AP National Business

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — America’s casinos have won more money this year than ever before, according to figures released Thursday from a national gambling trade association. The American Gaming Association says U.S. casinos have already broken the record for most money won in a single year at over $44

General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary plans to start running a fully autonomous taxi service in San Francisco next year. Product development chief Doug Parks told analysts Thursday that he has ridden in a Cruise vehicle with no driver, and the company is very close to deploying the service. He said the technology is coming

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer Inside the bustling New York Common Pantry, people hustle to assemble bags of carrots, apples, potatoes and other items. Outside the food pantry, others are hauling deliveries or handing out produce to people lined around the block of the Manhattan-based charity. More people are volunteering at the pantry this

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE Associated Press The U.S. is expanding COVID-19 boosters, opening a third dose of Pfizer’s vaccine to people as young as age 16. The U.S. and many other nations already urge adults to get a booster to pump up their immunity months after initial vaccination. In the U.S., the Pfizer

By MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general is seeking former President Donald Trump’s testimony in an ongoing civil investigation into his business practices, a person familiar with the matter said. Attorney General Letitia James’ office has requested that Trump sit for a deposition on Jan. 7, according to

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ overall income has accelerated since the pandemic, but so has inflation — and a new poll finds that far more people are noticing the higher prices than the pay gains. Two-thirds say their household costs have risen since the pandemic, compared with

OLD TOWN, Maine (AP) — A Maine paper mill is asking local residents for cardboard to turn into packaging because of the rising cost of the raw materials it typically uses. ND Paper in Old Town uses cardboard and corrugated containers to create pulp that is later used to make packaging. A representative for the

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer Newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises has rejected a takeover offer from the Alden Global Capital hedge fund that is one of the largest newspaper owners in the country with a reputation for intense cost cuts and layoffs. Lee said Thursday that its board unanimously rejected Alden’s offer to buy the

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press Three ocean drones were launched from Rhode Island to travel along the Gulf Stream, collecting data in tough winter conditions that would be challenging for traditional ships with crews. Saildrone, headquartered in Alameda, California, makes autonomous surface vehicles powered by the wind and sun to measure climate quality data and

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors has taken two more steps to make sure it has the raw materials for the transition from petroleum to battery power, this time involving magnets for electric vehicle motors. On Thursday the company said it has a deal with MP Materials to supply rare earth metals and finished magnets for

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer The airline industry’s recovery is being tested this holiday season as passengers return in near pre-pandemic numbers. The resurgence in air travel is being fueled by pent-up demand and the availability of vaccines, along with an apparent lull in virus cases since summer’s big wave. The Transportation Security

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — The average interest rate on a long-term mortgage in the U.S. held firm again this week. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year, fixed rate home loan ticked down this week to 3.10% from 3.11% last week.

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Austria’s health minister says the country plans to impose fines of up to 3,600 euros (around $4,000) on people who flout a coronavirus vaccine mandate for all residents ages 14 and over that it aims to introduce in February. The government announced last month that it would

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in 52 years, more evidence that the U.S. job market is recovering from last year’s coronavirus recession. Unemployment claims dropped by 43,000 to 184,000 last week, the lowest since September 1968,

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer CVS Health is launching a plan to use telemedicine, new clinics and teams of doctors, nurses and pharmacists to push deeper into managing customer health. The health care giant on Thursday outlined a future that it expects to be defined by delivering care with what it sees as a

By KIYOKO METZLER Associated Press VIENNA (AP) — Negotiations between Iran and world powers aimed at salvaging a tattered 2015 nuclear deal have resumed in Vienna, with tensions high after Tehran made demands last week that European countries strongly criticized. The talks’ chairman said Wednesday that he detected “a renewed sense of purpose.” Diplomats from

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Last August, Vince Patton was watching a YouTube video of a Tesla owner who had made a startling observation: Tesla drivers could now play a video game on their car’s touch-screen dashboard — while the vehicle is moving. Curious to see for himself, Patton drove his

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — U.K. authorities are reporting an unprecedented jump in early season cases of avian flu in both domestic and wild birds. Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said Thursday that the government has confirmed 40 outbreaks of avian flu among poultry and other captive birds this year, resulting in

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China’s central bank is trying to restrain the rise of the yuan after the currency hit a 2 1/2-year high against the dollar. Commercial banks have been ordered to increase the amount of their foreign currency deposits that are held as reserves for the second time

By JAMEY KEATEN and MIKE CORDER Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization has expressed concerns that rich countries spooked by the emergence of the omicron variant could step up hoarding of COVID-19 vaccines and strain global supplies again. It said Thursday that could complicate efforts to stamp out the pandemic. The U.N.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s government has ordered nightclubs, bars and restaurants to close at midnight in an attempt to counter an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said students up to the 10th grade must study remotely for the last few days before Christmas break and banned concerts where the audiences have

MILAN (AP) — Italian bank UniCredit has announced a three-year business plan that includes distributing some 16 billion euros to shareholders from 2022 to 2024. The plan released Thursday under new CEO Andrea Orcel also calls for raising net profit to 4.5 billion euros by 2024, from a targeted 3.3 billion this year. The bank’s

By KATIA IERVASI of NerdWallet Along with basic expenses like food and toys, new pet owners need to prepare for the cost of medical care. Each year, dog owners spend an average of $242 on routine visits to a veterinarian and $458 on surgical visits, and cat owners spend slightly less, according to the American

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s Parliament has approved a plan to give people 60 and older up to 300 euros ($339) if they are vaccinated against COVID-19. The measure should boost inoculations in the European Union country with one of the bloc’s lowest vaccination rates. It should also help the struggling health care system amid

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison personally knows about racism. He grew up in segregated rural Tennessee. His father was a sharecropper-turned-insurance salesman and his mother was one of the first in their family to graduate from high school. Today, Ellison stands out as one of only

By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of Indian farmers have suspended a year-long protest after the government withdrew contentious farm laws and set up a committee to consider their other demands, including guaranteed prices for key crops and the withdrawal of criminal cases against the protesters. Farmers started removing their tents

MILAN (AP) — Italy’s anti-trust authority has fined Amazon 1.13 billion euros, accusing the company of exploiting its dominant position against independent sellers on its website in violation of European Union competition rules. Thursday’s fine is one of the largest leveraged in Europe against the online retail giant, which expanded in particular in Italy during

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China’s central bank governor says financial markets can cope with the impact of a real estate developer that is struggling to avoid defaulting on $310 billion in debt. Yi Gang’s comments to a Hong Kong seminar added to indications Beijing has no plans to bail out

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — A new European Union plan to improve conditions for the growing number of gig economy workers could mean millions more of them are classified as employees entitled to benefits. It’s the latest setback for digital platforms that rely on independent contractors to deliver food and offer

By SYLVIE CORBET The Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French President Macron has vowed to work to make Europe “more powerful” as France’s turn in the European Union’s rotating six-month presidency starts Jan. 1 and overlaps with the country’s presidential election. Macron said Thrusday that France plans to use its EU tenure to promote “a

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has reached a political agreement to extend cuts to costly mobile-phone roaming costs in the bloc for another decade. It affects travel for tens of millions of EU citizens. The deal will allow EU consumers to continue to make mobile calls, send text messages and use the internet in

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s rugged Lost Coast is about to become less forbidding. A conservation group on Thursday says it plans to purchase a 5-mile stretch of the scenic coastline from a lumber company to protect it from logging and eventually open it up to the public. Save the

By OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI and YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press MORSHYN, Ukraine (AP) — A small spa town in western Ukraine is standing out in a country where only 29% of the population has received coronavirus vaccine shots. In Morshyn, a scenic town nestled at the Carpathian foothills, 74% of 3,439 residents have been fully vaccinated. While

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s government believes it has come up with a unique plan to end tobacco smoking — a lifetime ban for those aged 14 or younger. Under a new law the government plans to pass next year, the minimum age to buy cigarettes would keep

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — A new report group says digital contact tracing apps, artificial intelligence and other tech tools that European governments rolled out to combat COVID-19 failed to play a key role in solving the pandemic and now threaten to make such monitoring widely accepted. The nonprofit research group

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street lower as a rally cooled and investors waited for U.S. inflation data that might influence a Federal Reserve decision on when to roll back economic stimulus. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney all retreated. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press DAVIS, Calif. (AP) — Food waste is California’s next target as the state seeks to lower greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Banana peels, leftover veggies and other food scraps are among organic materials that emit methane as they decay in landfills. California wants to stop that by banning

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Once-lionized entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes wrapped up seven days of testimony Wednesday in her criminal fraud trial, defending her actions as CEO of the startup Theranos. The company she founded soared on the promise of its innovative blood-testing technology only to crash in a sordid

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Starbucks workers at a store in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize on Thursday, the latest sign that the labor movement is stirring after decades of decline. The National Labor Relations Board said Thursday that workers voted 19-8 in favor of a union

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — The U.S. has ordered an arms embargo on Cambodia, citing deepening Chinese military influence, corruption and human rights abuses in the Southeast Asian country. The added restrictions on defense related goods and services, issued by the State and Commerce departments, are due to take effect Thursday.

By SARAH RANKIN Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin is promising to use his executive powers to withdraw the commonwealth from a multistate carbon cap-and-trade program he says has overburdened ratepayers and businesses. Youngkin said during a speech Wednesday that he would pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Native corporations face a year-end deadline to use federal coronavirus relief funds that the U.S. Supreme Court in late June ruled they were entitled to. But an official with the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association says some corporations have yet to receive funds and others

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Cryptocurrency executives went to Capitol Hill Wednesday to say their fast-growing industry understands more regulation is likely coming, but they don’t want it to squelch the next wave of the internet or send it offshore to other countries. Leaders from major crypto exchanges, mining and

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials have authorized a new COVID-19 antibody drug for people with serious health problems or allergies who can’t get adequate protection from vaccination. The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use Wednesday to the drug combo made by AstraZeneca. The drug could benefit cancer patients,

The Associated Press Stocks ended modestly higher on Wall Street Wednesday after a day of choppy trading. The S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.6%. Communications and health care stocks made solid gains, along with travel-related companies. Smaller company stocks outpaced the rest of the market. 

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: PagerDuty, Raytheon rise; Stitch Fix, Vera Bradley fall.

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer In a blog post titled “No Dollar Signs This Time,” billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott said she won’t reveal how much she has given to charity since her last round of donations earlier this year, in an effort to reduce the attention she draws. Scott, whose fortunes is estimated by

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has narrowly approved a resolution to nullify the Biden administration’s requirement that businesses with 100 or more workers have their employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus or submit to weekly testing. The Democratic-led House is unlikely to take it up, which means the mandate would

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — The billionaire daughter of the Publix Super Markets founder has died after having early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 65. Publix announced Wednesday that Carol Jenkins Barnett died Tuesday night at her home in Lakeland, Florida. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016. Barnett was one of seven children of Publix founder

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

By BRIAN MELLEY and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A report filed with federal regulators reveals the offshore pipeline that spilled tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil off the Southern California coast in October did not have a fully functioning leak detection system. The report was filed by pipeline operator,

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced tighter restrictions to stem the spread of the omicron variant. He is again urging people to work from home and mandating COVID-19 passes to get into nightclubs and large events. Johnson said it was time to impose stricter measures to

By MATT O’BRIEN and FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writers Robotic vacuum cleaners wouldn’t start. Doorbell cameras stopped watching for package thieves, though some of those deliveries were canceled anyway. Netflix and Disney movies got interrupted and The Associated Press had trouble publishing the news. A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network Tuesday severely disrupted

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer Canadian Pacific’s $31 billion plan to acquire Kansas City Southern cleared one of its final hurdles Wednesday when CP shareholders overwhelmingly approved the deal that would create the first railroad connecting the United States, Canada and Mexico. The ownership of the Missouri-based railroad is expected to change next Tuesday

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — An assembly line of holiday films to make the heart sing is the Hallmark Channel’s blueprint, and it works every year like mistletoe or eggnog. Two new Hallmark movies, “A Very Merry Bridesmaid” and “Sister Swap: Hometown Holidays,” both debuted to nearly 3 million viewers

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Trying to defuse large protests by environmentalists, Serbia’s populist government has decided to suspend two key laws that would help mining giant Rio Tinto launch a lithium mine in western Serbia. For two consecutive weekends, thousands of protesters in Belgrade and elsewhere have blocked main roads

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The defense team for fallen Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has rested its case in Holmes’ criminal fraud trial, setting up several days of preparation before closing arguments begin. Those arguments are scheduled to be held December 16-17. The case could be turned over to the

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A new $56,000-a-year Alzheimer’s medication that’s leading to one of the biggest increases ever in Medicare premiums is highlighting the limitations of President Joe Biden’s strategy for curbing prescription drug costs. The medication known as Aduhelm would be protected from Medicare price negotiations for more than a

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s government has eased the current lockdown for vaccinated people and those who have recovered from COVID-19. Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky says starting on Friday, all shops will reopen for those two groups people, including services such as hairdressers. Ski resorts and fitness centers will also be open for a limited

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines says travel was strong over Thanksgiving and that momentum is carrying into December. The airline said Wednesday that as a result, it expects to report a profit in the fourth quarter. Southwest says revenue is still below pre-pandemic levels, but it’s higher than the

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Australia’s foreign minister has started a European tour in Athens. Marise Payne on Wednesday welcomed a recent initiative by the European Union to boost its presence in the Indo-Pacific region despite a spat with EU member France over the cancellation of a major submarine order. The initiative was announced in September

PARIS (AP) — A junior finance minister has quit the French government after being convicted of failing to declare all his wealth and income. The office of Alain Griset said in a statement Wednesday that he has appealed the court decision. But he submitted his resignation pending the appeal. The unusual conviction is a stain

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnia’s security minister has been formally charged with malfeasance and corruption over the irregular sale of weapons and military equipment a decade ago when he held the post of defense minister. The Balkan country’s top court on Wednesday confirmed the indictment against Selmo Cikotic. It is charging him of depriving the

By SUMAN NAISHADHAM and MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A revamped federal flood insurance program means higher rates for many homeowners — including in areas where coverage isn’t required because the government previously deemed them low or moderate risk. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says that 90% of the 1.7 million single family

By MARCY GORDON and BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of Instagram, appearing before a Senate panel, met with deep skepticism over new measures the platform is adopting to protect young users nd the company’s commitment to transparency. Adam Mosseri faced off with senators angry over revelations of how the photo-sharing

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Austria’s new chancellor says the country’s fourth national lockdown will end on Sunday but that lockdown restrictions will remain in place for the unvaccinated. Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Wednesday the end of the lockdown will be a “opening with a seatbelt,” meaning some measures, such as an

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union wants to set up a system of trade sanctions that it could impose on any foreign power it accuses of trying to coerce the 27-country bloc for economic or political gain. The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, wants to be able to react

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina city is planning to put up a historical marker to commemorate a nightclub that hosted Black musicians and patrons in the segregated South. The city of Clemson purchased the marker in honor of the Littlejohn Grill. The venue opened after World War II and stayed open until the

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Building materials maker Kingspan says it has agreed with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One racing team to end a partnership deal after protests from families of people who died in a high-rise fire in London. The company said in a statement that it was “ deeply aware

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Pfizer says a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appears to offer important protection against the new omicron variant. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech tested how well vaccine-produced antibodies could neutralize omicron in lab dishes. They found significant weakening after the standard two doses. But a booster dose increased

MILES BRANMAN Edmunds (AP) — One of the perks of buying a new vehicle is that it offers features that promise a safer and more convenient driving experience. Some technologies have trickled down from luxury to mainstream segments, while others have been introduced quickly across the market. But which features are essential? In this week’s

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization’s European region has recorded a slight drop in both COVID-19 cases and deaths last week after facing a string of weekly increases. The U.N. health agency also noted figures showing that all the 212 confirmed cases of the omicron variant so far identified in 18 European Union countries

By BUSABA SIVASOMBOON Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Supreme Court has affirmed a three-year, two-month prison sentence for a top construction tycoon in connection with a poaching incident in a wildlife sanctuary in which a black panther was shot and cooked over a campfire. Premchai Karnasuta is president of Italian-Thai Development PLC, one of

By AMANDA BARROSO of NerdWallet It’s easy to go overboard on gifts for your kids for the holidays, but the result could be a drained bank account and an overstuffed toy bin come January. Money and child development experts point out that setting a holiday spending budget keeps your finances in check and could help

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Olaf Scholz has become Germany’s ninth post-World War II chancellor, opening a new era for the European Union’s most populous nation and largest economy after Angela Merkel’s 16-year tenure. Scholz’s government takes office with high hopes of modernizing Germany and combating climate change but faces the immediate

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Angela Merkel is credited with raising Germany’s profile and influence and working to hold a fractious European Union together. She also been lauded for managing a string of crises and being a role model for women in a near-record tenure that ends with her leaving office amid

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Olaf Scholz has taken over as Germany’s new chancellor at the head of a three-party coalition government, ending the 16-year era of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel. Scholz will lead a 17-member Cabinet with one more minister than Merkel’s team. Green co-leader Robert Habeck will become vice chancellor.

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The European diplomat chairing nuclear talks between Iran and world powers says negotiations in Vienna will resume Thursday. Enrique Mora tweeted Wednesday that the parties to the 2015 Vienna accord will meet in the Austrian capital after consulting with their governments in recent days. European diplomats had

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized and ordered an inquiry after a leaked video showed senior members of his staff joking about holding a lockdown-breaching Christmas party. The video has poured fuel on allegations that Conservative government officials flouted coronavirus rules they imposed on everyone else.

By GRANT PECK Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Facebook’s parent company Meta has announced a new ban on postings linked to Myanmar’s military to include all pages, groups, and accounts representing military-controlled businesses. It had already banned advertising from such businesses in February. The February action, which also banned military and military-controlled state and media

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German police and customs officers have conducted dozens of raids and arrested at least nine people in a crackdown on the alleged human trafficking of temporary workers from outside the European Union. Authorities say they are investigating around 20 suspects for suspected involvement in allegedly forging EU

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street higher as investors wait for U.S. inflation data that might influence the Federal Reserve’s decision on when to roll back economic stimulus. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney advanced. Tokyo declined. Wall Street rose for a third day as

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A company once owned by “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli will pay up to $40 million to settle allegations that it jacked up the price of a life-saving medication by roughly 4 ,000% after obtaining exclusive rights to the drug. The Federal Trade Commission announced the settlement Tuesday. The FTC and seven

By FRANK BAJAK and BARBARA ORTUTAY Associated Press Amazon’s cloud-service network suffered a major outage Tuesday, disrupting access to many popular sites. The service provides remote computing services to many companies, governments and universities and companies, including The Associated Press. For roughly five hours, companies dependent on Amazon’s web services network to run their operations

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has downgraded its growth estimate for the last quarter, saying weaker consumer spending and trade resulted in a 3.6% contraction. The government’s revised estimate Tuesday compared with an earlier estimate of minus 3.0% growth. The world’s third-largest economy has been mired in recession and struggling to recover from the impact of

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has downgraded its growth estimate for the last quarter, saying weaker consumer spending and trade resulted in a 3.6% contraction. The government’s revised estimate Tuesday compared with an earlier estimate of minus 3.0% growth. The world’s third-largest economy has been mired in recession and struggling to recover from the impact of

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer A spokesperson for the company that runs the philanthropy of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, said the company is investing up to $3.4 billion to advance human health over 10 to 15 years. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, or CZI, announced Tuesday its new effort is aiming

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Federal investigators say a dredge operator’s inadequate communication, planning, and risk management likely led to a propane pipeline blast at a Texas port that killed five people last year. The National Transportation Safety Board reported its findings Tuesday on the August 2020 explosion in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The

By MATTHEW DALY and DAVID PITT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has lowered annual production requirements for ethanol and other biofuels to account for reduced demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, the administration is moving to reject requests by small oil refineries to be exempted from

By CALEB JONES Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Flash flood warnings have been canceled for Hawaii, but the threat of heavy rain is persisting as a slow-moving storm system lingers over parts of the state. Rain was tapering off on Oahu on Tuesday, but bands of precipitation were still possible. And the threat of heavy

By RANDALL CHASE Associated Press DOVER, Del. (AP) — The judge presiding over the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy issued a ruling Tuesday removing a former Delaware bankruptcy judge as a mediator. The judge said she was compelled to remove Kevin Carey after the Boy Scouts named him as the initial “special reviewer” who would

By FRANK BAJAK and BARBARA ORTUTAY Associated Press Amazon’s cloud-service network suffered a major outage Tuesday, disrupting access to many popular sites. The service provides remote computing services to many companies, governments and universities and companies, including The Associated Press. For roughly five hours, companies dependent on Amazon’s web services network to run their operations

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — One of the nation’s largest health insurance companies and its branches in Nevada have been found liable for $60 million in punitive damages for underpaying out-of-network emergency medical providers. A state court jury says three plaintiffs headed by urgent care staffing service TeamHealth should each receive

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Intel, AutoZone rise; Clorox, HealthEquity fall.