Month: July 2022

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN and DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writers A tech millionaire offered to buy it. A U.S. senator suggested that the government should force manufacturers to make it. But so far, Klondike isn’t budging from its plan to discontinue the Choco Taco. Klondike confirmed Tuesday that the summer treat is being pulled from ice

By RAQUEL REDONDO Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spain is easing requirements for foreign laborers to obtain work permits in an effort to bring thousands of undocumented workers into the official labor force. The bill is also aimed at trying to regulate jobs in understaffed sectors such as the hospitality industry and farm work. Tuesday’s

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Volkswagen has begun production of its first electric vehicle assembled in the United States at a Tennessee plant. The German automaker said in a news release that it plans to ramp up production in Chattanooga of the ID.4 electric compact SUV to 7,000 cars per month in the fourth quarter of

By PETER SMITH Associated Press EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — As Pope Francis pays a historic visit to Canada, he is encountering a country that is less Catholic, more secular and more religiously diverse than the last time it hosted a pontiff two decades ago. And the city where he landed on Sunday — Edmonton —

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is caught in an awkward, painful place. A confusing one, too. Growth appears to be sputtering, home sales are tumbling and economists warn of a potential recession ahead. But consumers are still spending, businesses keep posting profits and the economy keeps adding hundreds

By ELIZABETH AYOOLA NerdWallet Millennials are known for changing jobs often, but how does that affect their retirement savings? That depends on several factors. Higher earnings and flexible working arrangements could help you save extra money that you could then divert toward retirement savings. You can also improve your retirement savings by leveraging benefits such

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Three years after it closed on Broadway, the musical “Kinky Boots” returns to New York City. The show may not have changed, but the country has. The Cyndi Lauper- and Harvey Fierstein-created musical landed on Broadway in 2013, with a big hug to acceptance, tolerance

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A respected Polish scientific institute has classified domestic cats as an “invasive alien species,” citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife. Some cat lovers have reacted emotionally to this month’s decision and put the key scientist behind it on the defensive. Wojciech Solarz,

By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A judge in Atlanta has rejected an appeal by a group of voters and affirmed the Georgia secretary of state’s decision that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is eligible to run for reelection. The five voters from Greene’s district sought to have her removed from the ballot,

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence slid again in July as concerns about higher prices for food and gas continue to weigh on Americans. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 95.7 in July from 98.4 in June, largely due to consumers’ anxiety over

By KIM COOK Associated Press The thermostat has officially hit swelter. Whether you’re trying to play in the backyard or just chill outdoors, there’s a bunch of new ideas and gear designed to help everyone stay cool. First, architects say there are simple ways to make an outdoor space more heat-wave friendly. Make sure you

By FRANCESCA EBEL Associated Press TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Official preliminary results in Tunisia indicate 94.6% of voters cast in a  referendum favor the new constitution proposed by Tunisian President Kais Saied. Monday’s referendum was marked by low turnout, with under a third of eligible voters participating. Critics warn that the constitution could entrench an

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE Associated Press KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Officials say more than 15 people have been killed and dozens injured during two days of demonstrations in Congo’s east against the United Nations mission in the country. The U.N. says one peacekeeper and two international policemen were killed Tuesday at the U.N. base in Butembo

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” the Marilyn Monroe drama “Blonde,” Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” and Luca Guadigino’s “Bones and All,” with Timothée Chalamet, will all have their world premieres in competition at the Venice International Film Festival this fall.  Festival director Alberto Barbera

By JULHAS ALAM Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Business leaders and officials from eight developing nations meeting in Bangladesh say more cooperation is needed among them to overcome dwindling foreign currency reserves, a growing energy crisis and supply chain disruptions. Representatives from Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey and Bangladesh under the banner of

LONDON (AP) — Harry Styles has secured his first Mercury Prize nomination with his third solo album. Styles was shortlisted for the British music award on Tuesday for his album “Harry’s House,” which has topped U.K. album charts for six weeks. That’s longer than all of the albums he recorded as a member of the

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Russia’s foreign minister said his country supports reforming the U.N. Security Council to give a more powerful role to developing nations, including African countries. Sergey Lavrov spoke Tuesday in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, after meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Uganda is the third stop on Lavrov’s

BERLIN (AP) — A German woman was convicted Tuesday of membership in the Islamic State group and other offenses for traveling to Syria to join the organization with her young son. She was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. The Duesseldorf state court said Verena M., whose full name wasn’t released in line with

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators have opened three investigations into safety problems with about 1.65 million vehicles made by Stellantis. The largest probe covers 1.34 million Jeep Cherokee small SUVs from the 2014 through 2020 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 80 complaints that the electronic parking brakes can

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X and Kendrick Lamar are top contenders with seven nominations at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. MTV announced Tuesday that Lil Nas X and Harlow earned multiple nominations for their collaborative hit “Industry Baby,” which is nominated for video

By INNA VARENYTSIA and NARIMAN EL-MOFTY Associated Press DONETSK REGION, Ukaine (AP) — All over the Donetsk region, close to the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Nataliia Voronkova turns up at Ukrainian field positions and hospitals wearing high heels. A colleague bought her running shoes, but Voronkova gave them away. A helmet and

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and MARCIA DUNN Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s space chief says the country will opt out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost. Yuri Borisov, who was appointed earlier this month to lead the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos, said during Tuesday’s meeting with

By JIM SALTER Associated Press O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Record rainfall caused widespread flash flooding across the St. Louis area early Tuesday, killing one person, displacing many others and prompting rescues from vehicles and homes. One person died when a car in St. Louis was found covered in more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) of

BERLIN (AP) — Lufthansa says it will have to cancel almost all flights at its main Frankfurt and Munich hubs Wednesday because of a strike by its German ground staff. The labor strife is the latest travel turmoil to hit Europe. The airline said Tuesday that the strike will force the cancellation of 678 flights