Month: May 2022

By MATTHEW BROWN and MATTHEW DALY Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s order to protect the nation’s oldest forests against climate change, wildfires and other problems devastating vast woodlands is raising a simple yet vexing question: When does a forest grow old? Millions of acres are potentially on the line — federal

By SALLY FRENCH of NerdWallet Many major hotel chains are embracing all-inclusive offerings. For example, Hyatt recently announced an integration with AMR Collection brands, a group of about 100 all-inclusive resorts. Others, including Walt Disney World Resort, are workshopping the all-inclusive model, offering more specialized entertainment or outdoor access. These vacation packages are attractive to

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A closely divided House has approved legislation to crack down on alleged price gouging by oil companies as prices at the pump continue to soar. A bill backed by House Democrats would give President Joe Biden authority to declare an energy emergency that would make it unlawful

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter is stepping up its fight against misinformation with a new policy cracking down on posts that spread potentially dangerous false stories. The change is part of a broader effort to promote accurate information during times of conflict or crisis. Starting Thursday, the platform will no

By JIM SALTER Associated Press In the five months that Jennifer Anne Hall was a respiratory therapist at Hedrick Medical Center, the rural Missouri hospital experienced 18 “code blue” incidents — an alarming increase in sudden cardiac arrest events for a hospital that historically averaged one of them a year, according to a police investigator.

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — A small brewery in Finland has launched a NATO-themed beer to mark the Nordic country’s bid to join the Western military alliance. Olaf Brewing’s OTAN lager features a blue label with a cartoon version of a beer-drinking medieval knight in metal armor emblazoned with NATO’s compass symbol.

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press As Ukrainian refugees flooded into Poland to escape Russia’s invasion, a hacking group aligned with the Kremlin tried to spread rumors and hoaxes intended to divide Ukraine from its allies. In one bizarre disinformation campaign, the hacking group known as Ghostwriter sought to spread rumors that Polish criminals were waiting

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — House lawmakers have approved a symbolic resolution calling for the restoration of the Ohio State University’s football team’s 2010 season that was vacated after a memorabilia-for-cash scandal. The resolution sponsored by Rep. Brian Stewart, an Ohio State graduate, calls on the NCAA to reinstate the team’s

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed in April for the third month in a row as mortgage rates surged, driving up borrowing costs for would-be homebuyers as home prices soared to new highs. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that existing home sales fell 2.4% last month

Associated Press Harley-Davidson is announcing a two-week suspension of vehicle assembly and most shipments, citing a regulatory compliance issue with one of its suppliers. Company shares tumbled almost 8% Thursday. Harley-Davidson says the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution” after the company received information from a supplier of one of its component

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s pick to be the Federal Reserve’s top banking regulator pledged Thursday to help reduce high inflation and provide clear rules to govern financial innovation. Michael Barr said he would be strongly committed to bringing down inflation to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%.

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates retreated modestly this week, but interest on the key 30-year loan remains at decade-high levels. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate slipped to 5.25% from 5.3% last week. By contrast, the average rate stood at 3% a

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer McDonald’s is selling all of its restaurants in Russia 30 years after the burger chain became a powerful symbol of easing Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union. It shuttered all Russian locations in March because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Chicago burger giant said

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration’s commissioner says a shuttered baby formula factory could be up and running by next week. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf faced congressional anger Thursday for not answering questions about whether his agency should have intervened earlier at the Michigan plant tied to

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Kohl’s Corp. cut its earnings forecast, as the department store joins a string of retailers stung with soaring inflation. The reduction followed weaker-than-expected first-quarter results. Like many department stores, Kohl’s had struggled before the pandemic, but the health crisis wielded a big blow to sales.

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rising interest rates are making adjustable-rate mortgages a more attractive alternative to common 30-year, fixed-rate home loans. ARMs made up 13% of all home loans by dollar volume in March, their highest share since January 2020, according to CoreLogic. The increase coincides with a sharp

By R.J. RICO Associated Press Practically every minute of every hour, someone sends a tweet to Bill Pulte, a 33-year-old private-equity investor and heir to the mammoth PulteGroup homebuilding company. And, nearly every day, Pulte responds. He sent $500 for a man who sent a video showing his missing teeth. He gave $125 for a

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans applied for jobless aid last week, but the total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits is at a 53-year low. Applications for unemployment benefits rose by 21,000 to 218,000 for the week ending May 14, the Labor Department reported Thursday. First-time applications generally track