AP National Business

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) — Sandpoint, Idaho, is a four-season resort town built along the shores of scenic Lake Pend Oreille. Its population surged by 21% in the past decade to about 8,900. Many of the newcomers are conservatives looking for like-minded people. To capitalize on that trend, a growing

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China’s exports rose by double digits in January and February before Russia’s attack on Ukraine roiled the global economy. Customs data show exports grew by 16.3% over a year earlier in a sign global demand was recovering before President Vladimir Putin’s Feb. 24 invasion. Imports advanced

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares have declined after Wall Street logged its biggest drop in more than a year as markets were jolted by another surge in oil prices. Benchmarks have fallen in Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul and Shanghai. A third round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia failed

NEW YORK (AP) — The average price of regular gasoline across the U.S. has risen above $4 per gallon for the first time since 2008. The AAA motor club said the price of regular gas went up by almost 41 cents during the past week. That comes in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has an unusual new partner in his campaign to defend his country — Global Citizen, the international nonprofit fighting extreme poverty. Zelenskyy and Global Citizen on Sunday released the first of what they hope will be daily calls to action for the nonprofit’s millions of

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Netflix and TikTok suspended most of their services in Russia on Sunday as the government cracks down on what people and media outlets can say about Russia’s war in Ukraine. Pulling the plug on online entertainment — and information — is likely to further isolate the country and its

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Denmark will hold a referendum in June because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on whether to join the European Union’s defense pact and scrap the Nordic country’s 30-year-old opt-out from the bloc’s common security and defense policies.  Danish Prime Prime Minister Mette Frederikssen said late Sunday that

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a “desperate” plea to the United States to help Kyiv get more warplanes to fight Russia’s invasion. The U.S. is inclined to support the request and says it’s looking “very, very actively” at a proposal under which

By VISAR KRYEZIU, KAREL JANICEK and RENATA BRITO Associated Press MEDYKA, Poland (AP) — Yevgen Chornomordenko took off with a sprint when the Ukrainian father of two saw the GPS coordinates from his wife’s cellphone draw nearer to the border crossing into Poland. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visited the same Medyka border

BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Libya’s national oil company says that an armed group has shut down two crucial oil fields, causing the country’s daily production of oil to drop by 330,000 barrels. The state-run National Oil Corporation said the group closed pump valves at the Sharara field, Libya’s largest, and el-Feel,

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers are trying again to get rid of the nation’s only law that lets voters veto public housing projects. The law was added to the state constitution in 1950 as a way to keep Black families out of white neighborhoods. The latest attempt to repeal

By JOVANA GEC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A Russian man burned his passport to show his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. Others held up Ukrainian flags while chanting slogans against the war in Ukraine and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. A group of Russian citizens living in Serbia were among dozens of people

By SABINA NIKSIC Associated Press SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Survivors of the 1992-95 siege of Bosnia’s capital can’t look away from what they say is a very similar tragedy now unfolding in Ukraine. Bosnian Serbs laid siege to Sarajevo in the early 1990s,during the break-up of Yugoslavia. About 350,000 people were trapped in the city

NEW YORK (AP) — Russian authorities have continued to block independent news outlets and to arrest protesters in an effort to tighten control over what information the domestic audience sees about the invasion of Ukraine. Several prominent independent online outlets were blocked on Sunday, on top of dozens of others that were blocked last week.

By DAVID RISING Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — The world is on the verge of recording its 6 millionth official COVID-19 death, underscoring that the pandemic is far from over. It’s another tragic reminder about the deadliness of the pandemic even as masks are dropping, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese media are reporting all 14 workers who were trapped when a coal mine in the southwest collapsed 10 days ago had died. A rescue operation finished Sunday noon after the bodies of the miners were retrieved. The operation in Guizhou province was challenging because the roof caved in about 2 miles

By The Associated Press Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its 12th day following what Ukrainian authorities described as increased shelling of encircled cities and another failed attempt to evacuate civilians from the besieged port of Mariupol. Russian and Ukrainian forces had agreed to an 11-hour cease-fire Sunday, but Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks quickly closed

By JOSEPH WILSON, SAMY MAGDY, AYA BATRAWY and CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Russian tanks and missiles besieging Ukraine also are threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on the vast, fertile farmlands known as the “breadbasket of the world.” Russia and Ukraine

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Mastercard and Visa are suspending their operations in Russia. It’s the latest blow to Russia’s financial system after its invasion of Ukraine. Mastercard said Saturday its cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by its network and any Mastercard issued outside the

By GARANCE BURKE, MARTHA MENDOZA, JULIET LINDERMAN and MICHAEL TARM Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Williams, a 65-year-old grandfather from Chicago, sat behind bars for nearly a year accused of murder. But the key evidence against Williams didn’t come from an eyewitness or an informant; prosecutors focused on a loud bang picked up by

CHICAGO (AP) — In a story published August 19, 2021, The Associated Press reported that a ShotSpotter engineer changed the reported Chicago address of a sound the company labeled a gunshot to the street where Michael Williams was driving. The story included ShotSpotter’s explanation that the engineer had corrected the street address generated in its

By GARANCE BURKE, MARTHA MENDOZA, JULIET LINDERMAN and MICHAEL TARM Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Williams’ wife pleaded with him to remember their fishing trips with the grandchildren, how he used to braid her hair, anything to jar him back to his world outside the concrete walls of Cook County Jail. His three daily

CHICAGO (AP) — In a story published August 19, 2021, The Associated Press reported that a ShotSpotter engineer changed the reported Chicago address of a sound the company labeled a gunshot to the street where Michael Williams was driving. The story included ShotSpotter’s explanation that the engineer had corrected the street address that was generated

By MATTHEW BARAKAT, AMY TAXIN, PHILIP MARCELO and JULIE WATSON Associated Press IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Afghan refugees who fled their country following the Taliban takeover six months ago are struggling to find affordable housing in the high-cost U.S. cities where they’ve chosen to settle. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah is president and CEO of the Lutheran

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Building a gleaming new headquarters at a time when more and more people are working from home may not seem to make sense. But many companies are recommitting to office space and moving forward with major projects. That’s because they believe working in person is

By GLENN GAMBOA and HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writers Charities say they cannot send humanitarian aid into Ukraine through normal channels, with ports blocked and roads made treacherous by bombings. Even the International Committee of the Red Cross is concerned by the conflict being carried out in densely populated areas and the dangers that poses

By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — A city order that required people to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces in Boston, including restaurants, shops, museums and entertainment venues, has been lifted. The decision to lift the mask mandate Saturday was made earlier this week by city public health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu

By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press MILAN (AP) — European governments are moving against Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down on his war in Ukraine, seizing superyachts and other luxury properties from billionaires on sanctions lists.   Italy since Friday has seized 143 million euros ($156 million) in luxury

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A global body focused on fighting money laundering has placed the United Arab Emirates on its so-called “gray list.” That’s over its concerns that the global trade hub isn’t doing enough to stop criminals and militants from hiding wealth there. The decision late Friday

By The Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukrainian statehood is in jeopardy, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a “desperate plea” for more planes. He urged Ukrainians to keep resisting as Russian forces continued to batter strategic locations with missiles and artillery. Ukrainian officials said shelling had halted plans to evacuate civilians

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — The hundreds-strong Ukrainian volunteer “hacker” corps that formed in a fury to counter Russia’s blitzkrieg attack is much more than a paramilitary cyberattack force. It is critical to information combat and crowdsourcing intelligence in Europe’s first major war of the internet age. One IT executive at

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is warning that the U.S. will soon start running out of money to bolster COVID-19 testing supplies and to guarantee that uninsured Americans keep getting free treatment for the virus _ unless Congress swiftly approves more funding. Nearly a year after passage of the

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH Associated Press DUSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has intensified a crackdown on media outlets and individuals who fail to hew to the Kremlin line on the war in Ukraine. He signing into law a bill that criminalizes the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports. Russia

BEIJING (AP) — China is raising its defense spending in 2022 by 7.1% to $229 billion, up from a 6.8% increase the year before. Saturday’s announcement marks a continuation of the robust spending that has given China an increasingly powerful military that is challenging the U.S. armed forces’ dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. China has

By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — China has cut its annual economic growth target to its lowest level in decades as Beijing tries to reverse a slump at a time when Russia’s war on Ukraine is pushing up oil prices and roiling the global economy. The country’s No. 2 leader, Premier Li Keqiang,

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is warning that the U.S. will soon start running out of money to bolster COVID-19 testing supplies and to guarantee that uninsured Americans keep getting free treatment for the virus _ unless Congress swiftly approves more funding. Nearly a year after passage of the

The Associated Press Wall Street fell again Friday as even a gangbusters report on the U.S. jobs market couldn’t pull investors’ focus off worries about Russia’s war on Ukraine. The S&P 500 lost 0.8%. Stocks in Europe suffered even sharper losses after Russian troops seized a nuclear power plant in Ukraine that is the biggest

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Friday: PNC, Rapid Micro fall, Broadcom, Splunk rise 

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has renewed calls for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, That’s despite the repeated rejection of the idea by Western leaders, who are concerned about triggering a wider war in Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Apple’s shareholders have approved a proposal urging the iPhone maker to undergo an independent audit assessing its treatment of female and minority employees. The shareholder vote delivered a rare rebuke to a management team that runs the world’s most valuable company. The measure passed

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

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer In better times, Ukrainian drone enthusiasts flew their gadgets into the sky to photograph weddings, fertilize soybean fields or race other drones for fun. Now some are risking their lives by forming a volunteer drone force to help their country repel the Russian invasion. One entrepreneur who runs a

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press Russian state media is spreading false claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fled Kyiv in what experts say is an effort to discourage Ukrainians and erode support for Ukraine around the globe. In stories and videos posted online and on platforms such as TikTok, Russian state outlets like Sputnik

NEW YORK (AP) — Visa says it will lower its credit card “swipe” fees for online and in-store transactions by 10% for small businesses starting in April. The move comes as the digital payments sector becomes increasingly competitive. Visa, one of the world’s largest payment companies, is facing new forms of competition, particularly from tech

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — The hundreds-strong Ukrainian volunteer “hacker” corps that formed in a fury to counter Russia’s blitzkrieg attack is much more than a paramilitary cyberattack force. It is critical to information combat and crowdsourcing intelligence in Europe’s first major war of the internet age. One IT executive at

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Sanctions on Russia are starting to wreak havoc on global trade, with potentially devastating consequences for energy and grain importers while also generating ripple effects across a world still struggling to overcome pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of tankers and bulk carriers

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer The Clinton Foundation is planning another Clinton Global Initiative – the high-profile gathering of business, political and philanthropic leaders – this September in New York, according to a letter former President Bill Clinton sent to the foundation’s supporters Friday. The initiative, which began meeting annually in 2005 and boasted

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Microsoft has closed on its approximately $16 billion acquisition of speech recognition company Nuance. The deal, which was announced last year, helps Microsoft Corp. get more entrenched into hospitals and the health care industry through Nuance’s widely used medical dictation and transcription tools. Mark Benjamin will continue to serve

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH Associated Press DUSSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has intensified a crackdown on media outlets and individuals who fail to hew to the Kremlin line on the war in Ukraine. He signing into law a bill that criminalizes the intentional spreading of what Moscow deems to be “fake” reports. Russia

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press President Joe Biden has joined with the CEO of technology company Siemens USA to announce a $54 million investment to produce equipment for the electrical infrastructure. They say the investment will lead to 300 additional jobs at locations in California and Texas. Siemens USA CEO Barbara Humpton is among several

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Two big names in Japanese electronics and autos are joining forces to make an electric vehicle together. Sony and Honda said Friday they have agreed to set up a joint venture this year, to start selling an electric vehicle by 2025. The plan is to pair

By The Associated Press Russia’s war on Ukraine is in its ninth day. U.N. and Ukrainian officials say no radiation was released from a Russian attack at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Frequent shelling could be heard Friday from the center of the capital, Kyiv. Heavy fighting continued on the outskirts of Mariupol,

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks have asked the U.S. government to seize Iranian crude oil suspected to be on an American-owned oil tanker in Asia. The filings Thursday in New York come as U.S. investigators continue to probe the alleged involvement of

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL AP Science Writer NEW DELHI (AP) — India has yet to submit its targets for cutting greenhouse emissions to the U.N climate agency. Four months have passed since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced its ‘net-zero’ target and short-term goals for increasing clean energy. But since they haven’t been submitted to the

By JOHN SEEWER and DAVE COLLINS Associated Press Some relatives of those who died in the opioid crisis will receive payments from a settlement with the maker of OxyContin that aren’t even enough to reimburse for the cost of a funeral. Many more who have not filed claims already will be shut out altogether. But

By DAVID PORTER Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Outraged by the invasion of Ukraine, lawmakers in New Jersey’s largest city lashed out at one of the closest symbols of Russia they could find — a pair of Lukoil gas stations. The Newark City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to suspend the service stations’ operating licenses,

By STAN CHOE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks around the world tumbled Friday, after even a gangbusters report on the U.S. jobs market wasn’t enough to pull Wall Street’s focus off its worries about the war in Ukraine. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%. That followed even sharper losses in

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — In a buoyant sign for the U.S. economy, businesses stepped up their hiring last month. It came as omicron faded and more Americans ventured out to spend at restaurants, shops and hotels despite surging inflation. Employers added a robust 678,000 jobs in February, the largest monthly

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials announced an easing of social distancing restrictions even as the country saw its deadliest day of the pandemic on Friday. The announcement reflects a reduced political capacity to deal with the fast-developing omicron surge in the face of a growing economic toll

BEIJING (AP) — China’s 3,000-member ceremonial parliament opens its annual session on Saturday with the government facing a slowing economy and international pressure over its refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While domestic issues typically dominate the National People’s Congress, the war in Ukraine is highlighting the ideological confrontation between the American-led West and

DETROIT (AP) — Face masks will be optional for U.S. union auto workers, as long as their factories are in counties that are not at high risk for the novel coronavirus. A task force of officials from Ford, General Motors, Stellantis and the United Auto Workers union decided to drop a mask requirement at a

By SAM METZ and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — In one of the driest states in the nation, Republican lawmakers have renewed their focus on water conservation amid prolonged drought and climate change. In the final days before they adjourn, Utah lawmakers are advancing proposals to set aside millions to preserve

By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Farmworkers in Oregon would earn overtime pay for the first time in the state under a bill that the Legislature has approved. More than 1,000 people submitted testimony, including farmworkers who said they’ve been taken advantage of for too long for their important labor. If Oregon

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey gambling regulators have fined DraftKings $150,000 for allowing a Florida man to make online sports bets from his home. The man had a friend who was present in New Jersey make the bets for him. The New Jersey Division of Gambling Enforcement has

By TALI ARBEL AP Technology Writer CNN is reporting that the U.S. arm of Russian state-backed media outlet RT will be effectively shutting down. CNN on Thursday cited a memo from the production company behind RT America. CNN says that the general manager of Washington-based T&R Productions, Misha Solodovnikov, told employees that it would be

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Two U.S. university campuses are losing their food-delivery robots for now because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Grubhub said Thursday that it is ending its partnership with Russian tech company Yandex and pulling 100 Yandex-made food-delivery robots from the campuses of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and the

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she supports banning Russian oil imports to the U.S. Amid the escalating war in Ukraine, Pelosi she’s “all for” blocking Russian oil. “Ban it,” she said Thursday. It’s a hefty nod of support that could strengthen President Joe Biden’s hand in

By DAVID KOENIG and FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press Washington (AP) — The United States and allies are stepping up sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions are taking a toll on Russia’s economy, and Russians consumers are seeing rapid inflation. Still, the penalties aren’t convincing Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the

By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA Associated Press BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Argentina’s government has announced a deal with the International Monetary Fund to refinance some $45 billion in debt. Thursday’s development marks the potential end of two years of negotiations and an attempt to remove economic uncertainty that has hung over Argentina for nearly as long. Revised

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors has lost a bid to avoid recalling about 727,000 small SUVs in the U.S. with headlight beams that can be too bright and cause glare for oncoming drivers. In 2019 the Detroit automaker petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to avoid a recall, saying the problem didn’t affect safety

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Hard seltzer drinkers in Utah will likely have their choices on grocery store shelves cut in half under legislation that passed the Legislature Thursday in the latest update to strict alcohol laws in the state that’s home to the alcohol-eschewing Church of Jesus Christ of

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Okta, Veeva fall; Kroger, Pure Storage rise.

The Associated Press Stocks ended another bumpy day lower on Wall Street and crude oil prices eased back as markets remain concerned about the broader impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Technology companies led the way lower. Less risky sectors like utilities gained ground. Bond yields were stable.

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has asked former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to resign from his posts at Russian state-owned companies. Schroeder is a longtime friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin — a relationship that has led to much criticism in Germany, especially since Russia invaded Ukraine. Schroeder is chairman of the supervisory board

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

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and DEEPTI HAJELA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — An important milestone in New York City’s progress against COVID-19 could soon arrive when Mayor Eric Adams lifts mask mandates in schools and vaccination requirements in restaurants, bars and theaters. The mayor says a decision could come as soon as Friday —

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has already driven up oil prices, will likely further magnify the high inflation that has engulfed the U.S. economy. At the same time, Powell said he is committed to doing whatever it will take

DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk is inviting the United Auto Workers union to hold an organizing vote at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California. On Twitter Wednesday, Musk wrote that he invited the union to hold a vote at its convenience and that Tesla would do nothing to stop it. The UAW wouldn’t comment Thursday but

By GEOFF MULVIHILL and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has reached a nationwide settlement over its role in the opioid crisis. The deal reached Thursday would require members of the Sackler family who own the drugmaker to pay as much as $6 billion in cash. That’s at least $1 billion more than

By ALFIAN KARTONO Associated Press JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities and Papua rebels say separatists killed eight technicians repairing a telecommunications tower in the province. A military spokesperson said gunmen stormed Telkomsel’s tower while the workers were fixing its transceiver Wednesday in a mountainous village accessible by helicopter. The district is a stronghold of

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week and remain at historically low levels, just as the Federal Reserve prepares to raise its main borrowing rate. The average rate on a 30-year loan declined to 3.76% this week from 3.89% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s president has dismissed two more Cabinet ministers after they publicly criticized the government’s handling of the economy, which they said is causing severe hardships for people. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa office says he sacked the energy minister and industries minister. Both played key roles

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer Twitter is expanding Birdwatch, its crowd-sourced fact checking project it started as a small and little-publicized pilot program last January. The program lets regular people flag and notate misleading tweets. Starting Thursday, a small, randomized group of U.S. Twitter users will begin to see these Birdwatch notes on some

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The European Medicines Agency said it has authorized Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for children aged six to 11, in addition to recommending booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 12 and over. The decisions are aimed at providing further protection against COVID-19 for children across Europe. At a press briefing Thursday, the

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week reflecting a low level of layoffs across the economy. Jobless claimes fell by 18,000 to 215,000 for the week ending February 26, from 233,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average for claims, which

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy reported a shortfall in sales for the holiday quarter as the nation’s largest electronics chain struggled with limited supplies of holiday products and was forced to reduce store hours because of a shortage of workers due to omicron. The chain reported profits in

LONDON (AP) — Londoners are facing travel chaos after around 10,000 transport workers walked off their jobs for the second day this week, leaving almost all of the capital’s subway lines suspended or severely disrupted. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union are on strike for 24 hours in a dispute over jobs, pensions

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe is scrambling to reduce its natural gas dependence on Russia, and it won’t be easy. Governments are rolling out plans for new gas imports and pipelines. But that’s going to take time. For now, they’re rounding up more liquid gas that can come by

By SABRINA PARYS of NerdWallet Many Americans incorporate green practices into their everyday lives, such as recycling, limiting meat consumption and going paperless. But taking sustainability efforts to the next level by switching to clean energy or purchasing an electric vehicle might feel daunting. Several federal incentives, such as the electric vehicle tax credit and

By SALAR SALIM and SAMYA KULLAB BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region has rejected a ruling by the Supreme Court in Baghdad that ordered it to end its oil sector’s de facto independence. Regional Prime Minister Masrour Barzani told reporters on Thursday that the surprise Feb. 16 decision to annul Kurdish oil and gas

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s annual inflation rate has further accelerated in February, marking the biggest jump since 2002 and deepening the squeeze on households that are already struggling to purchase basic goods. The Turkish Statistical Institute said Thursday that consumer prices rose 54.44% in February compared with a year ago. The highest yearly price

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations’ refugee agency says 1 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion less than a week ago. It is an exodus without precedent in this century for its speed. The tally from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees amounts to more than 2% of

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has thrown business plans into disarray and forced a growing number of the world’s best known brands to pull out of a country that’s become a global outcast. Companies are seeking to maintain their reputations and live up to corporate responsibility standards.

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Through the Cold War and the decades since, nothing could persuade Finns and Swedes that they would be better off joining NATO — until now. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has profoundly changed Europe’s security outlook. Support for joining NATO has surged to record levels in Nordic neutrals

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has a new plan to expand mental health and drug abuse treatment. He proposes pouring hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into suicide prevention, mental health services for youth, and community clinics providing 24/7 access to people in crisis. Biden unveiled the plan in