AP National Business

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Chewy, UniFirst fall; Lululemon, Cal-Maine rise.

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

By KEN SWEET and ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Russian ruble has bounced back to almost its full value since before the West imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. That rebound comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin resorts to extreme measures to blunt the West’s penalties and inflate

By JOSH BOAK and MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is looking at invoking the Defense Production Act this week to increase the mining of critical minerals for the batteries used in electric vehicles. That’s according to a person familiar with White House plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss the

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several hundred workers at a Kellogg’s plant that makes Cheez-Its won a new contract that delivers more than 15% wage increases over three years after 1,400 workers at the company’s cereal plants went on strike for nearly three months last fall. The union that represents

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — What’s immune to high inflation? So far, the profits at big U.S. companies. Companies have successfully raised prices for their products, from cups of coffee to cans of paint, because buyers are lining up regardless. By passing along their cost increases, companies been able to

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, HALELUYA HADERO, and JAY REEVES BESSEMER, Ala. (AP) — After a crushing defeat last year, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union is hoping for a different outcome when warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama decide whether or not to form a union in a do-over election. The National Labor Relations Board on

By JOHN ANTCZAK Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles City Council has voted to end its mandate for many indoor businesses and operators of large outdoor events to verify that customers have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The measure received enough votes Wednesday to pass as an urgency measure so it can take

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — A suspect in the Vatican’s big embezzlement and fraud trial has testified that Pope Francis himself allegedly authorized key parts of the deal in question. The trial concerns the Vatican’s disastrous 350-million-euro (US$390 million) investment in a London real estate venture. A onetime Vatican official, Monsignor

By MARK GILLISPIE Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — The U.S. subsidiary of a Thailand-based petrochemical giant has repaid Ohio’s private economic development office $20 million after it failed to make an investment decision in 2020 on a proposed petrochemical plant in the state. Spokespersons for PTT Global Chemical America and JobsOhio insisted this week the

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — There are now more Mexican gray wolves roaming the southwestern U.S. than at any time since the federal government started reintroducing the endangered species of predators. Results of the latest annual Mexican gray wolf survey show there are at least 196 in the wild in

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Waymo’s self-driving ride-hailing service is branching out to San Francisco. The Alphabet, Inc., autonomous vehicle unit said Wednesday it has started carrying employees in electric Jaguar I-Pace SUVs without human backup drivers. Previously the company had been testing the vehicles with a safety driver behind the wheel just in case. Waymo

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The CVS drug store company and pharmaceutical companies will pay Florida a combined $860 million as part of the settlement of an opioid epidemic case. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said Wednesday that CVS Health Corp. and CVS Pharmacy Inc. will pay the state $484

By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s foreign minister has accused Ukraine’s leadership of attempting to interfere in the upcoming Hungarian election. It was a charge later denied by his Ukrainian counterpart in an episode that put further strain on relations between the two countries. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed Wednesday

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer For decades, the free flow of trade across much of the world allowed the richest nations to enjoy easy access to low-priced goods and supplies. It meant solid economies, stable markets and, especially in the United States and Europe, long-lasting prosperity. And for households and businesses, it meant an

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The European Central Bank’s president says no data currently suggests that Europe will fall into stagflation, which is a combination of high inflation, little or no economic growth and high unemployment. Christine Lagarde told a Bank of Cyprus conference in the Cypriot capital on Wednesday that at this time, “we don’t

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia has announced a $5 billion aid package to cash-strapped Egypt, where the economy is under mounting pressure, in part because of the economic fallout from Russia’s war on Ukraine. The state-run Saudi Press Agency said Wednesday that the sum was deposited in Egypt’s Central Bank.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy ended 2021 by expanding at a healthy 6.9% annual pace from October through December, the government reported Wednesday, a slight downgrade from its previous estimates. For all of 2021, the nation’s gross domestic product — its total output of goods and services —

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has gotten a second booster dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine, and he used the occasion Wednesday to call on Congress to pass billions of dollars in additional funding to fight the pandemic. Biden’s comments came a day after federal regulators approved a fourth

BERLIN (AP) — Russia is demanding payment in rubles for its natural gas exports to Europe. And that is rattling markets already in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine. High gas prices have gyrated further after the announcement by President Vladimir Putin last week. Western governments have rejected the proposal, saying gas contracts specify

BERLIN (AP) — BioNTech has reported another quarter of strong earnings growth. The German pharmaceutical company teamed with Pfizer to develop the first widely used COVID-19 vaccine. The company on Wednesday posted net profit of 3.2 billion euros for the final three months of 2021. That’s up from 367 million euros in the same period

By KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet Retirement planning is part savings, part guessing game. How much will you need? While many of your day-to-day expenses will remain the same, some big-ticket items can take a large bite out of your savings. The average 65-year-old retired couple will need about $300,000 to handle health care costs, for

By RONALD MONTOYA Edmunds As new and used vehicle transaction prices continue to hit record highs due to a nationwide vehicle shortage, many people with an aging car are asking themselves, “Should I fix my car or trade it in for a new one?” The Experts at Edmunds will give you an argument for when

By BARRY HATTON Associated Press LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Members of Portugal’s center-left Socialist Party have been sworn into office for the party’s third straight term in government. Portugal’s leaders are preparing to start spending some 45 billion euros ($50 billion) in European Union aid to help fire up one of the bloc’s weakest economies.

MADRID (AP) — Spanish authorities say inflation hit a 37-year high in March, rising to 9.8%. That provisional figure released Wednesday is the highest since May 1985 and comes as consumer prices have soared worldwide. The price bump comes after months of global inflation that has been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Spain’s national

By BASSAM HATOUM and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press MEDYKA, Poland (AP) — The U.N. refugee agency says more than 4 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country. The number reported on Wednesday exceeds the worst-case predictions made at the start of the war. The refugee agency announced the milestone in Europe’s

BERLIN (AP) — The German government’s panel of independent economic advisers has slashed its 2022 growth forecast for Europe’s biggest economy in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concern over energy supplies and prices. The group forecast that Germany’s gross domestic product will expand by only 1.8% this year. Last year, the country’s GDP

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s flagship airline has announced a plan to raise $1.5 billion to hire more staff, buy new planes and expand its routes as it seeks to rebuild from deep losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Air New Zealand’s shares were put in a temporary

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany and Austria have activated early warning plans amid concerns that Moscow could cut natural gas deliveries. Together with France, they also urged consumers to conserve energy. Poland announced steps to end all Russian oil imports by year’s end. The moves are fresh signs

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets are lower after Chinese manufacturing weakened and Russian shelling around Ukraine’s capital jolted hopes of progress in peace talks. Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo declined while Seoul gained. Oil fell nearly $7 per barrel in New York but stayed above $100. Wall Street’s

By JANIE HAR Associated Press California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations has voted to limit state compensation to the descendants of free and enslaved Black people who were in the U.S. in the 19th century, narrowly rejecting a proposal to include all Black people. Tuesday’s vote was 5-4. The group said that a compensation and

By AMANDA SEITZ, ERIC TUCKER and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Some of China’s state media reporters are identifying as travel bloggers and lifestyle influencers on U.S.-owned social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. They’re racking up millions of followers from around the globe. The Associated Press has identified dozens of

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — One of the more reliable warning signals for a recession is starting to shine. The “yield curve” is watched for clues to how the bond market is feeling about the U.S. economy’s long-term prospects. On Tuesday, a closely followed part of the yield curve gave

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China’s leaders are trying to fine-tune their “zero tolerance” COVID-19 strategy to rein in job losses and other costs to the world’s second-largest economy. As millions of people in Shanghai line up for coronavirus tests, authorities are promising tax cuts for shopkeepers in the closed-down city

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ambitions to have a major hand in Afghanistan under the Taliban while boosting its own stature are on display at multinational meetings hosted by Beijing. The talks offer a rare opportunity for Russia and the U.S. to come together over the knotty issue of Afghanistan despite their deep differences over the

By RANDALL CHASE Associated Press DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge has ruled that the company that runs the Port of Wilmington under an arrangement with the state is not entitled to charge terminal usage fees to the operator of a petroleum offloading operation. The judge also ruled Tuesday that GT USA Wilmington cannot

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A preliminary report on an Oklahoma plane crash that killed three Nebraskans says the aircraft was “near vertical” when in struck the ground. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Tuesday says a witness account and an examination of the crash scene indicate the plane crashed nose down

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Will Smith’s violent slap of Chris Rock during the Academy Awards ceremony had no appreciable difference on the size of the ABC broadcast’s television audience. But social media is a different story. ABC said there were some 22.7 million social media interactions during the telecast,

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — One of the more reliable warning signals for a recession is starting to shine. The “yield curve” is watched for clues to how the bond market is feeling about the U.S. economy’s long-term prospects. On Tuesday, a closely followed part of the yield curve gave

By DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa agriculture officials say two more bird flu outbreaks in commercial flocks will require the killing of more than 1.5 million hens and turkeys. They said Tuesday that one of the new outbreaks will lead to the killing of 1.5 million chickens at an egg-laying

The Associated Press Wall Street built on its recent gains and closed higher Tuesday as talks on ending the war in Ukraine showed signs of progress. Technology and communications stocks led the gains. Energy stocks were lagging behind again as oil prices sank. Turkey’s foreign minister says Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have reached “a consensus

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: LHC Group, Nielsen, rise; NeoGenomics, Conn’s fall.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A Vietnamese automaker has announced plans to build a plant in North Carolina to manufacture electric vehicles, promising to bring 7,500 jobs. VinFast will build its first North American plant in Chatham County southwest of Raleigh, with production expected to start in 2024. It expects to employ 7,500 by 2027 with

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

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A woman accused of harassing Apple CEO Tim Cook with pleas for sex and other crude suggestions before showing up at his Silicon Valley home in a threatening manner last October agreed to stay way from him for the next three years under an

WASHINGTON (AP) — American accident investigators have received approval from China to enter the country and help with the investigation of the crash of a China Eastern Airlines jet last week. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that China also granted visas to technical advisers from Boeing, which made the plane, engine manufacturer

By MARINA VILLENEUVE Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York looks poised to become the next place to give a huge subsidy to a professional sports arena, despite questions about whether the civic pride of having a team justifies giving so much public money to a private business. Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a deal

By TALI ARBEL AP Business Writer The Federal Trade Commission is suing TurboTax maker Intuit, saying its ads for “free” tax filing misled consumers. The consumer protection agency said millions of consumers cannot actually use the free tax-prep software option because they are ineligible for it. The agency says Intuit has for years focused on

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday agreed to consider the nomination of Lisa Cook for a position on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors on a 50-49 party-line vote. The result suggests that there is sufficient support in the Senate to approve Cook, who would be the first

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s government has decided to block imports of coal from Russia. Tuesday’s move is part of a larger strategy to reduce energy dependence on Russia which gained new urgency after the invasion of Ukraine. Poland agreed to impose financial penalties on any private entities importing Russian

By JOSEPH WILSON and HERNÁN MUÑOZ Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The energy crisis provoked by Russia’s war in Ukraine has helped Spain and Portugal emerge in an strategically advantageous position as an “energy island” in Europe with a relatively low reliance on Russian natural gas. The two countries are now poised to reap

By MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general is asking a state appeals court to uphold a lower court ruling requiring former President Donald Trump to answer questions under oath after a civil investigation into his business practices uncovered evidence that he may have misstated the value of assets

BRUSSELS (AP) — As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine accelerates European Union defense cooperation, a watchdog says EU institutions face vulnerabilities on another front: cybersecurity. The warning by the European Court of Auditors covers the wide range of EU bodies – from the executive arm based in Brussels to specialist agencies located across Europe – that

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press Americans age 50 and older can get a second COVID-19 booster if it’s been at least four months since their last vaccination. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for that age group and for certain younger

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Job openings stayed at a near-record level in February, little changed from the previous month, continuing a trend that Federal Reserve officials see as a driver of inflation. The Labor Department said Tuesday that there were 11.3 million available jobs last month, matching January’s figure and

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence bounced back in March and remains high, though consumers’ short-term outlook is not quite as rosy. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index — which takes into account consumers’ assessment of current conditions and

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The CEO of Alphabet Inc. and Google, Sundar Pichai says the IT companies are focused on providing reliable information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Pichai met with Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw on Tuesday to discuss ways of aiding war-torn Ukraine. Pichai and Morawiecki

MADRID (AP) — The European Union’s drug regulator says it has begun an accelerated review process for an experimental coronavirus vaccine booster made by the Spanish company Hipra. The European Medicines Agency said in a statement Tuesday that its evaluation is based on preliminary data from laboratory studies and research in adults that compared Hipra’s

By ANDREW MELDRUM Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — An Ethiopian court has ordered Ethiopian journalist Amir Aman Kiyaro to be released on bail after being imprisoned for four months without charges. A judge in the capital, Addis Ababa, on Tuesday granted bail to Kiyaro while prosecutors determine whether or not to press

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Nielsen is being acquired for $16 billion, including debt, about a week after the media measurement company rejected a smaller offer. A group of private equity investors led by Evergreen Coast Capital Corp., an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P., and Brookfield Business Partners L.P. together with institutional partners

TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer (AP) — UnitedHealth Group is spending about $5.4 billion to delve deeper into home health care with the acquisition of LHC Group. The health care giant said Tuesday that it will pay $170 for each share of LHC’s stock in a deal expected to close later this year.  UnitedHealth plans

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The head of the International Renewable Energy Agency says “radical action” is needed to shift away from fossil fuels and ensure global warming doesn’t pass dangerous thresholds. The agency released a huge report Tuesday that says investments of $5.7 trillion in renewable energy and other measures are

By AYA BATRAWY Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s oil chief says markets are going through a “jittery period” and reiterated that the kingdom’s ability to ensure energy security is no longer guaranteed. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said cross-border attacks by neighboring Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have

By MAJIRATA LATELA and RYAN LENORA BROWN Associated Press MASERU, Lesotho (AP) — When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the global fashion industry crumpled. Faced with collapsing demand, brands canceled orders worth billions of dollars. Factories across Africa and Asia went belly up. Few felt the effects as harshly as the tens of millions of workers

By MAJIRATA LATELA and RYAN LENORA BROWN Associated Press MASERU, Lesotho (AP) — When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the global fashion industry crumpled. Faced with collapsing demand, brands canceled orders worth billions of dollars. Factories across Africa and Asia went belly up. Few felt the effects as harshly as the tens of millions of workers

By ANDREA ROSA and FELIPE DANA Associated Press TROSTYANETS, Ukraine (AP) — The bodies of two Russian soldiers lie abandoned in the woods. Ukrainian forces piled atop a tank flash victory signs. Dazed people line up amid charred buildings to reach for aid. These are the sights in a Ukrainian town that has seized back

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British police say they are have issued 20 fines over parties held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s staff during coronavirus lockdowns, though Johnson has not received one yet. The Metropolitan Police force said it would not identify the recipients, though Johnson’s office has said it will reveal

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — India has agreed to set up power projects on northern Sri Lankan islands in a deal seen as a strategic victory in its competition with China for influence in the Indian Ocean. A visiting Indian official and Sri Lanka’s foreign minister witnessed the signing Tuesday.

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — A two-phase lockdown of Shanghai’s 26 million people is testing the limits of China’s hard-line “zero-COVID” strategy whose effects are being felt beyond the country’s borders. The city entered the second day Tuesday of the first phase of a lockdown including the Pudong financial district and adjacent

By CARA ANNA and AYA BATRAWY Associated Press HORDYNIA, Ukraine (AP) — A second front line in Russia’s war runs through the farmland of western Ukraine far from the fighting. It is an uphill battle for farmers to feed not only their country but the world. Ukraine and Russia account for a third of global

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street higher as talks on ending Russia’s war on Ukraine appeared to make progress. Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sydney advanced, while Tokyo declined. Oil prices advanced less than $1 per barrel. That followed Russia’s announcement it would scale back military

By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A grassroots civic initiative in Hungary has recruited more than 20,000 volunteer ballot counters to ensure a fair tally in the upcoming general election. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking his fourth consecutive term in the April 3 contest. Polls suggest the vote will be the

By ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s $5.8 trillion budget for next year would trim federal deficits and boost taxes on the wealthiest Americans. Both could appeal to Sen. Joe Manchin. And Democrats are hoping that could help revive talks with Manchin over the party’s derailed social and environment plan. Before

By JANIE HAR Associated Press California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations voted Tuesday to limit state compensation to the descendants of free and enslaved Black people who were in the U.S. in the 19th century, narrowly rejecting a proposal to include all Black people. The vote was split 5-4. The group said that a compensation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Anheuser-Busch beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine is running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat. The daughter of the late chairman of the Anheuser-Busch Companies officially filed her candidacy for retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt’s seat Monday. Busch Valentine’s entrance to the race comes days after Republican candidate Eric Greitens

By ALICE FUNG and JANICE LO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong is running short of coffins during its deadliest outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which has cost about 6,000 lives so far this year. Cremation is a common burial practice in the densely populated city, but mortuaries are being strained by the

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s government has presented a range of economic measures such as halving the tax on gasoline in a bid to help cushion the impact of rising prices and win votes at elections due by May. Treasury Department documents show that inflation fueled by the Ukraine war,

By The Associated Press Company founder Fred Smith is stepping down as CEO of FedEx in June. The company said Tuesday that Smith will become executive chairman. FedEx Chief Operating Officer Raj Subramaniam will become CEO. Smith started FedEx in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the post office could. Over the

The Associated Press Stocks shook off a midday slump and closed higher on Wall Street, though energy companies ended in the red as crude oil prices fell sharply. Crude oil prices sank as China started to lock down Shanghai, its largest city and financial center, to conduct mass testing and control a growing outbreak of

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Monday: Plantronics, STAAR Surgical rise; Barclays, Citigroup fall.

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Commerce Department says it is investigating whether imports of solar panels from Southeast Asia are circumventing anti-dumping rules that restrict direct imports from China. Clean energy leaders say the investigation, which could result in retroactive tariffs of up to 240%, would severely hinder the U.S. solar

By JILL COLVIN, ERIC TUCKER and BERNARD CONDON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump last week filed a sprawling lawsuit accusing his 2016 rival Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party. He accused them conspiring to sink his winning presidential campaign by alleging ties to Russia. It’s the latest example of a

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The television audience for the Academy Awards appears to be up from last year’s record low, but is still not at the level that the annual awards show is accustomed to. ABC, releasing preliminary Nielsen company estimates, said 15.36 million people watched Sunday’s show, up

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The “Billionaire Minimum Income Tax” included in President Joe Biden’s proposed budget  is part of the administration’s effort to reduce the federal deficit. The White House says the proposal would eliminate the “sheltering of income for decades or generations.” Whether the proposal can successfully pass through Congress

By ROB GILLIES Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian government has selected Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 as the preferred bidder in its competition to buy a new fighter jet. Canada is planning to buy 88 new fighter jets to replace its CF-18s.  Delivery of the first aircraft would be scheduled for 2025 if an

By DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is nearing passage of a dramatic reduction in unemployment benefits to try to force people to fill thousands of open jobs and reverse a trend in which the governor argues the state’s “safety net has become a hammock.” A measure supported only by the

DALLAS (AP) — Customer-service agents at Southwest Airlines will be voting on a new contract that would give them pay raises totaling more than 16% over the next three years. The machinists’ union said it reached the tentative agreement on Monday. The deal would cover about 7,000 Southwest employees. The proposed contract is the latest

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has issued a negative review of a closely watched experimental drug for the debilitating illness known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The review comes ahead of a meeting this week for outside experts to vote on the drug for ALS. The drug

LONDON (AP) — Tennis great Boris Becker has told a jury about his struggles with money including payments for an “expensive divorce” and debts when he lost large chunks of his income after retirement. Becker is on trial in London accused of failing to hand over his assets after he was declared bankrupt. The 54-year-old

DETROIT (AP) — A small maker of autonomous vehicle systems could be in hot water with U.S. highway safety regulators over how quickly it reported the crash of a test vehicle last fall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents released Monday that it’s investigating Pony.ai’s reporting of an Oct. 28 crash in

By The Associated Press Russia’s leading independent newspaper has suspended operations under pressure from the authorities. It was less than half a year since its editor, Dmitry Muratov, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his paper’s courageous reporting under difficult circumstances. The newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, said it will remain closed for the duration of what

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for humanitarian help has been answered by the European Commission, the government of Canada and dozens of celebrities assembled by advocacy nonprofit Global Citizen, including Oscar winners Billie Eilish and Finneas, actor Hugh Jackman, as well as Madonna and top Grammy nominee Jon Batiste.

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is releasing a budget blueprint that tries to tell voters what the diverse and at times fractured Democratic Party stands for. It calls for higher taxes on the wealthy, lower budget deficits, more money for police and greater funding for education, public health and