AP National Business

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund chief warns the world economy is expected to grow less than 3% this year, down from 3.4% last year, increasing the risk of hunger and poverty globally. Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday growth is expected to remain around 3% for the

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Italian regulators say the company behind ChatGPT will propose measures to resolve data privacy concerns that sparked the country’s temporary ban on the artificial intelligence chatbot. The Italian data protection authority said Thursday that OpenAI promised to set out measures to address the concerns during a

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Swedish prosecutors say a state actor is the most likely culprit for the explosions that incapacitated the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, an act deemed as sabotage. However, they caution that the identity of the perpetrator is still unclear and hint that it is likely to

By LISA BAUMANN Associated Press Deadly storms in the past two weeks unleashed dozens of tornadoes that killed at least 63 people and damaged or destroyed hundreds of people’s homes. An average of 1,200 tornadoes hit the country yearly, and a recent study shows the United States will probably get more killer supercells that spawn

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid was higher over the past few months than the government had initially reported, reflecting a modest rise in layoffs as the economy has slowed in the face of higher interest rates. The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of applications has

EAGLE, Idaho (AP) — EAGLE, Idaho (AP) — Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. (LW) on Thursday reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $175.1 million. The Eagle, Idaho-based company said it had net income of $1.21 per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were $1.43 per share. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four

SAN FRANCISCO — Levi Strauss: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot

VICTOR, N.Y. — Constellation Brands: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

MEDINA, Ohio — RPM International: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot

LONDON (AP) — British antitrust regulators have started investigating Amazon’s purchase of robot vacuum maker iRobot, adding further scrutiny to the $1.7 billion deal. The Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday that it’s considering whether the deal will result in a “substantial lessening of competition” within the United Kingdom. In an initial step, the U.K.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden is turning the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll into an educational as well as fun experience for the thousands of children who’ll participate. The White House says “EGGucation” is the theme for Monday’s event. The first lady is a teacher. “EGGucation” was her theme

HOUSTON — Vaalco Energy: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called for peace talks over Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron appealed to him to “bring Russia to its senses.” But Xi gave no indication Beijing would use its leverage as Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic partner to press for a settlement. Xi gave no sign China has changed

BEIJING (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to “engage China toward a shared responsibility for peace” in Ukraine when he meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week. French officials say Macron plans to urge Xi in talks Thursday to use Beijing’s influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin but didn’t expect a big

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas children would need their parents’ OK to access social media sites under a bill Arkansas lawmakers advanced Wednesday, moving the state closer toward becoming the second to enact restrictions that critics say raise privacy and enforcement concerns. The majority-Republican House approved by an 82-10

By SIBI ARASU Associated Press The capacity to burn coal for power went up in 2022 despite global promises to phase down the fuel that’s the biggest source of planet-warming gases in the atmosphere, a report Wednesday found. The coal fleet grew by 19.5 gigawatts last year, enough to light up around 15 million homes,

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A top group of NASCAR team owners skipped a meeting with series officials with the two sides at an impasse over permanent charters. The charters are a key plank in the business model of the stock car series. Fearing the meeting would be “hijacked”

BOSTON — SeaChange: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

The Associated Press Stocks closed lower on Wall Street Wednesday and Treasury yields fell following the latest signals that the U.S. economy is slowing. The S&P 500 slid 0.2% and the Nasdaq lost 1.1%. Reports on both services industries and the jobs market came in weaker than expected. They add to a series of disappointing

LANCASTER, Calif. — Simulations Plus: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

By MARK PRATT Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Three former executives of a company that makes machines that test lead levels in humans have been accused of deliberately concealing a problem with the devices that produced falsely low results for tens of thousands of children. Federal prosecutors in Boston say the children and others face

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for May delivery fell 10 cents to $80.61 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for June delivery rose 5 cents to $84.99 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for May delivery rose 8 cents to $2.82 a gallon. May heating oil rose 6 cents to $2.73 a gallon. May natural gas

By HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — As lawmakers debate whether to ban TikTok nationwide, its Chinese parent company has stealthily introduced a new app that’s already getting some traction. The app, called Lemon8, is a photo-based app that could be described as a mixture of Instagram and Pinterest with sprinkles of videos

GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss government says it’s ordered cuts to the bonuses of top executives of Credit Suisse worth tens of millions combined as the troubled bank heads toward a forced merger with rival UBS. The country’s executive branch announced Wednesday that it’s instructed the Finance Department to cancel altogether or reduce by either

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s most dedicated supporters are comparing the criminal case against him to the persecution of Jesus Christ. Trump’s supporters note his Tuesday arrest and arraignment came during Holy Week, when many Christians commemorate Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The timing was enough for many Trump

By ERIC TUCKER and FRANK BAJAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Law enforcement agencies in the United States and Europe say they’ve taken down a major online marketplace for stolen login credentials. Authorities say it had offered cybercriminals access to millions of compromised accounts since its 2018 launch. Officials have seized 11 domain names tied

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bob Lee, a technology executive who created Cash App and was currently chief product officer of MobileCoin, was fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco early Tuesday, according to the cryptocurrency platform and police. The San Francisco Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a stabbing

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening rules that limit emissions of mercury and other harmful pollutants from coal-fired power plants. That’s an update to standards imposed more than a decade ago. The proposal would lower emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants that can harm brain development

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday he has “no doubt” that Russia has wrongfully detained an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal who was arrested last week on spying allegations. However, Blinken said a formal determination of Evan Gershkovich’s wrongful detention has not

DETROIT (AP) — An electric Ram pickup truck with up to 500 mile (800 kilometers) of range per charge and a battery-powered people-hauling Kia SUV are among the new vehicles being introduced Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show. The two debuts in New York on Wednesday are among only nine automaker news conferences,

PORTLAND, Ore. — Schnitzer Steel: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — FedEx will combine almost all of its ground, air and other operations by next year as part of a $4 billion cost cutting plan. The package delivery company said Wednesday that FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Services and other FedEx operating companies will be rolled

DENVER — Simply Good Foods: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

By PAUL WISEMAN and JOSH BOAK The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is pressing its case for a new approach to global trade. It’s arguing that America’s traditional reliance on promoting free trade pacts failed to anticipate China’s brass-knuckled brand of capitalism and the possibility that a major power like Russia would

By SAM KEMMIS of NerdWallet President Biden derided “junk fees” during his State of the Union Address, calling out airline seat selection fees in particular. Politicians and travelers have been railing against these unexpected add-on fees — like upcharges for seat selection and resort fees — for years. They are rooted in internet comparison shopping,

By ALEX NISHIMOTO Edmunds We’re spoiled for choice in today’s electric vehicle market. Not only can you have an EV with a reasonable battery range and a practical layout, but it can look great and drive even better. Two perfect examples are the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Which one is the better

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Federal officials have announced the first $196 million of grants in a $1 billion program to repair and replace aging and sometimes leaking natural gas pipelines across the country. The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced that the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, will get $10 million as the first

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were trading mostly lower Thursday as investors turned their attention to upcoming earnings reports and other economic indicators. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 shed 1.1% in morning trading to 27,507.65. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 7,214.90. South Korea’s Kospi fell nearly 0.8% to 2,476.08.

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Dutch government cannot order Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs, to reduce the number of flights from 500,000 per year to 460,000. The decision Wednesday deals a blow to efforts to cut emissions and noise pollution

BERLIN (AP) — Official figures show that factory orders in Germany surged in February, posting their third successive increase in another promising sign for Europe’s biggest economy. The Economy Ministry said that orders were up 4.8% compared with January, the biggest rise since mid-2021. The figures came on top of data Tuesday that showed exports

By JAMEY KEATEN and DAVID McHUGH Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The head of UBS has voiced confidence that the Swiss bank will succeed in a government-engineered takeover of hobbled rival Credit Suisse. Chairman Colm Kelleher pledged Wednesday that the deal will reduce costs, benefit shareholders and buttress Swiss finance despite “huge” risk in knitting

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were trading mixed Wednesday following a decline on Wall Street after reports on the U.S. economy came in weaker than expected. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.7% in afternoon trading to 27,808.75. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 stood little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to

By AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Repairing coral reefs after boats run aground. Shielding native forest trees from a killer fungus outbreak. Patrolling waters for swimmers harassing dolphins and turtles. Taking care of Hawaii’s unique natural environment takes time, people and money. Now Hawaii wants tourists to help pay for it, especially because

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s central bank surprised economists on Wednesday by imposing an aggressive half-point rate rise to bring its benchmark interest rate to 5.25%. It was the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s 11th straight rate hike as it tries to cool inflation, which is running at

By JAMES POLLARD Associated Press/Report for America COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A federal complaint has accused the South Carolina agency tasked with ensuring occupational safety of racial discrimination by failing to routinely inspect disproportionately Black workplaces. The Union of Southern Service Workers says the South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration neglects industries staffed predominantly

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president has announced a deal to buy 13 of the power plants operated by the Spanish company Iberdrola in the country for an estimated $5.94 billion. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador calls it a “new nationalization” of the Mexican electericity sector. He said Tuesday that the deal represents will give

By SARAH RANKIN Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will lead his first international trade mission later this month, a trip to Asia that will include a meeting with the president of Taiwan. His office made the announcement Tuesday. The trip in late April will include stops in Taiwan, Japan

The Associated Press Stocks fell on Wall Street Tuesday following a pair of weaker-than-expected economic reports. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6% and the Nasdaq composite lost a similar amount. The reports on job openings and factory orders may have reinforced forecasts that a recession could hit the economy. They could

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc., down 5 cents to 15 cents. The Richard Branson-backed satellite launch company is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Kirkland’s Inc., up 3 cents to $2.88. The home decor retailer reported strong fourth-quarter revenue. Lindsay Corp., down

IRVINE, Calif. — Resources Connection: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A federal scientific agency says New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm may “adversely affect” whales and other marine mammals, but it won’t seriously harm or kill them. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a report Tuesday on the Ocean Wind I project to be

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal jury has awarded nearly $3.2 million in damages to a Black former worker at a Tesla factory in California. The factory has been at the epicenter of racial discrimination allegations hanging over the automaker run by billionaire Elon Musk. The verdict reached Monday

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for May delivery rose 29 cents to $80.71 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for June delivery rose 1 cent to $84.94 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for May delivery fell 2 cents to $2.74 a gallon. May heating oil rose 1 cent to $2.67 a gallon. May natural gas

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — New IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel delivered a tax-season pledge Tuesday that the agency will use an $80 billion infusion of cash to become faster, more tech-savvy and provide “real-world improvements” to taxpayers. Werfel, as he was ceremonially sworn in on Tuesday, said he would release a Strategic

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors rode strong first-quarter sales of the Chevrolet Bolt to bump crosstown rival Ford out of second place in the U.S. electric vehicle sales race. But GM’s EV sales of 20,670 were still far below those of industry leader Tesla, which delivered more than 161,000 vehicles in the U.S. from January

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The manufacturer of eyedrops recently linked to deaths and injuries lacked measures to assure sterility at its factory in India, according to U.S. health inspectors. Food and Drug Administration officials uncovered about a dozen problems with how Global Pharma Healthcare made and tested its eyedrops during

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — In the years it takes Kentucky bourbon to mature in new oak barrels, producers face two certainties: They lose a portion of the aging whiskey to evaporation and pay a tax on the containers. Now they’re going to get relief from one of them. Kentucky’s legislature

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A company building a long-delayed natural gas pipeline has lost a key water permit. A federal appeals court ruled that West Virginia didn’t adequately assess the impact of building the Mountain Valley Pipeline across streams and wetlands. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with environmental

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Italy’s infrastructure minister is seeking to rally international interest in Italy’s latest attempt to build a bridge linking Sicily to the Italian mainland. Matteo Salvini vowed that the 10 billion euro project would create 100,000 jobs, accelerate transportation times and result in the biggest public works project in

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Spain’s prime minister says Europe must “re-industrialize” to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on third countries for energy and key raw materials. Prime Minister Petro Sanchez said after talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in the Cypriot capital Tuesday that Europe needs to be “strategically autonomous,” especially in the wake

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department is sanctioning two Lebanese brothers accused of selling “dangerously compromised fuel” to Lebanon’s state utility company. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control blocked Raymond Zina Rahme and Teddy Zina Rahme from accessing U.S. bank accounts and the larger U.S. financial system. The brothers

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon is telling investors that government and banks should work to adjust industry regulations following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank last month. The chairman and CEO said the financial system needs to be adjusted so that one bank’s failure

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The founder of the student loan assistance startup company Frank that J.P. Morgan Chase acquired for $175 million has been arrested on charges that she duped the financial giant by dramatically inflating the number of customers her company had. Charlie Javice of Miami Beach, Florida, was

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The sons of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, along with her four grandchildren, pledged $200 million Tuesday to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Leonard and Ronald Lauder founded the organization in 1998 in honor of their mother, who had Alzheimer’s as did other members of her family.

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings slipped to 9.9 million in February, fewest since May 2021  and a sign that the job market may be starting to cool, which would be welcome news for the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve. The Labor Department said that vacancies were down

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a failed mission this year and increasing difficulty in raising funding for future missions. The company laid off most of its staff on Friday and told the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in a

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Britain’s privacy watchdog has hit TikTok with a multimillion-dollar penalty for misusing children’s data and violating other protections for users’ personal information. The Information Commissioner’s Office said Tuesday that it issued a $15.9 million fine to the short-video sharing app, which is wildly popular with young

By YASMINE MOSIMANN Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials say an agreement has been reached to resume oil exports from Iraq’s northern Kurdish region through a pipeline to Turkey. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, announced the deal at a press conference Tuesday in Baghdad.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Kirkland’s: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Harry Styles, Post Malone, Lizzo, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, the cast of “Ted Lasso” and the web series that gave us a kid loving corn are among the nominees for this year’s Webby Awards, recognizing the best internet content and creators. The International Academy

By CHANELLE BESSETTE of NerdWallet If you earned a bank sign-up bonus or interest, you need to set aside some of it for taxes. Your tax bracket will determine how much you owe on your earnings, which will be between 10%-37% of the total. Avoid stress during tax season by setting aside earnings in advance.

OMAHA, Neb. — Lindsay: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is making $450 million available for solar farms and other clean energy projects at the site of current or former coal mines, part of his efforts to combat climate change. As many as five projects nationwide will be funded through the 2021 infrastructure

ATLANTA — Acuity Brands: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s main opposition party says it will seek a parliamentary inquiry into Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s handling of a tax evasion scam involving a private bank before he became the country’s leader. The center-right Union bloc said Tuesday that it will call for the national parliament to set up a commission of inquiry

By ZEKE MILLER AP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday it remains to be seen if artificial intelligence is dangerous, but that he believes technology companies must ensure their products are safe before releasing them to the public. Biden met with his council of advisers on science and technology about

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press ZURICH (AP) — Credit Suisse shareholders on Tuesday upbraided the Swiss bank’s leaders for years of mismanagement, scandal and obfuscation that sent its stock price into the gutter, while executives apologized and insisted that the only way forward for the once-venerable lender was a government-engineered takeover by rival UBS. A