AP National Business

By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Members of a union representing film and television crews begin voting Friday on a tentative contract with Hollywood producers. Bread-and-butter issues of wages are important, but longtime concerns about dangers for film and TV workers have taken on increased urgency with the recent tragedy on

By ALEX DANIELS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy The United Nations Climate Change Conference, which was postponed a year because of COVID-19, has promoted a series of announcements from foundations and individuals attempting to pour money into efforts to fight climate change, an area many think philanthropy has neglected. “We need to

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In 1972, Big Bird lined up on `Sesame Street’ to receive a measles vaccine as part of a campaign to get more youngsters inoculated against the disease. However, when that same iconic 8-foot-tall children’s character tweeted last weekend he had been vaccinated against COVID-19, conservative politicians

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria says the government has signed a contract with a group of companies from the United Arab Emirates to build a solar power station in a suburb of the capital of Damascus. Thursday’s announcement follows a meeting this week between the UAE foreign minister and Syria’s President Bashar Assad in Damascus,

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The European Medicines Agency has recommended the authorization of two new medicines against the coronavirus for people at risk of severe disease. In a statement on Thursday, the EU drug regulator said it had concluded that the monoclonal antibody treatments — a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab, and the drug regdanvimab —

By EVENS SANON Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The U.S. government is urging U.S. citizens to leave Haiti because of the country’s deepening insecurity and a severe lack of fuel. That shortage has affected hospitals, schools and banks. The warning from the U.S. State Department comes as Haiti’s government and police are struggling to

By SYLVIE CORBET The Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Internet giants, including social media apps Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, joined some world leaders to issue a global call to better protect children online at a Paris summit on Thursday. The call, initiated by France and the U.N. child protection agency, acknowledges that “in the

BERLIN (AP) — The German government’s tax income over the next few years is expected to be considerably higher than previously forecast as Europe’s biggest economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. The figures released Thursday could help the incoming government as negotiators tackle the thorny issue of how to finance the plans of a prospective

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The skeptics of Wall Street have gone missing. As the stock market surges to record after record, activity has dwindled to a nearly two-decade low for the traders known as short sellers, who make their money betting stocks will fall. That will sadden nearly no

MILAN (AP) — Daniel Lee is leaving his job as creative director at Bottega Veneta after three years and creating the brand’s distinctive cloud-like bags and puffy-weave slip-on footwear. Bottega Veneta did not give a reason for the surprise departure of the 35-year-old British designer, who joined the Italian fashion house in July 2018. The

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer A new report is shedding light on what types of organizations are receiving the most donations from charitable funds that have been a hotbed of contention. A report released Thursday by Indiana University and The Giving USA Foundation found between 2014 and 2018, grants from so-called donor-advised funds were

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress are looking to give U.S. automakers with union employees the inside track when it comes to winning the burgeoning electric vehicle market. The $1.85 trillion spending package that Democrats are trying to pass features programs designed to curb global warming,

By COLLEEN BARRY AP Business Writer MILAN (AP) — A new study shows that the personal luxury market of high-end accessories, leather goods and apparel has snapped back to pre-pandemic levels. The Bain consultancy says U.S. shoppers have powered that recovery, outspending those in China in pursuit of the latest fashion trends. Global consumer spending

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Something strange is happening in the bond market, which is usually seen by many investors as the most steady and sober corner of Wall Street. The gap between yields of longer-term and shorter-term Treasurys is shrinking. It sounds wonky, but such action has historically been

The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Rivian Automotive, a company that has delivered about 150 electric pickup trucks mostly to employees, has surpassed General Motors to become the nation’s second most valuable automaker. The California company’s market valuation exceeded Ford’s in its first day a public company Wednesday. Its shares rose 10% at the

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarians will soon have some relief at the pumps after the government announced it will limit the price of gasoline and diesel amid soaring fuel prices. A government minister told reporters Thursday that a cap of 480 Hungarian forints, or $1.50, per liter of fuel would go into effect nationwide Monday.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish lira again has slid to a record low against the U.S. dollar after a surge in U.S. consumer prices inflamed concerns over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s push to cut interest rates. The lira dropped to an all-time low of 9.97 against the dollar early Thursday before settling at around

By ZEN SOO Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Chinese shoppers spent $139.1 billion during this year’s annual Singles’ Day shopping extravaganza, breaking last year’s record even though consumer spending slowed amid economic uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic. Experts say that the world’s largest online shopping festival has taken on a more muted tone this year

By SETH BORENSTEIN and FRANK JORDANS Associated Press GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) is “on life support” in the final days of the U.N.’s climate talks in Glasgow. In an exclusive interview on Thursday with The Associated Press,

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Commission has raised its growth forecast for the year for the 19 countries using the euro, saying the economy was bouncing back from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic as people went back to work in consumer-facing jobs. But the EU’s executive branch

By EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has met with Indonesian officials to discuss closer cooperation in future technologies, cybersecurity and economic relations as part of British efforts to deepen ties to Southeast Asia after leaving the European Union. Truss says she and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discussed

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The British economy slowed down during the third quarter of the year as widespread supply chain problems hobbled the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The Office for National Statistics said Thursday that the economy grew by 1.3% between July and September from the previous three-month period. The

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Shares are mostly higher in Asia after Wall Street benchmarks managed to close mostly higher. Stocks advanced in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Sydney in early trading. The S&P 500 is still on track for its first weekly loss in six weeks after eking out a gain of

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation is starting to look like that unexpected — and unwanted — houseguest who just won’t leave. For months, many economists had sounded a reassuring message that a spike in consumer prices, something that had been missing in action in the U.S. for a generation, wouldn’t

CHICAGO (AP) — Nike has agreed to extend its contract as the U.S. Soccer Federation’s equipment supplier, a relationship that began when it replaced Adidas on Jan. 1, 1995. The USSF announced the agreement but did not provide its exact length. The deal starts on Jan. 1, 2023, and runs through a potential bid to

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — After promising on Twitter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sold about 4.5 million shares of the electric car maker’s stock, raising over $5 billion. About $1.1 billion will go toward paying tax obligations for stock options. The sales were disclosed in 10 regulatory filings late Wednesday.

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL AP Science Writer GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — India’s environment minister says climate finance is not charity and rich countries should deliver on an unfulfilled promise to raise $100 billion a year to help poor nations adapt. Bhupender Yadav told The Associated Press in an interview that the success of the climate summit

By NICK PERRY and JIM GOMEZ Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned against letting tensions in the Asian-Pacific region cause a relapse into a Cold War mentality. His remarks on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum came weeks after the U.S., Britain and Australia announced

By ED WHITE Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Investigators say an official at a suburban Detroit branch of the United Auto Workers took $2 million and spent it on cars, guns, luxury clothing and gambling. Tim Edmunds was secretary-treasurer of UAW Local 412. He’s charged with embezzlement and other crimes. Edmunds is the latest target

NEW YORK (AP) — Boeing has reached a legal agreement with the victims’ families from the March 2019 crash in Ethiopia that involved its 737-Max aircraft, which claimed 157 lives. In the agreement, Boeing admitted that its software was to blame for the plane′s loss of control and destruction, and that the 737-Max was in

By TALI ARBEL AP Technology Writer The Walt Disney Co. returned to a quarterly profit as it once again got a bump from reopened parks  but subscriber gains to its Disney+ streaming service slowed. Disney’s financial results on Wednesday came short of analyst predictions, and its shares dropped in aftermarket trading. The company based in

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Plant-based meat maker Beyond Meat reported lower-than-expected sales in the third quarter due to a slump in U.S. demand. Beyond Meat said its sales increased 12.7% to $106.4 million for the July-September period. That was lower than the $109 million Wall Street forecast. Beyond Meat had lowered its sales

The Associated Press An eye-opening report on inflation that was hotter than expected slammed into the bond market on Wednesday, sending yields jumping, and helping knock stocks lower. The sharpest inflation since 1990 forced investors to boost bets that the Federal Reserve will have to raise short-term interest rates more quickly off their record low.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Perrigo, Wendy’s fall; RingCentral, Newmont rise.

By DAVID PORTER Associated Press A lawsuit in which workers accuse a Hindu organization of human trafficking for luring them from India to build a temple in New Jersey for as little as $1.20 a day has widened to four other states. In an amended lawsuit filed last month, workers claim they were exploited at

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer The federal government is suing Uber saying it discriminates against disabled people by charging fees when drivers have to wait for passengers to board their vehicles. Uber says it has already made changes and denies that it’s discriminating. According to the Department of Justice, Uber began adding the wait

By TERRY SPENCER and TOM KRISHER Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Federal investigators say a Tesla driver killed with a passenger in a fiery September crash near Miami had accelerated to 90 mph before smashing into trees. The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that the 20-year-old driver accelerated his 2021 Model 3

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicare enrollees who take expensive medicines could save thousands of dollars a year under the Democrats’ sweeping social agenda bill, but those dividends won’t come overnight. Instead, they’ll build gradually over the decade. Experts who’ve analyzed the complex moving parts of the bill’s prescription drug compromise say

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

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Hershey is expanding its salty snack portfolio with the purchase of Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. The Hershey Co. said Wednesday that it will spend $1.2 billion for North Dakota-based Dot’s Pretzels as well as Pretzels Inc., an Indiana-based manufacturer of Dot’s Pretzels that operates three plants. The deal is expected

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer The U.S. beer industry has one less independent brewer. Michigan-based Bell’s Brewery said Wednesday it is being acquired by Australian brewer Lion, a subsidiary of Japan’s Kirin Group. Financial terms were not disclosed. Lion will join Bell’s with Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing, which it acquired in 2019. Together, the

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The U.S. monthly budget deficit fell in October as the government collected more taxes from individuals and corporations thanks to a much improved economy emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that the federal government posted a deficit of $165 billion last month, 42% lower than

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term mortgage rates in the U.S. fell this week, as the key 30-year rate again retreated below 3%. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reports that the average rate on the benchmark home loan declined to 2.98% from 3.09% last week. The rate for a 15-year loan fell to 2.27% from 2.35%. Rates

BOSTON (AP) — Investigators trying to learn why a commercial fishing boat sank off Massachusetts nearly a year ago are using some high-tech gadgetry in their probe. The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday the 82-foot Portland, Maine-based Emmy Rose went down early Nov. 23. The bodies of the four crew members have never been

By ALEX DANIELS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy Michael Bloomberg will spend $120 million in an effort to reduce the soaring numbers of deaths from drug overdoses, he announced today at a healthcare summit he organized. The pledge more than doubles the $50-million philanthropic commitment he made toward the same goal in

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Several countries and companies have announced plans to stop selling cars that run on gasoline or diesel over the next two decades. The measure is part of efforts to clamp down on a significant source of planet-warming emissions. But the impact of the measures will likely

The Associated Press Ford and Purdue University are working to create a new charging station cable that could combine with in-development vehicle charging technology, making it easier for people to transition to electric vehicles with seamless re-charging. Purdue researchers are focusing on an alternative cooling method to prevent battery overheating by designing a charging cable

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Ferries in Greece are to remain tied up in port for two days after unions declared a 48-hour strike. The strike which began at 6 a.m. Wednesday disrupted ferry services between the mainland and Greek islands. Many of the country’s islands are too small for airports and depend on ferries for

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — A worsening surge of inflation for such bedrock necessities as food, rent, autos and heating oil is setting Americans up for a financially difficult Thanksgiving and holiday shopping season. Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.2% in October compared with a year earlier, leaving families facing the

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a new pandemic low 267,000 last week, another sign that the job market is recovering from last year’s sharp coronavirus downturn. Jobless claims fell by 4,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The four-week average

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and THEODORA TONGAS Associated Press OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — Microsoft has launched a digital immersive tour at the ancient birthplace of the Olympic Games in southern Greece. It provides visitors a virtual re-creation of temples and competition areas in ancient Olympia as they walk through one of the world’s major archaeological sites.

By CHANELLE BESSETTE of NerdWallet Cryptocurrency banking allows consumers to hold and spend cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, litecoin and ether. Card issuers and fintech companies have begun to offer cryptocurrency debit cards as a way to help their customers spend blockchain-based money just like regular cash. There are still risks to using this new currency,

By ALEX NISHIMOTO Edmunds Introduced for 2021, the Volkswagen ID.4 is the German automaker’s first all-electric SUV and part of a new wave of electric vehicles for American consumers. It boasts a spacious interior and styling that’s futuristic but not too futuristic. The ID.4 is the upstart against two established rivals: the Tesla Model 3

BERLIN (AP) — The German government’s panel of independent economic advisers has cut its 2021 growth prediction for Europe’s biggest economy to 2.7%. It’s the latest in a series of downgrades by forecasters. The panel’s new forecast on Wednesday was down from the 3.1% it predicted in March. It expected gross domestic product to expand

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — A top European Union court has rejected Google’s appeal of a 2.4 billion euro fine from regulators who found the tech giant gave its own shopping recommendations an illegal advantage in search results. The 27-nation bloc’s top competition watchdog had punished Google in 2017 for unfairly

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The European Union’s drug regulator says it has started evaluating whether to authorize Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency already is evaluating the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech for use in the 5-11 age group. In a statement on Wednesday, the EMA said it anticipates

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince Harry has sharply attacked the failure of social media companies to challenge hate online, revealing that he warned the chief executive of Twitter ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots that the site was being used to stage political unrest. Harry made the comments Tuesday

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s health minister says it will be able to obtain enough vaccines to immunize all adults against COVID-19 by mid-April and is focusing on distributing doses in its mountainous areas. Health Minister Birod Khatiwada told The Associated Press that Nepal will hire workers and set up

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Young people living in Pacific Rim countries want to see more ambition from their leaders when it comes to tackling climate change and to see money devoted to a shared fund to prepare for future pandemics. Those were two of the messages delivered to New

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Shares of Rivian Automotive jumped in their debut Wednesday, rising as much as 53% as investors look for the next big winner in the electric vehicle market. The closing price of $100,73 gave Rivian a market value of about $85.9 billion, greater than that

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are trading mixed after a worrisome report on U.S. inflation that slammed into the bond market and knocked stocks lower on Wall Street. In Japan, where investors are awaiting an economic stimulus package from newly elected Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the benchmark Nikkei 225

By ZEN SOO AP Technology Writer HONG KONG (AP) — China’s biggest online shopping day, known as “Singles’ Day” on Nov. 11, is taking on a muted tone this year as regulators crack down on the technology industry and President Xi Jinping pushes for “common prosperity.” The annual shopping festival is among the world’s largest,

By JOSH BOAK and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — President Joe Biden is touting his $1 trillion infrastructure plan as an eventual fix for the nation’s inflation and supply chain woes — if Americans just have the patience to wait for the construction to begin. The president toured the Port of Baltimore Wednesday

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press Writers BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Never in its 50-year history has Starbucks relied on union workers to serve up frothy lattes as its U.S. cafes. But some baristas aim to change that. Workers at three separate Starbucks stores in and around Buffalo, New York, are expected to

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — As vaccination rates rise in many parts of the world and even countries that previously had strict COVID-containment strategies gingerly ease restrictions, China is doubling down on its zero-tolerance policy. The approach includes strict lockdowns, multiple rounds of mass testing and centralized quarantine. China pioneered it

By JANIE HAR Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — U.S. food banks dealing with increased demand from families sidelined by the pandemic now face a new challenge – surging food prices and supply chain issues. The higher costs and limited availability mean some families may get smaller servings or substitutions for staples such as peanut

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Making coronavirus vaccines more accessible and reducing carbon emissions were two key pledges agreed to by top Pacific Rim lawmakers. But what went unstated were the deep tensions that run through the unlikely group of 21 nations and territories that include the U.S., China, Taiwan,

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Vietnamese oil tanker earlier seized by Iran is now free in open waters. The Sothys left a position off Iran’s Bandar Abbas port and had reached international waters in the nearby Gulf of Oman. That’s according to data analyzed Wednesday by The Associated

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Williams says he’s leaving NBC News at the end of the year. He remade his career as an MSNBC host after losing his job as “NBC Nightly News” anchor in 2015 for making false claims about his role in a wartime story. His contract

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The executive who took over as head of casino company Wynn Resorts when its founder and namesake Steve Wynn resigned in February 2018 has announced he’ll step down at the end of January. Matt Maddox said in a statement he believed that after four years as CEO it was the right

By DON THOMPSON Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The owner of a San Francisco Bay Area solar energy company has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for an audacious Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $1 billion. Jeff Carpoff received the maximum penalty Tuesday after pleading guilty last year to conspiracy to

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has launched a $738 million investment fund to fast-track emerging low emissions technologies including carbon capture and storage. The ruling conservative coalition wants the fund to be administered by the Clean Energy Finance Corp., a government-owned green bank. But that would require

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego is suing scooter companies to get them to pay the city’s costs to defend any lawsuits generated by the two-wheeled vehicles that have proliferated on public sidewalks. The Union-Tribune reports the city attorney filed suit against Bird, Lyft and other firms that signed operating agreements with San Diego to

SEATTLE (AP) — A small publishing company in Vermont is suing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, saying her chastising Amazon over the sale of a book that promotes misinformation about COVID-19 amounted to censorship. The company, Chelsea Green, published a book called “The Truth About COVID-19,” which accuses the “global elite” of using the pandemic to grab

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer Facebook’s parent company Meta says it will remove sensitive ad targeting options related to health, race or ethnicity, political affiliation, religion or sexual orientation beginning on Jan. 19. Advertisers can currently target people who, through their online activity the company tracks, have expressed interest in issues, public figures or

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer DoorDash is buying Finnish delivery service Wolt Enterprises, expanding its reach into Europe and other markets. San Francisco-based DoorDash announced the $8.1 billion deal Tuesday. DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said the combined companies will reach 700 million people. DoorDash’s shares soared 19% in after-hours trading. The news came as

The Associated Press U.S. stocks closed lower Tuesday, ending the market’s longest winning streak in more than two years. The S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq fell. The market was pulled lower by companies that rely on consumer spending and technology stocks, which had driven the market higher in recent days.

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News Channel’s prime-time lineup tends to make the most noise and attract the most attention, but last month, viewers have been drawn to something earlier. During October, the network’s panel show ‘The Five’ eclipsed every cable news show in popularity for the first time

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: PayPal, TripAdvisor fall; General Electric, Zynga rise.

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Panera is returning to the public markets after four years in private hands. St. Louis-based Panera Brands filed initial paperwork Tuesday for an IPO. It did not give a date or say how many shares will be offered. Restaurateur Danny Meyer, who developed the Shake Shack brand, said he

By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The council of a small Oregon city has approved a deal with Google that will enable the technology giant to build more water-guzzling data centers there, though some residents worry about drought and the secrecy. A single data center can churn through millions of gallons of

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rican citizens have gotten the chance to express their fears about a massive debt overhaul plan, testifying before a judge with the power to decide Puerto Rico’s economic future. After months of wrangling by attorneys, economists and bondholders, Tuesday’s session was an opportunity

France will start building its first new nuclear reactors in decades as part of efforts to meet its promises to reduce planet-warming emissions. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the plans Tuesday as climate negotiators in Glasgow debate how to speed up efforts against climate change. Europeans are also concerned about recent spikes in energy prices

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal agency is taking a step toward designating a new national marine sanctuary off the central California coast that would be named for the region’s Indigenous people. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that it is seeking public comment on the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The

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

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Pfizer is asking U.S. regulators to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older. Older Americans and other groups particularly vulnerable to the virus have had access to a third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine since September. But the Food and Drug Administration has

By FRANK JORDANS and DÉBORA ÁLVARES Associated Press GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Powerful businesses are urging Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro to give up the country’s long-standing resistance on key issues at this year’s U.N. climate talks. The head of the CEBDS business group argues that Brazil can’t afford to pass up the chance to use

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — America’s commercial casinos are marking the industry’s best quarter ever and pushing U.S. casino revenue past what it was for all of 2020. Figures released Tuesday by the American Gaming Association show U.S. casinos are poised to have their best year ever in 2021 as

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Mexico’s president is warning that the world is sliding from “civilization to barbarity.” Andrés Manuel López Obrador called for the thousand richest people, the thousand largest private corporations and the 20 major economies to improve life for the 750 million people now existing on less

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press People streaming live video have become ubiquitous at protests, seeking to provide an unedited view into the most violent clashes. A number of people caught video snippets of Kyle Rittenhouse, a tumultuous demonstration against police brutality and the 17-year-old aspiring police officer firing an assault-style rifle during a chaotic night

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — To enforce President Joe Biden’s forthcoming COVID-19 mandate, the U.S. Labor Department is going to need a lot of help. Its Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have nearly enough workplace safety inspectors to do the job. So the government will rely upon a corps of

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia’s government says it will provide emergency funding for state energy suppliers to import enough electricity and fuel to cover the country’s power needs over the next 30 days. The economy minister said the decision was due to “reduced domestic production capacities…and increased global (electricity) prices.” He said Tuesday

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — The Biden administration is relying on infrastructure dollars to help fix the clogged ports and blanket the nation with internet access. But a series of initiatives rolled out on Tuesday show that the urgent pace might not be fast enough to address the immediate needs of an

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota regulators are accepting public comments on whether the state’s regulation of nonferrous mining would provide sufficient protection against environmental damage to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The comment period runs through Dec. 8. The Department of Natural Resources has established a dedicated webpage for its

By KEN MILLER Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Supreme Court has overturned a $465 million opioid ruling against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, finding that a lower court wrongly interpreted the state’s public nuisance law. It’s the second blow from a court this month to the legal theory, which thousands of governments across

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s telecommunications regulator says thousands of iconic red phone booths will be protected from removal under new rules. The public payphone boxes may appear obsolete relics to many in an age of ubiquitous smart mobile phones, but regulator Ofcom said they can still be a “lifeline” for people in need. The regulator

By TALI ARBEL and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. says that it’s inviting the global community to visit now that the government has ended the ban on travelers from 33 countries. In reality, however, it will still be difficult for much of the globe to enter the country. Experts say

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Some gifts are great in the moment, such as a candle or a bottle of wine. Others make memorable keepsakes or are so personal they can’t be re-gifted. This holiday season, The AP recommends some gifts meant to be cherished for years to come. They include