge" and more. The two are also teaming up on a slate of podcasts from popular creators for the TikTok Podcast Network. TikTok Radio goes live for the first time today at 10 p.m. eastern.
>>Universal Pictures To Extend Theatrical Window
(Los Angeles, CA) -- Universal Pictures will be keeping its movies in theaters longer. The studio announced Thursday that it will extend the theatrical release window for its films to at least five weekends this year. It will further extend it to seven weekends next year. This marks a major shift in strategy as the theatrical has shrunk since the pandemic era. Since theaters reopened, the average window has been around 45 days -- about half what it used to be.
