AP National Business

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area doctor has been sentenced to nearly 17 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $30 million. Frank Patino was accused of leading a scheme to bill Medicare and private insurers for unnecessary injections and write prescriptions for millions of opioids. The government says the fraud was one of the

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a consent order with Volvo Group North America that includes a civil penalty of $130 million for violations of the Vehicle Safety Act. The consent order comes after an investigation found that Volvo Group North America failed to recall vehicles in a timely fashion and to comply with

PARIS (AP) — France and Australia have announced plans to jointly produce and send several thousand 155-millimeter artillery shells to Ukraine. The first deliveries are expected by the end of March. The multimillion-dollar plan is the latest offer of support for Ukraine by both countries. It comes amid growing appeals from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government has criticized U.S. controls on technology exports as a trade violation after Japan and the Netherlands agreed to join Washington in limiting Beijing’s access to materials to make advanced processor chips. The Foreign Ministry didn’t mention the latest development but accused Washington of abusing export controls and organizing other governments

By CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — President Joe Biden, a daily rail commuter during his years in the Senate, has visited an aging Baltimore tunnel that’s slated to be replaced with help from the bipartisan infrastructure legislation he signed in 2021. The Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel project would eliminate a bottleneck that delays

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese online retailer JD.com Inc. is closing its consumer e-commerce services in Indonesia and Thailand amid intense competition in Southeast Asia. Announcements on the two websites said JD.com will stop taking orders on Feb. 15 in both countries and end service the following month. The company said it will develop its cross-border

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-haul carrier Emirates successfully flew a Boeing 777 on a test flight Monday with one of its two engines entirely powered by so-called sustainable aviation fuel. This comes as carriers worldwide try to lessen their carbon footprint. Flight 2646 flew for just under an

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — World Bank economists say Myanmar’s economy grew 3% last year and will likely achieve the same pace in 2023, but still lags far behind where it stood before the army seized power in early 2021. The global lending agency issued a report Monday that estimates Myanmar’s

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch consumer electronics and medical equipment maker Philips said Monday it is cutting 6,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years as it revealed a net loss of 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in 2022, down from a net profit of 3.3 billion euros last year. The job losses come

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union is taking another big step toward cutting its energy ties with Russia. The 27-nation bloc is banning Russian refined oil products like diesel fuel and joining the U.S. and other allies in imposing a price cap on sales to non-Western countries. Europe’s

By SIBI ARASU Associated Press BENGALURU, India (AP) — In May last year Fortum India, a subsidiary of a Finnish solar developer, won the bid for a solar power project in the state of Gujarat. The project was due to be completed three months ago and would have generated enough electricity for 200,000 homes. But

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk’s enigmatic personality and unconventional tactics are emerging as key exhibits in a trial revolving around one of his most polarizing pursuits — tweeting. The trial, centered on a pair of tweets announcing Musk had obtained the money to take Tesla private in 2018,

By HOPE YEN and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Sunday he is looking forward to discussing with President Joe Biden a “reasonable and responsible way that we can lift the debt ceiling ” when the two meet Wednesday for their first sit-down at the White House since McCarthy

BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon, two international oil giants and state-owned oil and gas company Qatar Energy agreed Sunday that the Qatari firm will join a consortium that will search for gas in the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon’s coast. The deal inked in Beirut brings Qatar into Lebanon’s gas exploration market three

PARIS (AP) — France’s prime minister says that the government’s plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 is “no longer negotiable.” Elisabeth Borne made the comments in an interview broadcast Sunday. That further angered parliamentary opponents and unions who plan new mass protests and disruptive strikes Tuesday. Raising the pension age is

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business Writer Federal prosecutors are trying to prohibit FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried from privately contacting current and former employees of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange to prevent potential witness tampering in a criminal case accusing him of bilking investors and customers. The request, made in a letter filed late Friday by U.S.

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Italy’s prime minister has held talks in Libya with officials from the country’s west-based government focusing on energy and migration, top issues for Italy and the European Union. During Premier Giorgia Meloni’s visit on Saturday, the two countries’ oil companies signed a gas deal worth $8 billion

LONDON (AP) — Struggling U.K. airline Flybe has collapsed for the second time in less than three years. The flyer initially limped into bankruptcy in March 2020, with the loss of 2,400 jobs. It was relaunched in April 2022 with hedge fund backing, but has called in the bankruptcy accountants once again after less than

By MARI YAMAGUCHI and KWIYEON HA Associated Press YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — A Japanese whaling operator, after struggling for years to promote its products amid protests from conservationists, has found a new way to cultivate clientele and bolster sales: whale meat vending machines. The Kujira (Whale) Store, an unmanned outlet that recently opened in the

By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Federal Reserve Board has denied a Wyoming cryptocurrency bank’s application for Federal Reserve System membership, officials announced Friday, dealing a setback to the crypto industry’s attempts to build acceptance in mainstream U.S. banking. Many in crypto have been looking to Cheyenne-based Custodia Bank’s more than

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is axing free grocery delivery for Prime members on orders less than $150. Customers who get their groceries delivered from Amazon Fresh — and pay less than $150 — will be charged between $3.95 and $9.95, depending on the order size, the company said

NEW YORK (AP) — Credit ratings agency Fitch has raised Greece’s credit rating to one notch below investment grade. In a report issued Friday, Fitch estimates that Greece’s deficit will shrink to 1.8% of its gross domestic product in 2024 from an estimated 3.8% last year. The agency also cited the improving health of Greece’s

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt told reporters Friday that he is baffled over how $12.7 million of his money has gone missing from a local private investment firm that authorities are investigating as part of a massive fraud that began more than a decade ago.

By AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — A camera atop Hawaii’s tallest mountain has captured what looks like a spiral swirling through the night sky. Researchers believe it was from the launch of a military GPS satellite, that lifted off earlier on a SpaceX rocket in Florida. The images were captured on Jan. 18

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Tesla CEO Elon Musk and top aides to President Joe Biden have met in Washington to discuss electric vehicles. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says Musk did not meet with the president. Instead, Biden aides Mitch Landrieu and John Podesta sat down with the Tesla chief

The Associated Press Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, marking the market’s third winning week in the last four. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Friday, having given up much of its afternoon gain. The Nasdaq composite and the Dow also rose. American Express helped lead the way. It jumped after giving a profit forecast that

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling nearly 383,000 SUVs in the U.S. because the touch screens may not display a camera image when backing up. The recall covers certain 2020 to 2023 Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators, and some 2020 to 2022 Lincoln Corsairs. All are equipped with 360-degree cameras. Ford says in government documents

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge eased further in December, and consumer spending fell — the latest evidence that the Fed’s series of interest rate hikes are slowing the economy. Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that prices rose 5% last month from a year

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — American Express saw its fourth-quarter profits fall by 9%, as the credit card giant had to set aside significantly more money to cover potentially bad loans. The company saw charge offs and delinquencies rise, a troubling sign for a company whose customer base is usually

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press ADVENTDALEN, Norway (AP) — Kneeling by his crew as they drilled steel bolts into the low roof of a tunnel miles-deep into an Arctic mountain, Geir Strand reflected on the impact of their coal mine’s impending closure. “It’s true coal is polluting, but … they should have a solution before

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Treasury chief says taming inflation is more important than cutting taxes. Jeremy Hunt is resisting calls from some in the governing Conservative Party for immediate tax breaks for businesses and voters. At a speech Friday in London, Hunt said “the best tax cut right now is

BERLIN (AP) — A senior German official says she hopes her country will receive hydrogen made with renewable energy from Australia by 2030. The two countries have stepped up plans for cooperation on clean energy as Germany tries to find replacements for Russian gas supplies while pursuing an ambitious policy of reducing its emissions to

By ASHOK SHARMA and KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Shares in India’s Adani Group have plunged up to 20% and the company said it was considering legal action against U.S.-based short-selling firm Hindenburg Research for allegations of stock market manipulation and accounting fraud that led investors to dump its stocks. The heavy

By STAN CHOE and DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — A strong week for Wall Street closed out with modest gains Friday, sending the stock market to its highest level since early December. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% to clinch its third winning week in the last four and was near

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — They are now among the most powerful women in Congress. But when they were first elected in the 1990s, they were often overlooked, or even talked down to. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, remembers that men would avoid asking her questions, addressing other

By ED DAVEY The manufacture of “green steel” moved a step closer Friday as Massachusetts-based Boston Metal announced a $120 million investment to help it produce steel that is far less damaging to the climate than traditional steel. Producing the metal is one of the world’s dirtiest heavy industries, with three-quarters of world production using

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says it will continue to restrict the entry of short-term travelers from China through the end of February over concerns that the spread of COVID-19 in that country may worsen following the Lunar New Year’s holidays. South Korea had stopped issuing most short-term

By KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal lawsuit in Nevada is seeking class-action damages for countless hotel patrons who booked rooms in Las Vegas since 2019, alleging that most hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have used a third-party vendor to illegally fix prices. The complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A jury has awarded an Oregon woman $1 million in damages after finding she was discriminated against by a gas station employee who told her, “I don’t serve Black people.” The Multnomah County jury’s award this week to Portland resident Rose Wakefield, 63, included punitive damages of $550,000. Wakefield’s lawyer, Gregory

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — Toymaker Hasbro is cutting about 1,000 jobs as part of moves announced last year to save up to $300 million annually by 2025. The nearly century-old Rhode Island-based company behind Monopoly, Play-Doh and My Little Pony toys says the layoffs amount to 15% of its global full-time workforce. Hasbro also said

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Payment processing giant Visa Inc. says its profits in its latest quarter were up 6% from a year earlier, helped by the continued rise of digital payments across the globe. The company’s current CEO, Al Kelly, will step down on Wednesday. He will be replaced

The Associated Press Stocks climbed Thursday to send Wall Street to its highest level in nearly eight weeks following reports suggesting the economy and corporate profits may be doing better than feared. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% Thursday after briefly dipping lower in late morning trading. More swings may still be ahead, as Wall Street

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Bed Bath & Beyond says it’s in default on its loans and doesn’t have sufficient funds to repay what it owes. The home goods chain based in Union, New Jersey, said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday that the default would force the

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: Tesla Inc., up $15.84 to $160.27. The electric vehicle maker’s profits surged in the fourth-quarter, beating Wall Street forecasts. Chevron Corp., up $8.71 to $187.79. The energy company raised its dividend and announced a $75 billion stock buyback program. Lam Research

By COLLEEN SLEVIN Associated Press DENVER (AP) — The Colorado baker who won a partial U.S. Supreme Court victory after refusing to make a gay couple’s wedding cake because of his Christian faith has lost an appeal in his latest legal fight. This case involves his rejection of a request for a birthday cake celebrating

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The contract imposed on railroad workers last fall didn’t resolve their quality-of-life issues, but there are indications the major freight railroads might start to address some of their concerns about demanding schedules and the lack of paid sick time. Most workers and their unions remain

BY DREW COSTLEY AP Science Writer Hundreds of climate and environmental groups from around the world released a letter Thursday that decried the nomination of an oil executive to oversee the United Nations climate negotiations at COP28. Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates, host of the U.N. climate talks this year, named Sultan al-Jaber

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — A proposed settlement between New Jersey and the current owner of a notoriously polluted industrial site is drawing fire from residents of Toms River, where memories of children getting cancer at elevated rates are still a fresh source of pain. The state and Germany-based BASF

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for March delivery rose 86 cents to $81.01 a barrel Thursday. Brent crude for March delivery rose $1.35 to $87.47 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for February delivery rose 2 cents to $2.61 a gallon. February heating oil rose 4 cents $3.40 a gallon. February natural gas fell 13

By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer The Food and Drug Administration says there are too many unknowns about CBD products to regulate them as foods or supplements. The FDA said Congress needs to create new rules for the massive and growing market. FDA officials said Thursday that the marijuana-derived compound poses risks to people and

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Biden administration has moved to protect the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota from future mining. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed an order Thursday closing over 350 square miles of the Superior National Forest to mineral leasing for 20 years. Haaland

By The Associated Press Shares of Chevron climbed Thursday after the oil company announced that it would repurchase $75 billion of its stock. Chevron Corp. said the buyback is effective on April 1, and does not have a fixed expiration date. It replaces a prior repurchase authorization of $25 billion from January 2019 that will

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell to its lowest level in more than four months, giving some relief to homebuyers faced with higher prices for just about everything, including homes. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the benchmark 30-year rate inched down to 6.13%

By JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press/Report for America DENVER (AP) — A year after the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history scorched nearly 1,100 homes, Colorado lawmakers are considering joining other Western states by adopting artificial intelligence in the hopes of detecting blazes before they burn out of control. A Colorado Senate committee on Thursday

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer The need to increase funding for Black feminist organizations is urgent, according to an open letter from some of philanthropy’s most influential organizations – including Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, as well as the Ford Foundation and MacArthur Foundation – released Thursday. The Black Feminist Fund

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart said Thursday it plans to open more than 30 Sam’s Club locations in the next few years, marking the first expansion since 2017. The nation’s largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, said the first Sam’s Club location as part of the expansion is slated

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A lawyer for Eva Green alleged Thursday that producers of a collapsed film tried to damage the French actress’ reputation by depicting her as a “diva.” The performer, who played Vesper Lynd in James Bond thriller “Casino Royale,” is suing producers for a $1 million fee she

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homeowners who held off on selling their home in 2022 as the housing market slowed missed out on a windfall and may have to settle for slimmer profits if they opt to sell this year. Long-term homeowners who decide to sell this year should also

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Germany has apologized for using a leopard emoji in a jibe at Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Twitter that ended up offending some Africans. The German foreign ministry poked fun at Russia’s top diplomat during his tour of Africa when it tweeted that

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The second consecutive quarter of economic growth that the government reported Thursday underscored that the nation isn’t in a recession despite high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes. Yet the U.S. economy is hardly in the clear. The solid growth last quarter will