AP National Business

By ROSALIE MURPHY of NerdWallet Many small businesses close within a few years of opening. If that’s true for yours, work with a lawyer or financial adviser to make sure you shut down correctly. Take time to care for yourself and mourn the loss. Then, perform a postmortem to understand what mistakes you made, what

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s Central Bank has cut interest rates by 1 percentage point a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against high borrowing rates. The lira dropped to a new record low of 11.07 against the dollar following Thursday’s announcement, continuing a long run of losses. The rate cut comes despite

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press The Biden administration is helping to distribute several billion dollars in aid for winter heating and utility bills. The money comes largely from the administration’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. It provides an additional $4.5 billion for the government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which typically has funding of

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Starbucks and Amazon are teaming up on a grab-and-go store format. The Seattle-based companies will open their first Starbucks Pickup with Amazon Go location on Thursday in New York. At least two more New York locations are planned for next year. The stores offer the full Starbucks menu as

NEW DELHI (AP) — Air pollution remains extremely high in the Indian capital a day after authorities closed schools indefinitely and shut some power stations to reduce smog that has blanketed the city for much of the month. On Thursday, New Delhi’s air quality was in the “very poor” category. The annual winter spike in

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets are higher after Wall Street hit a record and Japanese inflation eased. Market benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo and Sydney advanced. Hong Kong declined. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index advanced 0.3%, putting it on track for a weekly gain. Investors are shifting focus

By SAM McNEIL and VICTORIA MILKO Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Years after coming under scrutiny for contributing to ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar, Facebook still has problems detecting and moderating hate speech and misinformation on its platform in the Southeast Asian nation, internal documents viewed by The Associated Press show. In March

By SAM McNEIL and VICTORIA MILKO Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Years after coming under scrutiny for contributing to ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar, Facebook still has problems detecting and moderating hate speech and misinformation on its platform in the Southeast Asian nation, internal documents viewed by The Associated Press show. In March

By SAM McNEIL and VICTORIA MILKO Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Years after coming under scrutiny for contributing to ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar, Facebook still has problems detecting and moderating hate speech and misinformation on its platform in the Southeast Asian nation, internal documents viewed by The Associated Press show. In March

By AAMER MADHANI, ROB GILLIES, and MARIA VERZA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has joined with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to revive what used to be a North American tradition before the Trump presidency. Together they made the case Thursday that their nations can work together and show that “democracies

Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s highest court rejected on Wednesday a challenge by Monsanto Co. to $86.2 million in damages to a couple who developed cancer after spraying the company’s Roundup weed-killer in their yards for 30 years. The state Supreme Court’s denial of review essentially upholds an appeals court’s ruling in favor

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX is aiming to launch its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship to orbit in January. That’s the latest from SpaceX founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk. He provided the update Wednesday night during a space science conference held virtually. Musk isn’t betting on success for that

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is extending through May a timeline to decide how or whether to proceed with proposed restrictions on mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. The agency’s acting regional administrator says the extension will allow time to consider available information and determine the next steps, which

By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quentin Tarantino’s attorney says he has every right to create and sell a series of “Pulp Fiction” NFTs. The statement Tuesday from lawyer Bryan Freedman comes a day after Miramax filed a lawsuit over the director’s plans to create and auction off a series of

By DIANE JEANTET Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s government has rolled out a new welfare program, temporarily ensuring much needed financial help for millions of families while also worrying experts because funding and other details have yet to be determined. The program will provide a monthly stipend of around 224 reais ($40)

By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A licensed cannabis grower, a vineyard owner and a sheriff were among witnesses who testified this week before a committee of the Oregon Legislature, in an effort to seek help in stemming the proliferation of illegal grow sites in southern Oregon. One lawmaker told the committee

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The massive infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed this week includes billions of dollars to address long-standing issues with water and sanitation on tribal land. The Indian Health Service says it will consult with tribes on how best to use the $3.5 billion. The amount

The Associated Press Stock indexes shuffled lower on Wall Street Wednesday, pulling a bit further off their record heights. The S&P 500 fell and is sitting just below its all-time high set a week and a half ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq also fell. Gains for some heavyweight stocks helped soften the

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Visa, Target fall; TJX, Varex Imaging rise.

BOSTON (AP) — Pandemic-weary workers at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts are holding a one-day strike over stalled contract negotiations with management. Members of the Museum of Fine Arts Union picketed outside the museum Wednesday. The union has said workers are concerned about pay, safety, workplace diversity and job growth. The union represents public-facing staff,

By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s high court says district administrators overreached when they permanently expelled a 17-year-old high school student for sending Snapchat messages that referred to another student as a potential school shooter. The justices ruled Wednesday that such communications must be analyzed in context and the primary focus

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Apple is letting some iPhone users fix their own phones, a sharp turnaround for a company that has long prohibited anyone except Apple-approved technicians from fiddling with its proprietary parts and software. The company said Wednesday it will enable users of two of the newest iPhone models and later

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

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk is selling more Tesla shares than he needs to pay current tax obligations. Experts say he’s either converting part of his fortune from stock to cash, or he’s saving for bigger tax bills due next year. As of early Wednesday, Musk had sold roughly

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is recalling more than 238,000 Camry sedans mainly in North America because they can suddenly lose the power assist in the brake system. The recall covers certain midsize sedans from the 2018 and 2019 model years. Toyota said Wednesday in a statement that some brake system components can wear prematurely. If

By DON THOMPSON Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California officials are asking the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a ruling that rejected the state’s first-in-the-nation ban on for-profit private prisons and immigration detention facilities. Last month’s ruling by a three-judge appellate panel maintained a key piece of the nation’s detention

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s red-hot sports betting industry smashed its own national record in October for the highest amount of bets taken in a single month, topping $1.3 billion. That figure easily surpassed the just over $1 billion worth of bets that Atlantic City’s nine casinos and

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Battery-powered vehicles will get top billing at the Los Angeles Auto Show opening this week after a year’s hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Subaru will unveil its first all-electric vehicle, a smallish SUV named the Solterra. VinFast is a Vietnamese automaker that plans to start selling in the U.S. next

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium has extended the use of facemasks and mandatory remote work in an attempt to contain a new surge of COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Wednesday that facemasks would be mandatory in crowded places for those 10 and older and that remote work, where

By JOSH FUNK and TOM KRISHER AP Business Writers DETROIT (AP) — Deere workers approved a new contract Wednesday that will deliver 10% raises immediately and end a monthlong strike for more than 10,000 employees. The United Auto Workers union members voted 61% in favor of the deal with the tractor maker. It was the

By ERIC TUCKER, ALAN SUDERMAN and FRANK BAJAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — An advisory issued by officials in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia warns that hackers linked to the Iranian government have been targeting a “broad range of victims” inside the U.S. with ransomware and other malicious cyber activity. The advisory says

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden nominated Saule Omarova to be the nation’s next comptroller of the currency in September. If confirmed, she would be the first woman and person of color to run the 158-year-old agency. But Omarova’s nomination to a typically low-profile agency has drawn intense

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic and Slovakia have both reported record daily new coronavirus cases. The Czech daily tally soared to 22,479 new cases, eclipsing the previous record set Jan. 7 and nearly 8,000 more than just a week ago. Slovakia’s 8,342 new virus cases broke a record set

By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A sculpture sponsored by Amazon Web Services that uses artificial intelligence to integrate viewers’ feelings into the artwork is being featured at the Smithsonian. The sculpture is called “me + you.” It listens to what you have to say about the future and renders your sentiment in

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A U.S. appeals court has reinstated a ban on lobster harvesting in hundreds of miles of productive fishing waters off the Maine coast to try to protect rare whales. The Maine Lobstering Union had won emergency relief to stop the closure of lobstering grounds. Federal regulators

DETROIT (AP) — Volkswagen Group is recalling more than 240,000 Audi vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because an electric cable problem can cause a computer to disable the passenger air bag. The recall covers certain 2017 through 2020 Audi A4, RS5, A5, S4 and S5 models. VW says in documents filed with the U.S.

LONDON (AP) — The European Union’s drug regulator says it received an application from Novavax to authorize the American biotechnology company’s coronavirus vaccine. In a statement on Wednesday, the European Medicines Agency said it had begun evaluating data submitted by Novavax for its two-dose vaccine. The agency says an expedited review process could produce a

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Construction of new homes in the U.S. fell 0.7% in October, a sign that builders are still facing difficulties keeping up with demand as supply chain problems persist. The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that October’s decline put home construction at a seasonally adjusted annual

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Defense lawyers in the Vatican’s fraud and extortion trial have accused prosecutors of again withholding pieces of evidence, including an alleged interrogation of Pope Francis. The allegation brought the pontiff’s own role in a flawed London property investment back before a Vatican city-state tribunal. The court’s

By KATHERINE ROTH Associated Press With concern about climate change growing, this holiday season is a chance to try celebrating in more planet-friendly ways. Simple changes to the way we gift wrap, send cards, decorate and entertain can cut out a lot of waste. And often save money in the process. For instance, when gift

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is making billions of dollars available to drugmakers to scale up domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines. It hopes that will build capacity to produce an additional 1 billion shots per year to share globally as well as prepare for the next pandemic. Under the

DETROIT (AP) — Stellantis is recalling more than 240,000 diesel heavy-duty trucks mainly in North America to fix fuel pumps that can fail and cause engine stalling. The recall covers certain 2019 and 2020 heavy-duty pickups and chassis cab trucks equipped with 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engines. The recall comes about a month after the National

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles will be renamed Crypto.com Arena on Christmas. The home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the NHL’s Kings and the WNBA’s Sparks will change its name after 22 years. A person with knowledge of the naming rights deal

By MIKE SCHMIDT Edmunds For years the Honda Odyssey sat atop the pile as Edmunds’ top-rated minivan. It defined what a good minivan should be. Then 2021 came and every key minivan brand was updated. One was all new: the Kia Carnival. Carnival used the Odyssey formula and added its own personality. So how does

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — India’s startup Akasa Air has announced it’s choosing CFM International’s LEAP-1B turbofan engines to power its newly bought Boeing 737 Max jets, a deal valued at some $4.5 billion. The companies on Wednesday struck the agreement, which includes spare engines and long-term servicing, at the Dubai Air Show, the

By JACKIE VELING of NerdWallet Buy now, pay later payment plans often promise no interest or hidden fees, which can make them a tempting financing option for shoppers. But unlike traditional lenders, some of the popular buy now, pay later providers don’t report on-time payments to the major credit bureaus, meaning you can’t use these

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Target delivered another quarter of strong results, overcoming a slew of challenges from inflationary pressures to congested ports. Third-quarter profits rose nearly 47%, while sales increased 13.2%, both exceeding expectations, and the Minneapolis company raised projections for fourth-quarter comparable store sales. Target joins Walmart heading

LONDON (AP) — Amazon says it will stop accepting Visa credit cards issued in the United Kingdom because of a dispute over fees. The online retail giant said in a message Wednesday to customers that they won’t be able to use them starting Jan. 19. It blamed “the high fees Visa charges for processing credit

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Consumer prices in the United Kingdom surged at the fastest rate in nearly a decade in October amid soaring energy costs. The development Wednesday has cemented market expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates next month. The Office for National Statistics says inflation accelerated

BERLIN (AP) — A pig farm in northern Germany is culling all of its animals after a case of African swine fever was confirmed there this week. The outbreak about 115 miles northwest of Berlin is the first at a large pig farm in Germany. Cases in wild boars were first reported in Germany last

By SHEIKH SAALIQ and SHONAL GANGULY Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in New Delhi have closed schools indefinitely and shut some coal-based power plants to combat worsening pollution while the top court considers a lockdown. It would be a first of its kind in the country to stem pollution and not to control

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares have mostly declined after indexes shuffled lower on Wall Street. Benchmarks fell in early trading in Japan, China and South Korea, but edged up in Australia. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 0.3% after earlier drifting between tiny gains and declines. It’s sitting

By DAVID McHUGH and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe is short of gas. Russia could in theory supply more beyond its long-term agreements, but hasn’t, leading to accusations it’s holding back to pressure Europe to approve a controversial new Russian pipeline. U.S. officials have urged Moscow to boost gas supplies to

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Trade Representative Katharine Tai and Japan’s trade minister have agreed to work to resolve a dispute over American tariffs on steel and aluminum as part of a framework for deeper cooperation. Tai and Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda met Wednesday for talks that followed a

By AAMER MADHANI and TOM KRISHER Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — President Joe Biden is highlighting billions of dollars in his big new infrastructure deal to pay for the installation of electric vehicle chargers across the country. It’s an investment Biden says will go a long way in curbing planet-warming carbon emissions while creating good-paying

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — In the cryptocurrency world, which gets likened to the Wild West of financial markets, one of the industry’s major players is asking for a sheriff. Binance, the world’s largest exchange for trading Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, says it’s time for global regulators to establish rules

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, doesn’t try to explain why some cryptos started purely as a joke have surged so much in price. He also doesn’t want to say if that’s an indication of a dangerous bubble. But Changpeng Zhao does

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — More than a decade after a methane explosion killed 29 workers at a New Zealand coal mine, police say they have finally found at least two of the bodies thanks to new camera images. But authorities say the depths of the Pike River mine remain

BEIJING (AP) — China and the U.S. have agreed to ease restrictions on each other’s journalists amid a slight easing of tensions between the two sides. The announcement in the official China Daily newspaper on Wednesday says the agreement was reached ahead of Tuesday’s virtual summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe

By KEN MORITSUGU and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — China has welcomed a virtual meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden as raising hopes for better relations, while the U.S. was more muted on the talks. The video conference, which took place Tuesday morning in Beijing and Monday evening in

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a plan to protect and promote technologies critical to the country’s national interest, in a challenge to China’s emerging dominance in key strategic fields. Morrison told a virtual conference the initial focus will be on nine critical technologies on

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Joe Biden last month announced a deal to operate the Port of Los Angeles around the clock to break a massive backlog of cargo that’s driving up prices for consumers. But it hasn’t happened yet. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators have proposed suspending a Trump administration rule that would have allowed railroads to haul liquefied natural gas while they take a closer look at the potential safety risks. The rule, which was backed by both the natural gas and freight rail industries, had

By MARCY GORDON AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s choice to lead enforcement of competition laws at the Justice Department has won Senate approval. The vote comes as Biden’s administration pursues action against outsized market power it has condemned in several industries, including Big Tech, health care, airlines and agriculture. The vote

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress Tuesday that she believed she would run out of maneuvering room to avoid the nation’s first-ever default soon after Dec. 15. In a letter to congressional leaders, Yellen said that she believed Treasury could be left with insufficient resources to

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A book about a wealthy American family whose actions helped unleash the United States’ opioid epidemic has won Britain’s leading nonfiction book prize. Patrick Radden Keefe’s “Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty” was awarded the 50,000 pound ($67,000) Baillie Gifford Prize during a

By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A small city in the top U.S. coal-mining state of Wyoming will be home to a Bill Gates-backed experimental nuclear power project near a coal-fired power plant scheduled to close soon. Officials with Bellevue, Washington-based TerraPower announced Tuesday they will build the Natrium plant in Kemmerer,

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer Twitter users will soon see new warning labels on false and misleading tweets, redesigned to make them more effective and less confusing. The labels, which the company has been testing since July, are an update from those Twitter used for election misinformation before and after the 2020 presidential contest.

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix on Tuesday rolled out a new website that measures its most-watched films and series by the amount of hours users spend watching them. The results? People are watching “Squid Game” and the new action film “Red Notice” maybe even more than you would have

The Associated Press Wall Street closed higher Tuesday as investors reviewed solid earnings reports from retailers and an encouraging update on consumer spending. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.8%. Home Depot rose 5.7% after the home improvement retailer reported surging sales and solid profits

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has announced he’s suing the founders of an e-cigarette maker over his concerns that their product is being marketed to children through kid-friendly flavors and poor age verification. Stein said at a news conference Monday that he is suing Juul founders James Monsees and Adam

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Axon, Peloton rise; Desktop Metal, Freeport-McMoRan fall.

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

By DAN PARKS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy The pandemic spurred foundations to change their grant-making practices in ways long sought by nonprofits, although many philanthropies have already started to reverse some of those changes, according to a new study of nearly 300 grantmakers. The changes sought by nonprofits include more unrestricted

By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — States will soon be flooded with federal money they can use to repair, improve or remove thousands of aging dams across the U.S. The funding is included in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden. Though it pales in comparison to

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Warsaw court has confirmed the arrest order for a Polish businessman who is a descendant of one of Poland’s aristocratic families. The case highlights problems still resulting from the communist regime’s seizure of private property after World War II. Michal Sobanski, a 46-year-old businessman, has

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia is planning to limit movement of the non-vaccinated people in an effort to tame the latest wave of coronavirus infections that has caused a “critical” situation in the country’s hospitals. Prime Minister Eduard Heger says hi government will vote on Thursday on the latest proposals by an advisory group of

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press A ping-pong ball may have bounced in Republicans’ favor as a GOP-dominated court was selected at random to consider the fate of President Joe Biden’s mandate that larger employers require workers to be vaccinated. Republican-led states, businesses and conservative groups are challenging the rule, saying it’s not the role of

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — Cybersecurity experts say they have evidence of direct involvement by Belarus’ government in a hybrid hacking/disinformation campaign against Eastern European NATO members since 2016. The campaign has aimed to sow discord in the military alliance, steal confidential information and spy on dissidents. Russia has been widely

By RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former manager for an influential Iowa-based pork dealer has died in a crash, days after federal prosecutors charged him in a scheme to swindle hog farmers through fraudulent buying practices. The Iowa State Patrol says 70-year-old Steven Demaray, the former regional buying manager

MADRID (AP) — Some of Spain’s regional governments are asking courts to allow them to introduce virus passports that can help control the rising spread of COVID-19. Several regions are worried by a rise in infections, including the Basque Country, Valencia, Navarra and Catalonia. They say they are ready to be the first autonomous regions

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cities and counties in the U.S. that want to hold pharmacies accountable for the opioid crisis are closely watching a federal trial that’s coming to a close. Two counties in Ohio have sued CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. The counties say the companies failed to follow government guidelines to make sure pain pills

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. industrial production rebounded in October as auto production, which has been hurt by supply chain problems, posted a strong increase and the adverse effects from Hurricane Ida faded. The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that industrial production rose 1.6% last month after having plunged 1.3% in

By ISABEL DEBRE and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The president of long-haul carrier Emirates says that an initial public offering of stock in the Dubai-based airline could happen as the city-state tries to boost its local financial market. President Tim Clark also promised Tuesday at the Dubai Air Show

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government has asked competition regulators to investigate the national security implications of American technology company NVIDIA’s planned $40 billion takeover of British chip designer Arm Ltd. U.K. Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries asked the Competition and Markets Authority on Tuesday to look into both the deal’s impact on competition and national

PARIS (AP) — Six Greenpeace activists have blocked a railroad in southern France in what they say is an attempt to prevent loads of reprocessed uranium from getting exported to Russia. The tracks the activists stood on Tuesday are located in the commune of Pierrelatte just outside a plant where radioactive material is processed and

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO Associated Press Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Americans have taken a darker view of the economy as inflation has worsened. Yet so far, they appear no less willing to spend freely at retailers, an encouraging sign for the crucial holiday shopping season. Buoyed by solid hiring, healthy job gains

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart raised its outlook for the year after another surprisingly strong quarter as the largest retailer in the world flexed its scale to deal with rising costs and a snarled global supply chain. Walmart rerouted goods to less congested ports, even chartered its own vessels,

By LAUREN SCHWAHN of NerdWallet It’s a critical year to shop small for the holidays, as businesses continue dealing with the fallout of pandemic restrictions, inflation and global supply chain disruptions. Small Business Saturday is Nov. 27, nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Ahead of the shopping day, we talked to small-business, supply-chain and

By MARIA CHENG AP Medical Writer LONDON (AP) — Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. has signed a deal with a U.N.-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental COVID-19 pill. The move could help make the treatment available to more than half of the world’s population. In a statement on Tuesday, Pfizer said it would

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Home Depot’s sales continued to climb through third quarter with the U.S. housing market red hot. The Atlanta company reported Tuesday that sales rose 9.8% to $36.82 billion, exceeding the $34.97 billion that Wall Street had expected. Sales at stores open at least a year, a key gauge of

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Analysts say the Bank of England is one step closer to raising interest rates next month after official figures showed that the end of the British government’s salary support program for workers during the coronavirus pandemic has not yet led to the feared increase in unemployment. The

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s network regulator says it’s suspended its procedure to certify the operator of a new pipeline that would bring Russian gas to the country under the Baltic Sea. Construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed earlier this year, but it’s not yet operating. Both Ukraine and the United States have

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong customs say officers seized about 2,000 pounds each of live lobster and sea cucumbers believed to be bound for mainland China, months after Beijing restricted imports of lobsters from Australia as tensions escalated between the two countries. Hong Kong Customs seized 890 kilograms of

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and THANASSIS STAVRAKIS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Associations representing restaurants and catering businesses in Greece are holding strikes and protests across the country while demanding renewed financial relief from the government due to the effects of the surging coronavirus pandemic. Normally busy restaurants, coffee shops and traditional tavernas in Athens

By MEHMET GUZEL and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ISTANBUL (AP) — Many people in Turkey are facing increased hardship as prices of food and other goods have soared. While rising consumer prices are affecting countries worldwide as they bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, economists say Turkey’s eye-popping inflation has been exacerbated by economic mismanagement,

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are slipping despite stocks closing higher on Wall Street, as investors review solid U.S. earnings reports from retailers and an encouraging update on consumer spending. Benchmarks in Japan, South Korea, Australia and China fell in early trading. Virtual talks between U.S. President Joe Biden

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s central bank governor says the nation’s benchmark interest rate could remain at a record low until 2024 despite pandemic-induced inflation. Philip Lowe told a Sydney forum of economists the Reserve Bank of Australia board does not plan to lift the cash rate until inflation settles