All posts tagged: Closing

Source: Inference provider Modal Labs closing in on 0M round at .75B valuation

Source: Inference provider Modal Labs closing in on $750M round at $15.75B valuation

Published by Miika Tikkanen

AI inference infrastructure provider Modal Labs is nearing a $750 million funding round led by Accel at a $15.75 billion valuation that includes the investment, according to a source with knowledge of the funding. The size of the round has not been previously reported, though Axios and Bloomberg have reported other details of the deal. The new round would more than triple Modal’s valuation from the $4.65 billion it reached when it announced its $355 million previous fundraise just four months ago. Modal Labs declined to comment. The deal comes amid soaring demand for inference services, the process of running an AI model that’s already been trained to generate outputs, particularly from customers relying on open-source models. Other inference startups are also in talks to raise fresh capital at much higher valuations. Baseten is nearing an infusion of capital at a $26 billion valuation, doubling what it was worth in June, Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile, Fireworks and Fal, a startup providing inference for video and image generation, have also talked to investors about new rounds that …

LAUSD struggles to decide between refurbishing or closing schools

LAUSD struggles to decide between refurbishing or closing schools

Published by Sam Flores

The Los Angeles Unified School District finds itself in a difficult, if not unfamiliar position. Enrollment is down nearly 50% from its high around the turn of the century, with the numbers dropping about 4% from 2024 to 2025 in the most recent figures. Fewer students equals less state funding, with potential layoffs and school closures looming. My colleague Howard Blume recently wrote about district officials pressing ahead with a multibillion-dollar modernization and rebuilding plan, raising questions about investing in campuses that soon may be shuttered. Let’s jump into Blume’s article, get his direct perspective and chat with an expert as LAUSD confronts carrying out a budget-cutting plan to prevent a deficit that, in a worst-case scenario, could increase to $3.5 billion by June 30, 2029. Money to rebuild South Los Angeles schools The school district has moved forward with its ongoing school reconstruction and modernization program, backed by $9 billion in voter bonds. Since June, six South L.A. elementary schools — Menlo Avenue, Normandie Avenue, 93rd Street, 96th Street, 107th Street and 122nd Street …

Inland Empire amusement park Fiesta Village is closing after 52 years

Inland Empire amusement park Fiesta Village is closing after 52 years

Published by Sam Flores

After 52 years of providing the Inland Empire with mini golf, roller skating and go-karting, Fiesta Village Family Fun Park is shutting down. The Colton amusement park said in a statement Tuesday that it will remain open to the public for its final days this weekend. “This decision has not been easy. For decades, Fiesta Village has been a place where families gathered, friendships grew and memories were made,” the company said in the statement. Owner Michelle O’Brien said that rising operation costs and declining attendance were the main reasons behind the closure. “It’s been a privilege to be the steward at the park. It’s devastating to have to close it, but you get to a point where there are no other options,” O’Brien said. “We’re so grateful that Fiesta Village carried a place in people’s hearts.” The park first opened in 1974, with a mini golf course, waterslides and go-karts. O’Brien purchased it in 2002 and has operated it ever since. Under her and her husband Patrick’s ownership, the park added attractions such as …

Closing the loop on automotive plastics

Closing the loop on automotive plastics

Published by Miika Tikkanen

The Global Impact Coalition outlines the measures needed to help the chemical industry close the loop on automotive plastics. Every year, more than 800,000 tonnes of plastic from end-of-life (ELV) vehicles in Europe are incinerated or landfilled. The automotive industry accounts for around 10% of global plastic demand. Yet, despite decades of sustainability commitments, less than 2.5% of plastic in new vehicles comes from recycled sources. The EU ELV regulation now requires that figure to reach 25% by 2036. The gap is not a technology problem. It is a value chain problem and solving it requires something the chemical industry has rarely attempted at scale: pre-competitive collaboration between competitors. In 2025, the Global Impact Coalition (GIC) launched the Automotive Plastics Circularity project to do exactly this. What the pilot did Eight major chemical companies – BASF, Covestro, LG Chem, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, SABIC, SUEZ and Syensqo – worked together through GIC to process 100 end-of-life vehicles through a full dismantling, shredding, and sorting chain. The project was designed to answer a question no single …

I stopped closing tabs once I found this Chrome extension

I stopped closing tabs once I found this Chrome extension

Published by Miika Tikkanen

I can get overwhelmed easily. I’m not afraid to admit that and I also think it’s completely normal that, in this day in age, things can get a bit cluttered on your screen. Whether you’re looking through any of the cavalcade of apps you have downloaded on your phone or the amount of titles that are available to stream on Netflix, excess is staring us in the face at all times when we’re looking at screens. It can feel like a lot, especially when you’re trying to find some semblance of organization in your life. One of my biggest sources of chaos is my browser. I end up searching for story ideas and researching different angles and I have like 25 tabs by the time I’m ready to write. I seldom use all of those tabs, but I want some of them. A way to mitigate this chaos is to filter out the ones that you want and save them for later with OneTab. Related This built-in but underrated Chrome feature fixed my tab chaos …

DeChambeau misses Masters cut after closing triple-bogey

DeChambeau misses Masters cut after closing triple-bogey

Published by Sam Flores

AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 10 : LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau headlined the list of players who missed the cut at the Masters on Friday after the two-times U.S. Open champion carded a costly triple-bogey on the final hole at Augusta National. DeChambeau reached the par-four 18th one shot inside the four-over par cut line but needed two shots to get out of a greenside bunker before carding a seven that ended his week. DeChambeau, who briefly held the lead early in the final round of last year’s Masters, had arrived at the year’s first major fresh off two consecutive wins on the LIV Golf circuit but was unable to transfer that form to Augusta National. Other notables to miss the cut were 2025 U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun, former British Open champion Cameron Smith of LIV, and a pack of former Masters champions including Danny Willett Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Fred Couples, Jose Maria Olazabal, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, and Angel Cabrera. According to Augusta National, 54 players, including competitors from 15 different countries, made the …

Winn-Dixie closing last two stores in Alabama amid restructuring

Winn-Dixie closing last two stores in Alabama amid restructuring

Published by Daniella Wilson

The last two Winn-Dixie grocery stores in the United States are set to close by the end of this month. The grocery store chain is closing locations across the country as it rebrands to “The Winn-Dixie Company,” and two more will be closed in Birmingham, Alabama. After more than 60 years serving the city, one location will close on March 21 and the other on March 22, as the company shifts its focus to Florida. The grocer has already acquired three Hitchcock’s Markets in the Sunshine State and plans to open them later this year. Ahead of the store closures, shoppers will be able to save anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent off in their closing-down sales. Winn-Dixie’s parent company, Southeastern Grocers, has already closed stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi and sold them off to competing grocery store chains, including Food City, Piggly Wiggly and Aldi. Winn-Dixie will be closing locations nationwide in an attempt to rebrand the company as ‘The Winn-Dixie Company’ (Getty Images) Discussing the company’s transition, Anthony Hucker, CEO …

Chinese Carmakers Are Closing In on America

Chinese Carmakers Are Closing In on America

Published by José Betancourt

Two decades ago, a California company called Tesla Motors almost single-handedly created the electric car as we now know it. Elon Musk’s company has dominated the industry across the globe ever since. But last year, for the first time in a long time, the world’s biggest seller of EVs wasn’t Tesla. It was the Chinese auto giant BYD. The secret to BYD’s success is simple: The company makes high-tech electric and hybrid cars and sells them at incredible prices. The tiny BYD Seagull costs as little as $8,000 in China, and it’s a megahit in several countries. The Chinese car industry—not just BYD but also its many competitors that also make affordable cars—is quickly taking over the world. In Europe, Chinese models make up nearly 10 percent of new car sales, in large part because they’re typically thousands of dollars cheaper than options from homegrown Volkswagen and Renault. And in Mexico, about 20 percent of new cars are made in China. But you won’t find the Seagull or any other cheap Chinese models in the …

Mall staple Francesca’s closing stores nationwide

Mall staple Francesca’s closing stores nationwide

Published by Daniella Wilson

Popular women’s clothing store Francesca’s, a mall staple known for standout pieces and accessories, is reportedly closing its doors for good. Multiple reports indicate the chain is planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The retailer let staffers go this week without warning, according to Women’s Wear Daily. A customer service representative for the store told the publication: “We are liquidating our inventory and closing soon.” Francesca’s website is advertising a “last chance, online only” warehouse sale with clearance items retailing for $15 or less. In addition to holiday dresses and jumpsuits, the sale includes sweaters, tops, jewelry, and more. Based in Houston, Texas, Francesca’s opened in 1999 and became known for its quirky accessories in addition to women’s sweaters and dresses. The retailer has grown significantly since then, with its website currently listing 457 stores in 45 states. It’s not clear if any of those shops have already closed. open image in gallery Francesca’s is reportedly filing for bankruptcy and closing up shop (Larry Hachucka/Wiki Commons) The Independent has contacted Francesca’s for comment. In …