AP National Business

By UROOBA JAMAL Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A breed of gig apps tailored for short-term work slots — from Stint to Instawork to Gigpro — is gaining popularity in the United Kingdom as well as in the United States as one response to the peculiar ways in which economies have been rebounding from the

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government has adopted an interim plan that it hopes will win support from fishermen and other concerned groups for a planned release into the sea of treated but still radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant. The government decided in April to start discharging the

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets are mixed after Wall Street hit a new high as investors looked ahead to a Federal Reserve gathering for an update on U.S. stimulus. Shanghai and Sydney advanced while Hong Kong and South Korea declined. Tokyo was unchanged. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democratic leaders have compromised with moderates and muscled President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle. Biden praised Tuesday’s 220-to-212 vote as a step toward “truly investing in the American people.” A band of moderate lawmakers had been threatening to withhold

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart says it will start farming out its delivery service. It plans to use contract workers, autonomous vehicles and other means to transport rival retailers’ products directly to their customers’ homes as fast as just a few hours. The nation’s largest retailer said it will

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Scientists say global warming makes the kind of extreme rainfall that caused deadly flash flooding in western Europe last month more likely. The floods killed at least 220 people and caused billions of dollars in damage in Germany and Belgium. A study released Tuesday by the World

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Drone pilots, beware. Authorities at one of the nation’s top nuclear weapons laboratories issued a warning Monday that airspace over Los Alamos National Laboratory is off limits. As the birthplace of the atomic bomb, the lab has reported that recent unauthorized drone flights have been detected in restricted airspace in

The Associated Press Major U.S. stock indexes closed higher Monday, allowing the S&P 500 to regain the ground it lost last week and bringing it just shy of another record high. The benchmark index added 0.9%, driven by gains in a broad range of technology, financial and communication stocks. The tech-heavy Nasdaq closed at a

By JOHN SEEWER Associated Press TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Investigators in Ohio say a piece of metal that flew off the world’s second-tallest roller coaster and hit a woman in line came from the back of the coaster’s train. The head of the state’s amusement safety office said Monday that the metal piece hit the

By JONATHAN J. COOPER and BOB CHRISTIE Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — The delivery of a report on the 2020 vote count to Arizona state Senate Republicans has been delayed yet again. The Senate GOP leader says the Donald Trump supporter hired to lead the effort and several others involved have contracted COVID-19 “and are

The Associated Press Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Monday: Trillium, Analog Devices rise; General Motors, Lennar fall

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

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s state-owned oil company says five workers were killed, two workers are missing and six were injured in a massive fire at one of its oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. The company says the the fire at the processing platform in the Ku-Maloob-Zaap field had been brought under control.

ROME (AP) — Italy’s foreign ministry says an Italian-Moroccan student has been freed by Moroccan authorities after she was detained on blasphemy charges. The 23-year-old student, Ikram Nazih, was convicted in June of “offenses against religion” for having shared a satirical cartoon on Facebook in 2019. The Italian newspaper Domani, which had championed her cause, said

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press A lawyer for Purdue Pharma says the company’s settlement plan is the only way to avoid long and expensive litigation. The lawyer made his case Monday to a bankruptcy judge who is expected to rule this week on whether to accept the OxyContin maker’s reorganization plan. It calls for using

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer PHOENIX (AP) — The Fiesta Bowl Organization has announced a multi-year partnership with Caesars Entertainment. It will pair one of the biggest postseason college football games with legal sports gambling in Arizona. It’s also the first partnership between a college bowl game and a sports betting company. Caesars will

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A diner at a north Florida restaurant gathered the staff of 10 together to thank them for their hard work before leaving them a $10,000 tip to share. It happened last Tuesday night as the man, his wife and son finished their dinner at the Wahoo Seafood Grill. Owner Shawn Shepherd

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in July for the second month in a row, though they only increased modestly from a year ago, suggesting the red-hot housing market may be cooling off a little.  The National Association of Realtors said Monday that existing homes sales rose 2%

BEIJING (AP) — China’s microblogging platform Sina Weibo has closed 145 accounts, some of which had defended pop star Kris Wu over his rape allegations. Weibo said Monday the accounts were closed for publishing what it called  “information harmful for maintaining social order.” Beijing police have said the Chinese-Canadian pop star was detained last month

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — Filmmaker Beeban Kidron, a member of the House of Lords, has been a driving force behind a U.K. law designed to make the online world safer for children that takes effect on Sept. 2. Tech companies including Facebook’s Instagram, TikTok and Google’s YouTube have already responded

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An online account describing itself as a group of hackers has shared footage of Iran’s notorious Evin prison with The Associated Press. The footage shows guards beating prisoners and other poor conditions at the prison known for housing political prisoners and those with ties

By JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization has called for a two-month moratorium on administering booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Hungary’s capital

By KIMBERLY PALMER of NerdWallet Having a good grasp of your expenses and budget is the best preparation for a drop in income. But if that ship has sailed and there’s less money coming in, there are still ways you can rebound. Taking a minute to process your emotions is a good start. Then do

By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighting aircraft and ground forces in Greece have gained the upper hand over two new blazes that broke out in areas already scarred by major wildfires this summer. The first broke out Monday in the southern part of Evia, Greece’s second-largest island, whose north was devastated

By NICK PERRY and ROD McGUIRK Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s government says it’s extending a strict nationwide lockdown until at least Friday as it tries to extinguish a growing coronavirus outbreak. The news came as health authorities reported 35 new local infections of the fast-spreading delta variant, the highest number

BERLIN (AP) — Many train drivers with Germany’s national railway have walked off the job as their union embarks on its second two-day strike this month in a bitter dispute with the company. The GDL union called on passenger train drivers to strike from 2 a.m. Monday to 2 a.m. Wednesday. Freight train drivers already

The Associated Press The National Association of Realtors issues its July tally of previously occupied U.S. homes Monday. Best Buy serves up its second-quarter results Tuesday. The Commerce Department delivers its latest monthly snapshot of consumer spending Friday.

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democratic leaders are trying to muscle President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle. But voting came to a standstill Monday night as negotiations continue with a band of moderate lawmakers threatening to withhold their support for the $3.5 trillion plan.

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are gaining, boosted by a near-record rise on Wall Street. Still, early momentum Tuesday began to fizzle out over worries about the economic fallout from surging coronavirus infections in the region. Benchmarks in Japan, Australia, South Korea and China gained in morning trading. Some

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The fall book season will be packed with new works by such high-profile authors as Jonathan Franzen, Sally Rooney and Colson Whitehead. It will also include novels and stories that refer to or center on the coronavirus. The pandemic has now lasted into a second

By AMY BETH HANSON and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A shortage of bus drivers is complicating the start of a new school year already facing a surge in COVID-19 cases and conflicts over whether masks should be required in school buildings. School districts are offering hiring bonuses, training to get commercial

By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Pop-up restaurants, many started as stopgap measures by struggling chefs and owners, may have staying power as consumers continue to embrace takeout and delivery and the delta variant threatens to make dining in less of an option. Cheaper to operate than regular restaurants because they

By YURAS KARMANAU and GEIR MOULSON Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has sought to move forward stalled peace efforts in eastern Ukraine and stressed Germany’s commitment not to let Russia use a new gas pipeline as a “weapon.” She spoke Sunday on what is likely her last visit to the

By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press AGDINES, Greece (AP) — Residents in the north of the Greek island of Evia have made their livings from the dense pine forests surrounding their villages for generations. Tapping the pine trees for resin has been a key source of income for hundreds of local families. But hardly any forests

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party is investigating the top official in the eastern tech and tourism hub of Hangzhou for what it called serious violations of discipline and law, usually considered shorthand for corruption. A one-sentence notice on the website of the party’s disciplinary watchdog Saturday gave no details of what the official

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — China is facing heightened risks, along with potential political and economic opportunities following the Taliban’s rapid rise to power. China shares a narrow remote, border with Afghanistan and has long hoped for a reduction of U.S. influence in the area. But the Taliban’s core philosophy is diametrically

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A cruise ship headed for the Mexican Riviera set sail from the Port of Long Beach on Saturday — the first cruise ship to depart from California in 17 months. Carnival Corp. says the Carnival Panorama is on a seven-day voyage and will stop in the Mexican ports of Cabo

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian police have detained several journalists who protested authorities’ decision to label a top independent TV channel as a “foreign agent.” The journalists held individual pickets Saturday outside the main headquarters of the country’s top domestic security agency, the FSB, on Moscow’s Lubyanka Square. They held placards such as “Journalism is not

PARIS (AP) — Thousands of protesters are marching in cities and towns across France against a COVID-19 health pass that is now required to enter restaurants and cafes, cultural and sports venues and long-distance travel. For a sixth straight Saturday, opponents denounced what they see as a restriction of their freedom. Many have criticized the

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press AMSTERDAM (AP) — People are protesting in the streets of Dutch cities to call for an end to the government’s ban on large music festivals. Thousands of people attended one of the “Unmute Us” marches in Amsterdam, walking and dancing behind a convoy of trucks carrying DJs and sound systems

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has struck down California’s ballot measure that exempted Uber and other companies from a state law requiring their drivers to be classified as employees eligible for benefits and job protections. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled Friday that Proposition 22, which allowed

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — Taliban websites that delivered the victorious insurgents’ official messages to Afghans and the world at large in five languages have gone abruptly offline, indicating an effort to try to squelch them. It was not immediately clear, though, why the sites in the Pashto, Urdu, Arabic, English

By JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press Writer MIAMI (AP) — A former Miami congressman who was once roommates with Sen. Marco Rubio has countersued a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela’s state oil company in a politically charged dispute over a $50 million consulting contract he had with Nicolas Maduro’s government. David Rivera’s Interamerican Consulting filed the counterclaim

By BOB CHRISTIE Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey toured a small community southwest of Phoenix where flooding inundated homes and led to two deaths last weekend. The governor praised the resiliency of the people of Gila Bend on Friday and residents of other areas of the state who have endured flooding

By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Trustees of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said Friday that financial abuses by four former executives cost the institution more than $630,000. A forensic analysis ordered by the zoo’s board of trustees showed money from a zoo levy that pays for animal care was not

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — General Motors is recalling all Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles sold worldwide to fix a battery problem that could cause fires. The recall raises questions about lithium ion batteries, which now are used in nearly all electric vehicles. President Joe Biden wants to cut greenhouse

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota has gone to federal court to block a lawsuit over Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline project from proceeding in tribal court. The novel case names Manoomin as the lead plaintiff. Manoomin is the Ojibwe word for wild rice. Wild rice is sacred in Ojibwe culture. The lawsuit in White Earth

The Associated Press Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Friday: Foot Locker, Adobe rise; Papa John’s, Endo International fall

The Associated Press Major indexes ended higher on Wall Street Friday but not enough to erase the market’s losses from earlier in the week. The S&P 500 added 0.8% but still posted a weekly loss after two weeks of gains. The benchmark index set a record high on Monday. Trading was mostly subdued with earnings

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

By DÉBORA ÁLVARES and DAVID BILLER Associated Press BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian government officials have told The Associated Press that President Jair Bolsonaro has begun expressing irritation at the central bank’s newfound autonomy as surging inflation presents a threat to his 2022 reelection prospects. Central bank autonomy is among few significant economic reforms that

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter suspended the account of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary for violating rules on “abusive behavior” after The Associated Press said her conduct led to a reporter receiving threats and other online abuse. The DeSantis aide, Christina Pushaw, saw her account locked for 12

By MATTHEW BROWN and JOHN FLESHER Associated Press FARIBAULT, Minn. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is sticking by former President Donald Trump’s decision to lift protections for gray wolves across most of the U.S. But a top federal wildlife official on Friday told The Associated Press there is growing concern over aggressive hunting and

By DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Recreational vehicle and boat manufacturer Winnebago Industries is moving its corporate headquarters from Iowa to Minnesota. The company has been based in Forest City, Iowa, since its founding in 1958. It said Thursday that the official shift to Eden Prairie, Minnesota will be effective Dec.

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Major League Baseball is ending a 70-year relationship with trading card company Topps after signing a new partnership with a rival company. The loss of the MLB partnership immediately scuttled a deal announced earlier this year that would have made Topps a publicly traded company. The special-purpose acquisition company

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer Johnson & Johnson will replace Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky with another veteran company executive starting next year. The world’s biggest maker of health care products said late Thursday that Joaquin Duato will become CEO and a member of the company’s board of directors on January 3. Duato currently

By JAMES ANDERSON and HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Anxiety in the United States over COVID-19 is at its highest level since winter. The heightened worry is reflected in a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It comes amid another nationwide spike in infections, spurred largely by the

BERLIN (AP) — A union representing many train drivers at Germany’s national railway operator is calling members out on a new strike. The head of the GDL union said drivers of passenger trains will strike from 2 a.m. Monday to 2 a.m. Wednesday. Freight train drivers will start their strike on Saturday afternoon. It’s the

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Shares in British supermarket chain Morrisons have spiked higher after New York-based private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice trumped a previous offer for the company with a 7 billion-pound ($9.5 billion) bid. Morrisons’ board has accepted the offer and said shareholders should vote in favor of

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer Stocks ended higher on Wall Street Friday but not enough to erase the market’s losses from earlier in the week. The S&P 500 added 0.8% but still posted a weekly loss after two weeks of gains. The benchmark index set a record high on Monday. Trading was mostly subdued

BEIJING (AP) — China is tightening control over data gathered by companies about the public under a law approved by its ceremonial legislature. The data protection law expands the ruling Communist Party’s crackdown on internet industries. It follows anti-monopoly and other enforcement actions against companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba and games and social media operator

By JULHAS ALAM Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh is suffering through its deadliest surge of the pandemic, but you wouldn’t know it looking at its factories, markets and malls. The South Asian nation has done away with most virus restrictions, allowing businesses to reopen to enthusiastic crowds following weeks of strict measures put

By DAISY NGUYEN and ERIC RISBERG Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco became the first major city in the nation to require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 on Friday for people dining inside restaurants, working out in gyms or attending indoor concerts. Restaurants and bars posted signs and added extra staff to

SYDNEY (AP) — A lockdown in Australia’s largest city was extended through September and tougher measures to curb the coronavirus’s delta variant were imposed Friday, including a curfew and a mask mandate outdoors. New South Wales state, which includes Sydney, reported 642 locally acquired infections, the fourth consecutive day exceeding 600. Sydney has been locked

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mortgage rates were mixed this week and barely changed after rising for the first time last week following six weeks of declines. Average rates for home loans remain historically low at under 3%. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reports that the average for the 30-year mortgage eased to 2.86% from 2.87% last week.

NEW YORK (AP) — A tech entrepreneur who invested in the film studio that made the “Twilight” movies has been sentenced to five years in prison for a fraud conviction. Omar Amanat was sentenced Thursday in Manhattan federal court by Judge Paul G. Gardephe. U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a release that Amanat defrauded

By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The outdoor gear and clothing company Patagonia has stopped providing its merchandise for sale at a Wyoming ski resort. California-based Patagonia says it is protesting the resort owners’ sponsorship of a recent Republican fundraiser featuring top supporters of former President Donald Trump. Patagonia is well known

The Associated Press Major indexes closed mixed on Wall Street Thursday after another choppy day of trading. The S&P 500 closed slightly higher after wobbling between gains and losses for much of the day. Even though most stocks in the S&P 500 fell, the benchmark index managed to rise thanks largely to gains in several

By TALI ARBEL AP Technology Writer OnlyFans, a site where fans pay creators for their photos and videos, is planning to ban “sexually explicit” content. A spokesperson says the ban will start Oct. 1 and is the result of requests from banking partners. Nudity is still OK if it’s “consistent” with the company’s policy, but

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Macy’s, Kohl’s rise; Toyota, Red Robin fall.

By RANDALL CHASE Associated Press DOVER, Del. (AP) — A bankruptcy judge has approved a proposal by the Boy Scouts of America to set up an $850 million fund to compensate tens of thousands of men who say they were sexually abused as youngsters by scout leaders. But the judge on Thursday also rejected two

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

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Workers at a General Motors plant in Mexico have voted to end a collective bargaining contract negotiated by an old guard union accused of intimidation tactics in earlier votes. It was an early display of the effectiveness of labor mechanisms negotiated under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. Nearly 6,000 workers at the

By RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A pair of new lawsuits contend the office of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is illegally delaying the release of public records related to its $26 million, no-bid coronavirus testing contract. Reynolds and her office’s public records custodian are the latest officials to be accused

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Solid stock market gains and workers putting more of their pay toward their golden years are paying off for many retirement savers. The average 401(k) plan balance grew 24% to a record $129,300 in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to a review

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press A member of the family that owns Purdue Pharma has once again stopped short of offering an apology or acknowledgment of responsibility in the opioid crisis. Mortimer D.A. Sackler testified in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Thursday and was the third member of the wealthy family to testify in the confirmation

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The number of U.S. tourists who came to Florida in the second quarter of this year has returned to pre-pandemic levels, though the international market is still lagging. Figures released Thursday show 30.6 million domestic visitors came to Florida from April through June of this year. That’s a 6% increase over

The Associated Press Facebook is trying to pull in workplace users with a new virtual-reality app called Horizon Workrooms. Workrooms lets people meet remotely in a virtual space populated by avatars. It’s an app for Facebook’s headset, which costs at least $300 and weighs a pound. People without a headset can join with a video

By MARCY GORDON AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators have sharpened their antitrust attack against Facebook. They are alleging in a revised complaint that the social network giant pursued a laser-focused strategy to “buy or bury” innovative rivals to suppress competition. It is the second try by the Federal Trade Commission. A federal

HENRICO, Va. (AP) — Hundreds of workers at a Mondelez International bakery in Virginia are on strike, seeking to block the company’s contract negotiation concession demands and end what the union calls the outsourcing of jobs to Mexico. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that about 400 workers from the Henrico plant started striking Monday. The plant

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of the Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group says that an Iranian fuel tanker will sail toward Lebanon “within hours,” and is warning Israel and the United States not to intercept it. The delivery, organized by Hezbollah, would be an apparent violation of U.S. sanctions imposed

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer The number incidents involving unruly airline passengers is growing, and so are the fines imposed by federal safety officials. The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it has proposed fines against 34 more passengers, pushing the total of potential penalties to more than $1 million this year. That’s a record.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says help is on the way for dairy farmers who got a lower price for their products because of pandemic-related market abnormalities. The department said Thursday that it will provide about $350 million in assistance payments to eligible farmers. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says family

By MICHAEL CASEY and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Landlords are fuming over the decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a new eviction moratorium lasting until Oct. 3. Smaller landlords say they have suffered financially due to various state, local and federal moratoriums in place since last

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials have launched a review of climate damage from coal mining on public lands as the Biden administration expands scrutiny of government fossil fuel sales that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Interior Department officials said Thursday that their review also will look at whether companies

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is scaling its production back 40%, affecting 14 auto assembly plants in Japan, as the surging coronavirus pandemic in Southeast Asia crimps parts supplies. Japan’s top automaker says production will halt completely next month at some plants and partly at others, affecting a wide range

By ZEN SOO Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore will launch its first quarantine-free travel program for vaccinated people arriving from Germany and Brunei, and ease restrictions for visitors from Hong Kong and Macao as it seeks to reopen its borders after fully vaccinating over 75% of its population. Previously, only Singapore residents and those

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week for a fourth straight time to a pandemic low, the latest sign that America’s job market is rebounding from the pandemic recession as employers boost hiring to meet a surge in consumer demand. The Labor Department

By ANNE D’iNNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A return, at least temporarily, to near normalcy is giving a boost two of America’s largest department stores hit by the pandemic last year. Macy’s and Kohl’s raised their outlooks for 2021 Thursday after easily beating Wall Street expectations for the second quarter. Americans are

By RANDA KRISS of NerdWallet Scammers and predatory lenders continue to try to take advantage of small businesses searching for COVID-19 recovery funding — especially with the end of the Paycheck Protection Program. To protect themselves from potential bad actors, business owners should watch out for financing sold exclusively on speed, as well as any

By SUZAN FRASER and AYA BATRAWY Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President President Tayyip Erdogan has hosted a top security official from the United Arab Emirates and said the Gulf state was looking at investing in Turkey. The trip by UAE national security advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday appears

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer The nation’s two newest passenger airlines are showing signs of growth — raising money and announcing new destinations. But at the same time, they’re worried about the surge in COVID-19 cases, and hoping that the virus is only a short-term obstacle for their success. On Thursday, Avelo Airlines announced

By ANNABELLE LIANG Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — Asian stock markets are mostly lower as worries surrounding the spread of the delta variant again take center stage Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 0.7% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong slipped 1.5% on Friday. Benchmarks in Seoul and Shanghai fell, while Sydney’s inched higher. Traders

By COSTAS KANTOURIS Associated Press ALISTRATI, Greece (AP) — Persephone is not your ordinary robot. Billed as the world’s first robot used as a tour guide inside a cave, Persephone has been welcoming visitors to the Alistrati cave in northern Greece since mid-July. The multilingual robot covers the first 150 meters (500 feet) of the

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

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