AP National Business

The Associated Press Stocks ended slightly lower on Wall Street Monday after recouping much of an early slide. Technology stocks bounced back after leading the market lower in the morning. Losses for industrial companies and banks were partly offset by gains in health care companies. The S&P 500 closed slightly lower and the Dow Jones

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Monday: Take-Two, Lululemon fall; Jazz, BioMarin rise.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A man arrested in Alabama is accused of using a phone app in an attempt to hire someone to kidnap and rape a woman in Wisconsin. Federal court documents show 22-year-old Matthias Jacob Edward Mann was arrested last week in the north Alabama town of Hartselle. He’s charged with attempted kidnapping

By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that gruyere cheese does not have to come from the Gruyere region of Europe to be sold under the gruyere name. A consortium of Swiss and French cheesemakers from the region around Gruyeres, Switzerland, sued in U.S. District Court in

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 58-story luxury apartment building in San Francisco continues to sink and is tilting about 3 inches per year. The engineer responsible for fixing the troubled building says that without a fix the luxury building’s lean could reach a 40-inch tilt, which would be the point at which the elevators and

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Family, friends, civil rights activists and community members memorialized a 14-year-old girl shot and killed in a clothing store dressing room when Los Angeles police fired at a suspect and a bullet pierced a wall. The body of Valentina Orellana-Peralta was displayed in an open casket

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — With inflation surging, unemployment falling and wages rising, some economists are warning that the Federal Reserve may have waited too long to reverse its ultra-low-rate policies — a delay that could put the economy at heightened risk. On Wednesday, the government is expected to report that

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

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to make California the first state to cover all low-income state residents under its Medicaid plan regardless of their immigration status. He’s also attempting to aid consumers and businesses hard hit by the pandemic and rising costs. The proposals Monday address what

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel has named Jesse Watters as host of a 7 p.m. Eastern opinion hour, leading in to its prime-time opinion lineup of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. The network has had a rotating series of guest hosts in the hour for

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union crime agency has been ordered to erase information related to individuals with no proven link to crime. The 27-nation bloc’s data protection watchdog said it reprimanded Europol two years ago for the continued storage of large volumes of such data but noted that the crime agency has not complied

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — This year’s tax filing season will begin on Jan. 24, 17 days earlier than last year. The Internal Revenue Service warned Monday that a resurgence of COVID-19 infections on top of less funding from Congress than the Biden administration had requested could make this filing season

By The Associated Press Airbus says aircraft deliveries are rising slightly and airlines are ordering more planes, showing that they are confident in the long-term outlook for air travel. For now, the pandemic is still hurting international air travel. Airbus, which is based in France, said Monday that it delivered 611 passenger jets in 2021,

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union auditors say that the hundreds of millions of euros that the bloc has poured into six Western Balkan nations to improve the rule of law there just doesn’t pay off. The study of the European Court of Auditors was published Monday and it shows that

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — In a few weeks, Robert Jordan will become the chief executive of Southwest Airlines, replacing Gary Kelly, the longest-serving CEO among major U.S. carriers. Jordan is a Southwest lifer — he joined the Dallas-based airline in 1988 and has risen through finance and strategy jobs to

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish opposition senator whose phone was hacked with advanced spyware has filed a civil suit against Poland’s ruling party leader. The senator is suing the official, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, for slander over comments suggesting he was placed under surveillance in connection to wrongdoing. Hours after the news was reported about the

BERLIN (AP) — Germany is blaming the collapse of a shipyard business on its Malaysia-based owner Genting Group, saying the conglomerate refused to contribute to a government bailout plan. The MV Werften shipyard in northeastern Germany filed for bankruptcy protection Monday after getting into financial difficulties over the construction of a massive cruise liner. The

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health secretary Xavier Becerra is ordering Medicare to reassess a big premium increase facing millions of enrollees this year. The increase was largely attributed to a pricey new Alzheimer’s drug with questionable benefits. Becerra’s directive on Monday comes days after drugmaker Biogen slashed the price of

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Italy is targeting the unvaccinated with a host of new coronavirus restrictions. As of Monday, proof of vaccination or a recent infection is required to access public transport, cafes, hotels, gyms and other popular venues. The new “super” health pass requirement eliminates the ability to access services

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia has been easing coronavirus restrictions after a decline in new infections while the fast-spreading omicron variant is yet to fully hit the country. The overnight curfew between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. was canceled Monday. The move allows bars and restaurants and others to stay open without restrictions. Only fully

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The British government says property developers must bear the cost of removing dangerous cladding that has left scores of apartment buildings at risk of fire, and thousands of residents facing steep bills to make their homes safe. The risk posed by some kinds of aluminum composite cladding

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Damage wrought by Hurricane Ida in the U.S. state of Louisiana and the flash floods that hit Europe last summer have helped make 2021 one of the most expensive years for natural disasters. Reinsurance company Munich Re said Monday that overall economic losses from natural disasters worldwide

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Take-Two Interactive, maker of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, is buying Zynga, maker of FarmVille and Words With Friends, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $12.7 billion. The acquisition announced Monday would wed a powerhouse in console gaming, Take-Two, with a mobile gaming company with an

By LIZ WESTON of NerdWallet Supply chain issues mean many people gave and received gift cards for the holidays. The more time that passes, though, the greater the likelihood that money will go unspent. Make a plan now to get value from your cards by either using, regifting or donating them. Try setting calendar reminders

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has embarked on a fourth term. He leads a coalition that took office Monday amid a nationwide coronavirus lockdown and policy challenges ranging from climate change and housing shortages to the future of agriculture. King Willem-Alexander formally swore in the

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Officials from Russia and the United States and its NATO allies will sit down for talks focusing on Moscow’s demand for Western security guarantees amid a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine. Russian and U.S. negotiators launched the talks in Geneva on Monday. They will be followed

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are sinking in cautious trading following a decline on Wall Street amid continuing worries about the omicron coronavirus variant, especially rising cases in China. Benchmarks are lower in Japan, Australia, South Korea and China. Asian markets also have their eyes on the U.S. Federal

The Associated Press The Labor Department issues its monthly index of consumer prices Wednesday. Delta Air Lines reports quarterly results Thursday. The Commerce Department serves up its December tally of U.S. retail sales Friday.

By SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Students in the nation’s third-largest school district will resume classes this week after leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union accepted a proposal with the district over COVID-19 safety protocols. Both sides had been locked in an increasingly bitter standoff that canceled classes for five days in the

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets are mixed after Wall Street fell on worries the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates as soon as March. Shanghai and Hong Kong advanced. Seoul and Sydney declined. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday. Oil prices rose. Investors were rattled last week

By SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago school leaders are canceling classes for a fourth day in the nation’s third-largest school district, taking the dispute with the teachers union over remote learning and COVID-19 protocols into another week. The announcement Sunday came as individual principals of some schools had already notified some parents

By KONSTANTIN MANENKOV and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — A top Russian diplomat has predicted “difficult” talks with the United States this week after holding a working dinner with U.S. officials in Geneva. The dinner Sunday was part of the kickoff to a string of meetings in three European cities this week with

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline dropped 2 cents over the past three weeks to $3.39 per gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey says Sunday that prices at the pump could start increasing again because crude oil costs are rising. Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Spider-Man’s box office dominance continued in its fourth weekend in theaters, adding another $33 million in ticket sales according to studio estimates on Sunday. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” now ranks as the sixth highest grossing film of all time in North America and the eighth globally. The only major

By DAVID PORTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A co-creator and promoter of the 1969 Woodstock music festival that served as a touchstone for generations of music fans, Michael Lang has died. A spokesperson for Lang’s family says the 77-year-old had been battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma and passed away Saturday in a New York City

PRAGUE Thousands of people have marched through the Czech Republic’s capital to protest against compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for certain groups and professions. The protesters gathered Sunday at central Wenceslas Square to question the efficiency of the vaccines and reject the vaccination of children before marching through the capital chanting “Freedom, freedom.” The previous government released

By FRANCIS KOKUTSE and KRISTA LARSON Associated Press ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — West African regional leaders have imposed new sanctions on Mali that suspend most commerce and financial aid to the country. Mali’s military rulers have said they would stay in power for four more years instead of holding elections next month as promised. The

By PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — The new head of a Massachusetts tribe says he intends to take a cautious approach to gambling while turning attention to social challenges and other economic opportunities for tribal members. Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Chairman Brian Weeden says a decision by the Biden administration last month to affirm

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — Omicron is shining a spotlight on the disparities between who gets paid sick days and who doesn’t. Nearly 80% of all private sector workers get at least one paid sick day, according to a national compensation survey of employee benefits conducted in March by the U.S. Bureau

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s ruling parties are hitting the brakes on plans for compulsory coronavirus vaccinations, saying it may take months for lawmakers to properly debate the contentious measure in parliament. German media reported that a bill may not pass both houses of parliament until April, and implementation could take

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Sri Lanka seeking to advance Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative as the island nation tries to rescue itself from a foreign currency and debt crisis, partly due to infrastructure built with Chinese loans that don’t generate revenue.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Attendance at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas fell more than 70% compared to its previous in-person event two years ago, its organizer said Saturday. The Consumer Technology Association said that more than 45,000 people attended the multi-day event on the Las Vegas Strip that ended Friday. More than 170,000

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s new space telescope has opened its gold-plated, flower-shaped mirror, the largest and most sensitive ever launched. The final part of the 21-foot mirror swung into place Saturday at flight controllers’ command, completing the unfolding of the James Webb Space Telescope. Webb is so

LAKE LYNN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a worker has died after a roof collapsed at a stone mine in southwestern Pennsylvania. The state Department of Environmental Protection says the collapse was reported Friday afternoon at Laurel Aggregates’ Lake Lynn Mine in Fayette County’s Springhill Township. Officials say the person was likely working inside equipment

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hundreds of people in Serbia have spent part of a holiday weekend blocking roads to protest plans for lithium mining in the Balkan country. The protests came a day after Orthodox Christians in Serbia and many other countries celebrated Christmas. The demonstrations took place on Saturday in the capital, Belgrade, and

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has asked Indian authorities to immediately release a journalist in disputed Kashmir, days after police arrested him for uploading a video clip of a protest against Indian rule. The media watchdog says it’s deeply disturbed by the arrest of Sajad Gul, an independent journalist

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico ended 2021 with an annualized inflation rate of 7.36%, the highest in 20 years. The national statistics institute said Friday that inflation in December was led by fresh food products, air travel and other rising costs. The institute said annual inflation had last been this high in 2001. Mexico’s central

By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press The Treasury Department says states and localities in November paid out the largest amount of rental assistance to cash-strapped tenants since the program began. The $2.9 billion paid out is the latest sign that the program’s early hiccups have been mostly been resolved and it is now turning its focus

NEW YORK (AP) — The third straight Pixar feature film will go straight to Disney+, the Walt Disney Co. announced Friday. “Turning Red” will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on March 11, the studio said. Kareem Daniel, chairman of distribution for Disney, cited the pandemic and the slower recovery for family films at the box office.

By STEFANIE DAZIO and BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Coast Guard has announced new safety rules following a deadly blaze that killed 34 people on a scuba diving boat off the California coast more than two years ago. The rules published last month in the Federal Register were prompted by the

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO NEW YORK (AP) — Companies that would be affected by a Biden administration vaccine-or-testing requirement for workers have largely remained on the sidelines while the Supreme Court considers whether the rule can be enforced. The requirement has faced numerous court challenges and was upheld last month by a three-judge panel with the

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Attendance at this week’s CES gadget show in Las Vegas fell more than 75% compared to its previous in-person event two years ago, according to the event’s organizer. The Consumer Technology Association said Friday that more than 40,000 people attended the multi-day event, compared to more than 170,000 for the last

The Associated Press Stocks ended lower on Wall Street Friday and Treasury yields rose as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve will stay on course to raise interest rates as soon as March. The S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury hit its highest level since

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Friday: T-Mobile, New York Times fall; WD-40, Papa John’s rise.

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

By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press President Joe Biden’s administration is giving state and local governments greater flexibility in spending $350 billion in federal COVID-19 aid. The new rules from the U.S. Treasury Department come nearly 10 months after Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act. Some cities and counties had said the initial rules

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the fastest years of job creation in U.S. history stumbled at the finish line in December. Hobbled by shortages of workers and persistent threats from the coronavirus, America’s employers added just 199,000 jobs last month — the lowest monthly haul since December 2020 and

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press President Joe Biden enters the midterm election year of 2022 determined to address what economists call a “supply” problem. There aren’t enough jobseekers or goods to meet the country’s needs. The mismatch has obscured the strong growth and 3.9% unemployment rate reported in Friday’s jobs report. That kind of performance

By LISA RATHKE Associated Press The state of Vermont says investment management company Merrill has agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle allegations over its handling of accounts used related to the fraud in various northern Vermont developments involving foreign investors’ money. A motion seeking approval of the settlement agreement was filed Thursday in federal

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press One of Pennsylvania’s biggest gas drillers is facing newer allegations of pollution in a rural community where it’s already charged with crimes for fouling residents’ drinking water wells with high levels of methane. Cabot Oil & Gas on Friday waived its right to a preliminary hearing on criminal charges that

By PATTY NIEBERG and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Colorado (AP) — In Colorado and other states hit by natural disasters this year, the pandemic has injected extra uncertainty and created more obstacles for families trying to rebuild. Shortages of workers and raw materials are making rebuilding slower and more expensive. In areas where real

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Rex Dearmont Rust, co-president of the Missouri-based media company Rust Communications, has died. The company’s flagship newspaper, the Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau, reported that Rust died Thursday evening after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 52. Rust grew up in Cape Girardeau and graduated from Harvard University in

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A  judge has awarded nearly $1 million in damages to the families of four fishermen who died when their Maine-based boat mysteriously sank off the Massachusetts coast in 2020. The 82-foot Portland, Maine-based Emmy Rose went down early Nov. 23, 2020, as it was heading to port after a seven-day fishing

PRAGUE (AP) — The new Czech government says it aims to phase out coal in energy production by 2033 while increasing the country’s reliance on nuclear and renewable sources. Coal-fired power plants currently generate almost 50% of total Czech electricity output. The previous government, headed by populist billionaire Andrej Babis, hadn’t approved any target for

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland is recalling its new ambassador to Prague after he criticized the country’s approach to a dispute with the Czech Republic over a state-run coal mine. In an interview released Thursday by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Ambassador Miroslaw Jasinski said Poland had showed a “lack of empathy, a lack of understanding

By ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is distributing an additional $4.5 billion in funds to help low-income Americans cover heating costs during a second pandemic winter, with cold-weather states receiving the largest share. That’s according to a state-by-state breakdown of funds being distributed under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the 19 countries that use the euro currency hit its highest level on record, led by surging food and energy costs. The European Union’s statistics office said Friday that consumer prices in the eurozone rose 5% in December compared with the previous year. That’s

BERLIN (AP) — Budget airline Ryanair says it will stop serving Germany’s busiest airport at the end of March and close its base there. Ryanair said Friday that it’s reallocating five planes it has based at Frankfurt Airport to other European airports that “have responded with lower airport charges to stimulate traffic recovery.” The airline

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China’s lockdowns of big cities to fight coronavirus outbreaks are prompting concerns about more disruptions for the economy after two makers of processor chips said their factories were affected. That adds to unease over the omicron variant’s global economic impact. Analysts warn Vietnam, Thailand and other

By STAN CHOE, DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Stocks ended lower on Wall Street Friday and Treasury yields rose as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve will stay on course to raise interest rates as soon as March. The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, and the yield on the 10-year Treasury hit its

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leader of Poland’s ruling conservative party has acknowledged that the country bought advanced spyware from the Israeli surveillance software maker NSO Group. But Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski denied the Pegasus software was being used to target his political opponents. Kaczynski said the secret

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has returned from space with hopes of new celestial investments. But he wants to first recover, as returning to life with gravity has proved heavier than he’d expected. Maezawa blasted off in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft along with a Russian cosmonaut on Dec.

By AMY TAXIN and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The difficulty finding coronavirus test kits in many parts of California and delays in getting results are causing increasing frustration and helping drive the surge of infections. In just two weeks, the number of people in California hospitalized with COVID more than doubled.

By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appears skeptical of the Biden administration’s authority to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation’s large employers. Fully vaccinated themselves for arguments Friday, the court’s six conservative justices appeared to view the administration’s requirement for businesses with at least

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s unemployment rate fell in December to a healthy 3.9% — a pandemic low — even as employers added a modest 199,000 jobs, evidence that they are struggling to fill jobs with many Americans still reluctant to return to the workforce. The drop in the

By HAVEN DALEY Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Colo. (AP) — Colorado authorities say last week’s wildfire caused $513 million in damage and destroyed 1,084 homes and structures. It’s the first estimate of economic damage for the Dec. 30 blaze, the most destructive wildfire in state history. Boulder County released the new totals Thursday after further assessing

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A 44-year-old man from China admitted in court that he stole a trade secret from Monsanto while he worked in Missouri. Federal prosecutors say Haitao Xiang, formerly of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Missouri to conspiracy to commit economic espionage. Federal prosecutors say Xiang transferred a trade

By DAVID KOENIG AP Business Writer Soon, Airbnb hosts in Oregon will only see the initials of some prospective renters, not their full names. It’s a move designed to prevent hosts from discriminating against people who they think might be Black based on their name. The initials-only policy takes effect Jan. 31 and will last

By CALEB JONES Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — The Monsanto company pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally using and storing agricultural chemicals in Hawaii, and will pay $12 million in fines. Monsanto was charged with 30 environmental crimes after allowing workers to go into corn fields on Oahu in 2020 after a product named Forfeit 280

By TALI ARBEL and JOE REEDY Associated Press The New York Times Co. is buying sports news site The Athletic for $550 million. It’s the Times’ latest move in its strategy to expand its audience of paying subscribers as the newspaper print ads business fades. The Times gained millions of subscribers during the Trump presidency

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government has requested a dispute resolution panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, because it claims the United States is improperly interpreting stricter regional content rules under the pact. The agreement, known as the USMCA, raised requirements for regional content to 75% of a vehicle’s value or components. Under

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Conagra, Humana fall; Stitch Fix, Lamb Weston rise.

The Associated Press More declines in big technology stocks pulled major indexes lower on Wall Street, driving the market further into the red on the first week of the year. The S&P 500 wobbled between gains and losses for much of the day before closing slightly lower. The Nasdaq and the Dow Jones Industrial Average

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A filing with state officials says the company that runs QVC is shutting down a North Carolina distribution center heavily damaged by a fire, putting nearly 2,000 people out of work. News outlets report that on Dec. 29, Qurate Retail Group filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining and Notification notice with

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A federal judge has given preliminary approval to a $34 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit against a chemical company over contamination of groundwater and soil in a southern Vermont community. The Bennington Banner reported this week that attorneys for the plaintiffs say notices are going out to hundreds of potential

By The Associated Press Airlines are responding to high sickout numbers during the pandemic by trimming their schedules. Alaska Airlines said Thursday that it will cut its schedule by about 10% for the rest of January. The move comes as nationwide flight cancellations top 2,100, the 12th straight day above 1,000. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines says

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

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Amnesty International says it has independently confirmed that an Israeli company’s powerful spyware was used to hack a Polish senator when he was running the opposition’s 2019 parliamentary election campaign. The Associated Press reported last month that an internet watchdog group at the University of Toronto

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Two former investment executives from Japan have pleaded guilty in Las Vegas in what prosecutors have called a $1.5 billion international Ponzi scheme with 10,000 victims in the U.S. and abroad. Junzo Suzuki and his son, Paul Suzuki, entered their pleas Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose in the past week to start the new year. They reached their highest level since May 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, yet remained historically low. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan increased to 3.22%

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — New data from the music industry confirms what a lot of people long suspected — 2021 was a very good year for Morgan Wallen, Adele and vinyl. MRC Data’s year-end report, presented in collaboration with Billboard, shows that Wallen’s “Dangerous: The Double Album” ended 2021

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fierce competition, low mortgage rates and soaring prices helped raise the amount borrowers took on to buy homes last year to an all-time high, eclipsing the mid-2000s housing bubble. Banks issued an estimated $1.61 trillion in home purchase loans last year, up about 9% from

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Growth in the U.S. service industry, where most Americans work, pulled back in December after expanding at a record pace the previous two months. The Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday that its monthly survey of service industries declined to a reading of 62

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince William has appealed for innovators around the world to submit nominations for his Earthshot Prize, a competition aimed at finding new ways to tackle climate change. William and his charity, The Royal Foundation, launched the prize in 2020 inspired by U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “Moonshot” speech that challenged

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prime minister has denounced a Facebook ban imposed on a far-right party for allegedly violating the social network’s rules on the fight against COVID-19 and hate speech. Facebook’s owner, Meta, removed the profile of Poland’s Confederation Freedom and Independence party on Wednesday, over posts criticizing vaccination and the wearing of

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Bed Bath & Beyond’s fiscal third-quarter loss widened, with the home goods retailer saying supply chain issues are continuing to squeeze its business. The Union, New Jersey-based company lost $276.4 million, or $2.78 per share, for the three months ended Nov. 27. That compares with a loss of $75

By BARRY HATTON Associated Press LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s government has announced new incentives for people to get COVID-19 booster shots. People who had a booster jab two weeks previously will from next Monday no longer need to show a negative coronavirus test result to attend events and enter places where it otherwise would

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe’s sky is filling up with near-empty flights that even airlines admit serve no purpose except securing valuable time slots at some of the world’s biggest airports. The practice comes as the European Union has committed to being a global leader in combating climate change and flights

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit surged to a near-record high of $80.2 billion in November as exports slowed  while imports jumped sharply. The  November deficit was 19.3% higher than the October deficit of $67.2 billion and was just below the all-time monthly record of $81.4 billion set