AP National Business

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press Philadelphia health officials say they’re ending the city’s indoor mask mandate, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in infections. The Board of Health voted Thursday to rescind the mandate. That’s according to the Philadelphia health department,

By BOB CHRISTIE Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Supreme Court says the state’s voters do not have the right to reject a massive income tax cut approved by the Republican-controlled legislature last year. Thursday’s decision means a nearly $2 billion cut that mainly benefits the wealthy is in effect. The high court overturned

SEATTLE (AP) — Starbucks workers at the coffee giant’s flagship roastery in Seattle have voted to form a union, the chain’s latest location to form a collective bargaining unit. The Seattle store voted Thursday 38-27 to unionize. Workers United said 26 Starbucks locations have unionized nationwide. The Starbucks Reserve and Roastery in the Capitol Hill

SEATTLE (AP) — Court records show a Seattle CEO who gained national attention for raising employees’ salaries and slashing his own is facing misdemeanor assault charges stemming from allegations that he tried to forcibly kiss a woman. The Seattle Times reports credit-card processor Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price was charged in February with fourth-degree assault

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The co-founder of the “We Build The Wall” project aimed at raising money for a border wall has pleaded guilty to charges in a case that once included former President Donald Trump’s adviser Steve Bannon. The plea Thursday by Brian Kolfage came just weeks before a

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II has got her own Barbie in honor of her 96th birthday and upcoming Platinum Jubilee. California-based toymaker Mattel released the doll on the monarch’s birthday Thursday in commemoration of her 70 years of service, which will be celebrated beginning on June 2. The doll is dressed in ivory complete

The Associated Press Stocks shed early gains and closed broadly lower on Wall Street Thursday after the head of the Federal Reserve said the central bank needs to take more aggressive action to fight high inflation. American Airlines rose after telling investors it expects to turn a profit in the second quarter as more people

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: American Airlines, Tesla rise; Xerox, Sleep Number fall.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL is telling a judge there are multiple reasons why a lawsuit brought against it by three Black coaches who allege racist hiring practices should fail. The league said in a letter in advance of an initial hearing before a Manhattan federal judge that it

The Associated Press Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve must move faster than it has in the past to rein in high inflation, Chair Jerome Powell said, signaling that sharp interest rate increases are likely in the coming months, beginning at the Fed’s next policy meeting in May. In a panel discussion

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida utilities would gradually increase their renewable electricity, reaching 100% by 2050 under a proposed rule unveiled by the state’s agriculture commissioner. The proposal is an outgrowth of a lengthy court battle involving dozens of young people who claim Florida is violating their constitutional rights

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — Remember all those thousands of passengers that airlines banned for not wearing face masks? Now the airlines want them back — or at least, most of them. And leaders of unions that represent flight attendants are reacting with outrage. Officials with United Airlines and American Airlines

By RANDALL CHASE Associated Press DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge is facing a host of controversial and complex issues as she weighs whether to approve the Boy Scouts of America’s bankruptcy reorganization plan. The BSA sought bankruptcy protection more than two years ago to stave off a flood of lawsuits alleging child sexual

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A Chinese man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after he admitted he fraudulently tried to get $20 million in federal coronavirus-relief funds that were supposed to aid distressed businesses. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman announced the four year, four month

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida House of Representatives has given final passage to a bill to dissolve a private government that Walt Disney World has been allowed to operate on its properties for more than five decades. House lawmakers approved the measure on Thursday. The passage is a victory

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Independent federal investigators say there are significant issues related to fire training at the U.S. government’s nuclear waste repository in New Mexico. The U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General also found that firefighting vehicles at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant were in disrepair from

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Charles Evans will retire early next year after 15 years as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, a tenure that made him the longest-serving regional Fed president. Among Fed officials, Evans has been a vocal supporter of lower interest rates. His departure comes as

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO and MAE ANDERSON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Some U.S. Jewish families observing Passover are struggling to pay for matzo, eggs and gefilte fish as soaring inflation drives up prices during one of the most important Jewish holidays. Food prices rose 10% in March on a year-on-year basis driven by

By TALI ARBEL and DAVID BAUDER Associated Press Writers NEW YORK (AP) — CNN is shutting down its CNN+ streaming service less than a month after its launch. It’s a spectacular flameout for a venture that had attracted stars like Chris Wallace and Alison Roman and was seen as a way to attract a new

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — The crowded field to buy Chelsea now features 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams and seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. A long-standing fan of Arsenal, Hamilton has seized the opportunity to invest in its London rival as three bidders try to buy the Premier

By SARAH SCHLICHTER of NerdWallet Smart-home technology isn’t just about comfort and convenience. Devices like water leak sensors, smart smoke detectors and motion sensors could also get you a discount on your homeowners insurance policy. Discounts may range from 1% to 13% per year, depending on the company, the devices you have and where you

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — U.S. airlines say they have hit a turning point: After a lousy first quarter, they expect to be profitable as Americans return to travel in the biggest numbers since the start of the pandemic. American Airlines is the latest carrier to give a rosy outlook for

By DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some farmers are wondering if it’s OK that eggs sold as free-range come from chickens being kept inside. It’s a question that arises lately as farmers try to be open about their product while also protecting hens from a highly infectious bird flu that has

By HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press Amazon is extending benefits of a Prime subscription to online stores beyond its own site, a move geared toward boosting revenue from merchant fees and expanding its logistics footprint. The company said Thursday the service will be offered through an initiative it calls “Buy with Prime.” It will be available

By TOM KRISHER and MATT O’BRIEN AP Business Writers Elon Musk says he has lined up $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter, and he’s trying to negotiate an agreement with the company. The Tesla CEO says in documents filed Thursday with U.S. securities regulators that he’s exploring what’s known as a tender offer to

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI and KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — An international human rights group is urging Sri Lankan authorities to conduct a prompt and impartial probe into a police shooting that left one person dead and 13 others injured during protests over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. New York-based

BERLIN (AP) — Authorities in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have arrested 19 people following an international investigation of a major cocaine trafficking network. Police and the European Union’s law enforcement agency, Europol, made the announcement on Thursday. Authorities have been investigating the trafficking network since February 2021, when 34 tons of cocaine in three

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose for the seventh straight week, climbing to their highest level in more than a decade. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 5.11% from 5% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday. The last time it was higher

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The mounting economic damage to Ukraine from Russia’s ongoing bombardment has the U.S. and its allies speeding billions in aid to the beleaguered country — and looking for other sources of cash, including Russia itself. After the U.S. announced $1.3 billion in new economic

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific hauled in 22% more profit during the first quarter because it charged more and delivered 4% more shipments even as it struggled to clear up congestion along its rail network. The Omaha, Nebraska, railroad said Thursday it earned $1.6 billion, or $2.57 per

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party says authorities cut off the power supply to his home after he refused to pay his electricity bills in protest of high household energy prices. Residential and business customers were hit with exorbitant utility bills after Turkish authorities sharply raised electricity tariffs on Jan.

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Applications for unemployment benefits inched down last week as the total number of Americans collecting aid fell to its lowest level in more than 50 years. Jobless claims fell by 2,000 to 184,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 650,000 pickup trucks and big SUVs in the U.S. because the windshield wipers can break and fail. The recall covers certain F-150 pickups, and Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs from the 2020 and 2021 model years. Also included are F-250, 350, 450 and 550 trucks from

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Officials in Poland say new methane explosions in a coal mine have injured 10 rescuers who were preparing to search for seven people missing since two blasts killed five a day earlier. The state Supreme Mining Authority says there were no fatalities from the new explosions Thursday night at the Pniowek

DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines says the first quarter was difficult, with another large loss, but it expects to turn a profit in the second quarter as more people return to travel. American said Thursday it lost $1.64 billion in the first quarter, which was marred by thousands of flight cancellations, many of them because

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says a fire has erupted at a now-shuttered inter-Korean industrial park in North Korea. Seoul’s Unification Ministry says the fire was detected from a front-line South Korean observatory post at about 2 p.m. Thursday and appeared to have been extinguished about an hour later. It says it will

By The Associated Press Europe is discussing a boycott of Russian oil over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. As Russia’s biggest customer for oil, the 27-country European Union could deal a blow to President Vladimir Putin’s state finances. But Europe would face higher prices and such a move could send an oil shock through a

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers have ordered a parliamentary investigation into Prime Minister Boris Johnson for allegedly lying about whether he broke coronavirus restrictions by attending illegal gatherings during the pandemic. The move, approved by cries of “aye” and without a formal vote in the House of Commons, means Parliament’s

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations’ highest court has ruled that Colombia breached Nicaragua’s rights in waters of the Caribbean Sea. The majority ruling of the International Court of Justice on Thursday gave Nicaragua a victory in a lengthy legal battle, although it may not fully end the

By MIKE CATALINI Associated Press BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s recreational marijuana marketplace is open for business. Recreational sales of cannabis for adults 21 and older started Thursday, with the first alternative treatment centers opening early in the day. The start of the market comes a week after Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced that

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Zipline, an American company that specializes in using autonomously flying drones to deliver medical supplies, has taken off in Japan. They’re flying across the tiny Goto Islands, off the western coast of Kyushu, in southwestern Japan, delivering to pharmacies and hospitals. Zipline, founded six years ago,

BEIJING (AP) — A Russian news outlet says China’s credit card processor has refused to work with banks in Russia for fear of being targeted by sanctions over its attack on Ukraine. That cuts off a possible alternative after Visa and Mastercard stopped serving them. RBC reported UnionPay’s decision affects Sberbank, Russia’s biggest commercial bank,

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares have retreated, tracking losses on Wall Street after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated increases in interest rates must be faster to fight inflation. Major regional indexes cascaded downward in Asia, with the drop pronounced at nearly 2% in Tokyo. Japan’s consumer price index

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The first and most popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin, launched more than a decade ago. Yet for all the relentless buzz around cryptocurrencies, relatively few are well versed in them. A 2021 poll by Pew Research Center found that just 16% of Americans said they have ever invested

By HUIZHONG WU and DAKE KANG Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — In Shanghai, a city of 25 million people with hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 cases, Chinese health authorities have reported only 25 coronavirus deaths. An Associated Press examination of the death toll sheds light on how the figures have been obscured by the

By AMY BETH HANSON Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — With the cryptocurrency industry under increasing pressure to rein in the environmental impact of the massive amounts of electricity it uses to power computers verifying transactions, some companies mining bitcoin are looking to switch to renewable energy. Many economists and environmentalists have warned that as

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — CSX railroad struggled to keep up with demand in the first three months of the year. But it still managed to deliver 22% more profit thanks to higher shipping rates offsetting a slight decline in the number of shipments it handled. The Jacksonville, Florida-based railroad

By COLLIN BINKLEY AP Education Writer A new federal report finds that record-keeping failures by the Education Department may have left thousands of Americans stuck with student debt that should have been forgiven. A study released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office revealed flaws in the management of income-driven repayment plans, which offer reduced monthly

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge has sentenced a former New York state judge to a year and three months in prison after her conviction for obstructing a probe into financial conduct at the Municipal Credit Union. Ex-State Supreme Court Justice Sylvia Ash was sentenced Wednesday by Judge Lewis

CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines says it lost $1.38 billion in the first quarter of 2022 but it expects to return to profitability in the current three-month period as post-pandemic travel ramps back up. The Chicago-based airline said Wednesday it had operating revenues of $7.57 billion in the quarter, which was down 21% from the

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press Michigan’s Democratic governor wants a nuclear power plant on Lake Michigan to stay open and she’s asking the federal government to pay for it. But the owner of the Palisades Power Plant says it’s too late and that the plant will shut down in May as scheduled. The Biden administration

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Tesla has reported first-quarter net earnings over seven times greater than a year ago. The electric vehicle and solar panel company reported strong sales despite global supply chain kinks and pandemic-related production cuts in China. Tesla made a record $3.32 billion from January through March. Excluding

The Associated Press Stock indexes ended mixed on Wall Street Wednesday after another bumpy day of trading. Netflix lost more than a third of its value after reporting its first subscriber loss in more than a decade and predicting more grim times ahead. IBM jumped and helped give the Dow a bump after after reporting

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: IBM, Stride rise; Netflix, Baker Hughes fall.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. rolled out new sanctions on Wednesday against more than 40 individuals and entities accused of evading the ongoing wave of penalties imposed on Russia as punishment for invading Ukraine. The sanctions include the first set of penalties against a cryptocurrency mining firm in relation to

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Drugmaker Endo Pharmaceuticals has agreed to a $10 million settlement over its role in selling prescription opioids in San Francisco. City Attorney David Chiu announced the settlement Wednesday, five days before a trial is to begin over the toll of opioids there. After the settlement, four other drug companies remain defendants

By MIKE SCHNEIDER and CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The idea was presented to Florida lawmakers in a movie house outside Orlando 55 years ago: Let Disney form its own government and in exchange it would create a futuristic city of tomorrow. That city never materialized, but Walt Disney World became an

The Associated Press Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels.

SEATTLE (AP) — In a story published April 20, 2022, about marijuana banking reform, The Associated Press erroneously reported that U.S. Sen. Patty Murray held a news conference at a cannabis store near Seattle. The news conference was at Salal Credit Union with a cannabis store owner. 

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge in California has rejected a request from shareholders in a lawsuit to force Elon Musk stop talking about his 2018 tweets in which he said he had the funding to make Tesla a private company. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen

By JIM RENDON of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy A new effort to help grantmakers change the way they work so they can better support Black-led nonprofits was announced Monday. Abundance is a collaboration between three Chicago-area grantmakers, Chicago Beyond, the Grand Victoria Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Ukraine’s Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko walked out of a Group of 20 meeting Wednesday as Russia’s representative started talking. Several finance ministers and central bank governors also left the room, according an official familiar with the meetings who spoke on the condition

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The second of four men accused in a failed plan to build a biotechnology plant in Vermont using tens of millions of dollars in foreign investors’ money raised through a special visa program has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Seventy-three-year-old William Kelly, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, also was sentenced

By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico workplace safety regulators say they have issued the maximum possible fine against a film production company for firearms safety failures on the set where actor and producer Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer in October. New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau on

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — CSX has agreed to start paying some of its employees more in advance of raises the railroad expects to agree to as part of ongoing national contract talks. CSX said the payments of up to $600 a month are expected to start next month for

MONROE, Ga. (AP) — Foes trying to derail a $5 billion electric truck plant east of Atlanta are dominating a state process to gather input on environmental concerns. Georgia state officials took oversight of plans for Rivian Automotive’s proposed 7,500-job plant after opponents overwhelmed Morgan County planning officials. The first meeting of one of the

By MARÍA VERZA Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s efforts to reshape the country’s electricity sector to favor the state-owned power company have spurred hundreds of lawsuits and sown a level of uncertainty that is costing jobs and private investment. Pireos Power installs solar panels for everything from homes

By MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he wants to promote the city’s impending legal cannabis industry. He also wants to assist people from minority communities who were most affected by marijuana-related offenses to become marijuana entrepreneurs. Adams is set to propose Wednesday that the

By DAVE KOLPACK Associated Press FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A poll finds that a majority of people in the United States continue to support a mask requirement for people traveling on airplanes and other shared transportation. The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 56% of those surveyed favor requiring

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus is further winding down the compulsory use of COVID-19 vaccination certificates and face masks as the country’s virus numbers continue to improve. Health Minister Michael Hadjipantela announced Wednesday that vaccination and recovery certificates will no longer be required to enter most places as of May 15. But certificates will still

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and THANASSIS STAVRAKIS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greeks celebrate Easter with other Orthodox Christians on Sunday with most coronavirus restrictions now lifted. A central feature of the celebrations is the Easter candle given as gifts to children and popular designs are pandemic-themed. At a busy store in Athens owner Giorgos

By SAM KEMMIS of NerdWallet The subscription pricing model is trending in the travel industry. Though it might be a familiar payment option for your favorite streaming platform or at-home meal kit, it’s taking new shapes in tourism. Alaska Airlines recently launched a subscription service for West Coast flyers, offering 1-cent flights (on top of

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A British judge has formally approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face spying charges. The case will now go to Britain’s interior minister for a decision, and the WikiLeaks founder still has legal avenues of appeal. A judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

By CIARÁN GILES Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spain is taking another step toward a sense of normality amid the pandemic by partially ending the near two-year-long obligatory use of masks indoors. A government decree taking effect Wednesday keeps masks still mandatory in medical centers and in all forms of public transport. It remains unclear

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Authorities in Poland say two underground methane explosions at a coal mine killed five people and injured more than 20. Poland’s prime minister said the first blast took place early Wednesday at the Pniowek mine in Pawlowice. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says a rescue operation was launched immediately but a second

By KRISHAN FRANCIS and BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pledged an impartial and transparent inquiry into a police shooting that left one person dead and 13 others injured during protests over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. The president said in a tweet on

By CARA ANNA and INNA VARENYTSIA Associated Press CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AP) — When Russian forces invaded and occupied the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, they dug trenches in one of the world’s most radioactive places. Experts fear that they were, in effect, digging their own graves. Thousands of tanks and troops rumbled into the

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan has enacted a law formally revoking Russia’s “most favored nation” trade status over its invasion of Ukraine, as Tokyo steps up sanctions amid revelations of Russian military atrocities against civilians. The stripping of Russia’s trade status is part of sanctions announced last month by Prime Minister

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mixed in choppy trading, as inflation worries and the war in Ukraine had investors partly optimistic while staying cautious. Benchmarks rose in Japan, South Korea and Australia in early trading, boosted by the overnight rally in Europe and in the Dow in the

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Japan has reported a much bigger than expected trade deficit for March as a weaker yen and high oil prices pushed costs of imports sharply higher. Preliminary customs figures released Wednesday showed exports rose nearly 24% and imports surged 33%. For the fiscal year ending in March, the trade