Josh Courville replaces a crawfish trap while harvesting Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Kaplan, La. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Giant snails and tiny insects threaten the South's rice and crawfish farms

• Pizza Hut closing 250 US stores as parent company considers selling the brand

• Amazon's shares fall after announcing surge in capital spending but posts strong 4Q holiday sales

• US job openings fall to 6.5 million, fewest since 2020, as labor market remains sluggish

• US applications for jobless benefits jump by 22,000 to 231,000 last week, the most in 2 months

• Average US long-term mortgage rate barely budges, holding near 6%

A Lebanese jeweler arranges gold ornaments at his shop's storefront in the Beirut suburb of Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Cash-strapped Lebanon finds itself sitting on a gold mine, as precious metal prices surge